Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Colorless Dragon Thread
Ahh! Finally moved, although my desk is literally in pieces. Like a dork, I completely forgot to copy my most recent chapter from my writing software to my Dropbox folder, so I can't work on it from my laptop. 
I'll get it done soon, I swear!
Sooo.... Moved into a new apartment, got my desk all set up, and my truck's brakes decide to go all wonky. After four days of getting rides from family members, we finally had my truck fixed and this happened...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati … /76963062/
The above flooding is all around my workplace and has blocked off the highway I normally take to the office. Between all of this and having half my stuff still in boxes, it's safe to say I haven't gotten much writing (or reviewing) done. 
-Elisheva
Is there a word to oppose "nocturnal"? I feel like there should be one.
-Elisheva
Is there a word to oppose "nocturnal"? I feel like there should be one.
-Elisheva
Diurnal?
This is probably more something you should just ask njc! 
No, you and KH have handled it just fine. ("Sniff. They grow up so fast!" )
Seriously, you guys are better than thesaurus.com. Thank you!
-Elisheva
But not the equal of the Fourth (and not later) editions of Roget's International.
Here is the rest. Ernie, do you know the meaning of crepuscular? So far, I've made him look up four words. One of the hardest earned feathers in my cap...
Alright, a new prologue is up and it's literally more than twice as long as the first. Yeesh! It's been forever since I've posted anything. Anywho, feel free to tear it to pieces!
Now to catch up on reviews...
-Elisheva
Yes, I could, but I think I like it too much. The prologue can be skipped without any serious impact on the story itself.
-Elisheva
Have you considered putting the 'myth' second, after the human prologue, so that the secret of the human prologue introduces the creation myth? My suggestions about the register and style of the prologue remain.
A good suggestion, but I can't think of any reason Nana (Adeline) would need to tell Merrin the creation story, unless she knew that somehow Noi/Dea and Maya/Vierra were connected, which they aren't until years (cycles) later.
I think I might just let this one sit while I mess around with a few other chapters. 
-Elisheva
Nana doesn't need to tell the creation story. The narrator fills it in for the reader--after the reader hears from the characters that there's some kind of secret or mystery going on.
Ah, ok. That seems misleading, though, as the "secret" Nana is telling is actually of the girls' heritage and has nothing to do with dragons. If I flip it around as it is written now, it would sound like she's telling him about the dragons when in all reality, the creation myth is common knowledge. At this point, I'm half-tempted to make the creation myth an "interlude" or something of the sort.
I've been writing lots of tid-bits recently, so a lot of my previously posted chapters will be filled out or I'll be putting wholly new chapters in between. In short, a lot of reorganizing will ensue.
-Elisheva
So somehow slip in the 'common knowledge' part. There is a tie between that heritage and the dragons, is there not? You don't need to tell the reader just yet what it is, do you?
There is no direct tie, though I may put one in later. Both the heritage and the dragons are important pieces of the plot, though.
-Elisheva
Hmm. Maybe I misread the future ...
At this point, I really just need to write more. My chapters haven't even reached the double digits yet. I am so very slow and unorganized. Practice, practice, practice! I'll get there, I swear!
-Elisheva
Elisheva,
I used to write a chapter every month to two months. I didn't want to write something that wasn't correct and I wasn't sure on the plot at that time.
So an example of what I'm dealing with right now…
I'm stuck with the characters in a place where they can talk, have time, and at least one character is aware of something 'not quite right'. I have to get the conversation to make sense. In other words, it's time to pass out some clues. So I'm going to write the second half of the chapter and get that over with. I have that part in my head and it is action, so it should flow pretty easily.
Another way that I get my writing faster is to write future scenes that will tie in with the story later. If a battle or encounter is really strong in my imagination, I find that I replay that part of the story in my head. I have to write it out to move on. This is how I used to write all the time. The disadvantage is that you have to connect the dramatic parts with less-interesting moments that don't hold attention as much.
The contribution of this site to my writing is that it made me write/publish in sequence. Now that I see the value of linear story, my piecemeal storytelling can come out of the closet and get thrown back into play…it isn't a disadvantage any more. I just don't publish those chapter until they are linked into the linear storytelling.
So anyway, consider writing ahead of where you are in your book. It really helps you with the overall plot. Even better? Write the ending. Having a destination for your story is a HUGE mental leap. It gives you somewhere to aim your arrows instead of just writing onto a blank wall.
That makes sense. Thanks, Amy. I was getting a bit discouraged, writing things so far out of order. (I have snippets that are practically half-way through the story) It's good to know I'm not the only one who's struggled with it.
-Elisheva
If something's burning a hole in your mental pocket, write it down! If you feel you have to polish it, then consider posting it, even though it's provisional. (I have). But don't feel obliged.
Getting the ending written down (even though I know it will change) made a huge difference. I know I said it before, but I can't emphasize it enough. I had somewhere to take my characters. It doesn't make the process of writing any easier, but it helps aim you in the right direction.
Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA. My grandpa had a stroke, so I've been extremely busy with the family. I've barely had time to lurk the forums let alone review or write a whole lot. Going to try and make it a point to spend a bit of my morning on tNBW, though, now that things have settled a bit.
I know I'm not the greatest at reviews, but if anyone wants me to poke at something specific, just let me know.
-Elisheva
I'm saddened to hear of you difficulties and I wish you strength.
If you're looking to practice reviewing or accumulate points, I've got tons of chapters you can hit. I can be flinty when replying to reviews, but often it's because I disagree about the problems. And when two reviewers agree, I take it seriously. Three notes: I have plenty of disconnected chapters, the chapters about Erevain and Merran's training are to be rewritten, and I'm interested on reviews everywhere, not just on recent matter.
Amy_s also has a lot of story out there, and I'm sure she would appreciate reviews. Unfortunately, the book that probably would benefit most, =Mandates=, is not a for-points book. But if you're looking to hone both reviewing and writing skills, it would be an excellent place to start. Or you could look at the 'containment jar' chapters in the for-points -Acts-.
Amy's books are part of a single story, and it's a really, really good one.
Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi → The Colorless Dragon Thread
