I have serious doubts about scene 15, Interlude—To Breathe What Breaks.
Not doubts about the content itself, which shows who Nate is, and who Blade is. This is something the reader needs to know.
But doubts about how the scene will go over. This is dark stuff.
Kind of holding my breath.
Got 884 words tonight. And that’s going to be it for a while. Life threw a major monkeywrench into our lives, and for the next month to two months, it’s going to be all I can do just to get daily words on the HTRYN course.
I’ll come in and wish my fellow writers good words (and give you posts to do your own counts on). But I’m not sure how I’m going to get words on TalysMana along with everything else that’s now landing on me.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I got three more character profiles done yesterday, a chunk of world-building (two moons, I think), and four more scenes assessed. The revision has kept revealing more layers for me to work on and get right, but I think by the end of next week I should be able to start typing in and cutting out.
Hope everything’s okay, Holly.
Breathe is brilliant.
It may be dark and somewhat disturbing (no fluffy bunny here), but that’s important to show how twisted and disturbed those men are. It gives a very powerfull emotional reaction about them for the reader, and that’s what writing (and reading) is all about. Very well done.
I hope the monkeywrench is only on your time and not something more serious for you or your loved ones.
Be well.
585 words.
And lot’s of happiness, not for my MC though, who I’m running ragged lol.
As for To Breathe What Breaks. . .
Wow. . . .Just Wow.
There’s nothing I like more than a REALLY EVIL villain.
Darken Rahl from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth books had always been my favorite, just for his depth of wrongness, and the level of his self delusion. He really thought he was good, really.
But I think Blade just beat him out, by sheer coldness.
That’s a guy whose bad side I wouldn’t want to be on. Unfortunately, I don’t think he has a good side. . .
And here I am gushing about your awesomely evil bad guy, and I haven’t even read your post yet.
I hope everything is alright, Holly, and that you’re monkeywrench isn’t too serious!
Oh my god. The raw emotion in Breathe…it’s just incredible.
So chilling, especially the last paragraph. It feels like my hair is standing up.
Deb1789: I agree about Darken Rahl, he’s just awesomely evil. But Blade? Yeah, his coldness triumphs.
I feel like I should search my home and make sure no evil people are hiding in the closets!
I also hope the monkeywrench is only with your time and something more serious.
I’m glad I’ll forever have that scene on my email. If I ever need to find a chilling mood, that will do perfectly.
Wow, that scene gave me shivers. Dark, very dark, but not outside of what I’d consider acceptable in fiction. I read horror as well as fantasy, though, so I may have a bit of a skewed perspective.
Everything’s fine. The monkeywrench is a massive amount of extra, must-be-done-now-no-excuses work. Like I needed that.
Wow! Holly, that scene was fantastic! Yes, dark. And frightening. But very powerful. Don’t change a word! Your mind is so twisty, I am once again amazed and impressed and inspired.
Whew! Combination of sympathy and relief. Wish you only the best.
950 words today for a total of 77k. Maybe about half-way there.
Glad your monkeywrench isn’t too serious ^.^ and as for “To Breathe What Breaks” … Well i’m speechless, and undescribably jealous that you have a character that evil …
(I have trouble writing really evil characters Lol)
Nothing wrong with a bit of dark writing, so no worries lol
Figured out two ideas for the PSA. Still behind on TalysMana. I just got #13, “What kind of day has it been?” My cringing wasn’t in vain–Holy smokes, Writer Woman! Kettan’s got at job to do all right. Also pondering whether or not it’s irony that we were chatting about what makes bad guys bad guys, and you’re sending a chapter that looks like it will be the definition of “some men just want to watch the world burn” (Alfred from Dark Knight).
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(Good vibes to Holly for your sudden deluge being better than expected.)
Wow, that was really dark. I loved the wall. Blade is obviously on a whole different level from Nate. It’ll be interesting to see how Nate turns out…serves him right, the little psycho.
About 500 words for my story. I am glad for the progress.
Absolutely no process on writing y-day, it’s technically Friday here, but blog!!! But I have a domain name, WordPress installed and a theme. Not ready to be viewed yet though. Because I just finished doing that and it’s 3:50 am so I’m going to bed, but if anyone’s interested here, I’ll add it to the “website” part of the Leave a Comment, and well… probably comment too. ^^
Btw Holly, I’m glad it’s just loads of work and nothing serious in a family sense or so. Plus I can’t stop complimenting you on Breathe. So totally awesome, it’s dark, but just enough.
I agree with Gabby! It serves Nate right, being friend with a psycho is never smart, but then…Nate is a psycho too, guess we can’t blame him for stupid choices?… Of course we can!
Four more scenes assessed, three to go. Characters should be finished with next week. World coming along nicely, if a little slower than I’d hoped, but I’m hoping the work will stand me in good stead, as KavI has sequel potential.
1078 Words.
Something goes wrong for my MC, and she thinks a demon caused it, but in fact it was her boyfriend. I think she’s going to learn that fact too, it will help her jump to the wrong conclusion when the time is right. . .
Still mulling over the ending but I got about a page handwritten and another 2 typed. I don’t know but something’s just not sitting right. I’m not trying to be perfect, far from it, but I do want an ending that works and at least completes the story. (Which was what again? *sigh*)
The good news is that at least everything I’ve written is progress that sticks – I can tweak in the edit but I won’t have to toss/bury/burn the whole thing. That gives me hope.
I’ve switched a few more scenes around again and changed another of Cait’s decisions to make her more pro-active.
And I still plan on trying to get this wrapped over the weekend. (Ha!) I’ll report back on Monday… until then, we’ll see.
Jessica,
That would be awesome. I’m rooting for you. Good luck
No word count, just trying to stay connected. Switching to a story that is more solid, and has a better sentence already. Beti.
I have to say I really liked this one. Blade is much more frightening than Nate is, which is cool. Sort of like the difference between really good psychological horror stories and gory horror movies. Anyway, have enjoyed the story so far. ^_^
No word count for this week or last week. Getting to that point where I need to figure out where all the little story threads are going before they get away from me.
The scene by scene analysis got finished yesterday. Some new ideas for scenes came out of it, which I need to consider while I work on the characters that might bring said scenes to life with their own sub-conflicts. The world-building is coming along, but it seems the more I do, the more I think of to do! I’m confident the redrafting will be much better for it, though.
Took last night off so no words.
123 words on ET today.
636 words on blog post and page. Will edit those words today, and write some more blogging related things.
I hope it’s going well for everyone else.
Lots of blog writing, from editing to new creating.
The more I write, the more I notice that I have a tendency to write lean. I always have to flesh it out, to make it more understandable and enjoyable. But I guess it’s easier to add words, than killing darlings?
At least it’s easier to add more words when you have the skeleton and just have to give it muscles and skin.
I’m doing that too.
For me, it’s all about the plot right now. (I figure I can add the description and characterization later, once I really know the story.) *Crosses fingers*
Good luck with the blog too! I’m glad you decided to include it here.
Thank you, Gabby. Having only been thinking about it for about a week now, I’m not writing on it any today, fixed a little with the design, and may be sucked into that again.
Just feel so fuzzy today, so no writing so far. :/
1500 words today (brainstorming and plotting). i have about 35 scenes left (about 19 are now plotted out, and some of them will probably expand to additional scenes as I write them). trying to think up several more events to fit in there and fill out the story.
254 words, actual story. I was determined not to just plot today.
Well, this kind of changes things, doesn’t it?
Is it wrong of me? Part of me wants Nate to die quickly, if he has to. Another, more savage part of me is rooting for revenge. But I think the greater part of me, the human part, hopes for redemption.
Nah… we’ll just let him burn.
1326 words on a brand new WIP. Gotta love the honeymoon phase. Scene cards in hand, I feel I’m on solid ground – unusual for me at this stage. This will be the first brand new WIP since I finished HTTS. Let’s hope what I learned “sticks”!
1117 words. Finished up previous scene and wrote the next one. As I hoped that previous scene has so far spawned two bonus scenes. Yay. I’ll work on the 2nd bonus scene tomorrow. Muse is a little fried now.
Spent the weekend applying for paid work. Such is life.
Current writing limited to transcribing interview for paper. Cool interview, and 537 words on transcription part one, but not fiction. Recorded the interview with liquid story binder trial version and had a heck of a time working the bugs out–and my mic input is _still_ messed up–but I’m pretty thrilled with the final result. Lucky me my interviewee understood the value of recording sound versus me scrbbling notes.
Just got “Searching for Morning.” Will rocks. And Poor Kettan, I want to hug her, but I won’t cuz she needs to go work.
Speaking of which me too. Yes its almost 5 am and I have to go hand out newspapers now. Ill check in again when I have something of consequence to add : ,)
: D
So close to the end now I can taste it! The only reason I stopped was to watch the final moments of the greatest game ever! (Yeah, I’m Canadian and I’m totally loving the atmosphere in my country right now!) Woot to us for the most golds in Winter Olympics EVER! (And congrats to all the other winners and participants out there for making it so fun!)
Okay cheering outburst over *blush*
I did manage to get 22 handwritten pages (~5K?) over the whole weekend. Changed the final climax from Cait being martyred on a stand to an awesome ‘let’s kick some butt’ twist into a trap and all hell breaks loose with dancing, poison, swords and magic. I broke off just at the edge of climax with Cait caught on the balcony with no foreseeable escape. It’s literally seconds from Cait coming into her own and winning the day – or in hockey-talk, about to go into overtime and score the Crosby goal.
Not yet at ‘the end’ but certainly some pre-emptive fireworks going off. hehe.
woah. apparently my MC is depressed and ready to bail on the whole quest [!!]. I am thinking that might be “craptastic monday at the evil day job” talking and not so much the actual scene/character. cause boy, I’d love to quit right now. …although I kind of like the partial scene it inspired. only 256 words. but need to pull her out of it before it gets too maudlin. (now what was the original plan for this scene? need to get back to that somehow)