wordwhacker

On Thursday night I finally sent in the first completed draft of the horror audio play (code name: "Broke Open"). It is definitely a work in progress, but I feel like I've taken it as far as I can given my current level of experience and skill in writing audio plays (read: next to none.) Some plot and structural elements are nagging at me and I'm hoping that I will get some feedback that will confirm my suspicions and help me figure out how to resolve them.

I am... "happy" doesn't quite cover it, because I am NEVER happy about anything that I know isn't pretty much perfect. But because this way lies madness, I am calling myself "satisfied given the context" and dusting my hands of it for a bit. And in terms of actually having researched / worked through / actually written this thing, I am definitely happy with myself. At least a dozen times in the past two weeks I decided that I was a talentless hack who isn't kidding anyone, just give up now you loser, who are you trying to fool anyway? But I kept working at it, and overcame some of the hurdles, and wound up with something that at LEAST has some promise. And I guess we'll see where it goes from there.

Now I'm going to do a bit of prep work for the weekly story, which will be a bit more substantial than the past couple of weeks', even though I have enjoyed the relative break from outlining, brainstorming, etc. It's still going to be something of a speed-write and thus a kind of larval story (dude, 90% of the stuff on this journal is in that state right now), but I think it's going to be fun to write. Especially after two weeks of straight-up dialogue.

[EDIT:] The story is written - this week's half of it, anyway. Will write the second half for next week, and I'll post both parts then. It's Portal fanfiction! Fun!

My deadline for finishing the first draft of the horror audio play is end of day Tuesday. I'm slightly blitzed for lack of sleep today, but I'm still going to put a couple hours into fleshing out my outline, working on some of the characters, and doing a bit of research and decision making re: the setting and some plot elements. I basically want to end today ready to hide away somewhere and write the script tomorrow.

Tomorrow: I write the script. In its entirety. I make notes as I go of character/storyline/setting stuff that I need to work on, but I'm not going to obsess over this stuff. At the end of the day I'll have a very rough but COMPLETE script with the words "THE FRIGGIN' END" at the bottom of the last page.

Tuesday: Work out the kinks identified during Monday's speed write. Edit the script / rework as much as makes sense on the day. We're still talking about a first draft, so I'm not going to go overboard, but I want to be in a good position to have someone read it and give me some feedback on where to go with it next. I basically want to feel like I've thrown myself at it with as much gusto as I can muster on my own.

All right, time for less rambling and more writing. SCRIPTRAVAGANZA BEGINS!

Written for word 123 over at 15_minute_fic.

I wanted to write something that was heavy on description this week, as a change of pace. So... I did. Yep.


( Wood and Mud - flash, 385 words )

Written for Word #122 over at 15_minute_fic.

Not terribly thrilled with this one, but hey - 15 minutes is 15 minutes, and I don't want to write quirky relationship goofiness EVERY time.


( A Story for Readers - flash, 300 words )

Written for Word #121 over at 15_minute_fic.


( At Least - flash, 469 words )

As much as I am enjoying the frenetic (and usually VERY last minute) challenge of tamingthemuse every week, I am realizing that I need to have some structured, dedicated writing time (not just a stolen few hours at work.) With that in mind, here are my goals through to the end of September:

• Continue writing every week for tamingthemuse, but be better prepared for it. Brainstorm / outline over the weekend, and then take two dedicated hours during every work shift to write (more on the last night if necessary.)


• Spend at least an hour and a half over the weekend doing editing work on an older story. The newer, tender ones need time to set before they're toyed with.


• READ MORE. SERIOUSLY. You like reading. What's the hold up? The internet is not your only toy at work, you know. Read a short story every other night, and get a novel on the go.


• Read and critique at least two stories per week on Critique Circle. Experiment with different genres.

I'm hitting about 60% of July's goals. I'm cutting "finish the lingering play" off, because I don't really know where I'm going with it. As for editing the other short plays, if I don't pick at them during my weekly editing time I'll make sure to put a specific push on in October. Before NaNo starts I need to have my material ready to submit to the theatre company next year. (Speaking of which: maybe it's time to start writing plays for tamingthemuse instead of short stories? What a concept!)

Written for Word #119 over at 15_minute_fic

( Had Me Going - flash, 343 words )

Written for Word #115 over at 15_minute_fic


( Voyeur - flash, 353 words )

At least once a week, I'm writing a 15 minute piece of fiction in response to a prompt of some kind, usually something from 15_minute_fic. These won't be friends locked. Going to catch up on a few of these now, as well as a couple of longer stories that I've been working on.

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Written for Word #117 over at 15_minute_fic


( Quiet Like the Dead - flash, 349 words )

Ahh yes, the same sad tune plays over and over again: I haven't updated in months. But not to worry! You're not missing out on anything, because I haven't written anything in months, either. So, you know. That solves THAT.

My general updates, in a nutshell:

• FREAKIN' GRADUATED. Rawk.


• Wrote 49 pages for Script Frenzy. Not a win, but a few completed short plays under my belt.


• Won an essay-writing contest for a paper I wrote last term. Had another potential winner this term, but couldn't submit because of the first win. (Oh noes! I'm so sad!)


• Submitted four stories to VOX. Had all of them published. Woot!


• Won (and generaly dominated) a photo context for VOX, too. Got 50$ for my troubles. Also Woot!


• Went to an English conference and presented a paper about Batman Begins.


• Directed a Tom Stoppard short play for school. Have also participated in some local theatre-type workshops, which has been fun.


• Played Hamlet. Rocked the world. Fulfilled a life-long dream.

Now in... less than eight hours, I'll be starting work at my old job at the giant computer company. I feel a little ambivalent about having made essentially NO progress in that regard, but it's a job with great pay (yay for debt reduction!), an awesome boss and good coworkers, and it's one that I already know how to do and which gives me the shift I need to keep my theatre prospects open. Um, yeah. The choice is kind of obvious.

The destruction of my debt is only one part of my plan for the coming year-and-four-months, though. Part of the reason I'm not going straight on to grad school is that I feel a bit burnt out on the academics and need to recharge other areas of my life. Playing various instruments, singing, acting, being more physically active... and, of course, ( reading and writing. Behold my master plans below the cut! )

I am really excited to have some time to devote to this stuff. Tomorrow is my official start date (and I should probably go the heck to bed, since I need to be up at HOLY CRAP AM for work.) I'll try to keep the minutae off of this journal, but expect more activity in general.