Words/Time: 58 minutes working on pre-writing for Book 3 of “Pursuit of Power” trilogy.
I continued the character interview that I started yesterday with 6 of the most prominent characters that will be in that book. We mostly discussed where each of them left off in “Protector,” which has so far also included the next action each of them will take, which will lead into the book that I’m planning.
Words/Time: 39 minutes working on goal #1 in my new short-list of writing goals.
1. Plan Book 3 of “Pursuit of Power” trilogy – Though I have always thought of this conclusion book as being something I’d hold off on working on until much later, the ideas for what should be in this book have just been flowing in the last several weeks. So I’m going to start with some broad planning, and either come up with an outline, or at least a solid list of plot points for now
2. Final revision of “Pithea” – All of my writing goals this year have been for one final goal: to know what, if any changes, future book drafts may force in “Pithea,” so I can get those things changed now, before attempting to publish this book again. I want to make sure it’s exactly what it needs to be, as book 1 in this series of books. I do have a list of things that I want to change–nothing huge–and goal #1 in this list could prompt more. So after that book has a semi-solid plan, I will do what will hopefully be a final revision to “Pithea”, at least regarding changes prompted by me, rather than by someone else like an editor, and look into publishing options.
I started on #1 today, which first entailed writing out broad strokes of ideas I have for this book. Then I decided that it was time for the mother of all character interviews. I’m bringing in all of the characters that will have the largest roles in this book to discuss where they left off in the previous book (“Protector”) and then where they’ll go from there.
After a very light March and barely managing to win Camp NaNoWriMo in April with a goal of 30 minutes average per day, surpassing my goal of an average of 1 hour writing work per day in May was really nice. Here’s to an equally productive June!
Words/Time: 1 hour doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin”.
I finished the character interview I started several days ago, and let me just say…wow. I can’t say that this, or any other character interview I’ve done, was 100% helpful, or that something that came out during it won’t be changed later. It’s not a perfect method of solidifying plot. But my goodness, did a huge idea come out of these last couple of pages of conversation. At least, it was a huge idea to me. It’s probably one of those things that future readers will just pass right over, but of course they won’t know what the plan was before I changed it to this. Anyway…I’m rambling a bit because I’m pretty excited. Today was a minor “Aha!” moment, but I’ll take it!
I’m ready to get to the actual outlining! Whether or not I’ll need to stop and do more brainstorming or character interviews along the way, I can’t say, but I’m looking forward to starting on the new outline tomorrow.
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.
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.”
Words/Time: 30 minutes doing preliminary work for the new outline of “Vin.”
As much as I’ve enjoyed the free writing lately, I decided to go right to the real work today. It was going to involve writing anyway, since I continued the character interview I started yesterday. He’s had some interesting things to say.
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.
Words/Time: 1 hour, 6 minutes working on the new outline of “The Seeger Book.”
After 2 1/2 weeks not doing any writing work, in the middle of this difficult task, and then 4 weeks working on it sporadically, I’m really glad to be making some serious progress. I also spent that 4 weeks talking with characters just trying to pin down what huge things I knew I was missing from the story. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever figure it out, or if I’d have to make the decision to just write as much of the outline as I could, and then leave it for now.
It’s a pretty big win, amongst the difficulties I’m having with work, to have made the progress I made today. The outline is starting to really come together. I’ve realized that it’s necessary to include in the outline the things that are going on behind the scenes, that won’t be in the book, so I know how the timing works, and since realizing that, it’s making a lot more sense too.
I’ll need to work for a minimum of 50 minutes per day to finish Camp NaNoWriMo on time. Even now, in this final week, I can’t seem to avoid taking days off. And Saturday and Sunday I’m going to be very busy. Tomorrow will be difficult to find time too, since I’ll be home from work late, and my writing time is always in the evening. I am happy to be back on course to getting this outline done, so if I don’t finish Camp, this month will still be a win.
Words/Time: 54 minutes doing preliminary work for finishing the new outline of “The Seeger Book.”
I finished the character interview with one of the antagonists of the book. I worked on that interview for 8 days in the end, (actual days working on it, not counting days off), and at times felt like I was just stalling, because it was easier than getting back to the outline. I don’t really know why I thought that, though, because every day that I worked on this conversation, insights came out. Maybe some days the insights were small, but it was always productive.
I honestly don’t know how I got by for so long in my writing life without talking to my characters…
Tomorrow it will be back to the actual outline, which will likely still involve some questions that I need to brainstorm answers to, but I am a lot closer than I was. It will also involve going back and reading parts of the 20-page conversation many times, reminding myself of what I came up with. I’m looking forward to it!
The 20 pages were written in the smaller book in this picture, so it’s probably not quite as long as it sounds.
I’m down to needing to write 46 minutes per day to finish Camp NaNoWriMo on time. I am optimistic about finishing, but not necessarily confident.
Words/Time: 49 minutes doing preliminary work for finishing the new outline of “The Seeger Book.”
I’m nearing the end of the character interview, and am still shocked by the fact that it is, by far, the longest one I’ve done. I went into this thinking that it might stall out and get me nowhere. I just don’t think I realized how completely empty the underlying conspiracy that drives this plot was though. Now that I have talked to one of the main antagonists of the book (and up until this character interview, I thought this person was The Main Antagonist of the book), I’m actually uncovering the complexity of the plot. I think I might just be ready to go back to the outline soon, and actually finish this writing goal.
I’m up to needing to write 47 minutes per day to finish Camp NaNoWriMo on time because I skipped yesterday. It’s no fun if it’s easy to win, right?
A Journey of Words 