40k!

First off, let me say that I am proud of my brain’s ability to figure out how to fix a plot hole. I wanted to wrap up several conflicts at once and I didn’t know how because I went into this part with no knowledge of what was going to happen, just a character and a rough idea of the ending. I had a religious arc, a prison arc, and a capital punishment arc, and I didn’t know what to do unless I wanted everything to take another 50K. So I thought about it and I managed to tie all three of the resolutions together using the son of the first “victim” of the war as a figurehead. It looks a little funny right now, but I think it’ll look less contrived and make more sense in later drafts. Which is awesome, because before yesterday I had no idea how to solve any of this. 😀

So, I hit 40K, and the end of part two of five. Which means I’m now onto the really, really interesting (to me) bits. Part three, Rhiannon’s arc, was originally supposed to be the beginning of this novel but I decided it was too weird to jump straight in and I wanted to tell the story of before, too, on Earth. I was thinking this part would be around 20K as well, but I’ve been thinking about all the stuff that has to happen and… probably closer to 40K. Maybe longer. Eurgh. (This novel is not looking like it’s going to be wrapped up in July if I keep my 100K word goal. My life has become a series of numbers and “how much longer can I write”s.) But to come are woman kings and lady knights and fleshed-out characters that I don’t have to think of on the spot! And… religious figureheads that don’t die in the first few minutes, a prophet that’s more of a queen of the people, and ALIENS! (Eventually, aliens. I keep promising myself that. Eventually you can write about the neat aliens that can kill everyone.)

Along with finishing part two, I did my first 10K day of the month! It doesn’t sound like a lot compared to past things I’ve done but considering I haven’t done much writing at all since my November blitz, and my wrists have been hurting this month, I’m pleased. Also, most of the 10K is usable – there are minor things that are going to have to be fixed (mainly names of people and things – this is supposed to take roughly a thousand years in the future so they wouldn’t have the same cursing conventions we do and there likely wouldn’t be a lady named “Carla”) but overall, plot-wise, I really like it. 

I keep finding myself thinking about what “future readers” will think, though, and I need to stop that. It doesn’t matter what religious overtones are going to be able to be found in it if I never write the damn thing. 

I wasn’t kidding about my wrists hurting – I only have one wrist brace that I bought a few years ago and I keep alternating it even over small bursts of writing, like this blog post. I think that’s a sign that this is enough from me. Bye, all.