Hello, everyone! I hope this first week of June is treating you well. It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through 2021.
This past week has been really exciting with regard to writing. I didn’t get many words written, but I did figure out quite a few things with regard to the current book, the last arc of the series, and the series overall.
I have known for a while what the general arc of the series will be, and I’ve known (more or less) the events that would start and end each book. However, even though I knew the end result for the end of the series, one of the big things I was trying to figure out is how that end result would be achieved. That said, after much deliberation, and the use of a really good sounding board, I have been able to sort out several elements of this series.
Firstly, I now know how to wrap up the series and tie in a rather large element of the worldbuilding (noting that I originally only had a vague idea that things might be able wrap up like that… mostly I thought it would be a spiffy touch if I could get it to work, and it is pretty spiffy). It should be noted that there is still a good bit of plotting I need to do for the final arc, and I will have to figure out the specifics of how things will get to that spiffy conclusion, but at least I know the direction I need to head. That definitely bodes well for being able to get the last arc plotted before the July session of Camp NaNoWriMo starts in a few weeks.
Secondly, I have known one of the current antagonists for a while since he shows up earlier in the series, but I was having trouble figuring out who the other antagonist will be. Essentially, the two antagonists are working against both each other and the protagonist, and one of the antagonists wasn’t really giving me a clear picture of who they are. For the previous books, that wasn’t really much of an issue. However, as I draw closer to the end of the current arc, I needed to figure out a few things. As things currently stand (thanks to my handy, dandy sounding board), I now know who the other antagonist is, even if they don’t have a name or anything yet. The picture is slowly revealing itself, and I am ecstatic.
Lastly, I know I have mentioned in previous posts that I am currently working on drafting the current series before I start publishing them. This week has really provided additional proof that doing so should make things really consistent with the story/series, and it should definitely make things spiffy. For instance, the second antagonist I just learned more about while writing Book 9 will actually be introduced earlier in the series. I knew the antagonist was there, I just didn’t have enough information to know what form they would take until I got this far into the series. One of the other benefits to drafting it all is that I will be able to drop hints about the other things I have figured out recently. I know it isn’t something everyone can do with regard to their own writing, but I do think it is something that will make this series more cohesive than it would have been otherwise, and I think that quality will be noticeable to anyone reading it.
In addition to the writing breakthroughs I have had this week, I have also been reading a book by Anne Lamott called Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. It is one that I started a while back and have periodically read a chapter here or there since then. (Technically, I read one of the chapters as an excerpt in grad school, which probably played a large part in be getting this book some time later). This week, I read a few chapters. I like her writing style. It’s rather conversational, and it seems like a good tone to use when dispensing advice. The advice seems to be helping, too, particularly since I am currently trying to find the best rhythm as far as writing and everything else I’ve got going on.
As for my creative endeavors, I am currently between projects at the moment. For my post on my latest embroidery project, please see: Embroidery: Dual Hearts (Part 2). I’ve got a few solid candidates for my next project, but I figure I will see what calls to me most over the next week.
I have also been looking into publishing company creation, and it seems there are a few things I will need to sort out, including things like how and where to register the company. I do know I want to find a lawyer who can help me set things up properly and answer the assorted questions for which the internet cannot provide answers. Still, I am making progress on that front, so I can’t complain too much.
I think that is everything I have for this update. Overall, I am pleased with how this week went. As always, thanks for reading!
~ Theresa
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