Just quickly before we get to the meat of the post, I have a new sister-site to this one wherein I'll be putting together extras for the novels I'm working on: character photos, maps, blurbs, and the like. The link is on the homepost above - you'll need to either email me or leave a comment with your email address to ask for an invitation.
So, because of the lovely Wall of Life that's slammed into me over the beginning of this week, I'm not convinced this post applies anymore.
Well, actually, that's not true. The sentiment still applies. I'm just lacking the motivation to weave further ;)
What am I talking about?
Jesscapades, actually. You see, the way I write best is to write act one on the fly, by the seat of my pants, with naught but a vague impression of what the ending will be. And then, inevitably, I hit a wall, and must stop to outline.
Interestingly, that wall appears to be not so inevitable. With Jesscapades, I haven't hit it. Well, I've hit a wall of sorts, but that's more health-and-energy related than reaching a point in the novel where I need to start plotting.
And, oddly enough, Jesscapades is at least as complex as TBAEO, and much more so than The Project. At last count, there were about 12 'plot threads'.
Plot threads. The term got me thinking, and all of a sudden I had this image in my head of me, my hands, holding all these threads together, completely unsure of how they were going to play out, but content with the knowledge that I was holding them - was still in control. The muse does the weaving, I do the watching. It's a fascinating and creative process, and it reminds me of lacemaking.
Have you ever seen anyone make lace? If you haven't, there's a cool picture of the process here. And that's pretty much what I feel like with Jesscapades: at a glance, it looks like a tangled mess, with threads going everywhere, splaying out in all directions. But if I look carefully, I can see something pretty in all that I've done - some semblance of a pattern coming to life, tying the wayward threads into each other and creating a story.
Do you ever have moments like that, where you just get this sense that the story will turn out all right, even if you don't know exactly where it's going? Do you ever feel like that with life?
So, because of the lovely Wall of Life that's slammed into me over the beginning of this week, I'm not convinced this post applies anymore.
Well, actually, that's not true. The sentiment still applies. I'm just lacking the motivation to weave further ;)
What am I talking about?
Jesscapades, actually. You see, the way I write best is to write act one on the fly, by the seat of my pants, with naught but a vague impression of what the ending will be. And then, inevitably, I hit a wall, and must stop to outline.
Interestingly, that wall appears to be not so inevitable. With Jesscapades, I haven't hit it. Well, I've hit a wall of sorts, but that's more health-and-energy related than reaching a point in the novel where I need to start plotting.
And, oddly enough, Jesscapades is at least as complex as TBAEO, and much more so than The Project. At last count, there were about 12 'plot threads'.
Plot threads. The term got me thinking, and all of a sudden I had this image in my head of me, my hands, holding all these threads together, completely unsure of how they were going to play out, but content with the knowledge that I was holding them - was still in control. The muse does the weaving, I do the watching. It's a fascinating and creative process, and it reminds me of lacemaking.
Have you ever seen anyone make lace? If you haven't, there's a cool picture of the process here. And that's pretty much what I feel like with Jesscapades: at a glance, it looks like a tangled mess, with threads going everywhere, splaying out in all directions. But if I look carefully, I can see something pretty in all that I've done - some semblance of a pattern coming to life, tying the wayward threads into each other and creating a story.
Do you ever have moments like that, where you just get this sense that the story will turn out all right, even if you don't know exactly where it's going? Do you ever feel like that with life?
7 comments:
I feel like that with life right now since I graduated in May and still am not sure what the heck is going on. Haha. I've been a student for the majority of my life, and now that I'm not, talk about a jolt to the system. :P
And even though I'm stressed out of my mind, I think it'll all be okay. Or that might be denial talking.
P.S. I want in on your goodies page. Will email you with my email for an email-party invite. :P
Hey, Inky,
I'd love an invite.
It'll be okay, Krispy. 'Tisn't denial, but self preservation that is speaking ;)
Chellie - need your email address. :)
Like the new layout!
Invite please :) You have my address.
Life is chaos. Stories are chaotic, but somehow the mre I write (including lots of wips ont he go) the easier it is to have different plots :)
I'm at the hit the wall stage with Monarch at the moment. I wrote it on the fly for NaNo, and now a little over halfway done, I'm having to outline. So . . . that's why I haven't posted a chapter in a week. It'll probably be another week before I even start writing again. Still plotting.
I love your analogy with the lace. It is so true. And yes, I now have that feeling with Monarch that it will all turn out beautifully, just given enough time and patience.
And life . . . yes, very much so. I feel like that ALL the time!
Stories, yes. Life...I hope so. :-)
Yuna - they do say practice makes perfect ;) Would that it were so in life, also...
Glam - Monarch will turn out wonderful. So will Breakaway :) And yes, so will life :)
Angela - I hope so too. It's hard, sometimes, to know whether what we're feeling is a deep-seated assurance that all will be well, or merely wishful thinking, isn't it? Blech. :)
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