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Post by Fleck on Aug 4, 2012 22:30:57 GMT -8
Prologue = Posted Chapter 1 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 2 = 1st draft finished Chapter 3 = 1st draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = Not started
Guess what? Writing is still hard.
Anyway, I think now I'm ready to settle into the rhythm that will define how I work on the story from now on. I aim to stay 4-5 first drafts ahead of the second drafts, 2-3 second drafts ahead of the third drafts, and 1-2 drafts ahead of the final draft. So that means I'm going to be doing a lot of bouncing back and forth between writing and editing, which is fine by me. I actually enjoy it. It also means that eventually the first drafts are going to get way ahead of the subsequent drafts, and that too is okay. I'm finding that the further ahead I scout, the better I am able to conceptualize and edit the previous chapters.
Anyway, blah blah blah herp de derp. Still aiming to get that first chapter up sometime either this month or next month. Can't say for sure just yet.
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Post by Fleck on Aug 6, 2012 21:09:19 GMT -8
Prologue = Posted Chapter 1 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 2 = 1st draft finished Chapter 3 = 1st draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = 1st draft finished Chapter 7 = Not started
Okay, Chapter 6 is drafted, and once again I'm glad to be scouting ahead. I have, in the course of writing this chapter, decided that it should be Chapter 7, and what WAS chapter 7 is now going to be chapter 6. I don't know why I originally placed these two chapters in the order I put them in, but they make better sense swapped around. So the first draft of Chapter 6 which is now Chapter 7 is done.
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Post by Fleck on Aug 8, 2012 23:08:02 GMT -8
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH
I'M SO BAD AT WRITING ARGH!
EVERYTHING I WRITE IS CRAP!
jgesirfgjkisdnfgvjksnfjgvndsfkjbnakdslfjbnvksaljfgkljasfnvkjlasndfvkansfdgkanwreoivhetiuvyhasdrfionvlkjrnaioruvfbaeihrbvakljwrenfioauewbvfjhsdbzvjasdn,mzneiuawbsrgvlkajsbdfvlkjasnrvdelkjanservlkjnrklvjabsroihvbareslkjnvfawklrjbvalskrvpiauwervlaksrbvfaiureviakrskalszndmv,divubeblhvaslr,mvfawklrevasrvbalkerbswvlkajsrenvklajsernlvdbzseirvdbaiorensvlkjzsnlksdfbvioauswevlkjzsnbdviuasrelkvjnzserlkvfdbaioseuvblkawjbfvdalksjrebfvlkjsberfkbszre
...Editing for Chapter 2 is not going well. Stay tuned after the emotional breakdown for more FB news.
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Post by countlieberkuhn on Aug 9, 2012 0:15:12 GMT -8
D: Keep at it Fleck, you've pretty much got the other chapters sorted!
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Post by Fleck on Aug 9, 2012 1:02:56 GMT -8
BUT THEY'RE JUST FIRST DRAFTS! THEY'RE GONNA SUCK TO EDIT I'M SURE AHDBAJHBDHSBFJHSBFJNBSKJFNBKJDFBJKSNFDJKNDKJF
*continues nervous breakdown*
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Post by Fleck on Aug 9, 2012 14:52:40 GMT -8
Okay *pant pant* I think I have a feeling that I might know maybe what is possibly going wrong. So... I've come to two conclusions.
Conclusion A: One of the reasons Chapter 2 is being such a bitch is because the intro scene is emotionally dishonest, regarding one of my characters. I'm trying to force a character into a situation that they probably aren't suited for. This makes everything awkward, and my prose is having enough troubles without having to contend with shoddy scriptwriting. So I need to rethink this scene a little bit, and possibly the entire plot thread that stems from it. Nothing too major, but I do need to step back a little bit and rethink my approach.
Conclusion B: While I'm doing this, it'd probably be a good idea for me to just crank out the rest of Chapter 1. Not only does this ensure that I am making definite progress, but it should also help keep the Self Doubt Demons from devouring my soul. Finishing Chapter 1 to my satisfaction could go a long way to getting me some momentum to carry me for awhile. Unless of course the editing for Chapter 1 goes to hell, in which case expect more incoherent ranting/crying on this thread.
Stay tuned.
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Post by Fleck on Aug 9, 2012 21:54:20 GMT -8
Like I said, instead of beating my head against Chapter 2, I decided to go back and finish Chapter 1. And now I'm just about done with Chapter 1! Through editing the first chapter, I've been able to come up with new ideas for how to approach the problems in Chapter 2, while also making Chapter 1 pretty good, if I do say so myself. It's not perfect, but it does what I want it to. I'm going to give it one more editorial pass and then POST IT BIATCHES! So sometime this weekend you guys are going to get the first chapter of FB all up in your faces. Prepare your faces! Brace them for impact! I DON'T HAVE TO COMMIT SEPPUKU! WOOOO!
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Post by Fleck on Aug 11, 2012 23:12:04 GMT -8
SO! Chapter 1 is FINISHED AND UPLOADED! I'd like to say that it's perfect and that I am an amazing writer of impossible wit and talent, but that'd just make me a liar. It's good, and I probably feel better about it than anything else I've written, I just wish it was EVEN BETTER. I could probably spend the rest of my life nit-picking, but like I had to do when I made the outline, I decided that enough was enough and put up what I had. Some things I want to say before you go running off to read it. One, don't be nice to me. At all. Treat this as if this is some random fanfic you found on the web. If you can, pretend you have no idea who I am and judge me as you would judge a stranger. You are free to make any judgments you feel are necessary, even judgments you know that I won't be able to change (at least not without overhauling the entire story). I can take it. But I'm also pretty confident with a lot of my choices, so don't think I'm going to roll over and accept whatever you guys say as gospel truth. If I disagree with you, I'll disagree with you. You'll have to convince me that I'm wrong. Minor corrections are worth pointing out, and I'll fix any that you see. But also, as the story develops, point out any continuity errors or other major errors you notice. If you find an honest mistake, I will most likely tear all my hair out and spend the rest of my days living in a monastery in Tibet, but I'd rather know about them now while I'm still in the process of writing than after I'm done with the whole story. I might be able to fix some major errors if they're pointed out quickly enough. I've been impressing myself with my ability to tie up plot holes without rewriting the whole story. Also, I really wish that I was able to make a faster, leaner lead-in for this story, but FF8 is so damn convinced that it has a happy ending that I must spend several chapters getting things back up to speed. The first several chapters are not horrendously exciting, so if you were expecting Liberi Fatali and gunblade duels on page 1, you're going to be disappointed. Hopefully it's obvious, but text in (parentheses) are direct thoughts, like they had in the game. I didn't really want to have direct thoughts in this story, since, writing-wise, I've grown out of them, but it wouldn't feel right having an FF8 story without them. And... I think that's all I have to say. I really hope you guys enjoy this. This is my first sincere attempt at writing in quite a long time, and the first time where I've attempted writing a major story while being aware of writing conventions and what I wanted from my writing (instead of just throwing words at paper, like I've done for years now). Bob's gone internet dark and Wyvern is kind of in-and-out (like hamburgers), so it looks like you get first crack at it, Count! English me up, baby! Updated timeline: Chapter 1 = Posted Chapter 2 = 1st draft finished Chapter 3 = 1st draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = 1st draft finished Chapter 7 = Not started
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Post by countlieberkuhn on Aug 13, 2012 2:25:57 GMT -8
Alright, read it now!
No errors spotted, you'll be glad to know! And certainly no plotholes, because it's not gotten off the ground yet - no indication of the plot has been given away so there ain't a possibility of holes!
It sets the tone nicely though, a bit solemn and generally suited to the situation defined. It fits Cid's character to hang onto SeeD as an organisation for philanthropic purposes, acting more as some kind of super orphanage with top-class education, rather than disband it since it is currently without purpose. I'm intrigued to see what his announcement will be, presumably in the next chapter. Keep writing!
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Post by Bob on Aug 13, 2012 11:37:04 GMT -8
ARG! BOB WANT READ! But I'm posting this from work during my lunch and I only have like, ten minutes. CONTINUE TO HATE AT&T!
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Post by Fleck on Aug 16, 2012 0:46:30 GMT -8
Chapter 1 = Posted Chapter 2 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 3 = 1st draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = Not started Chapter 7 = 1st draft finished
After some major hiccups and more than a little bit of emotional turmoil, the second draft of the second chapter is now a reality. The changes I made were simultaneously major and not major. Because the new direction I am choosing to go with this particular plotline will affect things all the way to the end of the story, it's a major change. On the other hand, it's mostly a thematic change and doesn't seriously affect the story, so it's not a major change. The story runs better without it, the characters make more sense now, and I have more room to elaborate on a much more critical plot point, so all is well. Because of the major overhauls, this chapter will almost certainly take longer to bring to life than chapter 1 did (and also the fact that it's almost twice as long as chapter 1). In the meantime, I'm going to start making some forward progress again, and I'll bang out the first draft of chapter 6 which used to be chapter 7.
Stay tuned.
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Post by Fleck on Aug 16, 2012 22:28:35 GMT -8
Should I even bother making updates when I'm having Self-Hate Rage Parties anymore, or should I just have one blanket post stating "No matter else is happening, I am probably having a Self-Hate Rage Party right now" and save us all some time?
Anyway, Self-Hate Rage Party is currently in full swing. None of you are invited. Sorry to be constantly emo around here, but I have to say something or I'll end up stabbing myself with scissors.
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Post by countlieberkuhn on Aug 17, 2012 4:37:28 GMT -8
I've dealt with things far more emo than writing issues, I can assure you. Carry on the self-hate party, maybe Pinkamena will swing by!
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Post by Fleck on Aug 19, 2012 23:15:38 GMT -8
Chapter 1 = Posted Chapter 2 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 3 = 1st draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = 1st draft finished Chapter 7 = 1st draft finished
After some kicking and screaming, the first draft of Chapter 6 That Used to be Chapter 7 is now finished. I'm starting to realize some of the hiccups that are causing me problems. My outline is pretty loose and flexible, which gives me a lot of options as to how I can approach a scene. But if I approach it from the wrong direction, then everything goes to hell and I go Emosaurus. I need to spend more time thinking about how to approach each chapter, to avoid spending time writing uselessly. However, I think as I get deeper into the story, this will be less and less of an issue. Right now I'm still doing a lot of catching up and scene-setting, even 6-7 chapters into the story. This leaves me with even more options and more ways to mess up a chapter. But things will start to thin out as I move along. At least I hope so.
We're still a ways away from me posting Chapter 2. I want to settle into the writing rhythm I said I would have when I started this. But I posted Chapter 1 way early, which means there's going to be a longer-than-expected gap between the posting of Chapters 1 and 2. But once Chapter 2 is up, things will be much closer together. Did I already talk about this? Whatever.
Anyway, my plan is to now edit Chapter 3, then write the first draft of Chapter 8, then edit Chapter 4, then edit Chapter 2 again. When I hit the third draft of Chapter 2, I'll be able to give you guys a pretty accurate guess as to when I'll have it up. If the third draft needs a lot of work, then I'll wait on the fourth draft for a bit. If the third draft is pretty smexy, then I'll probably go right into the fourth draft and then post. I'll know more when I get there.
Sorry about the long waits, but this is actually the fastest method for churning out the chapters while still maintaining quality. I still have confidence that this is a badass story, it just needs a lot of work.
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Post by Fleck on Aug 24, 2012 23:15:23 GMT -8
Chapter 1 = Posted Chapter 2 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 3 = 2nd draft finished Chapter 4 = 1st draft finished Chapter 5 = 1st draft finished Chapter 6 = 1st draft finished Chapter 7 = 1st draft finished
Whew, Chapter 3 put up a bit of a fight, but things are definitely getting clearer for me. There's a system that I have to follow to make the chapters work, and if I get lazy and try to just hammer something out and call it a day, then things fall apart.
Chapter 3 is probably too self-indulgent and talky/explainy, but I think I can afford a bit of self-indulgence. I have to remember that this is a damn huge story, and if I rush through the foreplay, then the climax will be disappointing (sex metaphors FTW). Having a longer buildup will make the beginning slower, yes, but it will make the rest of the story have more impact in the long run. Also, I'm really starting to enjoy some of the side characters. Since a lot of them are almost blank-slates, I can make them into whatever I need them to be for the story, which is a freedom the core 6 cast doesn't afford me.
Anyway, next is the first draft of Chapter 8, then the second draft of Chapter 4, then the third draft of Chapter 2. Getting ever closer to when Chapter 2 is going to be put up. Thanks for your patience, guys, and sorry about the wait.
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