Somewhere Out There And Naked

Yes, the scouts of the spec salon are in Savvy Author’s boot camp. Thirty days to write a first draft. For me it feels like free falling without a parachute or bungee jumping without a cord. It’s like a dream where you’re naked in front of crowd of people wondering how the hell you got there. It’s strange, exhilarating, and frightening at the same moment.

Why in the world would I do this? Because having a deadline and a goal pushes me. It pushes me out of my comfort zone. Yikes! Normally I would take the time to mull over scenes in a story and let it blossom on it’s own time. Or wait till my muse is willing to show up. This time, I’m flying fast.

What I’m trying to do in this first draft is to get the story out of my head and heart and on to the paper. In those times when my heart sings out with the story it feels good and I know I’m on track. Discoveries are plentiful like finding out some scenes need more worldbuilding. But, the most exciting breakthroughs pushing me onward are moments when the characters show me how to bring it all the way home.

As writers, we have different ways of getting the story down and ready for someone to read. The mode of transportation to our destination point is only valid if it works. That’s all we can do. Find out what works, hop on, and ride it all the way home.

Even though I’m feeling ‘somewhere out there’ it’s a ride I’m happy to be on. Excuse me while I grab a towel.

Let me leave with you a quote from John Campell:
A bit of advice given to a young Natve American at the time of his initiation:

"As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm,

Jump.

It is not as wide as you think."

I'd like to know how your ride is going?

Till next time,
Elizabeth

A New World Awaits

Creating a new world for your high fantasy novel series is exciting and a major undertaking. To start, here are some questions you may have asked yourself and the answers to them.

Where do you begin?

The easiest way to answer this question is to start at the beginning of the storyline. What happens around your characters will give you a place to start building. Describe the place they live in, customs, and the relationship between everyone. You can fill the other parts of your world later on. First worry about the immediate surrounding and the rest will fall into place.

How much information should I write in?

There is no need to write down every detail you can think of during the first draft. You are leaving yourself the room to make changes later on in the draft. I avoided a major rewrite for my current WIP because of this. Make sure you note down the changes you need to make. When you make the changes, mark them off.

How am I going to remember all my ideas?

Write down any ideas either in a notebook or on the computer. Be sure you can find the information with ease at a later time. When you spread out the information, it becomes harder to find later on. Create a filing system to avoid the confusion and always keep it up to date.

Any pitfalls when it comes to world building?

World building will trap you. When it does happen, you will not focus on writing the novel. I trapped myself on many WIPs before I realize the key is to balance writing the first draft and creating the world. It may be hard at first especially when the inspiration to research your ideas takes over. Divide your time between the two equally. One hour of writing for every one hour you research.

Remember, your mind will change as you write the first book of your series. You'll learn what will or will not work for your new world by writing down the book. No matter how much world building is done, the novel must be written down for readers to live in the world you created.