writing, etc.
I seem to be still stuck in a phase of being completely incapable of finishing anything in a decent amount of time, be it artwork or writing. I'm not sure exactly how I got here, but it sucks. I'll get really excited to work on something while I'm at work, and I'll look forward to it the entire time I'm there, and then I'll get home and end up in a daze instead, reading pajiba or tumblr or reddit or tvtropes for hours at a time. Super tired all the time, unmotivated, have sort of reverted into sleeping patterns/behavior from about 4-5 years ago. I guess it's possible I could be depressed, but I don't know. I'm not sad, and it's not really bothering me enough to investigate further. Probably what I need to do is change my routine - i.e. not allow myself to get on the computer immediately after I get home from work, spend more time being physically active, etc. This latter should be at least nominally easier once the weather finally realizes it is almost May and starts being nice.
I ran a quick syntax/grammar edit over Cat on a Boat, my Nanowrimo from this past November, but the only two people I've gotten to read it have been my mother and Bryce, neither of whom has a particularly unbiased view of it. Anyway, I kind of need more input before I start trying to do a deeper content edit. So far all I know for sure is that the pacing is off and I may have underplayed the significance of the climax so that it gets a little lost in the denouement. If anybody's interested in taking a gander, let me know.
I've tried to start a new novel, in the meantime. This one would be a fantasy, though not particularly 'fantastic.' I don't necessarily want to give the entire plot away, but it's inspired by the rule of Charles II of Spain. The main character is Lady Jane Cheshire, a young woman whose father is an advisor to the current king. The Charles II character would be his son, the prince, and the story would center around the sociopolitical intrigue and struggle surrounding whether or not the disabled young man would be allowed to inherit his father's kingdom. Jane accidentally becomes his tutor, through her father's machinations and the influence of Carabosse, a young ambassador from a neighboring country.
I'm having a hard time with it so far because I'm realizing how much I've set myself up for potentially writing something very dry and full of committees, and also because I'm experiencing some kind of weird Jane-related anxiety. I find I have a sensitivity when writing female characters that I don't deal with when I'm writing men. A good example, I guess, of the fact that men still have the upper hand. I said to my mom the other day that when I was writing Harry, he was easy, because I knew exactly what his motivations were, and I knew that neither I nor he cared if he came across as an asshole because of them. Jane, on the other hand - I am very sensitive to the idea of her coming across as an asshole or a bitch, and I don't want her to be perceived that way. Her actions will undoubtedly be less entirely self-interested than Harry's, and yet I'm more concerned that she will come across as unsympathetic. And I don't think it's just me being a paranoid writer; I've seen female characters picked apart for flaws that would have been considered passable, acceptable, or possibly not even flaws, were they men. So I feel like I need to know Jane really well, to be able to get deep into her motivations. To compare her to Harry feels absurd, because I had been writing Harry for literally years before I tried to do anything significant with him, and I just came up with Jane a couple of months ago. What do I do? Do I just let her sit and ferment for a bit? I don't know.
I doodled her a few days ago in paintchat, which brought up another problematic situation of "How pretty should she be?" and also, "Oh god have I created the Brainy Brunette trope personified?". I'll post it when I have a few more doodles to post along with it.
Nothing else of much interest to report on. Am painting my nails, will hopefully finally finish the pencilling on this painting I'm doing later tonight.
I ran a quick syntax/grammar edit over Cat on a Boat, my Nanowrimo from this past November, but the only two people I've gotten to read it have been my mother and Bryce, neither of whom has a particularly unbiased view of it. Anyway, I kind of need more input before I start trying to do a deeper content edit. So far all I know for sure is that the pacing is off and I may have underplayed the significance of the climax so that it gets a little lost in the denouement. If anybody's interested in taking a gander, let me know.
I've tried to start a new novel, in the meantime. This one would be a fantasy, though not particularly 'fantastic.' I don't necessarily want to give the entire plot away, but it's inspired by the rule of Charles II of Spain. The main character is Lady Jane Cheshire, a young woman whose father is an advisor to the current king. The Charles II character would be his son, the prince, and the story would center around the sociopolitical intrigue and struggle surrounding whether or not the disabled young man would be allowed to inherit his father's kingdom. Jane accidentally becomes his tutor, through her father's machinations and the influence of Carabosse, a young ambassador from a neighboring country.
I'm having a hard time with it so far because I'm realizing how much I've set myself up for potentially writing something very dry and full of committees, and also because I'm experiencing some kind of weird Jane-related anxiety. I find I have a sensitivity when writing female characters that I don't deal with when I'm writing men. A good example, I guess, of the fact that men still have the upper hand. I said to my mom the other day that when I was writing Harry, he was easy, because I knew exactly what his motivations were, and I knew that neither I nor he cared if he came across as an asshole because of them. Jane, on the other hand - I am very sensitive to the idea of her coming across as an asshole or a bitch, and I don't want her to be perceived that way. Her actions will undoubtedly be less entirely self-interested than Harry's, and yet I'm more concerned that she will come across as unsympathetic. And I don't think it's just me being a paranoid writer; I've seen female characters picked apart for flaws that would have been considered passable, acceptable, or possibly not even flaws, were they men. So I feel like I need to know Jane really well, to be able to get deep into her motivations. To compare her to Harry feels absurd, because I had been writing Harry for literally years before I tried to do anything significant with him, and I just came up with Jane a couple of months ago. What do I do? Do I just let her sit and ferment for a bit? I don't know.
I doodled her a few days ago in paintchat, which brought up another problematic situation of "How pretty should she be?" and also, "Oh god have I created the Brainy Brunette trope personified?". I'll post it when I have a few more doodles to post along with it.
Nothing else of much interest to report on. Am painting my nails, will hopefully finally finish the pencilling on this painting I'm doing later tonight.