Saturday 31 March Progress Report (Previous Report)
Where My Word Count Should Be: 47,500 words
Where My Word Count Is: 47,521 words
- Overview
Reality still poses no threat or any challenge for my brain. I don’t know what it is about this story that makes me feel so confident, but it might have something to do with the fact that it is drawing toward a conclusion. It might not be the conclusion people expect, but that is the purpose of Reality. Nothing about this novel is what people expect.
My stress levels continue to decrease from their record high last week. I tried my best to push the idea that I might be burning out from writing so much to the back of my mind and that served to boost my confidence. I felt invigorated the more I wrote this week, and that is normally something I always lack. It shows that the intensiveness of The Writing Challenge is paying off for me.
- What I Did Today
I focused more on the relationship Max Taylor has with his father today. I wanted to show that a lot of how Max Taylor interacts with the world is a relic of his father’s own mentality and it served as a chance for me to show how similar they are, even though they are fundamentally opposing characters.
- The Best Sample From Today
For today, the best sample gives an indication into the love that Max Taylor’s dad has for both him and his sister. It is where I draw the parallels between father and son to show that, while Max is largely responsible for who he is in the present, his father was a wild child as well.
“Are you sure wine is a good idea, Max? Who knows what it might do when mixed with your medications. I’m not going to stop you, it’s your choice after all,” Dad said. He sighed. “I understand your predicament with your education. I was there myself when I was your age. I was on track to being the top of my course until I fell in with the wrong crowd. It’s your choice if you believe it, but your old man was not as pious as he is these days. I remember stealing cars. I recall sneaking off to do the freaky dance with all manner of females. It wasn’t until my grades began to slip that I saw things turning sour. It was too late at that point. I never told your mum, but I spent three years in federal prison because of a failed prank. I know what it’s like to have your family looking down on you and judging you for your past. I would never do that with my children. You and Tessa are the best things to happen in my life,” Dad said.
I don’t often draw similarities between characters to such an extent, but it really helps the reader engage and see the reasoning behind Max Taylor’s decisions. It shows the reader that anyone can hide secrets behind the façade they put up to hide things they are ashamed of.
The one thing for the reader to note is that I never want to sound preachy in my novels. All I want is to present characters that have real world problems. It allows the reader to feel something and pass their own judgement on the characters.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
The work for today sets up one of the last major twists of the novel, and I am proud to see how close I am to finishing. At the start of the Writing Challenge, Reality did not even have a title, so for it to come so far in such a short period of time (It’s been Nine Weeks since the first report for Reality) makes me realise how productive I can be. I’m glad I am continuing toward the end of the novel.
With any luck, the work I did today sets the stage for Reality to be on track for a mid-2018 finish. I fully intend to release the novel by the end of the year and that fact is what is driving me toward the end.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
Next week I will begin the slow reveal of the accident that kick started Reality. I’m on the home stretch and the joy I get from reaching these milestones is more than I’ve experienced in years. I can honestly say I am proud to be a writer and that this is the career I want to pursue.
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