Word Count: 18,008
Summary of Events:
Chapter 5:
Æliyäu went and visited Helännä and talked with her. He learned that of all Øbjen's marriages only hers to him was in the kingly tradition of the Iøsenräl, and also that the time might be very close to full. Thårijn was attacked by Øbenn and his full brothers, but succeeded in getting away with only minor wounds and was tended to by his half-sister Vånnä.
Chapter 6:
Æliyäu was going through more histories and found a clue, narrowing his field of five who could be Låstbøn down to one, and that was that they were born in the last year that the Iøsenräl had lived in Old Møkbæsted, which was higher up on the mountains, but Æliyäu still wasn't sure. Thårijn worked in the forges in spite of his minor wounds and began to dream about the sword he would make for himself, whenever it was that he would get such an opportunity. Æliyäu then had a dream in which the Iøsenräl were making many weapons of great variety and he heard the voice that had called to him command the people to make ready. Æliyäu then became certain that the time was in full and he told his sister, her husband, their children, and his parents — even though it was the dead of night.
Excerpt of the Day:
""I have suffered great agonies and guilts at what I have done," Thårijn replied. "I regret having done what I did. I do not know what I could've possibly done differently, but every day I wish that I would have not done as I did."
"And so the remorse pours forth from your slanderous lips," Øbglän spat. "Now that we have you caught. Now that we are ready to give you what you deserve for your deeds you spout forth remorse, as if it would make us more merciful. Your words have come too late, it is now time for you to suffer for your wretchedness."
"How could I have said anything sooner?" Thårijn protested. "I've not been able to speak with my brother in half blood since–"
"Cease with that slanderous speech!" Øbenn's voice cried out. "We be not brother to any fool as you in any measure of blood!"
Thårijn licked the snow off his lips and swallowed what had landed and melted within his mouth.
"Now come," Øbglän said. He got up off of Thårijn and wrapped a hand firmly around Thårijn's left arm, jerking him to his feet. Quickly Ødäm came and took up Thårijn's other arm in just as fierce of a grip.
Götrude's sons started down the side street down which they had surely been lying in wait, dragging Thårijn along with their brisk stride. Following a back route they came to the fence around his father's houses, far from the entryway, and entered into a derelict structure.
Ølef stood by the fire built up inside, his face devoid of emotion, yet almost looking as if he were somewhat of an unwilling participant in this. Øvin's eyes were alight with anticipation. Leaping forward he undid Thårijn's cloak-clasp, the cloak slid down Thårijn's back and landed on the floor.
Øbenn went to a shadowed place and brought out a four-tailed whip with an evil smile on his face. Øbglän released Thårijn's arm and Ødäm pulled Thårijn's shirt off his left side. Øbglän went to grab Thårijn's arm again, but Thårijn wound up with it and hit Øbglän in the eye.
Thårijn then jerked his other arm out of Ødäm's loosened grip, leaving himself shirtless, but free. Whipping around, he grabbed the door handle and darted off into the bitter cold night, making for the wall.
A few moments later shouts called after him, Thårijn heard the whip cracking in the air as they pursued him. Finding the tree, Thårijn scrambled up, its bare branches nipped at him as he scrambled through the tree and grabbed the brick.
The voices of Götride's sons called after him clearer now, suddenly a wretched pain tore across his back. Øbenn had gotten a strike in with the whip. Thårijn climbed faster, the whip catching at the back of his leg, but not wrapping, before he threw himself over the wall and landed heavily on the snow-covered roof of the home of Ærnä's children. The snow kept him from getting a grip and he slid off the roof onto the ground."
Vånnä: voh-nah
Øbglän: urb-glahn
Ødäm: ur-dam
Ølef: ur-leff
Øvin: ur-vinh
Ærnä: air-nah
Saturday, January 03, 2015
Friday, January 02, 2015
Exile's End: Day 2
Word Count: 12,006
Summary of Events:
Chapter 3:
Thårijn was working in the forges with a friend of his and they discussed whether or not their people were really hopeless as Thårijn was certain they were, and Thårijn began to wonder if these people who looked so depressed around him were actually as hopeless as he thought they were. Æliyäu went through Gråvenwød and found a couple of multiplication questions in regards to years; one's answer was 500 — which matched the amount of years from the Ædinthenråd's destruction to their being carted away to Kænjförst — and the other being 1600 — which matched the amount of time they had been in Kænjförst — but because he found 1600 mentioned another time — without specifying what the measure of time was that it was referring to — so Æliyäu was confused.
Chapter 4:
Thårijn returned to his mother's house later than usual due to a snowstorm and was greeted by Bæjern his older, unmarried brother, and his father who got upset at him for his causing Øbenn to be flogged earlier. Æliyäu read through the lineage of those who would've been kings of the Iøsenräl had there been a throne to sit on and a kingdom to rule over, and he started thinking about the kingly marriage tradition of the Iøsenräl law and wondering if all of Øbjen's wives were in accordance with the tradition, something he didn't know.
Excerpt of the Day:
""My son Øbenn, of my most beloved Götrude, was flogged a fortnight past," Øbjen began, his eyes turning light as they gazed at his half-full plate when he spoke of his second wife, but darkening as he continued. "I have spoken with him and found that it was your forked serpentine tongue which has caused such injury to befall him." He raised his head to gaze at Thårijn intently.
Thårijn said nothing, waiting for his father to continue.
"My son Øbenn tells me that you were at wrong, having over-struck the metal so as to cause it to be strengthened and give it a greater quality than all of the work which we waste upon our most evilly vile captors," Øbjen continued.
"Now I object," Thårijn said.
"You will let me finish," Øbjen said.
"I will state my objection before such comes to pass,"Thårijn snapped.
"What be your objection?" Øbjen growled.
"My strikes would not have been over-striking had Øbenn, my brother in half blood, been mindful and assured that my strikes did not land in such a way was to over-strike the weapon," Thårijn replied. "He moved not the sword upon the anvil beneath my hammer, and therefore the over-striking was done."
"My son Øbenn says that you would not cease to strike the metal," Øbjen said.
"That did not prevent him from moving the blade so that I would cease to be striking it and would have instead been striking only the anvil," Thårijn replied. "There was action and initiative that could have been taken by my brother in half blood, action which he did not take."
"Additionally it is said by my son Øbenn that you were calling him a fool and threatened to pulverize him with your hammer," Øbjen said. "However it was said that a soldier of our enemy came to end the quarrel which would've ended in favour to Øbenn had you spoken the truth and taken your proper punishment."
"If I would have spoken the truth then all would have suffered!" Thårijn shouted, shooting to his feet and slamming his palms down upon the table, flanking his untouched food. "If I would have said that I had over-struck the metal, causing it to be layered, and increasing its strength then they would have known our deliberation! Our enemies would have know that we are giving them weapons of lesser quality in hopes of causing them calamity at war and providing their downfall and our release would then have demanded of us that we layer the metal for added strength — or have faced far more severe punishments than that torture chamber would ever bring about! Should I have spoken the truth there could well have been slaughter! Slaughter likely of expendable individuals like yourself, old men who have no more use in the forges and smithies!""
Bæjern: bay-urn
Götrude: gut-rude
Summary of Events:
Chapter 3:
Thårijn was working in the forges with a friend of his and they discussed whether or not their people were really hopeless as Thårijn was certain they were, and Thårijn began to wonder if these people who looked so depressed around him were actually as hopeless as he thought they were. Æliyäu went through Gråvenwød and found a couple of multiplication questions in regards to years; one's answer was 500 — which matched the amount of years from the Ædinthenråd's destruction to their being carted away to Kænjförst — and the other being 1600 — which matched the amount of time they had been in Kænjförst — but because he found 1600 mentioned another time — without specifying what the measure of time was that it was referring to — so Æliyäu was confused.
Chapter 4:
Thårijn returned to his mother's house later than usual due to a snowstorm and was greeted by Bæjern his older, unmarried brother, and his father who got upset at him for his causing Øbenn to be flogged earlier. Æliyäu read through the lineage of those who would've been kings of the Iøsenräl had there been a throne to sit on and a kingdom to rule over, and he started thinking about the kingly marriage tradition of the Iøsenräl law and wondering if all of Øbjen's wives were in accordance with the tradition, something he didn't know.
Excerpt of the Day:
""My son Øbenn, of my most beloved Götrude, was flogged a fortnight past," Øbjen began, his eyes turning light as they gazed at his half-full plate when he spoke of his second wife, but darkening as he continued. "I have spoken with him and found that it was your forked serpentine tongue which has caused such injury to befall him." He raised his head to gaze at Thårijn intently.
Thårijn said nothing, waiting for his father to continue.
"My son Øbenn tells me that you were at wrong, having over-struck the metal so as to cause it to be strengthened and give it a greater quality than all of the work which we waste upon our most evilly vile captors," Øbjen continued.
"Now I object," Thårijn said.
"You will let me finish," Øbjen said.
"I will state my objection before such comes to pass,"Thårijn snapped.
"What be your objection?" Øbjen growled.
"My strikes would not have been over-striking had Øbenn, my brother in half blood, been mindful and assured that my strikes did not land in such a way was to over-strike the weapon," Thårijn replied. "He moved not the sword upon the anvil beneath my hammer, and therefore the over-striking was done."
"My son Øbenn says that you would not cease to strike the metal," Øbjen said.
"That did not prevent him from moving the blade so that I would cease to be striking it and would have instead been striking only the anvil," Thårijn replied. "There was action and initiative that could have been taken by my brother in half blood, action which he did not take."
"Additionally it is said by my son Øbenn that you were calling him a fool and threatened to pulverize him with your hammer," Øbjen said. "However it was said that a soldier of our enemy came to end the quarrel which would've ended in favour to Øbenn had you spoken the truth and taken your proper punishment."
"If I would have spoken the truth then all would have suffered!" Thårijn shouted, shooting to his feet and slamming his palms down upon the table, flanking his untouched food. "If I would have said that I had over-struck the metal, causing it to be layered, and increasing its strength then they would have known our deliberation! Our enemies would have know that we are giving them weapons of lesser quality in hopes of causing them calamity at war and providing their downfall and our release would then have demanded of us that we layer the metal for added strength — or have faced far more severe punishments than that torture chamber would ever bring about! Should I have spoken the truth there could well have been slaughter! Slaughter likely of expendable individuals like yourself, old men who have no more use in the forges and smithies!""
Bæjern: bay-urn
Götrude: gut-rude
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Exile's End: Day 1
Word Count: 6,008
Summary of Events:
Chapter 1:
Æliyäu was wakened in the middle of the night by a strange voice calling his name, but belonged to no one, and ended up going back to bed. Thårijn headed to work in the forges of Møkbæsted, upset by the hopelessness of his people and ended up over flattening the sword he was working on, requiring it to be layered — which strengthens the metal — which was something they weren't in the habit of doing — to deliberately give their captors lesser-quality weapons than they could make — and got in an argument with his half-brother Øbenn and was confronted by Förstenräl soldiers, eventually sending Øbenn to be flogged even though he hadn't really done anything wrong. Æliyäu then dreamt that the voice came to him again and told him he had a task to do, which he pledged to do, and to not fail — lest his descendants be cursed because of it — he then awoke curious as to what his task would be.
Chapter 2:
Æliyäu then dreamt that he saw the ruins of Sönniväbæsted and began to wonder if the time had come for the Iøsenräl's exile to end and they would finally return to their homeland. Thårijn went to visit his mother and bemoaned how he felt his life was much more unfair than anyone else's. Helännä tried to console Thårijn, but he would take no consolation and also continued to feel guilt in regards to what had happened to Øbenn. Æliyäu, having acquired the original copy of Gråvenwød — copied from the floor of Ædinthenråd — began to read it, seeking information as to whether the time actually was in full.
Excerpt of the Day:
"To the south, closest to the river's course as it turned southeastwards, was the largest pile of rubble, rubble that was distinct because of its differing colour — being not the dark colour of the other rubble which had likely been hewn out of the mountain stone he himself stood on — white.
The white rubble formed an immense circle, Æliyäu knew the diameter was a substantial distance, it was almost greater in diameter than the width of the palace rubble. Unlike all of the other ruins, the walls were not randomly collapsed. They seemed — as impossible as it was — to be neatly collapsed, all of the rubble collected either to the centre of the circle, or to the outside, gathered close against the base of walls that encircled the floor, which had surely once been taller.
As the sun rose, Æliyäu could make out that there was odd markings on the floor of the white building and suddenly it occurred to him: he knew this place. He had never seen this place before, but its description had been handed down from generation to generation.
Five hundred and fifty two feet in radius — one thousand one hundred and four feet in diameter — the now-sundered walls had once been two hundred and forty four feet in height. The most immense and imposing structure that Æliyäu could've ever imagined to be made by man. Only mountains were of such immensity or greater. The white ruins were the remains of Ædinthenråd, the great temple built by Kæ Ædinthen VIII, the structure which had caused the ages of woe Æliyäu and his fellow people were currently suffering under.
Ædinthenråd had been built at the height of the peace and prosperity of his people — the most skilled metalworkers in the known world — it had been built to showcase the glory of the iron kingdom, Kænjiøs, and had become a place where Kæ Ædinthen VIII had been worshipped — for what Æliyäu, and most everyone else for that matter, knew not — until that night, that darkest night, the night that was the beginning of the dark, night-like times which Kænjiøs has entered into, and been sundered, dark times in which the Iøsenräl — now a nation without a kingdom, or a king — still dwelt.
That night the earth had shaken with the tremors of what was now called Nättenbägen, the earthquake which had ushered in the night that had yet to leave. When the citizens of this place, these ruins — then known as Sönniväbæsted — had awoken the next morning, they discovered the white ruins Æliyäu was now beholding, and they'd seen in clarity what now looked to have faded with the passing of an age: the words of Gråvenwød, the announcement of their punishment, engraved in Ædinthenråd's floor by the hand of Göd Himself."
Øbenn: ur-ben
Kæ: kay
Summary of Events:
Chapter 1:
Æliyäu was wakened in the middle of the night by a strange voice calling his name, but belonged to no one, and ended up going back to bed. Thårijn headed to work in the forges of Møkbæsted, upset by the hopelessness of his people and ended up over flattening the sword he was working on, requiring it to be layered — which strengthens the metal — which was something they weren't in the habit of doing — to deliberately give their captors lesser-quality weapons than they could make — and got in an argument with his half-brother Øbenn and was confronted by Förstenräl soldiers, eventually sending Øbenn to be flogged even though he hadn't really done anything wrong. Æliyäu then dreamt that the voice came to him again and told him he had a task to do, which he pledged to do, and to not fail — lest his descendants be cursed because of it — he then awoke curious as to what his task would be.
Chapter 2:
Æliyäu then dreamt that he saw the ruins of Sönniväbæsted and began to wonder if the time had come for the Iøsenräl's exile to end and they would finally return to their homeland. Thårijn went to visit his mother and bemoaned how he felt his life was much more unfair than anyone else's. Helännä tried to console Thårijn, but he would take no consolation and also continued to feel guilt in regards to what had happened to Øbenn. Æliyäu, having acquired the original copy of Gråvenwød — copied from the floor of Ædinthenråd — began to read it, seeking information as to whether the time actually was in full.
Excerpt of the Day:
"To the south, closest to the river's course as it turned southeastwards, was the largest pile of rubble, rubble that was distinct because of its differing colour — being not the dark colour of the other rubble which had likely been hewn out of the mountain stone he himself stood on — white.
The white rubble formed an immense circle, Æliyäu knew the diameter was a substantial distance, it was almost greater in diameter than the width of the palace rubble. Unlike all of the other ruins, the walls were not randomly collapsed. They seemed — as impossible as it was — to be neatly collapsed, all of the rubble collected either to the centre of the circle, or to the outside, gathered close against the base of walls that encircled the floor, which had surely once been taller.
As the sun rose, Æliyäu could make out that there was odd markings on the floor of the white building and suddenly it occurred to him: he knew this place. He had never seen this place before, but its description had been handed down from generation to generation.
Five hundred and fifty two feet in radius — one thousand one hundred and four feet in diameter — the now-sundered walls had once been two hundred and forty four feet in height. The most immense and imposing structure that Æliyäu could've ever imagined to be made by man. Only mountains were of such immensity or greater. The white ruins were the remains of Ædinthenråd, the great temple built by Kæ Ædinthen VIII, the structure which had caused the ages of woe Æliyäu and his fellow people were currently suffering under.
Ædinthenråd had been built at the height of the peace and prosperity of his people — the most skilled metalworkers in the known world — it had been built to showcase the glory of the iron kingdom, Kænjiøs, and had become a place where Kæ Ædinthen VIII had been worshipped — for what Æliyäu, and most everyone else for that matter, knew not — until that night, that darkest night, the night that was the beginning of the dark, night-like times which Kænjiøs has entered into, and been sundered, dark times in which the Iøsenräl — now a nation without a kingdom, or a king — still dwelt.
That night the earth had shaken with the tremors of what was now called Nättenbägen, the earthquake which had ushered in the night that had yet to leave. When the citizens of this place, these ruins — then known as Sönniväbæsted — had awoken the next morning, they discovered the white ruins Æliyäu was now beholding, and they'd seen in clarity what now looked to have faded with the passing of an age: the words of Gråvenwød, the announcement of their punishment, engraved in Ædinthenråd's floor by the hand of Göd Himself."
Øbenn: ur-ben
Kæ: kay
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
January Novel Essential Information
Novel Title: Exile's End
Time Setting: 5315, Third Age of the Iøsenräl
Genre: Fantasy
Minimum Word Goal: 210,000*
Timespan: February 5313-February 5314
Locations: Møkbæsted and elsewhere in Kænjförst
Main Characters: Thårijn, Helännä's son, descendant of Øbjen of the house of Kæs, Æliyäu, Pætter's son
Background Information: Back in 3213 of the Second Age, the Iøsenräl were in the height of prosperity and good times; everyone sought after them for their skill in metallurgy and they were one of the powers, King Ædinthen VIII was on the throne, and all was looking up for Kænjiøs . . .
Then, on the night of September 30, an earthquake struck their capital of Sönniväbæsted — an earthquake since christened Nättenbägen — and felled the grand temple Ædinthenråd, since then nothing has been the same.
First the Iøsenräl discovered a poem engraved on the floor of Ædinthenråd — a poem now known as Gråvenwød — that was engraved by the hand of Göd, whom they worshipped, foretelling that they would be severely punished for their folly in building Ædinthenråd. Then the punishments began.
They started with five hundred years of war, from 3213 to 3713, king after king fighting valiantly to keep Kænjiøs alive until at last King Känåte X was overcome and all the Iøsenräl were carried away into captivity by the Förstenräl and they could no longer crown kings, although the royal house of Kæs did continue.
Since 3713 the Iøsenräl have been in servitude to the Förstenräl and waiting; waiting for the Eikenenshåldjgråvenwød — called the Låstbøn for short — who will lead them back home once again as Gråvenwød foretold. They have yet to see the Låstbøn, but now, 1600 years since they were carried away to Møkbæsted, things are about to change.
Iøsenräl: ee-ur-sehn-rahl
Møkbæsted: murk-bay-stead
Kænjförst: cane-zhee-fuhrst
Thårijn: thorin
Helännä: hel-anna
Øbjen: urb-gehn
Kæs: kays
Æliyäu: ay-lee-ah-oo
Pætter: pay-terh
Ædinthen: ay-din-then
Kænjiøs: cane-zhee-urss
Sönniväbæsted: suneevah-bay-stead
Nättenbägen: naht-ehn-bag-ehn
Ædinthenråd: ay-din-then-road
Gråvenwød: grove-ehn-wurd
Göd: guhd
Känåte: cah-note
Förstenräl: fuhrst-ehn-rahl
Eikenenshåldjgråvenwød: eyk-ehn-ehn-shohld-zhee-grove-ehn-wurd
Låstbøn: lohst-burn
*due to the amount of words in this novel it will actually extend beyond January and will end on February 10, approximately
Time Setting: 5315, Third Age of the Iøsenräl
Genre: Fantasy
Minimum Word Goal: 210,000*
Timespan: February 5313-February 5314
Locations: Møkbæsted and elsewhere in Kænjförst
Main Characters: Thårijn, Helännä's son, descendant of Øbjen of the house of Kæs, Æliyäu, Pætter's son
Background Information: Back in 3213 of the Second Age, the Iøsenräl were in the height of prosperity and good times; everyone sought after them for their skill in metallurgy and they were one of the powers, King Ædinthen VIII was on the throne, and all was looking up for Kænjiøs . . .
Then, on the night of September 30, an earthquake struck their capital of Sönniväbæsted — an earthquake since christened Nättenbägen — and felled the grand temple Ædinthenråd, since then nothing has been the same.
First the Iøsenräl discovered a poem engraved on the floor of Ædinthenråd — a poem now known as Gråvenwød — that was engraved by the hand of Göd, whom they worshipped, foretelling that they would be severely punished for their folly in building Ædinthenråd. Then the punishments began.
They started with five hundred years of war, from 3213 to 3713, king after king fighting valiantly to keep Kænjiøs alive until at last King Känåte X was overcome and all the Iøsenräl were carried away into captivity by the Förstenräl and they could no longer crown kings, although the royal house of Kæs did continue.
Since 3713 the Iøsenräl have been in servitude to the Förstenräl and waiting; waiting for the Eikenenshåldjgråvenwød — called the Låstbøn for short — who will lead them back home once again as Gråvenwød foretold. They have yet to see the Låstbøn, but now, 1600 years since they were carried away to Møkbæsted, things are about to change.
Iøsenräl: ee-ur-sehn-rahl
Møkbæsted: murk-bay-stead
Kænjförst: cane-zhee-fuhrst
Thårijn: thorin
Helännä: hel-anna
Øbjen: urb-gehn
Kæs: kays
Æliyäu: ay-lee-ah-oo
Pætter: pay-terh
Ædinthen: ay-din-then
Kænjiøs: cane-zhee-urss
Sönniväbæsted: suneevah-bay-stead
Nättenbägen: naht-ehn-bag-ehn
Ædinthenråd: ay-din-then-road
Gråvenwød: grove-ehn-wurd
Göd: guhd
Känåte: cah-note
Förstenräl: fuhrst-ehn-rahl
Eikenenshåldjgråvenwød: eyk-ehn-ehn-shohld-zhee-grove-ehn-wurd
Låstbøn: lohst-burn
*due to the amount of words in this novel it will actually extend beyond January and will end on February 10, approximately
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Year End Summary
Year Total: 992,075 words
Increase Over Year Prior: 332,085 words
Novel Total: 13
Increase Over Year Prior: 2
Longest Novel: Finding Honour (121,331 words 200+ pages)
Shortest Novel: Embittered Competitor (60,000 words 100+ pages)
Summary of the Year:
Well, over last year, a lot of things changed. Last year all of my novels were 60,000 words, and this year I wrote my longest novel ever, breaking the 100,000 word and 200 page marks for the first time, and I also tried my hand at writing thrillers for the first time, and I must admit that Fox on the Sly — the first one, from May — wasn't as successful as it could've been, and Awry and Turmoil — from July — weren't the best either, but they were improving, however Avalanche Risk and Finding Honour — August and October — were in my mind quite phenomenal, although over the past two years I've written twenty one first drafts, one second draft, and two third to fifth drafts (I'm not sure) and I've got ten to seventeen first drafts and a second draft for next year, and more ideas coming all the time. Other changes that happened were that I changed from writing 3,000 words a day to 6,000 words a day, although for a couple of days I also did 9,000-12,000 words a day, although I don't think I'll ever be switching to always writing 9,000 or more words a day. I also quit writing on Sundays as it was severely inhibiting my social life to do so. And I also wrote more novels than I'd planned on, and successfully. I even had my shortest turnaround from plot/character/storyline creation to novel being written with Avalanche Risk which was created in June and written in August. Most of my other ideas ferment longer, like Fox on the Sly, which has been going on in my head for about five years or so, and Undetected Activity from March — although on about its fifth draft — has been in progress for about seven years. The biggest change, of course, was that I started this blog, and I thank everyone — whether or not I may know you — for reading it, and I hope you will join me again next year.
Most all of the novels this year were quite good, with a few surprises. Suddenly Alone was surprisingly easy to write, I had thought I would have to be pulling the words out with great force, but it was actually quite good. More of them will likely be revised than utterly rewritten, whereas last year I think more will be utterly rewritten than revised.
Next year I plan on continuing to up the ante, and possibly with a blast, as the novel I'm planning for January just continues to spew forth good ideas and it may break my longest novel record by more than 50,000 words (or maybe even up to just about more than 100,000 words longer, I'll try to restrain myself, though). I've got eleven of the novels picked, and I could do up to eighteen, depending on how long my January novel goes to.
And next year I'll be participating in National Novel Writing Month, and Camp NaNoWriMo again, as usual, and that leads me to announce that I succeeded in being a NaNoWriMo
Increase Over Year Prior: 332,085 words
Novel Total: 13
Increase Over Year Prior: 2
Longest Novel: Finding Honour (121,331 words 200+ pages)
Shortest Novel: Embittered Competitor (60,000 words 100+ pages)
Summary of the Year:
Well, over last year, a lot of things changed. Last year all of my novels were 60,000 words, and this year I wrote my longest novel ever, breaking the 100,000 word and 200 page marks for the first time, and I also tried my hand at writing thrillers for the first time, and I must admit that Fox on the Sly — the first one, from May — wasn't as successful as it could've been, and Awry and Turmoil — from July — weren't the best either, but they were improving, however Avalanche Risk and Finding Honour — August and October — were in my mind quite phenomenal, although over the past two years I've written twenty one first drafts, one second draft, and two third to fifth drafts (I'm not sure) and I've got ten to seventeen first drafts and a second draft for next year, and more ideas coming all the time. Other changes that happened were that I changed from writing 3,000 words a day to 6,000 words a day, although for a couple of days I also did 9,000-12,000 words a day, although I don't think I'll ever be switching to always writing 9,000 or more words a day. I also quit writing on Sundays as it was severely inhibiting my social life to do so. And I also wrote more novels than I'd planned on, and successfully. I even had my shortest turnaround from plot/character/storyline creation to novel being written with Avalanche Risk which was created in June and written in August. Most of my other ideas ferment longer, like Fox on the Sly, which has been going on in my head for about five years or so, and Undetected Activity from March — although on about its fifth draft — has been in progress for about seven years. The biggest change, of course, was that I started this blog, and I thank everyone — whether or not I may know you — for reading it, and I hope you will join me again next year.
Most all of the novels this year were quite good, with a few surprises. Suddenly Alone was surprisingly easy to write, I had thought I would have to be pulling the words out with great force, but it was actually quite good. More of them will likely be revised than utterly rewritten, whereas last year I think more will be utterly rewritten than revised.
Next year I plan on continuing to up the ante, and possibly with a blast, as the novel I'm planning for January just continues to spew forth good ideas and it may break my longest novel record by more than 50,000 words (or maybe even up to just about more than 100,000 words longer, I'll try to restrain myself, though). I've got eleven of the novels picked, and I could do up to eighteen, depending on how long my January novel goes to.
And next year I'll be participating in National Novel Writing Month, and Camp NaNoWriMo again, as usual, and that leads me to announce that I succeeded in being a NaNoWriMo
Now, being as I don't write in December (I do need to rest sometime) I will be posting again on December 31 with a preview to January's novel, and I hope you all have a great Christmas season (and Thanksgiving for all US residents) and will join me again for a whole year of noveling, and maybe even some new fun stuff ; )
R.A.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Suddenly Alone: Day 9
Word Total: 60,002
Year to Date: 992,075
Summary of Events:
Chapter 19:
Myles came over to buy the combine and Sofia told him she'd 'accidentally' shredded the land rental agreement and got him to bring her a new contract and she filled it out differently, she also got him to pay full price for the combine. She then took the cheque from Myles and deposited it into the bank.
Chapter 20:
Both Axel and Sofia spent the rest of the day considering the future of their relationships with each other and what to do about them and what would be proper to do. Axel finally admitted that he was quite in love with Sofia.
Excerpt of the Day:
""Now into the study," Axel said.
"I don't want him to know you're here," Sofia said sharply.
"He doesn't," Axel replied. "He won't know until he comes into the room."
"I don't even want him to see you there," Sofia said. "Wait in here."
Sofia shoved Axel into the powder room across from the study.
"But–"
"I'll keep the study door open," Sofia replied.
"Sofia–"
"Please," Sofia replied. "Just do it this way."
Axel sighed and closed the door slightly. Sofia hurried to the door at the sound of the knock and opened it. Myles stood before her. He smiled in a cunning looking way.
"Well, hello," Myles said. "Shall we go to the office?"
"Yes," Sofia replied. She led the way, taking deep breaths and working diligently to keep herself calm.
Stepping inside the study, Sofia sat down.
"So now you're asking six figures for this combine, it's almost the same as someone asking three figures for the rent of a field, don't you agree?" Myles asked.
"It's similar," Sofia replied.
"You gave me rent for your field at two figures," Myles said. "Surely you can reduce the figures of the combine price by one at least. Say we take that three off the front? Or maybe we should take the zero off of the end?"
"I think we should take the zero off the end," Sofia replied.
"So that would mean that you're only asking me for thirty nine thousand dollars," Myles said.
"But what do we do with that zero we took off the end?" Sofia asked.
Myles laughed. "We put it at the front," he replied. "Zero hundred thirty nine thousand, doesn't that sound like a nice sum?"
"Well," Sofia said, taking up the spreadsheet. "I have this number here in red, and I need about three hundred and eighty five thousand dollars for it to go away. Zero hundred means nothing, therefore I'd only be getting thirty nine thousand dollars, and leaves me still with three hundred forty six thousand dollars in the red. I think it would be a better idea to put the zero after the thirty nine."
"We could do that," Myles said.
He pulled out his chequebook and quickly laced his signature across the proper line at the bottom of the cheque, and then wrote her name in not-too-bad penmanship across the line of the recipient, and the date in the corner.
"So now you said thirty nine thousand," Myles said.
"But that doesn't work with the extra zero," Sofia said. "I said thirty nine, and then we take the zero from the end which was put on the front and put it after the thirty nine, and then we put in the comma and then the other three zeros. You can't had four zeros after a comma, it can only be three."
"But that's three hundred and ninety thousand!" Myles protested.
Sofia smiled. "And you said you could do it," she replied.
"You– you–!" Myles sputtered.
"You agreed to it," Sofia replied."
After some consideration I have made the decision to not write the other novels I had planned for November, so please check back on November 25 for the next post.
Year to Date: 992,075
Summary of Events:
Chapter 19:
Myles came over to buy the combine and Sofia told him she'd 'accidentally' shredded the land rental agreement and got him to bring her a new contract and she filled it out differently, she also got him to pay full price for the combine. She then took the cheque from Myles and deposited it into the bank.
Chapter 20:
Both Axel and Sofia spent the rest of the day considering the future of their relationships with each other and what to do about them and what would be proper to do. Axel finally admitted that he was quite in love with Sofia.
Excerpt of the Day:
""Now into the study," Axel said.
"I don't want him to know you're here," Sofia said sharply.
"He doesn't," Axel replied. "He won't know until he comes into the room."
"I don't even want him to see you there," Sofia said. "Wait in here."
Sofia shoved Axel into the powder room across from the study.
"But–"
"I'll keep the study door open," Sofia replied.
"Sofia–"
"Please," Sofia replied. "Just do it this way."
Axel sighed and closed the door slightly. Sofia hurried to the door at the sound of the knock and opened it. Myles stood before her. He smiled in a cunning looking way.
"Well, hello," Myles said. "Shall we go to the office?"
"Yes," Sofia replied. She led the way, taking deep breaths and working diligently to keep herself calm.
Stepping inside the study, Sofia sat down.
"So now you're asking six figures for this combine, it's almost the same as someone asking three figures for the rent of a field, don't you agree?" Myles asked.
"It's similar," Sofia replied.
"You gave me rent for your field at two figures," Myles said. "Surely you can reduce the figures of the combine price by one at least. Say we take that three off the front? Or maybe we should take the zero off of the end?"
"I think we should take the zero off the end," Sofia replied.
"So that would mean that you're only asking me for thirty nine thousand dollars," Myles said.
"But what do we do with that zero we took off the end?" Sofia asked.
Myles laughed. "We put it at the front," he replied. "Zero hundred thirty nine thousand, doesn't that sound like a nice sum?"
"Well," Sofia said, taking up the spreadsheet. "I have this number here in red, and I need about three hundred and eighty five thousand dollars for it to go away. Zero hundred means nothing, therefore I'd only be getting thirty nine thousand dollars, and leaves me still with three hundred forty six thousand dollars in the red. I think it would be a better idea to put the zero after the thirty nine."
"We could do that," Myles said.
He pulled out his chequebook and quickly laced his signature across the proper line at the bottom of the cheque, and then wrote her name in not-too-bad penmanship across the line of the recipient, and the date in the corner.
"So now you said thirty nine thousand," Myles said.
"But that doesn't work with the extra zero," Sofia said. "I said thirty nine, and then we take the zero from the end which was put on the front and put it after the thirty nine, and then we put in the comma and then the other three zeros. You can't had four zeros after a comma, it can only be three."
"But that's three hundred and ninety thousand!" Myles protested.
Sofia smiled. "And you said you could do it," she replied.
"You– you–!" Myles sputtered.
"You agreed to it," Sofia replied."
After some consideration I have made the decision to not write the other novels I had planned for November, so please check back on November 25 for the next post.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Suddenly Alone: Day 8
Word Count: 54,023
Summary of Events:
Chapter 17:
Axel told Sofia Hendrick was at his house and Sofia came to get him, and it took a fair bit of convincing to get him to come. Sofia then apologized to Hendrick and explained to him why she'd done what she had, then she thought about getting help from Pastor Tim and Hana with her financial situation.
Chapter 18:
Myles called Axel, interested in the combine, but upset that Axel refused to cut him a deal, so Myles called Sofia and arranged to meet her the next day. Tim and Hana arrived and Tim read through things while Sofia and Hana discussed Hendrick's excursion. Tim then told Sofia what Axel had said about the agreement was right, Sofia had agreed to many things she never would've dared to if she would've understood. Tim offered to teach Sofia with a financial course and she agreed, she then went over to Axel's place and apologized for her behaviour.
Excerpt of the Day:
""It could very well be just the grieving," Hana said. "I mean, since Josef died Axel's really well, become close to your family, and maybe Hendrick's almost seeing Axel as a replacement for Josef."
Sofia bit her lip, she didn't like that idea at all.
"So the fact that now Myles is involved here, and it seems like you're wanting to put a bit more distance in your relationship with Axel again is distressing Hendrick because Axel's kind of become his new dad, and he doesn't want him taken away," Hana concluded.
"Do you think he'd really do that?" Sofia asked.
"He's three, like you said," Hana replied. "Hendrick can't really understand things, but to him Axel's come to take the place of his dad, and he doesn't want Myles to come usurping that position — almost like a child in a divorce situation."
"I don't think that's something Axel would even want," Sofia said.
"Well, whether or not you like it, it's somewhat of a consequence of the relationship you and Axel ended up building due to the whole situation," Hana replied.
"And what do we do about it?" Sofia asked.
"Well," Hana replied. "I'm not sure. I think you just need to put the distance in slower than you were doing it. Don't rush things, don't go from suddenly close and friendly to suddenly distant. Work slowly to put more and more distance between yourselves until you're at the point that you want to be."
"But I don't even see how or why Hednrick went and latched on," Sofia said.
"Axel's very similar to Josef in height and build, he's a farmer, he drives a similar truck, and he seems to have become friendly to Hendrick, and possibly even in a similar way to how Hendrick's relationship with Josef worked," Hana replied. "There are honestly quite a few similarities between the two of them — including the fact that they're both Scandinavian, although I doubt Hendrick understands that he may possibly recognize that — so I can see how Hendrick would build a relationship there."
"Well then I guess I'm going to have to discuss this with Axel then," Sofia said. "And we'll have to see what we can do to change things to the way that they should be."
"If that's God's will," Hana said.
"What do you mean?" Sofia asked.
"I just don't want you to forget that your will may not necessarily be God's will," Hana said. "God's will isn't always what we would like to happen, but it is what happens in the end."
Sofia nodded. "But, I mean, it's been nearly three months since Josef died," she said. "If anything is going to happen then it's definitely not happening now. There's no way it could, or should."
"Who knows?" Hana said."
Summary of Events:
Chapter 17:
Axel told Sofia Hendrick was at his house and Sofia came to get him, and it took a fair bit of convincing to get him to come. Sofia then apologized to Hendrick and explained to him why she'd done what she had, then she thought about getting help from Pastor Tim and Hana with her financial situation.
Chapter 18:
Myles called Axel, interested in the combine, but upset that Axel refused to cut him a deal, so Myles called Sofia and arranged to meet her the next day. Tim and Hana arrived and Tim read through things while Sofia and Hana discussed Hendrick's excursion. Tim then told Sofia what Axel had said about the agreement was right, Sofia had agreed to many things she never would've dared to if she would've understood. Tim offered to teach Sofia with a financial course and she agreed, she then went over to Axel's place and apologized for her behaviour.
Excerpt of the Day:
""It could very well be just the grieving," Hana said. "I mean, since Josef died Axel's really well, become close to your family, and maybe Hendrick's almost seeing Axel as a replacement for Josef."
Sofia bit her lip, she didn't like that idea at all.
"So the fact that now Myles is involved here, and it seems like you're wanting to put a bit more distance in your relationship with Axel again is distressing Hendrick because Axel's kind of become his new dad, and he doesn't want him taken away," Hana concluded.
"Do you think he'd really do that?" Sofia asked.
"He's three, like you said," Hana replied. "Hendrick can't really understand things, but to him Axel's come to take the place of his dad, and he doesn't want Myles to come usurping that position — almost like a child in a divorce situation."
"I don't think that's something Axel would even want," Sofia said.
"Well, whether or not you like it, it's somewhat of a consequence of the relationship you and Axel ended up building due to the whole situation," Hana replied.
"And what do we do about it?" Sofia asked.
"Well," Hana replied. "I'm not sure. I think you just need to put the distance in slower than you were doing it. Don't rush things, don't go from suddenly close and friendly to suddenly distant. Work slowly to put more and more distance between yourselves until you're at the point that you want to be."
"But I don't even see how or why Hednrick went and latched on," Sofia said.
"Axel's very similar to Josef in height and build, he's a farmer, he drives a similar truck, and he seems to have become friendly to Hendrick, and possibly even in a similar way to how Hendrick's relationship with Josef worked," Hana replied. "There are honestly quite a few similarities between the two of them — including the fact that they're both Scandinavian, although I doubt Hendrick understands that he may possibly recognize that — so I can see how Hendrick would build a relationship there."
"Well then I guess I'm going to have to discuss this with Axel then," Sofia said. "And we'll have to see what we can do to change things to the way that they should be."
"If that's God's will," Hana said.
"What do you mean?" Sofia asked.
"I just don't want you to forget that your will may not necessarily be God's will," Hana said. "God's will isn't always what we would like to happen, but it is what happens in the end."
Sofia nodded. "But, I mean, it's been nearly three months since Josef died," she said. "If anything is going to happen then it's definitely not happening now. There's no way it could, or should."
"Who knows?" Hana said."
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