Jane Austen movies, day gown, and writing

Watched Pride and Prejudice this weekend. The 6 hour version from the 1995 British Television Program with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and the movie version with Keira Knightley from 2005. Both were wonderful.

So since I was on a roll thought I would try and watch the British Television Program for Persuasion, my all-time favorite book from Jane Austen. Perhaps, it is because there is so many intricate stories that make up the whole story that caused the program to fall flat.

Or it could be because I know every detail of the book and feel not one iota of it should be changed. But it was not to my liking. I have resisted watching any versions of it due to the above reasons and I see now that I was correct to do so.

Back to my writing adventure. There is only 7 weeks until the contest deadline. Everyday I work on two or three chapters. Every week, my editor asks questions like - Are you sure a Navy battle would have shrapnel injuries.

Researching has been so much easier to do with the internet. I should try to verify what I read in a couple of places but time has me finding what I need to know and moving on. 

Reading, Writing and a day gown

Reading, reading, reading. 367 pages, 104,022 words. I have made it to Chapter 10 of my novel trying to get it ready for the upcoming contest in 8 weeks.
So in preparing to make sure I answer all the questions that arise, I have been working on a storyboard. How I wish I would have started with organization instead of writing first.

The next novel I will certainly follow the model of Brainstorming 25 different scenes or plots. Making a large W and starting with Act I, the protagonist is living in her normal world and then boom something triggers everything into motion.

Boom, I'm overwhelmed to the point that I might tear up every single piece of paper that holds something I've written on it. Talk about motion. ha ha

Back to work.

Writing

My editor and I have decided to enter a contest with my book. The deadline to send in the completed manuscript is mid-December. So now we are going to jump into hyper-speed and reread every line. Make sure each person stays true to who they are and to make sure the plot holds throughout the entire book.

Can we do it. . . I don't know. But it is worth a try. We've worked so hard for so long. It sure would be nice to receive some type of recognition. The recognition itself only means that whoever judged the book lost themselves as they read. That is my goal.

To be that book that someone will think about during the day. That after they have finished it, they wonder what the characters are doing. Those books whose characters seem to be their very best friends.

I wish this book would be just that. I do not know . . . . I shall keep you posted.

I've posted this gown before but just love it and wanted to see it again.

Ball gown and Going to London

    

Work, work and more work. That seems to be what writing is all about. It seems I get an idea and then expand upon it and then bring it all together. I read it over multiple times until I feel every word brings the scene and the plot into focus. I move on to the next scene. However, when it is finished it really is only a skeleton of what the finished product will actually look like.

I wonder if the highs and lows of writing are what perfects what you see in your mind onto what actually ends up on the sheet of paper.

One minute I love writing and in the next I actually despise it. But no matter what feelings I have - I keep coming back, keep reading over what I've written and keep finding words to change.

But the most exciting news of all is that I'm going to London in January. I am so excited. I've read so much about London. To walk along the streets of the novels I love. To breathe the air and to see the sights. I'm going with my sister and the two of us will have such a wonderful time.          Until next week.

Writing

I am so eager to finish working on my novel "A Series of Scandals" so that I can start working on the next book. Which would only put me at square one again. I'm not sure why I feel like I need to start a new book when I'm clearly so close to the end. I should want to complete what I have started. And  I will. However . . .

I think it might be that I like the chaos of just sitting down and writing scenes and incidents. I like trying to complete the picture without knowing what exactly it looks like. My daughter sent me pictures from our trip to Leaville. I think the one below is how I feel when I first start writing a new story.

It's all tangled and has its own kind of beauty. As opposed to where I am now -  fine tuning words, times and places. Everything is in place. Everything is balanced purposefully so that a person who picks up the book can make sense of it. It has its own beauty.

More like this picture to the right.

Writing

We went up to Rocky Mountain National Park to see the Aspens changing colors. It is at the very beginning of the change so it was spectacular. We saw hidden lakes and mountain glaciers (snowy ice in crevices of mountains). My son and son-in-law hiked to one glacier and threw snowballs. I watched marvelling at the energy of youth.

  
But back to writing. I should get Chapter Three back later today from my editor. More work, I'm sure. But getting closer every day.  I had a friend read the entire book a couple of weeks ago. She told me she was compelled to stay up later than she wanted to keep reading it.

 Her comments inspired me to really work hard the following week to continue fixing sections to make it the best that it can be. She finished the book and said she enjoyed it. 

But I find it is not enough. It seems I want a continuous flow of people coming into the world my editor and I have created and become enthralled in this world.

I guess it is similar to re-decorating your home. You invite your closest friends and they marvel over it. But when they leave that is it. You need more. So you invite other people over, work friends, neighbors etc. 

All that hard work. But when it is all done, you really need to find that you have enjoyed it. The process and the project and now the knowledge that you actually achieved it.   

Day gown and the Logistics of Writing.

By my calculations, By February 2015, my editor and I will have reread each chapter of my novel making sure the characters stay true to who they are. The plot is clear. And the places the characters visit and reside in are correct. 

I've already found one logistical problem. I had a family walking to church from their square. However, even the most athletic could not turn an hour long trip into 15 minutes. 

This part is actually fun. Chapter One and Two are done. Onto Chapter Three.