09-02

This brainchild was birthed on June 13th, when I was casually reading the NYT (<–clickable!) in preparation to take the Foreign Service Exam.  (They recommend you read a newspaper daily for at least six months.)  At the time, I was attempting to work my way through Book 2 of my YA Fantasy, for which I am currently querying Book 1.  I thought, “Oh wow, that would make such an interesting novel!” and then I thought, “But I shouldn’t get distracted from Book 2.  So we’ll just put that away.”

HAH.

I wrote the basic plot and several thousand words of world-building in a flurry of activity that night (<–clickable).  A week later, I started the MS, titled Singular.  I wrote 2000 words on a two hour bus ride into Nagasaki City from Fukuoka.  And the words just kept pouring out.  I was excited to work on this book every day.  Pumped to see–even though I’d written a pretty detailed chapter-by-chapter outline–where my characters would take me next.  As school wound down and I had more time alone at my desk, more came out.  And then school ended and I went on my Super Duper Epic Trip Through Japan And China with D-Mug, XXXtine, and Sabsy.  And still I wrote.

Finally, I got back to Japan and went to work.  And there’s nothing to do at work.  And as much as I’d like to go outside and hang out with the students, it’s hot and humid and the students don’t want to have long conversations with me because of the cultural gap, language gap, and even (gasp!) age gap.  Oh, and also: the staff room is air conditioned.

And guess what?  I wrote over 20,000 words in a week.

Can I just repeat that for posterity?

20,000 words in a week.

THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED.

And, here’s the worst part (for when I start edits), I think it’s actually good.

So a toast to me!  68,000 words in a little over two months–the story that my fingers had to tell.  Singular, here’s hoping I can separate myself from you long enough to actually edit you effectively.

…

PS: Any ballerinas out there want to read a YA Sci-Fi Dystopic novel to check it for accuracy??? No???  Shoot.

PPS: My good friend Guy Chico Moneybags McGee has started his own 365 project (<–clickable)!  Check it out, because he’s a really talented photographer!!

September 2, 2010 | Categories: Landscape, Random | Tags: 30D, Me, Singular, Writing | Leave a comment