A Satisfying Craft
1604 words!
That's a great count. I think I've been more focused lately anyway, but I also tried listening to very ambient music to muffle the Starbucks noises around me.
I'm not sure if it's just how I feel, but it seems like Starbucks is an inappropriate place for conference calls or other such business calls. If you have to provide a quick bit of information, cool; do your thing. If you're coordinating schedules and relaying updates, just bloody step outside. There's something magically different about voices talking to voices and voices talking to phones. One sounds like a voice; one makes me feel like Chirrratka.
Speaking of the slaver, I think I might have to change his name. I recently named a character Mingrrrano, and that rank is equal to Chirrratka. I could change it to Mingrrano (only two 'r's and therefore one rank down), but Chirrratka should still rank higher than he currently does. However—though this idea is kind of exciting—I want his name to be pronounced a certain way. Right now, I believe readers will pronounce "Chirrratka" the way it sounds in my mind, but "Chirrratoka" probably wouldn't turn out so well.
I forget who it was, but a friend once suggested I should have some kind of appendix that lists the characters (or at least the lizards) with their name pronunciations and statuses or something like that. I'll probably end up doing that anyway, but "Chirrratoka" will probably be written like "Chirrrá'toká." It puts the emphases where I want them, and it makes the names that much more foreign. I totally dig it.
I cannot tell you how exciting it is to write this story. I had a few drinks with my boss yesterday. We chatted a bit about A+ (his company where I work). I also got to hear how he went from tutoring in his dad's basement to running his own tutoring company. Besides this, he graciously asked so many questions about my book.
In the midst of talking about Meadowvale, I felt the excitement beaming from my face. I felt the joy of how I've transitioned from discouraged, dutiful writing to motivated, delicious crafting. In other words, at first, it was just work because I knew I had to write a book (or go insane). More and more, however, it's becoming a deep joy, a really satisfying craft.
Today as I was writing, I saw more images, felt more emotions, understood more thoughts, and typed more fluidly than I usually do. As always, everything will need editing, but scenes started budding, and Werbel's transition into the mines is a really convincing, illuminating chapter. I only just introduced Kruin, but he's already a very tangible character. I like Mingrrrano; he helps show how violent the lizards customarily are, but he also shows that they can often be pissed at each other since he's pissed at the slaves that Chirrratka sends to him. I'm not sure why yet, but it's probably something to do with their strength and defiant nature.
I'm not sure how I'm going to rework the first few chapters though, and they definitely need it since they'll be the ones I send to publishing agents. I'm dreading it less and less though. Soon enough, it'll just be one, clean task I'll undertake confidently. For now, I'll just keep rolling the story forward as I follow my characters and their convictions.
That's a great count. I think I've been more focused lately anyway, but I also tried listening to very ambient music to muffle the Starbucks noises around me.
I'm not sure if it's just how I feel, but it seems like Starbucks is an inappropriate place for conference calls or other such business calls. If you have to provide a quick bit of information, cool; do your thing. If you're coordinating schedules and relaying updates, just bloody step outside. There's something magically different about voices talking to voices and voices talking to phones. One sounds like a voice; one makes me feel like Chirrratka.
Speaking of the slaver, I think I might have to change his name. I recently named a character Mingrrrano, and that rank is equal to Chirrratka. I could change it to Mingrrano (only two 'r's and therefore one rank down), but Chirrratka should still rank higher than he currently does. However—though this idea is kind of exciting—I want his name to be pronounced a certain way. Right now, I believe readers will pronounce "Chirrratka" the way it sounds in my mind, but "Chirrratoka" probably wouldn't turn out so well.
I forget who it was, but a friend once suggested I should have some kind of appendix that lists the characters (or at least the lizards) with their name pronunciations and statuses or something like that. I'll probably end up doing that anyway, but "Chirrratoka" will probably be written like "Chirrrá'toká." It puts the emphases where I want them, and it makes the names that much more foreign. I totally dig it.
I cannot tell you how exciting it is to write this story. I had a few drinks with my boss yesterday. We chatted a bit about A+ (his company where I work). I also got to hear how he went from tutoring in his dad's basement to running his own tutoring company. Besides this, he graciously asked so many questions about my book.
In the midst of talking about Meadowvale, I felt the excitement beaming from my face. I felt the joy of how I've transitioned from discouraged, dutiful writing to motivated, delicious crafting. In other words, at first, it was just work because I knew I had to write a book (or go insane). More and more, however, it's becoming a deep joy, a really satisfying craft.
Today as I was writing, I saw more images, felt more emotions, understood more thoughts, and typed more fluidly than I usually do. As always, everything will need editing, but scenes started budding, and Werbel's transition into the mines is a really convincing, illuminating chapter. I only just introduced Kruin, but he's already a very tangible character. I like Mingrrrano; he helps show how violent the lizards customarily are, but he also shows that they can often be pissed at each other since he's pissed at the slaves that Chirrratka sends to him. I'm not sure why yet, but it's probably something to do with their strength and defiant nature.
I'm not sure how I'm going to rework the first few chapters though, and they definitely need it since they'll be the ones I send to publishing agents. I'm dreading it less and less though. Soon enough, it'll just be one, clean task I'll undertake confidently. For now, I'll just keep rolling the story forward as I follow my characters and their convictions.
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