Time Yesterday: 1 hour
Time This Week: 1 hour

The story arcs for the individual characters are looking pretty good. The key insight was in thinking about what the character's problems were at the start of the story - what is it that they are trying to overcome in their life? That gives the story arc some energy and makes constructing the story much more interesting. There are still timing elements to work on, but I will shake those out in the chapter outlines.

I was using index cards for the scene and character work, as well as making notes on setting. Sometimes working with physical artifacts is the right thing to do, but I try very hard not to get too bogged down. There's a term from software (which also pops up in business practice) - analysis paralysis: continuing to draw diagrams and break down the details of the solution when you're past the point when it is a useful activity - the analysis documents are not the product, after all.

In my development work, I try to do just enough modelling and analysis to get me to the core of the software problem; in writing it means using a tool to get me past a creative block. In both cases I want to be writing the product (code or words) in preference to the scaffolding. Unless the scaffolding is a deliverable, there's no final value to it.

So having used the cards to force myself to think about the problem, I will now go on to doing scene and chapter outlines in a brand new second draft document. And then I will start writing the second draft.

See you in 100,000 words.

Posted by Dunx at May 4, 2010 10:31 AM