I'm not writing as often as I should, since the Writing Excuses dudes repeatedly tell me that I need to be doing it every day. I agree. But I am still writing. I've started re-writing the book yet again. I know it seems like I have that perpetual re-write disease, but I don't think I do. I have made the following fundamental changes to the format that have required me to rewrite:
In the original version, I was writing it in epic fantasy style with multiple viewpoints (3), though I realized that this is really the story of just one person, and therefore a heroic fantasy. I still needed other viewpoints, though, because things happen outside of the view of the character that are important for motivating the story. I thought I would be clever with some dissemination of information, and then at the breaks between acts I would insert interludes to show viewpoints of others, which would then free me up to show some viewpoints from people you might not expect. That was working well, but since the guy is a chronicler...I don't know. It didn't feel right. My current arrangement feels right.
Now I'm writing it in first person, as his chronicle. I still need some other viewpoints, but I thought I would make the novel a collection of written artifacts. It makes it more challenging, but potentially more interesting. I'm wary, because I know there are a lot of people who will bail right out of a story that is told in first person perspective, and I worry over my ability to make the various artifacts interesting in their own right. I think I should do some research. I know a girl I could talk to about this, but she's all freshly in love so I don't know if I'll be able to reach her. Oh well, I'm sure I could get on OK Cupid and wrangle a history Ph.D. student and get the information I needed about primary sources (and some new ideas). But I think I'm onto something that could be good here. We shall see, I guess.
But I'm on with the first draft in a form it'll end up being...finally! :)
In the original version, I was writing it in epic fantasy style with multiple viewpoints (3), though I realized that this is really the story of just one person, and therefore a heroic fantasy. I still needed other viewpoints, though, because things happen outside of the view of the character that are important for motivating the story. I thought I would be clever with some dissemination of information, and then at the breaks between acts I would insert interludes to show viewpoints of others, which would then free me up to show some viewpoints from people you might not expect. That was working well, but since the guy is a chronicler...I don't know. It didn't feel right. My current arrangement feels right.
Now I'm writing it in first person, as his chronicle. I still need some other viewpoints, but I thought I would make the novel a collection of written artifacts. It makes it more challenging, but potentially more interesting. I'm wary, because I know there are a lot of people who will bail right out of a story that is told in first person perspective, and I worry over my ability to make the various artifacts interesting in their own right. I think I should do some research. I know a girl I could talk to about this, but she's all freshly in love so I don't know if I'll be able to reach her. Oh well, I'm sure I could get on OK Cupid and wrangle a history Ph.D. student and get the information I needed about primary sources (and some new ideas). But I think I'm onto something that could be good here. We shall see, I guess.
But I'm on with the first draft in a form it'll end up being...finally! :)
