@gippsgirl
Active 6 years, 5 months ago-
Daedalus posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoAll I did today was trim 500 words from a short story so I could submit it to Barren magazine, which has an upper limit of 4000 words. It was worth doing as it tightened the prose a bit, and I spotted a few mistakes as well, which was unsettling as I’d submitted that version a couple of times. I’m pleased I did that much tbh, as it’s been a diffi…[Read more]
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KazG posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoSo I managed 203 words yesterday. That’s a little too Slo Mo for my liking. I think I need to embrace the theme of this group a little less enthusiastically.
In my defence, it was the day after said music festival, kids had music performance of their own AND husband back in the house after a month away. So not a normal day…
Have to get…[Read more]
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Good luck Kaz. I am off to bed now after a fabulous evening learning about search and rescue dog training.
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Ha ha! My SloMo is mutating into ReallyQuiteSloMoActually! Fingers crossed for more words today.
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203 > 0.
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🙂 Indeed!
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Hilary posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoSorry I’m late, but here now for mutual encouragement. I’m working on structural edit of novel, having done one and two-thirds drafts. Have been trying to hone and clarify main story arc and am now trying to work out how and where the subplots intersect/have an impact on the main plot. Like some of you, I am feeling the fear, mainly because it’s…[Read more]
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Oh good luck! I feel your pain! Are you doing the splendid post it notes!?
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Congrats on being a runner up, Hilary. I also feel I’m making progress then decide the opposite is true. It sounds as though you’re making v good headway. The structural stuff needs doing and you’re doing it. Congrats on that too, and pat yourself on the back.
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Thank you, Libby and Raine. Yes, post-its have played a part; also multi-coloured highlighting in Word. It all helps.
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I use a chapter plan in a separate word doc too. This can be changed as often as required but without it I’m lost.
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Well done @hilary on pushing on. I know what you mean about the false summits, but keep,faith. It does just take that long. If it’s any consolation I’m on draft, er, 20 with at least another round of edits to go! And trust me: the agent will wait, there’s no rush. I took a whole year between the request for the full and sending it, and it was fine.
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Squidge posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoVery late to this – two days gone already! – but I blame it on an overnight visit to Germany to see friends and celebrate Advent.
SloMo… I jotted a few ideas down for Room with a View, then decided I didn’t like them and another idea popped into my head this morning. Not sure it’ll work, but might play around with it this afternoon. I shan’t…[Read more]
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Good work on the popping. Good luck for the playing too 🙂
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoOkay, well today has gone well, I think. I managed about two hours, working on balancing the various twists, climaxes and (false) resolutions in the book. I think I’ve managed to pin down the problem more clearly and sketch out a general solution.
I still have to work out the specific details I’ll need to add into the story MS itself to pull…[Read more]-
The turning up at the desk strategy works for me, Philippa.
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Sounds like excellent progress, good work
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KazG posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoThanks for setting this up @raine, great idea, and inspiring to read about all the gentle but still moving forward targets in here.
I’m in dire need of SloMo December, especially after coming back from a brain-and-soul-rejuvenating music festival in the beautiful middle of nowhere. Which was fabulous on every level but very lacking in sleep…[Read more]
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I didn’t realise you could keep using the nano site like that – oh YAY for the chart – That lovely thing gace me such a geeky glow of pleasure!
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Also, music festival sounds amazing! I spent the weekend on trains and hosting family, so slightly less rejuvenating!
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It was BRILLIANT. such a good vibe, amazing range of music, lovely people, food and coffee 🙂
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I didn’t know that either, I’ll have to go check it out
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Yes, it’s a bit different to the normal graph in that you have to add your TOTAL every day, not just what you did that day and then it updates it for you (unless there’s a setting I’ve missed somewhere). I learnt that the hard way today, but luckily the grand sum of 203 (yesterday’s achievement) wasn’t hard to remember, so I just add that to…[Read more]
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoI’ve been inspired by the goals your guys are setting yourselves. I think I’m going to set myself the SloMo goal of doing (up to) three hours’ editorial work a day (on the days I’m not at work). That, for me, is enough time to get some solid work done, but hopefully not so long that I panic myself with how much I should be achieving. And I plan to…[Read more]
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I think I often try to do too much of that really close editing in a sitting, so start out being really thoughtful and ending up just drifting. So yes, time limits are probably something I need to be better at. Feels funny to limit your own writing time, rather than RL limiting it for you!!
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Yes, good point! But I agree, I think there’s a danger that we over-tax the creative subconscious by hammering away at idea-generation for too long.
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Daedalus posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoTrue to form I am late to the party with this. I had a very good start to NaNo and a terrible end – but the good start enabled me to finish the first draft of a novel I’d been working on since 2013. It’s currently a 178,000 word monster, but I will use SloMo to start the long editing process, and also to write a couple of shorts.
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Oh wow, @daedalus, that’s a HUGE achievement. Congratulations on getting that whole draft done. SlowMo editing. I like it. And the shorts too.
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Thanks @philippaeast – I don’t think I will set a target for the amount to edit, as I’ve no idea what’s realistic. I’ll just try to do some every day. Like yours, my editing will be pretty structural, looking at character arcs, in their own right and in relation to others. As well as seeing if it’s possible to lose about 50,000 words.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly comp – December 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 7 months ago
I can work with that… 🙂
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John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 7 months ago
Well done, Raine.
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Tony Lyttle replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 7 months ago
Well done Raine, and thank you Daed for giving such good feedback on all the entries. Good comp.
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 7 months agoHello Everyone, and thanks so much @raine for setting this group up.
Like Seagreen, I have editing work to do over the next month or so, so I am hoping I can make slow and gentle progress on that. I’m currently grappling The Fear / Resistance, so joining you all in this supportive place will be helpful, I hope.
My main panic is that these…[Read more]
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I know exactly what you mean about The Fear, both in general and in the specific form you mention. Encouragement: a few days ago I fixed a problem in my old revived MS that I’d been shrinking from for, literally, years, si if I can do it you certainly can.
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Thanks @richardB. “Shrinking from” – that’s exactly it!! I know I just need to take a deep breath, and step in. Quit worrying about the outcome and just engage with the process.
I have four clear hours tomorrow morning to work, so hopefully I will make some progress. Out of interest, Richard, what was the problem and what was your fix? (if you…[Read more]-
The problem was the one I mentioned a couple of days ago: the bloated chapter full of stuff the reader already knew. I was shrinking from it because there were several threads/issues involved and it was going to be hard work keeping track of them and figuring out what I could get away with losing. I solved it by being bloody ruthless – something…[Read more]
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Oh well done on the ruthlessness! And that sounds like such an important thing to have fixed. I wonder if part of our Fear can come from the sense that if we try to change tricky elements in the MS, the whole thing will fall apart….
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 7 months ago
Congratulations, Raine! Well-deserved 🙂
And thank you, Jonathan, for dragging me out of my writerly walled garden and dropping me who-knows-where. -
Daedalus replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 7 months ago
Well done Raine, fantastic competition Jonathan, many thanks for the feedback
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Well done Daeds and I hope you have a less disturbed day today.
Thanks Jane. The main problem is that they get here early so I have to be up early, so my usual sleep patterns are ruined and I’m permanently exhausted
I hate the getting up early and having to talk to strangers in my house!
Me too.
Me three
Me a billion. I feel your pain. Great work on the short story though, and good luck for the submission