Crossed letters...
Nov. 15th, 2008 10:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
j_cheneyMore about process....if this doesn't interest you, look away!
I'm working fast and furious on this, and working hard to stuff everything in I need. (which is why I'm planning on adding another 4K).
Early this morning, I woke with several ideas...which kept going on, and I thought, Oh dear, I'd better write this down. So yes, there is a little notebook by the bed, and I scribbled down 6 pages of notes in the dark.
You'll probably note that they're not.....easy to read. I crossed the pages to make them easier to read later. Did I mention it was dark? Pre-dawn dark? Writing without being able to see is an act of faith.
I transcribed the originals once I turned the lights on, concerned that I might be unable to translate them once they'd faded from mind.
(Pardon the dark pics, but the flash washed the pages out.) Now I'll have to cross off each item when I work it into the text.
Yesterday, I laid out the story's time-line atop my outline, inserting days of the week and dates.
I discovered that in order to accomodate business openings and church services, I had to add two days to the length of the story. It happens. Gives me a skosh more room, actually.
And yesterday, I started working on the initial scene, and got in this snippet (yes, I know it need work, plus my banking expert needs to vet the language for me.)
Imogen Hawkes sipped at her tea and wished she was one of those women who considered it a restorative. As it was, it didn't suffice.
"I do realize this is quite upsetting for you," Hammersly said in a soothing tone. "Unfortunately, the agreement you had with the bank was evidently a verbal one. There is no record of it. I'm afraid that either the note will need to be brought up to date on the 7th, or the Trust will have to begin foreclosure proceedings."
Imogen regarded him over the edge of her teacup, wondering if she'd heard that correctly. There had been a longstanding agreement between herself and the bank, allowing half-payments on the farm's mortgage. She had never been late, not even once. She didn't understand why her bank had sold the note to the Adirondack Trust, but she had her suspicions. "How much is it in arrears?"
Sitting in the leather chair across from hers, Hammersly reached over and lifted a folder from his elegant mahogany desk. "At this time, about nine thousand dollars."
When she set down the tea cup, it clattered in the saucer. Unlike her hands, she managed to keep her voice steady. "I'll have the money by the 7th."
He leaned forward and daringly laid a hand over hers. Even through her glove, she could feel the warmth of his fingers. Her own were icy. "I hope you'll remember that you can always come to me," he said. "As a neighbor, Mrs. Hawkes, and, I hope, as a friend."
BTW: I realize this banking behavior is irregular....but that's part of the point, here.
I'm working fast and furious on this, and working hard to stuff everything in I need. (which is why I'm planning on adding another 4K).
Early this morning, I woke with several ideas...which kept going on, and I thought, Oh dear, I'd better write this down. So yes, there is a little notebook by the bed, and I scribbled down 6 pages of notes in the dark.
You'll probably note that they're not.....easy to read. I crossed the pages to make them easier to read later. Did I mention it was dark? Pre-dawn dark? Writing without being able to see is an act of faith.
I transcribed the originals once I turned the lights on, concerned that I might be unable to translate them once they'd faded from mind.
(Pardon the dark pics, but the flash washed the pages out.) Now I'll have to cross off each item when I work it into the text.
Yesterday, I laid out the story's time-line atop my outline, inserting days of the week and dates.
I discovered that in order to accomodate business openings and church services, I had to add two days to the length of the story. It happens. Gives me a skosh more room, actually.
And yesterday, I started working on the initial scene, and got in this snippet (yes, I know it need work, plus my banking expert needs to vet the language for me.)
Imogen Hawkes sipped at her tea and wished she was one of those women who considered it a restorative. As it was, it didn't suffice.
"I do realize this is quite upsetting for you," Hammersly said in a soothing tone. "Unfortunately, the agreement you had with the bank was evidently a verbal one. There is no record of it. I'm afraid that either the note will need to be brought up to date on the 7th, or the Trust will have to begin foreclosure proceedings."
Imogen regarded him over the edge of her teacup, wondering if she'd heard that correctly. There had been a longstanding agreement between herself and the bank, allowing half-payments on the farm's mortgage. She had never been late, not even once. She didn't understand why her bank had sold the note to the Adirondack Trust, but she had her suspicions. "How much is it in arrears?"
Sitting in the leather chair across from hers, Hammersly reached over and lifted a folder from his elegant mahogany desk. "At this time, about nine thousand dollars."
When she set down the tea cup, it clattered in the saucer. Unlike her hands, she managed to keep her voice steady. "I'll have the money by the 7th."
He leaned forward and daringly laid a hand over hers. Even through her glove, she could feel the warmth of his fingers. Her own were icy. "I hope you'll remember that you can always come to me," he said. "As a neighbor, Mrs. Hawkes, and, I hope, as a friend."
BTW: I realize this banking behavior is irregular....but that's part of the point, here.
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 07:59 pm (UTC)Now, I have to carry that on to the longer work. I really should make my notes less disorganized...they are just all over the place.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 10:00 pm (UTC)Organization is not natural to me, so this isn't spontaneous. I've written all my life, but mostly chaotic scenes that fit in nowhere or novel starts that died out. I'm trying to learn not to do that...
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 12:54 pm (UTC)My writing process is not especially beautiful, mostly just involving the computer and some drafts. I am, however, trying to work out a system that will allow me to write large amounts of words regularly (story of our lives, hmmm?). Might post later today if it worked -- I'm experimenting this morning.
What your notebook of outfits reminded me of is the endless artists cabinets and file folders of images they use as references. A very reasonable question -- why shouldn't we have them as well? I tend to just rely on Google Images or something similar, but I think it would probably be better to have a more stable library of images... Uh... Need to be settled down in one place for a while for that. One day! Until then, guess I should maybe start with files of images on my hard drive. Hmm. (I've also heard of many other writers doing this, in many genres, so you are in v. good company.)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 09:43 pm (UTC)What it doesn't have is men's clothing of the same period, which were thankfully similar to the ones men wear now. (Except that you should probably add sock garters to the garment list.)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 09:14 pm (UTC)And I've been finding lately that those just-before-sleep and just-waking-up times are some of my best times for developing scenes and dialogue in my head. Hmm.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 09:40 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, my husband wakes up with the tiniest bit of light....so dark it stays...