write a novel

Novel wise, things haven’t been going well recently. I’m pushing 20,000 words.. but I’m low on ideas and worried about the pacing and direction of the plot. I also have a ton of university work to get done over the next fortnight. Due to a general lack of motivation/brains, that’s not really going well either.

But I want to keep writing. I want to keep my brain ticking, and to churn something out. Even if it’s crap, I want to spend half an hour a day producing something. It’ll help keep me busy, and active, and make sure I don’t dry up completely.

My solution to this has been to start up a quasi-fictional blog. I’m writing my life as a hard-boiled film-noir story, a la Sin City. It’s proving good mental exercise, and great fun! Naturally, some entries are better than others, but I’m very happy with the way it’s coming along.

http://DegreesOfNoir.blogspot.com is where its at!

I sat in my favourite cafe for about an hour today, scrawled out two sides of A4. Should be enough to almost finish chapter four when I type it up and edit it a little. I’m all fired up, so that might be my objective for tonight. That would give me chapters 1-4 complete! Encouraging =)

Things are progressing fairly well. If I really knuckle down, I can get chapters 3 and 4 in a very good state this week. Could even get chapter 3 “finished”! The trouble is that I have big empty spaces where I need to include some dialogue. And not just any old filler crap… I need good, hard-hitting, witty exchanges of views. It’s holding me back at the moment, and I need to try and get some speech penned :S

I figure I might as well keep this updated…

I kind of have the first three chapters complete! And before the year was out too, so I met that goal. But the ending of chapter three is well below par, and needs a lot of work. I’m developing better plot ideas and direction now. But the things I need to write are difficult things.. sections which need to be well crafted, and with some difficult material. As such, I keep putting it off. Realistically, what with Uni work piled on, I should be looking to get chapter four complete by Easter time. I’d like to work faster, but I’m very dry right now :/

I’ve wanted to write a book for countless years. I’ve been semi-working on one project for about eighteen months now – although in a very on/off fashion.

Recently, in this uni holiday, I’ve really gone for it with a passion. I’m hoping to have three chapters nice and tidy and readable by the end of the year. I’m almost there! About 17,000 words and feeling great!

I’m just worried about the amount of uni work that may be getting left behind :P