Sub-Plots

I'm meant to be sleeping right now because I'm getting a very early start (6am!) and going on my month long travels!!! I doubt I'll get a chance to post up on here in the next month so in a flash, here's the latest update:

I was watching Game Of Thrones and I realised that what makes these stories interesting is many, many different POV's (points of view) that somehow intertwine. So I've added in something like...5 or 6 new POV's other than my main character, Malina, just to jazz it up.
So now Part One has gone from 9 chapters to 17 chapters!!!
I've written most of them already (they're pretty short) - I just need to add 2 more, now....
And there you have it!
See you in a month!
M. x

Chapter Five, Part Two

In the last three days, I have edited Chapter Five three times!
I read through it the first time and found so much to add in! I began to edit it then realised I didn't have enough space to do all the edits at once or the mind capacity to think of so many changes at once!
So I wrote them all down, edited it on the computer and printed it out again.
I then edited the edit.
And the same problem occured, yet again.
I printed the new edit and have just been through it again. The scary thing is that each edit has turned the pages completely red with edits!
I am relatively happy with it now - there will only be a few sentences to tweak, now. So I'm going to leave it to the very last edit. It's good enough for me to feel relatively satisfied, now!

While writing, I have discovered the best music to edit to!
Try:

- Jon Boden's A Folk Song A Day - hundreds of folk songs that are all gorgeous!
- Billy Bragg's album "Tooth And Nail." It's brilliant!
- Eric Bogle - especially the song Leaving Nancy.

What music do you listen to when writing/editing?

M. x

P.S. Referencing to an earlier post - I don't know if the magazine is ever going to happen. I don't really have the time, I don't really know how to do it and I don't know how to find out how to do it! It requires a lot of effort and time - both of which I have little of for new projects! It may happen eventually - perhaps when I go to University...

In other news...I'm travelling around Britain for two months...and I'm leaving in 2 weeks!!! Ahhh! I am really excited! The only problem is that I haven't actually booked everything yet...
Okay, I have just done a long bought of editing...maybe I should take a breather and book some more of my trip...x

Research And Inspiration

Today, I sat in a library researching Folk Music in the USA for 3 hours!
From it, I got loads of ideas for the fantasy novel!
I thought of loads of background ideas like myths and legends, songs and poems.
I also got inspiration for how societies should be run which is really helpful for the editing of Part Two.
I also found some wise words I hope to use from a myth I read about Hercules.

And that's another very short post for you!
I haven't been doing much for the fantasy novel recently - I've been completely caught up in the folk world! I'm going to folk workshops, researching into folk histories and I'm thinking of joining a folk club in the local town. I've been a little bit distracted recently...
I've also been very busy so haven't had much time to just sit down and edit/write.
I have a relatively free day tomorrow so will do some editing! :)

M. x

Inaction

This is a very simple post.
I apologise for the inaction. I just haven't got around to doing much fantasy novel stuff recently.
I'm on Chapter Two of Part Three. Part Two is still being edited.
M. x

Three Books

The whole story will be written over three books. It's decided. It can't be more than that or less, it will be three books. Ben and I planned the first two books meticulously but the third - which had to happen - was always a bit of a blur. We had no idea what to do with it, and we've had so many different plots for it!
I talked to my boyfriend, WS, about it and he said maybe there could be another driving force that blackmails Malina into working with them?
I won't say how i've used that idea, but thanks WS! You have helped me soo much!
I have now planned out book three and I really think it's going to stick!
I usually create a plot for book three, sleep on it, then decide it's crap. But I think I'm truly happy with it this time! There are twists and discoveries and loads of awesome new ideas that I just came up with last night...with a lot of inspirational help from the first series of Game Of Thrones... (I watched 8 episodes in one day! I declare myself addicted!)
I know this is another short post, but, really, there's not much else to say! I'm still editing the second part of the first novel - it takes time, of which I have little.
Patience is a virtue, friends!
M. x

Third Part Plans

We have planned the 9 chapters for the third part but are struggling to actually start writing it. I'm still editing part 2 - I'm on chapter 5 of 12 so there's still a way to go!
We just have no inspiration for the next part!
We have no idea how to start it or what to do. I think they call it writers block.
I'm going to sit down when I have some time and just start and, hopefully, the creative juices will start flowing. Hopefully. They probably won't. I'm just a bit preoccupied at the moment.
I don't know. We'll see.
Sorry for the short post!
M. x

Flash New Ideas!

I know I'm always saying I'm giving myself way too many projects at once -
- I'm learning Latin,
- Reading a book a week,
- Writing two novels,
- Always writing other stuff as well (like poetry),
- Running three blogs,
- I have two jobs
- And I'm trying to keep sociable.

But I like new projects.

So the other day, I was looking into publishing poetry in magazines but it is impossible to find somewhere! It seems that every magazine out there is ridiculously elite - they only want the people who have been mentioned before somewhere or who have already been published. They want the people who have already got their big break.
But why should we all wait for the big break that always happens to someone else but you?
So I decided to make my own online magazine, dedicated to promoting those artists (of all sorts) and giving them the chance to get known.
I've called it 'The New Frontier Magazine' because I wanted to represent the new generation of fighters.
On this magazine, I will post photography, art, songs, poetry, flash fiction (at most 300 words) blog posts, travel writing, maybe a serialized story, and more.

It's a really excited new project for me because I am really serious about it! I want it to get big! At the moment, it's on Tumblr. I think that will help people to find me and once I've got a big fan base (if I ever do!), I hope to set up my own website domain.

I am currently looking for posts for the first edition. (I'm having 15 pieces per edition) and I have 10 out of 15 posts already! Okay, I don't actually have the documents (and for one of them, I need to do a fashion shoot with my friend!) but everyone who's contributing will send their works when I ask them :)

If you're interested, please email:
thenewfrontier.apply@gmail.com

I haven't yet got any posts up anywhere, but to support me and the cause (getting artists known), please like/follow these various sites:

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheNewFrontierMagazine

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NewFrontierMag

The actual magazine on Tumblr:
http://thenewfrontiersmagazine.tumblr.com/

There's nothing interesting on any of them yet, but there will be soon! It would really mean a lot if you could follow/like it!

M. x

Editing. Again.

I printed part two today to edit. It find it much easier to edit with pens rather than on the computer. I can see more things at one time, that way. It's so fiddly on the computer!

Part Two, in 1.5 spacing, 12.5 Times New Roman Font, A4 normal print paper is about 1.3 cm thick.

I'm pleased with that!

Yes, yes, I know - quality not quantity! But it's still nice to know that this is going to be a relatively thick book. I haven't put the two parts together yet. I want to see how thick it is so far.

I'm going to edit all of this and then head on to part three. I've just edited chapter one which really isn't that bad! There will be far less edits needed in this part than in the last part! But that's probably because my writing has improved. It's actually amazing to see how far it has come!

Sorry this was such a short update. I am so exhausted, my eyes don't want to stay open!

Ciao for now (it rhymes!!!)

M. x