Pottermore! ROW80 Update 6/23

So this will be the last update until next month! I've got a little break but I feel like I will still do a bit of planning and plotting during the break so I can be more fit for writing next month. I can't wait! I think I'll accomplish much more in the next round than I did this one.

So. . . What does everyone think of the mysterious Pottermore so far? I'm still not quite sure. From what J.K. Rowling said in the video it sounds like a sort of interactive thing to accompany the books, with added content and new information about the Harry Potter world. It's still a bit hazy I think, what it's really going to be.

But even so I can't help but be excited! It sounds like it could be really cool, but I can't help but worry that it may not be as wonderful as I'm hoping.

Nevertheless, I can't wait for October. And perhaps, just maybe, I could be one of the people to get early access to Pottermore on July 31st. I'm at least going to try ;)

What is everyone else thinking about Pottermore? Are you excited about it? What do you think it'll be like?

Other ROW80ers here! Until next month!

I Need a Map

I'm having trouble properly writing the Chronicles and I know what the problem is.

I need a map.

Some of you might remember the map I posted a while back, declaring that it was the map for the Chronicles. Yeah. Not so much. As the story changed so did the idea of what the world looked like and so that entitled a new map. So I started on another one but wasn't satisfied with it and so I fiddled around with another one. But no. I can't find the right place.

Perhaps it's because nothing is truly matching the world I have in mind. It just isn't it you know? But I honestly don't think I'll be able to find anything that will match up and I'm just going to have to stick with one. It probably seems like I should just not do a map at all at this point but with a map, it could easily supply tons of information just by being there. Once I decide the place where my MC lives I could instantly know what the climate is like, if it's near a mountain, next to a river. . . And I can have a head start on what the places and people will be like in any other city because I'll know the surroundings.

So. . . I need a map. Call it procrastination or whatever but I call it planning and world building. The only problem will be finding the map. . .

Oh! I'd like to say yay! for Tahereh getting a book deal! That's totally awesome and I can't wait for it to come out!

And with the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, I'd just like to say I pray that they recover from it, and for all those who lost friends and family due to the disaster. And I hope that the nuclear power plant gets under control soon, and that those who are trying to do just that will be safe as possible.

 (by pinkandroid on deviantart.com)

Something That's Not Writing

Three days ago I found a archery bow in the garage, long forgotten about. I managed to find some arrows and a target and have gotten back into archery. So, the last three days I've been doing little else than shooting arrows at a target and desperately trying to find a recurve bow for a reasonable price. I had somehow forgotten about everything else these last three days because of this. Including my blog and my writing.

This is what happens to me when something strikes my fancy. I seem to forget about everything else and devote my entire existence (for a few days or so) to whatever has interested me. And then the rest of my life starts to come back to me and I get into a new rhythm to accommodate my new interest along with the rest of my life.

So I apologize that I don't have anything else to say. I haven't written anything since my last blog post or done anything writing or reading related. And I don't think anyone wants me to suddenly turn this place into an archery blog :p

Please forgive me, I promise things will get back on track by Monday.

Working on Two WIPs

Last night I saw my partially written manuscript, The Journalist, laying on the table and decided to flip through it. Perhaps a mistake. Now when I say partially written manuscript that makes it sound long, it's only 35 pages long, and I read it all last night, and was taken over by the idea again. As I read more ideas came up on how to fix this or that and how to make it more complete and stuff and. . . well, today I find myself writing The Journalist instead of The Chronicles.

I feel like I should keep myself focused solely on The Chronicles and not give into the temptation to write The Journalist but why should I do that, really? Why should I waste this onslaught of inspiration? It's not like I'm going to abandon The Chronicles, I'll just work on them both at the same time.

But I still feel a bit guilty. I don't think I should though. I mean, what if this book will get me published? Quicker than The Chronicles could have? And that's quite possible with The Journalist being only one book long, while The Chronicles shall be three.

So now I find I'm going to be working on two WIP's at the same time.

Would you guys do this? Or would you work only on you're main project. Or just let the new (or old) idea sweep you away and only write it?

I hope everyone writer luck!

(Does this not give you inspiration?)

Plan First, Write Later

Well, I started writing The Chronicles today, starting with the prologue of course. So, I write 1,000 words of this prologue and am finding that. . . it's not needed. I mean, not in the way I was writing it. I introduced a character that would pretty much never come back into the book - not in the flesh anyway - instead of someone else. Which, I have heard more than once, isn't a good idea. People usually say you should introduce the main character at first. Makes sense. And, my MC is kinda in the prologue, but it's being told from another POV - or omnipresent - at a point before the real story starts.

I love the idea of this prologue but I'm wondering if it's necessary. Still, I think it is, it just needs to be done differently. Coming from a different POV, and set in the very near future from where I had originally written the prologue.

Anyway, this got me to reread some stuff on StoryFix.com, namely the structure stuff. And, well, it reminded me of something I had forgotten. I have no idea why, but I was thinking that one of my early plot twists was the first plot point. Just a few weeks ago I knew exactly what the first plot point was but I had somehow forgotten. Good thing I remembered now, before I got passed the prologue.

I have to admit that I feel a bit foolish for running into some problems the first day I decide to write my book. But, if anything, this has reinforced my new 'plan first' strategy of writing, which I am admittedly struggling to follow. So, what am I going to do tomorrow? Why, go back to planning of course.

Hopefully though, it'll just be for tomorrow and I can get back to writing on Friday.

A word of advice: Don't do what I just did.

Reading Stories While Writing Stories

Oops, look like Valentines day totally passed me by. I didn't even notice until I saw all the blog post popping up about it! I have to say I'm not much for the minor holidays like Valentines. The only holidays that I really celebrate are New Years, Easter, sometimes Halloween and Christmas. (And NaNoWriMo. But I don't think that's an official holiday. Yet. :p) So happy belated Valentines day to those who celebrate it!

And now, to the real post!


My story has been deciding to go in a vaguely different direction, especially in regards to the main character and the ending. Well, actually, I take that back. Everything is deciding to turn on it's ear. My main character is deciding that his personality will change some, the villain wants to be more powerful and sneaky, and much much more cunning than before. The ending can't decide whether it wants to be uplifting or depressing. Depending on which way the ending decides to be the character arc may have to be redone. But, these changes are for the good. I think.

I can never be sure though. Especially when I've been reading other stories. If I read things while I'm working on an idea the idea can morph into something laughable as I attempt to bring in some aspects of what I've been reading into what I've been writing.

Hah, you should have seen what happened when I was reading The Fellowship of the Ring! Poems - poems! - ended up all over the place! And, my gosh, there was even a song. A very horrible song that would make me embarrassed if I were to go back and read it. But thankfully I didn't waste all those thousands of words, for the more refined version of what is now The Chronicles of Siron came from there.

But, you see, this is why I'm wary of going along with these new ideas that are plaguing me. Are they really for the good? Or, three months from now, will I be looking at tens of thousands of words of garbage, wishing I had never went with those new ideas?

But I don't see the damage in these ideas. I mean, they're not poems, thank God! Just some stuff to make my story, my characters in particular, much stronger.

The ending on the other hand, I'm still very indecisive on that.

So, I've got some more stuff to figure out now, all because I decided to get back to reading a lot. . .

Sometimes I just wish I could stop reading completly until I was finished writing a story, but unfourtunately I would die.

Do you find that reading other stories does this to you? That there's just something you have to put in your story after reading so and so book? Have you ever regretted it?