OK, gang. I’m going for it again. I’m once again stepping into the ring with the long form, the big daddy of story, yes indeed I am going to write the novel. If you’ll remember, a while ago, I started working on a military science fiction. Well, I started the plotting and it just seemed like a big giant, jumbled, complicated mess [kind of like that last sentence] so I set it down for a while thinking that it needed a little breathing space.

I’m glad I did. I now have a much clearer idea of the type of novel I want to write. I’m structuring it more like a memoir than a novel, but it will still have an over-arching story and a bigger picture. I am imposing a few rules on myself this time.

What I’m writing is a lot like alternative history. Personally, I think this will work well. The science fiction in this one is much more realistic than the last version of this novel. The themes I’m playing with are a lot less general and a little more specific to me. In fact, I’m doing my best to make everything very specific.

How I’m writing this is different. I’m following something that is very similar to Candace Hevans’ Fast Draft system, accept I’ll be writing to specific sequences. The only rule is that I must finish each sequence and its minimum length is 14 pages. I have 28 sequences now. Later, I’ll cut these up into scenes and chapters, but initially I want the main character to just experience these things as they happen.

It will be in third person point of view. Ideally, I should be able to finish my first draft by the end of may. Enjoy the month of June with my daughter, and then return for rewrites in July.

[Edit 06.02.2009] Yeah, that didn’t happen. Trying to write 14 pages a day was too difficult and I didn’t feel confident enough in the sequences. I’m glad I decided to take more time and actually work out an outline. However, I’d like to perhaps visit this idea in the future.