Tag: novel

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

Hmm I think that’s a natural end for that scene and it’s gotten more than long enough at 3,000 words lol. Time for the pivotal capture scene–I wrote a version of this scene years ago, like in 2014-5? But there’s been so much drift since then, I’m sure it’s going to be very different this time.

Note to self: Never rely on saving website URLs, screenshot everything and save it if it looks interesting. Like half the URLs I saved no longer exist, holy shit.

Got around 336 words in while husband was out with the kid. Was great.

773 words for the day is enough, I think, and I need to think a little about how this scene is going to play out. It definitely has a much different dynamic than prior versions and even my original plans, with more urgency and more people involved. I’m going to have to think about how the balance between the factions is going to work itself out here. The heroine’s sister has really thrown a wrench into the works by sending pursuers, but I can’t blame her because my dumbass should have thought of that in the first place.

Funny how I set up the heroine and her elder sister as antagonistic, but the youngest sister Ari has a mind of her own that I should have anticipated. I have no one to blame but my own ableism tbh, I had a vague idea she would be sweet and harmless and not affect the story all that much because she’s autistic. Then she comes in and says “fuck that and fuck you” in her very first viewpoint scene, good for her. She took charge of an overwhelming situation like a boss (help, there’s a stranger in my bedroom and she’s totally gorgeous!!), telling this beautiful stranger how to help her not have a meltdown and then making a decision on her own that was both righteous and merciful. The details of this scene might change depending on the needs of the plot and what sensitivity readers tell me, but at least I learned I need to take a look at how I’ve been treating this character in my plans for the story.

I also adore the fact that Ari and her mutual crush/eventual girlfriend are working against each other despite their feelings. I find that I’m way more invested in this relationship than the one between the heroine and her bf. I think the two couples are going to make for contrasting parallels, with one couple working at opposing purposes before becoming allies, and the other starting out as fast allies but later becoming enemies.

I also got a kick out of the heroine’s boyfriend mentioning his cousin to her and her going, “Oh yeah, I guess I’ve heard of him. Isn’t he a foreign king’s bastard?” Oh, honey. That’s your future husband.

@fettjango We both have Aris, that’s so adorable!! In my Ari’s case it’s her full name, or nickname (there’s basically no distinction between the two when it comes to personal names in this setting). It means “low” or “little” in Korean because she’s the youngest.

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

Hmm I think that’s a natural end for that scene and it’s gotten more than long enough at 3,000 words lol. Time for the pivotal capture scene–I wrote a version of this scene years ago, like in 2014-5? But there’s been so much drift since then, I’m sure it’s going to be very different this time.

Note to self: Never rely on saving website URLs, screenshot everything and save it if it looks interesting. Like half the URLs I saved no longer exist, holy shit.

Got around 336 words in while husband was out with the kid. Was great.

773 words for the day is enough, I think, and I need to think a little about how this scene is going to play out. It definitely has a much different dynamic than prior versions and even my original plans, with more urgency and more people involved. I’m going to have to think about how the balance between the factions is going to work itself out here. The heroine’s sister has really thrown a wrench into the works by sending pursuers, but I can’t blame her because my dumbass should have thought of that in the first place.

Funny how I set up the heroine and her elder sister as antagonistic, but the youngest sister Ari has a mind of her own that I should have anticipated. I have no one to blame but my own ableism tbh, I had a vague idea she would be sweet and harmless and not affect the story all that much because she’s autistic. Then she comes in and says “fuck that and fuck you” in her very first viewpoint scene, good for her. She took charge of an overwhelming situation like a boss (help, there’s a stranger in my bedroom and she’s totally gorgeous!!), telling this beautiful stranger how to help her not have a meltdown and then making a decision on her own that was both righteous and merciful. The details of this scene might change depending on the needs of the plot and what sensitivity readers tell me, but at least I learned I need to take a look at how I’ve been treating this character in my plans for the story.

I also adore the fact that Ari and her mutual crush/eventual girlfriend are working against each other despite their feelings. I find that I’m way more invested in this relationship than the one between the heroine and her bf. I think the two couples are going to make for contrasting parallels, with one couple working at opposing purposes before becoming allies, and the other starting out as fast allies but later becoming enemies.

I also got a kick out of the heroine’s boyfriend mentioning his cousin to her and her going, “Oh yeah, I guess I’ve heard of him. Isn’t he a foreign king’s bastard?” Oh, honey. That’s your future husband.

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

Hmm I think that’s a natural end for that scene and it’s gotten more than long enough at 3,000 words lol. Time for the pivotal capture scene–I wrote a version of this scene years ago, like in 2014-5? But there’s been so much drift since then, I’m sure it’s going to be very different this time.

Note to self: Never rely on saving website URLs, screenshot everything and save it if it looks interesting. Like half the URLs I saved no longer exist, holy shit.

Got around 336 words in while husband was out with the kid. Was great.

Hmm I think that’s a natural end for that scene and it’s gotten more than long enough at 3,000 words lol. Time for the pivotal capture scene–I wrote a version of this scene years ago, like in 2014-5? But there’s been so much drift since then, I’m sure it’s going to be very different this time.

They’re archivist from varying backgrounds- Amara a child born in the Void whose parents crash landed into the city, Tia her friend (and love interest) a girl raised in the Ports of said city, Udana the child of an ailing temple and Amni, a non-verbal Autistic girl who communicates through signed Sumerian cuneiforms and with the help of a strangely intelligent cat…

lj-writes:

OMG they’re all girls? I love that! And they all sound so varied and interesting! This is a Sumer-based space civilization, then?

@bubblepunk99s I’m loving all these characters. And I know what it’s like, having more complexity and detail than could ever be conveyed with a summary. Pls pls write this story!!

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

Okay enough fun and games. Baby’s sleeping, WRITE!

1,647 words in a day are more than enough, I’m tired and need to stretch. Thanks kiddo for sleeping so well, you’re a huge help.

@heartandstride Thank you for asking! I’ve decided to write at least a little every day to get past a recent block and keep up a rhythm. I’ve written every day for the past four days or so–I really have to start keeping track–even if it was less than a hundred words, and I’m getting to a place where I’m excited to write again. I’m only about 14,000 words into the current draft (this is like my third first draft God help me), but I’m happy with the direction it’s going so far and the characters keep tossing me big and small surprises as always happens in writing. My goal is to finish the current draft by next June and there will be days when I can’t write or can only write a little, so I’m trying to go steady if not fast.

It’s weird having to ease readers into such a different language and ways of thought. The novel is in English for now but I’m trying to replicate as much as possible the feel of how Koreans thought and spoke in the 1st century B.C. Korean does not natively have words for “North” and “South” and so on, for instance (ironic, seeing how these directions have come to geopolitically define us…), but rather used “behind” and “front” with the assumption that the speaker faced south. It’s a different way of conceptualizing directions where you first orient yourself, mentally speaking, instead of having the same direction regardless of where you’re facing.

The whole thing got confusing real fast today when the heroine looked over her shoulder while facing north, so in her head she was looking “forward” while facing “back.” Look, my whole story might be about fighting the Chinese occupation but credit where it’s due, I’m so glad my ancestors stole words for the cardinal directions and a whole lot besides from the Chinese.

lj-writes:

Okay enough fun and games. Baby’s sleeping, WRITE!

1,647 words in a day are more than enough, I’m tired and need to stretch. Thanks kiddo for sleeping so well, you’re a huge help.

@heartandstride Thank you for asking! I’ve decided to write at least a little every day to get past a recent block and keep up a rhythm. I’ve written every day for the past four days or so–I really have to start keeping track–even if it was less than a hundred words, and I’m getting to a place where I’m excited to write again. I’m only about 14,000 words into the current draft (this is like my third first draft God help me), but I’m happy with the direction it’s going so far and the characters keep tossing me big and small surprises as always happens in writing. My goal is to finish the current draft by next June and there will be days when I can’t write or can only write a little, so I’m trying to go steady if not fast.