Mist and Shadows

After last weeks rather poor effort, yesterday I got a rather solid day of writing in, clocking in at around 3600 words written.  In effect I got more done yesterday than all of last week.

Of that around 2000 words were of the rough synopsis of In Fire – I sat down and wrote it out all in one hit, and I like where it is going.  Another 1000 odd words were of the first part of the rough synopsis for the Steampunk story, though the synopsis isn’t finished yet.  Later on I’ll have to go back and write up the full synopsis, which will probably take up ten to twenty thousand words on previous efforts.

Week Two of 2009 was pretty much a write off. All up, I managed around 3000 words for the week, which is what I am aiming for per day, not the week overall.

Admittedly there were some mitigating circumstances, with a few days out due to visiting my parents for their joint 60th birthday party, but that still left a number of days where I should have got more done.

I am also going slightly crazy – I have far too many story ideas reverberating around in my head wanting to get out, but not enough time to do so. This is the list of the current ones (though it changes fairly regularly).

Serial Story:

Cara’s Choice.  Takes up a couple of hours a week – no plotting, just write what comes to mind.

Short Stories:

The Pit:  Man and Beast are thrust into a fighting pit to battle for the crowds.  Who lives, who dies and can they win their freedom?  First draft complete.  This one is set in the In Fire novel world.

The Bronze Man:  A small Maedari village comes under attack by Chelosian sea raiders. Can they hold out long enough for help to arrive?  First draft around two thirds complete, this is turning more into a novella than a short story

The Straits of Tuafi:  Privateers and smugglers make a daring raid on the strategic islands at the center of the Straits of Tuafi.  In conception/plotting stage.

The Charioteer: Beast stalk the ancient lands and Lahaenar the Charioteer must battle one such beast to save a village from its devastation.  In conception/plotting stage.

The Professor: While investigating an ancient burial site, Hjalir and his escort come under attack by desert raiders.  Taking refuge in the tombs, they find something that may be more dangerous that even the raiders.  First draft one third done.

Cahuac and the Sun:  The Sun has wandered from its course and abandoned the Aracan.  The mighty Cahauc sets out to find the Sun and return it to its appointed way.  First draft complete.

Ray and his Human:  In the depths of space, their ship crippled, the sarcastic android Ray has to keep his ‘master’ alive.  Conception/plotting complete.

The Village:  In the far distant past, simple stone age traders arrive at a wondrous village, where hundreds live and possess vast wealth of copper, clothes of dyed fabrics and other unheard of treasures.  This story was written for something else – I am in the process of rewriting it to fit into my world.  Rewriting old draft.

The Duel:  An old knight and a young knight exchange words and a duel is provoked.  A surprise lies in store as the pair meet to settle differences by a trial of arms.  This is a story I wrote back in high school, though I seem to have misplaced it.  Conception/plotting stage.

Novels:

In addition to those short stories, I have a number of novels floating around in my head, plus more I am deliberately avoiding even thinking of.

Winter Wolves: Synopsis complete – 12K words done of first draft.

In Fire: Plotting/Conception stage.

Out of Time: Plotting/conception stage.

Queen’s Honour: Synopsis mostly complete.

Primal Tales:  Uncertain as to whether this will be a novel or a collection of stories, but revolves around shapeshifters and beastmaster, berserkers and the wild magic of weather and beasts and plants.  Still in the conception stage, but the concept leapt out at me recently and won’t let go.

Steampunk Tale:  In a fantasy world where magic and monsters meet steampunk – guns and clockwork and steam engines and air ships – a young man joins up with gentleman explorer Sir Richard Hammerman and his entourage and embarks on a wild adventure.  Conception stage.

So there you have it.  Some six novels and nine short stories all fighting to be heard.  No wonder I’m going stir crazy….

Hard to believe but we are already one week into the new year.  Just fifty one more to go.

In terms of writing output these weeks has been my most productive to date – around 14,500 words.  Not quite at my stated goal of 20,000, but that it largely due to me not putting in a proper effort at times and get distracted when I shouldn’t have been.

Of that 9K was for a mostly completed synopsis/outline for the as of yet untitled work I started on New Years Day.  The next question is if I continue on with it or, as normal, get distracted by something else.

The rest was scattered amongst various short storied in various stages of writing.  Around 3250 words were on a new short story, called for now The Pit, that is getting close to being finished in the next day or two.  When it is I will be posting it up for people to read.

Second day of the year wasn’t as profitable as the first, as relatives were visiting the state and in the afternoon we were out for a meal, not getting home until just before midnight.  A few hours of writing time were lost there.

Still, managed around 2500 more words in the morning, pushing the total to around 6500 for the first two days of the year, so we are still on overall schedule.

Part of that was the continuing serialised story of Cara’s Choice, a bit more was continued work on The Bronze Man short story, and around 1000 words was on the new, untitled, project (which is over 5000 words into the draft plot now).  The way The Bronze Man is going – over 6000 words already – I fell it is more likely to end up a Novella than a Short Story when it is finished and then subsequently polished

Well, the first day of the new year has been and gone, and amazingly I kept to schedule.  Possibly even ahead of it.

The total for the day was 4006 words completed at the end.  Could have done more as there were a couple of hours where I got sidetracked by TV Tropes – bad me.

But if I keep that up the weekly goals should be achievable.  Of course some days I’ll have more time than others, which is why that wasted time yesterday should have been put to better use.

Oh, and those 4000 words yesterday?  I fell back into bad habits and started another new project.  Well, sort of new.  The story already existed in my head and in brief notes from way back.  For some reason I felt inspired to start writing it.  I really have to stop doing that.

It is a more traditional and less niche story than Winter Wolves though, so may have more appeal.  Winter Wolves won’t be going away though.

What can be said about week five? In terms of writing, not very much at all. I probably managed a total of 1000 words total for the week.

I suppose though, given that it was Christmas, then there is some excuse for that. A week with no writing though has thrown me somewhat. I’m trying to sit down and write again but it just hasn’t clicked yet, and the next couple of days promise to be a little busy as well.

New Years is just around the corner, so hopefully it can provide a fresh start.

Oh yeah, I’m experimenting a little with the theme for the webpage – it may change a little and things may move a bit but hopefully no links get broken.