Tag: research

And the Edit goes on La de da de de, la de da de da

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Hello

 

So, as I’ve mentioned before I’m editing a story for the month of November and it’s moving along steadily. I have been doing NaNoWriMo for the past two years but I fancied a change.

As the edit has gone on I’ve picked up on a few things that will need researching and looking into in future. I’ve made a note of these things and they just so happen to be very important to the overall story. I’m considering doing an editing month for December more and more. Well, December through to January as December has a couple of birthday’s and Christmas parties that require my attendance. The research will cover my lead characters sister and her involvement in the whole thing and how the searcher general came to find the recipe for immortality. I’m about 2/3 of the way with the immortality back story and about half way with the sister back story. Hopefully by the end of the edit I’ll have a better idea of what I had planned for her.

I have also found that I may or may not have been trying to come up with my own language whilst writing the first draft of my human vs demon yarn, The Searcher’s Want. Some of the sentences, and paragraphs for that matter, just didn’t seem to make any sense. I’m being as ruthless as I can be and have deleted plenty of full sentences but I came across one paragraph and I could not stop frowning. What the hell is that? I found myself going back over the last paragraph or two to see what would make sense. It’s sorted now. Until the next edit anyway.

I also found that I had made one chapter 14 pages long. Now, that isn’t longer than any chapter I’ve ever read or written but when you’re editing a story that averages 8 pages per chapter, it’s a lot. I cut and chopped and changed some things round and it’s all evened out. Though my task is that little bit bigger than before. It’s all part of the fun I suppose. *groan

Anyway, I’m going to get back to it. Have a good week.

 

Cheers

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It tried again…and failed. Get in!

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Hello

As I mentioned in my last post, a nasty little cold tried to delay my progress in writing some of the character profiles for The Searcher’s Want, my NaNoWriMo novel that I finished back at the beginning of July. That cold tried, and failed miserably, to rear its pointless head again this past week. I got rid of it and managed to finish the character profiles for the two possible love interests for the lead character. I now have to start doing the profiles of the secondary characters which, though very important, will take ages. But as always I’ll grow to love it after writing few words. And, it’s all needed if I want my story to be completely plot-hole free.

I went to visit my sister and her husband and my awesome now 8 week old nephew Ezra last Saturday in Sheffield. He’s changing so fast, I have to remind myself that he’s the same guy I met after three weeks who was hiccupping, sleeping and going to the toilet all the time. He’s now, kicking, punching, smiling, holding his head up, hiccupping, sleeping and going to the toilet. He’ll be playing the piano the next time I see him.

The train to and from Sheffield allowed me to continue to read 1984. It’s an epic book and is the main inspiration behind my small-amount-vampire-large-amount-government-rule-the-world-future story. That reminds me, I haven’t read Casino Royale or The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Time in a while. Both of which are either in my work bag or in my bathroom respectively. That can be a task for me to do over the next week. I tried to have a reading evening whereby I read all three books last Wednesday but only managed to read a bit of 1984 before bed. I watched TV instead.  😦 I’m sorry.

I’ve started to carry around a note pad in my work bag and it has so far helped me to complete two of my character profiles. I’m annoyed I didn’t start doing this sooner. I also looked into the different books shops across Manchester and will try each one of them to see if they have anything I can use. I did a scout out one of them, which started out well with a few cheap second/third/forth etc hand books but as I looked round the corner at the next lot of shelves, all I could see was porn. I calmly turned around, walked out, and mentally crossed that shop of my list.

I also managed to edit a couple of short stories which I’ll be posting very soon so if you’re interested, I’d appreciate your feedback on them.

Well, I’m going to get back to it. I’ll leave with a question I think. What’s the best place you’ve found books that have helped you when writing a story?

Good Pie

A cold, a notice board and some good tips.

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Hello

After my last post regarding my love/hate relationship with research, well love/like a bit relationship, I found myself with a cold which stopped me in my tracks. I don’t like writing when I’m ill whether it be self-inflicted or not but I managed to stop the cold before it could get going. It put me behind on my character profiles though. I did manage to complete 2/3 of a character profile on the secretary, and wannabe searcher and killer of demons, Valerie Marks for my demon hunting story The Searcher’s Want. She is also a possible love interest for the main character. I’m planning on finishing this tonight and hopefully another profile as well. Bloody colds, you great big (insert your own insult here).

Also, I’ve acquired a notice board. My lovely mother sent me a text saying that she had one going spare. When I saw it I remembered it was the one she always used to use in the kitchen when I was growing up. I always like to keep things that have true sentimental value and, though I did forget about it for a while, this is one such thing. Now all I need to do is start to populate it. And get some pins. And small pieces of card or post it notes. And a good place to put it. Round my neck? In the bathroom? On my bedroom door? I’ll pick a good place for it.

I asked a question at the end of my last post, How do you like to go about doing the research needed for any writing that you are about to do or are currently doing?, and received plenty of good, helpful tips.

Sarah Waldock, of http://sarahs-history-place.blogspot.co.uk/, had some particularly good insights into research. She said that she likes to use actual books for research. This made me realise I don’t actually have any books that are solely used for research only. She said she also has a ‘holy shit that’s interesting!’ notebook which she keeps around for when inspiration strikes. There have been countless times when I’ve heard nuggets of information from passers-by and wanted to remember them and use them at some point. I now have a note book that will, hopefully, stay in whatever bag I carry with me day to day so none of these are missed. For all of Sarah’s useful comments, have a gander at my last post ‘Research…Will I ever like you?’ why don’t you.

Colleen Aune Moore commented when I posted on the Facebook group ‘Writing Friends’ by simply saying ‘How much time have you got?’ I replied saying I had a lot. She then advised that following the links from a Google search will get you the info you need. This is pretty much what I’ve been doing but it’s good to hear that others are doing this as well. I did think I was being a tad lazy doing this. Thanks again. Colleen.

Right, back to the character profiles and the research for the next week, ish.

Speak soon.

 

Research…Will I ever like you?

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Hello

Following on from my last post, which was two weeks ago, my fault, sorry, I have looked into buying a notice board. This may seem like a simple task but I don’t want to be buying notice boards all the time. This is necessary I can assure you. (I’m sure some of you are aware of this anyway.)

I also decided to dedicate a majority of last week to research. I have started to research certain parts of two of my stories, the story I’m currently writing which is my take on the vampire myth, The End Solution, and The Searcher’s Want, my hunter/searcher against demons for the fate of the world story I started, and finished recently, for NaNoWriMo.

For The End Solution, I’ve started by looking into the structure of the British Government. Specifically, who the Prime Minister has around him and why. I since discovered that he has around 21 members of parliament who act as cabinet ministers around him mainly amongst others. This has given me the headache of having to come up with possibly 10 new fully formed characters for this story as I don’t plan to need all of them in a complete capacity. And, along with having to write full character profiles for the ones already in the story, this is both bad and good. Bad, all that time it will take. Good, because I know I’ll enjoy it on many levels and it will help to advance the story greatly. Research…Will I ever like you?

For The Searcher’s Want, I decided to start the character profiles. Using the template I found in a post from writerdsnelson entitled ‘Profiling Blake’, I’ve discovered a lot about my characters and some things I can use to enhance their back stories, and create some conflict which I think the story needs, when I come to re-draft the story in the future. What I found out when doing this was some research, which I’d been neglecting about some of my characters, was sorely needed. For instance, one of my characters, the second oldest searcher named Abraham Smith, has been a searcher for 200 years. He became immortal at the age of 55 after being a searcher for 2 years. Now, this brings up all kinds of things when I’m writing about his history. Working out dates and things. It’s as exciting as it is frustrating. I think I’ve got the dates right, which I’m going to go over again just to be sure, to then find out I’ve missed one thing out. And I have to start all over again. Research…Will I ever like you?

I know I have to do research to make sure my story makes sense when it comes to location, dates and times of things, street names etc. But I think I’m just whining because it’s not as simple as I thought. I’m going to continue for the next week and I’m sure I’ll grow to like it. Here’s hoping anyway.

Well, to end this post and push me back into a research and character building frenzy, I’ll leave you with a question. How do you like to go about doing the research needed for any writing that you are about to do or are currently doing?

Cheers

 

 

So close. Bloody research.

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Hello

It’s getting close the dead line for my short short story. I’m almost finished with it and ready to send it in but I would’ve been finished completely if I hadn’t done one thing.

I asked my dad for advice.

Now don’t get me wrong. I value my dad’s opinion greatly and he’s always been very insightful and honest with me. I asked him about the hero of my story. He is 29 yrs old and resembles a blond Hugh Jackman. He also can’t feel hot or cold temperatures. Well, not all the time anyway. It’s only when he gets very close to either of them or is out in either of them for a long time that it affects him.

I ran this passed my good old dad and he said that if the character does actually feel pain then he is not completely immune to hot or cold temperatures. He just has a high pain thresh hold. This would account for him being able to feel pain but only at last minute as he doesn’t react in the same way as most people do when they’re near a fire or out in the cold. This was very insightful and something I needed to hear. I did some more research to confirm this and, as always really, he was right. But this also meant one more thing.

I had to go back over my story and edit it to include this new found, and something I should’ve looked into earlier really, piece of information.

Thankfully I only had to add a few things in so the story would make sense and the reader can understand what the hero’s, in his opinion, condition is and why he feel lonely. The deadline is 13/4/13 and it’s now creeping up on me. Wish me luck and hopefully I’ll get my first competition entry of 2013 in on time.

Well, I’m going to get back to editing the story. I’ll post it on here when it’s finished and hopefully you’ll give me some feedback.

Oh and, how close to missing deadlines have you come in the past?

Laters