Wherein All Is Revealed
Nov. 21st, 2009 01:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mellymellI've decided to just spit it out since waiting around while I try to figure out a way to justify it is only going to build anticipation that it's something great and wonderful and clever that I have brewing. . . which it is so NOT. DON'T JUDGE ME!
I'm writing a vampire novel. You heard me! SHUT UP! (Yes Chris, you guessed it, which was probably easy given my reluctance to talk about it.) No, it has nothing to do with the current trendiness of vampires. Ok, very little. In fact, if I manage to finish this and deem it something I actually want to publish and this trend is still going on, I'll sit on it for a few years. That might sound like a dumb idea, but I have my reasons.
The current trendiness has, however, jarred loose from memory a couple of scenes I've had tucked away in my head for about 13 years. Something clicked recently. I thought of a way to open the story and it begged to be written down. I'm still trying to figure out location and character identities. I'm kind of working backwards here. I wrote a couple of scenes in sort of shorthand. Then, I started trying to fill in the plot blanks in an outline but I'm getting no where fast with that. I think I need to back up and develop my characters to move forward. Things flowed well today as I worked on character development. I've got chapter 1 and then the next thing I have that's remotely solid is probably around chapter 5. I have no idea what happens in between and a vague notion of what happens after.
Something that's really annoying me? I come up with a good name or setting and realize it's too close to something I've already read and/or loathe. Examples? Let me show you some. I found this great 7th century Saxon name, Edrik. Guess what that sounds like? Lamest vampire who ever vampired in the history of all vampires, Edward, that's what. So, instead, I'm creating a 1500-year-old Celtic Druid named Aedan. So there! :P Screw centuries, I work in millennia! And although far too many vamp novels or parts thereof have been based in France, well, screw it. I came up with way too many great French names today and I want to keep them. I thought about Italy but then. . . oh yeah, the stupid Volturi who show up for ass kickings and kick absolutely no ass. (Oh, hai anticlimax!) It's all been done anyway, so I'm not going to stress over it. It's a relatively small part of the story anyway (really more of a back story).
I must say, it's interesting to watch where my research for plot lines and character development takes me. My browser tabs can be fairly diverse lately.
Another thing I need to hammer down is my vamp lore. I've got to figure out my rules. NO SPARKLES! I can assure you of that. And none of this, "we're the vampire version of the Xmen" crap with the special powers either. I also kind of want to throw the "sun. burning. die." thing out the window. Not entirely, perhaps, but work it in order to serve my purposes. That's the great thing about myth. I can take what I want and even make it up as I go along to suit my needs, as long as it's plausible.
I've got this weird complex relationship that only an immortal could understand and I'm trying to wrap my head around it. It's not romantic, it's not platonic, it's not betrothing yourself to an age-accelerated hybrid mutant vampire spawn toddler with the most ridiculous name known to man. I don't freakin' know what it is. But I'm trying to make it seem ok from a reader's point of view and that's going to be hard.
Like I said, I don't have much down yet and what is down is still very volatile. I do have the scenes out of my head at least. But now more than ever, they feel incomplete. I think I'm going to have to follow through and give this thing a resolution at this point, even if it totally blows. Also, I named my draft vampnovelBS.doc. I think that's a good sign that I'm not taking this too seriously, heh. Granted I meant "brainstorming" but whatever, it works. And no, I don't have a title. Not even a working one. I've got to figure out what the hell the book is about first. I promise I won't go all Stephanie Meyer and write a book "now with 75% less plot"*. If I can't develop a good story around what I've got, I'll just drop it and know it wasn't meant to be or perhaps develop a short story of it. I have a feeling once I develop my characters, they're going to want to do some interesting things.
*Alright, so I'm being really hard on Twilight here. It's just. . . really hard not to be. But yes, dead horse and stuff. I mean, if I strip away all the things I hate about Twilight, I can totally see the appeal. But I can't ignore the things I hate about it in order to enjoy it for anything more than a punch line.
I'm writing a vampire novel. You heard me! SHUT UP! (Yes Chris, you guessed it, which was probably easy given my reluctance to talk about it.) No, it has nothing to do with the current trendiness of vampires. Ok, very little. In fact, if I manage to finish this and deem it something I actually want to publish and this trend is still going on, I'll sit on it for a few years. That might sound like a dumb idea, but I have my reasons.
The current trendiness has, however, jarred loose from memory a couple of scenes I've had tucked away in my head for about 13 years. Something clicked recently. I thought of a way to open the story and it begged to be written down. I'm still trying to figure out location and character identities. I'm kind of working backwards here. I wrote a couple of scenes in sort of shorthand. Then, I started trying to fill in the plot blanks in an outline but I'm getting no where fast with that. I think I need to back up and develop my characters to move forward. Things flowed well today as I worked on character development. I've got chapter 1 and then the next thing I have that's remotely solid is probably around chapter 5. I have no idea what happens in between and a vague notion of what happens after.
Something that's really annoying me? I come up with a good name or setting and realize it's too close to something I've already read and/or loathe. Examples? Let me show you some. I found this great 7th century Saxon name, Edrik. Guess what that sounds like? Lamest vampire who ever vampired in the history of all vampires, Edward, that's what. So, instead, I'm creating a 1500-year-old Celtic Druid named Aedan. So there! :P Screw centuries, I work in millennia! And although far too many vamp novels or parts thereof have been based in France, well, screw it. I came up with way too many great French names today and I want to keep them. I thought about Italy but then. . . oh yeah, the stupid Volturi who show up for ass kickings and kick absolutely no ass. (Oh, hai anticlimax!) It's all been done anyway, so I'm not going to stress over it. It's a relatively small part of the story anyway (really more of a back story).
I must say, it's interesting to watch where my research for plot lines and character development takes me. My browser tabs can be fairly diverse lately.
Another thing I need to hammer down is my vamp lore. I've got to figure out my rules. NO SPARKLES! I can assure you of that. And none of this, "we're the vampire version of the Xmen" crap with the special powers either. I also kind of want to throw the "sun. burning. die." thing out the window. Not entirely, perhaps, but work it in order to serve my purposes. That's the great thing about myth. I can take what I want and even make it up as I go along to suit my needs, as long as it's plausible.
I've got this weird complex relationship that only an immortal could understand and I'm trying to wrap my head around it. It's not romantic, it's not platonic, it's not betrothing yourself to an age-accelerated hybrid mutant vampire spawn toddler with the most ridiculous name known to man. I don't freakin' know what it is. But I'm trying to make it seem ok from a reader's point of view and that's going to be hard.
Like I said, I don't have much down yet and what is down is still very volatile. I do have the scenes out of my head at least. But now more than ever, they feel incomplete. I think I'm going to have to follow through and give this thing a resolution at this point, even if it totally blows. Also, I named my draft vampnovelBS.doc. I think that's a good sign that I'm not taking this too seriously, heh. Granted I meant "brainstorming" but whatever, it works. And no, I don't have a title. Not even a working one. I've got to figure out what the hell the book is about first. I promise I won't go all Stephanie Meyer and write a book "now with 75% less plot"*. If I can't develop a good story around what I've got, I'll just drop it and know it wasn't meant to be or perhaps develop a short story of it. I have a feeling once I develop my characters, they're going to want to do some interesting things.
*Alright, so I'm being really hard on Twilight here. It's just. . . really hard not to be. But yes, dead horse and stuff. I mean, if I strip away all the things I hate about Twilight, I can totally see the appeal. But I can't ignore the things I hate about it in order to enjoy it for anything more than a punch line.
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no subject
on 2009-11-21 03:20 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 06:59 pm (UTC)y
no subject
on 2009-11-21 07:34 pm (UTC)I wondered how this compared to perhaps what you experienced just starting out. I read over your static post on your author journal the other day and thought, "well, this isn't so much different than being inspired by a piece of fabric, I guess."
Yes. :)
no subject
on 2009-11-21 09:58 pm (UTC)I hope it hangs with you for a good long while.
Yes.
y
no subject
on 2009-11-21 07:36 pm (UTC)In just this first week of very short writing sessions (like 30 minutes at a time), I completely understand what you've always talked about "being in the document". It's very consuming. ;)
no subject
on 2009-11-21 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 09:45 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 10:00 pm (UTC)y
no subject
on 2009-11-21 08:35 pm (UTC)Just sayin.
no subject
on 2009-11-21 09:44 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-21 10:01 pm (UTC)Yes.
y
no subject
on 2009-11-21 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-22 12:03 am (UTC)y
no subject
on 2009-11-22 12:45 am (UTC)The new movie, well, I won't pay for it. But I don't think I can help but see it. I have a morbid curiosity to see just how bad it is. I know, lacing up my own straight jacket here. As long as I continue to ignore the reports of the box office records it's shattering right now which make me want to go MEL SMASH, I can be amused by it. ;)
no subject
on 2009-11-21 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-22 12:01 am (UTC):)
y
no subject
on 2009-11-22 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-25 01:43 am (UTC)She did amazingly well on it. so worth reading.
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on 2009-11-21 11:44 pm (UTC)Maybe you can make it out for one of my writer's workshops. :)
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on 2009-11-22 12:16 am (UTC)I would love to!
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on 2009-11-25 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-23 01:11 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-23 08:43 pm (UTC)I think writing informational things like cookbooks have their own level of difficultly as well. Fiction can be left to interpretation, but non-fiction has to make sure everyone understands. I've got one cookbook in particular that I love for the ideas of the recipes. But the first time I make anything from it, I have to consider it an experiment. The instructions are kind of vague in places. I almost always make a note after making it once or twice on how to do it better the next time.
But, even still, I never saw myself as someone able to write fiction. I might utterly suck at it, but I'll give it a try because it interests me right now. Most of what I've read in the past 10 years has been non-fiction, so this should be interesting. ;)
no subject
on 2009-11-23 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-23 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-11-24 08:38 pm (UTC)