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BD Progress
Jan. 18th, 2008 04:24 pmBlack Dragon is coming along nice and sloooooow (I'm only on chapter two)... and I'm finding that a good thing. A little frustrating at times, yes, but still a good thing. Normally, before writing, I do a super rough draft of a story in the form of an outline. By having the gist if each chapter or part written out, the writing process moves along much faster. Since my first two outlines for BD sucked, when I rehashed the plot for a third time, I didn't write the outline out. It's all in my head, which means slower writing.
However, it also means being able to work each part of the story out down to the more intricate details (how is so-and-so going to react to this-and-that? Who's POV should it be in this chapter? How can I make things a little more exciting until the big action scene later on?) I plan out my stories in parts or scenes, and even though a chapter may not be complete, I still feel it an accomplishment when I'm able to get that scene down on my computer. And with each scene written out for me to see where the story is headed, I'm able to more easily figure out those intricate details for the next scene, as well as scenes that won't happen until later chapters. Also, I'm starting to see themes develope - not just for this particular book, but for the entire series as well.
But I still prefer outlines. The problem with having the outline in my head is that I tend to forget what I had planned for future chapters. With outlines, if I get stuck for that reason, I have something to look back on and remember, even if I totally change what I have written down. It's an organization, control-freak thing. My mind likes to wander and that makes keeping things organized mentally rather tricky.
However, it also means being able to work each part of the story out down to the more intricate details (how is so-and-so going to react to this-and-that? Who's POV should it be in this chapter? How can I make things a little more exciting until the big action scene later on?) I plan out my stories in parts or scenes, and even though a chapter may not be complete, I still feel it an accomplishment when I'm able to get that scene down on my computer. And with each scene written out for me to see where the story is headed, I'm able to more easily figure out those intricate details for the next scene, as well as scenes that won't happen until later chapters. Also, I'm starting to see themes develope - not just for this particular book, but for the entire series as well.
But I still prefer outlines. The problem with having the outline in my head is that I tend to forget what I had planned for future chapters. With outlines, if I get stuck for that reason, I have something to look back on and remember, even if I totally change what I have written down. It's an organization, control-freak thing. My mind likes to wander and that makes keeping things organized mentally rather tricky.
