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What was it like writing your first novel?
The very first novel I finished I wrote with my siblings. We always had trouble actually finishing a novel from front to back, because along the way we’d run into a problem that we couldn’t find a solution to that we all liked
So determined to finish our first novel we decided to do something way out of left field. We decided to write the most cliché story ever written.
Now it was impossible to get stuck, because all we needed to do was write the most common trope in this situation.
It ended up being really fun and freeing. Sure, the story wasn’t the best but we made some good memories and despite trying to make it as cliché as possible, it wasn’t all that cliché haha. Sometimes cool and unique ideas come up most when your not trying
And after finishing that novel writing and finishing stories was so much easier. We could think up creative ideas faster, we worked together better, and the stories came together much more easily.
So yeah, I actually recommend intentionally writing the story that you always hoped your stories would NOT turn out like. It can actually be pretty fun and tear down some mental blocks in your head that may hold you back from writing.
But anyway, what was it like writing your first novel?
@kathleenramm It was fun. A learning experience. Terrible result, and I’m going to completely revamp it, but I’m glad I finished it, even if it took years. And after that, I could write more.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into daysI wish what you said abt your siblings and working together would apply to mine, lol. We sit down to get something done, ten minutes later, it’s a mashed potato war, and an arm wrestling match.
The feeling I felt most prominently in writing my first novel was exhaustion. I had been typing for most of the day, and around eight at night I fell asleep just cuz of the tiredness. I described it at the time: “like an empty chasm in my soul” because I had spent SO MUCH time and energy on the book, and when the big part of it was done, I seriously didn’t know what to do with myself. Pretty dramatic for twelve-year-old me.
I’ve since learned to cope better, ig you could say. The story isn’t where it ends, and there is a lot of other things that go into a book once the draft is compete. Lil me just felt like she would collapse from the hand cramps that come from eight hours a day, two weeks straight. Hardly enough time for much else. Eating’s overrated anyhow. I was waayyy too invested.
@kathleenramm The writing process for TAD was long. VERY long. I think I spent at least two solid years on it. XD
@anatra23 Correct me if I’m wrong, but… is your pfp an ATLA screencap?A 25-step process of how to create a TAD, Grace K-M style:
1. Read the Lumberjanes books.
2. Play Legend of Zelda and write (terrible) fanfic about it.
3. Daydream about protagonist of said fanfic while on the treadmill. Daydream about what it would be like if she had friends? And what would she and her friends do together?
4. Race upstairs and yell “I THINK I HAVE AN IDEA FOR A NOVEL”
5. Sit down a little later and attempt to get some of said novel out of a very messy, whirlwind head.
6. Pretty much copy the Lumberjanes style and base a few of the characters on those characters. Change the protagonist a ton.
7. Write a terrible, colloquial, contemporary 47 pages of a very early idea that included enchanted keys instead of diamond shards.
8. Decide to (figuratively) defenestrate above manuscript.
9. Begin rewriting the whole. Dang. Thing.
10. Go on a walk in the forest with mom and plot-rant about a bunch of half-baked ideas to her.
11. Start getting some ideas, now kinda finalized, into that empty Word doc. Change a ton of the world’s lore, and worldbuild to the extreme.
12. Leave the book for a really long time and barely work on it. Very here-and-there.
13. Don’t do much with the book. Write a little bit more on it, but only a little bit.
14. Have mom challenge you to finish said book by the end of the school year (end of next June).
15. Get into a decent habit of writing, but ONLY writing a little bit each time.
16. Join Kingdom Pen and make a lot of friends.
17. See fifteen.
18. Move houses and be SUPER emotional and kinda begin writing more often.
19. Around the end of the year, begin to really crack down on writing. Be way more faithful about it.
20. Write and write and write some more. Get writer’s block. Eat lots. Feel like smashing your head off your keyboard from time to time. But write.
21. As June gets nearer, write even MORE. Drawing gets pushed aside as writing quickly consumes all free time.
22. Join CWW and get a lot done during that.
23. Have a brief, severe writer’s block, but get over it.
24. Power through the rest of the novel. Some obstacles, but nothing too major.
25. Sit back, relax, and be wowed: The Azure Diamond is now complete! Wow!!!
Honestly, ngl, from steps 13-17 I kinda forgot if I really did anything or not. XD There were a LOT of changes along the way, and I had writer’s block countless times, and I sometimes felt like the novel was killing me, but overall it was a really nice process and I’m proud that I was able to get through all of that! Come June 22nd and I was done! :DDD
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my homeI love revamping old stories. Because you already have the characters and the story, so you can just focus all your energy on shaping all the pieces into a really interesting story.
What are you most looking forward to redoing in that story?
Well, I mean we didn’t always get along haha. When we were younger there were literal fist fights between a couple of us so… yeah, we’ve come a long way since then.
Woah, that’s crazy! I love to write, but doin it the entire day is on another level.
What was the premise of that novel? And what made you so excited and determined to write it?
Two years may sound long, but… um… my siblings and I have been writing a certain novel on and off for six years so… maybe that can make you feel a bit better?
Oh, did you finish it this year? If so congrats!
Ooo, the secret step-by-step process of how you wrote KADS? Now I can recreate your novel and have it in my own hands bwaaahaha.
@kathleenramm Oh, probably the plot. The first plot was bad. Also different character arcs.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into daysThe premise is basically: Special boy and girl independently strike out from all they’ve ever known, and discover they’re needed to save what they previously left, and the future they were hoping for.(via defeating classic bad guy)
I promise, it’s not as corny as it seems in text, lol.
I haven’t really considered what made me drive so hard. I started it when I was younger, had a lot of free time, got engrossed in the story, dropped it, and then I managed to find the same love I had previously felt for the artwork in the book as I wrote. At the time, I was reading quite a bit, and finally began to recognize my style of writing. I lived the characters lives–both realistically and figuratively. When a character in the book struggled with emotion, confliction and *cough* family issues, usually that was me venting in my own quiet way about my emotional conflictions and *cough* family issues. Writing was/is always a therapy (albeit sometimes a desperately wanted distraction from reality), and I can’t imagine not having that vent in some of the hardest times in my life. I don’t worship it, and I hope it will never come to me valuing writing over my God, family, and friends, but it was my eternal escape.
That was quite a bit, and deeper than I meant to go, sorry.
@scripter-of-kingdoms
Yay! So it’s actually Legend of Kora, sequel to ATLA one of the few characters that satisfied me in the series. She’s Jinora and I love her sarcastic sense of humor. Have you watched ATLA? Did you know they’re making a Netflix reboot? Not getting my hopes up too far, but I’m exited.Also I loved your 25 step process. This totally sounds like the best development process.
@kathleenramm WOW. Six years. That is a very long time. XDD Yes, I did! I finished it this June 🙂 Thank you!! I’m really glad it has finally come to fruition… now to write the oTHER SEVEN BOOKS IN THE SERIES…
LOLOL. Yes. XD I have revealed my process. (regrets? maybe.)
@anatra23 Ahhh, LoK. I haven’t seen it because I don’t want it to ruin ATLA for me XDD YES I HAVE WATCHED ATLA ITS LIKE MY FAVE SHOW EVER. Who’s your favourite ATLA character?? 😀 (Can we fangirl together?? LOL.)Haha, thank you!! XD I enjoyed recounting my own process.
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my homeThat’s makes so much sense. Writing can be so therapeutic. I can really relate to being most motivated to write when your going through difficult time. There’s something so cathartic about taking all your jumbled thoughts and emotions and making art out of it. Some of the best stories and also songs I find comes from hard times.
It always reminds me of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
I don’t have a ton of Scripter memorized, but this is one of the verses I think about all the time.
Whoa, seven books? That’s really impressive! I wish you luck and fantastic story ideas!
Also, about Netflix’s ATLA adaptation, I have low expectations but high hopes if that makes sense haha. But I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to be any worse than M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation. XD
@kathleenramm Thanks! XD My series is currently divided into three parts: a historical trilogy (set hundreds of years before book one), a prequel duology (set only a few years before the events of book one), and the present-day trilogy, which I’m currently working my way through writing right now. I’m really hoping another prequel idea will strike so that I can just have a trilogy of trilogies, lol. XD
Oh goodness. Are you talking about that live action thing they were gonna make? Cuz idk if that’s still in the making XD apparently Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko, the producers of the og ATLA, actually walked away from the live action thing and said they didn’t want anything to do with it.
Pfft, well, just remember how the ATLA movie turned out.
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my home<3 Exactly. I’ve most recently realized just how much of me I’ve written into the lives of my characters. Lol it seems narcistic, but it’s coping.
@scripter-of-kingdoms @kathleenrammIKR? ATLA IS GREAT! I will never turn down the opportunity to fangirl over something as valuable as ATLA! XD
My fav character is gonna have to be, Iroh, or maybe, Toph, or Appa…Katara’s growth was great, but it didn’t strike quite enough for me… LoK did ruin a lot of things I think. The characters were really poorly developed, there was a lot of blank space, a few plot holes even.
Who is your guys’ favorite character?
I didn’t know about the directors quitting. How long ago was that? I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive or forget the ATLA movie.
@kathleenramm my first novel was cringy and I never finished it because I didn’t have a strong enough plot line, but I enjoyed writing it and it taught me I could do anything in writing.
I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title
@anatra23 YAY!! XD Fellow fangirl!! *fistbump* AUGH I love Iroh too!!! Everyone needs some Uncle Iroh in their life. My top three characters would have to be (in no particular order) Toph, Sokka, and Iroh. I did love Katara, too, she was one of my fave characters at first… but once cactus juice was on the scene Sokka kinda took her place XDD Yeah, idk if I’m ever gonna watch LoK because of that. Some people love it and some hate it. Irdk XD
Umm… some months ago, I think? It was earlier in the year.
Oh, word, although I finished all of ATLA I haven’t watched the movie yet and it’s up there with LoK that I may not EVER watch it. XDDD I’ve definitely heard… things… about the movie.
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my homeAh, yes. The cactus juice. Giant friendly mushroom cloud. I noticed in my most recent re-watch of the series, every time Sokka is delusional, or he’s just wild, he blames Momo for absolutely everything. Poor lil Momo.
Korra ain’t great, but season four has it’s moments. LOL all you need is to hear things abt the movie. I watched it a long time ago with high hopes with my family one fateful Friday night. I hear hardships and traumatic experiences help a family grow. Needless to say, we’re all closer now.
It’s a shame the directors quit tho. I’ll have to look into it to see if the movie will continue in the future or not.
@anatra23 That episode, along with Tales of Ba Sing Se (leaves from the vine hits so hard every time), is my absolute favourite in the whole series. LOL poor Momo indeed. Do you have a fave episode?
Do you recommend Korra? I mean, I’m kinda debating whether or not I should watch it…
OH WORD. I’m dead. XDDD I’ve only seen one short clip but… it was enough for me.
“lEaVe hIm aLoNE” *walks up and shoves him out of nowhere*
*like SIX EARTHBENDERS bend ONE TINY ROCK*
not to mention the camerawork
i watched ONE SCENE and it was enough for me.
also… his name is AANG??? not aWnG???
Ah, yeah. It’d be cool if it does continue. 🙂
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my home
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