Well so far I've been really good at writing at least 170 words a day -- sometimes more, in fact! -- but yesterday it didn't quite happen. What *did* happen was a brainstorming session that gave me new insight/fresh direction. You see, I'd finished the first of what I'd determined would be 4 sections. I knew very clearly what sections 3 and 4 would be about, but #2 was posing a bit of a problem.
So after I puzzled and puzzled 'til my puzzler, I thought of something I hadn't before...
Could it be that part 2 was...*gasp* REDUNDANT?? It was. Is. So it is no more and I've rearranged things to accomodate accordingly. So I should get my 170 words today! :D
It's always a nice feeling, that! And it suggests that you're really getting a handle on the heart of your story now, which is just as important as getting the words down.
I am up to I think 2946 words, and just a little over 12 out of 25 pages. It makes more sense to summarize my progress rather than put up an excerpt because of the nature of the piece, so here goes:
I have written an introduction summarizing the audience Anselm and Descartes were writing to. Basically that Anselm was trying to convince the atheist that God existed (and improve the Christian's understanding of God); Descartes was writing to other philosophers trying to convince them that the external world really existed. And I've written the two sections where I summarized just what those two guys said. Not sure it's *completely* coherent yet, but it's written out.
Next week I need to take on the two counterarguments raised against Anselm that I've chosen, and show how Descartes would answer them. And write a conclusion.
Well today was a CWIL night, so my evening was unavailable for writing. Nonetheless, I found a bit of time during the day to jot down some 380 words of the next scene. Which makes the running total... 3055! Yay! And as I'm around the middle of scene 4 of 7, that really is the half-way mark already.
Today's snippet: (A character named Crin is talking to Owutt - this side of the story has some odd names) "Well… the Hydpon display shows red on three Fertvals, and the Watrec levels are unbalanced. The books suggest this situation is 'serious'. We don't actually know what will happen if it reaches 'critical' – we've always fixed things before it came to that."
Yay! [Does the Dance of the Halfway Mark] "We don't actually know what will happen if it reaches 'critical' – we've always fixed things before it came to that." -- great fun!
Oh, I hadn't realised that valderys was you, Nickey! Well done! Are you going to bravely post some excerpts? It's great fun reading them all, but I suspect if you're writing gift-exchange fics, it might be a problem.
I decided to call Chapter 6 complete as is, and actually ended up splitting it into two, then promptly got solidly blocked on the scenes for the renumbered Chapter 8, so my word count languished till coming up midnight, when I decided to attack the melodramatic finale, bagging a respectable 540 words in the process. Still stuck on what to do with Chapter 8, though; I suspect some idea mulching is required. Extract [Melodrama Warning]:
‘I have been nourishing a viper in my bosom!’ cried her employer, in tones more glacial by far than the December winds without. ‘Jane Bagshot tells me you served her just such a trick, you designing little hussy!’
Not yet... this story just isn't gelling. I've never tried to write something starting from a bare premise before -- I always have some kind of rudimentary outline -- and I fear it's not making much sense yet. Hopefully if I keep adding words it will reach some kind of critical mass.
I do have 1400 words that hang together for Yuletide (and a plot, even!) but for obvious reasons can't post excerpts of that.
I've never tried to write something starting from a bare premise before -- I always have some kind of rudimentary outline
I know what you mean -- I think that was part of the problem with the Heyer AU Of Doom; I had the start but hadn't decided where it wanted to go, and after the opening it just stalled. You may well find that the plot comes to you as you write into it and get to know the characters better.
And yay for Yuletide goodness! I haven't even started to think about mine yet.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2006-11-09 04:22 pm (UTC)Well so far I've been really good at writing at least 170 words a day -- sometimes more, in fact! -- but yesterday it didn't quite happen. What *did* happen was a brainstorming session that gave me new insight/fresh direction. You see, I'd finished the first of what I'd determined would be 4 sections. I knew very clearly what sections 3 and 4 would be about, but #2 was posing a bit of a problem.
So after I puzzled and puzzled 'til my puzzler, I thought of something I hadn't before...
Could it be that part 2 was...*gasp* REDUNDANT?? It was. Is. So it is no more and I've rearranged things to accomodate accordingly. So I should get my 170 words today! :D
Giddily,
Ti
no subject
on 2006-11-09 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-09 08:21 pm (UTC)I have written an introduction summarizing the audience Anselm and Descartes were writing to. Basically that Anselm was trying to convince the atheist that God existed (and improve the Christian's understanding of God); Descartes was writing to other philosophers trying to convince them that the external world really existed. And I've written the two sections where I summarized just what those two guys said. Not sure it's *completely* coherent yet, but it's written out.
Next week I need to take on the two counterarguments raised against Anselm that I've chosen, and show how Descartes would answer them. And write a conclusion.
Marta
no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-12 01:35 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-09 10:45 pm (UTC)Today's snippet:
(A character named Crin is talking to Owutt - this side of the story has some odd names)
"Well… the Hydpon display shows red on three Fertvals, and the Watrec levels are unbalanced. The books suggest this situation is 'serious'. We don't actually know what will happen if it reaches 'critical' – we've always fixed things before it came to that."
no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:26 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:58 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:23 am (UTC)‘I have been nourishing a viper in my bosom!’ cried her employer, in tones more glacial by far than the December winds without. ‘Jane Bagshot tells me you served her just such a trick, you designing little hussy!’
no subject
on 2006-11-10 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 01:33 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 09:25 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-11 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-10 03:27 pm (UTC)*is now seized with a desire to find self in a situation where it is appropriate to call someone a designing little hussy*
no subject
on 2006-11-10 05:54 am (UTC)Words today: 266
no subject
on 2006-11-10 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-11 04:57 am (UTC)I do have 1400 words that hang together for Yuletide (and a plot, even!) but for obvious reasons can't post excerpts of that.
no subject
on 2006-11-11 07:02 am (UTC)I know what you mean -- I think that was part of the problem with the Heyer AU Of Doom; I had the start but hadn't decided where it wanted to go, and after the opening it just stalled. You may well find that the plot comes to you as you write into it and get to know the characters better.
And yay for Yuletide goodness! I haven't even started to think about mine yet.