Wavedancer project: Intro
Apr. 27th, 2009 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valis2Index:
Wavedancer without commentary
Intro | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Conclusion
Wavedancer with commentary
Intro | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Conclusion
So. Between 95 and 96 I started writing a romance novel.
I was pretty excited by the concept. I was still working at Waldenhell, and romance was still a pretty big seller, and I thought I could write something interesting. I was in college, I'd finally committed to getting an English degree a few years before that, and I just really thought that this was the step I needed to take.
At that time I typed everything on my manual typewriter, including work for school, and after I had daydreamed sufficiently I began to type the beginnings of a romance novel, which I eventually named Wavedancer.
At the time I really didn't know which angle to take with the novel. I mean, seriously, I'd always heard 'write what you know,' but what did I know about?
In retrospect, I wish I had written a string of erotic vampire thrillers. But I digress.
What I knew about was fishing. I used to fish with my dad. We used to go on chartered fishing trips on Lake Erie. Eventually he got his own boat and we went on fishing trips together. So I knew about fishing.
At first I refused to even consider a romance novel about fishing. But then it grabbed my brain and would not let go. The whole time I was writing it, I knew in the back of my head that it was a terrible idea. No, really. In fact, I kept thinking up stupid titles and laughing about them. Chartered Love. Hooked by Love. Fishing for Love. Trolling for Love. Yeah, exactly.
But I couldn't stop writing. And then I started revising, which, on a manual typewriter, means you mark up your copies with your pen, and then you start at the beginning and retype it. Well, if you're obsessive like me. Eventually I started to worry that I'd picked the wrong tense, and then I wanted to make more revisions to it, and eventually I gave up--it was just too hard to revise once it hit the over thirty page mark. And I was so obsessive that I couldn't write more until it was revised.
I was attending BookExpos at the time, and I brought a copy with me, thinking I could hand it out, but I wasn't certain if that was how it happened or not. Sure enough, I talked to a rep at a romance publisher's booth, and she gave me this oh-god-no-please-don't-give-it-to-me look, one of utter terror, and I realized that here I was, one of those freebie-grubbing booksellers from a major chain trying to hand her a messy piece of an amateur manuscript, and I totally backed off and didn't bother showing it to anyone else at the Expo.
Thank goodness. Because now I read it, and I cringe at the manual typewriter look--some typos crossed out and written in, etc. It might not have been the worst thing that rep ever saw, but it was definitely in the amateur division, and it really shows.
Now that I'm rereading it, I can see some things so very clearly. So far this has been an interesting journey. And I hope some people will be interested in the process, which is why I'm sharing it.
Wavedancer is unfinished, and approximately 16,000 words long. I won't be finishing it. Or revising it. I will include a small summary of how it was supposed to end. I will be posting each section in two ways; as it was written, with all errors included except obvious typos, and a version with added commentary, which points out all of the various flaws and will contain observations about myself as a writer at the time, and my thoughts about how I've changed as a writer--or not. heh.
I really hope to gain some insights into how my writing has improved or not. I am totally open to constructive criticism. And don't worry about poking fun at it, seriously. That will make it all the more entertaining.
If you want to link to it at any point, please feel free. It's all unlocked, as all of my entries are.
I'll try to post every other day or so. I think there will be about fifteen parts total.
Wavedancer without commentary
Intro | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Conclusion
Wavedancer with commentary
Intro | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Conclusion
So. Between 95 and 96 I started writing a romance novel.
I was pretty excited by the concept. I was still working at Waldenhell, and romance was still a pretty big seller, and I thought I could write something interesting. I was in college, I'd finally committed to getting an English degree a few years before that, and I just really thought that this was the step I needed to take.
At that time I typed everything on my manual typewriter, including work for school, and after I had daydreamed sufficiently I began to type the beginnings of a romance novel, which I eventually named Wavedancer.
At the time I really didn't know which angle to take with the novel. I mean, seriously, I'd always heard 'write what you know,' but what did I know about?
In retrospect, I wish I had written a string of erotic vampire thrillers. But I digress.
What I knew about was fishing. I used to fish with my dad. We used to go on chartered fishing trips on Lake Erie. Eventually he got his own boat and we went on fishing trips together. So I knew about fishing.
At first I refused to even consider a romance novel about fishing. But then it grabbed my brain and would not let go. The whole time I was writing it, I knew in the back of my head that it was a terrible idea. No, really. In fact, I kept thinking up stupid titles and laughing about them. Chartered Love. Hooked by Love. Fishing for Love. Trolling for Love. Yeah, exactly.
But I couldn't stop writing. And then I started revising, which, on a manual typewriter, means you mark up your copies with your pen, and then you start at the beginning and retype it. Well, if you're obsessive like me. Eventually I started to worry that I'd picked the wrong tense, and then I wanted to make more revisions to it, and eventually I gave up--it was just too hard to revise once it hit the over thirty page mark. And I was so obsessive that I couldn't write more until it was revised.
I was attending BookExpos at the time, and I brought a copy with me, thinking I could hand it out, but I wasn't certain if that was how it happened or not. Sure enough, I talked to a rep at a romance publisher's booth, and she gave me this oh-god-no-please-don't-give-it-to-me look, one of utter terror, and I realized that here I was, one of those freebie-grubbing booksellers from a major chain trying to hand her a messy piece of an amateur manuscript, and I totally backed off and didn't bother showing it to anyone else at the Expo.
Thank goodness. Because now I read it, and I cringe at the manual typewriter look--some typos crossed out and written in, etc. It might not have been the worst thing that rep ever saw, but it was definitely in the amateur division, and it really shows.
Now that I'm rereading it, I can see some things so very clearly. So far this has been an interesting journey. And I hope some people will be interested in the process, which is why I'm sharing it.
Wavedancer is unfinished, and approximately 16,000 words long. I won't be finishing it. Or revising it. I will include a small summary of how it was supposed to end. I will be posting each section in two ways; as it was written, with all errors included except obvious typos, and a version with added commentary, which points out all of the various flaws and will contain observations about myself as a writer at the time, and my thoughts about how I've changed as a writer--or not. heh.
I really hope to gain some insights into how my writing has improved or not. I am totally open to constructive criticism. And don't worry about poking fun at it, seriously. That will make it all the more entertaining.
If you want to link to it at any point, please feel free. It's all unlocked, as all of my entries are.
I'll try to post every other day or so. I think there will be about fifteen parts total.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-27 04:22 pm (UTC)I think its wonderful that you're doing this - I wish I could find the romance novel I wrote (and actually finished!) when I was 11 or 12. Heh, even the idea of it makes me cringe. It featured me! + the members of NKOTB. But, I was not a Mary Sue - I really was a decent basketball player back then ;)
I'm mostly looking forward to your commentary and navel-gazing. *is fascinated by writing process of others*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-27 04:26 pm (UTC)heh. I love writing with a computer, and I love the internet so much--how the hell did we do any of this before Google? Seriously.
I am pretty impressed with my spelling, though, considering I had no spellchecker to rely on. There are only a few mistakes that I've seen so far. heh.
I think its wonderful that you're doing this - I wish I could find the romance novel I wrote (and actually finished!) when I was 11 or 12. Heh, even the idea of it makes me cringe. It featured me! + the members of NKOTB. But, I was not a Mary Sue - I really was a decent basketball player back then ;)
OMG YAY! That sounds like so much fun!! Seriously, I love some of this stuff--I love revisiting the old daydreams, y'know? hee!
I'm mostly looking forward to your commentary and navel-gazing. *is fascinated by writing process of others*
Oh, awesome! I'm so glad, because this is taking a small chunk of time, and even though it would be totally worth it if no one read it, it would still be nice to hear other opinions. I'm so looking forward to hearing what you think about it! :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-27 04:28 pm (UTC)