working title:

My name is Greg Turner. I wrote a novel. It's my second. The first one was terrible, but I learned a lot from writing it. The new one is world's better. It might even be good, once I'm through revisions.

I plan to track my progress here. I'll talk a bout my processes, highlight scenes I think work well and ones that don't. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. If you're interested in publishing my novel, I'm happy to do all I can to help make that happen.

contact: steampoweredmedia@gmail.com

Nov 24

Progress

It was a little harder than I expected to get back into the writing habit. But get back into it I did and am making real progress.

Step one in the process, write the scenes that were too hard or too remote in the first (or half-) draft:

  1. Perhaps, to make up for passing out & missing Kyle’s morning, Boone can cook a meal in the restaurant/their kitchen is too small. roasted chicken, potatoes, Brussels sprouts w/ mayo and bacon - After Carlos is fired. Before?
  2. DONE You might need to write a scene in which Joan debates Boone being at the party—finally decides it could be his chance to rescue her or himself (Joan & Eric meeting here and there)
  3. Make sure Boone’s infatuation with Kyle’s girlfriend (or lack thereof) gets handled in some way
  4. A scene in which Boone finds and studies Kyle’s photographs?
  5. UNNECESSARY A scene or line early on about client meeting @ home. So Boone is unsurprised when he sees the two cars p133
  6. DONE A scene in which Boone stays out late. Provides the pivotal discovery to explain the fatigue. But what? Scene w/ Mahon most likely —

    -– no, just explain that what’s the conflict has done to him, the worry and strife about the restaurant

  7. THIS SCENE EXISTS. WHEN THEY MEET IN THE CAFE ON CAMPUS. They need to discuss her infidelity. Though he’ll expect the fight, it won’t happen. She’ll finally ask him what he’s going to do and he’ll say he doesn’t know.
  8. A scene in which Boone calls Rosenblatt (Blumenthal) in a panic, asks him not to sell the restaurant.
  9. UNNECESSARY Folks at work like Greek chorus (maybe). The secretary brings Boone coffee.
  10. An earlier scene in which Boone does something w/ Smith. Perhaps talks about the restaurant (so we know Smith is dumb)
  11. DONE Finish the scene of Joan @ the coffee house. -Drive home -she wears the same sweatshirt - he takes her on the kitchen table and destroys a day’s worth of work
  12. NO Think about separating Joan throwing up & the breakup scene?
  13. DONE Extend the scene after Kyle’s fight. Boone will have to think about calling Joan. Will be hung over, too.
  14. DONE Finish aftermath of Kyle’s fight. Maybe Boone will say, “Let me take him out of here.”
  15. DONE You’ll need to have a scene where Kyle meets w/ Hannah after the fight. Perhaps a gift exchange or something.  She’ll be scared at first.
  16. UNNECESSARY Flesh out the scene between Mahon and Boone, during the walk home Boone thinks briefly of how things will be, looks at his good friend.
  17. Finish Christmas
  18. Maybe Kyle takes the Blue Boy photo after Christmas—after his dad leaves. In the art show, Him, Michael, Hannah’s Door.
  19. Boone wakes, tries to call Mahon. Leaves message on the machine
  20. Boone visits Rosenblatt (might not need it. might be very short)
  21. UNNECESSARY Boone picks up Kyle from police station? (you already had him break and fight Breedlove)
  22. Finish Kyle’s first day of school - the people different
  23. Finish scene where Boone first calls Joan in the night?
  24. (there’s a big jump in events and the following three are right next to one another. rather than write out each scene, I might be able to handle this weird transition with sequencing instead)
    1. Kyle scene (at school?)
    2. Joan scene
    3. Maybe Mahon scene?
    4. Perhaps a lesser Boone scene
  25. Boone wakes on the street. He’ll have to get home, have to talk w/ Kyle, have to make some choices. ie. call Joan or Mahon. Calls Mahon. Finally, when does this happen? (time of year)
  26. Kyle @new school. Tough to make friends. Finds himself wandering streets w/ his camera. Becomes bolder w/ them & gets in people’s faces
  27. You’ll have to have Mahon and Boone eat together earlier (maybe?). Mahon knowing how to cook seems surprising. Perhaps that scene whee they’re in Mahon’s kitchen can be expanded
  28. Boone looks in on Kyle, vows to meet Mahon @ the market (son nearly grown, but still his son)
  29. Rewrite Carlos II and younger, Carlos as older
  30. Write our scene in which Boone realizes this is it. Quits department & decides to make a go of it (march?) “He hasn’t unpacked the notes…”

I’m not sure how many of the remaining scenes I’ll have to write. After going back through, I realized several sections of the novel are fine the way they are, that too much explanation would ruin the pace and damage the characters.

Posted at 8:41 PM