I’m lyin’
Posted on | March 20, 2006 | 5 Comments
I started writing a new novel this weekend.
Actually, I picked up an old 45-page fragment of a novel and started working on it again. The segment was originally conceived as a book proposal for an installment in a work-for-hire series that wasn’t picked up. I really liked the idea, and I’ve been thinking about it for the past year or so as a standalone novel, something that I can abstract from its original intent.
So, I made a new document and stripped out all of the series-specific details. Primarily, that meant moving the setting from a distant location that I’m not familiar with to a place closer at hand that seems fraught with more possibility. Interestingly, though the story is essentially driven by a particular setting, I didn’t find it hard to re-imagine that setting somewhere else. However, since I have to bring the characters to the setting, I had to rewrite some passages to update the change in geography.
The first four chapters are devoted to setting up the characters and bringing them all together, which is a different approach from any of my previous long works. The story thus far isn’t linear. I picture it like a spiderweb, and I’m setting the anchor lines before spinning the web across them. I’m hoping there’s enough intrigue and mystery to keep interest up—I know it’s got me hooked.
For the original proposal, I had to write a full synopsis, which I didn’t relish since I hadn’t thought through the complete story yet. I’ll probably abandon that synopsis completely, since a lot of it was dictated by the series “bible.” I wasn’t terribly happy with the synopsis, especially the way the story went in the final third, but now I can cast that all aside and just let the story go where it wants to, unencumbered by the constraints of the series.
Before I write any more, I want to start my own bible, my conversation file in which I ramble and bumble about and try to find the edges of the tale. This approach served me well with The Silent Desert. With that novel, I had a clearer idea of where the story had to end up; this time, I have a clearer idea of who the characters are and the experience of writing this book will be to find out where they take me. The setting is restrictive. It keeps all these people in close proximity. They all have agendas, some conspicuous, some hidden. At the heart of the story, there’s one big secret, the details of which I haven’t completely worked out yet. Until I have these in place, I’ll probably just do some more mental prep and research.
So, in summary: 1) It’s not a new novel. 2) I didn’t start it this weekend. 3) I didn’t write anything new to the end of what I already had, simply revised what I wrote in the summer of 2004.
Three lies in the opening sentence of this entry, and yet I feel like it is essentially true.
Currently reading: between books; I finished Jasper Fforde’s Well of Lost Plots last night. Not sure what I’ll pick up next
Recently watched: A few episodes of Doctor Who featuring Peter Davison (the fifth doctor). Also, Grey’s Anatomy, which was pretty good. I was glad when Alex lit into George toward the end to wake him up from his whiny, self-absorbed funk.
Listening to: Yahoo Radio. I discovered this service, which is part of our DSL. It’s a customized service where you pick favorite artists, albums, genres and then rate songs as they play (never again, it’s ok, like it, love it, can’t get enough of) so the system learns your musical tastes and gives you more of what you’re likely to appreciate. So far, I like it. Every now and then it throws in something unexpected, with mixed results.
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About
Bev Vincent is the author of The Road to the Dark Tower, the Bram Stoker Award nominated companion to Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, which was nominated for a 2010 Edgar® Award and a 2009 Bram Stoker Award.
His short fiction has appeared in places like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, From the Borderlands and The Blue Religion. He is a contributing editor with Cemetery Dance magazine and a member of the Storytellers Unplugged blogging community. He also writes book reviews for Onyx Reviews.
March 20th, 2006 @ 12:43 pm
i’m not a dr who person (accept when people ask me to knit the 16 foot scarf!) but my husband and his buddy love all of it. i know there was a “new” one on last night. is that the one you saw? i did’nt watch it, but i heard the kickin music from my office.
March 20th, 2006 @ 1:51 pm
No, I don’t subscribe to cable so we don’t get the new Doctor shows. I think they’re up to the tenth doctor now. These episodes were from the early 1980s.
March 20th, 2006 @ 1:57 pm
aah. which one wears the fantastic scarf?
March 20th, 2006 @ 2:12 pm
That’s the fourth doctor, Tom Baker. The History of the Scarf.
March 20th, 2006 @ 2:24 pm
oh, wow! i had no idea there were so many different versions. which one to make now? i’ve only done the one the bbc released! the link to the first scarf pattern was a great find though. the pattern is far easier to read than the bbc pattern. i’ve been having an issue finding true colors, but as soon as i get the bronze down pat, i’ll have one cast on to my needles.
xoxo
pk