Calla writes...

Here is my foam board for plotting the 5 volume Penny story. I had this lying around for some reason, and it wasn't being used. I decided to use it for plotting these stories because it's big and sturdy. I can carry it around with one hand while I ponder ideas. I can sit with it on my lap and it's like having a built in desk to write on. It's nice to see all the details of the story at a glance. the biggest challenge will be keeping it away from the kids so they don't scribble all over it. :)

As you can see I haven't many details recorded yet. Most of what I have planned for this series is in a notebook. I have the plots for the first 2 books figured out. I know how it will end, and I have a basic plot for the final book. Much of the personal relationship stuff between Penny and her love interest(s) has also been determined. It's all the complicated stuff that I have to figure out. Who all the bad guys are... the overarching details of the over all plot. Also the world building stuff. Oh.. and there's aliens I need to make up.

Before I even start writing this story I want to know everything about it. When you read or watch stories in a series, you can tell at the end if they had it all worked out from the beginning. And I don't mean just knowing the final scene, but knowing all the details of the major conflicts. Like, i love Harry Potter, but there's no way she started that story planning the Deathly Hallows. Otherwise everyone who saw Harry's cloak would have said "HOW DID YOU GET THAT?????" In the end it's kind of a minor irritation. But I want no details overlooked before I start writing. It's a tall order, but it's what i feel i need to do.

Perhaps I'll find myself adding another book after i get into it, though that's best avoided. I am a little silly, and I prefer series in odd numbers. I like 5 because there is a definite middle. with 4 books you have no middle really.. just this empty space between book 2 and 3 that's not really a middle. If I changed the number from 5 I would want it to be 7 so there would be another middle book. That's something I'm not sure I'm willing to do.

In other news, it's going to be a crazy busy day. I really shouldn't be sitting here typing this (I think I may say that every time I sit to write an entry). I have laundry to do, shopping for 2 birthday parties today, and then said birthday parties. Must get moving!

I have a lot of projects going on at once right now. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I get tired of working on things easily and my mind scatters after long periods of focus. It's probably good that I have different projects to go to when I get my fill of one. On to the next!

My concern is that characterization will begin to overlap in my MCs. I have a hard enough time distinguishing my MC from myself. I don't want all their characteristics to meld together as I hop from story to story. Just another thing I have to be consious of and work hard to prevent.

I am thinking about this because I'm working on 3 things, one of which is very large. The rough draft for the Fantasy Big bang on LJ is due in about 2 months and I can barely figure out what direction I'm headed with that story. (that's B&B) I'm editing or trying to edit my 2010 Nanowrimo novel (SM), and then amongst all this my biggest idea comes crawling out of hibernation.

This Magnum Opus as I call it. It's an idea I had about a year and a half ago. I thought about it a little bit, then planned it last summer and started writing last August. Then I stopped. This is a big story that could potentially span something like 5 novel lenght works. The setting involves multiple galaxies/universes with a massive amount of potential for things to happen. I need to make sure I have things very well planned as far as the world building because I could end up with plot holes if I don't have everything figured out. oh how jealous I am of those authors who find themselves struck with a fully formed idea right from jump. I mean.. I have spent months and months just thinking, not writing a word, not really coming up with any good ideas, but finding all sorts of problems with previous ones. It's frustrating, but necessary to make sure this works out the way I want it to.

Fortunately, amid all the thinging and working on B&B, I have finally had some ideas about MO. Later this month I'm going to see 30 Seconds to Mars. At some point I realized that my MC for MO really likes that band. I find them a bit grandiose. I also find it amusing that a man, nearly 40 years old, is singing these anthems of youth and the kids eat it up. Like don't they realize that the generation of the person singing the songs is the same generation you think doesn't "get" you?

ANYWAY. I'm going to see them mostly because Penny (the MC in question) likes them. I've been listening to This is War lately to get myself excited for the show. Listening to this album gives me so many ideas for this story. It's really surprising to me. I am trying to work out how many books this story should span and then what is happening in each one of them before I go forward with filling in additional details. I'm great with figuring out the relationships between people but trying to figure out all the STUFF that's happening is harder for me to do.

Well that was a whole lot of lead up to end with me saying, I'm working on this other story because 30 seconds to mars gave me a ton of ideas... but it seems that's all I as getting at in the end.

Please forgive me if this seems kind of scattered. I worked on it in bits and pieces throughout the day.