Meant to post yesterday but got sidetracked. I wrote several pages (at least six) of backstory for one of my characters. This is a character that doesn't show up until the end of book one. It was fantastic to finally write all of this (it's been in my head for awhile). So much world detail that just wasn't written down before. It really wouldn't seem like much until you realize how much of the world time range that book one takes place in was affected by what happened in this backstory.
There was a lot of summarizing rather than scene writing because I'm going to turn this back story into a prequel. Actually I could do a whole trilogy based on back stories of my characters so far. They all have their own plots just in their backstories. It's a cool idea I might use later. I actually really like the idea of writing my series (not sure if it's going to be two or three books still, It depends on how book one goes and how my planning of book two goes. I'd prefer a trilogy though) and then writing a prequel series. Might use that. All depends on how the main series goes.
Can you imagine though, if my series becomes well loved readers reading the main story and then discovering that I've written out in book level detail all the backstories of the characters they've grown attached to? As a book lover I'd be ecstatic, so it's definitely something I think other readers would appreciate. Definitely an idea to store for later use. (Random comment, it's a good thing my computer has spell check because I've been typing faster than my accuracy for wpm can manage).
So I wrote over 3,000 words (turns out it is seven 8"x11" pages) of backstory with most of it being summarized. definately something I can build a book out of later. Also I could combine multiple backstories into one book if any are too short for their own novel (less than 60,000 words). I'm really liking this idea. I haven't written in the main book at the moment because I needed a creative break in order to do justice to the story. Really hard to write a good chapter if you're feeling burnt out.
Probably a good thing this blog is named "Ruminations of an aspiring author" because I sure rambled a lot this post. I'm in a good mood today, finally feeling less depressed and anxious. Doing my best to take care of my mental health. Honestly my goal is simply to finish as much of this book as I can by summer's end. I have no set date to finish this, so the occasional break won't set be behind in any way. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Chapter 14 update, and COVID-19 thoughts
Managed to write Chapter 14 (3,509 words). Puts me at a total of 36,425 words not including chapter titles/headings, table of contents, and cover page (including those it's 39,366 words. there's a surprising amount of words in those categories).
I've had to push through my anxiety to write. Once I get writing I'm fine, but I've got to start. It's more than the anxiety. When I don't have a set schedule (classes or work) it's harder to get up in the morning, to eat, to shower, to get dressed, to feel motivated enough to write. I had gotten an interview for a job just before COVID-19 hit. Now I'm on the student version of financial aid relief that my country has set up to help students who don't qualify for the other forms of relief during this pandemic. While it's nice to have the money to pay for my phone bill and cat food, I'd rather be working. However my health won't allow for me to work a front line job right now. So I'm going to keep looking for work from home type jobs until things let up. If I don't find anything by September I'm just going to be writing until school starts back up.
I'm also worried about school. Online learning is not easy, it's also definately not my learning method. I learn best when I can hear, see, and do. When I can ask questions if I'm confused, or can just listen and take notes (or follow along with instructions on how to do something), that's when I learn best and actually remember things. I've done online learning before, it's painful. I've been working really hard for my grades and am worried they're going to drop (brought my GPA back up in the fall semester, and surpassed where it had ever been in the winter one).
Writing is helping me stay sane. I'm thankful I took to tracking my progress and posting on here. It's giving me a little more motivation to continue, it's also helping me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. For someone with mental health struggles at the best of times this is vital to keeping my mental health up. I'm generally worst in winter, but I'm having nights where I have to fight harder than I did this last winter. I had to give away my pocket knife yesterday. I'd had too many nights where I just wasn't rational.
Everything I have been through has made me a great writer as I can empathize so much. I've been through trauma, I've had to pave my own way to getting better mental health. I've been through more than people would think upon meeting me. I still carry emotional and mental scars. I've been trying to use what I've been through, how hard I've had to fight, to be a better writer. I've been told by those I've let read what I write that it worked. I'm hoping to use what I go through and what I hear about others going through at this time with COVID-19 to continue to be a better writer. You can't write what you don't know. So I expect that one day I will have a character that I wouldn't have been able to write if I hadn't lived through what we're going through now.
Stay safe, stay hopeful, as long as we reach out to each other (even if it's just electronically) we can make it through this.
I've had to push through my anxiety to write. Once I get writing I'm fine, but I've got to start. It's more than the anxiety. When I don't have a set schedule (classes or work) it's harder to get up in the morning, to eat, to shower, to get dressed, to feel motivated enough to write. I had gotten an interview for a job just before COVID-19 hit. Now I'm on the student version of financial aid relief that my country has set up to help students who don't qualify for the other forms of relief during this pandemic. While it's nice to have the money to pay for my phone bill and cat food, I'd rather be working. However my health won't allow for me to work a front line job right now. So I'm going to keep looking for work from home type jobs until things let up. If I don't find anything by September I'm just going to be writing until school starts back up.
I'm also worried about school. Online learning is not easy, it's also definately not my learning method. I learn best when I can hear, see, and do. When I can ask questions if I'm confused, or can just listen and take notes (or follow along with instructions on how to do something), that's when I learn best and actually remember things. I've done online learning before, it's painful. I've been working really hard for my grades and am worried they're going to drop (brought my GPA back up in the fall semester, and surpassed where it had ever been in the winter one).
Writing is helping me stay sane. I'm thankful I took to tracking my progress and posting on here. It's giving me a little more motivation to continue, it's also helping me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. For someone with mental health struggles at the best of times this is vital to keeping my mental health up. I'm generally worst in winter, but I'm having nights where I have to fight harder than I did this last winter. I had to give away my pocket knife yesterday. I'd had too many nights where I just wasn't rational.
Everything I have been through has made me a great writer as I can empathize so much. I've been through trauma, I've had to pave my own way to getting better mental health. I've been through more than people would think upon meeting me. I still carry emotional and mental scars. I've been trying to use what I've been through, how hard I've had to fight, to be a better writer. I've been told by those I've let read what I write that it worked. I'm hoping to use what I go through and what I hear about others going through at this time with COVID-19 to continue to be a better writer. You can't write what you don't know. So I expect that one day I will have a character that I wouldn't have been able to write if I hadn't lived through what we're going through now.
Stay safe, stay hopeful, as long as we reach out to each other (even if it's just electronically) we can make it through this.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Chapter 13 update, COVID-19's affect on me
Earlier this week I wrote Chapter 13 (2,536 words). I've rearranged what I want to happen in Chapter 14, I'd have started writing it but my depression has made it impossible to write certain scenes. My emotions alter the scenes I write. So it's no use writing a happy scene if you're in a state of depression. There will be tones other than happy in the chapter, but the scene I wanted to start with is happy.
I've noticed that COVID-19 has made my emotions more volatile than they normally would be this time of year. The amount of time on my hands allows me to write more, but the rest of it increases my anxiety and depression. I'm doing what I can to cope, writing normally helps. Hope people are staying safe.
I'm going to start Chapter 14 today, if I finish it I'll hopefully write another update.
I've noticed that COVID-19 has made my emotions more volatile than they normally would be this time of year. The amount of time on my hands allows me to write more, but the rest of it increases my anxiety and depression. I'm doing what I can to cope, writing normally helps. Hope people are staying safe.
I'm going to start Chapter 14 today, if I finish it I'll hopefully write another update.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Update and thoughts
I forgot to update!
So last week I wrote the rest of Chapter Ten and all of Chapter Eleven. Chapter Eleven was 2,528 and Chapter Ten totaled at 2,546 words. I'm going to start Chapter Twelve today. I covered some of one of main characters' past in Chapter Eleven. I only have a small section planned for Chapter Twelve so I may have to adjust some plans. I'd love to have some longer chapters, but so far most have been a little over the 2,500 mark (the minimum word count).
Sorry for how short the updates have been, but I figured it was better to make some sort of update at least once a week than none at all.
My mother had to ask what book I was writing as I've gone through three different ideas to get to this one. I really wanted to write a series and now I am. I haven't written one before so this will be different with how I have to plan things. I have to have 3 different plots running at once, and adjust all three as things change in the one I'm currently writing. The last set of chapters I wrote really changed things, I'm having to adjust how the ending true ending scenes will play out due to changes that were made in a single chapter. It's just interesting how things blend together, and how each character influences how the rest of the story goes. How developing one character can tip the whole thing upside-down. Bonus is I have a new perspective to write from, so there is more to explore. All of book one is planned out now. I expect things to change but I have at least a basic idea of what happens in each chapter now.
So last week I wrote the rest of Chapter Ten and all of Chapter Eleven. Chapter Eleven was 2,528 and Chapter Ten totaled at 2,546 words. I'm going to start Chapter Twelve today. I covered some of one of main characters' past in Chapter Eleven. I only have a small section planned for Chapter Twelve so I may have to adjust some plans. I'd love to have some longer chapters, but so far most have been a little over the 2,500 mark (the minimum word count).
Sorry for how short the updates have been, but I figured it was better to make some sort of update at least once a week than none at all.
My mother had to ask what book I was writing as I've gone through three different ideas to get to this one. I really wanted to write a series and now I am. I haven't written one before so this will be different with how I have to plan things. I have to have 3 different plots running at once, and adjust all three as things change in the one I'm currently writing. The last set of chapters I wrote really changed things, I'm having to adjust how the ending true ending scenes will play out due to changes that were made in a single chapter. It's just interesting how things blend together, and how each character influences how the rest of the story goes. How developing one character can tip the whole thing upside-down. Bonus is I have a new perspective to write from, so there is more to explore. All of book one is planned out now. I expect things to change but I have at least a basic idea of what happens in each chapter now.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Chapters 7, 8, & 9 Complete!
I finished chapter seven and then wrote chapters eight and nine. I started and finished chapter nine today (2,982 words). Between the three chapters that's a total of 8,339 words. I have a total of 25,511 not including cover/title page, table of contents, and chapter headings. Including all of those it's 25,570 words (so only a 69 word addition, but there will be a two word addition for every chapter heading as I continue).
Chapters eight and nine derailed some of my plans, so I have to go back and plan things out again. There were changes to characters I didn't expect, and I have new perspectives of my characters now that I have more of their back stories. It's both a lot of fun when everything suddenly changes and very frustrating.
Depending on how I feel after re-planning everything, I may start chapter ten today. I already feel very accomplished from writing almost 3,000 words. This is apparently a very big day for me creatively.
Chapters eight and nine derailed some of my plans, so I have to go back and plan things out again. There were changes to characters I didn't expect, and I have new perspectives of my characters now that I have more of their back stories. It's both a lot of fun when everything suddenly changes and very frustrating.
Depending on how I feel after re-planning everything, I may start chapter ten today. I already feel very accomplished from writing almost 3,000 words. This is apparently a very big day for me creatively.
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