Oracne's Brain Radio

I am working from home today and tomorrow and then I am not working again until January. Feel free to be jealous, but don't tell me about it.

I wrote a little over 3000 words this weekend, and both days I made myself stop before my brain felt like a worn-out rag, so going back to the document would feel like a reward and not a chore. It also helped that I knew what scene I wanted to draft; the first day was all getting to that scene, which including Fun With Worldbuilding, and the second day was the scene and surrounding activity that was also worldbuilding detail. Not big details. Just ones I wanted to write about. I am now 20K into the draft of novella 3. It might go a little longer than the previous ones. I'm not sure yet. I can always trim it down, but since I'm trying to be looser about these, maybe I won't.

After the writing, I did some baking. Quiche with spicy halal beef sausage, chopped fine, and Colby cheese. A blueberry/cranberry crumble because the blueberries I bought were too sour and hard (and I like tart blueberries!) to eat raw. Sunday, I made shortbread dough using about half buckwheat flour, and with added miniature chocolate chips; I baked a batch in late afternoon with flaky kosher salt on top, and they were excellent. The chocolate chips do interrupt the dough texture, but baked, they melted in nicely. The next batch I bake, I'm going to try larger crystals of sea salt, so it's more visible and hits the tongue more.

We're tentatively planning to have two friends over the day after New Year's.

Friday's day off accomplishments were way more impressive than Thursday's.

I was a little stuck Thursday because I had decided what a big reveal should be, but I didn't know the reveal's details. I decided to get a good night's sleep and start again on Friday. At 4:17 am, my smoke alarm battery died and it began to make the sad very loud chirp while I was deeply involved in a dream, so I had to drag myself into wakefulness and get the ladder from downstairs and climb up to take down the smoke alarm and put in a new battery. Conveniently, I had a 9 volt battery on hand, but then I couldn't get the smoke alarm to latch into its base and finally gave up, planning to try again when I was more awake.

I managed to sleep in a little, meeting up with drinkingcocoa later than intended, but still before ten am. I brainstormed what might have happened to the character in question, some of the ideas very silly, and some in-jokes (drinkingcocoa: eaten by sharks!). Amazingly, this worked, and one of the ideas blossomed into a whole sequence of events, not all of which I would need to include.

So I started writing, finishing setting up this plot reveal, and then starting the conversation where the facts come to light. In the middle, we went out to Alif for injera wraps because they had tables outside and the weather was freaking gorgeous all day, bright blue skies and low humidity and comfortable temperatures. In the end, I wrote two thousand words, my best day on either of the novellas. (To be honest, I checked my wordcount near the end, and when I found I was less than a hundred words from two thousand, I went back in for the nice round number!)

We picked up The Niffler from school in the afternoon and visited a few shops. I rewarded myself for my fabulous writing day with a tiny blue glazed ceramic planter. This morning I transplanted my two rooted kalanchoe leaves into the new pot; these are the leaves I salvaged from the floors of Trader Joe's and Acme at different times. I have no idea if they will ever put out new leaves, but I find it very pleasing that they have good root systems after such inauspiciuous beginnings. That sounds like it ought to be a metaphor for something.

I made Mexican chocolate brownies this weekend, minus the orange zest, because I had no oranges. I also wrote another thousand words (net gain), first on Saturday, and then again on Sunday.

( Read more... )

I wrote one thousand and three words this morning, which included starting a new chapter. I also added some notes to the worldbuilding file. Saturday's work on the outline, mostly condensing it down, helped a lot with Sunday's work.

drinkingcocoa and a small octopod in a green bowl helped me.

Also, Friday night I Zoomed with a couple of friends from my old workshop, now spread across the breadth of North America, and that cheered me up immensely.

Sooooooooooooo last night's writing was less about 80 words, net, but mainly I was coming up with names for three characters and filing off some more serial numbers and easing in new ones, with thinking in between, and that process felt familiar. Also, I was tired from a long day online already, so I am not upset with myself.

I have figured out that this story is about what happens after the story is over, so it isn't a regular story, though it will need at least some aspects of a regular story so people will want to keep reading past the first sentence. I need to decide if the original story should stand on its own, followed by the sequel, or if I should moosh them together into one. The former seems more like what it should be, which dang it, means more words I have to write. But it makes more sense so far as traditional story shapes go.

First, we have the story following some massive failure, where the people are reunited and are handed a deus ex machina, followed by them spaceshipping off into the distance towards a new life. It needs more work on the ex machina part.

Second, we have the Domestic Porn story where they make a new life on a terraformed planet, and at least a couple of the characters get together romantically, and maybe some of their old comrades show up so I have fodder for additional episodes.

I'll look back at this post if I make further progress, and see if I stayed on this track.

On the new story, I wrote 1500 words on Saturday and 1000 on Sunday - the draft isn't quite complete, but it's close to being done and ready for editing. Possibly lots of editing, as I am not satisfied with it yet.

I got a substantial way into the book I'm reading for review, and started doing some research reading for August story #2, the one for which I got an extension.

Plus, I spent some time on Saturday night dealing with computer files, old backup, etc., and the organization thereof.

I finished up the emo epilogue-y romance story on Saturday, with light edits on Sunday, and submitted it; alas, I am pretty sure it is not suitable for that anthology, but I will let the editor decide. I am pleased that some version of it is finally complete, and assuming it's rejected, I can fancy it up a bit later for some other anthology, or put on my website or something.

On Sunday, I also wrote a story from scratch, a submission for that other August 1 deadline I wasn't sure I would make. It's a smidge over 1700 words, and unlike the Emo Epiloguey Romance, it is definitely erotica, which is good because that was what the editor asked for.

( Statistics! )

I wrote about 1300 words on Saturday and 1800 on Sunday - not counting the stuff I deleted. For me, that's pretty good, and I hope it means I am back in my groove. It takes a lot of mental energy to achieve that groove and maintain it, but I definitely like being there.

The Sunday story draft needs editing, but will probably be pretty much okay as it is, so I can submit it for one of the July 1 deadlines. Saturday's story was an experimental format, an attempt at humor, which may not work for the anthology I originally meant it for. However, I might be able to break it up into two pieces, or trim it down into one (more likely) that might sell to a different anthology looking for flash-length. I need to read it over again and maybe print it out and read it that way, and ponder.

My goal is to submit two stories this month, so if the experimental thing seems to require more pondering, I will have to draft something else. Luckily, I think I have an idea that might work.

This post's purpose is to collect my common tags in one place, so readers (and I!) can easily access entries on several subjects.

I have officially begun writing a new novel. Currently, it is 807 words long including title and my address at the top. That is 807 more words than I had on Friday.

Saturday morning, I looked over the 7-8 page synopsis I wrote just over a year ago and made some edits. I also started a file of notes, so that I could compile all the worldbuilding I have so far and brainstorm some more stuff. I settled on names for the two protagonists, at last.

Sunday morning, I attempted to craft a one-page synopsis from the long one, and got down to one page. (Note I say nothing of its quality.) Then I started the actual story. With a point of view and little drips of worldbuilding and everything.

I am supposed to have a writing date with a visiting friend on Saturday. I plan to Write More.