The Week in Review

I finished the week at 5721 words and two chapters done.  Which is good but I was hoping to have done more.  I wasted a lot of time last week, which could have been better spent rewriting.  I think this time, rather than set a target of 5000 words like I did writing the first draft, I will aim to beat the previous week’s wordcount.  Hopefully I am stupid enough again to get into a competive battle with my self from a week ago.  I think I probably am.

I am much happier with the first two chapters now, although the second chapter will no longer be the second chapter as I’m planning to move one of the later chapters into it’s place.  There will be quite a few changes to the chapter orders before all is said and done.  I think this will definitely be for the better.

I’m glad to finally have a system now where I feel I am genuinely cutting out weak parts and adding stronger ones.  My first attempt at editing the manuscript was, on reflection, not doing myself any favours.  I was leaving in bits in my heart I know were weak, trying to justify them in my head.  It was pointless.  I want the novel to be as strong as possible so I can’t afford to get precious over my writing.  I think the difference between the first and second draft of the two chapters is huge.  Plotwise, almost nothing has changed, but the writing itself I think is a lot stronger.

Well, back to it.  5722 words to go.

Pressing on

I have pretty much decided to press on with changing the novel to be in the third person.  I have just completed the first chapter and already I think the difference is substantial.  It also seems to be much easier for me to throw stuff away now.  I think switching the point of view is really going to allow the story to breathe.  There are so many stories in the novel that I realise now can be better served by escaping the first person point of view.  Even the flexibility I will have with the order of events opens up.  I am really excited again about the novel.  I am trying to rewrite as much as I can this week just to see how much that actually is.  This should give me a better idea about how much I can reasonably expect to get done each week.  I would still ideally love to have it finished by the end of the year, but if it doesn’t happen I will not be too dissappointed so long as I am still on track.

Points of view

I’m not sure if Ive posted about this before but I’m once again considering changing the viewpoint in the novel.  Currently it’s written entirely in first person perspective as the main character, retelling the story in a series of flashbacks.  For some time I’ve thought about whether this was the right call.  There were a lot of good things about writing it the way I did.  I liked the idea that the rest of the world went about it’s business until inevitably crashing into the main character’s life and her then having to deal with it, and the reader sharing in that.  But now I’m thinking that perhaps some of the stories that had to be retold by the characters themselves would be better served by mixing up the points of view.

There would be a great deal of work involved to do this.  The structure behind the story would remain pretty much the same.  The first thing I would need to do would be to go through the story and figure out the best person to be telling that part of the story.

It’s not a given that I will change it at all, because I’ve changed my mind a few times on this.  Today I lean towards changing it.  Tomorrow, who knows.  Indecision is the bane of my life.  Or maybe it’s not.  Who knows?

Anne Hathaway has crazy seventies hairstyle in Brokeback mountain

I finished my short story this afternoon.  I’m quite pleased with it.  I think it’s quite funny.  It’s about an office christmas party.  I’m going to try my luck and enter it into a competition.

I’m off work tomorrow for a bank holiday.  I love Sundays when you know you don’t have to go into work the following day.  Of course it then throws you off later in the week when Tuesdays feel like Mondays and so on.

Watched Brokeback Mountain for the first time last night.  Really good film.  I thought it spoke volumes that the film didn’t have to portray other people condemning homosexuality, it was the fears and memories of the main characters that seemed to suffocate them more than anything.  It just wasn’t something that was talked about in society I suppose.  Heath Ledger was excellent.  And Anne Hathaway’s hair was pretty funny.

M.I.A Paper Planes

The short story is coming along nicely.  I may surprise myself and actually finish it this week after all.  Meanwhile I’m addicted to M.I.A. Paper Planes.  Josie Long had it playing at her Edinburgh show as people were getting to their seats and I had no idea what it was called until today when I heard it on Jo Whiley’s show.  Enjoy:

Still Editing/Game

I started another short story tonight. I want to try and finish a few over the next few months, maybe even enter a few competitions. Hopefully I can finish it by the end of the week.

Did a bit more editing tonight. Not a lot, but some. It’s good to read something you’ve written and not think it’s total crap. Although then I start wondering if I’m just being too soft on myself. I have what is pretty much an open invitation for someone to critique the novel. I’m thinking I will take him up on the offer once I complete the second draft. It would be nice to get some feedback. I think part of what makes me want to get a few short stories sent off is the chance to get some kind of encouragement that what I’m doing doesn’t completely suck.

On a completely different subject I am completely hooked on Still Game at the moment. I did what I am sometimes guilty of when it comes to TV shows, namely blowing it off as being rubbish without actually bothering to watch it. There are worse circumstances to be made to look like an idiot though, when all it means is I have loads of series waiting to be watched. I am just about to start series 4 now. No doubt I will get through them all pretty soon and then be sad as a result.  Ah well.

Doom and gloom

My suspicions that the universe doesn’t want me to finish the novel received more evidence Tuesday night. The hinge on my ladder to my loft broke off completely. My desk and computer are in my loft. I am still able to use the ladder but it’s hardly the safest thing in the world now. So I have literally had to overcome danger to write this update. I wouldn’t call me a hero though. Other people definitely would but I am to humble to do that. Some might suggest I deserve a medal of some sort but I’d be far too embarrassed to accept it. Just have someone accept it on my behalf or something.

Anyway, the ladder will need to be fixed soon is the point. I have no idea how. I am about as useful at DIY as I am at coming up with apt comparisons. Except for that one.

I’ve had a couple of ideas recently. One for a short story and the other for a novel. The short story is, I think, science fiction, which to be honest I am not really very into at all. But I think it’s a an interesting idea. It’s a satire on celebrity but I’m not sure how to start it. It’s a bit gimmicky. I’m not sure it would really work as a novel, but it might make a fun little story. The other idea is one I had when I was out learning to drive. It’s pretty dark but I’m noticing my writing the past year has been that way. Black comedy mostly. Which is a little bit surprising to me. I had always presumed I was more upbeat, but I guess not. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m writing bleak, depressing stuff though. I actually just like being able to extract humour from situations where it normally wouldn’t belong. With that said, it’s difficult to imagine how I might be able to make the new story I’m thinking about be in any way funny. I suppose I’ll just have to look hard.

The Return

Got back from Ireland last night. It was a great weekend. The wedding went well. I have Galway Girl stuck in my head, but that’s only natural I think after a weekend in Ireland. It’s got me thinking about my own wedding next year. I’ve got some good ideas for my speech and I wrote some of it down earlier. My plan is to reduce the room to tears. One way or another. In fact if the speech doesn’t cut it I’ll just release tear gas into the room. That’ll teach them not to cry at my sentimental mush.

Well it’s September now. The plan is to make some real progress with the editing this month. Clearly that’s the plan every month but still. I’d like to at least be a third of the way through it by the end. We’ll see how realistic that is later on in the month but for now that’s the plan.

Prison Break is on Sky One tonight. It’s like the universe doesn’t want me to ever finish this thing.