![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mellymellI hadn't really thought about writing lately. But I guess it's when your mind is occupied by other things that these ideas pop in, uninvited but welcome. Thusly, something popped in my head at the beginning of the week that flung me into a brainstorm.
One of the biggest things that bugged me about the Twilight series (yes, this again) is that in the end, after what was supposed to be a series of epic struggles, they sustained no loss of life. The only people who die in the entire series are "bad guys" and this ancillary character who kind of betrays the "heroes" anyway so you really don't feel bad for her. Otherwise, it's this "happily ever after" ending. You stick it out through this anti-climax which should have been an epic battle. Instead, everyone just walks away not tearing into each other. Then they go back to their storybook cottage in the woods while their mutant vampire spawn toddler plays with a enormous crown jewel in the corner. Then they allude to having crazy immortal monkey sex while pledging to work on their X-men-like powers for all eternity for some battle that will never happen anyway. It kind of makes you want to break stuff, really. Or at least it did me. I want to avoid that. I wanted a bittersweet ending that looks to the future with hope and to the past with grief. I think those are much more realistic and I actually feel more fulfilled by them. It better matches the gravity of the rest of the story, I think.
So, in an effort to be the anti-Twilight, I looked critically at what I've got going on so far. I haven't even gotten into outlining the third book, really, because it's mostly strategizing, battle, battle, battle, end. Notes to describe that are short right now and I don't really see a need to elaborate yet. I did have a vague notion that a certain couple would get together and kind of live happily ever after. But then I realized that I was falling into exactly what I detest.
So, I looked at all my main characters and thought, "who can I kill?" The answer was obvious, but I didn't want to admit it at first. I like this guy a lot. He's funny, he's edgy, at times he's even abrasive. But he's also someone you can really count on to have your back and he's a pretty ruthless warrior in an all sorts of awesome kind of way (as opposed to Aedan who is more strategical in the way he fights, this guy just tears through people). But, he's got to die. There's nothing for it. I mulled it over for two days before I opened my outline to add in the note.
I can't kill off my main two, because well, that's just not likely and one of them would just seem like a repeat of what I do in the first book, emotionally speaking.
I can't kill off either of the two that are introduced in the second book because that's just too obvious. I mean, when you meet these two, especially the guy, you think, "yeah, he's totally going to die." I want to avoid that as well. Seems too B-rate horror movie to do that and kind of a cop out (as the Twilight complaint described above), since you're not as attached to those characters as the one I've decided to off.
I mean, he's there from the beginning. You totally think he's resilient enough to make it through all this because of his history (can you tell I'm having a hard time letting him go?). So, it's really going to have to be something epic that finally brings him down. I still have to work out the logistics of how you can even kill my immortals. I've established fire early on, but I don't know what else. Not sun. That's never made sense to me in the vampire mythos. I've got some "fundamentalists" in this opposition group that think it does, but, they're dumb.
The only other possibility happens to be one of the original immortals and I'm pretty sure I want to make him completely invincible. No one even really knows how old this guy is (and he does well to kind of keep it a secret). I need him to bring down the opposition in the end. Not sure how yet, but I just have a feeling I need him and not in a sacrificial way. He might do something he thinks will destroy him, but I think he'll survive it.
There's also the daughter, but c'mon, I've done enough to Nadine not to take away her daughter as well. I mean, how much can I destroy this woman, really? I did contemplate it, since she's supposed to be the key to the downfall of what they're up against. Again, sort of a sacrificial thing. But I just can't do that. Gotta spread the heartache around a bit.
That leaves just one choice. I hate to do it, but he's gotta go. It'll bring just the right amount of solemnity to the relief of finally having this conflict over (after three books of it) and the joy of the bright future that's ahead.
But anyway, that's not what I've been writing about for the past two days. Something about deciding to kill off one character created another one. This character creates a segue to the third book and a whole new landscape of characters to introduce there. In fact, I'm pretty sure what I very quickly put down in the past two days equals the second to last chapter in the second book. I've never been this prolific this quickly before (we're talking 2-3 total hours of work here). But there are lots of characters talking in this scene so lots of dialog which eats up lots of words quickly (lots, one more time, lots). There are five heads being put together on what's next after the biggest attack in book two. Three more characters come in at the end of the chapter to see what's going on which gives me a segue to the final chapter (which contains some gushy lovey stuff that I don't feel like writing out right now and also, I need to develop the characters involved a little more or else their dialog won't come naturally). I basically just laid out the plot to the third book, or at least the plot as it's planned right now, from my characters' points of view. Of course, some unforeseen things will come up to make it all exciting (like the aforementioned death and things that I haven't even foreseen yet and I'm god here).
That said, how about some stats:
Outline - 26565 words (1177 written yesterday and 1607 today) and 35 pages.
Draft (unchanged) - 6540 words and 23 pages.
Why am I basically drafting in my outline? Because sometimes, I have no idea where these pieces are going to wind up but I have to get them out when they come. Even if it reads like a draft, it's just easier to organize in an outline format until I get to that point in the draft. I'm beginning to truly believe there's no right and wrong way to go about this (despite the various lists of advice I've been reading from authors and even readers of fiction lately). So, I'm not worrying so much about my process anymore. Whatever works, that's what's right and this is definitely working.
I'll probably put it aside now for who knows how long until the next piece grabs me and I just have pick it up again. That's how I roll and the rolling is good.
One of the biggest things that bugged me about the Twilight series (yes, this again) is that in the end, after what was supposed to be a series of epic struggles, they sustained no loss of life. The only people who die in the entire series are "bad guys" and this ancillary character who kind of betrays the "heroes" anyway so you really don't feel bad for her. Otherwise, it's this "happily ever after" ending. You stick it out through this anti-climax which should have been an epic battle. Instead, everyone just walks away not tearing into each other. Then they go back to their storybook cottage in the woods while their mutant vampire spawn toddler plays with a enormous crown jewel in the corner. Then they allude to having crazy immortal monkey sex while pledging to work on their X-men-like powers for all eternity for some battle that will never happen anyway. It kind of makes you want to break stuff, really. Or at least it did me. I want to avoid that. I wanted a bittersweet ending that looks to the future with hope and to the past with grief. I think those are much more realistic and I actually feel more fulfilled by them. It better matches the gravity of the rest of the story, I think.
So, in an effort to be the anti-Twilight, I looked critically at what I've got going on so far. I haven't even gotten into outlining the third book, really, because it's mostly strategizing, battle, battle, battle, end. Notes to describe that are short right now and I don't really see a need to elaborate yet. I did have a vague notion that a certain couple would get together and kind of live happily ever after. But then I realized that I was falling into exactly what I detest.
So, I looked at all my main characters and thought, "who can I kill?" The answer was obvious, but I didn't want to admit it at first. I like this guy a lot. He's funny, he's edgy, at times he's even abrasive. But he's also someone you can really count on to have your back and he's a pretty ruthless warrior in an all sorts of awesome kind of way (as opposed to Aedan who is more strategical in the way he fights, this guy just tears through people). But, he's got to die. There's nothing for it. I mulled it over for two days before I opened my outline to add in the note.
I can't kill off my main two, because well, that's just not likely and one of them would just seem like a repeat of what I do in the first book, emotionally speaking.
I can't kill off either of the two that are introduced in the second book because that's just too obvious. I mean, when you meet these two, especially the guy, you think, "yeah, he's totally going to die." I want to avoid that as well. Seems too B-rate horror movie to do that and kind of a cop out (as the Twilight complaint described above), since you're not as attached to those characters as the one I've decided to off.
I mean, he's there from the beginning. You totally think he's resilient enough to make it through all this because of his history (can you tell I'm having a hard time letting him go?). So, it's really going to have to be something epic that finally brings him down. I still have to work out the logistics of how you can even kill my immortals. I've established fire early on, but I don't know what else. Not sun. That's never made sense to me in the vampire mythos. I've got some "fundamentalists" in this opposition group that think it does, but, they're dumb.
The only other possibility happens to be one of the original immortals and I'm pretty sure I want to make him completely invincible. No one even really knows how old this guy is (and he does well to kind of keep it a secret). I need him to bring down the opposition in the end. Not sure how yet, but I just have a feeling I need him and not in a sacrificial way. He might do something he thinks will destroy him, but I think he'll survive it.
There's also the daughter, but c'mon, I've done enough to Nadine not to take away her daughter as well. I mean, how much can I destroy this woman, really? I did contemplate it, since she's supposed to be the key to the downfall of what they're up against. Again, sort of a sacrificial thing. But I just can't do that. Gotta spread the heartache around a bit.
That leaves just one choice. I hate to do it, but he's gotta go. It'll bring just the right amount of solemnity to the relief of finally having this conflict over (after three books of it) and the joy of the bright future that's ahead.
But anyway, that's not what I've been writing about for the past two days. Something about deciding to kill off one character created another one. This character creates a segue to the third book and a whole new landscape of characters to introduce there. In fact, I'm pretty sure what I very quickly put down in the past two days equals the second to last chapter in the second book. I've never been this prolific this quickly before (we're talking 2-3 total hours of work here). But there are lots of characters talking in this scene so lots of dialog which eats up lots of words quickly (lots, one more time, lots). There are five heads being put together on what's next after the biggest attack in book two. Three more characters come in at the end of the chapter to see what's going on which gives me a segue to the final chapter (which contains some gushy lovey stuff that I don't feel like writing out right now and also, I need to develop the characters involved a little more or else their dialog won't come naturally). I basically just laid out the plot to the third book, or at least the plot as it's planned right now, from my characters' points of view. Of course, some unforeseen things will come up to make it all exciting (like the aforementioned death and things that I haven't even foreseen yet and I'm god here).
That said, how about some stats:
Outline - 26565 words (1177 written yesterday and 1607 today) and 35 pages.
Draft (unchanged) - 6540 words and 23 pages.
Why am I basically drafting in my outline? Because sometimes, I have no idea where these pieces are going to wind up but I have to get them out when they come. Even if it reads like a draft, it's just easier to organize in an outline format until I get to that point in the draft. I'm beginning to truly believe there's no right and wrong way to go about this (despite the various lists of advice I've been reading from authors and even readers of fiction lately). So, I'm not worrying so much about my process anymore. Whatever works, that's what's right and this is definitely working.
I'll probably put it aside now for who knows how long until the next piece grabs me and I just have pick it up again. That's how I roll and the rolling is good.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2010-02-27 03:12 am (UTC)And I love those four to five way dialogues! :) So fun.
And I agree with you about a story needing to have a balance. If there's a major battle, people are going to die on both sides. This is actually one of the things I'm thinking about with regards to the story outside of the one I've already drafted...
Still so much left to figure out.
I'm glad you're having fun with this.
y
no subject
on 2010-02-27 05:47 am (UTC)It was very fun and I flew right through it! Very fast paced with everyone putting theirs in. I even got to 8-way by the time the chapter was over. There's only more of it to come as they begin strategizing.
It really is all about balance. I mean, you don't want to kill off the characters that will really keep the story moving (not that those lost wouldn't do that as well), but you want to feel the loss at the same time. I'm counting on severe losses on both sides, as in total annihilation of one side and a handful of survivors on the other (a mechanism which thins the overall numbers of the immortals walking the earth by the end of the series, or the series as it stands now).
Yes, still SO much to figure out. But it's fun to see vague notions turn into plot points at this stage.
I'm indeed having fun and I think one reason is because I'm pretty easy going about it. One of those rules I didn't agree with is writing everyday. I can see where it might be beneficial to some, but the stuff I write after some time away flows so much better than the stuff I squeeze out towards the end of a session. I stopped today wanting to go on and I think it was the perfect stopping point. Things need to percolate for at least a few days before I move on.
In the meantime, there's remodeling to be done. ;)
no subject
on 2010-03-02 10:40 pm (UTC)A beloved character dies at the end of my current draft, and he will not be brought back. (I've had one character death averted through time travel, although in my story it actually still has occurred, but they found another path. A play on Shroedinger's Cat, lol, before I ever heard of Shroedinger's Cat. But as for the other who dies, he really was finished. And it's very sad. I've brought pre-readers to tears with it, so I guess it works. And I also guess it will really piss readers off. Because I've got readers who haven't gotten to that point yet tell me how much they love him...
I've got one main rule for character death. It must be necessary, and not just gratuitous blood letting.
Battles require it. And sometimes there are other reasons. Mine died because he was finished, and it was a very necessary plot point... I ramble.
As to dialogue, I've had more characters around in a scene, but I don't think I've gone beyond five or six actually speaking. It's fun having them bounce their ideas off each other, and watching the reactions play out.
I'm working hard not to stress about the continuing story. But I find myself still stressing. I think my remedy will be to just start writing when the time comes. That's how I started this in the first place, and it served me well so far. You know, that old Investigator Questioning method. ;-) Yes.
I also don't agree with the "write every day" rule. If I thought that were necessary, I'd have given up by now. I need the down time to let the subconscious do it's job.
y
no subject
on 2010-03-01 10:35 am (UTC)Y- this is why I killed off so many at the end of Event Horizon. :)
M- I totally know what you mean. In the Breaking Dawn fanfic sequel I wrote, I essentially re-write the ending of BD with the big epic battle I felt it should have had. And people died on both sides. Most of my readers were ok with it - but you wouldn't believe how much hate mail I got over it! "How dare you kill so&so" etc.
no subject
on 2010-03-01 01:33 pm (UTC)I'm sure you got hate mail for it, though. I can't imagine what J. K. Rowling got. Someone, somewhere is bound to grow attached to every single character in a piece and when you get rid of them, I'm sure a percentage of those people are going to voice their complaints about that.
no subject
on 2010-03-02 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-02 10:22 pm (UTC)Mel, read her fanfic! You will feel much better about Twilight after, if only for that. She redeemed the series, imo.
y
no subject
on 2010-03-03 11:01 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-05 10:37 pm (UTC)y
no subject
on 2010-03-03 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-04 11:52 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-04 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-05 10:40 pm (UTC)But I loved the Alien. Yes.
And SM's writing seems a little better.
y
no subject
on 2010-03-06 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-03-07 06:47 pm (UTC);-)
y
no subject
on 2010-03-02 10:20 pm (UTC)y