The Dark Knight Rises: Weapon of the Shadows
May 30, 2013 – August 25, 2013
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METRICS
New Words: #
Total words for first draft: 20,233
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Nothing, I had to work on Strix and the One Rule before I can write the next scene for this story. But I needed to get this metrics post of what I've been doing all summer.
Fave line: "If I knew then what I know now, I would have dragged you out of the tunnels by your cape."
What Else I Accomplished Today: For some bloody reason, my brain is not happy with just one project. I have tried for past few years to retrain it to work on one thing at a time, that doesn't work, and I end up feeling guilty over what I haven't gotten done. So reading Pretentious Title: Don't Stomp on My Cake by Rachel Aaron, and I'm drawing a line in the sand not to beat myself up over fanfiction. This year has had fairly shitty moments when my cake has not only been stomped on, but the mixing bowl has been yanked out of my hands before I could lick the spoon. My grandmother died and we spent a week waiting for the collective assholes I call the Extendeds to well show their nature while planning a funeral. The financial goal I had been working towards blew up in my face and I had to regroup. So I turn to fanfiction just for a little while until it blows over, and next thing I know, it's a month later.
Stress builds up in the body and does nasty things to your brain. The last thing I need to do is add to it. Not when my yearly word totals are so good, and I'm proud of where I stand composing.
Now I just need to finish one of these projects so I can exchange it for an editing job I've been avoiding.
What I'm looking forward to: Cassandra's birth father reappears in their lives.
What I'm not looking forward to: Monday
Part of the Night: The One Rule
July 21, 2013 – August 25, 2013
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METRICS
New Words: #
Prologue total: 708
Fave line: What gratitude? My hand still hurts from him knocking the gun out of it."
Chapter One total: 2303
Fave line: "I'm not sore about the Aventador. Really I'm not," he repeated to her disbelieving look. "But it was paid for."
Chapter Two total: 3364
Fave line: "I thought I recognized you," the cabbie said. "Didn't you sleep with the whole Russian ballet?"
Chapter Three total: 3698
Fave line: "It was part of a long con. Who knew art students actually had to go to classes?"
Chapter Four total: 2619
Fave line: "Don't make me knock you on your ass again. If I make one exception for you, word will get out, and the only job offers I'll get will be for rolls in the sheets instead of cash."
Chapter Five total: 2725
Fave line: "Those guys really need to pay him a house call," Selina muttered.
Total words for first draft: 15417
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Halfway through the longhand draft of Chapter Twelve.
What Else I Accomplished Today: For some bloody reason, my brain is not happy with just one project. I have tried for past few years to retrain it to work on one thing at a time, that doesn't work, and I end up feeling guilty over what I haven't gotten done. So reading Pretentious Title: Don't Stomp on My Cake by Rachel Aaron, and I'm drawing a line in the sand not to beat myself up over fanfiction. This year has had fairly shitty moments when my cake has not only been stomped on, but the mixing bowl has been yanked out of my hands before I could lick the spoon. My grandmother died and we spent a week waiting for the collective assholes I call the Extendeds to well show their nature while planning a funeral. The financial goal I had been working towards blew up in my face and I had to regroup. So I turn to fanfiction just for a little while until it blows over, and next thing I know, it's a month later.
Stress builds up in the body and does nasty things to your brain. The last thing I need to do is add to it. Not when my yearly word totals are so good, and I'm proud of where I stand composing.
Now I just need to finish one of these projects so I can exchange it for an editing job I've been avoiding.
What I'm looking forward to: The third scene of Chapter Twelve in which I bring back a character from the Dark Knight.
What I'm not looking forward to: Monday.
Progress Bar from Writertopia
METRICS
New Words: 1167
Chapter One total: 2111
Chapter Two total: 879
Chapter Three total: 1647
Chapter Four total: 773
Chapter Five total: 1317
Chapter Six total: 1719
Chapter Seven total: 1436
Chapter Eight total: 1178
Chapter Nine total: 969
Chapter Ten total: 1313
Chapter Eleven total: 1364
Total words for the first draft: 14,706
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Finished Chapter Eleven.
Back on August 12th, I decided on a new tactic, go back to writing longhand drafts. I'm probably just trading off staring at a computer screen for staring at blank loose-leaf paper, but I feel like I'm accomplishing more.
The sudden up-count of chapters but no big jump in word count: I never liked how I was breaking the chapters previously and then I read Mystery Writing is Murder: Chapter Length by Elizabeth S. Craig. Since chapter two, I've been adding a new character's POV scene until I reached the cap of three. If I follow Elizabeth Craig's advice and make each scene a chapter, that gives the book ninety-one chapters. That freaks me out too, but less than the gnawing worry that I'm short-changing description. One of my editing passes will be evening out the word counts of each chapter.
Fave line: "Man, why did you have to do that? Do you know how much paperwork we have to do now?"
What Else I Accomplished Today: Changes to make the metrics more positive! After taking a break from doing them so long, I realized coming back that the prior format focused on my finding problems and feeling guilty over having problems. I'm tired of giving myself guilt trips, so now the topics have changed.
What I'm looking forward to: Tweaked the beat sheet because I see two scenes that will work better as one continuous chapter. The ones from Alexander's POV may work better as one chapter too, but I'm not back-tracking yet. Two chapters to go before the first plot point.
What I'm not looking forward to: Monday.
Progress Bar from Writertopia
METRICS
New Words: 261
Chapter One total: 2111
Chapter Two total: 2525
Chapter Three total: 3807
Chapter Four total: 3581
Chapter Five total: 1496
Total words for the first draft: 13,520
What I hate about my writing: Regaining momentum. I didn't mean to drop the story for three days. :p
The Good: While I'm aiming for 350 words a day, I'll take what I get.
The Bad: Have to get back on track after missing three days of writing. I didn't even pull out the manuscript, but I did have a pleasant trip with the family.
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Strix and Ferris have come to an understanding, and Erikson and David finally have something to do.
Fave line: "Vandals? I'm hope for someone trying to cook meth in the school lab."
What I'm looking forward to: And now the characters get to meet each other. I'm estimating two more chapters before the first plot point and the start of part two.
What I'm not looking forward to: Curing sunburn again.
Progress Bar from Writertopia
METRICS
New Words: 371
Chapter One total: 2111
Chapter Two total: 2525
Chapter Three total: 3807
Chapter Four total: 3581
Chapter Five total: 1235
Total words for the first draft: 13,259
What I hate about my writing: When a scene I thought she could come together easily is like pulling teeth to get onto paper instead.
The Good: I finally got through the scene.
The Bad: I had to finish it at home.
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Strix and Ferris have come to an understanding.
Fave line: "How is it someone so good at leaving destruction in his wake has avoided a reputation?"
What I'm looking forward to: And now the characters get to meet each other. I'm estimating two more chapters before the first plot point and the start of part two.
What I'm not looking forward to: All the housework and packing left to do before the weekend trip.
Progress Bar from Writertopia
METRICS
New Words: 368
Chapter One total: 2111
Chapter Two total: 2525
Chapter Three total: 3807
Chapter Four total: 3581
Chapter Five total: 864
Total words for the first draft: 12,888
What I hate about my writing: Second guessing every word I pick.
The Good: I finally remembered to break apart my chapter files last night.
The Bad: The Inner Editor is hitting everything I write.
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Ferris meets Strix in Peg's old bedroom.
Fave line: "It's not what it looks like!"
What I'm looking forward to: And now the characters get to meet each other. I'm estimating two more chapters before the first plot point and the start of part two.
What I'm not looking forward to: All the housework and packing left to do before the weekend trip.
Progress Bar from Writertopia
METRICS
New Words: 315
Chapter One total: 2111
Chapter Two total: 2525
Chapter Three total: 3807
Chapter Four total: 3581
Chapter Five total: 496
Total words for the first draft: 12,520
What I hate about my writing: Forgetting to research.
The Good: So far the new tweaks to my time management are holding up.
The Bad: I'm not checking in with my checklist like I need to, and I did throw a mini-tantrum at myself for the things on my To-Do list that must be done. Yeah, I'm still not sure where that really came from.
What I Accomplished in the Narrative Today: Discovered I have no idea how to break into a modern house so how can I expect Ferris to know? Oh, I have answer, Raven taught him during their adventures in Richmond. Now that means I need her previous identity name which I had put off thinking about because I probably wouldn't need it. :p
Fave line: "Tempting fate."
What I'm looking forward to: And now the characters get to meet each other. I'm estimating two more chapters before the first plot point and the start of part two.
What I'm not looking forward to: I have to get on Facebook to find a link to my nephew being cute on TV. *RETCH!* Dealing with mechanics. And my social calendar has already been declared for the rest of June's weekends vs. trip to the beach and Man of Steel eventually.
