Alejandro's Writing Update

Words for today 2478
For a total of 2618

First/Third draft of the book has been started, well I started yesterday but only got 140 words, things just blocked me. Also I call it First/Third draft because is the first draft in Spanish but the third review in English. Because I want to release it in both languages, for the main reason that the people in Latin America who reads is almost none existent so broad my spectrum will not hurt, well only my economy.

Here here is something weird, because DelToro says writing in present tense is hard for him, for me is the other way around, maybe because I have done most of my writing in script format and now I write like that all my stories and need to revisit and change them to past tense and add more description, I suppose everyone is different.

Pages 160
Words 59,680

Second draft is finished and still under word limit, I still would liked to get more description and a couple of chapters more to get more in depth of the characters but hey! That's why God invented sequels.

No time to sent it to its first test ride and see how it handles

Fun fact: The character of Hiro wasn't in the original idea for Heroes, but when the creator told the story to her wife she said "You don't have a single character who likes to have powers" some times you need an outsider's input to make it work.

Today my day job took a toll on me, I was only able to work 14 pages of the second draft but still now there is only 10 pages left.

Pages 150/160

So the Second draft is getting to an end, I'm almost hitting the word limit but I'm being more measured with what I add.

Pages 136/160

Also I have been more active to report my progress on my Twitter, if you are really hug up on what I have been doing you can look for it there. It is: Mortenius

So I haven't been super active on this part of my news on my writing process but rest assure I'm still on it, the main reason is that I was not super into the second draft mostly because it is grammar and adding more description, there is nothing new most of the time. I though it was just me, but then I found this quote from Steve Martin. Now I know I'm not the only one. Also I started counted the progress in pages not words, because it got confusing.

So pages 111/159

Words use to be 55,824
Words now 58,997

As I said I knew it was going to get longer on the second draft.

Second day working on the Second Draft. So far I have reviewed the equivalent of 25 pages, not bad for 2 days.

Used to be 55,824 Words
Now it is: 56,105 Words.

Stephen King says to cut 10% of the first draft on the second, but I think he doesn't use my same method of writing. Because my formal education was for Film and TV, so my first drafts are always lacking description and narration, this is why I was aiming lower than the word limit, to have a buffer zone.

Also there are a lot of mistakes, grammar, spelling, and descriptions missing. This is why I this isn't a version I'll hand to revision. This was to trace the story and work on it. After all is easier to fix a good idea than creating it.

I was looking the quote where he says after the first draft he takes a few days to walk away and then see it with fresh eyes and cut what in needs to be cut. But being realistic I miss my story. Those bluntly honest characters, the bold and intimidating Ruby. I just want to go back to them.

So I suppose that one day away is enough for me, Tomorrow start the second draft.

Words written: 1,670
Final count: 55,824

Yes you read that right, the first draft is over. Will be a second and a third draft because it needs a lot of work, but the main line, the path has been traced now. All I have to do now is sharing my mind to detail with the reader.

Also I suppose nobody would get how this quote applies to me, because I stopped writing for some time and to the untrained eye I haven't been writing for that long, but in fact I have for some time now, never professional but just for myself and it has helped me more than you can imagine.

Words written 4,114
For a total of: 54,154

Words are funny that way, they are like chain links, you write one and then another follows it and then another and another and before you notice there ate thousands of them forming sentences, dialogues, chapters, a whole new world, anything!

I trick myself that way, if I feel I can't write anything else I just say, one more word, what would be the perfect next word? And after that the next one comes natural and the next and the next and before I notice I have reached the 2,000 for the day.

So far I'm half a chapter away from finishing the first draft of the story after that comes the second draft.

Words written: 2,002
For a total of 50,040

This is goes with my way of thinking. Because a friend asked me "If you get a writing job, could you deliver story after story?" and I said yes, I could work 4 stories at the same time, I could come up with stories after a walk around the block. So if I had a short amount of time left I would prefer to write all I can and publish it or post it somewhere than just waste it some other way.

Less than 10,000 words to hit the cap, but I just need the 2 final scenes so I think it can be done.

Words written: 2,090
For a total of: 48,038

This quote actually resonated with me, because like it says I don't drink , I don't smoke, or do drugs. Even I don't go out that often but I discovered that when I write I don't need anything of that, because I can be where ever I want and I'm always surrounded by the characters I know and love. Some times they even give good advice or just seem to listen to me.

I think I might be going crazy but the good kind of crazy.

Words written: 2,179
For a total of: 45,948

I have been very secluded from everything lately. This is because I sit writing and just isolate myself from everything, I try not to check FB, Messenger, WhatsApp or anything. Just put on the headphones and blast the music I like on random. After a moment I'm not even hearing the music, I hear the voices of my characters, I see the scenes, I know what they are thinking and feel what they are feeling. Is kind of hard to explain but we are feeling it at the same time, so sometimes I get a knot on my throat of laugh with them (Yes I laugh at my own jokes, at least someone has to) and before I notice the day is gone.

The weird part is that I haven't been able to watch much Netflix or any streaming service and when I do most of the time I think I should be writing because I like my story better.

Words written: 1,085
For a total of: 43,769

Each beat can extend a lot because I have basically a backstory for anything in my head so anything can be a conversation, a new adventure or even a whole new spin off. this is why I'll never get why people (Specially writers) complain of spin offs and expanded universes. Do they don't do the same? That character who was there to deliver one line doesn't have any background? is that unimportant? Then why is it there?

On the other hand that is how my mind works, I get stories on everything.

Words written: 560
For a total of: 42,684

Not the 2,000 but at least got something done. I actually struggled with a line I almost improvised on the spot. It was a line that in the moment I knew it meant a lot for the character. People always say that writers like George RR Martin can kill any character and don't care, but that is not true, I also have tons of characters I can kill and not even bat an eye, but others I would like the to stay for ever and never have anything bad happen to them. But they are characters and need development, conflict and some also a tragic ending.

I hope tomorrow will get some more words on the page.

Words Written: 2,115
For a total of: 42,124

This quote is what makes writing so hard and so dangerous. Yes you can make anything, what ever in your mind can be made.. But not anything will be engaging or even coherent. You need to see what happens with the plot and if you are getting lost in your own world.

My story is getting to an end.

Words written 2,006
For a total of 40,009

The closer I get to the 60,000 limit the more I think I might not make it to be just that, still have 20,000 to go, and just 3 major beats to work, but on the other hand, it was like 4 beats the past 40,000 words.

Words written: 2,111
For a total of: 38,003

I almost stopped myself at 1,235 words today. but I remembered that I skipped a part to keep the flow of one part with the other, but then I decided to go back, I said to myself 600 words I can do 600 before calling it a day. Ended being 900, didn't finish that part but I reached the goal of 2,000 a day.

Words written: 2,468
For a total of: 35,892

Here we can see to very different writers, one with an approach of give all you can and stop at nothing and the other which the imposter syndrome has hit him hard. I will never get why someone who have been recognition will fall to that extreme, but everyone is different.

I mean so far I have thought that myself, but is because the 99% I asked (or they asked) to read something of mine they never talked to me again or avoid the subject like the plague. But even so I write way more than him (George not Stephen)

So far the story only needs 3 more mayor beats to finish, but for the first half I only had 2 mayor beats, so I think I'll be hitting very close the 60,000 words.

George RR Martin asks Stephen King: "How do you write so Fast?!" Get Fire and Blood: https://amzn.to/3lXp8IL(Affiliate Link)See Also - George RR Martin and Stephen King on the Nature of Evil: https://youtu.be/ky8C5Sga_EM

Words written: 2,031
For a total of: 33,424

I have heard this phrase from a lot of people, I'm sure at least 2 instructors in VFS said it. I just set it to him because he was the one that appeared in google. How I see it is that when you have your characters well fleshed up and all your setting well thought your mind can work on what will happen next almost in automatic that gives your characters their voice.

Also I just passed all the parts I had written back in Vancouver, yes I'm in uncharted territories now. How uncharted? Well I still know what will happen at every moment, just need dialogues and specific actions also isolated scenes to join the main beats of the story, but those are the ones I mention come natural if you have everything grounded.

Words written: 3,268
For a total of 31,393

I have officially passed the middle of my allowed word count, after that they charge by extra word. Not cool if you want to bargain for 2 books.

I just realised that even if I don't have the mind state to write I can get into it by reading the parts I like, when they discover something, or a conversation that apparently leads nowhere. That gets me in centred and ready to see what happens next. Fun fact that almost never works if I read the last thing I have written, it feels like I'm rushing myself.

I really like writing stories, it takes a lot but is fun.

It might look like a joke it never fails.

A little context, if you knew me during my VFS days you might remember that I was able to write a 45 pages script from beginning to end in one night, or 4 different treatments for one single idea, revamp a whole idea or create different set ups in the blink of an eye.

Well that was then, now there is something that blocks me. No, I'm not saying I have writer's block, is only that now I need preparation time, I need to spend some time letting my mind gets set in. I can just sit and write for hours, but if I don't get into that mind set everything will be different, distorted, and way more angry. And tone doesn't work on what I'm writing right now, Now then, when I realise I have messages I'll answer, but answer doesn't takes me out of that mind set, a conversation does, and then I need to step aside again and try to find my centre.

This goes with a lot of what I have in my head right now and because of that most likely will stop answering messages all together when I'm writing. Because some conversations just put me on the edge and takes me way too much time to get rid of that. Just one of the perks of having a memory.

Words written 2,411
For a total of: 24,125

This phrase has stuck with me since Rick said it about the spec I was writing, yes it might be fun to have jokes and funny moments but if you don't have character development or story moving forward is just empty writing. And this came up when I was watching the new Thor movie, yes is fun, yes is light, yes you'll pass the time, but the story is so dull and simple that could have been a 40 minutes show. It need substance it lacks development and it exceeds on just filler. this is when you realise some writers and directors need someone to hit the breaks on them.

Then again, the phrase most likely wasn't that verbatim but is how I remember it and the idea is basically the same.

Words today: 4,046
For a total of: 21,714

The idea of someone intrigued by my story is almost alien to me, because most of the time when someone ask me to read what I'm working on they never bring back the subject. this has happened a ton of times so I already got to the idea of people just leaving my writings on a side and thinking never to bring back the subject again.

It has been very few that has actually asked me for a continuation of any story, so this is why I decided to go for the self publishing book, because that way I might reach people out there that what to learn what happens.

Words Today 1,500
For a total of 17,695

It might not mean anything for everyone else, but this was the first review of the story I'm writing right now. This started as an assignment and everyone else were being rejected, torn to pieces to be precise, but then we got to mine and this is what Aaron had to say about it, it felt nice.

Hey, I'm back I got again on the same circle of hating everything and imposter syndrome. The second I can deal with, but I hate to write when I'm angry, yes I can write 3 times more and 5 times faster but what is reflected on the page doesn't work for most topics and then I have to redo everything, and I hate to do double work.

So I started procrastinating the worst way possible, I started doing something I didn't enjoy and was just blatantly boring and frustrating for me. I started playing the "new" God of War (The one that came out on 2018) is awful and boring, the highlights is when it was mediocre. But anyway I finished it yesterday and now I debated myself on start again or not, at the end I decided to at least make a word or anything just to try to get back.

So I'll try to continue with it tomorrow.

Words written 1,447
For a total of 17,695

I know I haven't posted in like a week but I'm still going with it.

Words written 4,445
For a total of 16,248

I consider myself as a no BS kind of person, no small talk just going straight to the point without any sugar coating. This is why I think this phrase stuck with me, didn't hit hard, more likely it reinforced my way of thinking. I mean, you have a finite number of pages to tell your story, why waste them?

Word written 1,138
For a total of 11,803

When I heard this it put things in perspective, the classic the grass is greener on the other side of the fence kind of situation.

I remembered a few days ago, and this helps me to keep moving forward, if I don't do it to seize the opportunity for myself, I'll do it for the people who wish could go back and just scribble what's on their mind without a worry, knowing that might no one will even know it exists but still putting it out there.

Then again this is the best I could remember the phrase, it is hard to remember through all the yelling and swearing. :P

Words Written 2,222
For a total of: 10,665

I had a rough end of the week, no matter what I do always something or someone reminds me that I'm stupid and useless so it kind of brought me down, I needed something to at least distract me, because if I'm left with my thoughts in those moments nothing good can develop, or anything at all. Most of the time I just look into the abyss and lose another day.

But then I saw this quote from Tolkien, and I remembered that writing is also my escape, a way to focus all my thoughts in several different minds and actions, I might not been able to silence the voices in my head but I can put them to work on something I want to do and enjoy doing.

The full quote is:

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . . If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”

So yes, I'll escape into my fantasy land and bring as many people as I can.