Where is This Story Going?

Just finished up Chapter 6 of my novel's first draft and I'm heading into Chapter 7. I'm trying a different process on this next chapter. I'm outlining it first and visualizing more of it in my head before putting words on paper.

I've worried about where I'm heading with the story. Are there too many interlocking details? Too much mystery? How much will the reader derive and how much do I need reveal?

Picking Up Steam

I finished my draft of Chapter 5 this weekend. I added more internal dialog, as suggested by my fellow writing peers, and coincidentally my chapter page size doubled. I don't think the internal dialog itself increased the chapter size but adding it somehow encouraged me write more. And it didn't stop with Chapter 5, the next day, I started into Chapter 6 and wrote a page. It usually takes me a month to write three pages. And now, I'm wondering if writing a page a day isn't as impossible as I thought it to be. I'm in my busiest time of the year yet I'm writing more than I've ever been able to write. I don't know what changed but it's nice and I hope it sticks around for a while.

Site Coming Soon

I finally took down the default godaddy "site coming soon" page on my website and put up my own coming soon page. Nothing fancy, just figured it's about time I stop looking like a squatter. It's only been 2 1/2 years since I registered the domain name.

Writing Every Day

I've been writing every day this week. I'm really enjoying the chapter I'm working on in my novel. Some days I'll go back and reread a paragraph because I like the way it sounds but most days I'm polishing up unfinished ones. I'm still hoping to hit a milestone in my writing. Though I might consider this chapter one. For, it's the first time I've felt a desire to write, so strong, it's the first thing I do when I get home from work.

I'm Back

I'm looking at my last post date and thinking, wow, has it really been over a year? I did start my novel over as my last post declares but I did so just a little over a month ago. It's taken me a year to get to this point. That place in my life where I finally decided I've done enough of everything else, it's time to do some serious writing.

I'm on a roll now, writing almost every night, if not on paper, in my head. I just signed up for Camp Nanowrimo and coincidentally I'm heading out the door in an hour to do some real camping (well if you can call it that when you're in the comfort of an air conditioned camper with a fridge, stove and laptop).

I'm hoping Camp Nanowrimo will keep me in line. I know I'm gonna need it. Wish me luck!

Stating Over

Three chapters in, I've decided to switch to first person and start my novel over. I'm excited about the change. A fellow writer asked, "Do you find that you prefer to read stories with the same type of point of view you choose to use in your writing?" and that's when it occurred to me why I've been having so much difficulty writing. I wasn't writing in the point of view I enjoy reading. In fact, I wasn't even writing the type of book I enjoy reading. I was so focused on target market, I lost all sense of self-indulgence.

No More Posting Chapters Online

I've changed my writing strategy from when I first started my blog. I'm taking advise from the writing workshop I attended this summer and thus no longer posting my chapters online as I complete them.

In the workshop, I learned your first draft shouldn't be read by anyone or your even second draft for that matter. It's not until your third draft where you share your novel with 3 or 4 trusted readers. By the fifth draft, you're ready to show it to 3 or 4 new trusted readers. Three more drafts and several corrections later, you'll have your "Final" first draft.

The process is designed to speed up your writing and prevent you from falling into the 97% who begin writing a novel and never finish it.