From Oscar to March

From Oscar...

Big night last night!  I am relieved that the two films, The Kids Are Alright and 127 Hours, I did not get a chance to see  before the Oscars began didn't win anything.  Not because of any reason other than I hadn't had a chance to see them; I just ran out of time. Now I look forward to watching them without the time constraints. 

I am very pleased with how the results unfolded.  I was worried that Social Network might win big after Sorkin took the stage.  To judge the audience reaction to titles being named in the categories in which it competed, one would think Social Network was going to win everything.  But it didn't, and for that I am glad.  I liked the movie, don't get me wrong, it's just that I was concerned that fans of the website, and all it means to the world right now, might put the "cool kid" ahead of the others.  And that is why I am glad that sanity reigned at the Oscars last night.

...To March

Two months have passed in this new year and the rewrite of Monarch is gathering steam.  I am taking things wide this month, thinking big picture, instead of "best picture".  The past two months I had targeted lamppost scenes – game changing moments. Now it is time to move on to the next phase: the BIG PICTURE.

The Big Picture Phase may be the last time to make any changes that will affect the overall structure of the story.  It is the research of my research and then further research point in the game.  If I am to remain true to my goal of self-publishing the first of four parts to my book in July, I have to solidify the whole story to then focus on the first part.  And there are numerous possibilities that I must vet before locking things into the structure:

-Continuity: Does time mesh? Do details remain consistent throughout?
-Flow: Readability; Likeability; Plausibility; etc.
- CUTS: Good and Bad
-Paste: Only the necessary parts
-Imagine: Some other ways the story could develop; ratchet up what is already there
- ETC…

 If I can get far along enough in the “Big Picture” part of the rewrite process, I hope to then start in on revising the first section before April.    

* On a side note: I had an idea last night in regards to the release of the other three parts of Monarch.  It's interesting to think about the process of creating this novel.  (I have talked about it in other posts already and will try not to repeat myself.)  The Time element in all of this has been so curious. Having written the story-within-a-story part of Monarch almost a decade ago, and to now be working on properly presenting it within a vision of a future that is fast approaching, has been quite a ride.  And I want to bring her into port in the best shape I can. 

So, I must rethink the release of the other stages of Monarch.  While I will continue to try and have the first part available by July, the other parts may not begin to be released until October or November.  I don’t want to rush it – not only for quality sake, but just in case there is any sort of anticipation after the first part is released.  We’ll see.  I’ll keep updating.

-aap