Monday 12 March Progress Report (Previous Report)
Word Target: 2,500
Words Written: 2,506
- Overview
Ascension came a lot easier this week than my previous attempt. I have no idea why, but I enjoyed what I did today, even though it was a more intimate experience than I am used to doing. I do not mean intimate in the romantic way, but in the way I continued the story.
I don’t often indulge in set pieces that involve very little character building, but I need the reader to see the Avenger as more than just a set piece. That is why I relied on subtle writing techniques to paint the continuation of last weeks work as something more than it is.
I continue to view Ascension in a more positive light, and I hit a major milestone with it today: it surpassed 20,000 words! The current count is 20,006. It makes me happy as the point I usually falter with writing novels is getting to that 20,000 word mark. It means I am making incredible progress and I need to use that drive me to keep going.
- What I Did Today
Today was more about acquainting Kile with a couple of the places that will play an important role in the novel to come. They might not be full of action or romance scenes, but they still contain vital information that will come in to play in the climactic scenes of the novel, so do not discount them as simple scenery porn.
- The Best Sample From Today
The best work from today comes close to the end of what I wrote and it shows that the status quo of Kile’s world has changed. She is past her point of no return, though I do not specifically mention that. What I want to show is how out of her element she is right now and open up a lot of future character development for Kile.
The door to the bridge opened and my eyes went wide. Every station had a pilot staffing it. For the first time in my career, I heard voices communication with each other about what their systems were doing. I had to look around as I made my way toward my console and what I saw did impress me, given I was hard to impress when it came to pilots. The crew paid me the appropriate respect as I walked past and I recognized a good amount of them. Many I trained with, while some I served with on other vessels. I released a heavy breath as I placed a hand on my console. A hush fell over the bridge and all eyes turned to me. My heart raced in my chest and I did not know what to say.
In quite the contrast to the sterile image people have of the military, I wanted to show that they are no more than people. Sure, they have an order they follow, but they are encountering something new that none of them have ever used before. The Expoletian soldiers are like kids in a candy store when it comes to new tech. It hammers home the fact that Kile can no longer back out of the mission of the Avenger.
I tend to be able to write how different the world is in a succinct manner no matter the scenario. I feel that showing the change in the focus character’s world is the most important part in the first quarter of a novel. It marks when the story really picks up and shows things looking up.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
My goal from last week was to settle the characters on the Avenger. I focused on Kile as she is the narrator of the novel and I felt it worked in a far better way than trying to squeeze in every one of the main cast into 2,500 words. I laid the foundations for a key part of the book and it helped me decide on what I need to do henceforth.
My timing was the same as last week, even though I do get distracted a little, but that is par for the course; distractions provides ideas and ideas improve writing. I lost no time and I feel my writing continues to improve in its quality week after week.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
Next week marks the moment when the Avenger finally departs from Starbase Alpha after over 50 pages and 20,000 words of buildup to that moment. I intend it to mark the entrance into the second act of the novel. I admit if I keep up this writing pace, I may complete Ascension before the end of this year, which would be a huge bonus.
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