Post-holiday update

No one reads this, but readership isn't the reason I write this blog. (What is the reason, you ask? The one I always give is: Because I can.)

Over the holiday break I worked on my story. I didn't made the progress I wanted, but I did make really good progress. I have the first 36 chapters in second-draft readiness. I know I'm not done with the story, but because I've been so freaking busy at work since ... some time ago, I sorta got out of the habit of writing daily. I know I could still do it, but I am so tired by the time I sit down, all I want to do is listen to music and play Spider Solitaire.

So, I went back to page 1 and started reading it. Again. Carefully. Very carefully. I cut much more than I added, especially trimming excessive adjectives (a bad habit of mine, but somewhat useful) and descriptions of Things That Aren't Important. I cloned a copy and converted it to single-spaced text, and then printed out something like 400 pages. Single-spaced, dual-sided to save paper.

Rereading also helps me when I get discouraged, because I get to read stuff I'd forgotten, and once again come around to realizing that I can write. And I'm getting better all the time.

In rereading, I began rethinking some things, and decided to change the order in which I had intended some events to occur. This means inserting a crucial section of exposition (enlightenment for the heroes, who are mightily confused about what's going on), thus raising the intensity level even more. Once my lead characters understand what's really happening, they will absolutely feel the pressure. Even more than they do, now. I just need to work out the details so it all makes sense.

Speaking of making sense: I discussed some of my plot points with my story critics (my spouse and stepdaughter) who seemed to find a lack of logic in them. When I explained that the person who's doing these bad things is insane, and getting insaner as he goes along, they seemed to accept the illogic more willingly. Insanity and mental illness doesn't have to be logical or make sense. There may be many reasons why other, basically rational people will go along with the insanity. Chief among these reasons is fear. Other reasons are ambition and greed. Complacency and apathy are others. I'm probably going to need all of these before I'm done.

My stepdaughter suggested I need a name for my invented language (the language of the native sun-skins in my story). I will work on this, but I'm still not sure I need a name other than "sun-skin language." I'm up to something like 500 root words, which equate to about 1,500 words, more or less. I have settled the grammar fairly well, and have a bunch of verb cases/conjugations. I'm still undecided how I should present the language in the book other than to show «I will follow you» cool double brackets around spoken words. In many places I have mixed English-sun-skin speech, but so far I have avoided long passages of sun-skin speech in sun-skin. No one can read it but me, so it seems excessive. Just know it's there, in case I ever want to make a movie of this. (Note the "elf" language in the beginning of Hellboy II.)

After Thursday I'm off to Florida for a week. Last year I used the poor weather as an excuse to write about 100 pages (the first 100 pages, more or less), but this year we have family going with us, so I doubt I will be able to bury myself in my laptop. I will just take my notebook and make notes as the mood strikes me.

I'm overdue finishing this story. I really want to get it done so I can move on to the next project. I have several ideas floating in the back of my mind; each one deserves my full attention. One of them is bound to be good enough to publish. So, until next time ...