Gone. That is the answer to that question and I am left with 55 pages of nothing. Sad times.
There isn't really an excuse except that I had uni work to do and that took priority and there were several other things going on that I had to deal with. All in all I'm disappointed but I'll get over it, you can't win all the time.
So what's next?
The next writing comp is JulNo and uni will be inished by then so we can see how that goes. Meanwhile between now and the end of May I'm worki ng on a piece of devised theatre (ugh!) for my end of year uni project. I'd love, love, love to go back to writing Rose Red but it's finding the time and being consistent.
I will of course try my hardest to keep blogging and updating how Rose Red is coming along.
Sarah xxx
- Feeling...:
cranky
Screnzy is over half way through but my comic is not. I’m at 31 pages and I should be at 50. 19 pages behind is bordering on the ridiculous. I’ve been contending with some last minute theatre research for my course and it’s getting me down. It will get even worse for the last two weeks when I’m back at uni. On the other hand, being alone in the house might mean I actually get some done. Though there is a takeaway exam on the cards for next semester.
Back to the comic. The spirits of my mythological beasts have been freed from their prison, they’ve made their way to the protagonists and the villains have made themselves known. It is dragging along. All I want is to get to the interesting bits! So the next few pages are going to be a slog. I knew that due to my inexperience it wasn’t going to be easy but I never realised it was going to be this hard.
It feels at the moment like my characters are struggling to get through but the good thing about this project is that I have time to develop them. Seeing as each “Chapter ” is around 20-25 pages long I only need around 10-15 more pages to wrap up chapter two. Chapter One was called Broken Promises and details a little bit of the background of the Beasts while Chapter Two is called Six Vessels referring to the six people with the spirits inside them. Chapter Three is as yet unnamed but I think I want to focus on Kyle and he hasn’t made an appearance in Chapter Two yet and isn’t going to meet up with the others while Chapter Four will reveal more about our baddies.
Lots to do, lots to do. I’ll leave you with a page detailing Robin’s transformation into the spirit of the Fury which is partially set off by her anger...
( Sneaky Peek )
One thing this has taught me is that after Screnzy is over I'm going to return to my JulNoWriMo attempt from last year "Snow White and Rose Red". At the moment I have no artistic skills and no one I can ask to draw this so it has little chance of becoming a reality whereas the only one responsible for a piece of prose is myself.
Sarahxxx
- Feeling...: aggravated
Hit the 20 pages mark!
However I still have catching up to do and I'm working tonight and going up to see Avenue Q for a uni project on Saturday AND working Sunday. That's 9 pages I'll need to catch up on :(
- Feeling...: annoyed
While I'm not setting a fiery pace I am writng fairly frequently and I'm doing roughly three pages everytime I sit down and write but I need o stretch myself a tad more.
Here are the first three pages of the script for you to see and I would love some feedback if anybody out there is reading.
( Chimera: Pages One to Three )
For those who are interested this is the latest writer's resource from the Screnzy homepage I found it really interesting as dialogue is something that I struggle with when my characters get themselves into some situations.
I also want to tell you guys about a webpage that I've been using for my research. Encyclopedia Mythica is an online encyclopedia (hence the name) completely devoted to mythology from all over the world. The articles are well written and easy to understand with links on names and places. As much as I adore Wikipedia, EM is tailored to the sort of research I need for Chimera and has been a vital asset. it's even helped influenced how the story will progress!
Hopefully I can get my page total past the 20 pages mark soon or will start to fall behind!
Sarah xxx
- Feeling...:
accomplished
I love the little articles that nano and Screnzy post, usually written by funny and insightful guest writers. Today's is no exception:
How to Write a Kick-Ass Protagonist by Xander Bennett
The advice contained within is awesome! I thouroughly enjoyed reading it and have taken on board some of the comments for my own Screnzy.
Speaking of which I am now at NINE PAGES! Victory cookies all around. I've written a brief plot outline that I will post later and I will need to fine tune things as I go along but all in all I am very pleased.
Back to entertaining family and eating my own weight in chocolate I go.
- Feeling...:
bouncy
The three TY plot bunnies are set up on my desk.
I only have six characters
I haven't planned out what's going to happen exactly.
However, I did wake up this morning knowing how it's going to start and what roughly happens.
It started yesterday and I have written NOTHING!
- Feeling...:
anxious
So much to do, so much to do. So why am I here, leisurely trawling through TV tropes and watching series one of Rome on DVD? Because writing is hard and procrastinating is easy.
However, I'm a planner at heart and whether it's in my head or in a word file I like to have pages of notes for me to refer to as I'm writing. So here is a little step by step guide on how I plan my own stories and yes I know this entry is just another way for me to put of planning...
There is a number of things you need to take into consideration before writing, no matter the genre or medium. These are the building blocks of your story and there needs to be depth and consistency to these building blocks in order for the audience to believe it.
Firstly is the characters. Every story needs well rounded characters, the characters are the link between the reader and what is going inside the story. I always like to use my characters as a starting point, coming up with their quirks, personalities and back stories before I start to think about the actual story that I'm writing. I love writing short bios for them and then building from there. for example, Chimera's six main characters each have a small bio with a brief synopsis of their character and the basic facts such as date of birth. It's always best to start at the beginning and work from there.
I always find that the next step is to flesh out the characters, think about things that may not be explicitly addressed in the piece but is part of their personality. Every little bit contributes to them as a character. A form like this might be useful as the more you write about your character the more you understand them.
Now we have our main cast give yourself a pat on the back. When coming up with secondary characters, I'll confess I don't always put the same amount of detail into them (Gasp!) but I still like to write out notes about them. A second confession hurtles towards you in the shape of the fact that I haven't reached this part yet and that's my biggest piece of advice.
Don't sweat it
Screnzy is supposed to be fun! I like planning ahead but if you don't then that's fine too :) Honestly, I envy people who can sit down and just start writing and finish off somewhere they are happily. I like charts and to at least have it all planned out in my head first. I'll change my mind seven or eight times before 1st April but I have learnt to live with myself.
At the moment have had three different ideas on the fantasy element of my comic. First they were specific creatures from different mythologies then they were specific creatures from Greek mythology and now I'm toying with generic Greek monsters. I also can't decide on who my villain is. There is a traitor in the group and it was going to be Kyle but that seems very straightforward and I want to mix it up. My feet and back ache from being at work all day and walking all around the Olympic village yesterday so I'm off to enjoy one of my favorite tools of inspiration a hot bath.
Seriously, I can't overstate how much stuff I have come up with in the bath, it's unreal.
Sarah xxx
- Feeling...:
tired
Screnzy is no mean feat. From personal experience I find it easier than Nano, which I really, really struggle with, but Screnzy is still difficult. It is keeping up the pace of the writing that I find it hard to deal with. I have a short attention span and find it hard to sit still for ages which is probably why I have never finished any piece of writing that wasn't a school or university project.
I also need to take into account the fact that this time last year I knew exactly what I was doing. Or I thought I did. over the course of April things did change. for example, one character (That I really liked) had to be left out another had to be added in and going back and re-reading shows me that some characters need much more time and some much less. That was a screenplay however, I have planned Chimera to be a set of graphic novels. This means there will be space and time to develop the characters and the storyline over a period of time. It also means I can bulk up secondary characters so they won't feel too 2D, a problem that I encountered last year with The Eternal City.
I loved The Eternal City and I planned to go back and finish the script and then hopefully edit it into a coherent movie script. I also toyed with the idea of re-writing it as a graphic novel but first things first.
I am itching to get started and only wish I had the drawing skills to illustrate it myself when it was finished. As it don't it probably means that Chimera won't be seeing the light of day for some time after Screnzy finished but it is something I feel I need to do.
I am off to work soon, a good way to occupy idle hands and this evening will be devoted to a plot outline that I will post later but I don't want to give too much of the story away just in case it does get made public one day.
Sarah xx
- Feeling...: restless
Yes boys and girls we finally have ourselves not only a primary cast but also our name! Chimera comes from the Greek mythological creature with the head of a goat, body of a lioness and a snake for a tail. And it breathed fire. I appealed for the help of my fellow Screnziers on the forums and Chimera was suggested as it can mean any creature made up of multiple parts which is great for my gang of six and their alter egos. The word Chimera can also mean hard to believe/understand so bonus points there.
Without further ado (drum roll please) I present the six (well five and a half I guess) main protagonists of Chimera!
Robin Hawker
Strong willed leader of the group. She has a prickly, sarcastic demeanour that hides her insecurities and she perceives herself as an ideal leader of the group as both her parents are scholars of the supernatural. It is easy for her to isolate others with her rough demeanor but working with the others softens her around the edges ever so slightly.
Lisa Morrisson
Attractive and dismissed as stuck up by most people, Lisa is actually quite quiet and introverted with a rough past. It is her ability to listen and to please people, as well as her looks that makes her popular. Though Robin initially takes against her, she gets along with Rosa very well. She is the sole guardian of her three younger siblings
Christine Jourdain
Bubbly and lighted hearted, Rosa is a hippie chick and mother of the group. Her father is a French doctor and her mother is an artist. Of the entire group she is the calmest and most rational. Her greatest skill is being able to mediate between people. In her spare time Rose loves cooking and gardening
Isaac Wilson
A practical joker with a slacker attitude, Isaac is as different from Robin as you can get he is also the one is most comfortable with his alternate form. Though it may seem at times that he isn’t taking things seriously, he does have a heroic side buried deep down.
Matthew Darby
A shy and awkward, Matt shuns confrontation of any sort and finds it hard adjusting to his ability at first but the mythological elements intrigue him and he is often the only one Robin will consult with in that respect. He is a former child prodigy who gave up any sort of specialist education and he is Isaac’s best friend and grows especially close to Lisa.
Kyle Kane
A sort of sixth ranger character, he joins the group later, having been exploring his powers on his own. The others generally regard him with a sense of suspicion as he is known to have a violent temper and an attitude problem. Whenever he opens his mouth all that comes out is sarcasm and insults.
I have list of the character's alter egos but I'm still toying with them. I wanted them to come from all areas of mythology with Fenrir alongside Medusa but now that I've started making plans I'm wondering whether to stick with one mythology. It's too much to think about and I have spent most of today doing this when I really should have been planning my essay or doing things around the house. So plan to unwind by watching supernatural and then cooking myself Trout and Pea pasta for dinner. Fih is brain food you know :)
In the meantime, I have just caught up with The Dreamer, a new webcomic that was also suggested to me on the Screnzy forums. The art is fab and there is no shortage of attractive male characters and as a history lover the storyline is like crack for me. I know have a great reason to obsessively run home to my computer on a friday.
Enjoy,
Sarah xx
- Feeling...:
determined - Listening to...:You got the love - Florence and the Machine
I've given the old blog a clean out. I figured since I hadn't written anything interesting anyway and since Screnzy is just around the corner I will make it a fresh start delete all my old posts and try to keep writing regularly.
In terms of Screnzy, this year's project will be a little bit different from last year. Last year was a sci-fi screenplay, I won but the film script itself isn't actually finished (naughty Sarah!). This year I've decided that I want to write the script for a graphic novel/comic. Most of the comics stuff I read is either manga graphic novels or web comics so this is where I'm drawing most of my inspiration.
A brief synopsis of the as yet untitled project
Six kids suddenly find themselves with strange powers that allow them to turn into mythical creatures. However, soon after they discover their new found abilities they are forced to work together to battle a mysterious enemy who seems hellbent on destroying them.
I thought it sounded like a good idea. The problem lies in the fact that I don't know:
*Who my characters are
*What their powers are
*Who their "mysterious enemy" is and what he/she/they want (It's just that mysterious)
*Or anything else about the novel
A good place to start then.
I'm sitting here, hoping it will all come together. I have rough ideas about what's going to happen and task one before Screnzy it to write more detailed character biographies of the main six (two of which are done) and then move on to wider plotting. Me thinks it is time to do some spider diagrams (I love them, they help me think like nothing else). In the meantime, a list of webcomics I enjoy because as we all no children, the best way to improve your writing is to read more.
1) Questionable Content - Hilarious, pop culture, niche music, internet humor references a go go and a large cast of warming yet crazy characters. My favorite aspect is that Jeph Jacques (along with his awesomely alliterative name) isn't afraid to put in deeper issues with his comics and bonus points for the fact that he manages to put out a new full page EVERYDAY OF THE WEEK! That is freaking dedication.
2) Looking for Group - It has all the high fantasy elements my geeky little heart could desire...and an undead sorcerer with homicidal predisposition. The art is fantastic and the story is complex and layered and it mixes the seriousness of high fantasy with great gags! Plus they have a video:
3) Lovecraft is Missing - Gorgeously gory horror with abomination about. Both visually stunning and in possession of a fab storyline. We are just waiting for the next part to come out!
My top three at the moment, but there will always be more. I'm a sucker for a good story.
Sarah xx
- Feeling...: artistic
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