<–The State of the Writer: 10/17/21         The State of the Writer: 12/12/21–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

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Finished Projects: 0

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Project: Story
Working Title: The High Archon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Original
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 771
Prior Word Count: 771
Word Difference: 0
Status: Drafting
Progress: Chapter 1

I think I’m ready for NaNoWrimo and have figured out the tie stuff and what I want to happen in this first scene.  There’s one more thing I need to clarify *takes quick note* and then I should be good to go for tomorrow.

I set my goal to 10k words, and I’m really glad they give you that option now.  It amounts to around 333 words a day, which is much more doable than the requisite 1667 for 50k.  I remember seeing something about how the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett had a 200 per day word count, and it served him well to lowball because once you get there you feel accomplished.  You might keep going, but not because you feel obligated to churn out words, but because you want to.  I hope this works for me.

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Project: Story Audio Recording
Title: Northern Lights
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction
Length: Novel
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Status: Recording & Editing
Progress: Second session of Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 edit finished

I recorded the last session of Chapter 2 and have actually made some decent progress in editing.  All of the sessions have been combined and I’m around six minutes into the edit.  I’ve already noticed a marked improvement in the quality of it from the first chapter.  I sound much better, which lets me know the way I’m prepping is working.  I am still only a very small way into the edit, but so far so good.

I edit for the best sounding first.  I’m usually aware enough while recording to do two or more readings if needed so I can decide while listening later which one sounds the best.  So far the majority have been the first ones, but later on in the first session, I’m noticing the second or third sound better.  After I have the best sounding, I do another edit for what I call timing.  I figure out the best timing in the reading so it flows well.  Once that’s sorted, I add in the sound effects and finally the music.  Sometimes I’ll put more space between phrases if it fits the music better.  I’m not doing an image for everything like I did with Chapter 1.  I’m going to do what I did with The Broken Rose and have a background video with some specific images thrown in for emphasis.  It will take much less time to get this chapter out.  I don’t want to say it’ll be before the end of this year because I don’t have those prediction abilities, but it will definitely be less time than the first.

Project: Story Audio Recording
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction
Length: Novel
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Status: Editing
Progress: Adding in audio recording notes

I don’t think I’ve gotten much more work done on this one.  I might have finished the notes for one more session, but since I was able to get the second chapter of Northen Lights done, my concentration has been on that.

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In Progress

• Game Reviews: Final Fantasy VI – I’d like to think I’ll do some work on this during November because it’s editing and not writing, but I’m not making any promises.   I’d love to finish this before the end of the year since it’s taken over one to do, but like the above, I can make no promises.
• Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – *sigh* I don’t even know.  I have a lot to say about this because I’ve run the gambit of emotions about the narrative, but I’ve been so low energy that it’s been hard to articulate it.

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This is my last status post until December when I come back from NaNoWriMo.  I’m hoping to break the 10k word milestone.  Once I read/surpass that I feel like it’s a project I’m definitely going to stick with because I’ve put that much time into it.  It sounds like a Sunk Cost Fallacy thing, but I feel like it’s more of the opposite.  Because it’s something that is worthwhile to finish or continue unlike a bad TV show, video game, book, movie, relationship, etc.  Like even if nothing even comes of a story I’ve written, it’s still always worth writing.  You’ll learn somthing, garner new skills, and hone your technique.  It’s like doing algebra problems.  At the very least it’s practice and practice is never wasted.

I wish everyone doing NaNo luck and everyone else I’ll see you on the flip side!

P.S. I’m TheShamefulNarcissis on the NaNoWriMo website, too, if you want to find me.

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<–The State of the Writer: 10/17/21         The State of the Writer: 12/12/21–>