when? ever?

I'm sorry to make you wait so long for any update in about the story I write...

To be honest I have not added a single line to Halo since 12 September.

My hero, Hail is addicted to a computer game.

And so am I.

Being addicted did help me writing in some way abut obviously hindered me in many other ways.

-

But there are promising signs on the horizon.

I do not feel as much addicted as I did recently.

Secondly, and more importantly, the server ends within the couple of weeks and so does the game I play. It is the nature of this game that is lasts for a certain, restricted period of time. So unlike Hail, I will be able to quit.

-

In the last post I referred to a piece of writing that was inspired by the game I play. I wrote that in Hungarian and just a week ago, I added another part to that piece.

I loved writing that one, too.

-

writing in Hungarian

Dear readers,
first of all, I'm sorry about being a rare poster.
-
Now, onto business.

As some of you might remember, my WIP is about a person who finds pleasure in computer games. Guess what. I find much, too.

Now, I'm in a multiplayer online game (those are the worst, believe me) and it takes quite a time from me. Sometimes I find it hard to accomplish my normal duties.

The server I'm on will finish somewhere between late December to mid February, depending on the state of the war we're fighting.

Does it sound ridiculous?

Or is it a shame?

Chances are, both.

One might think this 6 months I've been playing this game so far is a waste of time. I'm not sure.

I keep telling myself I've made some friends, I've learned some more about human nature, and most of all, I've learned a lot about myself.

I also keep telling myself that this experience will help me write my WIP with a better grip on the subject, that is, being addicted to a game.

I hope this won't turn a lie.

I hope I do write this thing of mine.

-

The funny thing is that some of the playersI'm playing with have started writing a series of short stories that revolve against the topic of the game.

They started writing a story set in a medieval aura.

Guess what.

Did I join by adding a story to the flow of stories written by fellow players?

Bingo.

-

And I loved it.

-

LOVED, LOVED, ABSOLUTELY LOVED WRITING IT.

-

I incorporated some of my fellow virtual friends into my story. Those who read it, liked it.

That was all for today.

not quite there yet, but...

I started writing this WIP of mine for various reasons.

As you all know, it started as a contest entry for one of Jason's competitions. It gained no medal or special price whatsoever, but readers found it likeable and suggested to expand the original 250-word piece.

And I gladly started doing so.

Now the word count is 5,200 - including the newest addition of... uhm:47 words, yes, forty-seven... I wrote this very today whooohooo!

This made me wonder about the fate of Halo.

-

I am almost a hundred percent sure that it will not be published in any form.

I do not dream of being published and I do not wish to suffer through the various step and stages of publishing either.

I'd definitely like to get Halo read, at least by those I like, by those whose opinion I count upon. It is a piece of my soul, like a child, or like a secret garden within me I'd like to share.

-

And here comes the thing: I am almost positive that I have made some mistakes: grammatical or other. I would like someone read it before I make it available for all those people I value. Or...I might hand it out to those I think I will and ask them all to comment on anything they would like to comment.

-

I don't know yet.

Charles and Bernita, thanks for your kind words. And basically, I would like to thank all of you who visit and comment here or on my other, English language site...

I just wanted to let you all know that your feedback matters much to me.

-

I feel connected, I feel being heard -

thank you.

was it really me?

Uhm...

I took a glimpse into my long-abandoned WIP. I found it interesting and started asking myself: was it really me who wrote these lines?

Perhaps I should be waiting for an inspiration.

The drive to finish it is here all right, and I've got a few ideas, too - but I don't feel I can write up to the standards of those lines, paragraphs and even pages. It's not that I feel I wrote something extra-special and outstanding.... I did not.

I simply like what I read.

And now I'm further away from composing a sentence or two.

Perhaps I should blame it on the long interval of non-writing...

*sighs*

Creeping back

Summer's almost over, at least, speaking of a school-kid's view.
I hope to return to blogging very soon.
Jason's inspiring poetry about a rock and Bernita's musings about the simple monetary facts of real life and their usual lack in fiction were two threads to start to lead me back to where I feel some part of me belongs.
Whew.
What a long sentence.
I'll be back I think.
I'll be writing Halo again, finishing it one fine day...
Hmmmmmmmmm...
- - -
How was your summer?
What are your plans for the near future?

summer's toll

It's been almost a month since my last post.

I try to collect my thoughts, but my days are so loud and noisy I can't really think about writing as such. There are some ideas lingering in my head, as to the upcoming end of my Halo, but...the noise around...and within my head...Can't wait to see the school get started :P

I keep visiting the blogs I like and although I do not comment as often as I used to do, I do read them all, and enjoy them anyway.

That's been all for today and it's almost midnight.

Under another Full Moon, I'm falling into the bed now...

some

oooops, I killed someone else HERE. This is, as per usual, a great contest by Jason, with lots of supportive comments and nice feedbacks - go, I say, over to Jason's and help yourself among the many surprising and well-written entries*.

-

In other news, Hail's still alive, immerged in computer games I suppose...

-

How often do YOU do something else INSTEAD?

To be honest I'm quite satisfied with having done at least SOME-thing.

-

*I found it quite to hard to praise the entries in one go when mine's there too - I hope you don't misunderstand me.

have not

yet.
'll be back.
'm drowsing off to
.
.
.
.
.

Full Moon

and I'm on my way to kill someone I like and know oh-so-well.
It's not the first time, not the last one, either.
-
How many times did you do this?
What was it like?
-

PS: thank you for your kind comments on my expert. It seems that the adding of small references to perceptions within a particular situation enhanced the dialogue.

I am going to keep the descriptions of the surroundings.

I was to, anyway, but your opinion helped me to stick to my mind.

version two

For reference, see the post right under this one.

The following conversation is almost the same one, but I added some reference to the surrounding and their behaviour here.

Your advice and suggestions are welcomed as to 1.) whether the adjustment improved or made it worse 2.) anything else about practically anything.

I've already made my mind about the changes, but I'd like to hear your opinion as well.

----------------

- Uhm, you should drink and eat healthy, Hail. – The pattern on the shoulder of Hail’s winter coat, now hung above the shoes, bore a slight resemblance to the shed skin of pumpkins.
- I will. The office is closed. What a progress I’ll be making during those entire four days! My fingers are already itching.
- We were worried about you.
The snowflakes were melting on the coat. Beyond the clothes rack, the only light intruding the darkness of a larger room was the flashing of a standby.
- I see, but you should not. I am fine now. I hear the calling.
Darkness stayed. The photos on the wall remained silent.
- You’ve got any plans, like visiting relatives, or friends? Does he even have those?
- Uhm, nothing special. It’s not that you would not understand. It’s that it’s my own quest.
- Well, have a nice time then. – The shoes were arranged neatly on the shoes rack. The smell of shoe polish mingled with something he could not trace quite well. I wish I could get some of those chocolate cakes for Anna.

words

Finally, I've returned to some polishing. I'm not yet finished, thanks for asking - it's the usual 'rolling revision'.

Among many other important factors, Bernita mentioned that a good dialogue should be as much interesting as the action scenes and should be able to carry the story further on, just the same.

The dialogue I'm working on is short, is between 2 people (main character and another person) and it is a dialogue, nothing more.

I thought I would be adding something else, to make it go beyond words. But everytime I re-read it I don't see anything that can be or should be added. I think it's because I know it almost by heart. I know that the obvious advice is to leave it as that and return later on...

But you know what?

Here's an excerpt: this is part of the dialogue. The whole conversation is 245 words, and the word count for this little piece is 104.

------------

- Uhm, you should drink and eat healthy, Hail.
- I will. The office is closed. What a progress I’ll be making during those entire four days! My fingers are already itching.
- We were worried about you.
- I see, but you should not. I am fine now. I hear the calling.
- You’ve got any plans, like visiting relatives, or friends? Does he even have those?
- Uhm, nothing special. It’s not that you would not understand. It’s that it’s my own quest.
- Well, have a nice time then. I wish I could get some of those chocolate cakes for Anna.

-------------

Do you think the scene needs indication of physical actions, hints of movements, description of the flat they have just arrived into?

Do you think their inner thoughts should be italicized?

Do you find this conversation boring to some extent?

-

Thank you for your suggestions. Shove them into my thick skin.

It is official -

I am a lazy bastard.

Damn, I have the same addiction as Hail, my main character does.

Computer games.

When I'm feeling blue I feel deep blue: where my life is going to?

When I'm feeling better, I suggest I'm just getting experience to write my WIP from a better perspective. Is it a lie?

-

In the meantime, I'm suggesting you take a look at a contest HERE on my other blog. The rules are also available there.

It is connected to movies, some well-known, some not-so-much.

-

I do hope you are doing better in achieving your goals in writing - I'm still *coughs* collecting.

Full Moon

Did you know that there are organized meditation events in association with the Full Moon? I did not, either, but it's fascinating. I'd love to take part in one of those, if there was one near me and in my own language.

-

For the time being I walk in our garden, watch the heavenly body grown full, among the branches, enjoy the scent of elderberry and of moist soil...

I hold my head up high in contemplation, with my eyes fixed on the sky... and I wait for the inspiration to come....

a long time

Yes, it's been a long time since I last addded a single word to Halo - and I don't even remember the last time I added anything to Copper Moon, either...

Hail, MC to Halo is a loveable creature. With all his bad dispositions and bad fate, he's one likeable hero. I like him and I'd like to meet him and see and register how his fate continues.

-

Today I read some lines and I liked him even more. The sorrow I feel for neglecting him is almost painful. I wish I had the time and quietness around me.

-

I'm still searching for the real end of the story.

Fighting the obvious

I have not written anything in the past couple of days.

Good news? Bad ones? Definitely bad, for me. But the value of my non-writing to literature is a completely different question. You see, today I screened through the fight scene, only to find horrible sentences like this one:

Hail’s left foot moved forward and raised his sword above his own head.

-

Bitter moments, my dear. When I came accross things like this in my own writing I ask myself the obvious: why?

Plus: Why English, for God's sake?

-

I do want to finish it.

Part of me wants to finish it as soon as possible - to get over this. Part of me wishes to wait until I'm relaxed and able to concentrate on writing. I think I'm listening to the second half of me.

-

I made the photo on 27 April, 2008. It is an ancient Hungarian martial art called Baranta (all 'a'-s are pronounced like the vowel in the English word 'one'.)

Full Moon

She's hiding among her courtsladies.
So is my inspiration.
A dry spell? Perhaps.
Loss of interest? I don't think so.
-
The end of my WIP is still awaiting to be written.
-

As I mentioned earlier I took up the habit my MC has in Halo. I must confess I'm almost living the life he has. Almost.

I'm grateful for the difference.

-

Have you created any heroes that you'd gladly swap life with?

Or, if you are not a writer, which fiction character's life would you most like to take over?

Let me see.

From the LOTR series, I'm definitely partial to Eowyn. She's faithful, supportive and fierce. She's got strong emotions towards her man, her country and her kindsmen.

-

And you?

If your choice is not so well known, please support your choice with a short description of him/her.

Hiding

I woved not to expose any excerpts from my WIP.
If my work was to published, this might make sense.
But now it does not. OR not really.
-
The photo depicts my son, aged 11+, who likes to hide himself in clothes, especially when being photographed :-)
-
I think I chose not to give out samplings because I wanted to finish it first. This I will stick to. I don't want to be disturbed or digressed because of peer's opinion. But once I'm done your opinion is of extreme importance for me.
-
What's your idea on flashing?

statistics - UPDATED

Heehee, I'm done with the fight scene.
This is my first-ever fight scene. It is 555 words from the very beginning to the end.

I have never, ever written a fight scene before. The valuable notes of my fellow bloggers were of great help in starting and finishing it. I'd like to express my thanks to Bernita, Charles and both Steves.

First of all, I made a small draft which composed of the basic events.

It went something along this: after the first few chops, MC retreats, finds a suitable shelter to get into the back of the antagonist and with a surprise attack, gets his head off. Searches his clothing and finds a map inside. These words were the skeleton I used.

When actually writing the scene, I found MC retreating into a small cave where he found out that he might as well use a charm upon his enemy. This charm slowed down the enemy's movements. This idea came as strikingly new to me at that point....

Later on I recognized I was listening to Cole Porter's 'When they begin the beguine' taken from the film De-Lovely :)

Unintentionally, I imagined the antagonist following the swaying motion of that music...

-

The total words count is 4895. I'm not finished with it yet. There are at least 3 scenes left.
-
For the interested, here's the videoclip, taken directly from the movie. Thank you YouTube.
-
UPDATE: in the comments section, where upon Ropi's question I ponder about the importance of first things. You may add your own two cents about the importance of doing things (anything) 'first'.

too good?

Having finished a larger chunk of official work, yesterday I returned to writing Halo. I did not write much, I added just a few lines.

When I was done (and my family did not let me go on with my writing any longer...arrgh...) I noticed that these lines might just as well be suitable for my other, long-neglected WIP.

It makes me uneasy.

It makes me feel that there are similarities between the two works.

To be honest, there are similarities and I knew them right from the start.

Or almost from the start.

I'm determined to finish off Halo first, but those lines felt somehow too good for it.

Then I felt ashamed.

Is there a thing as too good in writing?

Isn't it that the writer has to write up to his upmost capacity and bring out all the feelings he has inside and master it with practical skills up to his best knowledge?

If a line, or a paragraph feels awesome and great - that is how it should be, isn't it?

One should not save a great paragraph for just in case - should he?

For later works?

For whatever might come along the way?

experience all right

Without spoiling the plot of Halo, it is about a man who has a strange addiction.

Now the idea came into my head unexpectedly when I started writing it for the contest held by Jason, but now...

Things are taking an interesting turn.

*coughs*

Although I found that some traits of the main character resemble me, I kept a distance. The problem he's in is much more deeper than the one I face. His addiction is much more profound. This is what I used to tell myself.

*coughs*

I thought finding a virtual solution to Hail's problems would help me as well. Or at least, his solution might give me some information about the way out.

In fact my problems are not serious at all.

This is what I used to tell myself.

*coughs again*

Well...

What else can I say?

I think I got to finish it before it's too late.

The end

No, no, I'm not quitting this blog :)

Right now I have a job so I don't and can't really concentrate on writing Halo, but the other day I was walking along the streets and ...

well, I was thinking about the end I imagined for Halo.

The idea, that sounded fun and a great ending seemed flat and well, not-so-interesting.

I don't know.

I thought it would be a funny twist.

Now I don't know.

I've even started thinking about alternative endings.

-

I think I will NOT be dealing with writing the ultimate ending* right now.

-

Things I have to finish with Halo are:

- a fighting scene between MC and someone else (I keep postponing writing this for some reason!)

- the scene that leads to the ending

- the ending scene with a dialogue between MC and someone else

- the aftermath*

-

I'm a great fan of various music.

From Mozart to Brenda Lee to Nina Simone, from Metallica to KD Lang, anything might come.

But give me some rock'n'roll and/or hiphop and/or rap and I no longer wish to say hello to you.

I' d say goodbye for good. Hee.

Happy Easter

Easter comes with the turning of the seasons (coming of spring is March 21) and a Full Moon. In our family, there are two birthdays and a so-called name-day between 21 and 25 March. In Hungary, each day of the calendar is dedicated to two or three names. Those who bear that name usually have a small party to celebrate their name-day. My daughter is called Rozália and her day is on 4 September. We give her small presents and a cake. This is a small celebration.

-

A festivity is are great opportunity to write about various cultures, to give a hearty description of events, clothes, customs, behaviours.

Real or fictional, they provide interesting reads.
-
Also, one might write about a local or family event, like a birthday.

I have not covered festivals and/or special customs in my writing, but I think I will certainly do.

-

Special customs create an athmosphere of a circle and all those who are not in, are out.

-

How many birthdays/special festivals, be them fictional or real, have you written about?

Do you like covering the subject?

Mines and yours

Jason exploits some of his own childhood experience while coming with a cutting edge psychological piece. It takes the form of a dialogue. It starts with simple questions only to reveal the disturbing truth beneath a shiny surface.

Events of childhood, as he puts it in his comment in response to my comment, can lead to stress in adulthood.

Traumas are almost always excellent sources of writing. To me, they are golden mines. If I am the one who went through some suffering, my writing about it helps me in the first place. And if my personal hell somehow matches the reader's own, then my writing might be of some help for him as well. Double the advantage.

-

When I read about personal sufferings that were not part of my life though I am either

1 - bored, because the stuff has no relevance to my life at all.

2- releaved and loose, because I thank Heavens for not letting me having to experience such horrors.

It's so good to see that what is yours is not mine.

-

At the same time, opportunity is always there. What was/is yours can be mine. So it's better to be aware.

-

I like psychological writings. I think Halo somehow will be psychological, too. Provided I'm writing it.... At the moment I'm not.

-

What's your take on mines and yours?

the four-piece exercise is over

Chris has set up a special place where all the entries can be read. This blog is up until we all have evaluated each other's entries.

This exercise was something special - we were told that there would be 4 pieces, and each piece was writtten according to special parameters given to us by Chris.

The parameters are on the sidebar of that blog, while the entries are posted as blog entries.

I don't know if outsiders are allowed to comment, but I accept any (supportive) comment as to the grammar, structure, flow, story, way of telling, vocabulary, or anything of my entry.

My entry is about 1000-1200 words long - You might leave your comment here.

-

If you do not have time to read my entry through, that is all right by me.

Sometimes you just don't have the time.

I find myself quite occupied at times, too.

-

When your brain is crowded and you need some intellectual refreshment, yet you do not have time to read 3000+ words, really brilliant words...

What dou you do at those times?

Maps and directions

I thought I would be finishing Halo by the end of January.

Well did I finish it?

No, not even by the end of February.

I work as a freelance translator and I got some unexpected loads of work for February and March.

anytime inspiration hits, though, I keep returning to it and add a few lines.

I'm sorry I can't feed you with some really interesting entries these days...weeks...

-

Also, I don't think I will explore every part of the drawing. Basically, the story is not about this landscape and the potential events in it. It is about the protagonist.

I have one final scene, a fight scene and the last few paragraphs.

Hell I think I'm halfway through with Halo.

Isn't that great?

Even if I'm not writing it these days...weeks...

There's progress nevertheless.

-

How's your progress, my dear reader?

UPDATED - Contest time in blogland

Those, who frequent my other blog know about this.

But I'd like to spread the word here as well - there are two contests going on!

1. with Jason at The Clarity of Night:

Visit the fun and excitement HERE. Even if you do not enter yourself, the variety and quality of entries is amazing.

I've written my part and it is posted on Jason's site as well.

2. With Chris there's a four-part competition.

The entries are quite interesting over there, too!

I have written Parts One, Two and Three as well. I will publish it when I can, over on my other blog.

-

This is about the fifth contest I enter.

I don't mind how my work is ranked - usually all comments and notes on my writing are supportive and help me develop my style.

I find contests extremely useful.

I know I'm just a newbie among writers, but writing is not my profession - I write when I have to and what I have to.

I know I have a lot to learn, but these contests are great opportunities.

-

I recall the first contest I took part. It was Jason's Halo contest sometime around the Summer of 2007.

I recall how difficult it was to shave off my word count to meet the 250 limit.

I learned to set the needed apart from the redundant, the interesting from the mundane.

I am unsure whether I trimmed off the best or the worst words, but hey, I keep learning.

-

Do you like contests?

What profit do you make of them?

-

you know what?

Now as I've finished my pieces for those aforementined contests, I can return to Halo :))

Happy Full Moon!

I made this photo from one of our windows. The orange light is coming from a window nearby on the other side of the street, the bottom right white light belogs to a publis street lamp some 200 metres away, while the top light is the Moon Herself.

opening and closing doors

In the course of completing Halo, I wrote yet another small piece today. It is about a childhood experience. I do not mention it in an explicit way - I think that would feel clumsy. I trust the reader's intelligence and insight.

I hope it works.

I don't think I could be writing down lines like: Hail was remembering his childhood. This and that happened.

I'm just opening a door and let the reader peep.

And understand.

-

This childhood memory was basically to explain some things of the present. I knew I'd need to write it. I'm still lingering within the scene, I'm not sure if I'm through with it or not.

I will see.

I have opened a door and I'm in the scene.

I will wait until the door closes by itself.

-

Have a good writing day to day to you all!

whose eyes?

I saw that Miladysa has a new template. I told her I liked the color and the arrangement, but the top photo sort of frightened me.

She, in return, informed me that this painting was a symbol of motherhood - which means that the thing to be frightened from is my own imagination.

Miladysa used my one of my favourite quote: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

-

So, where there's a full grown woman at the peak of her fertility is supposed to be, I saw a half-dead, drowned woman, who's given in and was following the river's circling movement peacefully, with no intention of getting out.

-

At the very same time, I have been working on Halo and was seeing my MC to go to an official meeting in a boring office building. I wanted to illustrate that when MC uses the stairs, he gets tired very easily. He's nothing of a fittness champion, you see.

-

He started going up, that is all right.

But then he started seeing and hearing frightful scenes and/or characters that were not there on the stairs.

-

What a coincidence.

No wait, there's no coincidence, I don't believe in such a thing.

-

It's either

1.

I was in a frightened mode, so anything I touched/saw/heard felt frightful.

2.

MC was in a frightened mode, wanted me to write his adventures on the stairs and influenced me to see the lady through his own eyes.

-

What's your take?

Similar experiences?

I've just popped in to inform you that I'm working - well, not on Halo, unfortunately.

But this work is what earns me money ;-]

-

I thought I would finish Halo by the end of January, though...

-

I keep visiting your blogs, so you'll all see I'm alive :-)

-

The photo was made by me on 14 May, 2005.

where am I ?

This conversation (or similar words to the effect of it) actually took place today in the morning, while we were having breakfast.

I started it with some reference to my wip called Halo. I added some more lines the night before and I was satisfied with the going of writing itself.

---

(Son, aged 11) Do you know how your story will end?

(Me) I do.

(Son) And how?

(Me) I'm not going to tell you, let it be a surprise. You will all be able to read it one time.

(Son) Will I find the story be interesting?

(Husband) It's a story about a game, isn't it? It must be interesting.

(Son, recalls having seen the map for the game) Do you write about the game?

(Me) Well, it's a story about someone who plays this game.

(Son) Then it might well just as be boring.

(Me) Yes, that might very well be the case. I don't write it to write an interesting and exciting story. I want to see how the main caracter acts and feels.

(Husband/Son?) Oh, that might as well be quite boring...

(Me) Well, uhm, yes...You see, I don't mind. I just want to write it. I don't want to write a bestseller you know.

- - -

It seems that I have defined myself.

No, I was not delusioned to think my story would sell and would sell millions.

I just felt the need to write it, period.

- - -

I think most authors of modern-time bestsellers write about what they think readers are waiting for. Some of their work is great. Some, not so much. Cliches upon cliches.

And there are those authors who just write, no matter what. Some of their composition feels like crazy, inarticulated howling. Some are just fine. Some feels uneasy.

Some great. Simply great, because the story and/or the way it is told speaks to the reader.

- - -

Where do you stand?

Or, if you do not write, what authors do you feel sympathy for?

-

I'm around 3100-3300 words now.

Cheers!

-

swap scenes

Ironically speaking, it seems that for the time being, I will not earn money by writing and becoming famous as an author - I have lots of other work. Actually it is translating EU documents and informative material, so I keep sitting in front of my computer for hours, which does not leave enough brain and eye capacity for me to work on my WIPs.

I keep telling myself that if the story wants to get out of my head, it will find its way no matter how loaded I am.

Today, as I was walking to the store (it took me 4 hours back an forth plus shopping) I had time to think over some aspects of the current story.

1.

I am not completely satisfied with the events occurring in 'Halo'. I do not want my story loaded with actions. It is so not about fights and actions.

Also I will swap two scenes to get a better approach to the character.

2.

I was thinking of some backstory. Something that explains the present behaviour of the main character. A memory from the past that illuminates some of the strange things Hail does.

- - -

Do you swap scenes, too?

Do you like stones, too?

Photos go out to Bernita!

a little reminder

This photo of the Full Moon, made on 21 January 2008 in our garden is a reminder. It alludes my mind back to the original track of writing THAT short story.

No, I have not forgotten about it - although I'm much more obsessed with the present work (Halo) at these days and weeks.

Right now, I don't have much time to write Halo either, but that I will probably finish in January, as I promised myself.

-
Many liked the drawing I made and I thank the words of encouragements from you. The drawing below is, or can be a great scheme for a great chain of events in an interesting landscape. However, the chief focus of Halo is not this field of adventure, nor are the events that actually or potentially take place within this environment. Which means that I don't think I will explore every part of the drawing. Basically, the story is not about this landscape and the potential events in it. It is about the protagonist, his stance and development.

-

I have to remind myself to my original purpose. Otherwise I might get lost in the 'maze' of my words. Perhaps all I need is a little break of a few days to re-think about the idea.

I think the original idea is/was neat, or...uhm...sort of interesting.... and I think I'll stick to it.

-

I know I have asked a similar question once, and the best answer I got was: 'I stick to my pen' - but as I have a purpose with 'Halo', I have to brush aside words that are not closely related to my subject. 'Halo' is not a novel - it's going to be a short story of about 3000 words... I simply don't have a span wide enough to wonder around contemplating events and feelings that are not STRICTLY important.

What would you do?

Write those wanderings anyway only to delete them at the end if they do not fit?

Or save them for whatever might come later on, for a future story?

Or discard any non-related material to stick with the original plan?

-

This latter is my option, but how about you?

slow progression

I sort of working my way through.
Slowly. Who cares about speed, anyway?
I re-read what I have written so far and I sort of like it.
I'm at 2200 now.
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My main character is in the forest, where most of his interesting adventures take place.

I made a drawing. I wished to find out more about the story. I just made it up.

Here it is:

Now I keep returning to it and working the story somehow along the drawing.
UPDATED on 20 January:
I have some work to do, so I have less time to 'Halo'.
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Do you usually make drawings to help you go with the story along...or dou you have it only in your head?

Do you find drawings liberating or restricting in some way or another?

If you're not writing, do you draw as a hobby?

Apart from this one above I can not draw at all. I regret it though, I wish I could...

UPDATED - Growing into where?

Dear readers,

It seems that the first paragraph took away the post. Yes, I do complain about not writing too quickly, and I thank for Ropi's and Charles's contribution on being a fast or slow handed writer.

But the main issue is NOT time.

Please read further for the more important aspect.

It is about how much you give about into your writing; how much of your own material can you work into your characters - for the sake of being enthusiastic and believable it is all right, but there are serious drawback as well. If I was unclear, I'm sorry.

I don't really wish to debate further on the time I spend with writing a piece.

The other one is THE question.

Now, here's the post:

-

I'm at 1400 words with Halo. (Now, don't laugh please. I know some authors write thrice as much during one single afternoon.)

-

This project keeps infiltrating into my life. I feel the words and the feelings of the main character within me. However I balance on the line between making Hail resonant with my own thoughts and separating him away from me.

For God's sake, he's not me, is he?

At first I found it hard to give him a complex character. I had the most important features of him right away, when I first thought of him, but later on he showed more of himself. Or was it me, investing more of my own self into him?

Do I make sense here, btw?

Somehow or other, all writings are based on the writer's own experience. But to what degree that mine is deplenishable? Will it ever get empty -

Will that ever happen?

Or will it happen sooner than one thinks?

-

???

plan

I'm planning to finish Halo this month.

I was planning to use the longer story (Copper Moon) by December 2007.

Do any of you think I can meet my plans?

Of course you'd reassure me and give me some encouragement, which I'd duly accept. My heart would rise, so I would geniuely be happy with your warm comments.

But -

I think some themes/topics have their due time to be written.

Some of you, knowing of my other blog, might have read the poem about a drawing in the sand - it is quite a symbolic one, but everyone with a heart and attention was able to grab the meaning -so do the comments reveal.

It was about a haunting and how I deal(t) with it.

I simply had visions in my head, I felt the urge to write the poem and so, not really caring about the format and words entering my mind, I did.

I wrote it and it feels quite allright.

Now the motivation has gone, I've dealt with a certain problem and I seem to have solved it.

- - -

Halo is within me, to be written. I know it is about something I deal with in my everyday life as well. I happen to believe that writing it will help me solving that problem, or help me throw some understanding on it.

I doubt I will ever write a story about a person like Hail, when I'm ready with Halo.

- - -

I do not plan writing stories. They are within and if they are not within anymore, I see no use of writing them any longer.

How about you?