Only had twenty minutes today, but managed to have a think over some possible ideas for the concluding scenes of Easy River to Success. Trying to work out how to complete the story using the new character of Arax, which I’m happy with now, and make it a neat ending. Still haven’t found quite the right ending, but have a few new ideas now for my subconscious to think about! As Damon Knight would say, I’m going to let Fred have a think about them for a while.
Daily Summary: 3rd December, a bit more Easy River planning
No point for a daily plan today as I just got on and did half an hours writing this evening when I had time. To be honest it was the last thing I really wanted to do. Not feeling particularly fresh and I find it’s always harder to motivate yourself at the end of the day. Interestingly by knowing that I could only do a blog entry if I had something to record on the writing front, was a motivating factor. I guess the fact that I could put down a marker and say “I’ve acheived something today” helps.
I continued the planning of the last two scenes of Easy River to Success, which, as I thought, are now probably going to be three scenes. The plot of these scenes is still a bit tentative, but I think I have some interesting ideas of how Arax can mess up Benetus quite comprehensively and still have the amusing and bitter reveal at the end. Should be quite fun I think. It was definitely worth spending a bit more time on the characterisation of the demon character. Before it wasn’t really a character, just a stereotype, and the only character left in the story was really Benetus. I think this may have been the problem with it.
So more planning of the last scenes tomorrow I think. I will hope to get them a bit tighter.
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Daily Summary: 2nd December 2008. Too Tired to Write!
I managed a good morning session this morning where I pretty much finished off most of the characterization for Arax. I found that in order to work out how Arax would behave I had to work through his encounter with Benetus. This helped a lot as I now have most of the plan for that scene done as well. I’m probably 2/3 of the way through the scene.
A long hard day at work has left me too fatigued to really do anything tonight. Tomorrow I may actually not be able to do anything. I have a breakfast meeting starting between 7.30 and 8am, and then will probably be darting around at lunchtime, and come the evening I should really be doing a bit of exercise. I’ll have to try to make up for it on Thursday!
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Easy River to Success – Title Change?
I’m thinking that I might need to change the title of this short story? Well I don’t absolutely need to, but it might be a good idea. Firstly because I’m changing about half the story so a more suitable title might come out of that, and secondly the title, although quite appropriate, is slightly odd?
On the other hand is there much point worrying about it too much? At least the title stands out. I imagine that most editors will be more concerned about the content of the story than the title.
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Today’s Plan: 2nd December 2008
I probably won’t be getting much done over the next few days as I have a fairly busy work schedule. Today I am at for lunch and then, tomorrow, I have a very early start. I suspect I’ll be lucky to scrape one brief session per day. Ironically it will probably be easier to update this blog than write! Why? Because I feel I need at least 40 minutes ahead of no distractions ahead of me to write properly, whereas a blog can be continued with five or ten minutes here and there.
Today’s plan, if I have time, is to continue with the character work on Arax for Easy River to Success, and then to have a go at rewriting Arax’s scene and the last scene of the story. First though I’ll need to work out some plot elements, such as what does Arax tell Benetus and why, and how does this affect Benetus’s actions in the last scene.
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Daily Summary: 1st December 2008
Well I made some progress today I think. As mentioned previously I think I have worked out some of the problems with “The Easy River to Success”. One of these issues I have had the chance to work on tonight: the character of the demon Arax and I have got quite far. I have his basic background and motivations worked out, I just need to see how this is manifested in his outward personality and behaviour towards Benetus.
This is why Arax is to be avoided:
Arax knows that he is not worshipped, he can gaze into the murky water of the swamp and he never sees a temple or sacrifice in his name. He has never heard a heart-felt prayer come to him with the icy wind that blows through the marsh reeds. No sweet incense wafts up from a quagmire and never on a pale green lilly pad does he find offered nicely cooked fish or prawns, with a touch of spicy sauce.
But, on occasion he does assist those who are truly desperate, wizards such as he, hopeful for power and made bitter and desperate by the circumstances. And for these foolish souls he will pay his own coin to the ferryman, luring him off with entreaties to a pleasant fishing pond or charming stream off the main river, and so the boat on the river will drift slowly on with the wizard still asleep, until it bumps against the channels of the shallow water flowing through his marsh, and there the wizard will awake.
Never trust Arax. His promises are mighty and his powers of wizardry are still greater, but he is never happier than when he sees other ambitious hopefuls lured into bitter defeat. Not a crushing disaster, but a more depressing, frustrating twist that fulfils their stated wants but is contrary to their true desires.
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Update: 1st December 2008
Just an update of progress on what I have done today apart from writing this blog!!
This morning and lunchtime I had a good look through Stephen’s feedback for my story Easy River to Success. I think I see what he means, the scene with the demon is a bit cheesy and stereotypical and then leads to a final scene that in some ways doesn’t make much sense, for instance my main character changes from a clever politician to a cat burglar suddenly. I also allude to things too much, the sin of trying to be too clever by half!
So I read through the whole story again and made a number of notes on how to change things. Basically the last two scenes need a complete rewrite, although I might keep some of the bits of good description, and the character of the demon needs development work. I think the story will come out a lot stronger. I’ve even come up with an improved metaphor for the spirit-river. Each spirit has a portion of the river and the nature of the river reflects their power and personality, thus Arax’s portion is a large foetid morass!
I doubt there will be any progress on War Veteran today.
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Todays Plan: 1st December 2008
Great a Monday! I’m up early to do some writing. In the shower I remembered that I actually have a short story that is not working a market – i.e. I have had a rejection for it, but I haven’t sent it out anywhere yet. I had some very good and detailed feedback on it from Stephen Theaker at Dark Horizons, so I really should act on the feedback, see if I can make some edits and send it out. That will by my first priority today.
I also need to work on the development of the characters for my “War Veteran” story (this is the working title at the moment). I now have the historical background traced out enough for me to get into the meat of the story. I am sure I’ll need to go back and work out some elements further, but I have enough to be going on for now. First up I think I need to give names to all the main characters. I find that if I don’t do this I will end up writing some notes on the main character and have to refer to other characters he interacts with as person X, or The Wife, which although this is perfectly helpful, does dispel the aura of the story somewhat. As the writer, even I need to suspend disbelief, so filling in some of these details early really helps.
I have also synchronised files across my home PC and laptop.
I’m hoping to do a bit more now before work and then continue at lunchtime and then maybe this evening. Time is always a problem!
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The Purpose of this Blog
I want to keep a record of what writing I’m doing each day and also plan out what I need to do next, so this blog will act as a journal of this activity. This will also allow me to comment on how I feel my work is going.
Often I’m not actually going to be writing each day. Even with short stories there’s a fair amount of preparation required, such as the background setting and working on the characters, as well as planning the structure of the narrative and editing. So, a daily blog, I think might help keep up the writing skills on a daily basis. In a book by Michael Legat, which I was skimming through recently, the author recommended keeping a daily dairy as a way of getting into the habit of writing. This is what I intend to use this blog for.
Primarily the blog is intended as a blog, a log of activity, not as a way of getting an opinion across to a larger audience or for generating income through referrals or advertising connected to reviews. At some stage I may link the blog to my personal website. But first I need to sort out the content of that website. I have a domain name ready to go, but nothing else!
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Frederick II Chronology added to Stupor Mundi website
I have just added a chronology for the life of Frederick II. This lists the key events of his life, with some more detail in places.