Sunday, July 24, 2011
Diary 26/5/11
I've started the draft properly - I think it's safe to say my research and planning phases are nearing an end - but I'm still reading On Writing by Stephen King. Although a large portion of the book failed to help me (since I'm quite happy with my style), the sections on motivation, workflow and commercial success really helped me to wade through the thick of planning I'd encountered. My story so far is sitting on an immense mythos and background now, and a few chapters of cynical first person present tense writing (something along the lines of Fight Club or Sin City). I've come to accept that my decisions will culminate in some violence and coarse language - both frequent and substantial - but I continuously remind myself of its necessity to the plot and to avoid gratuitous embellishments. Everything of a graphic nature must serve a purpose, both literally and plot-wise. My other struggle is that inclusive nature of my story - how else can I explore the introspective ventures of the protagonist without ignoring the politics of the plethora of transcendent characters.
Diary 5/6/11
Haven't had a chance to work on the draft yet - the lethargy of the holidays and the amount we have planned isn't helping either. I have too many ideas, to the point that simple decisions will drastically change the outcome of the novel. Do I steer my work in the direction of the philosophical exploration of the notions of death and free will in a modern perspective, or focus more on the narrative of an enthralling transcendent setting? I'm leaning towards the latter, since the former will probably not be enjoyable enough to motivate myself to write. I'm going to have to push forward through the discomfort to find something tangible.
Diary 31/5/11
Into first draft. Should have majority of early chapters planned by the time I get back from Melbourne. Considering taking the laptop with me, but it would be a good time to work on refining the synopsis.
As it stands, the plot needs work. I have a setting, characters, and a goal. How the latter is reached is currently undecided. I've broken up the plot into three "acts" which I can edit and submit as individual entities. I plan to have act one finished and edited for exam review.
Currently, the synopsis is as follows:
- Adam (protagonist) spends his last few days at school before the end of term. He returns home to and unsettled domestic environment (largely his fault) and - after a fight with his step-mother - leaves for the neighboring town where his brother Stephen lives.
- On the train, he has an accidental encounter with his guardian Qalhet that changes Qalhet's approach to the prophet situation. He chooses not to kill Adam within the planned time, although Adam is not aware.
- After living with Stephen for a few days, another agent is dispatched (under the guise of a courier) but kills Stephen instead of Adam. Overcome with grief, Adam murders the courier and pursues his brother's soul into the misery.
- He is withdrawn by Qalhet and awakes on the floor of the corridor, drenched in his brother's blood and cradled in the demon's lap.
That is all that has been refined so far.
1. Stephen will be buried and Adam is forbidden from contacting the family.
2. The demon Bakr is sent after Qalhet and Adam.
3. Qalhet and Adam flee Australia and meet another of Qalhet's friends in London.
4. They are intercepted and only Adam escapes, and must continue alone.
5. (Act II)
(Note: Adam cannot travel safely by airplane since there is no means of escape.)
As it stands, the plot needs work. I have a setting, characters, and a goal. How the latter is reached is currently undecided. I've broken up the plot into three "acts" which I can edit and submit as individual entities. I plan to have act one finished and edited for exam review.
Currently, the synopsis is as follows:
- Adam (protagonist) spends his last few days at school before the end of term. He returns home to and unsettled domestic environment (largely his fault) and - after a fight with his step-mother - leaves for the neighboring town where his brother Stephen lives.
- On the train, he has an accidental encounter with his guardian Qalhet that changes Qalhet's approach to the prophet situation. He chooses not to kill Adam within the planned time, although Adam is not aware.
- After living with Stephen for a few days, another agent is dispatched (under the guise of a courier) but kills Stephen instead of Adam. Overcome with grief, Adam murders the courier and pursues his brother's soul into the misery.
- He is withdrawn by Qalhet and awakes on the floor of the corridor, drenched in his brother's blood and cradled in the demon's lap.
That is all that has been refined so far.
1. Stephen will be buried and Adam is forbidden from contacting the family.
2. The demon Bakr is sent after Qalhet and Adam.
3. Qalhet and Adam flee Australia and meet another of Qalhet's friends in London.
4. They are intercepted and only Adam escapes, and must continue alone.
5. (Act II)
(Note: Adam cannot travel safely by airplane since there is no means of escape.)
Back-Logs
So I've been away from the computer a bit, and started keeping a physical diary to continue tracking the project. While progress on the project all but stopped in the weeks leading up to and during exams, I've started the ball rolling on the development of the draft now.
I'll be posting some of the more relevant diary entries, since some are nothing but arbitrary notes.
Keep watching.
I'll be posting some of the more relevant diary entries, since some are nothing but arbitrary notes.
Keep watching.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Neil Replies...
In awesome news, Neil replied to my email. I'm ecstatic about this development and it's a huge boost to morale and motivation in my project.
And to the lovely Lululucas, I hope this answers your question :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
3... 2... 1... Prophet is a go.
Good news. Prophet has been started. I'm just fleshing out a rough draft, but keep checking back as I work through the first few chapters:
(Click for link).
Prophet live document.
Notes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqpeqT0TUombvS_Lr-_Uf55YKInct36WN6ukxc2Pnz0/edit?hl=en&authkey=CIvK08MH
(Click for link).
Prophet live document.
Notes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqpeqT0TUombvS_Lr-_Uf55YKInct36WN6ukxc2Pnz0/edit?hl=en&authkey=CIvK08MH
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Update: Concept Documents
Just thought I'd share some of these unfinished first chapters. They're simply evidence of my conceptual stage when I was playing with the three ideas. I'll withhold what I've done on Prophet until the first draft. These are live documents so if I continue any of them, you'll find the links will remain here:
{Links temporarily down}
The latter was a far more substantial attempt, but still far from a first draft. I thought I'd share these just so you can all see what a story of mine looks like before it ends up as something like Ketsueki.
I think rubbish might be the term.
Tumblr Post: Update
So…
Four developments in the life of George:
1. An extract from Ketsueki ended up in the Hutchins Yearbook/Virtus. That was cool.
2. I have the opportunity to feature some of my work (or at least nominate it) for the Melbourne Writers Festival. I can hardly handle how daunting this would be.
3. I’ve been put in touch with Neil Gaiman’s assistant to email him while he’s in China. The very concept of this is making wee myself as I have no idea what to say to him.
4. I’ve started working on the big project for this year, as voted by the lovely people of Tumblr and Facebook. I’ll be starting this soon, and uploading a vague synopsis shortly (or maybe chapter by chapter).
PS. Keep an eye out for a dark psychological teen drama fantasy slash-fiction epic collaboration between myself and Madd Haines.
PPS. That was a joke. No slash.
Tumblr Post: New Story
New Story
I’m about to start work on a new story. And by story I mean novel.
I have three ideas I’m playing with- similar themes, very different settings. Basically I just want the advice of anyone who cares, as to which I should choose. Ultimately, I’ll do all of them, I reckon. But for this year I plan to focus on one.
Here goes:
Idea 1: Red Country
A story about a broken man named Zhe, living in the hellish tribal waste known as the Red Country. He is old - the oldest he knows - and his past is filled with pain and regret. Many have died so that he might live, and such is the nature of his guilt that he is a hollow and empty man.
The days blur together, until one day he frees a slave - a boy named Sanu that has lived in chains his whole life - and events are set in motion that none can undo. Thus, Zhe begins his desperate and bloody path to redemption.
Idea 2: The Husk
A story set after the fall of man, and the years known as the reclamation. Mankind has been reduced to a sliver of its former size, living in militarized compounds amidst ruined cities and ashen hills - worlds ravaged by war, poverty and disease. The whole planet is a third-world.
The story itself is about a group of brothers-in-arms at the forefront of one city’s personal reclamation. They oversee the recycling of the ancient world, the peace of their compounds, the wars between urban clans in the charred streets of the old cities.
Idea 3: Prophet
A story (sensing a pattern?) about a haunted young student with a gift of introspection so immense, he can walk his soul to the gates of the afterlife and return unscathed. He walks with the dead.
However, his short life of dimensional wandering has taken its toll. Shadows have taken notice- they watch him now. They follow him and trace his steps to the world of the living. Reality is distant to him- the world becomes cold and numb when you can walk beyond it. It is an arbitrary afterthought.
His life is unraveling; addictions gnaw at his mind and bad people knock at his door. He is no longer unnoticed- he is sought. His quiet life is over, and a far darker one is about to begin.
Okay, so…
1, 2, or 3.
On a side note:
1. is about law and morality, and the determination of an old warrior to save the soul of a young boy in a soulless land. Features all sorts of shamanic logic and tribal mythology (which is very real in the story).
2. is about comradery and, if I can pull it off, both sides of human nature when human nature is forgotten. Would be quite violent, but is more about brotherhood and survival than war.
3. is about introspection and what it means to live. This would be the slightly more psychological of the three- the closest example I can think of would be Constantine meets Donnie Darko. Less violence, more fear and self-discovery.
So, do it. Help me out. I’ve started them all to some extent, and I’ll finish them all eventually if I can, but for now I want to pick one.
KGO!
(The above established which story I would write after seeing numerous teachers and establishing a style. Story #3 - a.k.a. "Prophet"- is what I've decided to run with.)
Tumblr Post: Google Docs
Google Docs
I’ve started making the change to google documents before the other stories expire. I’m working on more for SDI if anyone who cares, and I’ll probably put them up too.
Ketsueki:
This won my school’s short story competition and got me a prize for outstanding literary achievement… like a boss! I think this version might be a bit older than the one I submitted, however.
The Lamplighters Lost (DM Cornish study):
The Undercroft:
War Haze:
First Things First...
Welcome to the new blog. If you're coming from Tumblr, this blog is more dedicated to the writing of my new project for Student Directed Inquiry than my other blog. Within the next few weeks I'll be posting content from the first draft for any to review, and would be glad to receive feedback.
Over the past few weeks I've been playing with concepts and writing a synopsis for the new novel (based on the "Prophet" concept as voted). While it isn't ready to post, a substantial synopsis should be up before next Wednesday, and a draft of Chapter 1 soon to follow.
I'll be reposting some content from Tumblr for the sake of those linking directly to understand the context of the project.
Looking forward to a successful year.
Over the past few weeks I've been playing with concepts and writing a synopsis for the new novel (based on the "Prophet" concept as voted). While it isn't ready to post, a substantial synopsis should be up before next Wednesday, and a draft of Chapter 1 soon to follow.
I'll be reposting some content from Tumblr for the sake of those linking directly to understand the context of the project.
Looking forward to a successful year.
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