An Archive of Small Sadnesses

A crisis has, as they so often do, arisen.  My trusty pocket keyboard has broken.

This means that until I replace it, I either need to write on my lunch break (spoiler alert: I no longer get lunch breaks) or at home after work.  Looks like things are going to be pretty interesting until I can fix or replace my keyboard.

As a result of this problem, I am a bit behind in my writing…I should be at approximately 30,930 words, yet have only written 27,926.  Okay, that’s more than a bit behind.

Sigh.

Anyway, I’m going to try to write after work this week, and perhaps this weekend, if there’s any time between the hundred things that seem to crop up.  If nothing else I can catch up over Christmas break…my family tends to go to bed fairly early. 

In the meantime, I’ll refocus my commute on editing Traditor—that way the time won’t be completely wasted. 

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae

Word Count: 27,926

Writing Mode: Nodus Tollens

We Are What We Repeatedly Do

I’ve been writing every day on my way home from work.  I would write at lunch, but I haven’t been taking lunch at all.  I just work straight through, and often into the evening.  But at least I get to write on the way home.

Despite the fact that I’m writing on a train, I’m getting a lot done.  I’ve managed to almost keep up with my 500 per day…currently I’m 126 in the hole, but all it will take is one delayed train to allow me to catch up.

I’m also approaching a more interesting part of the book, where the writing should go more quickly.  I’ve been setting things up for the past two weeks or so…finally they’re starting to come to a head.  Hopefully that means that not only will the writing progress more quickly, but it’ll also be more fun.

In old-school writing news, I’m doing one final edit on Traditor.  I re-read it recently and noticed a typo, so I’ve stopped sending it out for now and am going through one last time to make sure that everything is perfect.  I edit on the train in the mornings, which means that one half of my commute revolves around proofreading my first book, while the other half is dedicated to writing the second.  I find this oddly satisfying.

I also found a promising new publisher who is accepting unagented manuscripts, and will be submitting there as soon as the final edit of Traditor is completed.

Onward - -



Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 20,430
Writing Mode: Treading water 

 

What the Hell is a Gigawatt???

14,556 words.  And I haven’t even done my writing for today yet.

As it turns out, my portable keyboard is one of the best investments I’ve ever made.  Work has been terrible, and I’ve had to skip lunch and stay late for the past two days in a row.  But by writing whenever I’m on the metro I’ve managed to not only meet my daily goals, but exceed them. 

There was one day in the past week where writing was like pulling teeth.  Aside from that, it’s been pretty smooth.  I’m writing a character who is arguably the most or the second-most evil in the entire series, and it’s really fun inserting him into my characters’ lives.  Sometimes it’s tough, too, as I’ve got to constantly ask myself how he would act, what he would do.  It means getting in his head, which is a scary place to be.

Not much else to report.  Work on the book has been really helping me get through the day…even if I don’t work on it until I’m on my way home.  Still, it lets me do something creative, and helps keep my spirits up (or at least from totally crashing).  I’m excited to see how it turns out  :}

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae

Word Count: 14,556

Writing Mode: Persevering

It Goes

Keeping up with the daily writing, and chipping away at that deficit.  I even bought a mini-keyboard that I can use to write on the train...managed to do 260 words that way between last night and this morning's commutes, so now I only owe 265 words.

Still need to do my writing for today, but overall I'm feeling fairly positive about my progress on the book.  I'm worried the beginning needs a little tightening, and the relationship between Bryn & Mer a little emphasizing, but I guess I can fix that in post.

Also, I just followed up with another agency regarding my submission.  If you have to follow up you pretty much know you're going to get rejected; still, never hurts to try.

Anyway, must get back to my job.  Miles to go before I sleep.

In more ways than one.

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 10,849
Writing Mode: I broke 10k!

Hope Clouds Observation

It’s been a rough week or so.  I missed another day of writing due to skipping lunch, then caught a wicked cold and was too sick to do anything but lay on the couch and moan all weekend.  I am, therefore, 714 words in the hole. 

However, I haven’t done today’s writing yet…maybe I’ll be able to chip away at what I owe a little bit.  I also managed to do 790 words yesterday, and I bought a secondhand bluetooth keyboard so that I can write on the train.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get right back on track. 

I’m fairly pleased with the way the book is going so far.  It’s been almost unnervingly easy to write; I’m choosing to put this down to allowing the story to percolate for so long, rather than blaming it (probably more correctly) on crummy writing.  Still, Mer is already starting to demonstrate some of the character changes that will define her throughout the course of this book.  Additionally, I’m about to finally introduce the bad guy, which should be fun to write (until it’s not, but more on that later).

In other writing news, my submission to Poetry Magazine just got rejected.  I’m not surprised—it’s a very prestigious magazine.  Still, it’s tough.  Sometimes I feel like just one person showing even a modicum of interest in my work would be enough to give me hope.  However, hope, as the reverend mother noted, isn’t always a good thing.

Still, as the Klingons say, bIlujlaHbe'chugh bIQaplaHbe'.

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 9,393
Writing Mode: reH 'eb tu'lu'

WightCrow’s Everyday Life

I got my 500 in today.  Actually, it was 619, but who’s counting?

Oh, that’s right, me.  I’m counting.

Since the last time I posted, I’ve written 2,266 words.  That’s 234 shy of what I should have, but I skipped one day altogether because work has been busy.   It’s only going to get busier, but I’m trying not to skip any more.  And I’ll make up the 234…I’m slowly chipping away at it.  Piece by piece.

Not sure what else there is to say.  Things still feel hopeless, but I’m done with work for the day, and that’s something.

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 7,373
Writing Mode: Dutiful 

Monday

Tired, not writing easily today.  Everything I write seems choppy.  Still, managed 644 words, and am leading up to the first drama of the book.  It references the last one, showing that things have, if anything, gotten worse.  It also provides an opportunity for Bryn & Mer to interact...

Anyway, I'm exhausted, and need to get back to work.  Until next time.

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 5,107
Writing Mode: No, but seriously...tired

What Do We Do? We Swim.

959 words yesterday, 583 today.  I’m in the middle of an interesting scene that not only furthers the story and sets the tone, but links this book more firmly with the last.  I’m enjoying it, not least because I get to show someone being callously cruel and thoughtlessly evil—always a fun time.

Working on the book also seems to have shaken loose other writing ideas—I had a great idea for a podcast, though heaven only knows when I’ll find the time to write (much less record) that.  Still, it’s an interesting idea, and I’m going to let it percolate for now.

Anyway, back to the grind.  I won’t be updating over the weekend, but at least getting started on writing again is a great early present for my birthday  :}

Working Title: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 4,468
Writing Mode: Just keep swimming