The Oyasumi Yumiko Project

Snow is gently falling outside the window while I write this journal entry. The past week I’ve been doing plenty of reading, and enjoying 4 days of Christmas parties. I came to a stand still on my outline when I realized I had a few events happening but no real reason for why they were happening. Why does Yumiko decide to become the Dream Healer for Reverieh? What forces her to take up such a decision? Why does she hang around with Koro even though he’s been seen with the Dream Reaper Hydinia (I have a simple reason for this, but I think it needs to be stronger)?

Yumiko is a child, and because this story is geared towards children I need to gather info on how children behave during this time. I think its very easy to say that a lot of anime that is out now that is geared toward children (particularly in the magical girl genre) don’t really touch too much on real character development. As I’ve been reading A Writers Guide to Character Traits I’ve taken moments to stop and think of my favorite shoujo animes – and when I do a lot of the characters are just really 2-dimensional. They are awesome, cute, and handsome but quite a few just have very little character depth. Or if they do have any character depth it is something very cliche and contrived.

So I’m working on Yumiko because she’s the protagonist first. She can’t be too naive and trusting because then people will lose interest in her as a character, and to be honest all humans get mad at some point. I feel Yumiko as a character needs to show that frustration with people, even if she is a little low on confidence. So I’m reading and writing down traits to hopefully make her a character you WANT to root for – and not one you couldn’t care less about.

Back to the drawerin’ board! ;D

-Emily

PS – Threw around the idea of Yumiko being more Japanese in the Waking World – meaning she’d have dark hair and dark eyes, but once in Reverieh everyone looks different. This would be where she gets her light brown hair and blue eyes – just a thought, it might be a little lame – any thoughts?

So today – I’m in the midst of snow country visiting in-laws. Today was a slacker day – nothing going on, so I took my pink macbook and went to work writing. I wrote 11 more pages on my outline and finally now into the 2nd arc. Now the total is up to 17 pages.

I’m refraining from the urge to write any actual part of the book just yet. I don’t want to get distracted from my real deadline – and by the looks of it I am going to make it hopefully. Wheeee!

Since I am a noob at constructing an outline, (which can be used for a novel, webseries, manga, etc etc etc) I decided to buy a book about writing. It’s called Your First Novel by Ann Ritten Berg and Laura Whitcomb. So far the book has been very helpful – and from a designer standpoint the book has a nice layout, the font is appropriate size and the leading is good. I’ve begun to notice that some books I want to read get put to the side for reasons beyond not liking the story. The font and layout has a lot to do with it. Yay for using my degree skills in the real world!

I have also been reading tons of fiction since that is what I love to create. I am drawn to books designed for children and teens lately. I find reading books that are directed to the same age group you are writing for helps a great deal. After I finish The Books of Ember I am going to attempt to re-read Inkheart Trilogy (the book I have suffers from the type/leading problems mentioned earlier)

I’m going back to the writing board and will post again when I have made some more progress.

Yume ni nare! (Become a dream!)

-Emily

PS – Listening to music that relates to your story’s theme really helps get you in the groove! : )

I’m currently on page 3 of my step by step outline for Oyasumi Yumiko. It has had two previous incarnations. One as a huge detailed outline – where I was at work and literally wrote every time a thought came into my head. The second was a more refined version – but for some reason jumped about and wasn’t done in a chronological order. Writing at 12pt font while it seems like so little – these three pages have equated to 1302 words so far. 1302 words of Yumiko goodness – I have just gotten to the part where she chooses to heal Broken Dreams. I have a lot of arcs that I want to explore – and while I am still torn between to mediums in which to actually deliver the story – the chronological outline is necessary for whatever format I chose. I have made myself have the deadline of Dec 30th. I am officially on vacation until then – and considering how I could handle work & school and juggle those projects – I for once feel I can handle this.

So sadly my partner Angela has decided to pull out of my project. I had expressed interest in wanting to attempt to write my novel (originally she was going to ghostwrite) since I created the characters, the world of Reverieh, the ecosystem, etc etc. This did not go over well, and with good reason. I waited too long to express my apprehensions and desires.

I am a coward in many ways – and fail to bring up pressing topics with friends because I am in fear of their disapproval. I should have expressed my interest in wanting to write soley on my own sooner rather than later – I only hinted which was weak in immature. I am a passive person by nature and I fail to speak up with its necessary.

Maybe in some regards I am just not meant to work with anyone. I can blame a lot of outside factors into why that is – but lets face it. It’s me. I expect a lot, but I refrain from taking command.

I have taken today to think and pray about what I want to do with Oyasumi Yumiko – my heart is leading in very strong direction towards two things – and I just have to decide.

Oyasumi Yumiko may be just what it is, a story about a girl and her Dream. Parallel that with me, I may just be a person with a dream – and that is all it amounts to be. A Dream. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am not going to give up however, I am only 26. I’m not a pro, and not exactly well versed enough in life to say that making mistakes is just not acceptable.

If you still believe in Oyasumi Yumiko I would appreciate an email at oyasumiyumiko@gmail.com. I shouldn’t be so immature to ask for some sort of approval – old habits die hard.

I’m giving it one more night of praying and reflecting and will post what I decide tomorrow.

Hopefully becoming more than a dream,

Emily