Daily Writing

Daily Writing Check-in: May 12, 2019

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Words/Time:  2 hours, 32 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” and a good amount of free writing with prompts.

I continued the character interview that I started a few days ago, which led me to once again question who was the actual protagonist in “Vin.” I went through this while I was planning the story in the first place, before I wrote the first draft for NaNoWriMo in 2017, and in the end, I don’t remember what I decided. Whatever I did decide, I apparently threw out the window when I wrote it, because there’s no clear protagonist or main character in the first draft. But the plot is also very thin, so really, I was just getting the word count.

When I started this character interview a few days ago, I had decided that I wanted the character I’ve been interviewing (can’t say more due to spoilers) to be the protagonist. After some insight I gained during the writing today, I think he can be the main character, but that Vin is back to being the protagonist.

This decision led me to go back to do research that I also did back in October of 2017, in making sure I understood the difference between a main character and protagonist, so I had them straight in my mind. In the end…I think I do, but to be honest, people differ on which one is which. I think it’s just not that cut and dry overall, but I also think I have an idea of how to move forward.

However, this research led me to have a strong desire to go through all of the Pithea books and make sure that I could identify a “story goal” in each book, as well as the main character, protagonist, and antagonist. So I did just that. It turned out to be very difficult for at least 1 book that I have planned, but maybe that means I need to do a little more work on the structure of that book before I draft it.

I also used 3 different prompts for some writing practice, trying to drum up something for tomorrow’s Monday Moment. I’ve done a lot of writing practice over the last week, comparatively, but it had all been too spoiler-filled. The first two that I did also couldn’t be shared (though to be fair, one of them is because I don’t think it turned out very good, rather than because of spoilers). One last one tonight at 11:30 finally gave me something I can use.

Also, I have learned in the last few months or so that I am what is called an “external processor.” That’s probably the reason that I include so much detail in these posts sometimes.

Daily Writing Check-in: May 11, 2019

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Words/Time:  1 hour, 3 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin.”

I continued the character interview I’ve been working on a for a few days, and it was no less insightful than character interviews ever are for me. Then something that was said led me to decide that it’s finally time to put “Protector” into my timeline of all of the Pithea Books, so I started on that. I am not going to put in every event, since the more solid outlining of that story is still ahead of me, but just the parts that connect to “Vin.”

Daily Writing Check-in: May 9, 2019

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Words/Time:  1 hour, 17 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

I again started out with the writing practice, which took about 50 minutes. I may have to try to write shorter bits for the writing practice, if I want to keep starting my writing time with it every day, because while writing practice is always good, it doesn’t help as much with the actual moving forward toward producing books as the real work does. And this one was a doozy. I didn’t even really write that much. I haven’t counted it, but it didn’t look like 50 minutes-worth of writing. Granted, it was handwritten, but still.

It’s possible that the lengthy free writing lately is just a reflection of how much I miss the actual writing when I’m doing a lot of work in other phases of writing, like now. Today’s prompt was almost too easy though–“The first time falling in love, years after the death of your soulmate.” It allowed me to explore the beginnings of a relationship that I have really only so far written about after the couple is established. Maybe that’s also why it went so long.

The rest of the time was spent starting a new character interview in the hopes of understanding some of the main plot of “Vin.” This one should be interesting, as I will be talking with a character who has so far only been in “Pithea.” The very first time I ever thought about trying to talk with my characters, it was with this character, discussing “Pithea.” But it was all in my head while I worked in my dad’s blacksmith shop. It produced some brilliant insight, but when I tried to re-create the conversation on paper later, it just wasn’t the same. Then I didn’t really try anything like this again for about 3 years.

I’ve brought him into character interviews since then, but there were always other characters. As strange as it might be for me to say this (I’m aware this is all a bit strange), I’m looking forward to a one-on-one conversation with him after all this time.

Daily Writing Check-in: May 8, 2019

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Words/Time:  57 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

I again started out with the writing practice, which took about 35 minutes. The writing practice I’ve been doing lately have been really interesting, bringing up some brand new ideas for a book I know is past the 7 I already have planned, but haven’t thought much about yet. Today’s prompt led me to write a little scene from near the end of “Unexpectedly” though, and it just solidified one of my plans for that book, because it was incredible. I know there is so much work ahead of me, but I just can’t wait until these books are done and can be read by others.

The rest of the time was spent making some broad notes on how I want to proceed with the outline for “Vin.” I’m struggling a bit with where to go from here though, and from past experience, that usually means it’s time to have a talk with one or more of my characters. It’s just a matter of figuring out who that should be. I do have an idea though, so I’ll start with that tomorrow.

Daily Writing Check-in: May 7, 2019

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Words/Time:  1 hour, 17 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

I again started out with the writing practice, which took about 25 minutes. I find it interesting that for the last 4 days, the prompts I’m pulling are leading me to write about events that are more related to “Protector” or its aftermath than anything else. Maybe that’s only because “Protector” is at the end of the books, chronologically, at least in terms of what I have much planned for, so what happens past that is still a lot more open. Maybe it’s just because I like “Protector” so much. Or maybe it’s just the prompts.

The majority of the time was spent putting broad scenes into Scrivener and marking some that will likely be cut completely, or just partially cut. I finished putting in the rest of the story today, and tomorrow will start to look at what I need to do next.

With how close I was to losing Camp NaNoWriMo last month, I’m really surprised I’ve picked up the pace so much this month. I set a goal at the beginning of the month to work for an average of 30 minutes per day this month, and I’ve far exceeded that. I hope a crash isn’t coming, and that this is just a great month!

goal tracker 19-5-7

Daily Writing Check-in: May 6, 2019

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Words/Time:  1 hour, 16 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

I started out with the writing practice, a practice that I used to try to keep up with, so I could not get so bogged down by revision (or in this case planning work) that I lost the joy of the actual writing. I have found myself really wanting to do a little free writing, rather than having to push myself to do it, so that’s a good thing. And the ideas it can generate for the stories I still need to outline are pretty surprising.

The majority of the time was spent putting broad scenes into Scrivener and marking some that will likely be cut completely, or just partially cut. I also added in a couple of new scenes I already know I want to include, but I’m trying not to start making big changes like that until the current draft is at least outlined. I’m less concerned than I was even a week ago that it will be difficult to come up with new ideas to flesh out the plot.

A Monday Moment: Foreboding

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Monday Moment - Foreboding

Todd grasped his wife’s upper arms. “You must take the magistrate’s fastest horse and warn everyone in and around the village that they need to escape before it’s too late.”

Tears streamed down Rachel’s face. “Would it not be wiser to ride straight to Northbay and ask them to send an army?”

“You know we don’t have time for that. We’ve all heard the tales—once Antios’s men show up outside the village, it’s only a matter of time before Antios himself arrives and destroys the village. Our town only has hours left. If we can warn enough people, maybe someone will survive to tell our story too.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “I will warn who I can.” Then she pulled her husband into a quick embrace.

“We’ll keep Antios’s men engaged as long as we can to allow those escaping to get away. As soon as you have sounded sufficient alarm, make for the nearest town.”

She pulled back and looked him in the eye. “I won’t leave without you.” Her jaw was set and eyes unwavering.

“Rachel, my love, you know that those of us staying to fight will leave before Antios arrives if we can. We must stay as long as we can, to give the rest of you a chance. But listen to me—if I do not make it, it would be better for Laura and Joshua to lose one parent, and for Shanna to lose one grandparent, than two. They will need you.”

Prompt used: After a powerful enemy destroys 2 major cities, they arrive at your main character’s city

Daily Writing Check-in: May 5, 2019

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Words/Time:  54 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

Over half of this time was spent finishing reading through the first draft. I then used a prompt for some free writing for 10-15 minutes, which will be tomorrow’s Monday Moment.

And for the last few minutes, I got Scrivener set up to start putting broad scenes into it, to start outlining the first draft of “Vin,” so I can see what I’m starting with at a glance, figure out what needs cut and what can be kept, and decide where to go from there. I’ll work on that tomorrow, because I’m pretty beat right now.

Daily Writing Check-in: May 4, 2019

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Words/Time:  41 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin” as well as some free writing with a prompt.

I’m pretty sure I spent all of this time reading. I did all of this after midnight last night, before I went to bed. And it’s good that I did, because I was gone most of the day today, until about 11:45 pm. And the time I was home, in between things, I had such a headache, I could barely move.

I got through the rest of the story proper, and started into the letters from Vin to a pastor that is probably the only person in the world that he respects. I don’t know if they’re any good, because I couldn’t seem to stop myself from having him be all deep, theological, and introspective, which just came out forced. Even when I stopped myself and started over, trying to have him speak more plainly…it still kept coming back to that. So I don’t know what I’m going to do with that later.