Novel Update

It's been eight months since I've posted to this blog and there are multiple reasons for that. Primarily, there was some kind of weird mix-up that kept me from logging in. I was recognized as a member, but it didn't realize I had an existing blog.

But that's all behind us now. When last I wrote I was on my way to Africa last March. I did take my laptop and managed to write about 6,000 words during that trip. That included a scene that had long been in my head concerning how magic works in this particular fantasy world. The idea of magic in a Christian world was one of the main things I wanted to play with in this story, so it's safe to say various characters disagree on exactly what the rules -- and dangers -- of magic are.

I was called home early from Africa due to my father's health and it would be June before I wrote again. I knocked out a few more scenes in June and July, but I quit writing again. I didn't pick it up until late September. It's not that I lost my drive or interest. It was more of a case of getting hung up on the need to absolutely nail a scene the first time every time. I had lost my ease. I was not, as a friend put it, ignoring my inner editor.

But September rolled around and I resolved to making a big writing push through the fall and to the end of the year. I put aside distractions. I promised myself that I would not read any more novels for the rest of 2008, as I had already read 19 of them since January. I also have denied myself from renting movies. Any spare time I have, I want to spend it writing.

I did well up through early November. I actually finished writing all the scenes that I had broken down onto index cards. So what I have done in the last week or so is I have taken my plot outline back out and have broken the remaining story onto index cards. I have figured out what the scenes need to be, including notes on POV and plot point.

This was very exciting. I had 29 cards. For the first time, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just 29 more scenes to go. They don't have to be long, just interesting. And last night, I completed a scene, so I'm down to 28.

I'd love to do one scene a week. Even better if I could do two. We'll see. Life is busy, it's hard to find time. But I want to finish this thing. 

Next: Character Business