Storywrighting - the plot thickens

I've been busily stealing time to write my novel 'Vanishing Act'.

It is harder than I thought. I don't want it to be at all 'literary' (which, given that I am barely literate, will come as a great relief, I'm sure).

The process is interesting. I have a basic story idea that I am quite clear on.
I really don't know what they will think or say or how they will act until it is laid out on the page.

It reminds me of the endless hours I have spent in darkened video editing suites trying to composit a story that makes sense from scenes that seemed perfectly sensible in a script but take on a completely different aspect once they have been shot; shuttling backwards and forwards, making transitions, clipping dialog, adding effects or music. Yes, I'd say writing fiction is very much like that - in fact I 'see' the action in my mind's eye. When I get stuck I just move on to another part of the story. Who said a good story has a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order…they were right.

It's quite fun. Hopefully the story will make sense and flow - better still be entertaining.

I'll have a preview PDF of the first few chapters in a few days if you'd like to opine about its progress. Maybe I should serialise it in a blog. Or write some companion blogs/start a MySpace page for some of the characters…?

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