My brother introduced me to She Want Revenge's music about four years ago. I like almost their entire library, especially when I'm writing a scene where the character is pissed and is going to make some serious changes—or do some serious ass-kicking. Must be the beat.
So that's the tune for today. Yesterday went as planned (mostly) and didn't have that typical Monday shit (mostly) just as I'd hoped. I ran through two chapters of edits (although, honestly, they might need a bit more polish) as well as two chapters of critique. Which isn't too bad, considering both of my chapters were long ones (over 5K words each) and that I had to work in a dog walk, a trip to the airport to pick up some friends, and a short visit with family as they passed through Calgary.
Oh, and dinner was on the table promptly at six. Let me just apologize to all the women's lib folk out there right now, for the fact that by the time Idiot #1 made it home from work I had the house clean, the yard clean, and dinner on the table. Sick.
So for Staycation Real Day #2, I've got big plans. I'm hoping to cruise through three or four chapters of edits (which would pretty much finish this round of revisions), finish another few chapters of critique, get a plan together for my halloween costume (yes, I know it's still August) and figure out which trophies and medals I need to order for the derby I host every Christmas. See, I'm kind of a plan-ahead type gal.
That's quite a bit to get done, so until next time,
S.
I love organizing. And making lists. And being neurotic like that in general. Some people don't take the organizational approach to writing, and that works great for them. For me, organizing background information is one of my favourite parts of the process. It's also a great way to procrastinate if I'm dreading a section, or if I'm just not feeling the writing mojo.
Scrivener is an incredible tool for the kind of organization I love. And of course, its creators have videos for all this kind of stuff if you need a tutorial, but if you want to see some more Scrivener action, I've got the goods.
In the MS I'm currently working on the world has magic. A few different types, with different classes and levels. My characters don't delve too deep into this stuff in the first book, but it'll come into play in book two onwards. So I needed a way to organize the types of spells and what my characters know about them. I'm just going to jump right in and show you how that's going…
Creating a new folder (see the Folder+ button in the bottom left?) and calling it Grimoire.
Just for fun, giving it a Red Book icon. As you can see in my binder
(left side of the screen shot) I love all the different icons to choose
from!
Laying out how I want each "page" of my grimoire to look. I really went
to town on the formatting. You can blame my graphic design instincts.
Moving that layout to the Template Sheets folder makes it a template. Renaming it something appropriate, like Grimoire Page.
Creating a new text page in the Grimoire folder, from Grimoire Page template.
Referencing the spell (highlighted) from the MS text (on the left split
screen) and filling in the details in the Grimoire Page (on the right
split screen).
Because I want to organize the Grimoire by the three classes of magic, I
create three subfolders under the Grimoire, changing their names and
icons.
Dragging and dropping different spells under the correct class of magic,
and adjusting the page order so the lower level spells come first.
And that, ladies and gents, is how I'm going to keep track of the different types of magic in Deyl's world, the different spells, and what she knows or has seen about them. Whenever I'm unsure, I can just flip open the grimoire and find the answers I need. With the split screen view turned on, I can even reference them next to the text I'm working on. It's pretty sweet.
If you're a Scrivener user—or thinking about becoming one—I hope this helped! :D
The weather has been most excellent in Calgary this week, but last night as I was sitting at the writing desk I noticed all the trees suddenly whipping all crazy like. Within moments these clouds—which a friend of mine called Harry Potter clouds—rolled over our nice blue skies:
Obviously Voldemort was out and about, causing some kind of ruckus...
The rewrite of chapter eleven that I mentioned in my last post is done. I finished the dialogue and prose last night, with a final weigh in of just over 3K words. It feels better than the original version did. I was never really happy with the original: the characters acted strangely, Deyl performed some magic she shouldn't have been able to, and it was kind of dull.
The new version has a lot more action. The location is the same, much of the dialogue is the same (at least, the same message and key points are there) but it's got more interest and impact, and makes their entire road trip seem more challenging—like it should be!
Anyway, I'm happy enough to leave it at that for now. If I can stick to my schedule I'll be reviewing my edits of chapters one through fifteen on the weekend. Hopefully I'll have some perspective on the changes I've made and see if I need to make any last adjustments.
Tonight I'm hoping to finish the edits for chapter twelve. It shouldn't be too much of a challenge: it's a shorter chapter, and at a glance it doesn't look like it needs much work.
When I get notes back from my critique partner (in a Word doc) I copy
them into a text document inside of my "Critique" folder. This way I don't have to keep Word open and jump between programs while I'm editing.
My Scrivener "Binder" on the left. Critique chapters in all caps and my MS chapters above.
Critiqued chapter six on the right, with her changes in red, and her comments in purple.
When I'm ready to start going through her edits I change my revision mode to "First Revision" in Scrivener (or second, whatever the case may be) which will colour any changes I make to my MS in red. It's like "track changes" in other text programs, and it's great because I can easily see what I've changed and later, when I re-read the whole thing, decide if the change made it better or worse.
Revision Modes
So I go through, scrolling both my MS and the critique side-by-side, and consider the her comments. If it's an obvious change I make it right away, and if it's something I want to think about for a while then I highlight my text and make a comment.
My MS on the left (ch10), critiqued chapter ten in the middle, Scrivener sticky notes on the right.
By the time I've gone through all the chapters like this I've usually got a few bigger parts of the story that I'm thinking about changing, based on either my own ideas while re-reading, or my critique partner's comments. I can select my entire MS and review all the sticky notes, which gives me a clear picture of the overall changes. Then I write out plans (cuz I like a good plan) for what I want to change, where, how, and why. Those plans go in another folder in the binder, so I can refer to them the same way I referred to the critiqued document. Side-by-side and everything.
The whole binder, with my planned changes as text files under "Notes"
When I'm ready to take those notes and start making changes to my MS, I switch to Second Revision mode and start hacking and cutting larger sections of text and rewriting. I can still keep my sticky notes column up (or not) if I want to refer to those, I can pull up my notes and plans in a side-by-side window, or I can go into full screen mode and just write, ignoring everything else and just see where the story goes. I can always check and see if I stuck to the plan afterwards :)
Second Revision in blue.
So that, friends, is a quick snapshot of how I edit, and how Scrivener helps me do it. I'm sure I missed something I wanted to show you, but I have to get my ass into work!
So far 2012 has been all about editing I Had to Fall. I started with my critique partner's notes and worked through all the minor changes she recommended. She'd brought up some bigger issues and ideas, so I allowed those time to percolate. Lots of percolation time.
The trade show business is busiest here from early March until early June. I end up working ten hour days and weekends (paid overtime, thank god) and, after I get the house tidied and dinner done, I basically go to sleep. So I had a bit of lull during those months where the editing was on hold.
I picked up my work again after the Global Petroleum show and worked on it fairly regularly. So I'm clipping along at a good pace now, getting about a chapter done (the major edits now) per day. Which is great. I like where the story is going. But...
I miss the writing! I can't even remember the last time I was working on something I was actually writing instead of editing. I miss plotting, and dialoguing, and finding things out about my characters I didn't know, or having them take me places I didn't expect. Don't get me wrong, I love editing - it appeals to that side of me that likes to have to-do lists for my to-do lists, all alpha-numerically organized of course. Writing is the creative side, and I really miss it.
I've got at least three more weeks until I'm finished editing I Had To Fall. I'm not sure what I'm doing with it after that - trying to find another beta reader, or querying it into the world - but I know what my next project is going to be: something that needs writing!
That was my little rant for today. Since I discussed so much editing, I think tomorrow I'll show you all some pieces from Scrivener and how I use that in my editing process. Until then...
Today is Sunday (in case you didn't know). I'm tired after a long day of editing. It was good, lots of sunshine and I made it through the content edits of chapters two through five, but I am tired. So today I just have a little excerpt for you, from chapter two.
To set the scene, Alicia is trying to convince Deyl not to head back into the city where she was attacked by Hunters the day before.
"Listen," Alicia said, her voice snapping me back to reality, "if they don't already know where you were staying you're only more likely to lead them to it. How do you know it was even you they were after? Maybe they were trying to get someone else, and thought snagging you would lead them there? Hell, maybe it's your friend they're after."
"Maybe," I answered noncommittally. Not bloody likely though. Luke was human. Maybe it had been a random Hunt, maybe I had done something in the grocery store without realizing it. Or maybe someone else from The Depot had been captured, and spilled the beans on the rest of us? I rubbed the sore spot above my ear again. Red had ripped a decent chunk of my hair out by the roots, and it friggen hurt.
My hair. Fuck.
My DNA!
Panic, sharp and scorching hot, ripped through me. I felt Ed pushing at the barriers in my mind, felt her rage as a mirror to my sudden fear, and forced her back. They weren’t just Hunting me. They were after my fucking genetics. That was why Red had run, instead of fighting. Hunters never backed down from a fight.
This was bad. This was really fucking bad.
So that's Deyl's "aha" moment, the complication that drives the whole story. Deyl's got a genetic secret, and she can't let it get out. Thoughts?
Hope everyone out there had a great weekend, and that we all survive another Monday!
I was on a roll yesterday with my plans for the next round of revisions to I Had To Fall, almost ready to dive in a start making the changes. But then I felt it necessary to go out to Tipps last night and celebrate my friend Duke's 28th birthday... it was a late night.
Mmmm... Electric Popsicle
"I'm actually crying, you bastards!" -Duke, after the Prairie Fire shot
Elliot. As usual.
Just a grand ol' time at Tipps.
First thing this morning I had to roll out of bed and whip this house into shape for a viewing (the house is for sale...), but the viewers never showed up! Bastards!
So then I squeezed in about an hour of work—in the sunshade outside, most excellent!—before our guests showed up. And then of course I feel obliged to entertain for a few hours, just enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
Yes, summer. Love of my life.
I have high hopes for more writing time in a few hours, when my guests head off to the UFC show at the Saddledome. I'm thinking I'll dive right in and start making those changes I've been so meticulously planning...
Keeping my fingers crossed that life stops interfering for a few hours!
I really should look back through my posts and see if I've already done this song... but I'm lazy, and I'm 90% sure I haven't.
Them Crooked Vultures only has one, self-titled album out there. But it's an awesome chunk of music. That being said, it's a little too laid back for my usual writing tunes. Great for editing to, though! Very relaxing when focusing on those troubling logic problems. And for whatever reason, I really love this album on repeat while I'm designing at the office.
Not now, chief. I'm in the fucking zone.
And I realize I haven't posted since last week's Tuesday Tunes, which isn't very good of me, considering that I recently resolved to post more often... oh well. I made it back to Calgary in time for the weather to turn shitty again, making me wonder if everyone lied about the nice weather they had during Stampede. Hm?
On my return I found my garden in total disarray, but still growing strong. Mostly. I definitely have a slug problem. Let me know if you have toads to sell or give away. The strawberry patch is thriving, and I've found more time for editing than I'd anticipated.
I've finished the simple and easy revisions: the little problems like repetition, grammar, word choice, etc. that my critique partner pointed out. These were mostly changes that I didn't have to spend much time thinking about, it was a simple matter of keeping what I had, smacking my forehead at obvious mistakes and changing it, or a short deliberation and then writing something new or cutting something entirely.
But along the way I've made notes on the bigger issues. These are going to take some serious think-time and list-making. Like introducing Deyl's split personality, which I had halfway decided to cut but my critique partner has convinced me to include. Which means the dual personality parts need to be beefed up, and that affects the entire story in a lot of different ways. I'm also taking another look at how quickly Deyl's knowledge and use of power develops, and thinking about slowing it down. Seems to make more sense if it takes her longer. I also need to clarify a few things throughout the entire work, like what Deyl's weaknesses are and how the fae use their powers. All of these things will affect larger parts of the story, so I want to be sure I have a road map for the changes before I make them.
Since my critique partner is in China until the end of the month, I'll move on to the list-making process while she's gone, and see what I can come up with. Onward!
I've had Clutch's album Blast Tyrant on repeat for a couple of weeks now. I love the southern rock sound with the heavy rock energy. Though their Wikipedia page says they've been around since 1992, I only first heard their music about a month ago.
This song is Ghost. It might not be my favourite off this album, but I find it great for writing to. Maybe it's the pace. Who knows. It just works.
I finished editing chapter twelve this morning, after a couple hours of critique work. I'm hoping to get chapter thirteen done and get into fourteen this evening...
Hope everyone out there is enjoying the same beautiful weather I am!
S.
In this case, I am the Jedi returning, after a long hiatus from the blogverse.
No matter, I'm here again for a while. Critiquing, revising and writing a short story. I'm just starting week two of my holidays, and thought I'd share a photo of my office for the week:
No desk job for me today. It was Emergency Graphic Design Only - the rest of my day was spent in the production department, on my feet, trimming graphics and installing displays.
But I still managed to get through chapter nine of my editing process tonight, despite the exhaustion... and yes, I am clearly a wuss.
I was never really happy with the ending for chapter nine. I've re-written it at least twice already, but I still wasn't happy. My beta reader also ran into some confusion there, which just reinforced my opinion that it needed work. I had a wonderful 'Aha!' moment this evening, when I came up with a solution.
My MC, Deyl, suffers from a bit of a Dr. Jeckyll / Mr. Hyde thing, though she is fully aware of the existence of Mr. Hyde. I've struggled with incorporating this alternate personality since my very first rewrite, and I had pretty much decided to cut it altogether. However, there were still some vague references to it scattered throughout the novel, probably because I liked the idea and couldn't really let it go.
My beta reader liked it. Wanted to see more of this Mr. Hyde personality. Bolstering my resolve, I've made comments during this edit on how / when / where I can work Mr. Hyde back in, and make it better for doing so.
And one of these spots is the end of chapter nine. I've just made comments for now, but I am definitely excited to rewrite and see if and how this all comes together. With any luck I'll have chapter ten edited tomorrow, at which point I think I'll go back and put together a more cohesive rewrite plan-of-action, with some questions for my beta...
Now, I don't want to get too wild and crazy, but—brace yourselves—today I'm combining a Three Things post with a Tuesday Tunes post!
I know, I know, it's madness up in here.
But (and forgive me if I've mentioned this before) I find I can't listen to playlists while editing, or at least not the same way I listen while I'm writing. When I'm writing I listen to music for inspiration and energy, sticking to different types of playlists depending on the type of scene I'm working on. Editing is a totally different process, and I need the music to be more of a background thing—I don't want it to distract me.
I find that listening to just three or four songs together, on a repeating loop, works well for this. Of course, they have to be songs I won't get bored with quickly. So, without further ado, here are Three Things That Are Also Tunes:
Thing #1: Where is My Mind by The Pixies
Thing #2: Out of Control by She Wants Revenge
Thing #3: Is Your Love Strong Enough by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
I love this time of year. Of course, it snowed Saturday. But everything had melted by Sunday morning, and I have the blisters to prove I actually got some yard work done before relaxing in the sun, Pina Colada in hand.
It was so gorgeous out this afternoon that I moved the office outside. Not only did I get in some critique work, but I finished chapter six and seven in the editing / revision of my own work. Maybe I'll finish chapter eight tomorrow?
And yes, my cat is wearing a sweater. He has a scratching problem, and this is the punishment / cure.
Just a quick post for anyone out there who's been thinking about purchasing Scrivener. Do it. The program is super cheap, and amongst other things, it's great for editing.
Right now I've got two documents on the go: the copy of my manuscript I'm editing, and the marked-up copy from my beta reader. Scrivener lets me keep both documents in the same "binder" and bring them up in side-by-side view. I can adjust the width of each column, scroll up and down each independently, and show or hide my sticky notes comments (thoughts for me to deal with later) on the far right.
And of course, this is just one of the many awesome things Scrivener can do. Try it out.
I actually started listening to the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack months before I watched the movie. I loved the Immigrant Song cover—I'm also a big Zeppelin fan.
When I finally did watch the movie, the opening title blew me away. As a graphic artist the visuals, combined with Reznor's sound... wow. Just, wow.
During editing, I like to listen to one song on repeat. Lately, it's been this tune.
P.S. I feel like I've been waiting forever for the new How To Destroy Angels album to come out! Soon, I hope. Very soon...
Things were going really well today, which naturally made me suspicious. It's Monday, after all. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And sure enough, I realized I'm coming down with a cold.
Ah, Mondays.
But the editing process went well tonight anyway. I made it halfway through chapter five, and since that's probably the longest chapter in the book, I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Back at it tomorrow. Hoping to get chapter six done.
