a robin pecking at the keyboard http://robinallison.posterous.com the progress of a first-time novelist posterous.com Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:46:00 -0700 Duh, An Outline Really Helps http://robinallison.posterous.com/duh-an-outline-really-helps http://robinallison.posterous.com/duh-an-outline-really-helps

So, I feel like a complete idiot now.  After months of using an outlined to-do list to help me get stuff done during the week, I finally started making a to-do list for my novel.

What do I mean by that?  I mean outlining the novel's events, bulleted and in short sentence form, so that I can keep straight what happens each "day" in the novel.  Plus, I can put editing notes in there like "Hey, I need to rename this place" or "Wow, I need character names liek woah."  LOL

So now I have an itty-bitty text file called "novel notes," in which I have now scripted the next 3 "days" in my novel.  Finally, I might be able to move ahead--part of the reason I was stuck was that I wasn't sure where to go.  As I well know from experience, if you don't have the driving directions printed out, you can get lost very easily.  Fail :P

Now, WHY did I not think of this about 3 million years ago?  *shrug* Who knows?  That's how my brain works these days, apparently.  xD

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Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:09:00 -0800 Mush...Mush! *cracks whip over novel's head* http://robinallison.posterous.com/mushmush-cracks-whip-over-novels-head http://robinallison.posterous.com/mushmush-cracks-whip-over-novels-head

Feeling like I've been stuck in snow for the last month.  But I finally wrote a bit more (about 1,200 words), and I'm finally starting to move forward in the novel again.

I believe I might be able to move a little faster in the coming days, as well, since I now know the tragic end to my hard drive saga and will likely be getting a new computer, since the old one, bless its heart, may not have much longer to live even if we do get its power port fixed.  Being dropped may have fractured itty-bitty pieces in there which we would not even know about till they fried or gave out.

But at last, I don't have to wait in anxiety any longer for an outcome.  And perhaps, my novel's sled runners can get unstuck from the ice of waiting and again fly along the snowy plains.

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Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:51:00 -0800 +1,000 WORDS. Awwwwh yeah. http://robinallison.posterous.com/1000-words-awwwwh-yeah http://robinallison.posterous.com/1000-words-awwwwh-yeah

After what feels like months of nothinggggg, finally wrote some more.  1,000 words more, to be exact.  And it's absolutely hilarious.  :D  Nothing like a humorous mini-episode to spur me on to write more.  Literally cried laughing writing this part...it's so honest and real and it's something that would totally happen (and it sorta did happen to me, but not in the same circumstances).

Now, to sally forth and conquer the next bit of the story.  Maybe if I stop thinking about the "next" bit as being ALL of the awesomeness that's currently jammed in my head, then maybe I can write it before next year.  LOL

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Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:05:00 -0800 Argh, My Writing Engine is Stalled http://robinallison.posterous.com/argh-my-writing-engine-is-stalled http://robinallison.posterous.com/argh-my-writing-engine-is-stalled

Can't seem to motivate myself to change much on the story, and it's been this way for almost a week and a half.  Hoping that this will change, now that a few of the holiday season's important events have passed. 

I'm thinking it's just stress and anxiety that's keeping me from writing, since I'm worried about my failed hard drive being irrecoverable.  (Yeah, my hard drive died unexpectly about a week ago and we've had to send it off to a totally different state to see if a forensic data recovery company can do anything with it.  Praying they can recover hundreds of dollars in purchased music and thousands of hours of work!)

Anyway, writer's block shall not conquer me forever.  This, I know from previous experiences.  It might be a week, might be a month or even several months, but I'll get back into writing this.  I'm so excited to tell this story still--just got to get off my proverbial butt and do it.  XD

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Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:06:00 -0800 +5,000 Words in 1 Day! http://robinallison.posterous.com/5000-words-in-1-day http://robinallison.posterous.com/5000-words-in-1-day

YEP!  I celebrated finally finishing the part of the book that had been bedeviling me by writing ~5,000 words two days ago. (Who would have thought 3 pages in the last "episode' could trip me up for almost 3 months?  Oh wait, wisdom teeth, infection, surgery, medication...yeeeeaaaah).

Now that I'm past the difficult part (literally and figuratively), I feel renewed, and I WANT to tell this part of the story that has been bubbling in my head for months.  It's simmered and it's finally ready to come off the stove eye.  WOOOOOoooOOOOooooOOOT!

 

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Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:35:00 -0800 Continuity Errors... *sigh* http://robinallison.posterous.com/continuity-errors-sigh http://robinallison.posterous.com/continuity-errors-sigh

After reading the last 20 pages of my book, I realized I had several errors in continuity, mainly details and strange little forgetful episodes.  It's been a tumultuous few months, so I'm not surprised I wrote in a bit more scrambled manner than usual.  The backspace key is my friend... :P  It's important to read over my own writing--otherwise, you all might end up reading a very odd story in a few months!  XD

(And I'm very glad I didn't leave these errors to editing time!  Lord knows what the editor would have thought!  LOL)

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Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:36:00 -0700 Whoops, I Meant 125,000 Words http://robinallison.posterous.com/whoops-i-meant-125000-words http://robinallison.posterous.com/whoops-i-meant-125000-words

In my last post, I referenced my novel as being at 122,000 words.  Checked it this evening before beginning some edits, and I saw that it was just above 125,000.  ...This is why I never became a math major.  XD

WOOT for 3,000 more words than I thought I had!  :D

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Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:18:00 -0700 Awe and Wonder http://robinallison.posterous.com/awe-and-wonder http://robinallison.posterous.com/awe-and-wonder

...Those are the feelings I'm working with as I write this next episode, since I finally have my computer back (still wounded, but able).  The main character is wrapped up in a totally new experience, and I keep coming back to the central feeling of awe, wonder, and NEWNESS.  Seeing the world through this character's eyes is utterly refreshing.

In other news, 122,000 words.  Rar.  Fear my keyboard prowess.  LOL

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Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:55:00 -0700 Mental Scripting http://robinallison.posterous.com/mental-scripting http://robinallison.posterous.com/mental-scripting

With my computer still needing fixing, I've taken to scripting out what is ahead in my novel mentally rather than trying to type it up.  The time without the computer has actually helped me get over one of the writer's blocks I had before, and now I feel surer about where the story is going in the next "episode."

What I mean by "episode":  in my book, I have mentally divided up the story into chunks based on the settings in which they take place.  Each new setting and its individual story constitutes an "episode."  What's surprising to me is how much of this next episode I have already nailed down in my head.  I know pretty much the sequence and the characters involved at every step in the sequence--unusual for me, a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer by nature.

Looking forward to actually typing up this mentally-scripted scene, as soon as I get my computer back!  :D

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Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:28:12 -0700 120,000 and Rising http://robinallison.posterous.com/120000-and-rising http://robinallison.posterous.com/120000-and-rising

Oh yes I did.  120,000 words as of last week.  :D :D :D  Continuing to write on the peaceful plot I mentioned last time, but the more turbulent sub-plot will return...as soon as I get my faithful little laptop buddy back from being fixed.  :C  (I didn't lose any data, but the screen suffered damage after it was knocked from a tabletop  Sad.)

In other news, ever notice how when you're thinking out a plot idea, it seems so simple and quick to write, but when you actually go to write it, it takes about 5 pages to work out even the smallest tidbit?  Yep.  That has been my writing as of late.  LOL

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Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:49:00 -0700 113,000 Words!!! http://robinallison.posterous.com/113000-words http://robinallison.posterous.com/113000-words

So, after almost three weeks of being utterly stymied on the plot, my creative juices apparently flooded my brain, and I ended up producing almost 4,000 words in 2 days.  RAWR!

I've switched perspectives a couple of times, alternating a peaceful greater plot with a more turbulent sub-plot, and even though I fear that the peaceful plot is getting a little too boring, the action of the sub-plot keeps both going.  At least, I hope it will.  ^_^

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Sat, 14 May 2011 12:20:00 -0700 One. Hundred. Thousand. Words. And a little more. http://robinallison.posterous.com/one-hundred-thousand-words-and-a-little-more http://robinallison.posterous.com/one-hundred-thousand-words-and-a-little-more

Okay, so I kinda forgot to post two weeks ago when I hit the momentous 100,000 words.  XD  Fail on my part.  But I did hit the big 100,000, and have been chugging steadily on toward 110,000 (currently at just under 107,000). 

I am working with a little deeper subplot at the moment--tune into my recent blog post about this little gem of a storyline!

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Sun, 03 Apr 2011 16:11:00 -0700 96,000 and full steam ahead http://robinallison.posterous.com/96000-and-full-steam-ahead http://robinallison.posterous.com/96000-and-full-steam-ahead

So I didn't quite make my goal of 100,000 words by the end of March, but I've gotten pretty close--just hit 96,000 words a few minutes ago!  I'm hopeful that the writing on the rest of the novel will be smoother and easier, since I've gotten through over half of the plot ideas I wanted to hit in this novel.

It's amazing how this story keeps unfolding and unfolding, revealing new creases to travel (and new rabbits to chase or not chase, of course).  I love it!

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Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:02:29 -0800 wahoooooooo 90,000 words!!! http://robinallison.posterous.com/wahoooooooo-90000-words http://robinallison.posterous.com/wahoooooooo-90000-words
As of Sunday night, my "little story" is 90,000 words!  :O  How did that happen?!  Oh wait, I know...lots of brainstorming and typing.  It's a wonder my fingertips aren't blistered.  XD

I've introduced lots of new characters, including some very interesting ones that are going to prove influential to the later parts of the story, and I'm looking forward to intertwining their side stories into the main plot.  It may not feel as if the story's advanced quite as far as it should have, but trust me, it's getting there.

Onward, to 100,000 words by the end of March, or bust!  :D

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Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:52:00 -0800 whole lotta writin' goin' on! http://robinallison.posterous.com/whole-lotta-writin-goin-on http://robinallison.posterous.com/whole-lotta-writin-goin-on

Current Word Count:  88,689

Episodes Covered:  Nearly 5 of 8

WOW!  I'm close to 90,000 words at last!  And I'm nearing the end of the fifth episode in the book, with lots more characters introduced and new story backdrops. This is AMAZING.  Most of the 3,000 words I've written since my last post has been done in the last few hours, in a brainstorming session with one of my beta readers, so it's been pretty inspirational.

I'm also pretty sure I'd like to have at least a sequel to this book, and perhaps a third and fourth!  I will not limit myself or try to force anything to happen, though.  If I end up with a crazy-long 10-book series, okay.  If this book is the only fiction book I ever write, that's okay, too.  Whatever God's will is for this book and any other possible books, I will try to follow it.  :)

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Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:15:00 -0800 suddenly, 3,000 words later... http://robinallison.posterous.com/suddenly-3000-words-later http://robinallison.posterous.com/suddenly-3000-words-later

Yeah, my Muse suddenly went batpoo crazy on Tuesday night, and before I knew it, I'd hit 85,000 words!  :O  The new episode is a good bit different from what I had planned, and it was a bit surprising even for me while I was writing it. 

I wasn't sure about the new bit at first, but I saved and went to bed anyway.  The next morning, I reviewed what I had written and found it to be much more coherent and matching with the story than I thought it would be, having been composed at 2:00 in the morning.  XD  I'll let my beta readers have a say on whether it stays or goes... though I'd prefer it to stay, now!  :)

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Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:43:00 -0800 a new vigor http://robinallison.posterous.com/a-new-vigor http://robinallison.posterous.com/a-new-vigor

Now that I'm finally past the difficult bit, I feel a lot more energized about writing.  I wrote nearly 2,000 words yesterday!  :D  I'm looking forward to the next few episodes in the book--even though the last bits have been sad, there are many happy times ahead, and lots of new characters to introduce, including one who will become very important in later chapters! 

I'm intending to get to 83,000 tomorrow, with at least one of the three new planned episodes written down.  :D  Wish me luck!

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Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:02:00 -0800 finally over the 80,000-word hill! http://robinallison.posterous.com/finally-over-the-80000-word-hill http://robinallison.posterous.com/finally-over-the-80000-word-hill

I have been working diligently on the novel, and finally got past the problem part of the story to get to over 80,000 words. I was stuck at 79,000 and something for ages, because the story was getting a bit dark and was a bit sad.  My solution:  include some unexpected levity.  Not only does it make the sadder parts of the story easier to swallow, but it gives me renewed energy to write.  It also gives hope for the happier times to come in the story.

At this point, I consider the story to be about five-eighths complete.  There are two more major locations to describe (with a major story event in each to write), and then the final resolution of the story.  :D  I can't believe my little story has grown so big!

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Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:51:00 -0800 a particularly difficult episode http://robinallison.posterous.com/a-particularly-difficult-episode http://robinallison.posterous.com/a-particularly-difficult-episode

Currently, I'm approaching 80,000 words, but I'm having a very hard time writing this particular event.  It's got a few disturbing allusions in it, and while they are great for plotline, it's making my skin crawl to write about it.  I guess that means I'm writing it well, but Lordy, it's hard to power through when you hate what the characters are having to go through.  There are happier times ahead, though--I am definitely making sure of that!

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Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:20:44 -0800 The Progress So Far http://robinallison.posterous.com/the-progress-so-far http://robinallison.posterous.com/the-progress-so-far

Words:  79,298

Percent of Story Told:  ~62%

Novel file first created:  12/17/2008 (but keep in mind, I didn't work on it for about nine or ten months)

Others' Satisfaction with Storytelling So Far:  All of my beta readers enjoy it so far, and are anxiously awaiting next chapters!  :)

Personal Satisfaction with Storytelling So Far:  I'm enjoying it so far--I am working on character craft right now, and some of them are harder to write than others, but I'm working on making everyone believable.

Forecasted Date to Reach 80,000 Words:  Tomorrow!  (If I'm lucky and inspired!)

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