I’m behind!! …I mean, really behind. I started off so well, but life got in the way and I got a bit distracted. That’s alright though, tomorrow is Monday and everything will be good tomorrow. And later today… I just know it. Word count: 6615. I can churn out 5k between today and tomorrow.
EDIT: On a more positive note, I found a VILLAIN! And is he one nasty bit of work….
I would like for the good people at NaNoWriMo to get those word count widgets up and workin’! So, today, I am sitting pretty at 5575 words. It’s just flowing outta me and I pray to the word gods that it will continue, but enough of that. This morning I went back through and read what I did yesterday. Now, gentle reader, I am horrifically hard on myself… a cruel and abusive critic, if you will, but I have a shocking revelation. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever written. In fact, it’s not even terrible. It needs editing for sure, and I’ll do that come December/January, but still. This gives me hope…
It has begun! I’m 3135 words and counting! I need a break for a wee bit, but I’ll be back in front of the white blank page tonight. I’m finished with the prologue and will be starting chapter 1 this evening!
Tonight, at 12am sharp, we shall embark on a most intrepid journey. A journey of magic and frustration, beauty and unwashed hair, mythos and pathos, (alright I’m done with that)….Yes, that’s right, gentle reader, tonight we WRITE!
Well, I will be anyway. I have been a bit remiss over the last week in my entries here and that is mostly due to inner panic. I have surpassed that now. I have put it aside and now prepare to go bravely where millions of people have gone before. I’m quite the pioneer, wouldn’t ya say?
So, what have I been doing to fill my time? Working, and reading… the working was good, but the reading instilled the panic which is not good. Because I am a pantser (and yes, that is the technical term for it), I have yet to decide what my plot will look like or even what Caela’s tipping point will be. I am hoping and praying that it comes to me soon, like next week. The humble beginnings of my little yarn will likely take up between 6-10k words and that gives me hope. I have some lovely supporting cast members that will also stand at the door shouting “Come on already, let’s go”. I have a rich culture and scenic landscapes at my fingertips, also good. I have a memory stick… that can’t hurt can it? My house is clean and my fridge is semi-stocked with all sorts of healthy eats for late night nibbles. I have a few bottles of red wine for milestone treats or wanton drunken writing, whichever seems most functional. I also have writing buddies, which is rather thrilling for me as I am quite social. So, here is what I am missing:
I’ll be fine, though, right? Right?
I woke up this morning and hurled myself out of bed. Caela’s world has been coming together beautifully in my imagination, but I forgot about something: languages and language barriers. I have noticed that some authors use a “common tongue” and that is likely the best approach, but I would like to do it in a unique way. Caela may not speak the common tongue as fluently as others. She would certainly have an accent of sorts, but writing that could be a nightmare. It could really screw up the dialogue, making it stilted and forced.
So, something to ponder this weekend.
Okay, so this is not my stuff. I got home from some errands today and found several gems in my inbox. First set of gems comes from you lot. So many great ideas about my earlier post! Thanks so much for helping my pea sized brain wrap around the logistics of magic, I am oozing with gratitude.
Second gem came from the good folks at Tor.Com. I subscribe to their newsletter, do you? Give it a whirl, will ya. Not only do they have great articles and book reviews, but there are always fantastic short stories and excerpts from a lovely variety of top-notch writers. Anyhoo….
Here is what I got to read today: Margaret Atwood gave a reading last night in NYC. Ryan Britt spins a lovely yarn, about that and about the wonders of genre fiction. So, what do you think? Do those of us who dabble in the unreal and the surreal that is genre fiction really just want to play? Are we creating worlds and characters that are archetypes for what we want to experience? I know that’s why I do it. Plus, I really like to hide from the real world sometimes… it’s scary out there.
P.S. Margaret Atwood, live and in person? I would pass out. Also, her new book sounds dynamite!
Wow, I’ve been lazy and uninspired, blog-wise.
I have been writing some flash fiction, and doing some eternal pondering on a subject that many say makes or breaks a fantasy novel. Magic. Attempting to find its place in my little world is proving quite a challenge. I’m not completely sold on the idea that fantasy novels must have magical themes and ideals. But I suppose it wouldn’t kill me to have a few characters here and there with mysterious inclinations. But what kind?
Here’s the other thing that kinda bugs me. I really don’t think magic is the end all, be all solution to every fantasy problem. Writing it into your novel as a cure to all ills seems a bit lazy and contrived. It is a big turn off for me and I don’t enjoy fantasy novels that are written in that voice. I would prefer to have my world’s magic be a bit dangerous and unpredictable. Perhaps a force that is never fully under the wielder’s control? But what would be it’s source? I suppose I could just put it out there, just have it merely exist. But what of Caela? She’s new around here and will be inquisitive. I want someone to explain it to her. So many questions, so few intelligent answers.
I didn’t blog yesterday because I got a bit obsessed with a news story. You know the one… that fellow in Ohio that offed himself after releasing all his wild, dangerous animals into the community. All his neighbors hated him. He was apparently a rather unpleasant fellow, well deserving of such vilification, even in death. I am truly fascinated by the entire dynamic. (How cute is Jack Hanna in his fancy hat?) There’s a story there. I mean, you really can’t make that shit up can you?
