Kind of ramble-y braindump and status · 7:14am Aug 6th, 2014
Writing this chapter has been a somewhat new experience to me. The flashback I've talked so much about is really its own story, which means that I have the opportunity to make all the sorts of edits to it that I'd normally make after the whole thing is complete—straightening out the arcs, making sure each note is hit well, and in this case... doing my best to make it not just its own story, because that's what's really important, and that's my greatest fear. The chapter MUST serve the overall story of Sharing the Night, or it will have failed at its purpose.
It's funny, actually, how similar this flashback is to writing a much longer story. I'm well aware that the mood and direction of Sharing the Night has... wandered a bit as it has grown into its own and well above my original plans. You wouldn't think that something the length of a one-shot could be similar, but I went into it with absolutely no idea what the final form of the story would be. Phrases that I threw out carelessly in the first scene became lynchpins of characters' personalities, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That's just how I write, and it's been very interesting seeing it happen so dramatically on such a short scale.
Still, it's not without its problems. I've had to go back and tweak a lot to make sure it's all in line with the direction of the piece, find a way introduce character characteristics that didn't exist the first time I wrote the introductory scene, etc, all the while asking myself, "is this story really something I want embedded into Sharing the Night?" In the end, I have to say yes, not just because I've spent so much time on it, but because, while not every point that I wanted to get across is revealed particularly smoothly, they are still there, and they do serve the story as a whole, in my mind.
As of tonight, this... "chapter"—meaning all the prose that I have written and not yet published, because I haven't yet decided if and where to split it—is 16,000 words (emphasized for those who clicked this post only for that information—I know you're out there). It may not sound like much considering I've already surpassed the two month mark—which I didn't want to do—but as I said, quite a bit of that effort has gone into editing and fixing. Make no mistake, I've been typing new words fairly regularly, they've just been coming at the cost of some of the old ones.
Far more importantly, the state of those words is that of a chapter nearing completion, I think. I have two or three bits that I'm still not happy with, and then I need to write the very last scene of the "chapter," and of course, decide on that designation. As it is, I won't get to the point I had initially planned, which means I will have lied when I claimed that Celestia would get some resolution in the next chapter, but I'm okay with that. It's better this way, really. The revelation I had initially planned to stop at is still a half a chapter away at best, and I've come to realize that I want it separated from this one for the sake of pacing regardless.
Just remember, I want it done as much as everyone else. Honestly, I've made too many vague, self-deprecating blog posts about this one (or two) chapter(s) as it is. Ironically, I might take some time after this to finish up one of my one-shots I have lying around... No, don't ask me how that works, I know it doesn't make sense, but for all that the middle half of what I've written is a story within a story, it's the fear of ruining Sharing the Night that makes it so stressful.
I'm looking forward to it.
2347766
Well that makes one of us
No, but seriously, I appreciate that. I really do. I know I've not exactly been instilling confidence in it, the way I talk about it.
Absolutely nothing wrong with doing a few one shots before jumping back into your longer stories. You run the risk of burning out on a story if you don't, and I don't think many of us would begrudge you for that.
Some will, but they are jerks.
Slow? At nearly 8,000 words a month you're up there with many professional authors. That's a decently-sized novel in a year.
2347771
What you have done a good job of instilling with your blogposts, however, is curiosity. The rest of Sharing the Night brought the confidence.
No matter how big, or small. the update is something I am certainly going to enjoy reading.
Is the only two words I needed to read. I bloody love flash back chapters! Most of the flash back chapters of various stories that I've read go into the characters background. Even though these are the characters from the show, this is an alternate universe sort of fic. ANYTHING could have happened to the characters in their past, I, sir, am waiting to delve into your character's psyche!
Aww yeah, I cannot wait.
Really looking forward to reading the next chapter.
2347805
Oh how I wish this were true—but there's a lot more to pubnishing a novel a year than what is, essentially, a first draft. Sure I'm spending time editing this one chapter, but smoothing. out an entire book is another beast entirely.
2347886
Well, this is awkward... the flashback in question is actually not technically about any of the actual characters I have introduced as of yet... exactly.
2350440
I was accounting for you spending at least as long editing as writing actually. A novel in 15 months is pretty common for many authors. If you spent half that time writing, you'd have 60,000 words. That's a fine length for a novel. However, I don't believe you write full-time, so in that context it's quite impressive.
2350440 Oh well, I'm still waiting. It will be interesting to see what character you decide to add into the wonderful story that is 'Sharing The Night'.