2010, Writing, GYWO, and Beacons
So one of my (few) (simpler) goals for 2010 involves original writing. I've committed again to getyourwordsout, for 200,000 words -- I made it in 2009 (albeit just barely), and I had a lot of fun doing it and wrote a few things I'm quite happy with. I found it an excellent motivator for weeks I wasn't doing much of anything writing-wise, and I'm quite proud to say "I wrote (probably over) 200,000 words in 2009". So I'm back in 2010 with 200K, but I'm mixing it up a little.
Every year I say I'm going to write Beacons, but this year I think I mean it, or I'm going to start out that way. Other than the one fanfiction project I have in my sights, everything else is going to go on hold while I get Beacons started. It doesn't mean I'm quitting fanfiction - I will still need it for sanity breaks and writer's-block and crazy memes and the like - but my focus is going to be on original work for early 2010.
My brother Jim is my partner in this project, and one of the reasons I'm excited to start is that he and I are closer to being on the same page communication-commitment-and-time-wise. We're setting up some online things to work on to accompany the story.
One of the biggest things I need to figure out is where/how to post it, because I want to be posting it or at least sending it out - one of the things that'll get me to write this is public accountability. I haven't yet decided whether to post it on my website, or on LJ/DW. I do know I want to do one of the two; I also know I'd prefer my website, but I don't have a very feasible or convenient way to do so unless I get around to installing something like FictionPress in the next few days. (Suggestions: welcome.) I don't mind posting it on LJ/DW at all, mainly because that's where a lot of friends/readers are, but as it's original work I kind of want it in my "own" space.
I'm going to be posting it as a serial. One chapter or "episode" every week. I'd need ~3800 words per week to hit the 200K, so hopefully each chapter/episode can be 3000-4000 words. Ideally I'll get the story written this year, and then I can edit it together into actual chapters in 2011.
(I also hope to do one illustration per week, but I don't want to boldly commit to that because I know my own schedule and I know that class this year might suck ass. But I do want to get back to drawing again, and one illustration of my own work per week sounds really awesome! It would be a lot of fun! And then I'd be learning about drawing too! So, we'll see.)
Jim and I have gathered a small group of mutual friends who would be interested in keeping up with our work, because there's nothing like the motivation of knowing people are reading your stuff and waiting for the next little bit and getting into your story/characters/etc. I've also chatted with a few other people about working with us. This would be more in a gamma-reading sense -- as we post the story, comment on things that are awesome, things that are confusing, general thoughts, etc. so that as we continue (and edit) we can work improvements into the story. If you're interested in being on that email filter, let me know. :) It's not like the story will be a big secret, locked somewhere no one can see it - I said I was posting it publicly - but I also acknowledge that it's still very much a work in progress.
So that's my first big plan. People who've been watching this journal might be like, "Sev, you so crazy! You don't have time for this!" Well, a very serious and personal goal for 2010 is to get back my (personal) time no matter how far I have to go. This is one very awesome way of doing so.
Every year I say I'm going to write Beacons, but this year I think I mean it, or I'm going to start out that way. Other than the one fanfiction project I have in my sights, everything else is going to go on hold while I get Beacons started. It doesn't mean I'm quitting fanfiction - I will still need it for sanity breaks and writer's-block and crazy memes and the like - but my focus is going to be on original work for early 2010.
My brother Jim is my partner in this project, and one of the reasons I'm excited to start is that he and I are closer to being on the same page communication-commitment-and-time-wise. We're setting up some online things to work on to accompany the story.
One of the biggest things I need to figure out is where/how to post it, because I want to be posting it or at least sending it out - one of the things that'll get me to write this is public accountability. I haven't yet decided whether to post it on my website, or on LJ/DW. I do know I want to do one of the two; I also know I'd prefer my website, but I don't have a very feasible or convenient way to do so unless I get around to installing something like FictionPress in the next few days. (Suggestions: welcome.) I don't mind posting it on LJ/DW at all, mainly because that's where a lot of friends/readers are, but as it's original work I kind of want it in my "own" space.
I'm going to be posting it as a serial. One chapter or "episode" every week. I'd need ~3800 words per week to hit the 200K, so hopefully each chapter/episode can be 3000-4000 words. Ideally I'll get the story written this year, and then I can edit it together into actual chapters in 2011.
(I also hope to do one illustration per week, but I don't want to boldly commit to that because I know my own schedule and I know that class this year might suck ass. But I do want to get back to drawing again, and one illustration of my own work per week sounds really awesome! It would be a lot of fun! And then I'd be learning about drawing too! So, we'll see.)
Jim and I have gathered a small group of mutual friends who would be interested in keeping up with our work, because there's nothing like the motivation of knowing people are reading your stuff and waiting for the next little bit and getting into your story/characters/etc. I've also chatted with a few other people about working with us. This would be more in a gamma-reading sense -- as we post the story, comment on things that are awesome, things that are confusing, general thoughts, etc. so that as we continue (and edit) we can work improvements into the story. If you're interested in being on that email filter, let me know. :) It's not like the story will be a big secret, locked somewhere no one can see it - I said I was posting it publicly - but I also acknowledge that it's still very much a work in progress.
So that's my first big plan. People who've been watching this journal might be like, "Sev, you so crazy! You don't have time for this!" Well, a very serious and personal goal for 2010 is to get back my (personal) time no matter how far I have to go. This is one very awesome way of doing so.