Another day of doubt lingered in my mind today, but I pushed it aside and focused on the more important aspect of my day – writing my novels. I surmise a lot of issues I have these days comes from the fact that I am driving myself to push ideas for chapters in six different books out at such a rapid pace. Even the most dedicated writer would find my schedule difficult, but I still push through. I push because I love to write, and I want to share my stories.
Tuesday 6 March Progress Report (Previous Report)
Word Target: 2,500
Words Written: 2,501
- Overview
Crow reached a milestone 20,000 words today and that number might seem small, but it is not something you should scoff at. In six weeks, I’ve managed to put 15,000 words out by working on the novel only once a week. It’s an impressive feat to do when you factor in my other novels and projects.
Overall, I am proud of how Crow is progressing, though I feel I may need to take a week break very soon so I do not go crazy with the monotony of my routine, not that there is anything monotonous about the work I am doing. I could also consider moving Crow to a day where my interest wanes as I do look forward to writing Crow. It’s so far from my usual genre that it generates my interest off that factor alone.
- What I Did Today
Today was spent developing and creating the dynamic between the main group going forward through the novel and playing with how they perceive each other. The way I organised it allows me freedom in the future and I settled on a key theme in the novel today. Whenever Ashley is referred to as Ashley, then the person speaking to her considers her a threat or at least an equal.
- The Best Sample From Today
Today’s best sequence might have people perceive it as clichéd or too common, but it helps showcase that Crow is anything but a standard film noir/detective/mystery novel by introducing several elements present in thrillers. I ended last week with a sequence that would not be out of place in a thriller novel.
Once I was happy with what I packed, I took a detour to the bathroom. I was an unkempt mess with dark circles ringing my eyes and my reflection showed fear coursing through my veins. I tried to calm my nerves, but nothing I did seemed to have any effect. My fingers continued to shake with uncontrollable movements. My heart skipped a beat when a loud knock resounded from my door. I began to sweat and breathe heavy as I inched my way out of the bathroom. The floorboards creaked under my feet and my body tensed up. My breaths came short and sharp. There was another knock on the door. My eyes widened and I stood with my hand resting on the handle.
The paragraph takes the voice of Isabelle Ramirez – the secondary focus character – and allows a reader to see inside her mind. I show her as the direct opposite of Ashley Hudson’s gung-ho detective and I decided to play the drama up to the maximum.
I feel the paragraph is a perfect fit for the dark atmosphere of Crow. I want to try and get the point across that no one is safe from the villains of the story. I am a believer of the anyone can die philosophy, so this paragraph is an excellent showcase of that mentality. It brings out the raw emotion in any human when they find out something is coming for them and it tells a brilliant story of its own from the second line.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
Building the dynamic of the characters is the hardest part of what I need to do now. I found it easy to show that the world is no longer the same as it was in the previous chapters while also highlighting several character flaws, especially as it pertains to Ashley.
I did remain focused on my goal that I set for myself last week, though the fact that I was advancing through the novel at such a rapid pace tried to slow me down. I always fear whenever I come up to a big milestone as I feel I cannot surpass it and I doubt myself.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
The focus for next week lies in continuing to build the tension of the story as the trio I selected to be the core protagonist group learn more about each other. The characters know that nothing around them is normal anymore and they have to rely on each other to survive. Building that dynamic will also help build toward the largest plot twist I have ever conceived for any of my novels. I look forward to seeing how Crow continues to improve not only itself, but my entire writing style week after week.
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