Jan Brown (unverified) asked how I write my stories. As I am unable to send her a PM I will seek to answer in a Blog post.
Jan,
Since you ask - this was my second attempt at writing fiction - the first one petered out after 40,000 words. When I started to put finger to keyboard I had only planned as far as the end of Book 1 in my head and had no idea where it would go from there. By the time I posted the first instalment to BC I had written the whole of Books 1 & 2 and made a start on Book 3. The last two of these were never really planned so much as evolved and both have been subject to quite a lot of re-organisation and rewriting along the way (thank heaven for word processors!). Once I started to post chapters, the story became progressively more set in concrete and I have had to force myself to plan more.
Over the last nine months I have been simultaneously writing new chapters and amending the ones that I had already written, in the light of later developments and sometimes as a result of comments given by readers. (These have generally been a great help and an encouragement to finish the story.) However, once a chapter has been posted, I will only go back and change mistakes or inconsistencies that have been pointed out to me. (There have been a few of these quietly pointed out to me by eagle-eyed readers.)
As things stand, there will be three more chapters of the story from 2004 and then an epilogue, but I have now used up everything that I have written. The next three weeks will be quite difficult if I am to keep up with my weekly schedule. I know what is going to be in the epilogue, but am still not quite sure how to get there.
Regards to all and thanks for the comments received.
Louise
Comments
How do you write your stories?
I have to agree with what you've put in this blog in reference to writing. How a seed of an idea takes root and grows like a weed out of control. I'll admit to not being a professional writer by trade, but afer reading that which others have writen, good and bad,
I know what I like to see, making me my own worst critic. The first piece I posted was done with Notepad and it showed. Now I use MS Word (not that I'm giving them a plug), and
it helps with spelling and grammer.
Off the subject: I have to add reading your's and other's stories have helped my emotional
health and can't thank you enough. I'm thinking of posting an essay on that subject, but
not to fish for pitty. I'll go now and try to control that evil muse! :)