Wednesday 28 March Report (Previous Report)
Where My Word Count Should Be: 25,000 words
Where My Word Count Is: 25,073 words
- Overview
I was comfortable with my writing today, even as my stress levels build. I am taking steps to reduce my stress to do better work, and I feel that the best way for me to get things moving is to drain my mind of all my worries and write. I’m proud that I have such a broad range of skills in my arsenal and it makes me happy to make any kind of progress in a novel.
Crucible is tied with Ascension for the distance to the finish, and that is a perfectly good thing. They are not competing novels, but it gives me the opportunity to have something to look on for inspiration if I get stuck on one novel.
- What I Did Today
Today involved the final steps in the trip to Laas Neda and having Lumi gauge her reaction to everything around her. I’ve built up this city as something special for so long, so it feels right that Lumi is able to see the fruits of her arduous journey firsthand.
- The Best Sample From Today
The sample I chose for today is not a long one, but it is a powerful one as it shows humanity in an otherwise bleak world. It also shows there is hope for Ash to reclaim what she believes to be hers.
The tents grew more extravagant as Ash led us closer to the spire that dominated the landscape, at least compared to the tents. I figured that was where the Fiery Throne once resided. Old banners adorned with flames still hung from the makeshift parapets and flagstaffs. They were full of holes and grime coated the lower half of them. In contrast, the brilliant blue banners of Blizzard hugged the walls and were in pristine condition. Ash turned her head away for a split second and I swear I saw a tear drop down her face.
The paragraph focuses on showing a dissonance inside of Laas Neda. It is a commentary on a tyrannical government disguised as a decent bit of world building. While nothing special in the grand scheme of things, it felt right to show that there would be vindication for the actions of Blizzard once Ash and Lumi manage to find the crucible.
Since everything is written from Lumi’s perspective, I want to give the reader a sense that things are not all they seem. It makes it easy when I do not need to worry about the feelings of others in the novel, but there is difficulty in showing that Lumi does have a good deal of bias. Lumi essentially sees others as different versions of her, so the reader should sense that the out of character tear down Ash’s cheek is NOT something that the Fire clan leader would do.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
Today I introduced the basics of Laas Neda to the reader and presented the first glimpse of Frost, the antagonist. It feels like a special sequence given that the entire sequence maintains a good level of tension throughout. Every word the reader reads is one that build suspense. It rarely goes well when characters entire what is touted as a hostile city, so I used those expectations to weave an intricate story in a simple manner.
Act One is almost completed with the work I did today and I can begin looking at building the real conflicts that will drive the rest of the novel forward. While it is obnoxious to toot ones own horn, Crucible is a novel I believe will redefine the apocalyptic wasteland from what it is currently. I want to show that, while there is hope, the world is so bleak and people are so passive about it, that the main characters NEED to work for their happy ending.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
Next week continues the buildup of Frost as I will write more about her motivation and the dynamic she shares with Ash. It is not something easy to write, but I envision Ash and Frost to be Worthy Opponents to each other. They respect each other, yet they despise the way the other goes about their business. I will see how well it pans out.
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