Where I'm At: January 7, 2010
Jan. 7th, 2010 12:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pikestaffCurrent Word Count: 60,300 words. (I don't really have a goal for this, I just think it'll be fun to track.)
***
Current Reviews From Other People: I've yet to get a good solid in-depth review from anyone else, which I should probably fix at some point.
My 12-year-old sister has read a "polished first-draft" manuscript in its entirely and though I haven't talked to her personally, I have been informed that the book inspired her to a.) make fan characters for the setting, and b.) play Final Fantasy games. The jury is out on whether that last point is good or not...
My 15-year-old sister, last I checked, is somewhere in the middle of said polished first-draft and "likes it".
My boyfriend and a fellow blogging friend are both somewhere in the middle of said polished first-draft and both have given me positive (albeit rather superficial) reviews thus far.
My two main worries at this point, regarding peer review, are that a.) all the feedback I've gotten thus far has not been very specific, and b.) people seem to be taking an inordinately long time to read it. Both of these combined are making me nervous about the possibility that it's really not that great of a book and people are simply giving me nice sympathy reviews.
...but I'm probably just being paranoid.
Hopefully.
***
Where I'm Feeling Stuck In the Editing Process:
* The characters get very nicely from plot point to plot point but I worry that they're getting there too nicely and thus the reader won't be able to form much of a relationship with said characters. So, I really feel like the story really needs to be expanded somehow, but I'm not sure how to go about it. It just really reads like an abridged version to me and I don't like it that way.
* There are a couple plot points/concepts/motifs that need to be better wrapped up.
* I have a few ideas for scenes that I think should go into the book but I have no idea where to put them.
* There are some scenes that really need to be redone that I'm having massive editor's block with.
***
The To-Do List:
For anyone who hasn't read the story yet (aka pretty much everyone) this won't make any sense. However, it's here for my benefit more than anyone's, so!
This is a list that I pulled together a week or two back when I was just finishing up my first quick edit. As you can see, I haven't gotten very far since then...
* Need to include the photograph in other parts of the story!!
* Add details to Profferlink's story?
* Introduce the "smaller flying robotic contraptions" seen at the end of chapter three
* Reintroduce the glowing orb on top of Wingbender's tower
* Expand watch story
* Point out later that the Tempus Fugit has "responsive handling and quick acceleration" (page 44ish)
SORT OF DONE: * Expand intro? (to make Lyte more of a "farmboy")
* Add a bit with a zydekon kid or something at the end of chapter eight
* Fact check = how long was Sparktender working for the Corp
* Fix/expand Sparktender's speech on clockmaking factories
* Add a bit about floakling spies earlier in the story
* Introduce Sleetmixer as the butler's name earlier?
* Timeline?
* Does Wingbender take Amparium in small doses? (it gives him his "youthful appearance")
* Expand cave discovery
* Add cannons to the building process of the Tempus Fugit
* Name Suncaster's ship
* Mention the side tunnels earlier (the ones where Suncaster and Windshifter meet up)
* Dragon naming conventions, particularly last names, in regard to marriage, etc.
* Introduce Nogard rumors earlier in the book
* Introduce "monsters with glowing eyes" earlier in the book
* Introduce the telephone earlier in the book
DONE: * Change Profferlink's last name to Noranax? (somewhat less obvious)
* Does Rydeck have a family legacy also? (aka not just a Windshifter thing)
* Tie in the subplot with the watch factory and "machines having a soul" with Windshifter meeting his mother in the automatons room
* Also: ask Hailshaker if he feels the same way regarding airships.
When you're staring at a list that big, you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
Current Short-Term Goals:
Write an outline. Maybe the reason my book just feels "off" to me is because of the lack of an outline.
Fit various extra scenes into said outline.
And we'll go from there...
***
Current Reviews From Other People: I've yet to get a good solid in-depth review from anyone else, which I should probably fix at some point.
My 12-year-old sister has read a "polished first-draft" manuscript in its entirely and though I haven't talked to her personally, I have been informed that the book inspired her to a.) make fan characters for the setting, and b.) play Final Fantasy games. The jury is out on whether that last point is good or not...
My 15-year-old sister, last I checked, is somewhere in the middle of said polished first-draft and "likes it".
My boyfriend and a fellow blogging friend are both somewhere in the middle of said polished first-draft and both have given me positive (albeit rather superficial) reviews thus far.
My two main worries at this point, regarding peer review, are that a.) all the feedback I've gotten thus far has not been very specific, and b.) people seem to be taking an inordinately long time to read it. Both of these combined are making me nervous about the possibility that it's really not that great of a book and people are simply giving me nice sympathy reviews.
...but I'm probably just being paranoid.
Hopefully.
***
Where I'm Feeling Stuck In the Editing Process:
* The characters get very nicely from plot point to plot point but I worry that they're getting there too nicely and thus the reader won't be able to form much of a relationship with said characters. So, I really feel like the story really needs to be expanded somehow, but I'm not sure how to go about it. It just really reads like an abridged version to me and I don't like it that way.
* There are a couple plot points/concepts/motifs that need to be better wrapped up.
* I have a few ideas for scenes that I think should go into the book but I have no idea where to put them.
* There are some scenes that really need to be redone that I'm having massive editor's block with.
***
The To-Do List:
For anyone who hasn't read the story yet (aka pretty much everyone) this won't make any sense. However, it's here for my benefit more than anyone's, so!
This is a list that I pulled together a week or two back when I was just finishing up my first quick edit. As you can see, I haven't gotten very far since then...
* Need to include the photograph in other parts of the story!!
* Add details to Profferlink's story?
* Introduce the "smaller flying robotic contraptions" seen at the end of chapter three
* Reintroduce the glowing orb on top of Wingbender's tower
* Expand watch story
* Point out later that the Tempus Fugit has "responsive handling and quick acceleration" (page 44ish)
SORT OF DONE: * Expand intro? (to make Lyte more of a "farmboy")
* Add a bit with a zydekon kid or something at the end of chapter eight
* Fact check = how long was Sparktender working for the Corp
* Fix/expand Sparktender's speech on clockmaking factories
* Add a bit about floakling spies earlier in the story
* Introduce Sleetmixer as the butler's name earlier?
* Timeline?
* Does Wingbender take Amparium in small doses? (it gives him his "youthful appearance")
* Expand cave discovery
* Add cannons to the building process of the Tempus Fugit
* Name Suncaster's ship
* Mention the side tunnels earlier (the ones where Suncaster and Windshifter meet up)
* Dragon naming conventions, particularly last names, in regard to marriage, etc.
* Introduce Nogard rumors earlier in the book
* Introduce "monsters with glowing eyes" earlier in the book
* Introduce the telephone earlier in the book
DONE: * Change Profferlink's last name to Noranax? (somewhat less obvious)
* Does Rydeck have a family legacy also? (aka not just a Windshifter thing)
* Tie in the subplot with the watch factory and "machines having a soul" with Windshifter meeting his mother in the automatons room
* Also: ask Hailshaker if he feels the same way regarding airships.
When you're staring at a list that big, you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
Current Short-Term Goals:
Write an outline. Maybe the reason my book just feels "off" to me is because of the lack of an outline.
Fit various extra scenes into said outline.
And we'll go from there...
