This final post has been weeks in the making. Since I started this project eleven weeks ago, I have planned, written, and edited a small piece of a novel barely two chapters long. The process was similar to what I did last year, but at the same time it was different. I shall compare the two, but also define my failures and successes this time around. Here goes. Failures Old and NewThe same problems dogged me both times I did this project. A lack of motivation and a tendency toward procrastination prevented me from reaching my full potential (and the goal I'd set). However, I'd forgotten just how hard writing was. It takes commitment and hard work, both of which take time to build up. I believe this is telling me something, but that's another matter entirely. This time around homework was a larger obstacle than it was before. I'm currently taking three AP classes, and the work distracted me from Genius Hour stuff (not to mention the stressing over my argumentative research paper for English). Perhaps there is a lesson in that as well. Successes Old and NewWhile my failures may have correlated more with those of my last attempt, the successes were more numerous this time. I planned more than I ever had before. I built up my already existing fictional world a little more and really focused on fleshing out the protagonist of Smith, Moira. I ws even able to create an extremely rough outline. While those are all well and good, I'm pleased to say that my word count total this time was more than the previous novel's, not counting the additions I had to make to the latter for my creative writing class. I'm also more pleased with how this novel is turning out (which means I might have more motivation to complete it). Future PlansEven though the project has ended, I still plan on sharing the story with a few other people. A fresh set of eyes will help me become aware of defects I have yet to notice. I will also be preparing for my presentation, and I'm still considering dressing up as Moira.
I will also be continuing work on Smith in the future. I could even get it published one day if I work hard enough. "The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." -Anaïs Nin Alene out.
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This week I started the editing process. It wasn't difficult; although what I currently have written is a tangled mess, I made a few changes in order to ensure the story became a little more coherent. Here's what I did. ProcessI was content with the meat of the story, so I read through it one time to see if I could spot anything that needed to be changed. There were a couple of big things that caught my eye; however, those could wait, as I was more concerned with finding small problems to change (as the larger matters could take time, and that is something I don't often have at my disposal). The little things I found were fairly not difficult to adjust; I merely had to reword or replace some words and sentences. I will continue making such revisions next time I look over my work. ConcernsThe matter of revising the larger scope of what I've already written is not something I'm looking forward to. There are a couple of places where I believe I dumped unneeded information, and I think it could be moved elsewhere. However, this is something I won't be able to figure out until I write more of the story. I've also never really altered any of my stories on a fundamental level. That would require rewriting the entire thing, which I don't think is necessary at the moment since I've only gotten a little over 2,000 words down (I also really, really don't want to do it). The best part of the editing process is going to come when I complete the first draft of Smith, but that's another matter entirely. Final ThoughtsI'll do some more editing next week, which also happens to be the last week of the project. I'll have to start thinking about what my Genius Hour presentation is going to look like (I was considering dressing up like Moira to make it interesting). It's getting down to the wire, and I have to make good use of the remaining time.
"Write drunk, edit sober." -Ernest Hemingway Alene out. I was only able to increase my word count to about 2,080 this week. Like before, this was for a variety of reasons. However, I also managed to accomplish a few good things this week, and I have plans for the future that I will be sharing as well. Let's get started. ObstaclesI did not face as many homework related setbacks this week as I have previously. When it came to that, I was assigned the normal load every night and was able to complete everything in a decent amount of time, but it was still enough to distract me from Genius Hour. For those of you wondering, the paper is going well. All I need to do is add to it to make it adequate enough for the initial submission. Motivation was a bit harder to work up. NaNoWriMo was coming to an end, and my determination to finally move past the inciting incident was waning. I was content enough with how the beginning was turning out to only add a few more words onto it. At least it means less for me to edit. SuccessesI was able to reach the good part of the inciting incident, which is when the Sean raiders break down the door of the smithy to take Moira prisoner. It becomes even more fascinating from there because several more events occur to further sour Moira's fortunes as well as Archie's. I did not contract the dreaded block either. My inner editor also remained turned off. In the future when I expand on the story, hopefully neither of these two nasties will afflict me and I will remain competent enough to continue working on my novel. Future PlansThe final stage of this project will be to edit what I've currently written. I'll let you in on a secret: This is the part of the creative process that writers usually look forward to the least. However, I find it bearable where others do not. I will explain this further in next week's post.
I hope to continue in making the most of remaining time allotted to this project; only a few weeks are left. Wish me luck. "There are infinite shades of grey. Writing often appears so black and white." -Rebecca Solnit Alene out. I'm going to be honest: I didn't write any this week, so my word count is still the same as it was last week. There are many reasons for this slump, and I will describe them in further detail. Also, since nothing was accomplished this week, I have decided to reaffirm my commitment to this project and map out a new strategy for the last week of NaNoWriMo. ObstaclesI was sucked into Thanksgiving break with a vengeance. I was mentally preparing myself for Thanksgiving with my family and enjoying the time off from school. Writing didn't once cross my mind until today because I blog about the week's events on Sundays. Other than that, I was working on the outline for my research paper and math problems. I took an afternoon to complete the latter and scrounged around for time to complete the former. The outline isn't that bad; it's just time consuming and takes some thinking. New PlanI probably should have come up with one of these ages ago, but I was preoccupied with homework and life in general. Before I outline my new plan, I will commit myself to this project again. My goal of 20,000 to 25,000 words was an oversight on my part. However, I will continue to write and maximize Smith's word count as much as possible until the end of next week. In order to achieve this, I will write a little every day (even when I have finished with my homework). A couple hundred words here and there may not seem like much, especially compared with the main goal, but a little goes a long way. Every word counts. Final ThoughtsNaNoWriMo is in the home stretch; a week of it remains. There are only a few days left for writing, and I will soon be editing the disjointed mess that's the partial first draft.
"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." -E. L. Doctorow Alene out. I was thrown for a loop this week. I experienced a series of setbacks that allowed me to only write one time, but I managed to increase my word count to 1,963. Those same setbacks also prevented me from posting on time, but the writing is still going smoothly enough. Here's what happened. ObstaclesLast week, I mentioned that my English class was in the process of preparing for an argumentative research paper. It was merely time consuming at first, but then research notes and writing a thesis statement hit. I stressed myself out quite badly, and this stress caused a mental block to form. From there I began to overthink the whole situation, and the downward spiral continued from there. Luckily, I managed to break through the block and complete my notes and thesis statement after I spent some time away from the latter. I do hope the outline, while more time consuming, will be easier to complete now that the block has been removed. Maybe I'll also be able to write more over Thanksgiving break. SuccessesBesides the obvious success of boosting my word count, I managed to do a few other things correctly. Like I said last week, my inner editor remains turned off - for now, at least. Since I will be working on the outline for my paper over the next few days, it may make an appearance. I have nearly reached the point where I can finally dive into the inciting incident. I am currently establishing the events that precipitate the inciting incident, and it looks like a fight is going to occur. Moira's true character will be determined by what happens next; her relationship with her best friend, Archie, will be tested. Her entire worldview will shift after this. I am excited to extrapolate on what happens after the plot begins. As of now, I have not yet experienced writers' block for this novel. Final ThoughtsTwo weeks of NaNoWriMo remain, and I must continue writing whenever I have the chance in order to maximize my word count.
"The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything." -John Irving Alene out. I managed to reach a word count of 1,293 words this week. Not exactly what I was looking for, but decent progress regardless. I will admit to some stalling and lack of motivation, but at least I managed to boost my word count somewhat. This is what happened. ObstaclesI ran into some roadblocks this week. One of them was my own laziness, which translated into procrastination. When it comes to things I assign to myself, I sometimes tend to put them off. It certainly can't, and won't happen again, as it was this that messed me up last year. Besides that, I've been a little caught up in homework, especially this one assignment for English, an argumentative research paper. My other classes have been okay with the homework load; nothing particularly challenging has come up, just mostly time consuming assignments. SuccessesOther than increasing my word count, I did a few other things right. One of them was keeping my inner editor turned off. It remains something to be unconcerned about, but if it manages to turn itself back on, I will certainly mention it in a future blog post. I haven't run into any hiccups with the story yet. The characters, particularly Moira, continue to flesh themselves out nicely. While I haven't written the inciting incident yet, I am excited for it, as Moira is pulled into a conflict she wants no part of. I hope the plot snowballs rather easily from there, but at the same time, writer's block could come upon be in an instant. At least then I could call my aunt, which is what I did last year when it came upon me. Final ThoughtsI must continue on. The words will not write themselves, and I need to work on not letting my lack of motivation get in the way of writing my novel.
"All good writing is swimming underwater and holding your breath." -F. Scott Fitzgerald Alene out. Well, NaNoWriMo started last Thursday, and that meant I needed to start writing my novel. I decided it will be titled Smith for now, and so far I've written 745 words. Not too terrible progress, but I still have a very long way to go if I'm even going to get close to my goal. Achievements While I'm still not sure setting a goal of 20,000 to 25,000 words was the best idea, I did accomplish a few things this week. First, I actually wrote at least seven times more words in the first three days than I did last year in the first five. Setting a goal was supposed to help me write more often and maybe even start me on a writing habit. So far it seems to be working; I can't afford to slack off now. Perhaps these blog posts will aid in holding me accountable. Second, I managed to turn off my inner editor. I don't care if what I write is terrible; I just need to be writing. First drafts are usually eyesores anyway, and I set aside December for the editing process. I might be able to boost my word count if I can keep my inner editor silent. Final ThoughtsSo far it doesn't seem like I've done too badly. I do need to stop focusing on the goal and write. Yes, it would be nice if I managed to reach it, but I'm a slow typer. It would be an utter miracle if I achieved 10,000 words.
But I'm selling myself short. I don't have a crystal ball, and who knows? I might get closer to the goal than I think now. "Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it." -Neil Gaiman Alene out. When it comes to the plot of a novel, writers have different approaches. Some prefer to laboriously plan out every detail of what happens while others simply come up with the plot as they go. I am usually of the latter group, but this time I wanted to at least jot down some ideas so I knew where I was going. Here's how I did it. ProcessI first brainstormed a few scenes (particular episodes and situations in a narrative) I knew were of utmost importance to my novel's plot. For instance, I knew I want the inciting incident, or the event in a story that really kicks off the plot, to be a confrontation between Moira and raiders from the neighboring country of Siev. Other scenes included Moira's escape from the village, various conflicts she runs into on her journey, and a plot twist I hope will be effective. The next thing I did was shuffle the notecards around to decide what order they would go in. I also started considering subplots that would tie in to the larger storyline, like Moira's search for Archibald, her best friend. I will develop these subplots as I write my novel since November is right around the corner. Though I only planned out a few important scenes from my novel, they will serve as goals to reach as I write. It's better to have a rough idea of where you're going than no idea at all. Future PlansI will begin writing this week, as NaNoWriMo starts this Thursday. I must admit that I am not so sure making a goal of 20,000 to 25,000 words was the smartest decision, but I have try to reach it as I have already made the commitment.
I would say to wish me luck, but I don't want anything to jinx it. But I appreciate the thought anyway. "All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination." -Earl Nightingale Alene out. To be honest, character designing is my favorite part of the preparation for writing a novel. I enjoy exploring their personalities and backstories. Coming up with quirks is the most entertaining part because it makes my characters more human but also gives me a good laugh. That aside, I take every aspect of the process seriously. Everything is chosen for a reason, even the names and physical appearances of the characters. Allow me to officially introduce Moira Ainsley, protagonist of my novel. NameI decided to stick with the British Isles theme and give my characters names with Scottish or Welsh origins. For my protagonist, I went with the former and gave her a Scottish name. Moira is the anglicized version of another Scottish name, but it's also related to the Greek name for the Fates, Moirae; the name can then mean "fate, destiny." Ainsley comes from a place name derived from several Old English roots meaning "alone, solitary;" "hermitage;" and "woodland, forest" respectively. DescriptionMoira lives in a village called Selvage near the Silvic border with Siev. She owns and operates one of the two blacksmith shops in the town and is considered by the village elders to be one of the best blacksmiths of her line. Her appearance is rather unremarkable. She keeps her dark hair tied in a messy high knot, the Silvic version of a bun, so she can see clearly as she works. Brown eyes, squinty from years of staring into flames, peek out from underneath a slight fringe. Years of hammering metal has given her a lean, muscular build. For protection while working, Moira wears heavy work gloves, an apron, thick pants, and sturdy leather boots. She otherwise wears simple dresses and shoes. Marked by a gruff manner she inherited from her father, Moira is known to be no-nonsense and to the point. Her sense of humor is rather dry. Her deadpan remarks have elicited a surprised laugh out of many of her neighbors. Moira's small circle of friends knows her to be generally affable, or friendly and easy to talk to. She otherwise lives a solitary existence, preferring to live and work on her own. She unwillingly becomes involved in the tense, complex relations between Silvia and Siev after a border skirmish spills in Selvage's streets. Moira does not know it then, but she will play a vital role in ensuring war between the two countries does not break out. Future PlansFor now, that's all you need to know about Moira. More about her and other characters will be revealed in the coming weeks in blog posts, or just in the novel excerpt I will end up writing.
I plan to form a rough outline of the novel's plot next week, and if I have time, start writing the first chapter of my novel. NaNoWriMo is right around the corner, after all. "After a while, the characters I'm writing begin to feel real to me. That's when I know I'm heading in the right direction." -Alice Hoffman Alene out. Out of all the worldbuilding elements I've covered so far, culture was definitely the hardest to pin down. There are so many factors that influence it, like history, geography, and government, that it can be hard to take into account how everything affects the people of a country or region and the way they live their lives. Since I could spend years exploring Silvia's society, I developed a rough idea of what life looks like in urban areas and formed a set of ideals critical to the Silvic national identity. Urban LifeThere are five major cities in Silvia: Arken, Daggmor, Finning, Tybron, and Roarke Haven. Each one is near or on a river or body of water to ease transportation and trade between them, as well as to provide fishermen with a good place to sell their catches. Social classes in the cities are highly stratified. I drew a rough idea of what a typical Silvic city looks like. If you can't read my handwriting, never fear. Here are the urban social classes in order from highest to lowest: government officials, wealthy merchants, high-ranking city guard members; lawyers, shopkeepers, skilled mariners, low-ranking city guard members; artisans, craftsmen, manual laborers, servants, apprentices; outcasts and the dregs of society. The words in parentheses involve crime and those who are looked down upon. Strays are people that live on the streets, and pickers live in the garbage dumps and scavenge for edible scraps. Any orphanages (usually government funded) are found on the edge of the third ring. Cultural IdealsThe Silvic people hold family in high esteem. Lineage and familial connections are vital to one's status and determine whether that status can be improved. They are also a major deciding factor in how society views certain people. Those who do not have acceptable lineage or connections, like newcomers, must prove themselves and make their own place in the community. People like strays and pickers are at the very bottom of the social ladder because they have no known family; therefore, it is difficult for them to reach a higher standing in the future. Loyalty is considered paramount as well. As a consequence, the Silvic try to maintain their personal relationships as best they can. They have a fierce pride in their country and their history. It even has a place in the law, which regards treason as the second highest criminal offense one can commit in Silvia. Final ThoughtsI considered developing Silvia's culture more, but October is nearly half gone. I need to begin sketching out characters before NaNoWriMo arrives.
I enjoyed worldbuilding for Silvia. The process I used to do it was a good idea for the time constraint of the project, but in the future I will consider a more concrete plan of action. At least the world is more established now than it had been before. "A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." -Mahatma Ghandi Alene out. |
AuthorI'm Alene Wolfe, and this is my Genius Hour blog. Archives
December 2018
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