What are you currently writing? - Page 18

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-01-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelFStewart

I just finished the script for a graphic novel called The Terminals - the artist has started editing. Now I'm working on its novelization - weird to work from an 80 page outline! Feel organized for a change. (This will be my first adaptation, even if it's my own work.)

Wanna hear something funny? The Onuissance Cells was originally a series of outlines for a graphic novel project, before I abandoned the graphic novel format and just finished the stories in written form. I worked in a similar fashion, from detailed story outlines to extrapolation into a written narrative.

It was all downhill from there...

Bob Russell · 10-01-2009, 02:25 PM

Am excited because I'm actually flushing out a story concept for a book myself. Surprisingly, it's not science-fiction, but just a "plain 'ole" story about a guy's life.

Have been thinking about writing a book for years, and have felt deep down my whole life that I was an author (although not necessarily a good one) and was going to write books. Have even considered the write a novel in a month gig to get started. (Nanowrimo)
So, I'm first trying to learn a bit about the writing process and stuff like how to outline a novel, create a plot and flush out character profiles.

Btw, an odd thing happened to me on the way to the main character dossier - I seem to have become attached to him already. Kind of like when you watch a really good TV series, and you start to really like one of the core characters. I'm hoping that's a good thing, and not simply a sign of dementia!

Anyway, I'm just getting started with the idea, and have so much to learn about the writing process itself. I'm not a "do it and then see what happens guy". I'm more of a "think about how it's gonna work and figure out the important bits and then only dive in once it all fits together in my brain at a high level" kind of guy.

As far as the story, the idea is to open with a very young boy (the main character named "Charlie") being pushed into a room where he is to visit with his very old and sick grandma. Unfortunately, he's there alone and this beloved grandma tricks him into turning off her life support. She dies right in front of him, leaving a sense of guilt and betrayal, as well as the life long perceived stain of blood on his hands.

He lives life trying to earn back his own respect and tries to overcome through success. Charlie is an incredibly kind person, but unfortunately, every time he makes progress things fall apart. Despite a lot of optimism and hard work, he never seems to get anywhere in terms of material things, career, relationships, etc. His failures and loss are partly due to back luck, partly due to a naive view of the world, and partly because Charlie just doesn't think before he speaks. (I can't wait to write some of the dialogue!)

Eventually, after going through the wringer again and again, all is lost, even the few people that he always depended on when things he was down. So Charlie is all alone in the world, his health fails, and he's in a room just like grandma's wishing he could die and thinking of how he would do it...

Obviously, that is intended to be the climax of the book, and that's where the really interesting bit will happen, so I won't share that yet. But I'm convinced that this part will be a lot of fun to write if I ever get to it. By this point in the book, if I've done my job, people will care about Charlie as much as I do. Of course, there is the possibility that this whole story idea may be only interesting in my own head, or that I will kill an idea full of potential with bad writing. But to be honest, I'm only writing this book for myself anyway, so I figure I can't lose!

If you are interested in seeing the full book one day, here's the time line based on my progress so far.... A completed the story outline in 2020, followed by a first draft in 2025, and the nicely formatted e-book release in 2030. Hmmm. By that time, I may be in a hospital bed on life support, all alone in the world, wishing that... Nah, just kidding. Personally, I prefer the living option with lots of pain medications. I don't want to be the one to decide when it's time for me to go! ;-)

MichaelFStewart · 10-01-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Wanna hear something funny? The Onuissance Cells was originally a series of outlines for a graphic novel project, before I abandoned the graphic novel format and just finished the stories in written form. I worked in a similar fashion, from detailed story outlines to extrapolation into a written narrative.

It was all downhill from there...

How'd you like working from such a detailed outline. I'm not sure I do. Tougher to get motivated. I always love to sit down and wonder what will happen next, now I know. On the plus side it allows me to focus on the writing.

dreams · 10-01-2009, 02:38 PM

OK, I was following along and getting interested in how you would write Charlie's story...until...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

<SNIP>

If you are interested in seeing the full book one day, here's the time line based on my progress so far.... A completed the story outline in 2020, followed by a first draft in 2025, and the nicely formatted e-book release in 2030. Hmmm. By that time, I may be in a hospital bed on life support, all alone in the world, wishing that... Nah, just kidding. Personally, I prefer the living option with lots of pain medications. I don't want to be the one to decide when it's time for me to go! ;-)

With that time line, I may be sharing those bottles of pain meds with you.

****so, are you really going to write a story?****

Patricia · 10-01-2009, 04:22 PM

That does sound like a good plot, Bob.

plumboz · 10-01-2009, 05:54 PM

My current project is called The Baer Boys. I am about 30,000 words into it. Here is a brief description.

After twenty years of not making it as an actor, Darin returns home to a second chance at a life he never quite made either.

Darin Baer left home right out of high school to find his place in the world of theater. Now, after more than twenty years away, he comes back to help take care of his recently widowed father. He accepts a long term substitute teaching position at his old high school. The commitments and decisions he thought he had put behind him, or avoided altogether, are suddenly very present and quite unavoidable.

I have started to post chapters on my blog. Kind of behind in getting them posted as the ebook version of Boomerang has been taking up so much time, but now that it is pretty well established and I am hoping I don't have to do much more to the file to make it pretty as can be, I am diving back into The Baer Boys.

[promotional link deleted - MODERATOR]

MaMiller · 10-01-2009, 06:14 PM

I'm working on the sequel to WIDOW'S TALE. It is another romantic suspense set in the fictional Maine coastal village of Victory Cove, and it's appropriately titled, VICTORY COVE

The first chapter is on my website if anyone wants to stick their toes into the frigid Atlantic...

nomesque · 10-01-2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaMiller

I'm working on the sequel to WIDOW'S TALE. It is another romantic suspense set in the fictional Maine coastal village of Victory Cove, and it's appropriately titled, VICTORY COVE

The first chapter is on my website if anyone wants to stick their toes into the frigid Atlantic...

http://www.maureenamiller.com/victorycove

'Frigid' and 'romantic' just don't seem to go together...

I like it.

One typographical point - you've got a paragraph style out of whack about 9/10 of the way down the page.

MaMiller · 10-02-2009, 07:31 AM

Thank you Nomesque.

I didn't see the formatting issue, but then again all the type blurs before my eyes after 11pm. I'll look at it again this morning.

Yeah, 'Frigid' and 'Romantic'...perhaps I should title it, "Romance, not for the feint of heart."

nomesque · 10-02-2009, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaMiller

Thank you Nomesque.

I didn't see the formatting issue, but then again all the type blurs before my eyes after 11pm. I'll look at it again this morning.

Yeah, 'Frigid' and 'Romantic'...perhaps I should title it, "Romance, not for the feint of heart."

It takes til 11pm? Text blurs a lot earlier for me. Maybe cos I stare at it all day, I guess

Hmmm, health warnings on romance fiction? Could take off (don't read this if you're prone to heart attacks, palpitations, or nervous excitement)!

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-02-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelFStewart

How'd you like working from such a detailed outline. I'm not sure I do. Tougher to get motivated. I always love to sit down and wonder what will happen next, now I know. On the plus side it allows me to focus on the writing.

It's the "focusing on the writing" part that I appreciate the most. Though my outlines may be a bit less detailed than yours... they describe the essential elements of the story, but still leave me plenty of room to embellish, and flesh out the characters and their actions, along the way. Still, I get motivated by the challenge of "sticking to the script" while maintaining a level of spontaneity, so that it doesn't feel scripted.

What you describe as a "detailed outline" I describe as a "combination of story outline, character and setting details pages" that, when complete, almost write the story on their own... it's my job just to get it on paper (excuse me, into electrons) in an interesting but coherent fashion.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-02-2009, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

Btw, an odd thing happened to me on the way to the main character dossier - I seem to have become attached to him already. Kind of like when you watch a really good TV series, and you start to really like one of the core characters. I'm hoping that's a good thing, and not simply a sign of dementia!

For a writer, that's a good thing. It means you have imbued a soul into your character, which you understand, so your descriptions of what that character will do in the course of events will be more honest and believable, to you and your audience. You should feel some amount of empathy to all of your characters, to be able to write them honestly (and avoid putting them in situations that their character would normally reject or act differently than what you depict).

Reyben · 10-02-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
You should feel some amount of empathy to all of your characters[...]

And then you should melt them.

.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-07-2009, 11:43 AM

Based on comments following my 15 minutes of fame, I'm actively considering my first non-fiction novel: A retrospective on e-books, and why they have developed so slowly over the past 20 years.

I realized I have a lot of material from previous essays that I can use (with some rewriting), as well as organizing other points I have so far not written about, and showing how they all interconnect. I started considering this seriously when I realized how many elements have been directly involved with e-book development... most of them adversely... over that time. (I have identified 25 distinct elements/movements so far, and I'm not sure that's all of them yet.)

Think of it sort of as a James Burke Connections approach to the subject.

Thoughts?

pshrynk · 10-07-2009, 01:19 PM

I'd read it, but I suspect that I'd read your grocery list...

Jokling aside, that would be an intersting essay. I wonder how much audience there is for it.

10-01-2009, 05:54 PM	#261
plumboz Novelist Posts: 591 Karma: 452032 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Arizona Device: Nook	My current project is called The Baer Boys. I am about 30,000 words into it. Here is a brief description. After twenty years of not making it as an actor, Darin returns home to a second chance at a life he never quite made either. Darin Baer left home right out of high school to find his place in the world of theater. Now, after more than twenty years away, he comes back to help take care of his recently widowed father. He accepts a long term substitute teaching position at his old high school. The commitments and decisions he thought he had put behind him, or avoided altogether, are suddenly very present and quite unavoidable. I have started to post chapters on my blog. Kind of behind in getting them posted as the ebook version of Boomerang has been taking up so much time, but now that it is pretty well established and I am hoping I don't have to do much more to the file to make it pretty as can be, I am diving back into The Baer Boys. [promotional link deleted - MODERATOR] Last edited by Dr. Drib; 04-24-2013 at 07:08 AM.

10-01-2009, 06:14 PM	#262
MaMiller Author Posts: 179 Karma: 300002 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: North Carolina Device: none	I'm working on the sequel to WIDOW'S TALE. It is another romantic suspense set in the fictional Maine coastal village of Victory Cove, and it's appropriately titled, VICTORY COVE The first chapter is on my website if anyone wants to stick their toes into the frigid Atlantic... Last edited by Dr. Drib; 09-25-2012 at 06:23 AM.

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10-01-2009, 02:25 PM	#257
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Am excited because I'm actually flushing out a story concept for a book myself. Surprisingly, it's not science-fiction, but just a "plain 'ole" story about a guy's life. Have been thinking about writing a book for years, and have felt deep down my whole life that I was an author (although not necessarily a good one) and was going to write books. Have even considered the write a novel in a month gig to get started. (Nanowrimo) So, I'm first trying to learn a bit about the writing process and stuff like how to outline a novel, create a plot and flush out character profiles. Btw, an odd thing happened to me on the way to the main character dossier - I seem to have become attached to him already. Kind of like when you watch a really good TV series, and you start to really like one of the core characters. I'm hoping that's a good thing, and not simply a sign of dementia! Anyway, I'm just getting started with the idea, and have so much to learn about the writing process itself. I'm not a "do it and then see what happens guy". I'm more of a "think about how it's gonna work and figure out the important bits and then only dive in once it all fits together in my brain at a high level" kind of guy. As far as the story, the idea is to open with a very young boy (the main character named "Charlie") being pushed into a room where he is to visit with his very old and sick grandma. Unfortunately, he's there alone and this beloved grandma tricks him into turning off her life support. She dies right in front of him, leaving a sense of guilt and betrayal, as well as the life long perceived stain of blood on his hands. He lives life trying to earn back his own respect and tries to overcome through success. Charlie is an incredibly kind person, but unfortunately, every time he makes progress things fall apart. Despite a lot of optimism and hard work, he never seems to get anywhere in terms of material things, career, relationships, etc. His failures and loss are partly due to back luck, partly due to a naive view of the world, and partly because Charlie just doesn't think before he speaks. (I can't wait to write some of the dialogue!) Eventually, after going through the wringer again and again, all is lost, even the few people that he always depended on when things he was down. So Charlie is all alone in the world, his health fails, and he's in a room just like grandma's wishing he could die and thinking of how he would do it... Obviously, that is intended to be the climax of the book, and that's where the really interesting bit will happen, so I won't share that yet. But I'm convinced that this part will be a lot of fun to write if I ever get to it. By this point in the book, if I've done my job, people will care about Charlie as much as I do. Of course, there is the possibility that this whole story idea may be only interesting in my own head, or that I will kill an idea full of potential with bad writing. But to be honest, I'm only writing this book for myself anyway, so I figure I can't lose! If you are interested in seeing the full book one day, here's the time line based on my progress so far.... A completed the story outline in 2020, followed by a first draft in 2025, and the nicely formatted e-book release in 2030. Hmmm. By that time, I may be in a hospital bed on life support, all alone in the world, wishing that... Nah, just kidding. Personally, I prefer the living option with lots of pain medications. I don't want to be the one to decide when it's time for me to go! ;-)

10-01-2009, 04:22 PM	#260
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	That does sound like a good plot, Bob.

10-02-2009, 07:31 AM	#264
MaMiller Author Posts: 179 Karma: 300002 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: North Carolina Device: none	Thank you Nomesque. I didn't see the formatting issue, but then again all the type blurs before my eyes after 11pm. I'll look at it again this morning. Yeah, 'Frigid' and 'Romantic'...perhaps I should title it, "Romance, not for the feint of heart."

10-07-2009, 11:43 AM	#269
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Based on comments following my 15 minutes of fame, I'm actively considering my first non-fiction novel: A retrospective on e-books, and why they have developed so slowly over the past 20 years. I realized I have a lot of material from previous essays that I can use (with some rewriting), as well as organizing other points I have so far not written about, and showing how they all interconnect. I started considering this seriously when I realized how many elements have been directly involved with e-book development... most of them adversely... over that time. (I have identified 25 distinct elements/movements so far, and I'm not sure that's all of them yet.) Think of it sort of as a James Burke Connections approach to the subject. Thoughts?

10-07-2009, 01:19 PM	#270
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I'd read it, but I suspect that I'd read your grocery list... Jokling aside, that would be an intersting essay. I wonder how much audience there is for it.