Graphic Draft

I just finished the first draft of a new book, currently called The Secret History*. Ben apparently just finished one too, and reminded me about Wordle with his post. Anyway, I'm not all fancy and can't figure out how to screen grab to embiggen, so you'll have to click the link if you wanna see more detail.

But, honestly, aren't these mostly fun for the person making them? Yeah, I thought so.

*Yes, yes, I know this will almost certainly change. I, too, love the Donna Tartt novel of the same name. But it is a good title for the book.

Comments

[Alan Gratz]

I do think these are fascinating. Yes, probably more interesting for the author than the fan, but still fascinating. I think they are great ways to understand the story you wrote, versus the story you think you wrote.

[GWENDA BOND]

Definitely--and to try it with different parameters on the number of words incorporated, etc. I also really like that machine that lets you make an image of your characters (I forget what it's called). If I'm stuck, sometimes it actually helps me get them to be whole people.

[Alan Gratz]

I was just playing with this, creating a word cloud for the first draft of the book I'm working on. (Or should be working on when I'm playing with Wordle instead.) Besides just being fun, this could be useful too, as a way of comparing drafts. I'm going to post compare and contrast word clouds when I'm done with the second draft, to see what's changed. I know, for example, that some of the smaller words in the first word cloud need to get bigger--particularly the story's villain, who is mentioned fewer times than the word "just." Ouch!

I posted my word cloud on the blog, and gave you a shout out: http://gratzindustries.blogspot.com/2009/07/fantasy-baseball-word-cloud.html

[GWENDA BOND]

We're both working on books in third person instead of first. High five!

[Melissa M]

Congrats!!! We go to Jersey for...a couple of years and novels are written! Well, that's what it feels like anyway.

[GWENDA BOND]

You're back! Yay!

[Ross Angelella]

I have really enjoyed your lead up to finishing your book. Writing at every opportunity--morning, lunch, night. So few writers actually have the "writer hustle." Go get 'em.