Last Minute Changes

So, deadline's looming really close and I haven't finished making those changes JT wanted for the ending re: Ariana's amazing disappearing act. I think I'm crazy to be considering it at this stage, but nothing ventured...

First Draft!!!!!!!! *dances*

In other words, i have just (literally less than half an hour ago) finished a very rough first draft of the section i am submitting for my portfolio. It still needs a lot of editing, the voice needs to be made consistent throughout, and i need to plant more 'clues' so that the ending makes sense, or it won't feel very conclusiony.

I'm planning to do a little more 'cleaning' before i show a draft to JT so that there is actually something worth reading for him to read.

Update

Again, still working on the writing, going to keep going without editing until i've finished a complete first draft.

Nothing more to report, just checking in.

Catch up

Ok, haven't been keeping this up to date, most recently because of the the publication project, but I have been working on my portfolio. I've been a bit stuck recently, knowing vaguely where I need to go, but having no idea how to get there, but after talking to K I've decided to take a break from the section i was working on and work on another bit, which is working really well. It's been helpful for working out some of the plot bugs and given me an idea for how to end it, which is good :) All in all, I'm felling a lot better about it now, and I've got my word count up from just over 2k to nearly 5k. Obviously, there's going to have to be editing, and I'll have to work out where this fits in exactly with the narrative, and since one of the plot devices is a little ambiguous by nature I'm going to have to find a way to signal to the reader that this is the same thing recurring throughout the story in different forms.



Not really sure what else there is to say, so I'll get on with the writing. I've found the response group helpful recently, now that we've started meeting up again, but (if this doesn't seem really cock-eyed) they always seem to give positive feedback, which is nice, but i really want to improve the writing, so i need some pointers too. I've started showing the drafts to a new reader (K) who is really helpful and does nit-pick. As a result, i think that the voice has improved a lot and is more realistic for the character, given her experiences.



Anywho, really do need to get back to the writing, and should probably start thinking about the reflective element to the assignment. Not sure how to do that though, until I've actually finished the piece (give or take some editing).

Update

Hey, sorry it's been a while...

I have still been working on my portfolio, just not been keeping up to date with the journal, so I thought I should let you know what's going on. As JT is aware, I have mapped out the basic plot for what I plan to happen, but I've been feeling that it's a bit... soggy (for want of a better word) in places, so I've been thinking over the bits that are relevant to the section I'm submitting for my portfolio. It's been helped along by continued research into the period, so I'm developing an idea of the sort of situations I can put Alena in that would be typical of the period.

On another note, I've been considering what I've already written, and I'm thinking about reverting to standard capitalisation. I liked the idea, and it is striking on the page, but it tends to cause a lot of confusion, and I'm not certain that it adds anything to the writing. I'll be talking to JT about it at some point no doubt.

In other news, I've had characters that don't appear until much later in the story running amok in my head and it's annoying me. Callen is important LATER but I can't seem to communicate that she should leave me alone NOW. Any ideas anyone? Not to mention a half-formed Sovenmor shifter bleating (or should I say squawking) about how I'm presenting their House as two dimensional baddies. It's a fair point, but not entirely relevant right now, since they're not Alena's most pressing concern right now, and Alena is the reader's most pressing concern.

For a bunch of fictional characters that exist solely in my head (Callen has some presence on paper, but it's negligible) they sure can be persistently annoying. And noisy too.

Well, that's it for now; I'm off to wrestle a wolf, a rat and a vulture. None of them will play nice...

Help! I'm Running Out Of Words!

So far I've written 5,632 words of 7,500, and i haven't finished the second section. I have to say that participating in NaNoWriMo has helped me get my ass in gear and get writing instead of just doing endless research, but it's making me face the flaws in my work. Overall, today was very depressing. At best i would describe this first draft as 'skeletal' and almost totally devoid of emotional depth, because i just don't have the word-space to play with. It's driving me mad. I'm almost ready to hang up my keyboard, throw in the soggy towel and generally have a tantrum, but I'm too stubborn. Doesn't change the fact that I'm deeply dissatisfied with what i have. I'm sorry, J.T. but i don't know if i can write something worth reading within the word limit.

The other thing I've been thinking about is the form. i might have to have a play with it when i have my first draft down, 'cause I'm not sure it's working.

Now what do i do with the host of disgruntled characters and 'plot bunnies' that won't accept that they won't fit in the word limit no matter how hard they diet and are all busy throwing tantrums all over my head?

In conclusion, word limits were sent by the devil to piss me off. Good job Lucifer, it's working.

First bit done!!!!!!!!!!!

I say 'done'. What I mean is that a very rough draft of the first part of my portfolio is finished. It's still going to need work, obviously, but I'm moving onto the second part now. Honestly, I think it seems a little bare, but I'm trying to keep within the word limit, so i will see how i feel when it's all written up. I would still prefer to use my whole idea, but word limit won't permit *sigh* The real world sucks sometimes ;)

Am taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, if only to make me stop faffing and get on with writing lol. There's only so much research one can actually cram into a piece of writing before it stops being a story and starts being a collection of research. All the same, research is fun...