Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Word Jump

 It's been a long time since I posted. Last night I did a lot of work on the book I finished the first draft for in December 2019. I wrote 4 scenes, added those scenes into the draft at the appropriate places, did some minor editing (on those scenes mostly), fixed some formatting errors, added in the map I created in December 2018 (when I first started working on this world and story), and created a concept art for my cover and added that in as well.

One of the 4 scenes I wrote ended up becoming a prologue while the other 3 were placed several chapters apart. I've heard back from 2 of my 3 beta readers and that is what inspired the changes. Prior to these 4 scenes I'd added another scene when I heard back from the first beta reader. Prior to sending anything to my beta readers I'd added a few scenes to clear other things up. This book was at a little over 64,000 words and is now over 73,000 words.

I have sent the updated version to another set of beta readers and hope to hear back from them soon. I'm hoping nothing else needs to be changed. I'd like to think that I'd cleared things up with all these other changes. I hope that there is enough information on all the various characters that things make more sense to readers now. I have this problem of not putting everything that's in my head on paper. This means that there are tons of little details behind decisions and events that the reader doesn't see. I'm hoping I made those behind the scenes events and moments a little more clear.

On another topic, I may come across as a little jumbled and chaotic. I have 3 stories I'm actively working on and writing right now. One is on it's 3rd draft, one is in it's 1st draft, and the last is still in the concept stages. On top of this I have another 1st draft completed that I'm going to alter and have a whole jumble of short story ideas connected to it. I have a story that I'd set aside years ago that I have ideas (finally) on how to rewrite it.

I'm working on various projects at once and get excited about each and every one. I will talk about my progress in which ever one I happen to be working on in that moment. I have over 24,000 in the first draft I'm working on. I got stuck on a scene that I'm trying to figure out. I have several events I want to have happen but if they are put back to back there will be no flow to the story at all.

The one that I mostly just have a concept of is going to take a long time. Part of this is due to the fact that my goal with it isn't to make it a novel. My goal is to make it a webcomic. My drawing skills are not up to the task and I can't afford to pay an artist. So I will be working on my art skills till they are up to my standards for this webcomic (considering I'm a perfectionist that may take awhile).

The one I completed the first draft for earlier this year has been set aside. Events went too fast in the story and I need to figure out how to slow things down so that it's not just a whirlwind that no one can keep up with. Part of my list of things to do to work on this is to write a collection of shorter stories. Each of these will be from the perspective of different important characters in the actual story. They will be the back stories of these characters. I will take my readers through the important and most life changing events in their pasts. I do have a few characters who won't be in this list. One won't be because her past is covered in the original story and doesn't need to be expanded on to that extent. The others are minor characters and their pasts don't have as much to do with what happens in the original story.

The one I set aside years ago will be undergoing a lot of changes. First off I'm aging up my characters. I started writing this story when I was 17 and it shows. I need my characters to be a little more mature to get them through everything they will have to go through. I'm changing the setting to coincide with the aging up of the characters. I will also be adding a few new characters who were not part of the original story at all. The minor villains will undergo changes as well though the major villains will be the same as they were in the original.

I am also starting my school semester tomorrow. Between school starting up and all these different projects I am working on, I hope it is understandable that I'm occasionally jumping around. As soon as I get through this scene that has me stuck I will spend most of my creative writing efforts on the novel that is still in its first draft. I will continue to make changes and edits on the competed one as needed, but it is no longer my creative focus. It can't be if I want to be able to polish it properly. I can't be looking at it the way I did when I was writing it. So most of my creative focus will be elsewhere.

Now that you're all caught up, I wish you a happy New Year! I wish you safety and success in 2021.

As always

❥ Stay Safe