More musings about Was
School starts again on Monday (and on tomorrow for me, with various staff meetings already), so of course this means "oh, hey, Mind, let's focus on totally useless things-everything but school work". No shit, Sherlock.
Having converted Echoes last month into a Mage: the Ascension character to act as guest-star during a couple of sessions, I found myself with fueled-up resolution(s) to rework (yes, again) some more parts of Was that were irritating me. It's not that much in itself, as usual, but it's precisely the "mere details only" kind that typically piles up until inconsistencies cause the whole thing to get stuck, and then it takes me age to find enough courage and motivation to tackle the problem.
You already know how it goes with this specific story. Was is mainly about the characters. It isn't, and has never been, about a solid plot from A to Z. Said plot is something I come up with while writing, now and then. Granted, there are arc elements I've been developing from the start-I'm not pulling everything randomly out of my ass-but almost two years later, I still have no idea how the whole thing is going to end, nor if I'll keep all the plot points already introduced, or will put some of them on a bus later on. This is probably the main reason why I'm progressing so slowly now, being at that point where I can either go on with only character development, or try to add plot consistency. Evidently, the latter solution would be best.
The latest problem I came to terms with was one that might not be apparent in the chapters I've posted so far, but that was precisely causing me to remain a little stuck. To sum things up, there's a certain turning point I need to introduce regarding Lou and Lyle, so that I can then develop the other part of their story. Okay, Lyle feels compelled to protect her, and knows when she needs him-but why? I know the answer. I know how it's going to end. I was just lacking the middle part (as usual with me), the one that would lead from point A ("we have no clue at all") to point B ("now that we know all of this, we have to find a solution"), or something to that extent. The middle development that would allow me to explain, and, more important, to do so not by mere description, but by having the characters themselves find and understand.
The only problem was that I had kind of "forgotten" to give them enough clues to start searching. ^_^;
And so, some parts got a makeover. I don't think it's going to affect the chapters posted here, or perhaps chapter 27 only, for a couple of details. The ones mainly affected are 29, 31 and 32, and these I haven't published here yet. Although 29 has turned into a close to 8k words dialogue, with some description in between. Yeah, writing descriptions tend to bore me, especially when the scene is about characters exchanging information. I feel compelled to throw description in "just because", to "fill in some blanks", but the truth is, it's just a bother. Some fine writer I am, huh. ;)
Anyway. I have to proof-read these in a couple of days, and if by then, I'm satisfied, then I'll post a new chapter. At last.
Having converted Echoes last month into a Mage: the Ascension character to act as guest-star during a couple of sessions, I found myself with fueled-up resolution(s) to rework (yes, again) some more parts of Was that were irritating me. It's not that much in itself, as usual, but it's precisely the "mere details only" kind that typically piles up until inconsistencies cause the whole thing to get stuck, and then it takes me age to find enough courage and motivation to tackle the problem.
You already know how it goes with this specific story. Was is mainly about the characters. It isn't, and has never been, about a solid plot from A to Z. Said plot is something I come up with while writing, now and then. Granted, there are arc elements I've been developing from the start-I'm not pulling everything randomly out of my ass-but almost two years later, I still have no idea how the whole thing is going to end, nor if I'll keep all the plot points already introduced, or will put some of them on a bus later on. This is probably the main reason why I'm progressing so slowly now, being at that point where I can either go on with only character development, or try to add plot consistency. Evidently, the latter solution would be best.
The latest problem I came to terms with was one that might not be apparent in the chapters I've posted so far, but that was precisely causing me to remain a little stuck. To sum things up, there's a certain turning point I need to introduce regarding Lou and Lyle, so that I can then develop the other part of their story. Okay, Lyle feels compelled to protect her, and knows when she needs him-but why? I know the answer. I know how it's going to end. I was just lacking the middle part (as usual with me), the one that would lead from point A ("we have no clue at all") to point B ("now that we know all of this, we have to find a solution"), or something to that extent. The middle development that would allow me to explain, and, more important, to do so not by mere description, but by having the characters themselves find and understand.
The only problem was that I had kind of "forgotten" to give them enough clues to start searching. ^_^;
And so, some parts got a makeover. I don't think it's going to affect the chapters posted here, or perhaps chapter 27 only, for a couple of details. The ones mainly affected are 29, 31 and 32, and these I haven't published here yet. Although 29 has turned into a close to 8k words dialogue, with some description in between. Yeah, writing descriptions tend to bore me, especially when the scene is about characters exchanging information. I feel compelled to throw description in "just because", to "fill in some blanks", but the truth is, it's just a bother. Some fine writer I am, huh. ;)
Anyway. I have to proof-read these in a couple of days, and if by then, I'm satisfied, then I'll post a new chapter. At last.