It has been a couple weeks since the last update and I thought I would scribble down in ye olde blog a bit of the thinking I have been doing. This is kind of an online journal of the trials and tribulations of a first time novel thingy.
After starting and stopping over the years, I have reached a point where this time, I am almost finished with a first draft. Some of you may find this silly, to prattle on about the process I am going through, but it is for me as much as anyone else, to keep track of all the random thoughts and feelings that plow through my brain on a daily basis. This is hard. So to keep a sense of humor and to try to keep somewhat sane, I prattle.
The other night, in the wee hours, I was slogging along, trying to come to grips with a chapter. I was failing badly. A tweak here, a paragraph gone and one added, and I was feeling pretty stupid. The story was there, just not getting to the screen the way I wanted it. I have run into that a lot lately. I am just not satisfied. The first draft, as crappy as it is, is essentially done, but there are gaps and holes and junk that is well.. just crap. It makes me mad.
So I am sitting there, thinking. I posted up on twitter the thought that keeps running through my head. I should flip the story over to a science fiction setting. From the beginning the story has been set in a fantasy world. I keep thinking it would be better in a science fiction setting. I can't get that out of my head. I started this path twenty years ago(yeah you read that right) and it has always been fantasy. But that little voice says SF, SF. It won't shut up.
The essential story, the big themes and the core of what I am writing would still be there, but the setting would be different. I think. Then again I am pretty sure that the inner being would change if I dressed it differently. I just don't know. It is a puzzle. I like this story, it needs to be told, and told well. I am just unsure if I can do it. You know those little voices that say, you can't do it, yeah that crap.
Today I have a scene that is cool, I am fleshing it out. In the first draft stage I have it in so far, its pretty lame, but the nugget is there, just gotta dig it out, polish it up. Today I'll just keep on keeping on and see where it leads me. Maybe I can shut up that voice. Maybe I'll work on the SF short stories as well, feed that desire and the big project can go back to just being what it is.
The end is just the beginning..
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