Status of the writer

[apocalypsos]

So I just got done with the GPW outline, and I sort of want to throw it off a cliff.

Granted, there is good stuff in there, and a good concept, and good characters, but it kinda collapses about three-quarters of the way through because I am a terrible writer who can't plot for shit. (Okay, okay, this is not true. I just see the end and yelp, "Oh, thank God, I'm almost done!" and then sorta trip and fumble my way towards it as fast as I can manage until I faceplant into the finishing line.)

Let's just say I'm going to have to delete so much stuff. Not that I didn't expect to have to -- I'll need to hack off at least 35k words to make it edit-worthy anyway -- but I think I may have to go as far as whacking off 50k words to make it remotely plausible. I just had far too many instances of reading stuff *I* wrote and saying, "Where was I even going with this?" There's at least two characters I can see myself completely getting rid of, two or three that need expanding, and entire plot points that make no goddamn sense to me now.

Urgh. Why did I decide to like writing when joining the circus seemed so much more fun?

Anyway. The new stories. Now that I've got the outline done, the rest of the day is for story notes on Barren and the sequel to Heroine Addiction. Hopefully I'll manage to sketch out both today without making some tragic mess of things like I have with GPW.

On a completely unrelated note, I had tropical jungle nature sounds playing on my computer as it started thunderstorming. That confused me for a minute.

Comments

[earis.livejournal.com]

I just want to say that I love your 'status of the writer posts, because I find you inspirational. I know that you must get really frustrated and depressed about the writing sometimes, but whenever I read about your commitment to the writing process and telling a good story I get really impressed.
I hope that you get published and that I can read your books one day.

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

If you're a writer you only have to clean the cat's litterbox. If you're in the circus, you have to clean the tiger's litterbox.

[musicforwolves.livejournal.com]

Why did I decide to like writing when joining the circus seemed so much more fun?

I do both. Believe me, writing is easier on the wrists.