Status Update: I'm not quite as big a failure as I was last week.

I've actually been writing this week. Yeah, I know, what the crap. I finally had a week without a test (though I have a quiz and a written assignment due Tuesday...I'll worry about that when I get to it), so I managed to spend the time writing.

I have a very easy writing goal currently: 1,500 words a day, and I've been keeping it. The reason for the low count is because 1. I'm just getting back in the groove and 2. Despite all my discovery writing praise, it does have that drawback: I haven't really planned what is happening, and that slows it down.

And that, truly, is what is keeping the word count down. Usually when I write, I have a goal: a scene, somewhere off in the future, that is totally awesome and I need to write to get to it. This motivates me, and I write the book from scene to scene (often times, better scenes creep in between, but it's the anticipation that drives me to write on). Currently, I have like two "pie in the sky" goals in Effulgent Corruption: The ending (that's a bit too far off), and the start of the next part (which is also a good 20k words off, minimum, plus each part is a different viewpoint character, so...). This is slowing me down. I need to do some minimal plotting, and once I have this part in "general gist" status, I'll be able to haul through it.

Yeah, I know, technically you could count that as "outlining," blah blah, shut up. I just made up a whole chapter and it ended up not terrible, so there you go (though this is pretty rough. It'll smooth up later, ala Paradise Seekers and Where Gods and Mortals Dance).

Speaking of which, now I will barf words about Effulgent Corruption that you may or may not care about. These are fun factoids that you can use to impress your friends and astound your enemies.

- It's my first attempt at writing an anti-hero. That's actually one of the main reasons I started writing it.
- It has three viewpoint characters, but unlike my other novels where it either switches between chapters or just sticks to one guy, this one will switch in parts. Plus, all the characters are a considerable distance away (though one made a cameo in the third chapter) and doing their own things, so you won't know how everything fits together until the end.
- The idea behind this is to create three distinct tales (and characters) that are interesting enough that you'll care about each of their stories. Also, their individual stories are good enough that you won't hate me for jumping to them right when you get into the previous guy's turn. In the end, all their stories intertwine in a pretty cool way, or they will, once I get to it.
- It tentatively has 8 parts, and I already gave them titles. The last two break the "one person per part" and bounce around, as it is when they start running into each other on a more serious basis.
- Important characters will die. This isn't much new news, however, because every book I've written some important person has croaked.
- It's going to be way too damn long. I'm shooting a 30k max for each part, but I can tell already this first one is going to be longer. Maybe they'll shorten, or maybe I'll combine parts 7 and 8 and cut it down. Not sure. Point being, this thing's gonna be big.
- It'll be standalone, but my intention is to make it a two book set. I have a very basic idea about the second book, but nothing past that (discovery writing!)
- This is probably my most planned world and least planned story of any of my books. Lacrymosa was overdone on both story and world planning. Harbinger I had the basic idea and basic world, but mostly had characters. WGMD I had the purpose of the story and characters, so it worked out. Paradise Seekers was just planned to death, no comment. I know way too many tidbits about Effulgent Corruption's world, and not nearly enough detail about its characters. This could prove bad, though through discovery writing I'm getting to know a few better.
- I have the coolest font yet for the title and chapter headings. Oh yeah.

That's it. For your bit from the book, I'm just going to throw the prospective part names at you. And the characters associated (not that this means anything)


1 The Yawning Maw (Drake)
2 The Burning City (Ciara)
3 Keeper of the Balance (Rook)
4 The Damned Slayer (Drake)
5 Forgotten (Ciara)
6 The Greatest Prize (Rook)
7 Miasa (Drake and Rook)
8 The Cost of Vengeance (Drake, Ciara, and Rook)