I will come right out and say it: Crow is my favourite novel to work on right now. I think a lot of that is down to how different it is compared to what I am used to doing. I stated last week that relationship drama is not a focal point of the novel and I intend to stick by that. What makes Crow work as a novel is the conflict between Ashley Hudson and Crow Enterprises.
Now of course, writing is not without sin and though I did not think it part of the best work for today, I indulged in my more base inhibitions and made it explicit that Ashley enjoys the fact she is breaking the law and that it turns her on. I like to consider myself an equal opportunity person, so a big part of my novels lies in showcasing that females deserve the same respect as males. Sure, explicitly using female masturbation to build character might not seem respectful, but it is a large part of how Ashley perceives herself.
I do not write Crow from my perspective; I write Crow as though I am Ashley Hudson.
I also need to say that I abhor criminal activities such as those depicted in Crow. I use them only to tell the story because of the nature of Crow as a work of fiction.
The report from last week is definitely located by clicking the following link: Crow: I Swear I Had A Word Limit
- What I Did
The non-linear story of Crow is difficult to work with, but the story plays well off the fact that there are missing pieces of information. It is crucial that the reader pays attention and I used my writing this week to focus more on Ashley’s relationship with her father as she breaks into one of the many offices of Crow Enterprises.
It feels weird for someone such as myself to focus on a character with a father figure in their life as it is something I was missing in my own life, but I recognise that there is no perfect father figure. Ashley accepts her father for his faults and because she is the thing that he is most proud of.
The way I built Ashley breaking into the building where Crow Enterprises has an office played masterfully into bringing up more of her backstory. I related everything in her past to things she is doing in the present. In a way, I paint her as a junior version of her father; crass, violent and without a care for the rules of the world.
I continue humanising Ashley and breaking her outer façade. I like to think of Crow as a reversal of the typical character arc when it comes to Ashley. At the start she is what most characters are at the end of a novel. I think you get where I am going with that.
- Today’s Best Work
While I could have chosen the interactions with her father as the perfect examples of the work I did today, I opted for the sequence where Ashley at long last, breaks into the office of Crow Enterprises. It might not be an exciting sequence, nor that well written, but it is a beautiful showcase of how Ashley’s mind works and how she sees the things that she does.
I was breathing heavy by the time I reached the sixth floor hallways. An important thing to note about fire stairs like the ones I was in involved the fact that they are not lockable. Sure, they have alarms on them, but there are ways around even the toughest security systems. For instance, instead of doing the sensible thing and going through the door, I instead clambered into the cramped ventilation unit. Another reason I liked being small was that I could fit into such a tight space without much hassle.
To climb through a metal vent is a tricky thing to get right. The nature of the material ensures that any sudden movement will alert nearby souls to your presence. The best way I found to counter act that was not to crawl but drag myself along the metal. Sure, it wore me out faster, but it meant I could be a lot faster. I was not bracing the entire structure with every motion I made.
I will admit I almost got lost, as ventilation shafts are tricky to navigate with accuracy while inside of them. I did manage to pull myself to the office of Crow Enterprises. My first glance through one of the vents revealed very little. Crow Enterprises made the place seem like a regular office. Someone who did not know what they were looking for would not give a second look at anything inside the place. I knew I did not make a mistake as I pushed the vent open and, as much as I hate to admit, I slid down the wall and crumpled into a heap on the floor. I was lucky to rotate my body enough so I did not land on my neck. I hurried back to my feet and looked around to determine where I should begin my search. One of the computers in the main room was on but something made me recognize it as a trap. My eyes continued to rotate around the room until I came upon a side office tucked away from prying eyes. I tilted my head and weighed the options before me.
I could use the easy access computer and risk falling into the trap that I was certain was waiting for me. I would not get the information I wanted but Crow Enterprises would give me something to work with in any case. It was probable that whatever was on that computer led me to a dead end like the box of information I got from that blasted detective. I had to find some way to get revenge on him for that.
My other option was the side office. It would be the harder option and there was a high chance of hidden alarms that I would have no idea how to disable being present. I shrugged my shoulders and began to step toward the side office. I already came this far and I was already trespassing. I might as well add felony breaking and entering to my record. Dad would be proud.
- How Productive I Felt I Was
While I wrote less than last week, I feel the efforts I put into character and story this week more than make up for the lack of writing. I do not often work with a single character in any chapter, but this current chapter is an aversion to that rule for the most part. In the 2,500 words I wrote, there is one paragraph of dialogue and even then, I present it as a flashback more than actual dialogue. So in seven pages, less than half a page possesses dialogue of any kind. Quite an achievement.
- What I Intend To Write Next Week
I will continue building back into the start of the chapter for this week which sees Ashley fleeing the Crow Enterprises office. I will go into the details of what Ashley finds inside the office and look into how she might use that information against Crow.
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