Both a Terrible and Very Fun Week

This week I was taken out by a migraine. Settled in Monday night and hung around until late Wednesday morning. This took me off my 1k a day pace, but not by much. I did get just over 6k added bringing the draft up to 41k.

The writing I did get to do this week was so much fun. I have reached the part of the story that breaks from the last draft so rather than transferring and making minor changes to scenes, I am crafting entirely new ones and building out altered and strengthened plot lines and character arcs.

This has been so fun. I got to write an adorably awkward early scene with Aila and Zuriel as well as a darkly fun scene with the minor baddie where he is gaining actually sinister attributes.

Here’s a little snippet from how Zuriel’s training is going:

“You have already become so much more than I ever thought you would be.” Halvar said, a soft awe to his voice.

Aaron’s smile faded and Pyre nudged his side with his warm snout. He ran his hand on the dragon’s scales and tried to offer assurances that they’d fly soon. Then he turned his attention to Halvar.

“I can’t even handle a real sword. I can’t keep my thoughts from barging in on other people’s minds. I can’t pull fire without blacking out and I can’t form enough stairs to mount the dragon I barely know how to talk to.”

Halvar chuckled. “You’re just going to gloss over the fact that you have three magics and a dragon, then?”

Aaron sighed. “I’ll count them as a plus when I can do anything useful with them.” Halvar stood and offered his hand to help Aaron up. The potion Cyrus had given him had helped, but he’d pushed himself harder than he ever had in his life. And all he’d managed was to leave himself so useless he’d probably need someone to carry him back to his room.

Making good progress

Since last week I have added 12,800 words to the latest draft bringing it over 27k.

Part of that was how much I didn’t want to change. There were several scenes that I transferred with some adjustments and a couple that I copy pasted as is.

This morning I worked through a new portion of the story, where I am making adjustments to some of the character arcs and plot lines and I am feel very good about how it came out, especially since I was stumped when I sat down to write this morning and assumed I wouldn’t hit my 1k goal for the day (I flew past it).

In celebration of another good week, here are a few snippets:

Aaron’s mouth dropped open. “I’m your link? Your rider?”

Agreement.

With that, Pyre stood and pushed an image of Aaron climbing invisible stairs onto the dragon’s back.

Still in shock, Aaron stood dumbstruck a moment until he pushed the image in his mind once more.

“I, I don’t know how to do that.”

The image returned with the added detail of ripples of energy beneath his feet as he jogged up the invisible stairs.

“No, I get that it’s naim magic, I just, I don’t know how to use it like that yet. I haven’t even been here for a day, Pyre. I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Pyre huffed and reached his head toward Aaron, his lips pulling back from his teeth.

“No, no, no, no, no.” Aaron held out his hands and stepped back quickly. “Do not throw me. I’ve never been so close to literally having the crap scared out of me.”

“He needs you, Aila.”

Aila frowned. “Who?”

“Zuriel.” He turned away, looking at nothing as he continued. “You are the last daughter of Abner on Vale, at least as far as well know. You’re a light. He must face down Samael, and I must ensure he survives that, but you,” he met her eye once more. “You give us all hope for what comes after.”

This Rewrite/Revision is going well

Writing is going fantastic. I could not be happier with how the 4th draft is flowing at the moment. This draft now sits over 13k, 37 pages.

I am very happy with adding 8k in a week.

One thing I am noticing as I write this draft is how much more effective I have gotten with my POVs. I realize how to use them now to convey not only setting and plot, but character work. You get a view of Vale through the lens of the character for their POV, which can get a little confusing in the beginning while Aaron is still coming to grips with his new identity, but I think I can make it work.

Aila is getting a lot more POVs this time, so after all these years she is finally getting proper main character treatment.

There are a few early scenes I think benefit greatly from being written from a different character’s view point. A lot of it in the previous draft was from Aaron’s pov and the poor man just doesn’t know what is going on this early in the story so adding in Halvar and Aila I think has made things a lot clearer for the reader.

Two snippets in celebration of a good week:

The familiar sights and smells of the California trail fell away, and the strangely exotic trees and disconcerting sky took their place, settling in his gut like a stone.

“It’s real.”

As he stared into the strangely glowing trees, absently noting the traces of purple in the veins of the leaves, he felt more than saw Ray stand beside him.

“Are you Halvar?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

Aaron nodded and blinked as he noticed the nymph. He looked at her, really seeing her for the first time, understanding that she was an actual person and not something his mind had invented. She was beautiful with kind grey eyes and an oval face framed by light blonde hair, just a shade darker than her flawless, pale skin. She was small, several inches shorter than him, but she stood with a sort of confidence that lay claim to the space around her.

“This is Aila.”

—

Another roar drew all eyes just off to their left as the sound was accompanied by the noise of splintering wood and soon after, crashing trees.

“What’s Pyre?” Aaron whispered.

“A dragon.” Cyrus answered.

“A dragon?” Aaron repeated in shock. “Like, fire-breathing giant lizard?”

“He can do fire, ice, and lightning.” Cyrus answered as if it were a minor point, his eyes still scanning the trees. “Move!” He called and the group started forward as the sounds drew closer.