(It’s way too late; I really need to go to bed, but I wanted to say -)
I’m happy. Relaxed. Content. This was the most productive writing day I had in the last couple of weeks - I thought I’d find it hard to focus on writing for so many hours, and that it’d be weird to switch between projects (I normally work on one thing at the time), but it’s been fine. The cat breaks were a meaningful factor there, but it probably helps that the three stories I wanted to look at are so different from one another? Or maybe I was just lucky.
Anyway, here are some random thoughts.
I now have a much clearer idea of where I want to go with my novel, and what I want to try and say. Structure-wise, there will be more adjustments, but then again, I was never very good at mapping out everything in advance, and not having all the details doesn’t scare me, so that’s fine. I have my beginning and I (sort of) have my end. The characters are still a work in progress, but I think that my next step will definitely be more research into the general landscape.
As for my old novel, I’m glad I wrote it, but I’m not sure I want to pitch it to anyone. It’s too personal, and too inadvertently personal, and I doubt there’s a market for it, especially in Italy. It was about some feelings I needed to see on paper; and maybe I’ll go back to it one day, but probably not as soon as I was (vague)thinking.
But: I finished the first draft of my new chapter (current word count: 3476), which means I can finally update All of My Tomorrows. Depending on what happens IRL, I think Tuesday may be a realistic expectation. I’m relieved I found a way to make this chapter work, because I really wanted to get to the next part. Onward and upward and all that.
And, more importantly: @sciocosmos, thank you very much for organizing this challenge! It’s been a joy to take part in it, and I wish all the smiles and all the feels and all the best to all the tumblr writers out there. Rock on.
“Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka