Thursday, December 3, 2015

oops - a day late and a buck short


Hello fellow writers and various curious folk,

I'm a day late but I'm going to check in anywho. I'd have to say that I'm not feeling insecure. I wrote like a maniac in November and I'm still writing (though I've slowed the pace down a notch since NaNoWriMo is over). I have a brand new novel on the go and I'm totally caught up in it. As usual, I started in one point of view (first person) and am now switching to 3rd. I've come to realize that is part of my particular process and no big deal. It's not like I wouldn't have to go over every word sixty times anyway...so, this is just how I do it.

I have the bulk of the plot worked out and now I'm back at the start - because I didn't know who my protagonist was properly until I'd done my fifty thousand words. Now I do - so I need to tell it again. I load up my first (not quite) draft and my new one and some of it I cut and paste, but some of it I just retell with a new voice. Hmmm...and my life? It is this novel right now. My work in Sheshatshiu is this novel because, although it is a mystery, it revolves around the real and I think, quite exotic setting of an Innu reserve. I can't change the name of the place - I live in a land that is huge and has so few people. There are only two Innu reserves in Labrador and so it would be like setting something in Paris and pretending it was Dubuque. Impossible.

So  - that's me. I also entered a short story contest this month, wrote a new mystery evening plot, and have written a number of poems for a personal project I'm working on.

I'm going to try Scrivener as it comes half-price with the nano win. Anyone use it? Love to know how it all works for you all.

Talk to you later... I'm diving back in.

Oh and here is a photo of Bella with her pals - I call this 'laughing running dogs'.




4 comments:

L.G. Keltner said...

Better late than never! I'm glad that November was so productive for you. My latest novella started out in 3rd person, but I had to switch to 1st because my snarky protagonist was demanding more of a voice. Best of luck with the novel!

Anonymous said...

So happy you've been inspired for a new novel, Jan! That's the best feeling, isn't it? And I hope you do well in that short story contest! Gorgeous 'photo, by the way..

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations on the win! Never used Scrivener I'm afraid. And never switched point of view. Good luck!

S.P. Bowers said...

Love, love, love Scrivener! I can't say how much I love working in it. There's a lot of amazing things it does, I don't use all the bells and whistles, but it makes it so easy to organize and rearrange and keep it all sorted. Hope you enjoy it, too. And Congrats on finishing NaNo.