Writing Update – Wednesday

I finally bit the bullet and started the rewrite, getting Chapter 1 written.  Surprisingly, the page count is about the same as the first draft, and if I had included the prologue, it probably would have been the same.

It may not be all that much, but it is a start.

Unfortunately, I had to forgo working on the blog story for the night since it is so late, or rather, so early.  Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to work on it a bit tomorrow.

Writing Update – Tuesday

Well, best laid plans of mice and men…

I have not started on the rewrite yet, but the ideas for it are still spinning in my head.  Hopefully I can at least get a chapter or two down tomorrow.

I am formulating more ideas for November, to the point that I even have a title (which is unusual since usually I wait on the title until after I start writing… except for 2009′s NaNoWriMo, which is still untitled): Attack of the Spring Break Zombies.  Given that this idea is probably going to pull a lot from pop culture, it is most likely just a fun story for me to write.

Progress on the blog story has actually begun.  I will post RSS feed information on this blog once I get a couple of posts on it (well, at least two posts).

Writing Update

After taking a week or so to step back from the rewrite (mostly goofing off, partially added work loads), I think I’m about ready to actually begin the rewrite.  I think I am definitely going to go with the initial ambush I mentioned before since it will give some scope as to how powerful the main villain is.  I’ve also have added limitations in mind for a few of the characters (one character will be unfamiliar with his powers, another character who happens to be a power duplicator can only “store” five powers, and one of them keeps being a problem).

I’ve also begun formulating a side project which would be a blog style piece of fiction, though I am a bit unthrilled by the leading concept.  Hopefully it will gel better.

And, as always, I have begun collecting ideas for November’s National Novel Writing Month.  Hopefully whichever one I pick will be able to last for the 50,000 words that NaNoWriMo set as the minimum.

Rewrite Notes

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I considered rewriting my first chapter to change the initial action from a happenstance into a full-scale ambush.  Thinking it over more and more, it makes more sense that it would be an ambush given the nature of the victim (a really powerful hero).  The only issue I can see is how to leave future chapters relatively intact while still using the characters in the ambush.  The way I see it, the ambush would have to be one of those attackers in silhouette deals, with only a fleeting hint of the abilities each of the attackers possess.  The chapter should act as a teaser for the characters future appearances while still giving the idea of the vast network that the principle villain has at his beck and call.

Rewrite Ponderment

I was just thinking that instead of a lucky hit in the first chapter, maybe it should be an ambush of by characters that I have introduced later in the book, which would bring in the characters earlier and make it more feasible that a random mugger could kill a super hero with a shovel.

Worst Part of Beginning the Rewrite Process

The worst part of the editing and rewriting process I’ve experienced is the elimination of one character.  This one character was a bit of a pain in the neck to deal with the first time, mostly because he was not really just one character, but six.  The character in question could change into one of five different super hero personas, each one with their own personality.  Adding in his own “secret identity” personality, that basically made six different characters I needed to keep track of.  It made me appreciate how difficult it must have been to write Doom Patrol’s Crazy Jane, who had multiple personalities with each one having different powers.

Thus, now that this one character who is really six characters has been eliminated, I need to fill at least some of the spots he filled.  I now have to add in at least two new characters to the mix.

This one nice thing about it is that it eliminates a flying super hero, bringing that number down to two.  It also adds in a little something extra to one of the two flyers which shows how valuable the power is to characters in my story.

Editing and Writing Update

I managed to do a bit more editing tonight.  Mostly it consisted of adding in notes about a chapter I’m looking to add to what I wrote.  I think I might even be able to get started on the rewriting this weekend.  That is, as long as the temperature is something better than 100 degrees.

I haven’t started on the fiction blog yet.  I had thought I had it down to two scenarios (typical zombie apocalypse or giant monster attack), but another idea crept into my mind while I was writing this… okay, now two ideas… okay, three ideas.  Damn you, hyper imagination!

Maybe I’ll be able to get a start on that idea, too, unless I think it would be better for November.  We’ll see how it goes.

Maybe This Weekend

I’ve determined that it is just to damn hot to do any editing. Don’t get me wrong, I have thought about it, but I just haven’t really had the urge to actually commit to any of the changes I’ve been considering because it’s just too hot… and I’m hungry (damn you diet). Anyhow, the temps are supposed to drop this weekend, so maybe I’ll get something done then.

Another Night of Editing Up In Smoke

Tonight, I had planned on doing some more editing on one of my National Novel Writing Month projects, mostly because it really needs it.  The only problem is that I pretty much spent much of the night setting up WordPress for blogging, and by most of the night, I mean a couple of hours.  I’ll just have to work on it a bit more tomorrow.

Now if I can only keep the ideas for this November at bay while I work on the old stuff.