An amateur writer attempts to write a Sci-Fi adventure, read the bits of the novel as it is written.
August 3, 2016 5:32 pm | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
Here is a glimpse into my writing process. As always, please note I do not know what the f*** I am doing when it comes to writing.
Here is my process:
I am not a plotter. I like to write. I like explore the “hey, what if” or “this would be cool scene” and then write backwards to find the beginning of the story, or forwards to see where the story leads. However, since the plot and the characters are unarguable the most important part of any story, you must work on the plot and the characters. Those two bits, the plot and the characters, need to be good. Otherwise, your story will suck. I failed for years, perhaps still failing, before figuring that out.
So I write first, work a little on the plot, write some more, come back to work on the plot again, go back to writing, and continue the cycle. Unlike designing and planning my stories before pounding on a keyboard, I write and the stories evolve.
Also, it is important to note, I am now using the screenplay format to capture ideas onto paper instead of writing a rough draft. This is easier and quicker for me, because I do not have to worry about grammar. Well, not so much. I often get stuck in a write-edit-rewrite cycle to make the rough draft perfectly readable and it is hard to move on, damn near impossible to progress, when I know shit going to change anyway. You may have noticed, grammar is one of my major inabilities. Hence, I started using the screenplay format and I am make good progress of getting the story into a draft form. Plus I can see the story easier and that helps me when I am working the plot. So now, when I start writing the first draft I will have an outlined of the story, as a screenplay, and both the plot and the characters should be fair or maybe even good. The first draft should be just a matter of expanding the screenplay and pounding on the keyboard to add the details to make the story entertaining.
About plotting, I am not good at plotting. And so, I will not go on about it. But I will share with you what I have done for Polis. The one sentence plot summary is:
A son goes off in search of his mother and father.
The summary paragraph of the plot is:
Mal learns of his mother death. He transforms into [REACTED]. Believing his mother is alive, he goes off in search of her. Mal discovers his mother hid a relationship with father from him. Mal heads off in search of more clues. Those clues suggest he should search out his father to find his mother. His father is on another a planet. Mal must overcome many obstacles from the time he learns of this mother death to when he gains passage and climbs aboard a spaceship bound for the planet, Selva.
There is one more thing to note about process, you do not need to do each step, you should, but it is not required. Not every may know this.
For example, let us look at the process when a man pees.
This is straightforward and you can see the consequences if you skip a step in the process.
Let us just say you skip number 5, ouch. Need I say more? Maybe not, but I will. If you skip number 2, you end up with wet pants. Skip number 4 or do a bad job of it and you end up with leakage, a wet leg and wet spots.
Skipping number 5, well this could be either good or bad, depending on so many different factors. Like you be laughed at or could get a date.
Lastly, let me say, as with any process, start with something, change it and make it work for you.
August 1, 2016 10:11 pm | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
Polis act 4 is up. Made some minor changes to act3
July 27, 2016 5:10 pm | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
I thought I would give screenplay writing a go. Mainly because I like the format as a simple and quick way to capture an idea, to get bits of a story on to paper, and an easy way to work on the story/plot.
Now, I could be completely wrong here, but I thought I would give it a go anyway. Here is my first attempt Chapter one of the novel I’m calling Malice, for now, as it takes place earlier than Selva. But, I may end up combining them, it if makes sense.
My long-term plan is to post up the screenplay format version next to a normal story for each chapter comparison. Or in case, someone prefers one style to the other.
Thanks for read my scribble.
Peace and Love
July 26, 2016 12:13 am | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
First and foremost, a discloser: I don’t know shit, I’m unpublished. I am an unknown with no formal education in any area of literature. Still reading, good.
“What type of writer are you?”
“I don’t know. Does it even really matter?”
At first I thought, no. It does not matter. I write and that should be good enough. But now, after a few years of failing under my belt, I am thinking maybe it does. If I understand why type of writer I am than I can better filter all of the advice that is out there. Because when I am in doubt, I go off googling for validation. And there is no shortage of advice about what writers should do, how to become a better writer, and how to write a better novel. And so I thought if I had a better understand of what type of writer I am then I can better filter out the advice that does not really apply to me. I can listen to advice of people who have similar styles and pay less attention to everyone else.
From what I have learned writers fall under two categories.
The first category is “Do you plot?” At one end is the hardcore plotter. This person will work out all the details, lay out every scene in great detail, create personality profiles for all the characters, complete design the story before writing a single word. At the other end is the non-plotter. A person who sits down and write, just wander off in the direction the story takes them.
The second category is “who do you write for?” At one end is someone who writes to a specific group of people. I write for educated German males ages 48 – 49 who only breast fed from the left nipple. And at the other end is someone who just writes for themself. I write to entertain me.
If you combine those two categories, you get something that might look like this:
So, what type of writer are you? Where would you stick a pin on that circle? Where is your, you are here, pin.
(I should add a poll here)
My pin is in the blue, bottom left. I am a non-plotter who writes for myself. I write the stories I want to read. I start by just writing. I start out playing with a “this would be cool” scene or starting with “what if” to head off into uncharted area. And then for giggles, I write backwards to see where it leads.
Let me just add one more thing. I start out writing that way, with no plot and go off exploring. But after a while, when it looks like a story is forming, I will break way to do some plotting and character development. For a short while, because I will get bored with that and I go back to writing. But that is more about a process, when I am adapting what type of writer I am because I know that plot is important and I know character development is important and I know design is important. All because I want to be a better writer, I want to create a better product. And most importantly, I want to learn the craft.
Thanks for read my scribble.
Peace and Love
February 9, 2016 12:46 am | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
Now this may seem odd, but sharing personal personal stuff, pictures of me, stuff like that, makes me feel uncomfortable. Hell, I bought a car recently, nothing excited a Toyota Corolla your basic cheap and reliable transportation, and the car sales man ask me the radio stations I listed too so he could program them into the radio for me and I said no. So how messed up is it that I would not tell him the radio stations I listen too. It felt creepy that the dude asked me it to begin with. Now I know he was just being nice and doing that whole “make the customer feel special” thing, but it creeps me out.
So am I the only writer who looks at his/her* picture and thinks ugh?
Maybe that has to do with why its so hard for me to say, “My writing is done” and then never make another changes to it. I’m always wanting to go back an make little changes, or broad rewrites. Hopefully for the better, though I know that is not always the case. But from what I have read, this is a normal process and through many iterations, the last iteration tends to be “better than most”, sometime even “good”.
I can’t really work on improving on my looks and such things… well yes I could. But would require time away from writing to exercise, giving up some of the good things in life, and maybe even a little balance in life. : P A balance life is boring. Bacon and Italian Liqueurs & wines are too good. -la vita è bella
What’s the point of all this? Well you may from time to time see a picture of me for my avatar, if only for a few days or until I freak out about it and then switch back to an icon or logo or something else. And yes, I am slowly, very slowly working on an logo or images, or a thing to identify as greenomen.
Gotta go, humbly yours,
JW Haney
* please note: his/her is not needed, his implies her because the English language does not distinguish between the masculine feminine. …or so I have read, but I do it because it seems right.
January 5, 2016 12:55 am | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
I would like to thanks the people (person?) at http://learnwebcode.com, whose videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/LearnWebCode/ allowed me to learn the basics of WordPress in a few days.
If anyone is interested in learning web development, HTML, CSS, PhP and such things, I highly recommend visiting their site and taking the classes. The videos are professional, well done, clean, focused, and educational. The Instructor is well spoken, clear, precise, easy to understand and insightful.
Note: the videos I watched were for programing, not website design. This web site is functional, not pretty. At some point, it will look better, but for now, it is good enough. A simple canvas to display my work.
January 3, 2016 9:33 pm | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
Happy new year everyone. The new website is up!
January 3, 2016 8:34 pm | by JW Haney | Posted in
Blogs
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
