Friday, June 02, 2006

"If I fail, if I succeed..."

This familiar Whitney Houston lyric is my way of saying I've started a novel featuring C.J. Stone.

I'd put off a novel up to now claiming I didn't know enough about structure to write one. With the start of June, I decided to learn by doing. It will be a very organic process for me, first fishing for a premise with a free-write, then outlining as I come to know the plot.

I'm going to write as much of the story as I see each day, and if other projects arise from this, I'll work on them in the novel's slow spots. I'll also be reading to add to my subconscious storehouse. I'll blog reviews of what I read, and the usual silliness when I can find it. I won't blog novel updates unless I feel particularly proud of myself. This will be an addition, not a disruption to my day.

What better way to kill time while House, Bones, NCIS, and Smallville are in reruns?

6 comments:

Graham Powell said...

Good luck, Gerald, and just remember: you can't succeed without failing at some point. Or, to put it another way, life is like baseball: to get your strikes, you've got to risk your balls.

Stephen D. Rogers said...

Gerald,

If structure is your concern, I'd suggest McKee's STORY. I attended his seminar mid-novel, read the book, and listen to the audiobook. The novel improved immediately.

Stephen

Gerald So said...

Thanks, Graham. I find the busier I am, the more focused I have to be, so I'm looking forward to the experience.

I've been hunting for a copy of STORY for a while now. Thanks for the reminder, Stephen.

Dave White said...

About time!

Good for you, G.

John DuMond said...

Congrats on taking the plunge. Good luck, Gerald.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on taking the plunge. In addition to STORY, I'd highly recommend Syd Field's book SCREENPLAY. It wasnt until I read this book that I understood enough about structure to tackle a novel. Also, Carolyn Wheat's Killer Fiction is an amazing resource for writing mystery and suspense novels.