still just writing

Sometimes life throws you things you weren’t expecting, things you’d much like to leave by the wayside and never return for. And sometimes the only thing left to do is hold on and let the storm ride itself out. I’m not quite ready to talk about it, not till it’s really happening, so allow me to ramble about my writing while I hide from my feelings for a moment. 

~

Drafting is such a slow process this time around. I’m working on a second book now, just in case you missed it. And this time around it’s a much slower go. I’m working from an outline this time, which is entirely different from my first novel. My first novel I started writing the first draft completely from scratch and figured the whole thing out while I was writing it. This time not so much.

I’d say I’ve improved since I wrote said outline, I finished writing the outline over a year ago now, February of 2023 I believe. And since then I’ve written and edited an entire other book. So you could say I’ve had some practice. Which means my outline now feels a little more than ridiculous. Honestly I have whole chapters outlined in 200 word paragraphs, that I only really need about the first three the lines of to write said chapter. It is a very over written outline, but at least I know what I was trying to say for once. 

Seven chapters written, far far too many more to go. But it is fun, and it is almost gratifying to see how much my skill as a story teller has improved in just the last year.  

The set up for a fantasy novel is a little crazy. World building is so fun, it’s honestly one of my favourite parts. I kinda have to try to not get carried away and actually you know like tell a story amidst a cool world. But yes world building is something I find so incredibly fun. Creating the little intricate details, like new and creepy monsters, strange plant life, and stuff like why acricteqture is named the way it is, family names and stuff. Really all the little details that make up a world but on their own seem insignificant, those are my favourite. 

Another fun and interesting part I’ve found is my subconscious mind being far more clever than my conscious one. Every once in a while I’ll write a line and in reading it back I’ll see how it works with foreshadowing and such, how I wrote it just to say one thing but ends ups saying three. Like it’s so much fun to see it come together even when I’m not looking so-to-speak. 

So even while I bemoan the fact that it’s taking so long to get through I am enjoying the ride immensely. The first draft still remains one of my favourites, if not my favourite stage of the writing process. The permission and space for creativity is unmatched, and what a joy to me that is.