Progress on the WIP
Another month passed, and my progress with the projects – all of them – stagnated. I’m sure those of you who work can relate when I say that after some labor, especially writing-related, trying to hop on our own projects can be a struggle. I wonder how my husband does it, as he just keeps on churning out code every waking hour. It is as if he breathes code, which one day, may I breathe story and text as well.
That being said, I did manage to finish the outline for the second half of the book. Things are getting ever so exciting, as the climax approaches! I also wrote some missing scenes and a bit more progress, but other than that, I have been occupied with translation work.
Due to the freelancing (and my worrisome amounts of gaming to relax during this month), I have not made any progress with the Game Development or Art departments. So, unfortunately, there will not be any Dev or ArtLogs at this time. I look forward to getting back on track and returning to them once more in the coming year!
Outlining
While my time with the WIP wasn’t much this month, I did realize a thing or two about my weak points. With sufficient practice, I’m sure I can turn them into strengths in my writing technique!
The first such realization was the switch I have made from being a so-called ‘pantser’ to a ‘plotter’. The age-old debate of is it better to have the whole plot of a book ready before writing, or to just wing it, has finally come to an end.
You see, while I enjoy winging it every now and again, I have noticed it rarely works for bigger things. It is an amazing method for those abstract or moment-of-the-flow style short stories, but for me, for the big projects, it is not sustainable. I need order in my life, both in and out of the page!
I used to be a pantser
I used to think that it would somehow hinder the story to know it before the whole writing process. I have since revised that thought, and have found that making a rough outline of the main points and then filling in the smaller key moments in each scene or chapter has helped me to enjoy the process and to be more productive with it.
All the decorations I put in place while I do the actual writing, but having separated the majority of the creation into its own stage has been a lifesaver. It has also made it possible to return to the story after longer breaks since I have the outlines in my notebooks for browsing. The writing flows freely too, as I don’t need to stop and think about what is happening next – I’ve solved all the problems earlier!
Timelines
One bump I hit was that I had neglected to address a big part of the whole scheme I got going on here – the timelines. You see, the project I have finally started is the project of a lifetime, really. It spans across three realms, and all of those realms are constantly living their lives. It stands to reason that having a cohesive timeline will help me through this monolith!
I worked on it quite thoroughly, and in the end, found out that my protagonists are not actually children, but young men. That means there is one hell of an overhaul in the future, as I turn a kid I thought was around 12 years old into a blooming teen of 15! And Jax, one of my ‘mains’ is now around 18, instead of 15.
That is one thing about the world creation I absolutely love. The intricate ways that time flows and everyone goes on with their lives, me as a mere observer above them. With this beginning story, I have established a solid base for everything that is to come in the realm of Gechemo and beyond!
Flashbacks
When it comes to the flow of time, flashbacks are a thing that can screw your mojo real fast. I am at a point where I have a flashback into about 150 ago, and within that, another transition to a point 35 ish years ago from the current times. How on earth am I going to make that work in a cohesive, understandable manner that won’t break the immersion?
Well, I have a habit of labeling the transitions with a subtitle. Place followed by what time we are living in. I also adopted Prattchet’s way of making sure that the first sentence after the transition describes exactly who the reader is following and what they were doing. I find these small, non-intrusive recaps an amazing way to clarify the situation.
I have some other time-related challenges with my story, as the characters truly go about their own lives and everyone else moves along with them. That has brought me into a mode of having to figure out ways to recap the scenes within themselves without being overbearing, but still giving the feel of things happening simultaneously. This is especially true with the fighting scenes, where the fight is described from multiple points of view.
Bonus Keyboard
So, my husband has been telling me to learn the English keyboard layout for years now, and I always told him no. I didn’t need to do it, as my Finnish layout covers all the things English could ever hope to require from me. So why did I take it on?
Firstly, it has been easier to learn the Hebrew layout through English, rather than Finnish. After all, when you look for the layout images to help you, they are all based on the English keyboard. So it became a must if I ever wanted to learn to type Hebrew nicely.
Secondly, while my muscle memory is attuned to a certain way of doing things, I find the English keyboard more compact. That is to say, it is faster to type with this constellation. The biggest hurdle so far has been the ‘ and ? marks, as they have switched places. Oh, and dash. Who on earth figured that dash should be after 0?
And that’s about it folks
December has begun, and people get busy with their seasonal craze… But here on VanaVerse, we keep on keeping on. We don’t much celebrate the common holidays, be they Western or Jewish. The days we do take as noteworthy are days related to our lives, such as anniversaries of engagement, marriage, and when we first met in real life… things that are meaningful.
We are also planning to see about putting a dedicated page for my husband’s mods here on my domain. Can you believe he is pretty much internet famous despite never having set proper foot on Social Media?! Incredible. Makes me think about what I’ve been spending my time on, rather than cultivating the discipline needed for such feats.
Well, I think that’s all for now. Have a wonderful end to the year, don’t overdo it with the treats, and may you keep chasing the light of the Creator.