Monday 16 April Progress Report (Previous Report)
After a well-deserved break and a fantastic Week of Samples, I dove back into my writing this week and felt like I never skipped a beat. The words that came out of me today flowed with elegance and ease and I am glad I decided to take my break. It also helps that I could finally crawl into the right side of the bed last night (literally and figuratively) so I got a really good sleep and woke up more spritely than I have all year.
The ease with which I can transition back into Ascension and these reports amazes me. Sure, I took six or more hours to get my word count down, but at no point did it feel like a chore. It made the day go by quick and it wasn’t a chore. I loved every bit of work this week and I look forward to the next nine weeks of work before my next break.
The opening chapter of Ascension can be uncovered with this fancy link: Ascension – Chapter One: Ambush
Where My Word Count Should Be: 30,000 words
Where My Word Count Is: 30,074 words
- What I Did
Today was all about creating the subtle drama that will unfold on the Avenger. I investigated more of the history and chemistry between Kile and Julenn to start with. It might seem weird that I incorporate romance in pretty much all my novels, but life is all about romance. Every time we open our eyes, we see things with a loving gaze. That is what I want the reader to pick up from the way Kile sees her relationship with Julenn.
I navigated from a tender scene between Kile and Julenn to a more shady scene between Kile and Sh’gy. In their sequence, Kile learns more about Sh’gy, and by extension, Sg’ra’s backgrounds. I begin to weave one of the main storylines into focus and I love seeing how everything in Ascension begins to unfold. I am at the stage where Ascension is beginning to differentiate itself from a lot of other Science Fiction Novels. And I love every second of it.
- Today’s Best Work
The best part for today is a look at how Kile perceives Julenn. It also gives the reader more world information disguised as a brilliant dramatic scene. Nothing happens but there is a sense that the reader is experiencing the scene firsthand.
The sequence also serves as a personal commentary on current human existence. My personal opinion on how we live our lives is eerily reminiscent of what I wrote. I always say that we live in the now and we cannot change the past. We cannot change how our ancestors perceive us, but we can change how our descendants will perceive us. It is up to us to make a difference today. Live for the now. Live for the Future. Leave the past behind. That’s essentially the moral of the best work for today.
Julenn lowered her voice when she mentioned that name. There was good cause to avoid mentioning it in public as well. While many considered Chu’us a war hero and a legendary figure in the Empire, his methods were less than favorable. I did know how Julenn felt. My own ancestor was second-in-command during the tenure of Chu’us. As a sign that I understood, I placed a gentle hand on Julenn’s shoulder. Her muscles twitched under my touch. It was not something that Expoletians often contemplated or noticed, given how toned the average Expoletian soldier was. Something about the way Julenn’s muscles twitched and reacted to my touch made me smile. Not a big smile, but enough to be noticeable to those with an attentive eye.
“I appreciate the honesty. Most soldiers would give a bullshit answer and hype up that the Empire was undefeatable.”
“We’re not most soldiers though. We can see things that the male portion of the military cannot and that fact is what gives us an advantage in positions of power. It feels weird to say, but this is fitting for our families. We’re at the forefront of history once again,” Julenn said. She sighed, “Do you think they’re proud of us?”
I tilted my head as Julenn lowered her gaze to the hangar below. She leaned on the railing. The lighting made the worry etched across her face stand out more than normal. I felt worry more than usual as well. I predicted that the stress we endured would only get worse. I do not know why I felt tempted to wrap my arms around Julenn in that moment. I harbored no feelings for her and I was not an affectionate soldier by any measure of the word. I refrained from indulging in that thought. Not because I did not want to, but because I had to show the crew that I would play no favorites with anyone. I wished that I could provide some comfort to Julenn, yet there was nothing good I could say.
“No. I don’t think they’re proud. I don’t think we should focus on those in our past because they don’t shape the future. The only people whose opinions need to matter in times like this are our own. You need to learn that I won’t pretend to respect my predecessors. I know it’s upsetting, but this is our moment, not theirs,” I said.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
Taking a step back to recharge my batteries worked wonders. My creativity never stopped flowing and the work I did today is some of my best in all of the current length of Ascension.
Since I had no real goal going into this week, it feel good to write. I felt no pressure to complete my work. I am ecstatic that progress is going so well.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
Next week I lead into the first major engagement between the Avenger and the Breakwater. It will mark only the second appearance by antagonist Rainer. It might seem odd to use the villain of the novel so sparingly, but it is a tactic I absolutely love. I utilise it to tremendous effect in The Elder Ones series and I love seeing it done in any form of media. It is how story telling should be done. The protagonist is who the reader cares about, yet the antagonist always shows up at the perfect time to spoil everything.
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