everlost: A Second Draft Update (and also a smol rant because #whynot)

Good morning, Cyberspace! It is currently 11:32 am on Monday, the 19th of June, and I have decided to take a smol break from rewriting everlost because A) I need a post for tomorrow and even though I have like 11 posts that should technically be ready to schedule in my writing folder, they’re all unfinished so it’s obviously easier to just write an entirely new post one day in advance, and B) I am physically and mentally dead.

*breathes in deeply because #longsentencewithterriblepunctuation*

And what better way to take a break from writing my book than to hop on over to my blog and rant about my book, am I right?

Of course I’m right. I’m always right.

I also vaguely remember telling you guys that I’d keep you updated on how revising everlost is going, and…well…

#FAIL

So today I’m going to be making up for my complete negligence, and telling you all of the things that are happening in everlost at this current moment.

Well, maybe not all of the things. That would take about 371 years. But I shall tell you some of the things, which is quite frankly a lot lamer than all of the things, but at least it is something.

Right?

Right.

Let’s begin, shall we?

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— everlost: A Second Draft Update —

 

— Why, yes, I put this particular image with every single post about everlost. Thank you for noticing that most glaring coincidence —

The Good–

 

— “Bella”‘s personality is finally (FINALLY) beginning to take form. She’s less of a mushy potato, and more of a spunky/shy firecracker who takes orders from no man but at the same time fears pretty much everything and screams when a spider dangles down in front of her face. #fun

— Thao is still an idiot

— I actually discovered (for the most part?) just how involved everyone is with the whole deception/backstabbing/family-owned business dilemma, which was quite a relief, as my brain was pretty much rotten mush by the time I figured it out

— Peter’s a derp, but I feel like his character has already been pretty well developed in the first draft, so thankfully he shouldn’t have too many edits

— Adaline’s character is really starting to take shape. It’s quite interesting to watch. I love peeling back her layers to see what’s going on inside her mind. You know, like an onion

— Thao is still an idiot

— I’ve discovered ways to replace lame scenes with ones that actually move the plot along instead of hindering it…?

— I’m still in love with the plot and story, which is WONDERFUL. It helps me stay focused on everlost, rather than go chasing plot bunnies and falling head-first down a bunny hole.

— Oh, and Thao is still an idiot.

The Bad–

— Some of my characters that sort of shouldn’t exist yet are becoming…slightly self-aware. And that is concerning. Mostly because at a later point in the book, they’re supposed to leave, and if things continue as they are right now, well…

They ain’t leaving.

But that’s okay, because it will help me better design their personality for book two, right?

Right?????

— PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES

— So…it turns out that I have about three chapters labeled ‘Chapter Seven’ at the moment…so…yeah?

— My brain is slightly numb from trying to figure out all of the aforementioned PLOT HOLES

— I’m not sure if Adaline is coming across as too strong in the third ‘Chapter Seven’, or if maybe she’s being portrayed as too weak? Right now she’s this weirdly bizarre mixture of weepy/hardcore, and I’m not sure how to process this…

— Did I mention my brain is mush? Because my brain is literally mush

— I’m having trouble deciding whether Thao actually knows about the betrayal in his family, or if he’s just sort of oblivious to it all. (yes this completely contradicts what I said in the ‘Good’ section but SHHHHHH, everything’s FINE) If I decide that he’s totally oblivious, that means I’m going to have to completely rewrite a chapter that I ALREADY REWROTE!!!??!?! So I’m rooting for the fact that he knows things instead of being a limp asparagus, but if I’m being totally honest, here…

…he’s a limp asparagus.

— I just discovered that I’m going to have to completely rewrite yet ANOTHER section of this book (the third ‘Chapter Seven’, to be exact) because I CANNOT. DECIDE. HOW. I. WANT. IT. TO. GO. (HINT: I’ve rewritten it like three times now)

— Although Adaline feels like she’s sort of complex, I still feel like there’s room for growth. I want people to look at her and think, ‘Oh my word, what a complex little bean! I wish my inner workings were as intricate as this character!’

— Scratch that, I want the entire STORY to be complex, please. All of it.

The UGLY–

— I don’t know how to sub-plot? Or plot twist, for that matter… I thought I figured out how to do the twist, but NAH. Apparently not.

— Wut is theme

— I think I want the theme to be something about personal growth and forgiveness, or maybe some form of equality?????????? #helpme

— Every time I think that everything’s going swimmingly, I realize I STILL HAVE NO THEME

— And really, what’s a story without theme? It’s like an Oreo cookie without the crème. And while we all know that the cookie is by far the best part of the Oreo, the crème is still delicious, and, therefore, needed to make the Oreo cookie taste less stale.

— I don’t know how to write scene transitions? How do you transition? Do you record every single happening of the day until they fall asleep? Do you randomly cut scenes into awkward chunks? Do you just let the character black out and move forward? Do you murder someone and let the shock transition you into the next scene?????????

— This story feels like a potato. Sort of brown and warty on the outside, and pithy and gross on the inside. (this description is completely accurate, what are you talking about)

— I have a feeling that when people read this, they’re going to be sorely disappointed, because I’m better at writing IDEAS than I am at actually executing them.

And last but not least…

— I don’t know how to write endings

— The End —

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Well, there you have it, Cyberspace. That’s it for my update on everlost. If you can’t tell, I’m having some slight trouble trying to figure out what in the world I’m even doing. This is my first time doing a massive rewrite like this, and…well…I’m sort of dead.

But never you fear, for I shall keep you updated on how ‘Chapter Seven’ #3 is going, and also on whether I find a theme or not.

Or, you know, I could just leave this as a massive cliffhanger, never post another Smudge to this blog, and let you all think I died a very painful death by Plot Hole.

#fun

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So that’s it for this Smudge! What do you think? Are you currently undergoing the second drafting process? Do you have a constant headache from #plotprobs?Would you like me to give more updates on everlost, perhaps in more detail because this obviously had none? Is it just me, or is my blogging quality quickly spiraling down into a dark pit of despair? Let us talk about all of the writing/editing things down in the comments below!!!

And next week’s post is going to blow your socks off, okay? Okay.

(I have no clue what I’m going to write for next week…?)

*flings cookies in the air and disappears*

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