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kolAnon is outside my house! Well, on the *way* to my house anyway. Aaaaah, so happy to see the 4-chan folks out in force. It isn't every day I get rick-rolled waiting for the light to change!
You might notice me being very excited the next few days. Well, the reason is simple-- I'm starting Wishes tomorrow! Putting off my novel_in_90 for so long has really dragged my spirits down, and I think it may be a small part of my I am so chronically unmotivated to finish things lately. Hopefully staying consistent and getting most of the manuscript finished by Fanime will help me channel some of the motivation into other aspects of my life, because I definitely need the help!
I am glad I waited writing Wishes, though, because I identified a HUGE problem with the original plot and saved myself a great deal of re-writes.
The core problem lay in the male protag (I refuse to name him Colin, because although I love the name is doesn't fit him -.-!), because as the novel was originally plotted out, he was the primary character. The three big turning points were centered around his motivations and his weaknesses, and the climax was all about him.
Except the novel isn't suppose to be about male protag, the whole thing is suppose to be about Jo.
So I sat down and did my plot diagram (mapping out the five turning points in the novel's Three Act Structure) and realized if I just switch who does what in the novel's climax, I actually fix the entire problem. Because it totally turns the main conflict in the novel away from the male protag's issues, and makes it all about Jo's growth as a person. She would *never* believe herself even capable of doing what she now does in the climax, and it really pushes her out of her base settling for whatever gives her the least conflict zone. Because a huge part of Jo's problem is for much of her life, Jo was content and really didn't want anything for herself, and her Wish powers only manifested when she began to realize she wanted more for herself. Which makes me really excited, because the role of magic in the novel has become the tool to help her figure out how to do it on her own rather than a lame deus ex machina.
And looking at the plot diagram, I can see right away that much of the male protag's issues can be written very neatly to mirror and compliment Jo's issues. The two sides of a coin interactions are what really drives me to write, which I think is why Spellbrooke/Catching Magic really worked so well and the sister novel Stomping Out Sparks failed spectacularly. Both could have used more prep work, but Catching Magic really rose above the material because Ava, Gwendolen, and Sam really had fascinating interactions with one another, and it was a trip realizing how they were all just perfect foils for one another.
And I can definitely see how Jo and male protag are going to have a lot of the same types of interactions. You know, once I figure out a name for the stupid character.
But beyond that, I feel very excited about this new project. Sure, I don't know everything about the novel, but at the same point there's this mystery going on that I really can't wait to solve.
I'm also feeling very positive about the month of March. I feel that I have a lot of things to do for the month, but I know I can do them! And having that list ready to go really will help me stay productive and is keeping me from feeling overwhelmed. The first two months of this year have not been very productive, but I'm just going to keep my eyes focused on the road ahead instead of staying in the pot holes.
You might notice me being very excited the next few days. Well, the reason is simple-- I'm starting Wishes tomorrow! Putting off my novel_in_90 for so long has really dragged my spirits down, and I think it may be a small part of my I am so chronically unmotivated to finish things lately. Hopefully staying consistent and getting most of the manuscript finished by Fanime will help me channel some of the motivation into other aspects of my life, because I definitely need the help!
I am glad I waited writing Wishes, though, because I identified a HUGE problem with the original plot and saved myself a great deal of re-writes.
The core problem lay in the male protag (I refuse to name him Colin, because although I love the name is doesn't fit him -.-!), because as the novel was originally plotted out, he was the primary character. The three big turning points were centered around his motivations and his weaknesses, and the climax was all about him.
Except the novel isn't suppose to be about male protag, the whole thing is suppose to be about Jo.
So I sat down and did my plot diagram (mapping out the five turning points in the novel's Three Act Structure) and realized if I just switch who does what in the novel's climax, I actually fix the entire problem. Because it totally turns the main conflict in the novel away from the male protag's issues, and makes it all about Jo's growth as a person. She would *never* believe herself even capable of doing what she now does in the climax, and it really pushes her out of her base settling for whatever gives her the least conflict zone. Because a huge part of Jo's problem is for much of her life, Jo was content and really didn't want anything for herself, and her Wish powers only manifested when she began to realize she wanted more for herself. Which makes me really excited, because the role of magic in the novel has become the tool to help her figure out how to do it on her own rather than a lame deus ex machina.
And looking at the plot diagram, I can see right away that much of the male protag's issues can be written very neatly to mirror and compliment Jo's issues. The two sides of a coin interactions are what really drives me to write, which I think is why Spellbrooke/Catching Magic really worked so well and the sister novel Stomping Out Sparks failed spectacularly. Both could have used more prep work, but Catching Magic really rose above the material because Ava, Gwendolen, and Sam really had fascinating interactions with one another, and it was a trip realizing how they were all just perfect foils for one another.
And I can definitely see how Jo and male protag are going to have a lot of the same types of interactions. You know, once I figure out a name for the stupid character.
But beyond that, I feel very excited about this new project. Sure, I don't know everything about the novel, but at the same point there's this mystery going on that I really can't wait to solve.
I'm also feeling very positive about the month of March. I feel that I have a lot of things to do for the month, but I know I can do them! And having that list ready to go really will help me stay productive and is keeping me from feeling overwhelmed. The first two months of this year have not been very productive, but I'm just going to keep my eyes focused on the road ahead instead of staying in the pot holes.
