*It* Has Begun....

[dawn_felagund]

Since I was a good girl and did my NaNo despite lots of real-life obstacles, then I have rewarded myself with a December free to write whatever I want. No projects...well, except for the holiday gifts, but that's a special exception. And writing anything includes writing nothing, which (aside from the holiday project) has pretty much been my

Comments

[rhapsody11]

Oh girl {{{hugs}}} You're gonna be fine and there are plot and storyline beta's out there to use as a sounding board and can keep good oversight of a story to help out. Not the detailed minor things, but the helicopter view thing. (eugh I am not awake yet, so I am not sure I am making sense) Since I am most often such a beta and you lose sight, just let me know.

It's funny because whenever I start a new novel, I actually get nervous. It's like I feel that if I mess up on those first few steps, the rest of the novel will be scrap.

Well this is why I am hesistant to post a wip and I mostly give in because a beta is so bouncy about it or friends are so looking forward to see it at an archive. I always try my best to get it in best shape possible, but I think I just lose readers who read the first chapter without reading the rest because it's a wip and they don't want to wait for it so long before I update. Oh it's a Rhapsody WIP, who knows when that *ever* gets finished. It would explain the big hits on the first chapter and then nothing... (because the second chapter most often gets posted weeks later) I do have a strong outline and yes a plot is in there, woven into layers and such. But I just don't have much time to write. *sighs* I want a month of writing too.

Maybe I'm still paranoid after having to hammer the first ten or so chapters of AMC into shape, both stylistically and mechanically. I never want to go through that again, so I make sure that I know what tense and PoV I want to use. (And I changed both on the N/F novel before one page was finished....) Doing ten revisions solely to tweak tenses is not fun at all.

Nopes, I can see that, no fun. I once had a story back (yeah a wip, Starfury, (Isil wrote a companion piece to that, The Quest) with the note of the first five pages looked at by a beta with the note that I had to make changes in the passive voice to active voice. I was bewildered because I had *no* idea what that was and neither was it explained by the beta. That halted me for 6 to 7 months because a) I felt ashamed that I had no idea what I did wrong and what I could do about it b) Isil dragged me out of that writing block told me to write Abrecan, and got me signed up for archives. I still get nervous when people start to give feedback with grammar terms and I have no idea what they are talking about. Being an ESL writer is tough sometimes.

But still, with a WIP you have a right to change it, *you* always have readers who want to read your material for a second time :c)

And writing with Bobby!!!!! Oh that sounds so much fun!!!

[dawn_felagund]

Thank you, Rhapsy. :) I am using an outline for this story; I am trying to get in the habit of doing that with all of my longer works. I am at last becoming a responsible novel-writer. *sigh* So I hope that I will not lose sight of it. We'll see. :)

I absolutely cannot share WiPs, especially novels. It's just against my nature; the story must be mine in its entirety until it's finished. Then I trim the bits I don't want others to see. I trimmed an entire subplot from AMC; I will trim a lot from the NaNo novel too, I suspect. I write more honestly if I convince myself that no one will read it but me.

Being an ESL writer is tough sometimes.

I am always so grateful that English is my first language. I really admire those of you that learn it as a second (or third!) language. It's not easy. I'm working with a friend from Croatia on copyediting her stories, and we get into these long and detailed discussions of English grammar. I have been studying English grammar for years now and there are questions that she asks that I do not know the answer to. I have to look it up; even then, I am not entirely sure.

When I beta for people, I try really hard not to toss out jargony terms. That's for native speakers as well as ESL because, trust me, most native-speaking Americans don't know what passive voice is either! At the same time, I don't want to be patronizing, but I figure that the worst that will happen is the author will know exactly what I mean and skip my explanation.

I'd really like to have in the SWG Reference section eventually short articles on troublesome aspects of English grammar and mechanics. It can be really tough.

And writing with Bobby!!!!! Oh that sounds so much fun!!!

I can't wait to start! Right now, we are both writing short stories for the other to read on Christmas morning. That will be us: sitting side by side, glued to the other's work, with Alex on the floor chewing a candy-cane-shaped bone and a littering of wrapping paper at our feet. ;)