a wayfarer

I think I figured out why content was double-crossposting. Hopefully I didn't delete the wrong recioe on IFTTT...

When I was slightly more active on here for a brief stint before, I tried to make a writing schedule for myself, to allow for focusing on more than one project in quasi-magpie fashion, but it… didn't work.

Nor have I yet picked back up my 100 Days of Sebastian (in truth, I kind of forgot about it amid this original novella I've been working on the last two months, and seeing that post here about reminded me again that I should finish it!), or made any real progress on the Big Stories I had on my accountability list.

(Actually, if you're interested in a bit of introduction to my original writing projects in brief and thoughts on writing in general, I have an "official" author site--the Longhand Writer. Updated slowly but surely, I promise you.)

I have gotten better at pushing myself to write via a Creative Challenge, hosted by thievinghippo on tumblr in September. I'm still trying to figure out what works for the multiple projects I have other than "whatever mood I'm in that day", because that's not consistent and doesn't always work.

Ah, well. I suppose it may always be a work in progress. But, so long as there is progress, that's the most important part, yeah?

So, having trouble already keeping up with this writing schedule... I may have to rethink my distribution of what to do which days. Maybe spread things out more, I'm not sure yet.

But, currently working on editing some poor, poor old chapters of my flagship DAII fic, Bonds of Blood, and it's amazing to me just how incredibly I've progressed with my writing from when I started it--just two and a half years ago!

I'm so much more cognizant and aware of at least some of my writing ticks--not necessarily catching myself while writing (though that does happen), but more recognizing them in the editing process and then writing differently, around the ticks to say the same thing only better (or sometimes rewording/writing the tick changes what happens subtly for the better). That, in of itself, has made my writing more evocative, I feel. I have also become more aware of my sentence structures, being even more precise and intentional with word choices and context and clarity. I've really started to push my descriptions beyond what they were to be more visceral, more suited, just… more.

And also realized holy shit am I heavy handed with foreshadowing--I can write pretty damn awesome ominous statements, yes, but wow definitely don't need that many. And certainly not so soon, gracious.

I am slowly learning and coming to terms with the fact that I can draw things out, I can linger and take my time and dwell a little longer. Pacing has always been difficult for me, in my mind, and it's a comtinuous learning process to get better and better at it. And not be afraid of it.

… Nope, didn't get anything done today. I was, in fact, awful at getting anything done today other than watching a show and playing Dishonored.

Tomorrow's a new day, though. Let's see if I can be productive tomorrow.

Tossed some ideas for the FS around with Felspar yesterday, since that was the designation for the day. It was maybe a page's worth of ideas, but I also decided on something about the main protaganist that I had been at a loss about before, so I consider it a step forward.

Also wrote about a page and a half of notes for Embrosi over sushi by myself last night, some more world-building stuff and two very general idea arcs for the second and third books. Stuff I had already had in my head, mostly, but written down so I can not forget it later.

Not a bad start, though I need to start writing more stuff down with the other FS notes, too.

I am a little odd amongst the fandom circles I run in right now, in that I am looking forward to, but am not overwhelmingly exciting by any stretch of the imagination by DA: Inquisition. It may be partly because I have no idea when I will actually get to play it, and there is no reason to get worked up over a questionmark of a timeline, and it also may be because I haven't actually sat down to play a game in… quite some time. I haven't even played more of my new Warden, Iain, since I started, and I am looking forward to his playthrough.

Now. All that said. I was saying as much of this to felspar last night, and now I suddenly find myself with ideas for two different Inquisitors.

/sigh

Ahh. Now the wagon's rolling.

I've seen more than a couple blogs just tonight with the word iron in their names. Not only do I wish I would have thought of a clever handle with that word in it, but it's made me realize that it's one of my favorite words.

The way it's spelled, the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way it feels when I say it. I can almost taste the sharp metallic of it when I say the word iron.

I like the images it brings to my mind--a forge, pieces with a dark pewter sheen to them, weapons, tools, the cold. Somehow comforting, in its own way. I feel that way about words like whiskey and wool and wood, as well.

It pulls at something in my blood, just a little tug beneath the surface, drawn along arteries as it pulls outward, as if wanting to lead me somewhere, running back through veins as my heart gathers it all back to itself, safe and untouched by the air.

Perhaps there is a higher content inside, after all.

I think I finally got my colors and theme tweaked to what I like. Let me know if anything is difficult to read still and I will try and futz with it to make it better.

Also welcome welcome!