tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post4675467435543791040..comments2024-03-24T14:47:00.370-07:00Comments on Approaching Pavonis Mons by balloon: Wordy RappinghoodAl Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-89483889230056808292012-08-16T05:17:19.775-07:002012-08-16T05:17:19.775-07:00Hi Graeme - speaking for myself, I don't worry...Hi Graeme - speaking for myself, I don't worry about spell-checking, layout and so on until much, much further down the writing timeline. There's no point fine-tuning a chunk of text which may not survive into the final draft.Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-16668689477301148702012-08-15T08:31:36.744-07:002012-08-15T08:31:36.744-07:00You mention 'raw wordage' and so on, but w...You mention 'raw wordage' and so on, but what do you mean by that? Is it a wall of text that then needs to be laid out and spell checked properly? I find that if I try and write something, I have the habit of spell-checking and spacing/laying out as I go which obviously takes time to doGraeme838https://www.blogger.com/profile/10511347552003699789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-85818375333999015132012-04-02T02:53:18.106-07:002012-04-02T02:53:18.106-07:00I did a TEDx talk last year - should be able to fi...I did a TEDx talk last year - should be able to find it on Youtube if you poke around. Didn't set the world on fire...Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-59761246754071313052012-04-01T02:07:39.960-07:002012-04-01T02:07:39.960-07:00Have you been on TED, yet? Surely, they (and we) ...Have you been on TED, yet? Surely, they (and we) would be honoured to hear you sum it ALL up in 18 minutes. You're da best sf there is, and yet you seem so normal. Ted-ster!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10648252569379281772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-83671917436433849812012-03-22T16:53:01.028-07:002012-03-22T16:53:01.028-07:00Hi MH - editing for me is a different phase of wor...Hi MH - editing for me is a different phase of work, which I only approach when I have a workable draft. Obviously at that point it's generally about removing, not adding words, and I don't set myself specific daily targets. That's the part I like best of all, as it happens.Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-56939597338958044112012-03-22T16:19:37.761-07:002012-03-22T16:19:37.761-07:00I've always found the pen to be mightier than ...I've always found the pen to be mightier than the (s)word processor. Yet I do all my fixing's and re-draft's on the keyboard. I've found myself sometimes switching between the dining room table to the computer so often that it feels like a game of musical chair's, but it works for me.<br />Like yourself, I use the simplest tools that get the job done.Dave from Downunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14177325241501320978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-17338156079581230512012-03-22T09:39:22.284-07:002012-03-22T09:39:22.284-07:00Thanks for the glimpse into your process. How do y...Thanks for the glimpse into your process. How do you account for/make time for revision? Do you still aim for 3K fresh words even while editing?M.H. Van Keurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07736878298979709150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-57138749140535019872012-03-21T17:06:47.337-07:002012-03-21T17:06:47.337-07:00I think 3000 is a very respectable tempo. For me, ...I think 3000 is a very respectable tempo. For me, keeping a consistent number would be hard because I'd be excited to write about certain things in the story more than others, which would also bring up the need for self control and care to pace properly. Of course, I've read all your novels and most of your short stories and I've never seen you have any issues with pacing. <br /><br />By the way, I just tried the audiobook of "The Prefect" after having read the hardback a couple years ago, and I was very impressed by how great a narrator John Lee is; I didn't think I could enjoy that novel any more than I already had. Did you have a hand in selecting him or is that up to your publisher?Suchiazskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09621406100459361502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-22618490743968961672012-03-21T16:38:17.374-07:002012-03-21T16:38:17.374-07:00I've not tried Scrivener - I was just hoping t...I've not tried Scrivener - I was just hoping to hold off at the pass anyone who was about to say "you can do that in Scrivener!" I actually use a very old version of Word, simply because it does what I need it to do. I try not to get too precious about these things, though. The last thing I wrote longhand was "Merlin's Gun" but if I was stuck anywhere for more than a week or so without a computer, I'd happily break out the pen and paper again.<br /><br />Rusty: thanks!Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-26119181287691578522012-03-21T16:24:47.052-07:002012-03-21T16:24:47.052-07:00It's interesting that you mention Scrivener, d...It's interesting that you mention Scrivener, do you use something like it to write your drafts? Or is it just a simple text editor? Or do you prefer the mechanical way, hand or typewriter, so you don't get distracted by the wonders of modern computing?Raf Blutaxthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08664706891816182567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-41586325154693006702012-03-21T16:02:05.648-07:002012-03-21T16:02:05.648-07:00I love hearing about the process... oh, and your T...I love hearing about the process... oh, and your TEDx talk was quite awe inspiring.Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-40112366763299638212012-03-21T13:20:57.876-07:002012-03-21T13:20:57.876-07:00Wolfen: depends on which book I consider my first ...Wolfen: depends on which book I consider my first novel. I still have the handwritten manuscript of my first novel, but I didn't write it in drafts; I just kept fiddling with it until I was happy (or ready to bin it and move on). The second one was also handwritten, only that was a straight draft with little or no revision.<br /><br />Revelation Space was typewritten, and I tried not to do to much self-editing and revision as I was working through it. Just wind a sheet in, type to the bottom of the page, add it to the stack and move on. The finished book was quite rough and had internal inconsistencies, but I then typed it onto a Mac and from that point on the drafts became much less well defined.<br /><br />Bob: I use a whiteboard for exactly that reason. It's also useful for scribbling down timelines and wacky ideas that I can't use for a few months but don't want to forget. Doubtless there is software (like Scrivener) that can duplicate many of these functions.<br /><br />I'd rather work on one thing at a time but circumstances don't always allow that. I've been working on the follow-up to BRE since October, but in that time I've broken away from it to work on a couple of stories.Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-61718439480281967902012-03-21T13:08:23.841-07:002012-03-21T13:08:23.841-07:00I'm ok on short fiction but on a novel length ...I'm ok on short fiction but on a novel length story I sometimes lose my way, i.e. remembering where people are at certain times etc, especially as I am a slow writer and tend to have to leave the larger stories for a while to stew. I suppose one idea would be post-it notes or a whiteboard but I've never tried that.<br />How about you?<br />Do you tend to stick to one work at a time or do you have a couple of books on the go at once? (apart from shorts etc)Bob Lockhttp://bob-lock.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-22588181441037296842012-03-21T13:00:04.281-07:002012-03-21T13:00:04.281-07:00Speaking of beginnings... I always wondered what w...Speaking of beginnings... I always wondered what was your first draft of your first novel like?Wolfennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-69080643497327270182012-03-21T12:41:26.905-07:002012-03-21T12:41:26.905-07:00I'm still struggling with that one, Bob. I gen...I'm still struggling with that one, Bob. I generally have an idea of where I'm heading (especially with short fiction) but I've yet to make detailed planning work for me.Al Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517967406876572177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5143440998478479157.post-82985957961304903062012-03-21T12:02:23.075-07:002012-03-21T12:02:23.075-07:00Do you prepare a 'route map' of the story ...Do you prepare a 'route map' of the story before writing or does the story evolve as you work your way through it?Bob Lockhttp://bob-lock.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.com