#tkpepper

WIP TKPepper 23.10.18

Another 30 minutes, another 1k+ words. I crafted an unexpected action sequence today, with an unexpected ending. I loved it.

It is raining here, as it has on and off since Saturday night — it feels fresh and cool and wonderful. The darkness the clouds bring is also a blessing, so used to the bright tropical light overhead am I, that to remember conditions vary is rather delicious.

WIP TKPepper 14.11.18 811 Words

On to the final scene. Of course, as I get nearer to the end, it gets slower, as I have to think about all the threads that need tucking in, all the parts that need wrapping, and those that need to be left loose, to be tugged upon in a future story.

One joy of these free stories (each novella I release will also have a link to a free story — originally planned to be a short story, but this particular one is clearly a lot longer than that…), is that I get to introduce themes, places, characters, ideas and history to this world, things that the reader won’t exactly NEED to know for the longer work I plan, as they will also be included in that, but they do serve as a bonus, hints and queries buried within the fiction as a paperchase, Easter Eggs, if you will. It makes it fun.

WIP TKPepper 30.10.18

Started this at 1900, so rather pleased. Also, this was 30 minutes crafting after a day mostly spent travelling back from the south of Thailand to the north, which is always a bit tiring, especially changing in Bangkok.

We had a lovely time down on the coast, finding a wonderful strip of sand with ridiculously good restaurants, cheap and clean accommodation, a great coffee shop, friendly people, a pool, warm sea, monkeys, pink dolphins, and very few other Farang. Instead, the clientele were nearly all Thai families.

I am torn — between writing an article/post about this place and keeping it a secret. Genuinely torn. One of the resorts there is in the middle of renovation, and the owner explained she is planning on attracting more westerners, marketing it to them — and they will come. Perhaps I should write something, she was great, and they deserve success, but it would also change the feel of the place.

Decisions, decisions.

WIP TKPepper 29.10.18

Super-fast note today — I have had a proper weekend off, from almost all forms of work except thinking and plotting which, truth be told, never ends.

I am by the beach, in a tiny resort where the vast majority of clientele are Thai, rather than the hordes of Farang who often hang around on Thailand’s coast. It is remarkably chilled and I feel rested, despite being up early yesterday to take a tour to see pink dolphins. (They were remarkable.)

WIP TKPepper 25.10.18

I am actually more pleased with 757 words than I was the 1k+ days — simply because I didn’t start my 30 minutes until 1800 this evening. As I have mentioned before, I am a morning creative. My best work on new words is always in the earlier part of the day, so to be able to get a 50% return on the 500-word minimum I set myself is rather good for me.

Usually, by now I’ll have shut down for the day, so I am very happy.

WIP TKPepper 24.10.18

And with this day we are now over the 10k limit.

In her book, The INFJ Writer*, Lauren Sapala discusses how important new words are, how crucial it is to write fresh material, not to simply edit and polish. This was a problem I once had, but no longer. The habit of crafting new words is so important for any writer but crucial for those of us who fall into the INFJ type. I am not saying I agree with the whole Myers Briggs test — but it is uncanny how accurate it is for me. (I shall discuss this more on my website…)

Write new words. Simple. 30 minutes a day and, in 10 days, I now have a 10k+ story, nearing the Pointy End.

WIP TKPepper 22.10.18

This bonus story is progressing well. I really love the characters, especially Pepper, but also the newly-explored Hedda. The setting is also interesting, being a new-to-me city in a different place to the other novellas I have already crafted in The Lesser Evil.

WIP TKPepper 21.10.18

Not quite as good a wordcount as recently, but still pleased things are moving forward.

One reason I may not have been as effective with words is that I spent some time early this morning thinking of the bigger story picture, taking notes and writing down and threshing out ideas that underpin the whole. Sometimes, when I do this, I lose my creative burst speed, as I suppose it could be called. This is why I usually try and get my daily 30-minute new word/draft session done ASAP and why I try very hard not to waste creativity on emails or messages (including reading them) before this is done.