Despite the music coming from the pocket, I yet live and breathe. I've decided to not post in the middle of the night anymore, though, because those people might show up again and that would be awwwwkwwward.
Well, I'm here to share some encouraging news. First of all, for those of you who don't know, I am currently working on a novel, which is based roughly on the stories about King Arthur. Here are the main characters:
Arthur was raised as a peasant and at sixteen, after pulling the sword from the stone, learns that he is the heir to the throne. He is very humble, a little awkward, often dense, sometimes not too smart, but he has a good heart and strives to do what is right. And he improves in smarts as he gets more used to the political intrigue.
Gwennie is Arthur's childhood friend. She is a peasant also – a merchant's daughter, and very poor. She is smart, guarded, sarcastic, and teasing yet also serious.
This is the lovely Vivian, Arthur's wife. She is moody: she can be dazzling when she wants to be but is mostly pouty/easily upset. She has deep loyalties and is more passionate than she sometimes appears.
And of course there is Merlin:
Merlin is an old friend of Arthur's mother; he also has deep loyalties and his judgements are not quickly reversed.
I've been working on the Arthurian Chronicles since January 2012. Uh, that is, they've been around since then. Arthur has gotten ignored for most of these three years. Summer 2012 (or maybe 2013) I endeavored to finish the book (I finished part one! And started part two…). Since then I've gone back and looked at it once and a while, but never spent very much time on dear Arthur. I've made various resolutions to get him finished – done character questionnaires, looked for pictures, etc. But not until recently have I ever thought of getting away from the bones of my story – of going back to part one and not only rewording sentences simply because the way I wrote then is no longer the way I write now, but of looking at each event and saying "Does this make sense? Does it advance the story? What IS the conflict of this story?"
And so, Arthur is looking a little different these days. Gwennie is no longer the quiet, sweet, kind Christian just-walk-over-me-I-love-you-anyway girl she used to be. Kay is now Arthur's brother. Merlin sticks around for the entire book. Rayfus doesn't die at the end of part one (oh, sorry, spoiler). A lot of stuff that I worked with before and never even considered changing because that was just how it was, is gone.
Is it sad? Not really. I have my other version, which includes places and characters I know will not make it into the new Arthur (mainly, Spain and the Spanish señorita Mahalath); but people and things I thought I might have to cut have found their way back. And this new version is so much better, and so much more streamlined. I have clearly plotted part one, part two, and some of part three. This is a story I can work with, a story I think I can finish.
Oh, and yeah, it went from this:
21500 / 50000 words. 43% done!
To this:
22400 / 90000 words. 25% done!
Which is kind of crazy. And may not happen. But it will definitely be more than 50,000!
Well, I'm here to share some encouraging news. First of all, for those of you who don't know, I am currently working on a novel, which is based roughly on the stories about King Arthur. Here are the main characters:
Arthur was raised as a peasant and at sixteen, after pulling the sword from the stone, learns that he is the heir to the throne. He is very humble, a little awkward, often dense, sometimes not too smart, but he has a good heart and strives to do what is right. And he improves in smarts as he gets more used to the political intrigue.
 |
| Kay |
| Rayfus |
Kay and Rayfus are Arthur's older brothers. Kay is the oldest, and he is good-natured, jovial, and he will not turn a blind eye to injustice. Rayfus is the middle child – although before they knew about Arthur, he was considered the youngest, and therefore, since in Camelot the youngest child is the heir, he was king.
And of course there is Merlin:
I've been working on the Arthurian Chronicles since January 2012. Uh, that is, they've been around since then. Arthur has gotten ignored for most of these three years. Summer 2012 (or maybe 2013) I endeavored to finish the book (I finished part one! And started part two…). Since then I've gone back and looked at it once and a while, but never spent very much time on dear Arthur. I've made various resolutions to get him finished – done character questionnaires, looked for pictures, etc. But not until recently have I ever thought of getting away from the bones of my story – of going back to part one and not only rewording sentences simply because the way I wrote then is no longer the way I write now, but of looking at each event and saying "Does this make sense? Does it advance the story? What IS the conflict of this story?"
And so, Arthur is looking a little different these days. Gwennie is no longer the quiet, sweet, kind Christian just-walk-over-me-I-love-you-anyway girl she used to be. Kay is now Arthur's brother. Merlin sticks around for the entire book. Rayfus doesn't die at the end of part one (oh, sorry, spoiler). A lot of stuff that I worked with before and never even considered changing because that was just how it was, is gone.
Is it sad? Not really. I have my other version, which includes places and characters I know will not make it into the new Arthur (mainly, Spain and the Spanish señorita Mahalath); but people and things I thought I might have to cut have found their way back. And this new version is so much better, and so much more streamlined. I have clearly plotted part one, part two, and some of part three. This is a story I can work with, a story I think I can finish.
Oh, and yeah, it went from this:
21500 / 50000 words. 43% done!
To this:
22400 / 90000 words. 25% done!
Which is kind of crazy. And may not happen. But it will definitely be more than 50,000!
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