As
part of my participation in My
500 words, I am posting what I write each day.
This is day 14 of the writing
challenge I’ve chosen to undertake. I’ve been getting up around 6 and writing
at least 500 words each morning, then checking in to say I’ve completed the
day’s goal. Over the past few weeks, I’ve made a few new friends online who
wonder who I am and what I’m up to. I thought I’d take today to explain a bit.
I’ve been creating stories
for as long as I can remember. I made up worlds with toy cars as a little kid
and feel asleep telling myself stories about those worlds. Years later, I tried
my hand at writing some of those stories. Though my later teen years I kept
writing. I had a few science fiction stories and a lot of self-indulgent
poetry.
Being married with a family
didn’t stop me from writing, but I didn’t really get a passion until my life
took a dark turn with tragic loss, personal demons and struggles for redemption.
Those themes tend to prevail in my writing now.
I’ve written first drafts for
three novels and one novella. I cannot shake the desire to write a memoir, but
it grounds out each time I try to get into it. Something somewhere is not ready
yet. Instead I’ve been focusing on the novel that I wrote a first draft of last
November. This story, a space-western has the potential to go somewhere. I’ve
written two drafts and edited a printed hardcopy. My next step is to write a
complete new draft from the edited version, creating more of a fourth draft.
Before I begin the next draft
of Sidewinder, there are a few things I want to do. One is to write
every day this month, at least 500 words. I’ve taken the opportunity to tell
the backstories of some of Sidewinder’s characters. I also have a huge
project coming up, something I look forward to all year.
November is National Novel Writing Month.
It’s time for me to start preparing for that. I have a story in mind with a
complex setting and a few characters. I have a theme in mind that I want the
story to prove. Now it’s just the work of figuring out how the stories plot and
conflict will do that.
I will use this venue, 500 words to do some
of my preparation. I can write backstory to set the scene and create character
biographies. Developed characters are a nonnegotiable for me. Even my science
fiction stories are character-driven.
I won’t actually start the story until
November 1st. The first day of NaNoWriMo is always a thrill, like
runners starting out from the gate. I have a clear beginning in mind and know
what I’ll be writing for the first few days. After that, I’m not sure. I hope I
can do some serious outlining over the next few weeks. My outlines won’t go
here. I tend to handwrite my first outlines, besides, there will be spoilers.
I will, however, tell a little more about
this year’s novel, perhaps tomorrow. Thanks everyone who have supported my
check-ins on Lift.
To the regular readers of my Roadwalker
Blog, I can’t say that ship has sailed, but it certainly ran aground months ago.
I need to be here for now, thanks for understanding.
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