Threshold of Transformation (Day 80)

I'm going to be away for the weekend, so there's at least a slight chance I won't have time to write entries for tomorrow and the next day. I'm going to do my best, but I'll try not to beat myself up if I can't get to it. The only reason I've been so consistent up until now is because I very rarely get out of the house!

I am reasonably pleased with how my story is progressing. Only a few months ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd have it in me to write 22 pages of content, much less crank out updates on almost a daily basis. I'm proud of what I've achieved with this blog--not only because of the fiction I've written but because I've kept up the routine for this long. I have historically had huge issues with sticking with routines. But I've always known that I've enjoyed writing and it fulfills me in a way that was missing in my life--and my laziness and apathy were preventing me from following through.

At the same time, I know my writing is far from perfect. Once I've compiled a massive, unorganized first draft, I'm going to go through the whole document with a fine-tooth comb and not only weed out the imperfections but likely entirely rewrite entire sections. Some passages lack flow, have grammar errors, or have typos. I'm sure even with as little as I have written there are some continuity errors. Most writers would tell you to craft an outline before you begin writing, but that's just not my style. I think what I'll do instead is read through my first draft and draw an outline from that. This will help me to smooth out the flow of the story.

As of right now I am essentially making things up as I go along. It's more exciting for me that way, but it can also be pretty difficult. The pace might seem like it meanders sometimes, which is okay--depending on the situation. My character is wandering aimlessly through the woods of Lakara. It makes sense that the pace might meander a little bit. I want to impart that feeling to the reader, but I don't want to be overbearing. I can already tell you there are a few things from early on in the draft that I want to expand on or completely change.

For instance, I wanted Terakiel to spend more time in the rain. In my head, he traveled in darkness and heavy rain for what seemed like an eternity--and that's how it felt while I was writing. After rereading it, however, it seems like it passes by pretty quickly. I don't want to insert filler into that section by any means, but I'll need to find a way to make it feel like a lot more time passed. I could even throw in some more events in that section that could flesh out his personality in some way or just add to the adventure.