Tuesday 27 March Progress Report (Previous Report)
Where My Word Count Should Be: 27,500 words
Where My Word Count Is: 27,518 words
- Overview
I’ll start by saying that the title of this post has NOTHING to do with the work I did today. It so happened that the highlight of my day was the fact I came close to breaking my knee on my bedframe AS I was about to begin writing. It was a blessing in disguise as it forced me to remain at my desk so I do not do any further damage to my knee. Therefore I could write more of Crow.
The sheer amount of progress I am making in the Writing Challenge is both astonishing and wearing down on me. It took me longer this week to write for Crow, but I will note that it is not due to a lack of enthusiasm. I’ve had a lot on my plate recently and things are all coming together (or apart, depending on how you look at it) so it really affects my psyche when I write. It provides a bump in the road.
I get over that speedbump by thinking about the reason I write. I mentioned that I write because of YOU, the reader. That is the reason I continue to push myself. I don’t do this for fame or fortune. I do it to give you, the reader, something INTERESTING to read. Plain and simple.
- What I Did Today
Today focused on what happened from the time Ashley called Isabelle to the time that Ashley picked up Isabelle. A lot of today’s work was all about character and showcasing the dark backstory of Ashley more and more. I like to consider Ashley as a villain protagonist, in that she does not follow a set of lawful morals and she has her own creeds to adhere to that most people would find awful. It really adds to her outcast detective character and I am proud of the work I am doing for her.
- The Best Sample From Today
For today, I chose the moment when Ashley reminisces about her father as my pick for Sample of the Day. It is meant to show that there is a strange dynamic between Ashley and her father while showing how flawed Ashley’s childhood is.
I closed my eyes and I saw the night my father went to prison for the most recent time. I was seventeen years old and it stood out in my mind as we got back from a hunting expedition that day. I suppose I saw the arrest coming. It was something that built up for months beforehand. Dad was around less and less as stories circulated about a serial rapist terrorizing the Alabama region. I recalled how Dad would always brag about his latest bitch. Those were his words but it was not until the police rocked up that I put the two together. I never thought any less of my Dad. I credit him for making me ruthless and sadistic but also for allowing me to be myself in his presence.
Ashley’s presence in this paragraph goes against everything built for her to this point, but the way I wrote it does not subvert any part of her personality. I believe it serves her motivation to break out of her father’s shady name, even though it is obvious she cares for him deeply.
The paragraph is a prime showcase of how I incorporate flashbacks into my novels while not taking away from the story. In my writing mind, everything that I put onto the page must have a reason to be there. Without a reason, there is no need to write it down.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
Due to my unfortunate injury, work for Crow was slow for today, but in no way rushed. In fact, from the moment I forget about the time of day, the easier the words come to me. The second I immerse myself in the world of my novels, it is like time is irrelevant and the one thing that matters is the story.
The nine weeks I have been doing the Writing Challenge do not seem like nine weeks. Time seems to fly the longer I go at this. I hardly have time to think about what I am doing before I’m finished for the day. It impresses me more than I ever thought.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
Next week I will focus on Ashley’s investigation into Sophia’s house that neither Isabelle nor Lacey saw. It will be the first major action sequence since Ashley blew up the cars of Crow Enterprises. That sequence happened 4 weeks ago today. It almost brings a tear to my eye to see the amount of progress. Almost.
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