Author: Kristi

May 5

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Time worked:  1:00

Work done:  Did some revising of the opening paragraphs of my story, which were awkward at best, didn’t do a great job of introducing the story, and tended to ramble. Not done yet, but I’m more rewriting than revising, so that takes time. I also drew up a quick intro to the character I’ve been focusing on lately, from my narrator’s PoV.

From the Pen of Drear: Evan Thossan

I didn’t meet Evan until recent years, but I had heard plenty about him. Naolin had worked with him a few times, and didn’t have many nice things to say about him. Missy had met him too, and she didn’t like him at all. She said he was egotistical, condescending, and just plain mean.

To say that Evan thinks highly of himself would be an understatement. He is very good with a sword and someone you would want around in a fight. In some ways, his happiness depends on being useful to his militia. And he definitely is.

Back in those days, though, he had what some might call an attitude problem. In fact, that’s exactly what got him kicked out of the first militia he joined. That and his tendency to go to extremes to prove himself. He learned his lesson, though, and toned down his less-desirable qualities once he was brought into a new militia. That was when Naolin and Missy first met him.

As Naolin described him, “It was exciting to work with someone as strong and skilled with a sword as Evan. I just wish he didn’t constantly treat me like a child. From the first time I slipped on the ice, he decided that I wasn’t good enough to be in the same militia as he was. He treated me like a commoner. I would never tell him this, but I did admire his abilities. If he would only keep his mouth shut, he could easily become a leader in the militia.”

Missy had nothing better to say: “Most of what bothered me about him at first was how he treated Quinn. I felt like Quinn and I were in the same position–initiates who probably shouldn’t have been on the mission in the first place–so when Evan talked down to Quinn constantly, I felt like his words were aimed at me too. I’m not sure if it was better or worse that he didn’t even bother to speak to me most of the time. Probably worse, considering the horrible things he said about me, even after I’d saved his life.”

After meeting him myself, I wish I could say that they have exaggerated, but I don’t think I can. I do understand him better; he has had plenty of obstacles to overcome in his life–enough to make him feel like he’s superior to others who didn’t have the same trouble. If only he could find a better way to express his satisfaction at what he has achieved.

Evan joins us in “Adventures in Pithea”.

May 4

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Time worked:  :35

Work done:  Only writing practice again. Weekends are hit-or-miss for time to work, and this weekend was definitely miss. But I made sure to do something at least.  I’ve been focusing on the same character for the last three days of writing practice, in an attempt to get a better handle on him.

May 3

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DAE_Kristi

This is a comic version of me. It was done by Errol of Debs & Errol. It’s wonderful, and I love it, and if I ever figure out more of how this site works, I may find a way to make it a regular fixture. Note the pen on the shirt. That’s ’cause I’m a writer.

Time worked:  0:30

Work done:  All 30 minutes spent on writing practice. It was a long, tiring day, and my brain couldn’t really process any other work. But I made sure to get some writing practice in, so I wouldn’t be doing nothing. I don’t know if it can really be considered “progress,” but at least I didn’t do nothing.

May 1

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Time worked:  1:00

Work done:  Started creating timeline with new program, with high hopes that it will be easier to maintain than the one I made in Excel. Also trying to work through next few scenes in Pursuit of Power, from where I last left off.

April 30

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Camp NaNoWriMo ended today, and I met my goal of 30 hours editing time for the month. The folks over at NaNoWriMo asked on their Facebook page what our favorite camp memories were for this month, and this is my response:

“For me it was the point when the work I was doing became less something I had to do, and more something I wanted to do. I’m revising my 2013 November NaNo novel, and it was going very slowly before camp started. At some point about halfway through, I realized I wasn’t only working for the ‘word count,’ but because I really wanted to get the work done and someday be able to call this novel finished. I’ve made so much progress thanks to Camp NaNo!”

It’s because of NaNoWriMo that I am where I am on this book. It gave me the push to write it, and has given me the push to edit. Now I’m seeing it shape into something halfways decent. While I still wouldn’t call the editing process fun, I don’t dread it as much as I used to. I’m already looking forward to July’s Camp NaNoWriMo. If this blog keeps me going like I hope, I won’t need July’s camp to push me back to working, but it can still provide a month of more intense focus.

Time worked:  1:06

Work done:  Continued working on plot for Pursuit of Power.

April 29

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Time worked:  1 hour

Work done:  Continued on outline for Alexander’s parallel story, working title–Pursuit of Power. Because the two main characters in Pursuit of Power have roles in the story I’m currently revising, and the two stories take place at the same time, I have to make sure I know the basic story for Pursuit of Power before I can ever finalize the other story.

In Which I Start a Blog for a Silly Reason

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Ever since I finished the first draft of the book I’m writing, I realized something important. It will never be done if I don’t take the time to work on it. It’s an interesting concept, to say the least. It didn’t write itself, so I certainly can’t expect it to revise and finish itself. I have discovered that when I have some external way of keeping track of my progress, I work better.

Originally that was the NaNoWriMo site, where I upload my daily word count. The bonus there is that there is a big community of other people doing what I’m doing, and I get winner goodies if I reach the monthly goal. However, even after NaNoWiMo was over, I continued keeping track of my word count on a site called Final Deadline. My goal was not as strenuous as is was during NaNo, but I still progressed steadily. Then I finished the first draft, and it was time to start revising.

There is no site (that I know of) for keeping track of time spent revising. For far too long, I slacked off. I told myself constantly that I needed to keep working, but managed only a few pages at a time, on sporadic days. Then Camp NaNo started. I used that to propel myself back into my work, setting myself a goal of 1 hour of time spent revising per day. That worked wonders, as I have gotten a lot done on the novel. However, there is still oh so much left to do, and Camp NaNo ends tomorrow.

It’s sad to know that I can’t motivate myself, and I do think that the momentum I have right now will carry me a while past the end of April. However, I know I will eventually slow down…it’s just how it always goes. Frankly, almost anything else I can do with my free time is easier on the brain, so it’s more likely I’ll gravitate towards that when I know I should be revising.

I didn’t really think I’d ever start a blog. I had nothing to write about, no interesting thoughts to share, certainly no witty advice to give on any subject. Keeping myself accountable to my writing may not be the best reason to start a blog, but I need somewhere at least semi-public to be able to update my progress. And like my Final Deadline account, I may be the only person to ever have any reason to care about and visit this, but as long as it keeps me working, that’s okay.