Oolite Bulletins

Yes, this is good. A ghost in the machine? Keep it coming!

Cheers,

Drew.

Good stuff, DH. I can't wait for more!

me neither! I have part V in my head but RL(tm) is preventing it making it onto the screen!

Part V appended to original post - for those who are still interested in this increasingly drawn out tale!

You're doing fine DH, we're still with you...

cliffhanger every time!!!! wot happens next!!!!

B

To keep Rebecca happy another Cliffhanger - Part VI appended to the first post - those who have followed my existence on this forum since the beginning will note that while I can't OXP for toffee I can at least write about all the ideas I've had (and created via ads for YAH)

Part VII up.

Let me know if you want me to stop... (approaching 4K words - aiming for six in toto)

Don`t stop. I`m enjoying the read.

Wanted to apologise for the delay in getting part VIII up - I've started putting some stuff together for Svengali and I want to sort out Set G of YAH with Ark and of course there's that constant minor irritation of RL(tm) - but it's on its way - thank you for your enthusiasm and support...

Too hot to sleep, so Part VIII up.

The story has taken an unexpected turn, even for me, not sure where it's going now - guess we're all along for the ride now!!! (this is what happens when you write while under the influence of moderate amounts of Cider!)

DaddyHoggy wrote:

(when you write while under the influence of moderate amounts of Cider!)

Why not? I post almost constantly from under it's blossomed shade (I jest).
Another Cider master, my respect for you sir continues to grow.

I always find this an interesting 'writers debate'....

Do you plot the whole story out and stick rigidly too it, forcing your characters into the arcs that you design, or

Do you just write and see what happens, or

A blend of the two...

I tend to favour the first option most of the time, but I do find that the dialogue often 'creates' new sections and ideas which aren't central to the plot which adds a bit of depth. And I sometimes find my characters 'react' in a different way to how I expect - I know that sounds wierd, hopefully other writers will understand what I mean!

I tried option '2' with Mutabilis and wrote myself into a corner though, hence going back and plotting it all out again!

Keep going though. enjoying the story!

Cheers,

Drew.

In my first novel I knew exactly how it started and exactly how it ended but I thought this would be enough. It was not, it turned into a rambling prose with too many characters and I got all wrapped up in the cleverness of the world I'd created. So this one I put on hold for (many) years and have recently gone through the 200K words I've written (and not reached the end) to identify the core plot devices and main essential characters.

My current novel I once again new how it started, I know how it must end, but this time I have a rolling plot chapter guide that's five chapters ahead of where I'm currently up to, which seems to be helping keep me on track but is still allowing for the unexpected which is sustaining my own interest!

From my first partial bit of writing, option 2.

But even without having done that, I know how my mind works, Ideas seem to grow legs and run away with themselves, procreating as they go.

Oddly enough Im sure at one point (many years ago) I thought that when I eventually put pen to paper I would start with a beginning middle end and then expand to rough ideas for chapters and expand in a very organised fashion. Of course being as I skipped the pen and paper I might as well skip the order and see what happens.

I like it, its a bit like dreaming, you get these living breathing characters emerge with some form of sentience of their own, they exist purely in your mind but they have a fully functioning presence of their own. You do have the power to play puppet master to a degree (although Im sure if you did so too much you'd kill the story), or sit back and watch what they do.

I did have to take the puppetmaster role for that short story on a couple of occaisions, one was omitting the surname that Nathan sprung up with "okonawae" or something like that, and the other was changing the name of the female co-pilot from "Sheila" to "Hera", largelly because Im sure sheila was used in piece of elite fiction I read, and I didnt want to be "piggy backing" someone else's work.

At that point the new name also sprung new events into the back story, such as Nathans jests about her name on their first meeting, for which she was partially avenged by her reaction on first seeing his ships interior... I think perhaps the name change has affected the character in several ways, will probably have an impact over the whole story. She is still unsurnamed as yet, Im assuming theres a reason for that and that when a surname is needed one will turn up. (at the point of writing that) unbidden a glimpse came of a "meeting" with nathan and shiela in turns shaking hands with "someone"... Heck knows where that will come in.

My wife has told me that I have to continue the story I cant leave it where it is. I cant do too much writing in the current work atmosphere, maybe if the boss is out Wednesday I will get to revisit Nathan and Hera (who I still keep referring to as sheila in my own mind)

I should probably add, great work so far, I really need to brush up my writing \ editing process to get something that well worded and that tidily presented.