The re-write of The West Wind is going well following some gracious words of a new author friend: I just finished the first scene, a little over a thousand words, of Due West.
That part about the re-write going well. Ha! Not really. But I do appreciate the encouragement.
Update: Finished the first chapter. 2,000 words. I guess when the muse sneaks up behind you and plonks you on the head with a knobby stick, you best do something about it.
Hello lonely blog follower, Facebook friends, and even Twitter account holders who made the ill advised action of following my never so frequent updates. You can be thankful at least that I am not filling your mailboxes and feeds with endless posts. Focused posting. That’s good enough for me… when I get around to it that is.
Despite numerous heartfelt attempts, I have decided that I am completely incapable of generating any enthusiasm for rewriting “The West Wind ” (at least presently) I am therefore pursuing what I believe to be the only sensible course of action… Start writing a new book! If there is a rule that I need to finish rewriting the previous before starting anew, like some sort of literary lima beans before desert, I am afraid I am guilty of its violation.
“Due West” picks up roughly a year following the conclusion of “The West Wind.” Rachel West returns as a principle POV character, as does my favorite troubled and unstable heir Eli Hardy. For my third POV I am introducing a new character, the inimitable inspector Edward Percival Alford sent by the American Colonial government to investigate the extraordinary events of the previous story. The setting remains the same – the Steampunk Western alternate world of the early 1900s.
Scrivener files created, timeline drawing template opened, let the plotting begin!
I am re-writing. Finally.
No more excuses. No more indulgent distractions. Time to buckle down and get going on the re-write.
Rachel’s backstory, though not actually in the novel, was my first task. Something I had wanted to do following reading Jeter’s “Infernal Devices.” The whole “inherit a clockshop” thing seemed a little too trite, too cliche. So Rachel now has a new and better backstory. Much darker and dangerous than previously. Even better motivation than finding your fortune in the American Colonies… fleeing a dangerous conspiracy in England. Unfortunately, Rachel and Clarence are only going to find themselves embroiled in even deeper intrigues. Sort of “out of the frying pan an into the fire” type of thing. Can’t let the two of them off that easy now can I?
Next Chapter Bookstore & Bistro is my favorite place to write. Yeah, sure, lots of people go to bookstores to buy books. Not me, I go there to write books. Just the kind of crazy hoot ‘n nanny that I am all about. The right amount of distraction, endless supply of coffee and snacks combined with some of the nicest folks you will ever meet.
Easter Egg Alert – I have written Next Chapter into the epilogue of the West Wind.
And I finished a scene (3 scenes to a chapter… 1 & 1/3 to go!)
It’s 1 and 2/3 chapters from being done,
we got a MacBook with a full charge,
the family is out of town,
it’s dark…. and I am wearing sunglasses (ok, not really. But I am wearing my writing glasses).
Hit it.
I was introduced to a new writers group tonight – some really great folks and a couple of old friends from writing class. I enjoyed attending and hope that I get to spend more time with them in the future.
Quick progress update…. I have 1 & 2/3 chapter to complete the first draft. I have to get it done before heading off to Gen Con next week. Have to keep it under a year!
Badges bought, hotel booked, almost ready to go.
I had hoped to have first draft done and a full revision before going to Gen Con. Pretty good for a year of work it would have been. Having never written a book before, I can see that I was suffering from unsubstantiated optimism.
I did finish a chapter this last week. So the “two and a half” that I have been repeating for a while now is down to “two more.” It was a long chapter and I blew something up.
Two more.
I had nearly a 5,000 word weekend. Which, since NaNoWriMo last November has been the only significant contribution of new content to The West Wind.
I know this will probably only fuel the fires of debate around the hazards of binge writing, but too bad. I don’t think I would have even made it this far without the binge. And at the very least I have the pressure of a half-finished draft of a novel to compel me to move forward. Well sort of.
I have heard of writers who love to write but find every excuse to avoid actually doing it. I think it was on one of the writing podcasts… I most certainly believe that I am one of those types of writers. The latest most well exploited excuse was my complete inability to get anywhere near one of the computers on which I typically write. Solved that with a new ASUS netbook. Which, I must say, is quite handy. Perhaps it was just an excuse to rationalize a new toy. Hmmmm.
I did it. I survived NaNoWriMo and won!
Life starting to get back to normal as I figure out where my story goes next. Being through this once now I definitely appreciated all of the preparation time I put in prior to the event. I also found myself falling into a writing process of working from an overall set of diagrammed plotlines as the source for outlining several scenes at at time – usually in groups of three: a setup scene, and action scene, and a resolution scene. My mental model being these three scenes represent a short story structure that is integrated and moves the overall story arc forward. This may be a completely bogus and wrong way to write, but so far it is working for me.
The bottom line – I have a half of a first draft completed and too much time invested to give up now!
I swore I would never get a blog. Also said I wouldn’t get a Facebook account. Now I have both. What was I thinking?
I was thinking that this is one of my first steps to becoming something I have always wanted to be: an author. Someone that writes stories that will give others the type of enjoyment I receive from the written word. And this blog, dear reader, is where I plan to share my growing pains.
Just a couple of quick notes on what you will and will not find here… Starting with the not finding:
What you will probably find:
Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere. Feel free to browse around leave me a comment.
Apologies in advance as I figure out this whole writing thing, I hope it will be as much fun for you as it will be for me.
Don
D.W. Beyer 