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September 30, 2004

ch. 39 - hmmmmm

On the drive into work, thought of a better way to do 39 (and part of 38). It's a part of the book that emerged during writing, and right now it's way to TAB A GOES INTO TAB B for my tastes. Will revise tonight.

I forgot to blog the other night when I wrote 38. Don't go thinkin' I wrote one chapter and part of another in one night; I surely didn't. But I did write on chapter the night before, and half of the next last night.

But now I must attend to work.

Go me.

Posted by sdshaver at 11:02 AM

ch. 39 - way too late

It's way too late. DIdn't notice. But 39 is half done. I think I could finish this weekend, should I so choose.

Definitely need to do lots of rewrites. Many plot points that got missed that should be there earlier.

Sleep...zzzzz....

Posted by sdshaver at 02:23 AM

September 28, 2004

ch. 37 - just another blue

37 is out and over half done. Outline done. Blew through 36 lickety split. Ready to collapse.

Night now!

Posted by sdshaver at 01:04 AM

September 27, 2004

verge

Four days of pounding my subconscious and four days of waking nightmares, but I think I've finally figured out what I need to do. Oi.

I'm hoping to lay down the initial skeleton for how it'll come about. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep tonight without waking.

Posted by sdshaver at 12:53 PM

ch. 36 - hell chapters

Difficult children, 35 and 36.

Damn the man anyway. I need to throw my gi in the dryer and then go to bed.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:39 AM

September 26, 2004

ch. 35 - won't you please come home?

Reworked 35 a bit. Still trying to figure out where the story goes. I blame the villain. He's notoriously difficult to work with.

I made sangria. 'Twas good. But I am sleepy now, so off I went to bed.

Posted by sdshaver at 03:01 AM

September 25, 2004

poundcake

My poundcake took an hour and a half to bake. That's a while. A good while.

Chapter 35 is sorta done. Part of me really hates doing the time-acceleration thing, but part of me doesn't want to write another ten chapters about Myr's life in the palace. It'd be interesting, but I think the story would lose its way if I attempted it.

I APologise fr anny typos. I need sleep.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:27 AM

September 21, 2004

ch. 35 - ruin my moonlight

Wrote six pages tonight and so started chapter 35. Chapter after chapter of rush rush rush, and finally the characters get a break. Myr is awfully proactive for a seventeen-year-old.

Must go sleep now. Feeling a little wonky. Well, something is going around the office....

Posted by sdshaver at 12:22 AM

September 19, 2004

ch. 34 - in a day

Well, I wrote a chapter in a day. An 11 page chapter in a day. I am obviously possessed by the book.

On the bright side, the way magic is taught in Serai just opened up to me, and it really rocks. It could even be turned into a complete tabletop RPG system! Nyuk nyuk. I kid.

I could start Chapter 35 (five away from the finale!) but I need to get me some sleep. And tomorrow is a big dojo day, so I guess I'll make up for the writing by not-writing for a day. HOLY CRAP.

I'm just terrified/amazed sometimes at how well all this stuff unfolds. Up until today I only had a very vague idea of this stuff, and now that it crystallizes it's really amazing and explains a lot about my culture. Yikes. Brain good!

Posted by sdshaver at 12:45 AM

September 16, 2004

ch. 33 - I could almost...

I could almost end the book here, but there is way, way too much left to be resolved.

Anyway, chapter 33 is done and I wrote four pages in two hours. And y'know what, I need to sleep soon. :\

Probably for the best. I still gotta thrash out how 34 should start. And rename THREESCARS (the placeholder name for the Emissary's paramour) with the name I picked out for him in my sketchbook.

Also updated my terms sheet....

Made-up languages r fun!

Posted by sdshaver at 01:57 AM

September 15, 2004

ch. 33 - biting cats

Two more pages done, and I'm at a good stopping point. The Emissary is turning out to not be so hard to write after all.

First my cat usurps my lap, then he starts biting my arm. WTF?

I bought Wizard and Glass today, and I sall now go forth to my bed and read a little.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:21 AM

September 14, 2004

ch. 33 - these precious things

Two pages done tonight. Early to bed for me. We're closer to the end, and we're closer to revelations. Ugh.

Dinner was burritos con leftovers: roasted veggie quinoa with chicken. I have a philosophy: if I can wrap it in a tortilla and douse it with cheese, sour cream, and salsa, I'll eat it. Now get your mind out of the gutter.

So I ate my burritos con leftovers (which were very good, I might add) and I watched my Aqua Teen Hunger Force (which was pretty funny) and I wrote a couple pages. And in the morning, I think I'll exercise and do other morning-type things.

Night.

Posted by sdshaver at 12:40 AM

September 12, 2004

ch. 33 - all float on

The bitch chapter is done. I was lying (laying?) on my couch and pondering where things were not quite right, had a chat with the Girl and the Boy, and hence, fixed it. The chapter pretty much resolved itself from there. Now I just have to plan out the next two.

But I have to cook today. I bought a bunch of food, and now I gotta do something with it. I am feeling crappy today -- still headachey -- and so this is going to be interesting. I may just need to shower and eat at someone else's eatery before I can attend to my own.

I really do look forward to the day when I can spend my days at home, setting lots of things to cook while I type away merrily at the Next Great Masterpiece. (It was -- acting!)

Posted by sdshaver at 01:47 PM

September 11, 2004

ch. 32 - while my cat softly sleeps

Okay, Myr is no longer in eminent danger.

Chapter 32 will likely wrap tomorrow. Only one last, short scene to write. Or not. I may just end it at 8 pages and move on to 33.

Fun!

Posted by sdshaver at 01:52 AM

September 10, 2004

ch. 32 - don't forget to write

It's very odd, leaving a character frozen in a particular point of the story while I go about my day to day life. There she is in my head, ready to be devoured whole by gigantic gila monster monkey deathbots *, and here I am feeding the cats, doing the laundry, and cooking dinner.

Last night I had a pounding headache that triggered my nausea and complete lack of desire to do anything but curl up on my couch and try not to hurl. I shouldn't call it a migraine because scientifically that would be false, but I want to call it a migraine. It's bad enough that I just don't want to even bother with analgesics or home remedies because I know they don't work on it.

Its ghost is with me again today. Because I am not a normal little girl, oh no. I guess my hormone cycle must be in the if-you-don't-eat-at-exactly-the-right-time-I'm-going-to-bite-your-pale-white-ass phase. Yay me.

If I'm lucky (and if the World of Warcraft beta doesn't suck my soul) I'll get around to writing out the rest of 32 tonight. After that we're growing dangerously close to the end. But not the true end. The true end will come when I successfully smooth over the rough edges.

Off to fish up some advil.

* Note: not really.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:02 PM

September 08, 2004

chap 32 - blaine is a pain

I went for a twenty minute walk while I was home visiting the 'rents and cleared out some deadwood in my head with the story.

It's getting more complicated. This is either good or bad. Either I'm making things very difficult on myself, or I can believe that I have a handle on all the threads of the story and I'm just guiding that kite into the headwinds.

I personally think it means I'm going to be in rewrite hell sometime soon, but for now it's just stuff I'm taking note of with the intent of smoothing it all out later.

Any trip to the folks usually means I'm going to get a book read, and in this case I plowed through two. Chances are I'll be reading the next four Dark Tower books for the rest of the year (I figure the last book will be out by the time I finish Susannah) and then I'll move on to George R.R. Martin as I keep promising myself. Probably around Christmas, when I take my next sojourn west.

Because I am reading Stephen King, I'm also thinking about his writing process. Not his style, but his process. Because he himself says he doesn't outline, he excavates. Which is all well and good, but goddamn -- with that approach there's a lot of room for error in a series like the Dark Tower.

Unless, of course, you have a very fine hold on the strings.

Chapter 32 is halfway done. Lots of screaming. We like screaming.

Posted by sdshaver at 01:47 AM

September 05, 2004

chap. 31 - familiar

Chapters 30 and 31 are done. 31 was interesting, and resolved some questions I keep asking Myr ("Why are you DOING this?") She came up with something rather clever, though she CLAIMS to not be clever. I do like her.

I am visiting my family in San Diego, and shirking all other duties in the meantime. I have managed thus far to drink quite a bit of wine, exchange no less than three footrubs with my mother, and enjoy myself immensely. I gain a new appreciation for Pinot Noir with each passing day.

I also finished reading Drawing of the Three (mostly on my flight here) and must say that the book made me want to re-read it upon finishing. It was tremendous and goddamn/bless him for making such compelling characters and situations. I can't wait to pick up the next one.

Chapter 32 sets the trap that the next six chapters must riddle through. It is the endgame for this book. There's a lot of work ahead of me. Should be fun.

Posted by sdshaver at 02:55 AM

September 01, 2004

ch. 30 - cheesy

Hm. Well, Chapter 30 is done. In keeping with my policy, I'm avoiding rewriting -- but I can't help but feel some things are just happening too soon.

Then again, maybe not.

I went back and re-read the 2002 version of SoS and I could kick my younger self. SELF, what the hell was your problem? It wasn't THAT bad (and the tell-stone scene was kind of cool -- I think I'll put it back in if I can).

So I've been listening to cheesy j-pop again. I mean, we're talking originally-from-a-japanese-video-game cheesy. I seem to be afflicted with cheesy music love. Filk in my teenage years, j-pop in my 20s. What the hell am I going to turn to in my 30s?

Off to California, where I'll probably still write. I haven't packed yet. And it's 3 AM. And I have to be up in 5 hours. YAY!

Posted by sdshaver at 02:44 AM