[5:47 17Jun10]
As I expected, Real Life caught up with me. I've struggled, recently, to find time to write. I'm still in the middle of chapter 3. No writer's block, or
anything like that; I just haven't had time to write.
It doesn't help that chapter 3 is turning out to be a long one. I've got so many things I've committed to putting in this chapter that are integral to
the coming chapters that it's a little daunting. Still, I'm muddling through as I find time. Thanks for your patience.
kenn ghannon
[3:54pm 24May2010]
What a difference a plan makes. I'm already through chapter 2 (except for the inevitable proof-reading and re-arranging) and still going strong. RL is going to
catch up with me a bit in a little while but I'm hoping to at least START Chapter 3 this evening.
Right now, Chapter 1 has 6,242 words (if MS Word is correct) and Chapter 2 has 8,268, so, I've written around 14,500 words in the past two days. Not too shabby
all things considered, but I feel like I should be able to write more. There will probably be some attrition as I proof-read and correct when the story is
completed, but I think I can live with the completed story coming in at around 123,250 words. :)
Onward to Chapter 3!!
kenn ghannon
[12:46pm 23May2010]
Hello again! I have some good news and some bad news.
Good news first: I've started writing again. Well, I never really stopped writing -- mostly starting a few projects as the mood hit me but never finishing them.
However, I didn't finish any of them. I think I got bogged down in the plot, never able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm trying something new this
time (more on that later) so I'm hoping this will go easier.
Now, the bad news: ALL of my previous uncompleted works are on hiatus. I'm not positive I'll ever get back to them, though I'm thinking Stranded needs a full re-
write. I'm just a bit lost in that story (as are the proponents) so I'm waiting to see if my current method can get me through and then I'll decide whether to
rewrite Stranded. I really like the story and story line, so...
I'm starting a new story -- maybe along the lines of an e-novel; it depends on how long it takes to say what I want to say. So, whoat's different about this one
you ask and why should I be interested when you've not finished your OLD stuff? Ah, the difference is in the details.
The problem I've always had with writing was getting from the beginning to the end. You have no idea how many good ideas for good stories I've had that I've begun
to write and have just given up on because I couldn't get from point a to point b. This time, I've already written the story -- in synopsis view. That means I've
written every single chapter -- 17 of them in all -- detailing the plot of the chapter and the points I need to make to move the story along.
Microsoft's OneNote product is INCREDIBLE for this purpose. I basically created a new sub-group of my "stories" notebook for this story. I then created
three page groups -- synopsis, Background and Characters. The Synopsis section has 17 pages (one per chapter) with plot lines, hints of what I need to emphasize,
how this moves the plot along and relates to the back story -- the works. Background is all about the back story; history, specifics, objects. Then I've listed
every character in my "Characters" section; as I write about them, I make notes in their page so I keep everything clear and concise. I'm incredibly excited about
this; I actually feel in control of my writing for a change [I think I suffer from Adult ADHD; I can't complete ANYTHING]. For the first time, I actually feel like
I'll be able to pull this off without substantial problems.
So, where is all of this stuff? On my computer (with backups). Posting all of this would be like posting the last chapter of a book before posting the book. I
can't do that. You will also notice that I will not post any chapters before the whole thing is written (I've gotten about 3/4 of the way through the first chapter
at the moment, so don't hold your breath). Nick Scipio, an author I respect immensely, has a long story named Summer Camp (4 books worth) that I've been reading
since it first came out. The chapters come in fits and starts -- though the first 3 books were fairly regular -- but he's found that taking care of RL disrupts
the regularity he can write and thus, hand out chapters. Although he is a far better author than I will ever be, I'm taking a lesson from him and not posting this
until it is completely finished. I'll then post the whole thing -- in it's entirety -- rather than scheduling posting chapters I might miss.
In closing, I can only promise to update this page as chapters are written -- but they will not be posted. After I've written the whole thing -- and, perhaps, as
I continue writing -- I'll go back over my work to do as much correction as possible. I don't have a staff reviewing this -- this *IS* a hobby after all -- but
I try to fix as much as I can.
I'd also just like to take a moment to thank Ken Randall. I've just finished reading "Charlotte's Movie" and it is an incredible story. I admit that many times
I'm looking for "stroke stories"; this isn't one of them. I found myself SKIPPING over the sex parts to get at the story itself. It was incredibly beautiful
and I can't recommend it highly enough.
kenn ghannon