Current Work in Progress
I had an idea four years ago. It gave me my first real desire to complete a novel length piece of writing. So, I pounded out sometimes around 5000 words a day, trying to bring my idea to life, until it was finished. Then I looked at it and realised it was nothing like I’d hoped for.
Since then, the ideas have flowed in fast and steady and I have many different stories in progress, most in the realm of speculative/anti-realism genres. I have also committed to spending significant amounts of time improving the quality of my writing. But that’s a topic for another day.
After exploring writing in a more diverse way, I returned to the idea that had driven me to finish a novel length draft. The idea that had changed everything for me. It had awoken a desire that had been sleeping inside me for who knows how long. I spent hours fleshing out this one idea; the world, the characters, and the story. I wrote and re-wrote parts over and over, even writing novellas to flesh out back story.
And so, it is with great pride I announce I am about 80% through my 6th revision of my first draft, and I’m getting excited. The end is in sight. I know it is only the end of the beginning, and that what comes next is loads more work. Further revisions and polishing the story until it shines – but I’m okay with that. I’ve discovered it is something I love to do, even with limited time to do it in.
The story is a young-adult post-apocalyptic urban-fantasy that could be set in any city in the world. It follows a young protagonist orphaned by the apocalyptic event as she attempts to survive in a world changing rapidly around her. I don’t want to give away much more than that, because, you know, first draft.
I can say that it is going to be the first of at least a trilogy and there might even be some novellas thrown in. Significantly more writing is required before any of that becomes a reality though. I will give more details when I have something more polished to talk about, I don’t want to be misleading.
For now, I should probably stop blogging and return to finishing the last 20% of this draft! I start Uni next week which means between work, family and studies, it will be challenging to find time to write. But where there is a will there is a way and the most rewarding things in life are not necessarily easy. Besides, I’m studying Creative Writing, so although I might not be writing (my own stuff), I will be improving my writing, which can only be a good thing, right?