Tuesday 18 December 2012

Some truth -- some fiction

You know the novel you're trying to write? c'mon admit it, there isn't a blogger alive that's not writing a novel or written one or revising one or trying to get one published. So It'll be no surprise if I reveal that I'm also writing a novel -- sorry, trying to write a novel. Mine's on holiday at the moment, short of the minimum length by about a factor. Whether this pause in development becomes permanent is something I'm not too sure of. My enthusiasm for the project took a minor hit when I discovered my new and original story outline wasn't so new and original, in fact it turns out to be quite well trodden, oops, never mind, still worth a poke I thought. So maybe, I though I might change the format, make it an anthology, not a cobbled collection of old material mind you, a proper one with a central premise shared between the stories. So I calculated 7000 - 10,000 words for each segment that gives me about 5  or 6 stories for a train journey size work. While I'm going over my jottings and, making a few continuity notes, that kind of thing I come across a line that startled me, I'll quote it in fragment here:

"...he realized that whatever happened, from now on there would be a piece of his soul that always belonged to this girl who called herself Sandrine."

Phillipin-eck, Mills & Boon or what? Perhaps I should re-read, a little slower this time, I think to myself. Which I do and next I find:

"...she'd kindled the spark within him into a blaze..."

WHAT!!!! what the hell's going on here? That's not the end it, I find similar examples throughout. Somehow, I'm not quite sure exactly how, I find I've written a teen romance. That's not the end of it though, it gets worse -- it's unfinished see but by coincidence it ends at a natural break, where the cliffhanger would be. So I've finished reading and I'm wondering: what happens next? and with more than just a little anticipation. So I've written a romance story, read it, enjoyed it -- apparently and now I'm hungry for the next installment. I'm not feeling well, this is worse than the time I watched Cats. I've gotta buy some beer and go through a stack of Tarantino DVD's, I've got Rio Bravo around somewhere too. That'll be good, an evening, beer and the old time tough guys, Bogart, Tracey, Wayne, Gable. Yeah Clark Gable, fabulous actor, really great in Gone with the Wind, fantastic cinematography, outstanding wardrobe too, Vivian Leigh's dress, the one she's wearing on the stair, the green accessories looks so vivid in Technicol...


...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh.




4 comments:

  1. Sick to death of the fact I want to write one but haven't managed it yet. New Year, clean slate, fresh page.. lets all go for it...again.

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    1. I think the novel is quite a challenging form. Wish I was in a position to offer advice but I'm in the same predicament. Keep at though and good luck this time.

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  2. I've a friend who's about to be published in the new year which is very inspirational and motivational to just bloody get on with it.
    I read and liked his first draft of it and I've followed the progress of the story through two different publishers to this moment of becoming an actual real book. His advise is just keep banging the words out which is probably about all that's needed really. That's what I'm going to do. And the start of a new year is always a good way to mark ones progress.

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    1. That's good news, let me know when your mate's book's out, I'll buy a copy if it don't break the bank.

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