Month: September 2014

And as I try to edit…stuff gets in the way and that.

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Hello

 

I started, and finished, editing the fifth chapter of my tale regarding searchers (hunters) and the demons they take down in order to keep the world a safer place. I didn’t intend to finish the whole of the fifth chapter but as I was editing I just wanted to keep going. I finished the first three pages on Thursday night and then the last three on Sunday morning. I thought I’d only finish a few pages this week. The chapter concerned a visit from the hero’s estranged sister.

Now, so far Aaron (our hero)’s sister is going to be used as the device that turned Aaron towards a life fighting crime. First, with the police and then as a searcher. I’m thinking that I’ll keep this in as she also helps to link nicely with Aaron’s back story and how his upbringing was. At the end of chapter four I flashed back to when he was eleven and what caused the happiest memory he has from his childhood. After this, at the beginning of chapter five, I had Aaron mention how much of a waste of time it was whenever she came to visit. This will hopefully build to the exact reason why they are estranged and what ultimately what helps to drive him to do what he does. I seem to recall a few chapters down the line that I do come to this point so I’ll make another mental note to examine this story line in more detail. I’ll have to write the whole story separately so I can slot the important parts in to the main story. And that story will have to be edited. Wonderful. The job just keeps on getting bigger.

As to the stuff and that getting in the way, me and my girlfriend have found a house to rent after months of searching and trying to find someone to rent her flat beforehand. This has meant that a lot of packing and planning has to be done, which has gotten in the way of my editing. I’m not that fussed though. I’m looking forward to moving into to the new place. It’s just, packing is hard!

Anyway, I’ve got something else I need to pack. As always I hope you have a good week.

Bye!

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I was editing and then…I got infected.

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Hello

 

So, the edit has moved onto the Fifth chapter. Well, I’ve just finished the forth one last night. It’s moving along pretty well but I think I might have to go back and re write some of the descriptions for the women. I’ve actually just re wrote some of them right now. Thankfully, I didn’t have to change too much and (I think) I have the descriptions right. I’ll check them again when I do another edit just for descriptions. Whenever that will be. I’m considering changing my NaNoWriMo this year to editing 50,000 words. It would mean I finish my first edit by the end of November. Hmm…(strokes beard deep in thought)

In between my editing exploits I took a trip to Sheffield with a few mates. It started off well. A beer in the train station beforehand. A beer when we arrived. Some food after checking in at our various hotels (7 of us in total over 3 different hotels) then got in a taxi. Where was this taxi taking me? Who knows? Hang on…Asylum? What is this place? Has Sheffield been infected by a virus? What is that moving in darkness?…ARGH!!!!!

Ok. Alright. I’ll explain. My mate Paul had taken part in two previous events like this called 2.8 hours later. It’s a zombie survival game whereby you are tasked with getting uninfected water out of the ‘infected’ city of Sheffield back to the last base for surviving humans, Asylum. Well, parts of Sheffield anyway. All 7 of us, along with loads of other teams like ours all starting at different times, had to negotiate our way through streets full of zombies, accessing laptops at different locations to tell us where to go next. If you let yourself get immersed in it, as I did, it was well good/scary. I found myself sprinting as fast as I could as the ‘zombies’, played very well by those who volunteered to do so, slowly picked up speed and screamed at us. I only got caught because I forgot about a zombie that I thought was taken care of. Never mind. It was an awesome experience but not sure I’ll do it again. I’d have to train for it if I did. For more information if you’re interested, see www.2.8hourslater.co.uk.

So, I’ll leave you by saying that my edit goes on and here’s how I looked after getting infected. I got better…

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And it keeps on going. #amediting

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Hello

 

And the edit goes on. I’ve managed to do three chapters and a bit so far. The story is in its introduction faze as in introducing people and building the picture. This will lead to research, which leads to a big re write in the back ground before rewriting the actual thing. I know this because…

I edited the first page of the forth chapter by mistake. I must’ve just printed off an extra page or something. That page reminded me of the first big back story I have to re-write for this story. The hero of the piece has a miscreant sister that inadvertently paved the way for him becoming a searcher. I have it in my mind’s eye and all that for her to come good in some way. But now I think about it, maybe she won’t. I don’t know at this point, but a vehicle was needed for my hero to travel in towards greatness so she’ll feature in some way.  I think I’ve got enough villains but they’re all demons. Should all my villains be non-humans? Who knows? I’ll probably decide whilst I’m in work and then struggle to find a pen to write it down. Fingers crossed I remember it when I’m already on Evernote.

I’ve found that I can edit a few pages in a sitting and not feel like I’m rushing. When I realised this I naturally assumed I could get the edit done slightly quicker than I thought. No dice sunshine said the universe. What with life having me doing loads of stuff, chief among these seeing my sister, brother in law and little nephew over the weekend, means that the edit will stay on the track it was on when I started. Whatever that was. As soon as I think I’m getting ahead, I find I’ve said to myself, just one more game of Pro Evo Soccer, too many times and the evening has got away from me. Here’s hoping I can get some discipline when it comes to that game.

Ok. I can’t think of anything to write so…have a good week doing whatever you do.

Good bye.

I think I’m getting the hang of this…Maybe.

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Well, this editing thing is a coming along nicely. I’ve gone from editing a page a day to two or three and I’ve already come across a few things that I need to change.

Firstly, the location of my hero’s headquarters might have to change. Thankfully, all the descriptions of the inside and all the events, of which there are a considerable amount, can stay the same. The Rochdale canal runs underneath Deansgate Locks, which is where my hero’s headquarters are. I have already, whilst I’m writing, thought of a way around this so it should be ok. Although, I bet in an edit further down the line I’ll probably move it to somewhere completely different. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to think this over as the tram I get to and from work goes past the headquarters. I can look at it and make mental notes twice a day, five days a week. A complete solution will be found my friends. Or not. Who knows?

Secondly, the boss of all my searcher’s, the searcher general, did have a kind of Technicolor killing coat. I only realised when I started the edit that I had the general wearing a coat that changed colour according to the situation. A different colour for a hunt, a different colour for his own anger, a different colour for the times in-between, and so on. Now, the world in which my story transpires does have demons in it and searcher/hunters with (fully explained) super strength, agility, speed, etc. but I haven’t included any magic. Just because I didn’t want to so randomly having one character with a magic trench coat doesn’t work. I got round this by having the general, who’s been around for a very long time, having a collection of different coats for his moods and the situation. It does fit in with his character so I’ve solved that one. For now.

I have to say I’m enjoying the edit so far. I’m looking forward to sculpting my story as I go along and making sure I fill in all the holes necessary so that the plot runs as smoothly as possible. The first major one I’ve come across is the question of time. My first chapter was based in July but then my third chapter jumped to October. I’m not having that! So it’s changed to July. What was I thinking of?

Last but not least, thank you to all who replied to my question has anyone editing whilst hung-over? Which I posted in the League of Super Writer’s Facebook group.  The answer was…No. Makes sense.

BYE BYE!