Today went reasonably well, with 538 more words bagged & tagged. Chapter 5 is looking a whole lot more fleshed out now.
The Pump Room formed the very heart of Bath society, where everyone assembled each afternoon to parade the latest fashions, compare the symptoms of their ailments, bemoan the taste of the waters, peruse the subscription book for the newest arrivals on the London coach, and, most importantly, exchange that universal currency of all watering places: gossip.
A little better. Now up to 2018 words, but I have some catch-up to do if I'm to do 20,000 by the end of the month. Have to stop cleaning the fridge and get down to some real work ;)
Leon kept his face neutral. What was going on? Gil had delicately taken this Kay by the hand, and was leading her out of the palace. What was Gil doing? Was it wise to walk off alone? “I heard tell that you triumphed in a fell battle, a few short months ago?” Leon looked at her in surprise. What was she talking about? “Come, walk with me,” Ree whispered. “And tell me how you vanquished the low-born cur called Adosco.”
***
When Kay invited him to accompany her, Gil stood in confusion. He tried to catch Leon’s eye, but he had turned to listen to Ree. “Take my arm, you fool.” Whispered Kay. So Gil lifted his right hand, and gently touched it to the back of her left elbow. “Now walk out of the entrance. We need to talk.”
I'm off to Whitby on holiday in a mo, so like yesterday (mad running around packing day) I doubt much will get done today. However the laptop is coming with us if only as a dumping zone for excess digital photos, so maybe I'll be inspired at some point during the week...
Well, day three ended at 1008 with the completion of scene one (of seven) on my plan. So day four was the start of scene two, which is the one I had least prepared. Which means that achieving 1299 words by end of play was quite pleasing. Even if none of them are particularly quote-worthy.
The shiftsig woke Cortz from uneasy sleep. With a groan he opened his eyes to dim early-morning light. Good, he'd heard the first bleat and would be dressed before Inaera brought his breakfast. He needed to be ready to receive the nightshift reports personally, not rely on Farll to log them.
Oh, well done for completing a scene and smashing the thousand words barrier! Are you planning on posting the completed scenes anywhere? I'd be intrigued to read.
I wasn't particularly planning to. Once the chapter is finished it'll be going to CWIL for critique, since many of those good folk have already seen the previous three chapters. Though they've probably all forgotten them, since I've been averaging less than one a year.
Ah, I tend to forget that some people live close enough to others to actually meet up once in a while! Empathies with the less-than-one-a-year chapter average; I think I might be running <0.5 pa with my own languishing novel!
It sounds like you've actually made considerable progress! Your decision seems a wise one -- I know how easy it is to get embroiled in detailed research that doesn't end up forwarding the story -- and the idea sounds intriguing. Looking forward to reading!
I really don't want to write a primarily historical novel
Me neither. I don't think I could write an historical novel. The Procrastination Monster is hard enough for me to battle when just working out the plot ... if I had the excuse of working out every tiny detail in my world, I'd never get beyond the first sentence. ;)
Posting here instead of Day 5 because this is what I was going to post yesterday:
1123 words. A huge amount of editing to do, but I have figured out how to deal with a major "Show, don't tell" problem.
Ivan startled a bit, blushed, and was staring at his feet when he said, "Lady Donna... You, you... that dress."
Donna chuckled at him. "Don't tell me there's something here you haven't seen before. From what I've heard, you've discovered the greatest advantage of not getting that vaunted ship-duty -- there are women around."
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2006-11-05 12:53 am (UTC)The Pump Room formed the very heart of Bath society, where everyone assembled each afternoon to parade the latest fashions, compare the symptoms of their ailments, bemoan the taste of the waters, peruse the subscription book for the newest arrivals on the London coach, and, most importantly, exchange that universal currency of all watering places: gossip.
no subject
on 2006-11-05 01:08 am (UTC)Leon kept his face neutral. What was going on? Gil had delicately taken this Kay by the hand, and was leading her out of the palace. What was Gil doing? Was it wise to walk off alone?
“I heard tell that you triumphed in a fell battle, a few short months ago?”
Leon looked at her in surprise. What was she talking about?
“Come, walk with me,” Ree whispered. “And tell me how you vanquished the low-born cur called Adosco.”
***
When Kay invited him to accompany her, Gil stood in confusion. He tried to catch Leon’s eye, but he had turned to listen to Ree.
“Take my arm, you fool.” Whispered Kay. So Gil lifted his right hand, and gently touched it to the back of her left elbow. “Now walk out of the entrance. We need to talk.”
no subject
on 2006-11-05 09:12 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 01:01 pm (UTC)The shiftsig woke Cortz from uneasy sleep. With a groan he opened his eyes to dim early-morning light. Good, he'd heard the first bleat and would be dressed before Inaera brought his breakfast. He needed to be ready to receive the nightshift reports personally, not rely on Farll to log them.
no subject
on 2006-11-05 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-08 07:49 am (UTC)Me neither. I don't think I could write an historical novel. The Procrastination Monster is hard enough for me to battle when just working out the plot ... if I had the excuse of working out every tiny detail in my world, I'd never get beyond the first sentence. ;)
no subject
on 2006-11-05 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-05 07:52 pm (UTC)Total so far: 599
no subject
on 2006-11-05 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-11-06 12:29 am (UTC)1123 words. A huge amount of editing to do, but I have figured out how to deal with a major "Show, don't tell" problem.
Ivan startled a bit, blushed, and was staring at his feet when he said, "Lady Donna... You, you... that dress."
Donna chuckled at him. "Don't tell me there's something here you haven't seen before. From what I've heard, you've discovered the greatest advantage of not getting that vaunted ship-duty -- there are women around."