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What are you writing about now?

I'm a member of a local, in-person writer's group. Last week I suggested the following exercise for us to try out.

1) Choose a scene in our books that we are NOT happy with. We know it isn't right, but we don't know how to fix it.
2) Print copies for the next meeting.
3) Fill out a Scene Quality Control Checklist for the scene (sample checklist attached).
4) If doing so gives you inspiration on how to fix the scene, do so!
5) Highlight the changes you made to the scene and print copies for the next meeting.
6) Discuss why you changed what you did.

I picked a one-scene chapter that I've been unhappy with from day one. And equally clueless about what to do to fix it.
I filled out the checklist. I have to admit there were very few check marks in that list. Simply put, it failed almost all the things to check.
(Yes, it was that bad.)
But the process gave me an idea. One of the things to check is whether the scene should even exist! It turns out that the absolutely essential information in this scene was also present two scenes later and in an excellent story format. So, I didn't need to re-write it, I needed to toss it. Woot!

But that left me with a problem. My book is organized into sections. Each section has a "section page" which consists of a title for the section and one or two brief "quotations" from "historical sources", followed by multiple chapters in that section. I've found this a useful way of setting the tone/topic of the group of chapters and slip in a tad of exposition in a painless and interesting manner.

My problem was, now that I tossed the scene (which was a 1 scene chapter), the section it was in now only had one chapter in it. What to do?
I realized two things. (1), the remaining chapter could be added to the end of the last section. It was not a perfect fit, but it was definitely a good-enough fit. So, I could just remove the section page entirely.

But, (2), what should I do with the quotation, which was brief excerpt from a letter. Toss it? I could, but I really liked the except. What to do?
Then, I remembered I had a scene two chapters earlier. It was a transition scene that imparted useful info with as few words as possible. 3 short paragraphs, styled as an entry into the record of a royal council meeting. That meeting had discussed what to do about this letter, but the transition scene was just a record of the decision made.

That gave me the solution. Rewrite the transition scene as a proper scene, and have the king read the excerpts of the letter in the council meeting. Have some disagreement about what to do.

In short, the exercise helped me (a) toss a dull scene that was not needed, (b) immensely improve a dull scene, and (c) simplify the structure of my book by consolidating two sections of chapters. I'm pleased with the results for the effort expended.
 

Attachments

  • Scene Checklist.pdf
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Finished the causality analysis of the 2nd tale, The Forest Maiden. I came up with a number of ideas to tighten up the causality. I'll likely come up with more as I work with it. Now I have to go implement those ideas.

As an additional benefit, I now have a list of scenes. So, I can go through the scene checklist document on each scene and check off the scenes as revised in my causality document.

I suspect this will take several weeks, but I think the results will be worth it.

FYI - a word to the wise. Making such a document after the full manuscript is written is a long and tedious process. It took 46 pages to make the causality analysis document on the 35 chapters of the second tale in Book 1. There are 17 chapters in the first tale, Emissary of the Valar.

My advice is to add to the document as you add each scene. Put in your intended causations. Ditto for the scene quality checklist. Jot down any ideas the two documents prompt. Then write the scene, then update both documents to see if you get any more ideas on how to improve them. I'll be doing that going forward.

I also contacted one of the software vendors I use for writing my stories and suggested ways to build a user-customizable version of this process into their tool. (It would save me having to do a lot of paperwork and drudgework!) They were receptive. I'll contact the other vendors, too.
 
There are 120 scenes in the 35 chapters of the tale of The Forest Maiden.

Went through Scene #1 last evening.

First, I checked the scene causality check document for any notes I had, or could think up on the spot as I did so.

Then I went through the scene checklist and found a few things to add - references to all five senses, for example. This scene didn't need a lot of work. (Others certainly will!)

Then I searched for echoes and repeats. Software tools are very helpful for this.

A repeat is a phrase that is used multiple times. If the number is high, I often need more variation in my wording. Often, not always! For example, in one chapter, I have a sea-shanty that has a chorus. Let me tell you, that chorus phrase is used a lot in that chapter!

An echo is a word or phrase used in close proximity to another use of that same word or phrase. I'm particularly prone to this, especially when writing rapidly. Aside from being repetitive, it's often redundant. Found and fixed a number of these problems.

Then I ran a style check. Didn't find much (as expected) because I did this before. It looks for adverbs, passive verbs, etc. Again, software is helpful here!

At the end, I ran a grammar check.

The wording is tighter and has more punch.

On to scene #2 this morning!
 
Book 1, Tale 2, Chapter 2, Scene 1, 3 and 4 have been slower going. Needed to switch them from past-tense to present tense, along iwth the other edits.

I've been removing lots of echoes and repeats, either rewording them when I want to keep what's written, or deleting them when I realize there is a redundancy.

On a much more fun side, I reworked the author signature and harp rivet designs and 3d printed them. Have a casting buddy or 2 coming over Tuesday. I'm going to cast the medalions and letters for Book 4 also, but I need to work on the 3d designs. I'll do that in the morning and print in the afternoon and evening.

And, on another fun note, I've started some more illustrations of my own.

I'm partway through a simple wingless wyrm in the style of Pauline Baynes. I want it to be an homage to her artwork as Tolkien loved her illustrations so much. I've also got a line-drawing outline of a character in a magical gown, an outline of a prisoner splayed out on the ground, and part of a new chapter heading page framework. Plus bits of foliage and such that can be put in that frame or elsewhere. Lots of work to do on them still, but I made good progress.
 
david_wendelken said:
What are you all up to? Problems you're facing? Solutions you've found?

Enquiring minds want to know!
Click to expand...
I have so much to share...I'll do a bit from each project.

I have a very difficult time maintaining progress on projects I've begun, so writing is a slow and roundabout work, but I've managed to find ways to keep myself going on all the projects I've started, a bit at a time. I usually rotate between each, giving myself that feeling of starting again, and I confess I feed on the comments of others whom I share my stories with for extra motivation.

Anyway: project Amandil is still going. Slowly, and with many stall and starts and hiccups, but it's still on, and I'm almost done with a particular phase of it. I have a clear way forward, and that really helps.

Project On Behalf of the Dead: I'm starting the next chapter, trying to ignore the feeling of going too slowly. Plot moves along. It is a fanfiction, after all, and mostly written for fun.

There are other projects I have outside this website, so I'll list those at a bit more length and provide some context with them. One is a fanfic on Wattpad concerning the video game Shadow of Mordor(though the game is not exactly canon-accurate to Lord of the Rings, it and its predecessor are still my favorite Middle-earth games I have ever come across). In this story, I switch between the perspectives of three main characters: a man(Talion, the true main character), and two OC orcs(I have several orcs I made up for this story and I'm proud to say these are my best explorations so far in making original characters and putting them on paper(so to speak). Their names are Ronk and Hagra). The story follows the plot of the game to a degree, but with a lot more involvement with the orcs, an exploration of orc culture, and how one man's quest for retribution changed Mordor forever and even altered the fate of Middle Earth, allowing Frodo and Sam's victory at Mount Doom.
There's a lot to say on that score, but the above is the basics.

Original story: Ladder to the heavens. A very symbolic story about a man who, for various personal reasons, is compelled to find mythical sources of power and take them for himself. He wishes to become the most powerful of all the gods of old, and he chases this dream with everything he's got. I've never written a manipulative main character before, except for a villain, so trying to make this guy relatable and sympathetic while also hinting at his true moral degredation is a fascinating exercise and helps me develop as a writer.

For now, the last active project: this one doesn't have a name yet, but it's developing for all that. Anyone who has played Dnd or heard others talk about it will probably be familiar with its classes: paladin, rogue, bard, warlock, wizard, etc. These classes each have stereotypes and interpretations which are usually attributed to them. I am generally left feeling dissatisfied because I feel like these classes(taken outside their statistics and the game mechanics) have a lot of potential as characters, but not a lot of people I have personally heard of or encountered seem inclined to take these classes seriously enough to make really good, solid characters. So I'm making a story about the classes. A paladin and a rogue serve as my central main characters, a wizard and a warlock as my antagonists. I'll have characters for each class, and each will be an exploration of how differently each class may be played. To give you guys a better idea of what I'm talking about, I'll copy-paste some of my character notes below.



{Characters besides Gareth(my paladin) and Grim(my rogue):

Bard/Warlock couple. Good guys. Warlock serves an old, powerful elf, who seeks to learn how to open the mind to interact with the world in more profound ways than are ordinarily possible for mortals. Warlock is the study subject, and muse for the Bard, who seeks to be the translator between his wife and the rest of the world, so she may not be entirely cut off and misunderstood.

Autistic Barbarian. Has rage issues when people mess with him. Obsession: rules of noble swordfighting across countries.

Oathbreaker Paladin, but became Blood Hunter to free himself from his own desires. Helps with mission because he believes magic to be a kind of corruption, so of course he wants to stop another dimension being formed with magic being everywhere. Believer in "all-is-one, deny the flesh and grow".

Artificer who lives on the edge of one of the only villages whose bakery produces peanut butter brownies with apple slices on top. This is his favorite food. Loves to ramble aloud about the intricacies of his work, and will only be quiet for brownies. Very useful, but kind of absorbed in his work. Probably only shows up for the fashioning of the artifact the main cast needs(the radioactive bowl??)

Druid who is a gardener. Loves working on plants, experimenting with plants, tending plants, collecting plants, fashioning things from plants, etc. Lives in the woods and took up service to the forest to maintain her obsession. Looks like a cottagecore spinster with a happy hobby.

Sorcerer child(14-16 years old), burdened with glorious purpose by a prophesy. Has no teacher to help them manage their magic, but is looking for one. Finds a family in Grim and Gareth's party. Discovers the prophesy was a lie to get the child with potentially deadly magic to leave the village.

Female paladin who serves eldritch being of madness, power, and horror. Fun concept to play with >:}
An eldritch creature who deals in stories, and the more new stories they are told, the more powerful they grow. Their paladin's responsibility is to go find or create stories to feed them. The more epic the story, the bigger the boost. "Go forth, teller of tales, and seize whatever the heart longs for. Have no fear; everything exists, and everything is true, and the earth is only a little dust under our feet." Nothing matters more to this paladin than serving her deity by fashioning events to create a masterful story to feed her deity all at once. The result of this power boost is both unknown and of little consequence to the paladin; she serves.

------

Antagonists:
Wizard-Warlock(Patron-Employee(??)).

Warlock: seeks vengeance for himself and those he still has left to care about. Once he was a Paladin, but in the course of his duty, he lost people he loved and he broke his Oath. Then he became a Warlock later, to a wizard who promised she could wreak vengeance on his enemies if he would do what she asked. He is responsible for instigating the Troll's revenge on the Paladins.
He hates Gareth especially, because Gareth has suffered a loss similar to his own twice, and still has not broken his Oath or turned his back on his God. Gareth remains true, and so the Warlock determines to make him a crowning sacrifice for the Wizard's spell.
(He dies: gun? Last-ditch effort.)

Wizard: very old, constantly studies magic, perceives herself and all others to be tools and/or channels of magic, basically existing to work with, comprehend, and express it. She wanted to learn every type of magic there was to learn; she wanted to study and understand the fundamental rules of magic, but certain forms were inaccessible to her, especially Sorcerer spells. Eventually, in her power and need, she chose to try to create an alternate plane where the rules of magic could be more flexible. The life, various magics, and purity of devotion of the Paladins feeds an aspect of her spell, with others to follow as she weaves her enormous ritual.
She lied to the Warlock(partially). She has no interest in dealing with his enemies beyond how useful he is to her. Once he has fulfilled his purpose, he may live as he chooses, as long as he leaves her alone.
(She dies: radioactive rock/bowl which kills her quickly. Possible self-sacrifice of cook/servant who wants the party to succeed. Cook/servant's motives discovered through assistant who is later adopted by Gareth.)}

The hardest part about this story is I mean to make it one where worship of the Lord exists, which means a world with only humans, and where magic is an expression of how the world works(atoms coming together to create a shield, etc, magic is an extension of the weilder's will, etc). Gareth, the paladin, is a Christian, and though Grim is not, he as a character has great potential for becoming one. This story is an exploration of the price of kindness and of deep friendship beyond what we usually see in modern societies, but hear about in old tales such as Beowulf, where characters may form strong bonds after only a few days of knowing each other.



I was mistaken, there is one last project. King Arthur has been a passion of mine right alongside Middle-earth, and though I don't have a lot of time left(I must get to studies), I'll say this: I plan to make my own version of the legend not based on Malory, because I've grown to despise the Malory legend and the awful stories it upholds(Lancelot and Guinivere is a prime example). I'll be basing mine in Welsh tales, the oldest we know of, and my story, while the plot is as yet not fully known to me, will have much to do with recreating characters who are more complex and in many ways more admirable than the ones we've been popularly consuming.

Alright, that's it for me. Must go study :)

Thanks for the question.
 
david_wendelken said:
What are you all up to? Problems you're facing? Solutions you've found?

Enquiring minds want to know!
Click to expand...
While I have many ideas in my mind, writing is very slow to come for me. I do currently have a few different works-in-progress though, all with Fingon as the main character.

On Ao3 back in November, I posted the first two chapters of a 3-part story. It's a fanfic giving Fingon's perspective to an event which happened in an old RP I read. I'd written the first two chapters a couple years ago, and most of the final chapter is written or planned out, but I'm still trying to figure out how exactly to resolve things. This is the second story I've published, after Stars. I may eventually post it here on TTF too.

Another large-scale fanfic I'm working on is an AU where things go horribly wrong for Fingon when he goes to rescue Maedhros. It includes elements of classic monster horror stories (especially Dracula), which gives it a darker feel. Whether it will ever see the light of day as a published story, who knows? It's certainly a goal, but it will likely be months or years before anything happens. Most of it is like a very detailed screenplay, vs. being in full prose. It still reads like a story, but it's not the complete final version. Most of my stories make it to this stage and no further, as I struggle to fully visualize my stories enough to put them into words, but it's more for my entertainment anyhow. It lives in my mind all the time and I find much fun in acting it all out.

I decided this story may feel too dark for some readers though, so I decided to create an alternate version of it on the side. It's a one-shot with a lighter tone, following the beginning of the other story but then diverging from there. Two alternate routes from the same beginning, one dark and grim and the other less serious, though still following the storyline of the Thangorodrim rescue. This one has a higher chance of being published since it's shorter, but I'm still working things out.

On the other end of the tone spectrum, I have the beginning ideas for a sweeter short story, sharing the growing relationship between Fingon and Nyarindë, the elleth who he will eventually marry, as they spend an evening together.

Overall, I do more thinking than any actual writing, but it's still fun, and like I mentioned above, I go through and act everything out, so I get the additional enjoyment of physically being in the story as Fingon (and experiencing whatever I put him through 🙃). This also helps me with my writing, so it's two-fold. It's difficult to plot everything out moment-to-moment and to understand the depths of different characters and their thoughts and motivations, so trying to "live it out" jogs my thought-processes more.
 
Lovely to read what you guys have been up to. ☺️
It's something I find encouraging: seeing people being creative and finding joy in it.

I'm not currently writing anything, as I have recently started a new job, and am still adjusting to the changes this brings to my daily routine.

But lately I have been thinking more about this story I wrote when I was almost 18 years old, and the world I built for it, with astonishing speed and ease. Like it just burst out of my head largely fully formed, not needing much adjustment in terms of internal consistency.
It is supposed to have the feel of a fantasy or legend, so that does help: no hard rules or specific measurements, only consistency in descriptions and consistency in narrative and 'feel'/atmosphere are needed.

The story was almost 10,000 words, which was likely the most I had ever written for a single story at that time. After I finished it, I had the thought that it was not complete, and should have two other parts. I started writing the second part, and wrote extensive notes for how this and the third part should go. So the whole story is there, I just haven't polished it into full written form yet.

I paused this project back in 2023, I think. But as it's been coming back to mind now and then recently, I've been wondering if it's something I want to continue working on soon. The second part is already much longer than the first, even with most of it still being in note form. And the third part will likely be the same.
But thanks to working on and completing my two Silmarillion fanfictions (The Works of Curufinwë and I Will Hold Your Hand Again), which together are over 70,500 words, I think I have grown in stamina, and working on a long story doesn't seem so daunting anymore, should I choose to continue writing soon. It's no longer uncharted territory.
 
Server Room Gremlin said:
Lovely to read what you guys have been up to. ☺️
It's something I find encouraging: seeing people being creative and finding joy in it.

I'm not currently writing anything, as I have recently started a new job, and am still adjusting to the changes this brings to my daily routine.

But lately I have been thinking more about this story I wrote when I was almost 18 years old, and the world I built for it, with astonishing speed and ease. Like it just burst out of my head largely fully formed, not needing much adjustment in terms of internal consistency.
It is supposed to have the feel of a fantasy or legend, so that does help: no hard rules or specific measurements, only consistency in descriptions and consistency in narrative and 'feel'/atmosphere are needed.

The story was almost 10,000 words, which was likely the most I had ever written for a single story at that time. After I finished it, I had the thought that it was not complete, and should have two other parts. I started writing the second part, and wrote extensive notes for how this and the third part should go. So the whole story is there, I just haven't polished it into full written form yet.

I paused this project back in 2023, I think. But as it's been coming back to mind now and then recently, I've been wondering if it's something I want to continue working on soon. The second part is already much longer than the first, even with most of it still being in note form. And the third part will likely be the same.
But thanks to working on and completing my two Silmarillion fanfictions (The Works of Curufinwë and I Will Hold Your Hand Again), which together are over 70,500 words, I think I have grown in stamina, and working on a long story doesn't seem so daunting anymore, should I choose to continue writing soon. It's no longer uncharted territory.
Click to expand...
I personally would love to see more of this story if you decided you wanted to post it somewhere. Original worlds are some of my favorite things to read from friends :)
 
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