Monday 2 April Progress Report (Previous Report)
Where My Word Count Should Be: 27,500 words
Where My Word Count Is: 27,551 words
- Overview
I enjoyed writing Ascension this week, so it was good to examine how the novel progressed in the 2,500 words I wrote. Of course, I had less time to work with, but I needed to get my still-injured knee checked out at the doctor’s office. I was glad I went as well, as I learned there might actually be something wrong. We will see when it comes to that.
For Ascension, it is hard to write compelling military fiction in the science fiction genre that appeals to a wide audience, but that is one of my goals. How well it works is up to the reader to decide, but I feel I have captured the essence of how soldiers interact with each other. They are not always rough and tumble people, which is the point I need to make with Ascension.
- What I Did Today
For today, I spent time building character and unravelling more about the four major characters I used today. While work might’ve started out slow, there was nothing to halt me once I got on a roll. The end focus was very akin to my usual style of slow building and investing time into showing the reader the world as the protagonist, Kile, sees it.
This was also the first time that Kile really let herself be a true Captain. I allowed her to explode in a fit of rage at Sg’ra, but he did have it coming. It comes as a minor payoff for the soft-spoken, tender Kile Sa’an. It is absolute dynamite in my mind.
- The Best Sample From Today
I felt a need for the reader to relate a little more with Kile. The important part about her is that the reader gets a sense of how out of her element she is as a Captain. To do that, I felt letting her feel a familiar atmosphere would be beneficial in unlocking more of her character for the reader.
What impressed me most of all beyond the door was how busy the hangar was. Thousands of fighters hung from the roof in perfect rows. Such perfection went into the design of the deployment system of an Expoletian hangar that you would struggle to find a space between the fighters that exceeded five centimeters wide. Yet even the brilliant organization above could not compare to the drills run on the floor below. A favorite pastime of pilots was to perform dry runs of the actions they perform in mid battle. I used to love being down in the trenches with them. I let out a small smile.
The passage is simple yet effective. It gives off not only what Kile sees, but her vast knowledge of what is going on and how intricate the creations of the Expoletian Empire are. It does not bring a tear to her eye, yet it does invoke the sensation of bliss. This is what Kile got into the military to do and this is what she loves seeing occur during her off-time.
The sequence also shows the reader that the world of the Avenger is its own unique place. It is both a home and a small planet for those aboard it. I need to give the cold Avenger a sense of familiarity, and I feel I achieved that with the sequence above.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
While I used more scenery porn for today to build the world, the primary focus still resided in character and conflict. The effective use of serenity building into the confrontation at the end of what I wrote was the best use of my time and it really goes to show how much I respect the art of writing.
For this week, I accomplished the beginnings of what I laid out last week, while also furthering characters without overloading the reader with chunks of dialogue. I admit I am not the biggest fan of massive dialogue sprees, but sometimes they are needed. They were used to prime effectiveness today.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
I will keep this short this week as I intend to inform everyone of what I intend to do at the end of the week. Keep your minds creative and put those pens onto paper.
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I appreciate any and all feedback and the larger my audience, the more encouraged I feel to keep doing what I am doing.
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