#feystuff

[chuck-writes-things]

Editing

All right. My goal for today is to sit down and really figure out how to start re-aligning the plot-points in TNOUL. For example, I want to do the following: Shorten the timeline from chapter 1 to the last chapter: I originally set this story across two weeks from start to finish, at least this part. Now that I'm going back through it, it's making things drag FOREVER. So I'm going to see how much I can condense it down to a few days, and go from there, just to give the pacing a good reason to move the way it does. Rewrite some of the bits from chapter 5-6, in order to merge back with the old chapter 3: Man, I have moved so much stuff around already, this chapter 3 that I'm talking about was originally chapter 4. But I'm restructuring things to really keep the ball rolling. In my original draft it was like, Oh hey Things Are Going but then NOPE ROADBLOCK HERE HAVE SOME INFODUMPING. So now I'm going back to fix that. Those are the first two things I can think of, though I'm sure other things will crop up as I go. I really want to get this thing finished with this round of editing by the end of the month, though realistically I'm shooting for half of it to be done. I feel like I need to go build a Daft Punk playlist to get this done...

[chuck-writes-things]

So I did some motivational word math-- I'm doing NaNo, and I'm using it as the kick in the ass I need to finish working on a novel I'd like to someday publish; my 50k goal is ENTIRELY separate from what I've already written in the story. I know I *could* cheat and toss those numbers up there, but that defeats the purpose of using this month to give this story the 50k shot in the arm it needs to be a complete rough draft. I know by the end of the month there will likely be entire scenes that will get cut, moved around, gutted and rewritten, but it helps when you have something more than a blank word document to work with.

That being said, my current total on Nano right now is 6,957, and my overall WC for this story is sitting at 25,224. Whaaaaat?

[/patting self on shoulder]

[chuck-writes-things]

So I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I'm wondering if there would be any interest in my posting what I have of The Nightmares of Under-London on here for your viewing pleasure?

To be fair, this would be ROUGH draft stuff. I mean, typos are cleaned up, but mainly I'm posting it with the understanding that it's going to undergo MASSIVE changes by the time it's all said and done... Scenes will get cut or added or rearranged, etc. Plot points may crop up or disappear or get forgotten in all the excitement... but the thing is, I NEED some feedback for what's going on, to keep me going. Beyond that, I want outside perspectives: I'm writing a novel set in a country/city I've never been to, with a main character who's a POC trans person. As I am not a trans POC from London, I desperately need to know what needs improving!

For those of you who read The Case of the People's Crown and The Battle for London, you'll recognize a few of the characters, but this is a sort of spin-off of that, set in the days before the Midsummer Incident in TBFL, and incorporating it and its fallout.

It's book one in a trilogy that follows the main character, Aiden, on navigating the transition to Eden while also living through the total upheaval of two cultures as they collide in disastrous ways. Familiar faces (such as the King and his Champion as well as the Hunt Leader) make appearances (with different names in most cases, as I intend to make this my first volley into the world of publishing), but mainly this is Eden's story.

Soooo.... would you guys be interested?

[chuck-writes-things]

THIS IS IT. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS.

[chuck-writes-things]

No seriously I just turn on Pandora and sat down to my current word doc for Feystuff and THE JURASSIC PARK THEME COMES ON AGAIN I'M TELLING YOU IT'S A SIGN. Ahollowforest you were right... The Sluagh are really just one T-Rex with laser-eyes terrorising London (played by Jeff Goldblum).

[chuck-writes-things]

I just realized that basically the soundtrack to the first half of this book is the OST to Jurassic Park.

[chuck-writes-things]

Fuck me I just figured out how the ending of this book is about to work

[chuck-writes-things]

Here, have a Devon & Eden moment:

“What’s this Hunt Leader want with me? Or you?” I asked, hoping that at least Devon had some kind of credit to his name we could work with, if I was even remotely willing to entertain this proposal.

I was hoping he would tell me he was a leader of his people. Or maybe an incredibly powerful fey whose magic could bring world peace, and he only needed me as a mouthpiece, or something. I don’t know what I was hoping for, really.

“Not a clue,” he answered truthfully. “My uncles are in government; I would have thought either of them would have been better suited to something as vague and ominous as all this.”

“Right,” I said. “So you’re not much better off than I am, is what you’re saying?”

He had the grace to look rueful, at least, as he shrugged.

I let loose half a giggle. “So, we are uniquely suited, somehow, for saving the world, and have no idea how to go about doing it, with absolutely no clue what we’re saving it from?” Devon started to answer, and the fact that he was actually about to answer such a ridiculous question in a serious manner--I couldn’t help it--I just started laughing helplessly. Though startled at first, Devon saw the dark humour there, too, and joined in. After all the fear and stress I’d felt, it felt freeing, somehow, to just laugh.

After a few minutes we calmed ourselves down. Still chuckling, I studied his face as I said, “We are screwed.”