Writing Whinge

[przed]

In spite of a visiting friend and a lovely migraine that's only now on the retreat after three days of making me miserable, I've actually managed to get some writing done.

The Good News
The final edits on my Wild Wild West story are in, and the zine it's in (the final issue of Gentlemen Never Tell, edited by the lovely Marian Kelly) should even now be on its way to the printers.

More Good News
I finished what I thought were the two final scenes in the Pros story I've been working on for-freaking-ever. (Not to be confused with the Pros novel I've been working on for even longer than that.)

The Not So Good News
Those two final scenes wrenched the story into a corner that there was no getting out of.

The Okay News
Whilst washing the lunch dishes up (let's hear it for working from home) I figured out a fix for the bloody story.

The Not-So-Okay News
The fix is going to require the wholesale gutting and replacement of those last two scenes. Fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck

I shouldn't be surprised. This story was supposed to be a lark, something I could finish off in a week, tops, but it's got a screwy structure that's been a bear to work with, and in the *mumblemumble* years I've been writing it, it's morphed and mutated in a way that's necessitated multiple rewrites and amputations of various sections. I rather suspect that the discarded scenes now outnumber the ones that are actually in it.

Still, I think I've finally cracked it this time. And maybe I'll even get the bastard sorted out this week.

Doesn't make me feel like bashing my head against a wall any less, though. :-/

Comments

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Really, the good news outweighs the bad. Because you think you have cracked it. But, yikes, I know what it's like to go through all that! Still, if it is cracked--yay, at last!

I'm glad to hear you've been writing! It's amazing, given your current obligations and schedule. Although I do find that sometimes being super busy is actually helpful on the whole, er, cracking front.

Good luck!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I hope I've cracked it. It really feels like I have. But jeezus, this story has nearly killed me a dozen times over. Apart from the novel, I've never had a story take anywhere near the amount of time this thing has.

I think I can credit the WWW story with getting me moving on the writing front. I had to write that. (The editor is a long time friend of mine, and I've only ever missed being two issues of any of her zines.) And once I was done, I just kept going on other things. Once I've got those last two scenes done (again, *sigh*) I'm going to get to work on the novel edits.

And as for writing with obligations, you definitely know a thing or two about that. (I'm really just going to have to sit down and start reading the codas now or there'll be 57 of them before I know it.)

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

You know we're going to love you for ever when we read them, though, don't you? Please don't damage any walls - we need your head intact!!!! (I suppose you may need it too, come to that). Take care of yourself - it sounds like you deserve some treats and tlc, to me.

I think you're brave to cope with discarding scenes, btw. Go you, quality at work!!!!

[ancastar.livejournal.com]

Argh! Hon, I feel for you. I truly do. I'm thrilled it looks like perhaps you've turned a corner with this opus. I =knew= you had it in you. No doubt!! If you need any beta help just holler.

It will distract me from the two Pros stories, four S&H stories and one VM vid I'm supposedly working on.

::sigh::

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I was this close to sending you what I had with a "It's broken! Help me fix it pleeeeeze!" message when my brain spit out a possible answer to my problem. (I'm still only going to say it's a possible answer until the bastard's written and doesn't get broken on me again.)

As soon as I've got a complete, non-broken first draft? It's heading your way, chica.

And wow, you are a busy beaver, aren't you? (Mind you, I'm not even going to try to add up all the half-finished stories I've got strewn around my harddrive. That way lies madness.) But when you get any of 'em done, feel free to also send them my way.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll love me forever. *g* But right now, I'd settle for having the bastard thing done. Without damaging either walls or my head.

As for discarding a scene, it isn't too hard once you've realized it just isn't working. And I have to admit I'm saving all the best ones in hopes I can pop them into another story some time in the distant future.

[ancastar.livejournal.com]

And wow, you are a busy beaver, aren't you?

Not busy enough, sadly. And therein lies my frustration. I keep spinning my wheels and it's making me cranky.

[towerbridge2006.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the fic. I find myself hoping you've saved your discards for some other fic usage. :-)

[przed.livejournal.com]

I find myself hoping you've saved your discards for some other fic usage. :-)

Oh, absolutely. I've spent a ton of time on some of those scenes, and I'm rather fond of them all. They'll find their way into other fic somewhere.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I can empathize with the spinning of wheels. That's what I'm doing with the vids I've got on the go right now. I open the files, poke them a few times to see what they do, and shut 'em down again. Frustrating.

At least I've gotten somewhere with the writing, even if it's not always exactly where I need to be.

[towerbridge2006.livejournal.com]

Yay for those extra scenes!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

I know you're angsting and gnashing teeeth over all that extra writing work you've got to do - and my heart goes out to you. But I'm also rubbing my hands with glee at the thought of all that lovely long fic to read eventually. msmoat is right, y'know, the good way outweighs the bad..*g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Well, there's less gnashing of teeth this morning, as I managed to finish most of the first of the new scenes last night. (It was a rewrite of one of the scenes that needed discarding with a total POV shift, so at least there were things I could cannabalize from the first go.)

BTW, once the darn thing is done, you wouldn't be interested in doing a beta, would you?

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

BTW, once the darn thing is done, you wouldn't be interested in doing a beta, would you?You're kidding right?? Wow. I'm immensely flattered that you'd ask.. the chance to get my hands on a PRZed fic before the hordes??? Bring it on baby..*g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm absolutely not kidding. I'd love to get your comments. So, yay!

(If the writing proceeds at the current pace, you may actually see something at the end of the week.)

[faramir-boromir.insanejournal.com (from livejournal.com)]

Oops. Sounds like you've got the map, now you just have to cover the terrain. *pulls out nightscope to look for further pitfalls*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you find any more pitfalls, wouldja? (One scene done and dusted, one half written. I'm nearly there!)