And I mean writing that doesn’t exist, not writing about things that don’t exist.
So I’m working on what feels like a novel, perhaps of slightly shorter than what would be considered a big book, but not so short as to not fall into the novel category. It also seems to want to be a young adult book, through it wasn’t one when it was still rattling around in the cobwebs of my lack-of-brain.
That it exists in its unfinished form means that it isn’t fictional. However it hasn’t gelled sufficiently that I have more than a vague sense where the hell it is going. This frustrates me, and makes me wonder if it exists anywhere other than the vague shimmering of characters and ideas. Not that I have much experience to go on here; maybe this is how The Process always feels.
I do manage to write between a few hundred and a thousand words a day, but it just isn’t going anywhere. My silly characters are muttering to themselves and aren’t getting together like I’d planned. The BIG HONKING event that starts things off doesn’t want to happen.
Anyway, that’s where I am and I’ll keep you informed about where I go from here. This ramble brought to you by Debbie, blog secretary extraordinaire.
This is Secretia… Debbie is sick today. Maybe the characters don’t want the big honking event to happen because they like their ordinary lives. Characters are lazy that way. Try tricking a few of them by sending them on an errand to a store they don’t usually go to… they probably already know how to shop, but if they don’t usually buy saffron or incense or bugbear extract, it might broaden their horizons or make them meet new people. OR you could steal from Kafka and turn one of them into a giant cockroach.
This is Rab… what is getting into my blog secretaries… those are horrible ideas. Just keep writing until your mind wanders and then all the characters will become bored in their complacency and go out in search of adventure.
Hello. This is Steven King using Rab’s login, since I do not have one yet. What if you used Deus ex Machina right from the beginning and had aliens come down from space to abduct all of the characters together. Then, so that the reader has time to suspend disbelief, you can CHANGE THE FLOW OF TIME (OMG) by starting later in the story and gradually revealing earlier experiences through dreams, visions, and a collection of video tapes that the aliens are using to blackmail people (spaceships can get REALLY crazy).
This isn’t really Stephen King!
What are you insinuating?!
Stephen King wouldn’t misspell his name.
Steven, did I not ask you to stop using my logins? Which blog secretary do I need to fire for this?
This is Secretia… IT WASN’T ME!!
Thanks Secretia, Rab and Mr. King! This is good advice.
Oh, and Mr. King, I really liked Duma Key.
Maybe I should open commenting up to anyone so there’s no need to share passwords. I wouldn’t want to get anyone in trouble.
Thank goodness! Not that I’m admitting guilt, you understand.
Oh and Greg, would you tell your friend to give us a damn raise already.
He’s cheap, isn’t he? I’ll try, Debbie. You guys do a great job.