A New Dimension

I'm wondering about adding a new dimension to my current work: Angelfish.

It's currently being posted here, but I'm also thinking of adding a reading every few sections so that people can find it more accessible if they don't feel like reading it all. After all, it's in chunks of around 700 words and that's pretty lengthy for a blog.

I'm starting to realise that most of writing and getting creative works "out there" is more about accessibility than anything else, and I guess that's what I'm trying to achieve with this project: something that's accessible to people.

To be honest, more of what's holding me back is that I'd have to hear my own voice as I edit out all the crappy takes. But I've got past that before, and I can get past it again. All that's left is to find a free piece of editing software and get to work. Might be up tomorrow or the next day.

The Four Stages of Writing a Novel

Writing a Novel can be a long and arduous process, mostly, whether it is or not depends on the writer mostly and how into the story they are. Most of the time, regardless of story or writer, there are four stages to the writing.

Stage One:
The start of the novel. This is a time when the writer is fired up with ideas. Inspiration is pushing through like a torrent of water. Here the need to write is so powerful that most of the time the writer will find it hard to leave the story alone. At this stage the writing is easy, it flows onto the page effortlessly, almost as though it's writing itself.

Stage Two:
This is the hardest stage. The initial burst of inspiration is gone, and it leaves a hole behind it. If there is any part of the story that will make you want to quit writing it, this would be it. The second stage is where the story seems reluctant to get onto the paper, where you look over your writing and think about deleting the entire document.
Don't.
You'll be glad you didn't when you reach the third stage.
My advice at this stage is to keep writing. Do a plot skeleton. Push through the barrier. Make that story sit on the page, lay down the words. Plan until you're sure of what you're writing next, and then write. Write anything, because writing tripe is better than writing nothing. Your inspiration may be next to nothing, but keep going, this is where you may have to bleed onto the page.

Stage Three:
This is when you've just reached the other side of that wall. It's like being at the top of a steep climb. From here you can see the rest of your story mapped out before you. By now you may know where it's going, or you may not because that hill that you're on, it might be cloudy below you. The path beyond you is rocky, and you're out of breath after getting through the blockage, the writing here may be slow.
Don't worry though, because the plot should be laying itself out nicely. The writing is less stubborn, and you have your inspiration back.

Stage Four:
The final stage. This is the time when you'll be rushing to the end. You've come through the fog and round all the stones that blocked your way. It's like that part of the marathon where you can see the finish line. You push yourself, just that little bit more, to get there.
Pace yourself though, just because your inspiration comes out in torrents doesn't mean you should stay up night and day writing. You may feel like it, but this part of the writing is the one that can steal full days without you noticing.

Once you finish your novel, put it away and wait at least two weeks to even look at it again. Your eyes need a rest, they need perspective, they need to see things without the writers eyes. In order to see your novel you need critic's eyes.

And there we have it. The four stages of writing.
This post brought to you by the second stage under which I am now struggling with Angelfish.

First Post Jitters

It's gotta be said, I was really nervous when I put the first section of Angelfish in the queue yesterday evening. I felt like I couldn't write, and for a moment I wondered if I should just stop altogether. But I guess it's something that every writer goes through before they submit that final draft. Is it good enough? Will people like it?

Well, I don't know about people liking it, but I do believe it's ready to be thrown out of the nest.

For any of you interested in reading it you can find it here. Hopefully you won't think it's too rubbish :P.

I'm excited to see the first comments (if there are any) and see if people want to reblog it, share it around, let others see it etc. Because, if I'm honest, that would be awesome! :D

An Angelfish

On the 23rd of December I began writing a story. I wondered how long I could stick with it because for about four years before that I'd basically started and stopped everything I wrote. I can blame writer's block and the Uni course and everything for that, but I felt kind of lost within the writer part of myself. I don't know exactly what happened.

Now though, the piece of writing is 12,000 words long and still going strong. It's true that I haven't written in two days, but it's also true that I've been travelling and busy packing those same two days. It's called Angelfish and is a mixture of Steampunk, Cyberpunk and Fantasy genres.

It's a story of a woman's struggle with her past and present, but that's all I'll say for now. When I post about it next it'll probably have the summery included in the post :P

I plan to do something different with this piece than I have with the others. The others just hid behind me, but with this one I want to push it out into the world of the internet! Yes! That's right! It's going in a tumblr blog which will (hopefully) be updated every Tuesday and Saturday starting this Saturday which will be the 7th of January.

I'm going to send this piece out to be judged (possibly before its time) and see what people think and (hopefully) gain followers.

I will post a link in the side just after I post on Saturday. And probably write about it. Stay tuned :)