novels, Old Spice Sesame Street, novel-writing

[seldear]

I've started on the first of the Alexia Tarabotti novels, Soulless, by Gail Carriger.

Anyone read these? Supernatural Steampunk Romance, and quite enjoyable so far. Maybe it just hits my kinks. Admittedly, she's a little too competent, practical, and absent 'soul' - (think 'lacking sensibility' in the old Jane Austen way of Sense and Sensibility where Elinor has too much sense, and Marianne has too much sensibility) when compared with the rest of the female cast, although Carriger has done a pretty good job of incorporating gender prejudices of the time into the society. And she has a lightly humourous turn of phrase, which adds to the entertaining style of her writing.

She does cross one of my 'lines of annoying' which is that she doesn't keep the differing POVs separate from each other. One minute you're in the heroine's head, the next you're in the male love interest's head.

--

You have seen Old Spice Grover, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU? ("I am on a horse!" "Moo." "...Cow.")

Search "smell like a monster" on YouTube.

--

I'm going to have to start my Alt Earth novel ahead of NaNo, because I won't otherwise reach the 80K word minimum before December, let alone have time for rewriting/editing. The plot is still in progress: I know what has to happen, but not how. And I'm terribly afraid it'll turn out cliche and predictable and, well, bad. Or, at least, mediocre. Which really is worse than just being 'bad'.

I'll be using the Writer's Workshop tips I got from Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston last year at D*C to get this plot moving.

"Help me, Michael Stackpole, you're my only hope..."

Comments

[wojelah.livejournal.com]

I do love those books - subject to the exact same nits you pick. It's light and funny enough that I'm willing to ignore my quibbles in favor of a fun read, you know?

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you just want a fun read. And this is pretty good for what it's worth.

[aquandrian.livejournal.com]

Love those books! I reviewed Soulless over there ... *waves at LJ* ... and ha, reading your posts on the NaNo forums, I was just about to ask if you'd read them so yay!

Admittedly I enjoyed the second two books way more than the first one ... have yet to review them cos really all I have to say was "Loved them, all the things that bugged me about the first she fixed in the second so yay!"

They are so much fun. Totally leaves Michael Swanwick's horrifically tedious novel in the dust. Thank god. :p

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Neat. I'll have to get hold of the next two and use them as inducement to write!

[b36.livejournal.com]

I saw Old Spice Grover for the first time this morning - classic! :)

And I'm terribly afraid it'll turn out cliche and predictable and, well, bad. Or, at least, mediocre. Which really is worse than just being 'bad'.

Don't clobber yourself before you've even begun - and remember, it's the first draft. That's why editing was invented :)

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

But I'm good at clobbering myself before a word is written!

And Old Spice Grover is hilarious and adorable.

[stargatedragon.livejournal.com]

Take a deep breath and you can do the novel - if it's any encouragement, I've done two NaNo novels and sold both - and if *I* can do it, anyone can do it!

;)

Stackpole's advice is priceless - just plow through the first draft and don't look back - don't edit on the way, don't stop and second-guess you. Outline, get ready and launch!

If you're looking for a bit of help organizing, I suggest yWriter - it's a free writing program by an actual writer and it's great to line up character bios, if nothing else.

Got my fingers crossed for you!!!

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

You wrote Wild Cards and Iron Horses, then? That was one of the books recommended to me for steampunk!

[stargatedragon.livejournal.com]

*blushes*

Why, yes - that's mine!

If I may ask, who recommended it to you? I'm thrilled to hear that!

I can also recommend "The Iron Duke" by Meljean Brook as an excellent steampunk read - I got my hands on an early copy cough*goingtobeaguestbloggerathersitethismonth*cough and it was a faboo read!

Just buckle down and you can do it! Think 2000 words a day - I find that makes it easier to digest in smaller bits rather than a huge project. 2000 words is less than ten pages...

;)

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't remember who recced it, only that it was one of a handful of books that were listed as "excellent steampunk" while I was looking at Brook's Iron Duke (you have an ARC copy? *envies*) I'll definitely check your book out the next time I put an order down on BookDepository. :)

The trick isn't the writing: if I have the plot and the drive and the characters, I can write a lot in the space of a day. The trick is having the sense of everything there, waiting for me to put it down on the page. I can labour through it, but when I have a clear idea of the story, I can write a lot in a very short period of time.

So far, my record is 25K in three days for the JL fic "Aftermath", while working, housesitting, and I think I went to the gym at least once. I think it's one of my best works in terms of drive and emotional punch. I wrote the SG1 fic "Hostage Situation" in about a week, and that's 45K and again, one of my better stories.

Sometimes they just flow out of you. Other times, they're hard work. I'm hoping this will be at least halfway to flowing.

[stargatedragon.livejournal.com]

I hear you totally - it comes and goes. Some days you do just have to sit down and open up a vein...

;)

But I can promise you that if you push through the tough times, force the words down for the first draft, that it'll be easier when you go back to fix it. Push through the wall and hold on... or, as Tim Gunn says, "Make it Work!"

I love that man...

XD

Of course, now I'll be watching you...

0.o