Tag: fiction

My First Novel: Back to the Grind (2/22/19)

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

On Monday I returned to my book. I opened up the Google-doc and skimmed over it a few times. I got the printed manuscript of my second rough draft back along with some insightful information (I had given my rough draft to a trusted friend who read it in three weeks and helped me figure out my characters motives and chapter placements). Now I’m back to the grind. Today, I am about 30 pages into my second rough draft picking it apart once again, looking for grammar mistakes, punctuation, and parts of dialogue that need fixing.

Since I haven’t seen or read any drafts of my book the past three weeks, I’m surprised by how much I remember, how much I can almost recite line by line as I look over it. Did I miss my characters? Yes. Now that they’re back in my hands I want to expand and fill in the bare bones of my rough draft. Just in these first 30 pages, I’ve noticed how stripped it is, how it needs filling and fleshing out, which would help to make it more swallowable and enjoyable for readers. Of course, I’m not here to please, I’m here to write but I can see what I need to do and I’m ready to get started.

What I want to do going into my 3rd rough draft: expand and fill in necessary chapters/dialogue/scenes, rearrange a few chapters (their placement), and polish off my ending.

At first, I had about four to six different endings for my book. I wrote and rewrote from different perspectives but I cut all of that out in my second draft. I know I need a more solid ending, or at least one final chapter that doesn’t necessarily wrap everything up but most likely leaves questions and a few complications. Knowing that I still need to write a final chapter has brought me to the unsettling realization that there is more to be written, the story goes on and I can sense that my characters have more to say and do. This means that there will be a second book at some point, but I’m not even going to start thinking about that. I just need to finish this first one and then I’ll move on.

Besides my book, this week was eventful, I went out of town with my partner for a short vacation. It was good to have a brief change of scenery and some much needed alone time together. I came home yesterday and spent the day resting, now starting my work week I feel fully rested and ready to get stuff done.

What I’m reading:

Goodreads ‘currently-reading‘

 

What I’m listening to:

My Spotify Discover Weekly Playlist

 

Thank you for reading!

-Alina

 

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PATREON

My First Novel: Week #3 Break (Feb.14th, 2019)

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Today is Valentines Day. I have plans tonight with my partner but for now, I am reading and reading and reading. It is my third week on a break from working on my novel. I’ve been enjoying this time, running errands, cleaning and even baking. But now I am starting to feel that I need to get back to work.

I want to wait out the rest of the week and maybe start next week by reading through my second draft again. I’ve done a good job of ignoring my draft and printed manuscript this entire time, trying to put some space between me and my work. I need fresh eyes the next time I read my draft. I’ve been trying not to think about my characters too much and I think it’s been a healthy break. During the last few months, my obsession with writing my novel and working on my characters was taking over my life. I was thinking about my characters all the time, jotting down notes and backstories, analyzing them and trying to shape them into real people. But until I get back into my obsession, I’ll take advantage of this time by reading.

Here is my Goodreads list of what I am currently reading,

What I am listening to:

Thank you for reading about my journey writing my first novel!

-Alina

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PATREON

My First Novel: Week #2 Break (Feb.6th 2019)

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

I woke up with Lana Del Rey’s “Tomorrow Never Came” playing in my head. The line, “sitting on the park bench, waiting for you” repeating over and over in my mind. I can hear the music, her voice. Are those words even right? Or do they go another way, I have to look it up,

No, I was wrong, the part I was thinking of, it goes,

“I waited for you

In the spot you said to wait

In the city, on a park bench

In the middle of the pouring rain”

The image is stuck in my head, and it repeats over and over. Now I am finally able to drown it out listening to Warpaint, or Sharon Van Etten. I don’t think I really like “Tomorrow Never Came” as much as other Lana songs, so strange. The reference to Elton John and with accompanying vocals by Sean Ono Lennon. The past is present, it lives on, its alive within us.

What does it mean when I get songs stuck in my head? How am I able to hear the song, the instruments, everything not just the words. I can recall exactly how it sounds as if I am actually listening to the song, how is the brain capable of that?

This is week two of me taking a break from working on my novel. I have given the second draft to a trusted friend and I am patiently waiting for them to finish it and provide some much-needed feedback. I feel calmer and less anxious this week than last, I had been itching to keep working on my novel but refused to look at any drafts or write any background on my characters. I need to distance myself from my work so I can gain a better perspective.

When I say/write “my novel” it sounds so pretentious. But when I say “my book” it sounds flat and lifeless, like it could be anything, a recipe book, a book of quotes, anything. Novel sounds better.

For lunch today, I had a wheat bagel toasted with butter and blackberry jam. I fried up some scrambled eggs and ground up some pepper and salt for taste. I drink my coffee, my thermos keeps my french roast hot for hours, the longest I’ve counted was seven hours, I think that was yesterday.

Mundane details of my day, by writing them out I’m keeping myself occupied, my mind and my constant desire to write anything.

Every morning I use my electric kettle and boil enough water to fill the french press up to the little white line that denotes ‘4 cups’. I use pre-ground organic french dark roast coffee. I have cut cream out completely from my daily coffee ritual. Did that take as long as when I cut out sugar years ago? After I noticed I went through a 5 lb bag of white cane sugar in only a couple of months. The amount of sugar I used is revolting to me now. Two to three teaspoons per cup. Cup after cup after cup after cup.

There is a winter storm warning in effect right now. It started yesterday around noon. The big white flurries coming down. The mountains white with snow and half hidden by looming thick grey clouds. I drove around and ran some errands, bought a new pair of shoes and decided to go home. Reading the road, the drivers, aware of their movements which were becoming more erratic since it started snowing, I didn’t want to risk it. Risk being on the road with people excited, aroused, or angry ready to hit the gas and plow through the snow only to slip and slide and run into each other or worse, me.

Now the snow has piled up high, at least a foot on the fence as far as I can tell when I look out the window. There is so much snow. I am beginning to wonder how long it takes for people to get cabin fever in these conditions. I think about reading The Shining. I really want to and I am surprised that I haven’t yet. Today would be a perfect day to start but I have plans.

Soon I will have to pull on my layers, my boots and gloves, wrap myself up and go outside to dig out my truck. I have plans tonight with my partner and the short drive to meet him will take longer than usual today. Can’t help but think about the movie The Thing, can’t help but think to myself that some things are not what they appear even when they look familiar. My street, the house, even my truck hidden under snow on snow, white on white. It is all unfamiliarly familiar like prescribed deja vu.

In the back of my mind, I can hear my characters, they shuffle in the kitchen, pacing. I can hear their voices begging me to let them out. I can only imagine what’s going to happen when this is over.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

I’m going to go play in the snow.

-Alina

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My First Novel: (Finishing 2nd Draft) January 24th, 2019

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Yesterday, I finished editing the 2nd rough draft of my novel. I was elated but then immediately felt let down, in my mind I had finished writing the book again and was sad to see it end.

I still have some work to do before I order a printed manuscript. I have about a dozen pages that I have marked. These pages need work on dialogue, additional beats, expansion, and added details. I’m tempted on just ordering a manuscript today and working through it but I know what I need to do, it’s just hard.

What is also daunting is the fact that I’ve cut approximately 16,000 words from my first draft. My word count for the first draft was a little over 50,000 words. But after going through the draft and spending some time rereading chapters I cut, and cut, and cut.

The biggest cut that happened was the ending. At the time I was finishing the first draft, I was conflicted on who’s Point Of View (POV) I was going to use, so I wrote out about five different endings, all from the perspective of each character, the characters that mattered. I cut all the endings out and landed on a two-paragraph epilogue. The Epilogue doesn’t sit well with me because of the voice of the narrator and I’m debating on cutting that out as well and leaving the end of the book at the end of the chapter of Part Four. I’m just not entirely sure what to do about the ending.

I’ve read in many books on writing that working from the ending backward helps writers figure out what their story is really about. I know what mine is about but I am tempted to try this out, or at least on the next draft working backward, editing from the last chapter to the very first.

In summary, I am checking in and vomiting up my doubts and insecurities about my draft today. I have about four hours today to work on my novel and I will, I really will but with reluctance.

What I’m Listening to:

The inspirational playlist I’ve created for my novel GHOST IN THE WOODS

What I’m reading:

Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film

photo source: amazon.com

Thank you for reading! Please follow or subscribe to read more about my journey writing my first novel.

-Alina

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My First Novel: (2nd Draft Progress) January 22nd, 2019

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

I’ve been working all weekend while trying to balance my time between work, my partner, and my novel. So far, I have found time before and after work, editing a chapter or two, or reshaping key dialogue parts. I feel like I’m making progress but sometimes I get overwhelmed with the work I still have to do.

I’m about two-thirds finished with the second draft but there are half a dozen chapters I need to expand on and the dialogue…so much dialogue I have to work on, the hardest part.

The most challenging obstacles I’ve been coming across the past week is weaving beats into my dialogues. Beats are pauses, like in music, between lines. For instance, having a character say,

“I want some milk,” she walked to the fridge, opening the door and grabbing the glass jug of milk on the second shelf [beat].

“Don’t drink all of it.” Her mother said.

The beat in this example separates “I want some milk.” and “Don’t drink all of it.” which would read completely different without it.

Example without the beat,

“I want some milk.” She said.

“Don’t drink all of it.” Her mother said.

I’ve been trying to use my beats appropriately, to add more to my scenes and hopefully show not tell what’s happening. Another big thing I’m working on, SHOWING NOT TELLING.

Even though the work is daunting, I’m not quitting. I like to have a challenge and I’m looking forward to finishing my second draft. When I finish my second draft I’m going to have it printed off into a manuscript to edit by hand, I did this with my first draft and it helped immensely. It’s an amazing feeling being able to hold my novel in my hands, sort of in book form and having a draft closer to the finished product is exciting.

On another note, I finished reading Patti Smith’s Devotion, which was amazing. It is a tiny book, short but full of so much. A few chapters on Patti’s experiences, a short story, poetry, and photos. Amazing.

Thanks for reading, please follow or subscribe to read more about my journey writing My Frist Novel.

-Alina

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