Friday, June 20, 2008

a few words on words

remember how i sort of mentioned i've started a new story? at that point, i'd written 292 words. i've been so busy, it's been hard to get out much else until yesterday, when things seemed to have slowed a bit. and between now and then i've written another 2397 words, putting me at 2689 words in around 6 hours.

that may not sound like a lot, but considering the snail's pace of my other book, this is lightning fast. it helps that i don't have to research much; i am borrowing history from several people i know, but mostly pilfering my own life to come up with a sordid bit of fiction. and yes i'm changing tons of details, protecting the not so innocent.

another oddity, for me, is stumbling into using first person instead of third (i did vs. heather did), and wow...first person is powerful, when you're talking about something painful. the emotional weight of one scene made me a little nauseous; i had to stop a couple times. i suppose that bodes well for it grabbing a reader's interest...

meantime i'm dredging up memories (mine and borrowed), and it's making me feel weird about the next time i see my parents. min says, maybe this is your way of dealing with some of your past. maybe it is. i can tell it's good to do so, but damn is it intense.

5 comments:

Robin Reardon said...

Heather -- I know what you mean about writing in first person. I used to write in third, because I didn't think I'd be able to get the whole story across otherwise (in P1, you can't ever say anything that the protagonist wouldn't know, or describe anyone s/he didn't see). But once I started, I couldn't stop. I'm particularly fond of P1/present tense, despite the grammatical challenges inherent in it. My first novel, A SECRET EDGE, is in P1 present. The second one, THINKING STRAIGHT, is some of each.

I'm completely spoiled, now. Don't know if I'll ever write in narrative again! Whichever you choose, you go, girl!

heather said...

thanks robin! in a way, it's intimidating. will be interesting to see if i grow to love it. :)

Capricorn Cringe said...

I think first person is interesting in that it's really only one side of the story. With third person you can show the other points of view and it allows for more detailed scene-setting (for lack of a better word).

On the other hand, I don't think it matters if you tell the story in first or third person. Writing is at its most powerful when it is dead honest.

heather said...

that's a good point, cc. to be honest i'm realizing i may want another POV in the story already, and am not sure if i'll have them be 1st as well or what. the joys of being organic, i guess..

Dharma said...

Good on you for writing so much.
Yes first person is very different. Even as the writer it's easier to be distant writing 3rd person when it would make for better writing to be "in it" regardless of the format.