NaNo: half-way update
It's the 15th today, so in theory I should have written 25,000 words by now. In practice I'm just over 20,000, so I'm a little behind, but no need to panic just yet (just write more).
How's it going? Well, the chapter outlines are proving useful, in that I've managed to write the story thus far and it's gone pretty much as expected. My writing isn't very good, but that's hardly a surprise. I'm also starting to think that maybe the story idea isn't as good as I thought it was, largely because I'm not convinced by a lot of the details. But that could just be because I don't know enough about the subject matter. Note to self: stick to what you know next time. Only I did that last time and it was very very dull. Hmmm...
The first week or so, everything went well, and I managed to stick to my schedule fairly well. That was when the characters are introduced, along with the setting. I was actually quite happy with what I was writing, too.
Then I got to the first problem scene. It involves a health and safety inspector condemning a kitchen which is perfectly clean but doesn't meet regulations. I know a little about food hygiene, but no-where near enough to get the details right, and as a result, the scene is full of vagueness wherever it needed specifics. It took a while to write, not because I kept researching the details (I don't think I can write 50,000 words in a month if I have to research them at the same time - at least, not while keeping a full-time job and a family!) but because I knew what I was writing was rubbish.
That problem, and the attendant feeling of wading through treacle, persisted with the next few scenes, which cover the aftermath of the inspection. I was almost on schedule nonetheless until the end of last week, but then I went away for the weekend and didn't write anything (visiting family is important, even in November). Hence being a bit behind at the moment.
But the good news is, I've moved on from those particular awkward scenes onto ground I'm more comfortable with - two people meeting on a train and getting into conversation. I can't say I'm writing that well either, but there's bad and there's bad, and at least it's flowing.
Thus far I've written the chapters pretty much in order, but I've cut half of one chapter, basically because I didn't feel up to writing it. The story moves ok without it, but I think it's important for character exposition, and also, it makes a point. It's a romantic scene involving a couple in their mid 50s who have been married for 30 years (and have grown-up children who have moved away). Hence me not being able to write the thing - my wife and I are 20 years younger than that and I believe the experience is a bit different :)
It's a shame, though. I thought it would have made a good point. On the whole I think the portrayal of that sort of thing in fiction tends to be unethical and unrealistic - it's usually young and unmarried couples, and it's always fantastic for both partners. I thought it would make a nice change, then, as well as making a moral point, to write a scene with older people who had been married for 30 years and still loved each other - where it's about relationship more than pure pleasure, where it's funny, where things aren't always perfect but are still worthwhile.
But I haven't, because, quite apart from the age issue, I have no idea how to write a scene like that anyway. Oh well, maybe if I run out of words later on, I'll come back to it. I understand there are some good examples in my wife's collection of Jilly Cooper novels ;) And it was her idea to put a scene like that in (albeit probably not with the kind of characters I'm using).
The couple themselves weren't originally part of the story; I introduced them (leading on from my wife's suggestion) because I needed a sub-plot to push the word count. I reckon the story as it is now should hit the required length, but if it doesn't, I have another sub-plot (or at least another character) up my sleeve - the ubiquitous priest. I may put him in anyway, for two reasons: (1) characters can talk to the priest to reveal their feelings as a useful plot device - I'm trying to avoid long passages discussing the inner workings of characters' minds this year - and (2) as with the romantic scene, I think it would make a nice change to have a more representative fictional portrayal of a Catholic Priest - i.e. one who is a law-abiding, respected, and generally helpful member of the community.
So that's where I am. Will I post another update before the end of the month? Who knows ...
How's it going? Well, the chapter outlines are proving useful, in that I've managed to write the story thus far and it's gone pretty much as expected. My writing isn't very good, but that's hardly a surprise. I'm also starting to think that maybe the story idea isn't as good as I thought it was, largely because I'm not convinced by a lot of the details. But that could just be because I don't know enough about the subject matter. Note to self: stick to what you know next time. Only I did that last time and it was very very dull. Hmmm...
The first week or so, everything went well, and I managed to stick to my schedule fairly well. That was when the characters are introduced, along with the setting. I was actually quite happy with what I was writing, too.
Then I got to the first problem scene. It involves a health and safety inspector condemning a kitchen which is perfectly clean but doesn't meet regulations. I know a little about food hygiene, but no-where near enough to get the details right, and as a result, the scene is full of vagueness wherever it needed specifics. It took a while to write, not because I kept researching the details (I don't think I can write 50,000 words in a month if I have to research them at the same time - at least, not while keeping a full-time job and a family!) but because I knew what I was writing was rubbish.
That problem, and the attendant feeling of wading through treacle, persisted with the next few scenes, which cover the aftermath of the inspection. I was almost on schedule nonetheless until the end of last week, but then I went away for the weekend and didn't write anything (visiting family is important, even in November). Hence being a bit behind at the moment.
But the good news is, I've moved on from those particular awkward scenes onto ground I'm more comfortable with - two people meeting on a train and getting into conversation. I can't say I'm writing that well either, but there's bad and there's bad, and at least it's flowing.
Thus far I've written the chapters pretty much in order, but I've cut half of one chapter, basically because I didn't feel up to writing it. The story moves ok without it, but I think it's important for character exposition, and also, it makes a point. It's a romantic scene involving a couple in their mid 50s who have been married for 30 years (and have grown-up children who have moved away). Hence me not being able to write the thing - my wife and I are 20 years younger than that and I believe the experience is a bit different :)
It's a shame, though. I thought it would have made a good point. On the whole I think the portrayal of that sort of thing in fiction tends to be unethical and unrealistic - it's usually young and unmarried couples, and it's always fantastic for both partners. I thought it would make a nice change, then, as well as making a moral point, to write a scene with older people who had been married for 30 years and still loved each other - where it's about relationship more than pure pleasure, where it's funny, where things aren't always perfect but are still worthwhile.
But I haven't, because, quite apart from the age issue, I have no idea how to write a scene like that anyway. Oh well, maybe if I run out of words later on, I'll come back to it. I understand there are some good examples in my wife's collection of Jilly Cooper novels ;) And it was her idea to put a scene like that in (albeit probably not with the kind of characters I'm using).
The couple themselves weren't originally part of the story; I introduced them (leading on from my wife's suggestion) because I needed a sub-plot to push the word count. I reckon the story as it is now should hit the required length, but if it doesn't, I have another sub-plot (or at least another character) up my sleeve - the ubiquitous priest. I may put him in anyway, for two reasons: (1) characters can talk to the priest to reveal their feelings as a useful plot device - I'm trying to avoid long passages discussing the inner workings of characters' minds this year - and (2) as with the romantic scene, I think it would make a nice change to have a more representative fictional portrayal of a Catholic Priest - i.e. one who is a law-abiding, respected, and generally helpful member of the community.
So that's where I am. Will I post another update before the end of the month? Who knows ...
posted by tomdg at 5:45 AM
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