It's been a while, but things have been a bit slow. Just stopping by for a quick update on what's been going on.
Spent the last six months working in a chain book store. Very educational, but the rotating schedules really messed up my system and my writing times. Plus, I think I've had my fill of shopping centers for life.
The first draft of OADE is about half way through and I got a good start on CDL, although I still need to work some things out in the outline.
Am writing a TV pilot for Scriptapalooza TV. Yeah, I know, it totally violates Yog's Law, but I'm still entering it. It's called Black Box.
Am also writing another TV script, mostly for fun. Figured out that I need a toy project to stay productive; something I'm really not looking to publish (or produce, or whatever), something that's just for me and maybe, eventually to show a few like-minded friends.
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta o anel das estrelas. Mostrar todas as mensagens
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta o anel das estrelas. Mostrar todas as mensagens
segunda-feira, 5 de outubro de 2009
segunda-feira, 9 de março de 2009
Update
All right then, maybe a week was too optimistic. :D
I've interrupted the writing ofO Anel das Estrelas. I was stuck (probably out of boredom - one of the risks of spending way too much time on your first draft) and, anyway, people were asking me about the sequel to Sangue de Dragão; so at the moment I'm completeing the preparation for Coração de Lobo and I plan to start writing it still this week.
Speaking of Sangue de Dragão, this Saturday, the 14, at 16:00, there'll be a book signing at the Livrododia bookstore in Torres Vedras. I'm a little panicky about it.
The book is already available at FNAC and Bertrand (both the stores and online) and at Wook.
I've interrupted the writing ofO Anel das Estrelas. I was stuck (probably out of boredom - one of the risks of spending way too much time on your first draft) and, anyway, people were asking me about the sequel to Sangue de Dragão; so at the moment I'm completeing the preparation for Coração de Lobo and I plan to start writing it still this week.
Speaking of Sangue de Dragão, this Saturday, the 14, at 16:00, there'll be a book signing at the Livrododia bookstore in Torres Vedras. I'm a little panicky about it.
The book is already available at FNAC and Bertrand (both the stores and online) and at Wook.
domingo, 8 de fevereiro de 2009
Update
This blog has been inactive for a while, but, from now on, I should be able to update it at least once a week.
Sangue de Dragão is going to be published by Ulisseia, as some of you might already know. The official release date is February 26th, but the book is going to be available is some of the Sonae group stores before that.
Meanwhile, I've been slowly writing the first draft of O Anel das Estrelas and outlining Coração de Lobo, the continuation to SDD.
Sangue de Dragão is going to be published by Ulisseia, as some of you might already know. The official release date is February 26th, but the book is going to be available is some of the Sonae group stores before that.
Meanwhile, I've been slowly writing the first draft of O Anel das Estrelas and outlining Coração de Lobo, the continuation to SDD.
sábado, 15 de março de 2008
Frustration
Writing can be immensely frustrating at times.
Dragon's Blood will need a far deeper revision than I had anticipated. It will make it a better book, but it's a bit frightening. I had a finished book, now I don't anymore. So I've been procrastinating a bit. Or a lot.
I guess part of my frustration also comes form the fact that I've been establishing my working routine. It's a trial and error process and it sometimes feels infinitely long. I have learnt a lot about the way I write, about what I need to be at my most productive, but sometimes I just feel like screaming, throw whatever I'm working on out the window and give the whole darned thing up.
One of the things I've had a hard time accepting is that I can't work on more than one project at a time. I wish I could do what some people do and work on three projects on different stages: doing research and outlining one; writing the first draft of another; editing a third, all at the same time. Sounds very productive, but not for me.
So, it's Dragon's Blood and Dragon's Blood alone from now on and until it's finished. The ideas for the changes it needs have been coming steadily, I also had some ideas for the sequels in the mean time, so I'm rolling with it. Afterwards I'll get working on finishing The Starlight Ring's first draft. I thought I could do both at once, but I wasn't doing either, so better this way.
And my muse doesn't help, always dropping great ideas in my brain at the worst possible times. Just added a new one today to the Future Projects folder.
Dragon's Blood will need a far deeper revision than I had anticipated. It will make it a better book, but it's a bit frightening. I had a finished book, now I don't anymore. So I've been procrastinating a bit. Or a lot.
I guess part of my frustration also comes form the fact that I've been establishing my working routine. It's a trial and error process and it sometimes feels infinitely long. I have learnt a lot about the way I write, about what I need to be at my most productive, but sometimes I just feel like screaming, throw whatever I'm working on out the window and give the whole darned thing up.
One of the things I've had a hard time accepting is that I can't work on more than one project at a time. I wish I could do what some people do and work on three projects on different stages: doing research and outlining one; writing the first draft of another; editing a third, all at the same time. Sounds very productive, but not for me.
So, it's Dragon's Blood and Dragon's Blood alone from now on and until it's finished. The ideas for the changes it needs have been coming steadily, I also had some ideas for the sequels in the mean time, so I'm rolling with it. Afterwards I'll get working on finishing The Starlight Ring's first draft. I thought I could do both at once, but I wasn't doing either, so better this way.
And my muse doesn't help, always dropping great ideas in my brain at the worst possible times. Just added a new one today to the Future Projects folder.
domingo, 17 de fevereiro de 2008
Planning and Outlining
I'm not an organic writer. I cannot just sit down and start writing and pull off a novel that way. I've tried a couple of times, generally for NaNoWriMo. It just doesn't work. The text gets to 5000 to 10000 words and then I just don't know where to go. I need structure to make my writing function; I need an outline, and I need a timetable, otherwise, the writing process just drags on and on and I end up losing interest.
I try not to overplot. Generally, my outlines are more like a telling of the story in the Present, a kind of draft zero. I tend to use the phase outline I picked up on Lazette Gifford's book Nano For The New And The Insane, slightly modified according to the project.
And mostly it works well; it gives me the guide line I need, without stiffling my creativity too. Also, the phase method allows me to plan my work better. If I want to finish a first draft by a certain date, I just calculate the number of phases I need to do a day.
The outlines have another advantage: for me, it's much easier to rearrange events and spot missing scenes while still in outline form than once you have the whole book written.
Sometimes, though, I'll be so excited about a project that I'll start writing it before the outline is completely finished. That's what I did with Mountains to Climb. I had an outline, of sorts. The story started by being a script; when I decided that I wanted to turn it into a novel, I needed to expand the original outline, but I thought I could start working on the first draft right away. It was a big mistake.
The writing has become increasingly difficult. I've been chalking it up to insecurity: if it's not finished, no one can tell you it stinks. Yesterday, though, I was forced to confront the fact that the problem might be another altogether.
I was trying to do a synopsys to put in the site. I did do one, but it's weak, inadequate and unappealing. And the thing that has been nibbling at the back of my brain just stepped up to the front: there are problems with the outline, there are some great bits of story there, but the whole doesn't feel like a whole, and there are some points that are simply bullshit. And if I, the writer, think they're bullshit, how are the readers going to react?
I had planned to finish the first draft of MTC a little before the end of March and then start working on The Starlight Ring, so that I had the first draft of that one finished sometime around the end of April, beginning of May. Clearly that is no longer an option, so I had to reevaluate my plans.
The conclusion I came to was that I should leave MTC alone and start working on TSR immediately. By my calculations, I should have it finished sometime in mid March. By that time, I should've gained some distance from MTC and be able to make a better assessment of what is wrongt and what I can do to fix it.
I try not to overplot. Generally, my outlines are more like a telling of the story in the Present, a kind of draft zero. I tend to use the phase outline I picked up on Lazette Gifford's book Nano For The New And The Insane, slightly modified according to the project.
And mostly it works well; it gives me the guide line I need, without stiffling my creativity too. Also, the phase method allows me to plan my work better. If I want to finish a first draft by a certain date, I just calculate the number of phases I need to do a day.
The outlines have another advantage: for me, it's much easier to rearrange events and spot missing scenes while still in outline form than once you have the whole book written.
Sometimes, though, I'll be so excited about a project that I'll start writing it before the outline is completely finished. That's what I did with Mountains to Climb. I had an outline, of sorts. The story started by being a script; when I decided that I wanted to turn it into a novel, I needed to expand the original outline, but I thought I could start working on the first draft right away. It was a big mistake.
The writing has become increasingly difficult. I've been chalking it up to insecurity: if it's not finished, no one can tell you it stinks. Yesterday, though, I was forced to confront the fact that the problem might be another altogether.
I was trying to do a synopsys to put in the site. I did do one, but it's weak, inadequate and unappealing. And the thing that has been nibbling at the back of my brain just stepped up to the front: there are problems with the outline, there are some great bits of story there, but the whole doesn't feel like a whole, and there are some points that are simply bullshit. And if I, the writer, think they're bullshit, how are the readers going to react?
I had planned to finish the first draft of MTC a little before the end of March and then start working on The Starlight Ring, so that I had the first draft of that one finished sometime around the end of April, beginning of May. Clearly that is no longer an option, so I had to reevaluate my plans.
The conclusion I came to was that I should leave MTC alone and start working on TSR immediately. By my calculations, I should have it finished sometime in mid March. By that time, I should've gained some distance from MTC and be able to make a better assessment of what is wrongt and what I can do to fix it.
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