Comments | bringing_words: The Process

bringing_words

The Process

Oct 13, 2012 13:27

This year I'm going to cheat at NaNoWriMo. Instead of doing a whole new story and aiming for the 50K, I'm going to continue one of my WIPs and aim for 25K.

This story focuses on a woman who became pregnant out of wedlock in the 1970s in Australia. At that time, young women were often forced or coerced into adopting their babies out. The family of my ( Read more... )

editing, by hand, process, story1, the plot thickens, nano

Comments 27

i_smell_apples October 13 2012, 11:30:33 UTC

I used to tend to only write on one side of the page, so that when I'd moved on a page I could more easily flick up the previous page to see what I'd written, but when I started draft one of my novel I sternly told myself that I had to write on both sides, because it was (hopefully) going to be Very Long and I didn't want to waste paper. It was tough at first but I soon got into the swing of things ;) I rewrote the first four chapters by hand before typing it all up, editing as I went, and then printed out the first two chapters to go over them properly with red pen. Editing on a screen wasn't my thing, but it's also getting easier - why I only printed out the earlier chapters. Also because they were the scrappiest, as I did all my set-up and so on. I keep all the chapters in their own files so I can edit them easier - I like written pages because I can spread them out and see everything at once, and draw arrows and stars and so on. You can't do that on a screen, but having just one chapter on its own I find it easier to see the whole ( ... )

bringing_words October 13 2012, 22:55:10 UTC

Yes, exactly, with the arrows and stars and things!! That's exactly what I do too. I need to edit in other colours than red, though... I think I have authority issues ;p That's not a bad idea to do one chapter at a time. I did explore that with Scrivener and possibly I'd do that again.

Thanks, I'm glad you like the idea!

i_smell_apples October 15 2012, 05:10:11 UTC

I like red because it stands out! Or bright green. Also because I have red and green textas on hand :P When I'm editing in word, if I want to change a word or rearrange a sentence but have no idea how/what to yet or something, I'll highlight the problem area and make it red and bold so I can't miss it next time I scroll past XD

bringing_words October 17 2012, 06:26:06 UTC

Green or bright blue for me. And if I'm doing that on the computer I highlight it in yellow :D

theun4givables October 13 2012, 12:41:59 UTC

I have to admit that that notebook technique is fucking amazing. Like I'm mad I never thought about it before and now I'm sad that I no longer write by hand. Because that's useful as hell. Especially since I write out of order now, too, for the most part.

bringing_words October 13 2012, 22:57:29 UTC

I'm humbled that you think so! You konw what else is amazing? That novella (Just Talk) you've got going at the moment. I'm so fascinated by it and I'm holding out for you to finish it so that I can read it all at once :)

theun4givables October 13 2012, 23:29:57 UTC

OMG, really?? xD

I moved it to stand-alone novels, actually. But the shortened version IS finished. The mostly unedited version is, anyway. Those first 10 chapters are what I intend to submit to the anthology in hopes of getting it published.

So you don't have to hold out anymore if you don't want. ;) I may or may not expand it, which is why I moved it to stand-alones. But for now, it is finished. :)

similiesslip October 13 2012, 13:18:24 UTC

I think it makes a lot of sense to just continue something you have in progress. Rules are made to be broken!

I prefer to write on the computer but, again, I am a fan of "whatever works for the individual."

Looks like you're doing great:) And I work on my college work at the kitchen table and store notebooks in odd places. Moms have to do whatever works best!:)

bringing_words October 13 2012, 23:05:58 UTC

I know a lot of people do it, and I knew that setting myself the 50K goal this year would be setting myself up for failure. I've had a lesson this time round in how I can't Do It All and stay both mentally and physically healthy! So this way I can get the benefit of that NaNo energy and hopefully also achieve my goal!

Thanks. It's true that you just have to do what works best! I used to think that I would prefer a room of my own, so I could really focus and dedicate myself to my work... but in reality, I work best in the thick of it all :)

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bringing_words October 13 2012, 23:07:39 UTC

Thank you! That makes me happy :)

comedychick October 15 2012, 04:52:30 UTC

You know, I recently found out that one of my friends -- who I knew was adopted -- was actually adopted out because of that policy, or whatever it was, in Australia in the 1970s.

bringing_words October 17 2012, 06:29:00 UTC

Yeah, it's kind of sad how many babies were adopted out because of this. Recently one of the states (I can't remember if it was NSW or SA) apologised for it. It wasn't until Gough introduced the Single Mother's Pension that young women could then be financially independent of their parents or their partners and choose to raise the child themselves. Good ol' Gough :) Whatever bad you can say about him, some of the policies he brought in were truly progressive.

comedychick October 17 2012, 06:47:06 UTC

I think it might've been NSW, because I saw my friend post about it, and that's where she's from. I didn't read the actual article.

I'm not really familiar with who introduced what back then, given my age and that we didn't learn about it at school, but that is definitely a good thing to have done!

bringing_words October 18 2012, 09:01:01 UTC

I know, I'm actually pretty appalled at the lack of attention paid to modern Australian history and politics when I was at school, too. Although I took neither history nor politics so perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about LOL

I watched a doco about it a few years ago and it piqued my interest.

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