The freakishly warm weather has all the curtains closed against the sun; wonder if it’ll help me focus any better? Despite my complaining, this has been a really productive week. 2+ hours each day, already past 85K words. Even got a little freelancing in on the side.
Could be staying at home all day is helping, though. Thought I’d run more than two days this week. Checked the weather report and got over that impression fast.
Some marginally better dates coming out for the flights - later than I’d like, though. The best one gives only about two days on the ground in London, which isn’t enough. Ideally, I’d like about five to seven. Long enough to get settled, over any jet lag, and paperwork accomplished. Also long enough to get a sense of how comfortable the arrangement is, and short enough to avoid too much discomfort if it’s not really working out.
It occurs to me that I could perhaps calibrate the visa to take effect at the end of August or in September. Must look in to that…
Writing Cole is, as usual, both easier and harder than everyone else. I worry that she’s too emo, too overwrought and hacky, too vague and impressionistic. Also, she often gets me into pretty awkward writing situations, where I have to figure out how to write attraction, manipulation, and just generally uncomfortable or steamy sections. She doesn’t really take initiative much, and she’s pretty wishy-washy and indecisive, changing her mind and losing track. She’s not so much growing and developing over the course of this book, as being disrupted and going on an adventure, which is less than ideal. But at every turn, events force her hand, and she almost lacks the internal structure to grow. Hopefully that can all be adjusted in rewrites…
Also, there’s an inadequate amount of horror - or maybe the better way to say it is, the darkness of the Tower and of Freedom and really, of the whole society, isn’t being communicated clearly. I really hate to sacrifice named people, though (or so it seems.)
Also, I probably have far, far too much complexity in terms of disparate writing and storytelling elements that detract from, instead of support, the story. It’s starting to be more like a game: pick your character! Explore my dystopia! Levels and mysteries abound!
…maybe I can make it into some sort of VR adventure… Oculus Rift fodder or something… Speaking of which, how does one become a game writer? I feel like having really very little interest in games probably disqualifies me from working for that industry as a whole, but it’s probably a fun job…
Plus, free beer.
Wednesday
Start Time: 1:45 pm
Location: couch/living room
Drinking: Mezcal - Los Sietos