Okay I've got some exciting news to talk about. But first I want to get rid of the Query Tally stats -- 16 out -- 8 rejections -- I partial still out. And now with this new excitement I almost don't care about Masquerade anymore. Almost.
I wanted to say for those who were interested, I did end up putting in three fence posts and digging the holes for the other five. Now it's just a matter of getting the other poles and the cement, putting up the fence, moving the little deck, putting the pool out, digging the french drain, finishing the front, side and back gardens, getting dirt for the "big" hole, making the side patio and I'll be done with the yard. Uh huh. Maybe by the end of NEXT summer.
Also I want to say Welcome and Thank You to Andrew (Yay another boy), Michele, Susan, Sarah, Livia and Natalie, Tiffany, VR and Portia for joining my crazy little slice of heaven. Wow, that's almost a party. For those of you who are interested I have a little buffet set-up in the dining room so feel free to browse, grab a coffee, a danish, comment, debate. We're a lively little group here. Welcome.
Okay, I can't wait anymore, here's my news, after spending a very muddy hole digging Saturday morning, after lunch I sat down at the kitchen table and wrote out the outline to my whole book, the new one. Genna & Tony -- I have a title -- REMEMBERING YOU . Doesn't that sound like a women's fiction-y romantic literary title?
Anyway, I sat with pen and paper, I couldn't find my colored post-it's or my index cards so I used a scrap pad from Sea World to break up my scenes, acts, plot lines, and flashbacks. I also wrote out all the scenes I still have yet to write (A LOT)
BUT I also figured out that I'm not going to do chapters, I'm going to do acts, five in all, I have them with titles, 20,000 words, more or less, in each act. How smaht am I? Broke it down and organized.
(Not really, I stole all my ideas off Mr. Bailey of the Literary Lab and Sarah from Falen Formulates Fiction. If they hadn't posted actual pictures of what they do and how they do it, I would still be swimming in a sea of lost.)
I have all the plot lines, 1 main between Genna & Tony, with 4 others -- 2 major -- 2 minor. I wrote out all the settings (4), notes on the filler, a short character sketch, and came up with a killer ending. Holy Crap Batman, I was on FIRE!!!!
But it's done. I know exactly what I want to do, how I'm going to get from scene to scene, how many scenes are in each act, oh my God you should see my notes, they are beautiful!!!! I cannot be any more satisfied if I had finished putting the whole fence up!!! I wish I could write them all out and post them here for you to see but, you know, I'm paranoid.
I even came up with a new beginning and fleshed out more of what happened between Genna & Tony the night they first met when she was 14, the same night they first kissed and couldn't be found when the call came her parents were in an accident. (I posted some of it yesterday for the blogfest.)
12K so far in the bucket. I'm trying to write a scene a day while the baby's in play school (3 hours). I can't do word counts any more. I get so discouraged if I think I haven't made my 1,000 or even 500. If I know I only have a scene to write, it makes me write faster, so I can get it finished before I have to pick up the baby. Because once she gets home you KNOW I'm not writing.
So there we are, bright and early Monday morning (as this post was written for Monday but I had to do Simon's challenge and it's now Tuesday) and I am still smiling (Yes, even on Tuesday) from my unbelievable Saturday afternoon. It's almost like finding a new boyfriend. I'm all glowy. LOL
Anyway, I hope you had a good weekend. I hope you all had breakthroughs or smacks upside the head, or just a really good writing session. I'm going to infect you all with my good cheer even if it kills me. Now I'm off to write.
Have a lovely day!
24 comments:
Congrats. Isn't that a great feeling? I'd been querying my story with a kind of lame title, but then it struck me with an awesome title out of the blue, and I'm so much happier with my new one.
Christi -- Yeah, isn't that great. BLAM. I love it when a plan comes together.
OMG!! You ARE on fire! I'm so happy for you!
I was researching the five act plot just yesterday. Maybe that's what I need, some serious structure. I think I've told you before, I'm a character-driven writer. I have all these idea about what makes each character tick, and how they started out feeling and how they will evolve. But how?? When it comes time for actual scenes, plot points and everything, I just can't come up with anything. It's the craziest thing. How can I know so much about these characters, yet know so little?
I'm going to try what you did. Right now, in fact. I'm going to brew a pot of coffee and get away from the computer. Index cards. Colored pencils. Maybe I'll try music...
I know you wish me luck, even before I read your response. You're awesome that way. I'll let you know how I fare.
Keep writing, sista! I'm so excited for your inspired progress!!
Sweet! It sounds like that little time away doing some manual labor was all your subconscious needed to shuffle the ideas into order.
How about some photos of your beautiful notes?
Nicole -- Like you I'm character driven and so filling in with exposition drives me to the brink. How I did it was talk about my book, explain it to someone else, tell them EVERYTHING, how this one gets to there, why this one does that, what's at stake, how they resolve it. The trick is to find someone who doesn't know ANYTHING about your book because they will have questions you never even thought about and you have to come up with the answers. And you're right, of course I wish you luck. Once you get your head wrapped around WHY the characters are going to do something, it gets easier to plot.
Laurel -- Manual Labor, I love it. Besides I didn't feel like cleaning the house. I will have to see about the pictures. I'm computerly challenged that way but I'll see what I can do.
Wow...look at you go! That's awesome stuff. I'd like to take an IV of that creative energy. It almost makes me want to start a 3rd book...whoa...almost got carried away there. :)
DL -- I don't really know how long this craziness will last so I have to really keep at it. Although I suppose if the poop really hits the fan I could just build another fence.
Yay for a title!
If i don't have a title right away, i pretty much don't have one ever and call it by a working title like "Vampire" or some such stupid thing
Sarah -- Yeah, this was Genna & Tony for foreva. I really wanted a title for it though, I can't stand working on something I can't call by a rightful name. And I'm about to start working on the query now too, so I need something to put in Word.
I love the title! It sounds perfect for women.
THANK you for your comments to my blog during my recent series. It is impossible for me to tell you what they meant.
xxAmy
That's brilliant! I love the excitment of coming up with a title, fleshing out the characters, go go go! I like the title, btw.
great post! great updates!!
this is long and arduous process, but it can be so much fun in the interim! best of luck to you as you plow forward!!
Yay!You! You really are on fire. And I love the title. :)
Amy -- When I started reading you (and not just the series) I thought we were almost the same person. Funny how people who don't know each other live the same lives. xx
Talli -- Thank you muchly.
Tahereh -- Thank you for the kind words and thanks for stopping by.
Sarah Jayne -- Yay Me! I know you're in the end of the school term but once you get out of it and I let you have a little vacation, I better see some crackalackin' stuff come off that keyboard of yours. I know there's great stuff lurking inside you just waiting to be pushed out. LOL
Congratulations, Anne! I'm so happy for you. I knew the breakthrough was imminent.
I have something for you on my blog, too. :o)
Yay! This is such a happy post! Congrats on your title and on all your progress! Can't wait to read more and hear more about REMEMBERING YOU. :D
This is very cool! Stay with writing scenes. I think it's more natural than hitting word count goals, and keeps you focused on the story and characters better. "Remembering You" is a fab title. Like Falen, if I don't have a title right off, I have a stupid generic title just so I have something to call it. The book I have planned after finishing up "Cocke & Bull" has no title yet, so I'm worried.
E. Elle -- Thank you Dearest, and thank you for the award. It truly does mean a lot more than you may think.
Shelley -- Yay! Thanks. I'm trying to get something ready for Thursday, if not Friday.
Scott -- You're right, writing scenes IS better and I'm not sure if I have you to thank for that little tidbit or if I thought of it on my own. But I'll say thank you anyway, your brilliance has helped me through one or two other nightmares.
Yeah, I love the title too. I don't know where it came from but I'm so glad it materialized.
Thanks for stopping by, it's always a pleasure to have you here.
Anne, you are on FIRE! Work it girl!
You're so happy and psyched. Woot!
I haven't done Falen's post-it note thingy yet (I'm gonna), but her photo really helped me visualize. I'm so gonna work that system.
Happy St. Patty's Day!
Lola -- It's one of the best/easiest things I've ever done. I wanted to whack myself upside the head when I finished because it just made the book THAT MUCH MORE. I don't have to worry about plot holes or any of that shit because it's all written down.
Happy St. Patty's!
Anne,
I just found your blog! Congrats on your progress with your wip! I also have a 3 hour window with my girls are in pre-school, so I feel your pain! It goes by fast, right?
Kelly
Kelly -- WWAAAAYYYYYYY too fast!!!!! Thanks for stopping by.
Yay for titles!!! Titles are either the first or the very last thing to come to me.
I've been breaking my writing down to scenes as well! It's been really helping me progress. Keep us appraised.
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