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What has been, and is to come . . .
Warning: long rambly personal writer-ly ponderations under the cut.
At this point, I’ve been writing for almost exactly three years, since I suddenly discovered the Writing Fairy, who I thought had entirely skipped my cradle, had actually left her gift in time-release capsule form. In three years, I’ve completed three novels, two novellas, a short story and a basket of short pieces: drabbles, vignettes, smutlets. It’s close to a quarter of a million words all told (based on reliable word counters, not the ff.net rubbish).
I look at that word count and part of me says ‘zomg wow’ and part of me, the part that knows more about the world, says ‘pretty good start’. 100,000 words is the standard length for a published novel in most markets, although anything of 50,000 words or more meets the official definition.
And at the moment, for the first time since May of 2009, I’m between projects.
I actually wrote the first notes on what eventually turned into Reverb somewhere like two years ago; it was a pure visual, my thoughts on what I’d like to see in the opening shots of a MacGyver movie. I had the camera zooming in on the mountains, the woods, the off-grid cabin, the interior shot of Mac’s living space – hockey gear, widgetry, photos of a larger family – and an older Mac at a computer. Contemporary, but still himself. Then I set it aside, because what was I supposed to do with the scene?
A year ago May, I wrote the first chapter of Reverb, and the first chapter of what became Revision. The former had to be set aside while I finished the latter, because I had to explore Mac and Sam’s relationship in its early stages before I could move almost twenty years into the future and explore where it had gotten to by then.
My writing pace has been slower through this last year and a half than it had been before; it never stopped, but I was generally finishing a chapter a month instead of a chapter every 10 days or so. I remain deeply grateful that my readers are so patient – hell, I remain deeply astonished that I have readers.
It’s been not quite a week since I finished Reverb, and I’m already badly twitchy about not having an active project. I do have nascent ideas for the next, but it will be very different:
I’m going to try to write my next project for professional submission. As in, write a novel and try to sell it.
This also causes a ‘zomg’ response in me, followed by ‘eeeep wtfbbq eeeeep’. *clutches flist*
All you folks who want to come along on the cross-country trip journal? You’ll probably end up on the crossing-to-submission-for-publication journey as well, since I’m likely to move this kind of ponderation over there so as not to clutter up teh LOLs. But it’s time.
One major bummer is that this means I don’t get to write another MacGyver novel next. Ack! And I don’t really want to be without Mac, so . . . well, I may end up writing more short pieces, just to keep him occupied and around, so to speak. I might very well write more smut. What a hardship.
One thing I had not intended was to write a freaking novel in this post, so I think I'd better shut up now. For the moment.
'Beth
October 2010
At this point, I’ve been writing for almost exactly three years, since I suddenly discovered the Writing Fairy, who I thought had entirely skipped my cradle, had actually left her gift in time-release capsule form. In three years, I’ve completed three novels, two novellas, a short story and a basket of short pieces: drabbles, vignettes, smutlets. It’s close to a quarter of a million words all told (based on reliable word counters, not the ff.net rubbish).
I look at that word count and part of me says ‘zomg wow’ and part of me, the part that knows more about the world, says ‘pretty good start’. 100,000 words is the standard length for a published novel in most markets, although anything of 50,000 words or more meets the official definition.
And at the moment, for the first time since May of 2009, I’m between projects.
I actually wrote the first notes on what eventually turned into Reverb somewhere like two years ago; it was a pure visual, my thoughts on what I’d like to see in the opening shots of a MacGyver movie. I had the camera zooming in on the mountains, the woods, the off-grid cabin, the interior shot of Mac’s living space – hockey gear, widgetry, photos of a larger family – and an older Mac at a computer. Contemporary, but still himself. Then I set it aside, because what was I supposed to do with the scene?
A year ago May, I wrote the first chapter of Reverb, and the first chapter of what became Revision. The former had to be set aside while I finished the latter, because I had to explore Mac and Sam’s relationship in its early stages before I could move almost twenty years into the future and explore where it had gotten to by then.
My writing pace has been slower through this last year and a half than it had been before; it never stopped, but I was generally finishing a chapter a month instead of a chapter every 10 days or so. I remain deeply grateful that my readers are so patient – hell, I remain deeply astonished that I have readers.
It’s been not quite a week since I finished Reverb, and I’m already badly twitchy about not having an active project. I do have nascent ideas for the next, but it will be very different:
I’m going to try to write my next project for professional submission. As in, write a novel and try to sell it.
This also causes a ‘zomg’ response in me, followed by ‘eeeep wtfbbq eeeeep’. *clutches flist*
All you folks who want to come along on the cross-country trip journal? You’ll probably end up on the crossing-to-submission-for-publication journey as well, since I’m likely to move this kind of ponderation over there so as not to clutter up teh LOLs. But it’s time.
One major bummer is that this means I don’t get to write another MacGyver novel next. Ack! And I don’t really want to be without Mac, so . . . well, I may end up writing more short pieces, just to keep him occupied and around, so to speak. I might very well write more smut. What a hardship.
One thing I had not intended was to write a freaking novel in this post, so I think I'd better shut up now. For the moment.
'Beth
October 2010
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I've still got a pony, though, and I'm plugging along.
Think maybe I can come along with you on this journey? It would most likely give me motivation to have a trail buddy. My paths would likely still be shorter, but all together they might equal your longer one.
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I calculated how many words of Due South fan fiction I'd written over approximately the last three years recently and it was moderately astonishing. It was also what I needed to scrape the rust off my fiction writing engine and get something less than completely horrifying happening with dialogue and scenes involving interactions between more than one introspective person and a wall.
I have a writing buddy who is swapping crits with me (she's working on a screenplay) and my friend who is trying to build her professional photography career and is swapping motivational ass kicking with me.
In short, I'm right there with you and I'm thrilled to know you're going down this exciting road, and I'll always be delighted to read and critique. Your writing... well. I don't want to fangirl gush, so ... ;)
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*pouts*
Motivational ass-kicking is splendid stuff. And I have to admit that one quickly runs out of exciting ways to approach a scene comprised of one introspective person and a wall.
It scares me spitless, though, to contemplate going on without Mac. Eeep. How come I can't simply write MacGyver novels for publication? Oh, right, no market.
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That's not to say you should stop writing for fandom... I like a happy balance of both.
As for going on without Mac, your original characters are one of the strengths that set you aside from other fanwriters. Go forth and make up people we want to know more about!
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I think, if you ever team up with my partner, I'm going to be in trouble. And you both cook, too.
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If you're more of a stick person, I can try to recreate MacGyver's famous tofu casserole. I have the power.
And I can only Laugh Evilly at the prospect of teaming up for great justice.
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Cookies are splendid, although gushing is even more effective (and has no calories). Thoughtful, intelligent gushing is best of all. Between you, Lothi, and my partner, I'm really quite spoiled.
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But tofu is okay in miso soup. I likes that.
just watch me use my toe fu
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I love writing fiction!!
Anyway, you are going to be okay. We'll be there pushing you along your charted course the whole time. And besides, you won't be completely without Mac will you? You still have the LOLMac's to help you through the withdrawals. You'll be just fine!
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Um, yeah, pretty much. I could puff myself up and sonorously say "Discipline", but I think I'd be lying. The discipline bit is writing every day (or nearly so). Writing on just one project at a time might be focus, or it might be how my mind has been working so far. It may have something to do with the length and scope of my typical project -- I think you can imagine what that's like. Between the research and the writing, I get pretty well immersed.
I pause occasionally for drabbles, but even those are usually related in some way to the main project -- basically character studies or vignettes.
I will now stop with the solemn answer to a not-solemn question.
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Wow.
I'd say "of course you can do it", except - based on experience - I don't believe publication necessarily corresponds to quality. (I've actually been paid for a piece that, looking back, was maybe three-quarters reasonably good fiction and one-quarter horrible sexist teenage-introspection dreck... and I'm afraid it was the dreck that sold it. It's a question of matching the market. *winces*)
Anyway - I'm not sure where I was going with that, except I know you can write an(other) awesome novel and I have no idea whether it can get published. And I would love to follow your further ponderations on the subject but have no idea what you mean by "the cross-country trip journal"? *is lost*
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Ah! That's the
http://lolmac.livejournal.com/234388.html
It's an invitation-only, friends-only journal, and will be until the physical trip is complete -- since I'm not about to put specific information of that sort out on the public web. To get an invite, respond in the comments there. (Possibly you missed the post when it went by last weekend.)
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I send you waves of support!!! *hugs you*
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Say, any idea if we got any of the fanfic panels to fly for Orycon this year? I volunteered to mod, and even suggested a new one -- "The Good, the Bad and the Putrid: How to Write Fanfiction That Doesn't Suck". *weg*
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Clearly this is one of those things that come along in life that if you don't go out and embrace the possibility, you will always wonder. Much better to go for it and live without regrets.
Mac's a pretty patient guy. He, his duct tape, and Swiss Army knife will still be here when you have the contract in hand and want some time off before starting on your second original fiction. And in the meantime, I'm sure he'll be willing to pop up and star in a ficlet or so during the times that you need to get away from the original fic for a bit to recharge your writerly batteries.
Now that "Reverb" is done, I'm gonna hafta mosey along and start reading. I used to read W.I.P.'s (and still do, occasionally, but usually only under mild protest), but I got burned too many times when authors didn't finish and our hero (or heroine) got left dangling over the abyss.
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And, as my stepson said when he didn't like my choice of bedtime story, "What did you bring that book I didn't want to be read to out of up for?" (Actually, he never said that, but never mind.)
I look forward to your reactions to Reverb! You have read the others, I think, yes?
I quite understand, now, the very common chariness re WIPs, especially since I generally end chapters with cliffhangers (or hooks, at the very least). With my first two stories, I wrote, revised and polished the entire thing before I started posting at all, largely because I really couldn't believe that the gift wasn't going to be snatched back as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving me stranded mid-story.
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Ummmmm... [embarrassed gaze at simply fascinating toes, followed by a sheepish - but hopefully endearing - grin] Actually I haven't read your other written works...yet. When I do, you'll know, because the reason I originally got a lj was not because I really had much to say (My dad's a published author, and growing up with it, I just got into the habit of writing for myself alone. He's very shy, basically, and the kind of self-promotion one has to do to do well enough to publish a second book was an agony for him. From what I saw at home, writing for publication was not going to be fun.) but because I wanted not to comment anonymously. It seemed cowardly, and I wanted to have a place where people who wanted to could find out something about me. Shortly after that I realized that the Golden Rule applied here, and I should stop mostly lurking and only commenting when I simply could no longer remain silent, and comment on the things I read, that people had posted with hope and intent to please.
That was a very long shaggy dog story to say that you'll know when I've read something, because I will always leave a comment, although with long pieces I usually leave the comment at the end where I can think about the whole thing.
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In particular, you should definitely read Phoenix Rising before you read Aftershocks, and Revision before Reverb. In each case, the precedent story is the shorter of the two.
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And, yes, of course it has nuances. You can do subtle!
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Where have I been all weekend? You probably already know how much of my support you have, and that I have absolute confidence in you ability to Do This Thing.
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Thanks, lassie. It would never have happened without you, you know. So any and all subsequent success is ALL YOUR FAULT.
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*megaglomp*
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Good luck on your novel exposition. Your writing is good enough that a publisher out there will undoubtedly purchase it. I had a teacher in college tell me I should try to get published, but it's something I never pursued. My work isn't original, or at least the characters and settings aren't. Work hard and don't let the critics get you down. You have a gift -- use it well :)
...for as you dream...
I'm proof that you never know where a road may lead (take coffee...it helps), and it can be a damn fine road; saddle up and have fun. A little smut's good for the soul, BTW.
Huge hugs!
Pat & P2