Not too much to report for this mid-week ROW80 check-in. Blogwise, I’ve been keeping up with my theme days — I wrote a steampunk fashion post on Monday and a fun music post yesterday — and I’ve got drafts of the remaining two posts for the week queued up.
In the realm of writing, tell me no lies is coming along. I’ve been tweaking the plot, and taking time to work out the kinks and details for the latter half of the story. My MC now has a fleshed-out backstory that is much more, and I have a better idea of what the climax will look like. Better yet, my antagonist, a sociopathic serial killer, is sending very creepy letters to my MC (creepy to the point where I am getting the heebie-jeebies). The story has reached 16k, which means that I have another 34k to write in order to ‘win’ CampNaNo. Shockingly, this doesn’t seem too far out of reach, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a working draft of this novel by the end of the month. *crosses fingers and looks hopeful*
If I can maintain the pace of writing roughly 1500 words per day, I might consider giving my other two WIPs the NaNo treatment, focusing solely on one for a month or so, hammering out as many words as possible, and then setting it aside to move on to the next tale. I am almost certain that I am going to attempt NaNo in November, and if I indeed do so, I am going to take the month to edit and finish Path to the Peacock Throne. I’ve had glimmers of ideas for the latter two-thirds of the book, and I think by the time November rolls around, I’ll be more than ready to get back to my world of magic and legend and lore.
The other thing I’ve been doing this week is playing around with flash fiction. Up till this point, I’ve avoided it like the plague, mostly because I tend to be quite a wordy sort of writer. I like detail and backstory and description, and the thought of having to cram all that into a teeny tale was more than I could bear. But I figured I’d try out a challenge involving the seven heavenly virtues, and surprisingly, I’m having a blast. I’ve covered the first four — Chastity, Temperance, Charity, and Diligence — and I have some ideas simmering in my head for the final three. At 100 words each they are a bit of a challenge to write, but oh my, I’m having fun doing it.
-oOo-
And now for a cool historical tidbit! For this check-in, I offer a collection of pretty pictures, courtesy of the Library of Congress’ Photocrom Print Collection. This collection showcases travel photographs taken around the world between 1890s and 1910s, and are all in color. I highly recommend checking it out, as the photos are all incredibly gorgeous.
August 10, 2011 at 1:01 am
Love the pics, Jamila. I think your NaNo treatment idea is a good one, let us know how that works out.
Have a great week!
August 10, 2011 at 8:23 am
I’ll definitely keep you all posted on NaNo, Gene. Enjoy your week as well!
August 10, 2011 at 3:26 am
Love your little picture show. Absolutely delightful. It is as if I am standing there.
Jokes aside, I signed up for Camp Nano but already gave it up for bust. Not that it is not a good idea to concentrate on one thing at a time and push it as far as possible. I think that works great and may you push both projects way beyond 50K.
For me, I just can’t concentrate that long. On the writing as a marathon I’m at the point where walking round the block is a stretch on my stamina. Slow steps…keep at it.
August 10, 2011 at 8:44 am
Squee, I’m so excited that I figured out how to insert a slideshow! I think this might be my new favorite blogging trick.
I really do understand what you’re saying about dealing with NaNo. I usually prefer the freedom to rotate between projects; I typically have about a 5-7 day attention span per project. I’m currently waiting for the urge to work on this steampunk tale to die out and be replaced by a different tale… but it hasn’t happened quite yet, so we’ll see. 😀
Slow steps is a noble endeavor, as far as I’m concerned. As I keep hearing, the most important thing is to write, regardless of how many words you’ve gotten down.
Have a great week!
August 10, 2011 at 5:09 am
I’ve been behind on keeping up with all the blogs I want to read, but I know I’m definitely looking forward to getting around to the steampunk fashion post!
Great work, too! I love when kinks are hammered out to relative smoothness and things start falling into place and you really start to feel things like the heebie-jeebies when it’s appropriate.
And good luck with the flash fiction. I was against it for the longest time, too, but then I discovered one of my best pieces was actually flash fiction, and I’ve embraced it a little more. It’s definitely an art to do flash fiction well, but it’s so, so very rewarding when you pull it off.
August 10, 2011 at 8:46 am
I know what you mean — I’ve got a backlog of blogs to check as well. 😀
It’s really cool to see this story come together, if only because it started off as this tiny seed of a relatively silly idea. Watching it blossom into something potentially viable as a novel (a word that I still have trouble saying/writing), with lots of layers of complexity, is an awe-inspiring experience.
Have a wonderful week!
August 10, 2011 at 6:07 am
Keep up the great momentum Jamila! Congrats on all that you’ve accomplished 🙂 It sounds like your book is really coming together – enjoy the process! Hope the rest of your week is just as wonderful.
August 10, 2011 at 8:47 am
Thanks so much, Marie! Yes, the progress on the book has got me really jazzed up and excited — I have to restrain myself from talking about it too much to friends and family, lol.
Have a great week as well!
August 10, 2011 at 6:41 am
Impressive progress, Jamila. I haven’t tried flash fiction, but the virtues challenge sound like a lot of fun. It is great that you are doing so well on Camp Nano–fingers crossed for a draft by the end of the month!
I love the pictures–so very cool, and of course, I’m duty-bound to love anything from a library :D. I need to take some time to read some blogs–and yours is on my list!
Have a great rest of the week!
August 10, 2011 at 9:14 am
Thanks, Nancy. I think I really might be a tiny bit addicted with flash fiction, because I am seeking out new challenges to try out. What I really enjoy about it is the chance to let my brain relax from the WIPs. I feel like my creativity gets a jumpstart because I can toy with different characters and ideas, but in a way that doesn’t distract me from the other projects on my plate.
Enjoy the rest of your week as well!
August 10, 2011 at 9:30 am
Jamila ~ So glad to hear you’re having such a great time this week. The slideshow is terrific! I also like the freedom to move back and forth between projects, but with my publish date coming up, I’ve decided to focus entirely on edits until I’m ready……(will I ever feel ready??) Ha! ~ Nadja
August 11, 2011 at 8:24 am
You know, I will say that the focus has totally surprised me, and I’m glad to see that I can manage to settle down on a single project, at least for a few weeks. I think I’m seeing the payoff. 😀
I’m waving my pom-poms for you as you reach the end of your publishing date!
August 10, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Great job Jamila. I am also contemplating NaNo in Nov (provided I get my current draft on Soul Hunter finished by then) and of course I would also have to get my outline done before Nov started as well…. ahhh… too much to do! The draft I would write in Nov is a sequel to a previous novel and I already have a reasonable idea of what has to take place. Good to see that the NaNo concept is working well for you though. Hope you can keep it up.
August 11, 2011 at 8:19 am
Jody, thanks for dropping by! I admit, the thought of doing NaNo usually leaves me feeling sweaty-palmed, but I think marching into battle with a bit of a plan (as opposed to a mere nugget of an idea) is MUCH better for my productivity. Hope to see you participating in November as well!
August 10, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Beautiful photos
August 10, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Good luck with finishing your draft! And thanks for the link to the lovely photos.
August 11, 2011 at 8:19 am
Thanks so much, Deniz, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the pictures!
August 10, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Hey Jamila! I love NaNoWriMo. 🙂 It happens the same month as my birthday and it’s like a present to myself. I never make 50K but I do usually get about 25-30K, which is exciting.
P.s. I love the slideshow too. 🙂
August 11, 2011 at 8:21 am
Yay, I’m so happy to hear good things about NaNo! 25-30K is excellent, and if I can even make it that far, I will feel really, really proud of myself. 😀
August 10, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Great pics! Sounds like you’re doing really well. Good for you. 😀
August 11, 2011 at 8:22 am
Thanks so much, Sonia! So far, August has been a pretty good month. 😀
August 11, 2011 at 6:03 am
I think I would have difficulty with flash fiction, too, for the reasons you listed. I prefer reading stories (and novels) with description, backstory, etc.
Your progress sounds promising! You have lots of things going….
Here’s my update: http://laurelrainsnowswonderland.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/8-10-update-row-80/
August 11, 2011 at 8:22 am
Haha, yes, I’m trying to juggle it all! Still waiting to see if I’m going to have to scale back, but so far, so good. 😀
Have a wonderful week!
August 14, 2011 at 12:34 am
Ah, I love long stories with a lot of time for character/setting/plot development and foreshadowing and twists too. I’m just into the longer more complicated stories where you get to spend a long time with the characters–though for the last several years I’ve found myself able to very naturally take a story and stick with it.
I avoided Flash Fiction until Lady Antimony’s last challenge (the 7 Sins) and I also find flash fiction a nice rejuvenating jolt to the creative juices even if I’ll never make anything nearly as beautiful in the form as some of the others I’ve read.
Your steam-punk Work In Progress sounds absolutely incredible though! I REALLY want to read it.