"This is not our way!"

Over 1100 words today. Not bad. I took the advice of an author and jotted down a very brief outline of what I hoped to write. I hope to implement the other sides of the writing triangle more thoroughly.

Having even just the vaguest sense of what I wanted to write made it much smoother, but I can't quite imagine writing 10000 words—even on the best of days. Practice makes perfect I suppose.

Here's a fun excerpt from what I managed today:

The librarian stood up and walked slowly north toward the infirmary. Entering the door, he saw cots overturned, chairs broken, basins spilled, and an overall mess.
"This is not our way," he growled quietly.
He walked over to Werbel's chair and stood it upright in its usual place. A bit of the boy's blood stuck to his hand.
"This is not our way," he growled again, more loudly this time.
He recalled all the conversations he had shared with that poor, brave girl. He recalled the laughter she had caused, the wisdom she had shared, and the care she showed to each creature no matter how they treated her.
"This is not our way!" he bellowed this time.

So often when I write something, I have no idea how it's going to fit in with the story. Nevertheless, it always seems to simmer down and blend in. I also still have the typical habit of thinking everything I wrote was horrible, but then I'll reread the next day and be inspired by a line or two. It's a weird process.

I also keep thinking to myself that this book really shouldn't be published since it's such a shoddy first attempt, but then I recall oh so many sub-par books I've examined on real live bookshelves, and I know my story can't be worse.

As a few friends have remarked, regardless of how my book itself turns out, it will have been an excellent experience.

Tiny little baby steps.