Checking in & Mixing up
It’s time for a check in.
If you read my last blog post, you’ll know that I’m currently in the middle of a bit of a challenge. Self-imposed challenge, of course. It’s the wide world of self-publishing. I make and break all the rules I want. :D Basically, I’ve put the Three Willows trilogy on pause while I give into shiny new idea syndrome and try my hands at a totally fresh draft of an idea. I haven’t started on something completely clean like this since 2017. Nerves are high.
So we’re a month and a half into the four months I’ve allotted myself. What do I have to show for it?
10K words. Which I don’t consider half bad. And judging from the content of those first words, this draft will easily surpass the 50K mark, which again, not bad for a notorious underwriter.
A complete outline. I’m not sure if the ending is good enough, but it will be a while before I get there and have to worry about it.
The World. I’ve got the framework, I think. Things are still a little malleable, and I’ll make more choices should the story need me to decide something. Not to mention, I have a lot more to learn about architecture, but those are the sorts of details I’m learning to let go, especially on a first draft.
Characters. I’ve got ‘em! I’m planning on two main protagonists with alternating viewpoints, because that formula makes sense to me. Maybe one day I’ll have an idea that will keep me in one character’s head the whole book, but it’s not this book. As a long time Critter, Dungeons and Dragons has been steadily consuming my life for some time now, and the result is that I now refer to side characters as NPCs. And it’s sort of a fun way to think about it? You, the reader/player, will never be in their heads, never be certain about their goals or motivations, they exist to color the world and give the PC/protagonists things to react to and interact with. That probably makes no sense, but it’s what I’m rolling with at the moment. I will take any, literally any, excuse to think about D&D more than I already do.
And the craziest thing, I think I’m happy? Before I started writing, I was planning on using this post as a way to punish myself and push myself to make more progress, but the complete opposite has happened. I’ve done a lot. And it will continue, because I’m in that magical, mystical brain-place where whenever there’s a dull moment, my mind comes back to this story, to what happens next, to future scenes I’m excited for. (Including what will be the first steamy scene I’ve ever written. I know. I’m worried, too.) 😅
And here’s little tease for you blog-readers. While they’re still forming, I like to dump all my character inspirations into a blender and see if that helps me get closer to who they are. Now presenting, the cocktail recipe of this project’s two protagonists.
MC 1
MC 2
