August Goals Revisited, September Goals, and The Stranger Soundtrack

August Goals:

• Finish third draft of HHNF: Completed!
  
• Finish roughing and editing the last episodes of the Stranger: Just about finished! I just have to rewrite the epilogue cuz it's crappy. :) Episodes 1-20 are on dA and Soul Collectors. I haven't posted 21 yet.

September Goals!!!!

• Add more scenes to HHNF, re-check facts, pay attention to time of year/weather. :) After I do this, I think I'll do a fourth draft to make the writing style consistent (Thanks to Snazel for helping me with this). But the fourth draft will have to wait until October, at least, because I also want to:
  
• Finish the rough of The Other Country (my 09 ScriptFrenzy)! This story is just for fun, but once I finish it I might end up polishing it or, GASPAGE, changing it to prose. I've decided script-writing isn't for me. But still want to finish this.

For the last, er, three episodes of the Stranger I listened to a LOT of Linkin Park (urgh, let's not do that again) but I was amazed at how appropriate the music was for the Stranger and especially for what was happening in the story. Cuh-raze-ay. So this is the Stranger's soundtrack so far:
"In The Shadows" by The Rasmus
"In The End" by Linkin Park
"Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park
"Hit the Floor" by Linkin Park
"Easier to Run" by Linkin Park
'Faint" by Linkin Park
"Leave Out All The Rest" by Linkin Park
"What I've Done" by Linkin Park
"Breaking the Habit" by Linkin Park

I should know that you're not gonna change

I am technically done with the third edit of "Hell Hath No Furies." However, it's still absurdly short, and I'm trying to decide if I care. Haha. And, if I do care, what I should add. I've considered adding a sub-plot with Adrastus and Minthe, but I feel like that would make the story unfocused. Ya know??? Also, if I gave THEM a sub-plot, wouldn't ALL fourteen of the Athenians want one??? Haha. My beta-readers want more of the gods. Again, I kinda feel like that would make the story unfocused.
I'M TOO CONCISE AND FOCUSED DAMMIT!!!!
Athena and Eros could get more scenes, but I feel like they'd be repetitive. Zeus and Hera could get some scenes, perhaps even a scene with Hades or something.

I have two questions for the comments:
1. Do you like including a lot of sub-plots in a story? Either the kind that are actually very connected to the main plot and only show this at the end, or just the kind that are about people or things nearby the main story.
2. How important is weather to you in a narrative? Do you include a lot of it, do you care, does it matter?

I meddled in the future, in all possible futures...in the end they created me.

I've managed to trap Macana and the Stranger in a completely impossible situation. I made the mistake yesterday (orrrr the day before?) of writing out a fairly comprehensive outline of the rest of the story. It took me 15 minutes of staring at the screen to come up with ANY way for them to win, and the way I wrote is just absurd and cheesy. Although I suppose the heart thing that saved them last time was cheesy too.
So, of course, I sent off the whole thing to my professional "Stranger" consultant (well, not technically pro, but she's pretty amazing ^_^) and we've been batting ideas around since then. We're at the point where the metaphysics are exploding my brain, and I'm considering more and more just killing off BOTH of them. >.> But since the story is (supposedly...it started out this way) a humorous parody of fantasy, I think killing them both off would be rude. *gives Lint a significant glance* I've actually been comparing the Stranger to Lint a lot lately, actually. They both started as just random, silly things for fun by people with few skills and then just turned into epics. ^_^ I think I'm just as self-indulgent as Lint's author is, anyway. Oh, and I DID start writing the Stranger before I read Lint, btw.

HHNF is being edited. :) I'm still doin' it! Go Go Go! That's really all I have to say about it.
Actually, I've been remembering how much I fail at weather. I don't mean I fail at describing weather (although that's entirely possible). I fail at even mentioning what is going on outside when characters are outside. And in HHNF, when they're outside MOST of the time, I think this is kinda necessary. I meant, this time around, to decide for certain what time of year it was, what weather the area would be getting, and insert at least MENTIONS of this at appropriate places. I've been mostly forgetting to do that. ^_^ So I'm going to do a "weather-round" when I'm done, I guess. Just waltz through and sprinkle some weather. Oh my goodness I am so lame. XD

the sky was thick with crows

Wow so one of my favorite writing bloggers ever posted out of the blue today!!!! She hasn't posted since Nano, I think. Anyway it made me happy so here I am. ^_^

Still working on August goals, despite all the distractions being flung my way!!! Summer is almost over. :( Very tragical.

I have the rough done for the next Stranger episode but still need to rewrite it, and I have (I think) 3 more episodes after that? So I need to get on that.

Hell Hath No Furies is coming along...slowly....This is the third edit and I think I'm going to put it in a dark box in a dark corner somewhere and never look at it again. ^_^ I don't think it's good enough to even attempt publishing and I don't think I could ever get it into shape for it. Which is okay, I just want to finish this edit and put the thing to rest.

We've been smoking funny things

In an effort to keep from cutting myself in class today (I jest, but only just), I did a freewrite of thoughts about DT. Basically before today I have a very VAGUE idea about who the "good guys" were, and an even vaguer idea of who the bad guys were. But now, ta-da! I have a lot of it figured out. Not all the details, of course, but I know where I'm going. XD
One thing's for sure, I'm going to have to develop Miranda a heck of a lot more. I knew I was going to, eventually, but it wasn't so much necessary as satisfying my curiosity. ;) And no, Miranda is *not* a planet, you crazy Browncoats.

HHNF is at a standstill for lack of any sort of kind-hearted feeling toward it.

The Stranger is progressing, but I decided I can't post any more episodes until I reach the end, because there's too much madness and I'm not sure how I'm splitting it up.

"That's the dramatic warning I was expecting."

"Ohmigosh, no wai!"

I wrote today! I totally did! And it wasn't for school, or blogging!
I finished the next episode of the Stranger. It needs a lot of editing, though, cuz it's too long and really rambling. :P I'll try and work on it later today, I guess. After this one, there's only 3 more! Yay! I HAVE to finish by September 6th, because there is NO way it should have taken a year to do the series. :P Let's face it.

I have to go do stuff now, but then I'm going to force myself to come back and edit some of HHNF. I want to finish the third edit of that before the summer ends. *fierce* I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

black holes and book covers

I'm sorry I haven't been posting regularly in this blog at all. :( I'm still made of fail, fail, fail.

But happeh news! I got my copy of Hell Hath No Furies today! That is like epicly speedy, cuz I ordered it on the 27th, I think? Or the 28th? No earlier, anyway. My mom kinda freaked out, despite me telling her that it really doesn't mean anything to have a proof copy of a self-published book. :P Or maybe I'm just overly cynical. But I don't think so. Anyhow, Nanowrimo/CreateSpace contract FTW!!

[I was going to insert pictures here but they turned out crappy so I'll try again later.]

Just: Stay there, don't hurt anyone!

Haven't posted since December 21st! Shocking behavior, really. I hope Christmas went well for everyone who reads this (and everyone else, lulz).

Writing. Haven't worked on HHNF for a week or so, which is really silly...but I'm just really feeling the need for a break. School starts next week: I am both super excited and super NOT! Sigh.

I HAVE been working on the Stranger. It's up to 12 episodes, and 13 is finished but needs to be edited more. I am SOOO excited about the DAMDL arc. Wheeee!

I saw "Australia" yesterday and had like a million plot bunnies attack me from that movie...I feel so-so about the actual movie, but I spotted some great ideas in various elements of the film. I also appreciated the fact it was set in Australia: not many movies get that setting, which I think is a waste.

and I fall asleep counting my blessings

So I TOTALLY conquered the Mount Olympus scene. Well, sort of. I managed to add/rewrite/delete a lot, anyway. I'll have to revisit it more but PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE!

I love how HHNF's fans want me to add more Eros, and instead I just keep adding Athena scenes. :P The problem is, the only scenes I could give Eros would be basically rubbing his hands together and laughing. Fun as that might be, it would also be repetitive and a little pointless. SO! To those Eros-lovers (heh), I will someday, maybe, perhaps, write the Cupid/Psyche legend in my own little way (despite having authors such as CS Lewis to be compared to :P).

I don't know if I mentioned this on here, but last September I was thinking about giving HHNF to Mrs. Zeller and seeing what she thought about it. I convinced myself against this but today I was thinking about it again, as she was telling me about her and a friend writing poetry styled after Classical Latin poets. :) So I think if I can finish editing HHNF by the time school starts in Jan, I'll print her out a copy and give it to her.

Ummm yeah, that's all fer now! :D

My reach is global, my tower secure

Wow so I got up early this morning and had a whole half hour to work on HHNF. I helped the Theseus:Let-me-go-in-first King Minos:No-sorry-you-can't-lulz scene, which didn't take long, but for the rest of the time I've just been staring at the Mount Olympus scene. *SIGH* I don't even know how to BEGIN helping this scene. The Furies scene was an example of something that will stay almost exactly the same as when I first wrote it. The Mount Olympus scene will be an example of something that will be almost completely different from when I first wrote it. Only...like I said, I don't know how to start.

Wah.

I'm not crazy, just a little unwell

I'm on page 4 of Stage Two of my final revision of HHNF. :D It's slow going but satisfying.

Say "Metageinion sun" ten times fast. :D

I less than three Eros

I'm going ahead and throwing myself back into editing HHNF. :D The first step is going through the draft and correcting more grammar/spelling, and also marking ALL the passages that need info (such as names, places, or food :P), or that need to be rewritten/expanded. I'm almost through, and once I'm done I'll go through the doc slowly but surely and do everything that's marked. I'm trying to guesstimate how many hours, but I really can't. Once I do THAT, I'll go through it ONE more time for grammar/spelling and obvious errors, and then send it off to CreateSpace. :)

On the note of CreateSpace, I am somewhat religiously against self-publishing. BUT since I have NO intentions of ever publishing this story (since it's not an original story), I figured I might as well have fun. :D I'll probably send the rough of Wyrd to CreateSpace too, just to use as a proof copy.

Anywayz when HHNF IS on CS, I'll let you know in case you want a copy. ;)

kthxbai

So I love how I didn't work on any of my writing projects during the summer (except the Stranger, a little, in July) but now that school has started I'm working on no less than three, simultaneously: Hell Hath No Furies (editing second draft), Nano 08 (planning and prewriting) and The Stranger.

I still need to finish my Nano outline but I finished the rest of the researching I needed to do for it today. So I'm plunging headlong into the second draft. It's scary in there. O.o

I've got ep. 8 for the Stranger done, which is good, as I posted 7 on Friday. I'm partway through 9. But I'm scared that I'm going to get really stuck soon cuz this whole Atlantean story arc is kinda tricky and messy and lots of things will be different.

Nano 08 planning is really turning nasty. I need to sit down for a couple hours and force myself to bash out the rest of the outline. Maybe if I told it aloud, like I was telling a story, that would work. Hm. Hmmm.

this life hasn't turned out quite the way i wanted it to be

Heh so Jasmine mentioned Hell Hath No Furies the other day, which shamed me into working on editing it again. To that end, I went through the library catalog in quest of helpful books. I totally scored. Well, I think I did. I'll have to wait to see them until I know. But there's a "food and feasts in ancient greece" book, as well as a "historical atlas of ancient greece." Both of those cover my two biggest problems: food and terrain. :P I got a bunch of other ancient greece books too in case those don't cut it. But I think I'm good. :D