Evaluation: 0-TAPIR 2

First, I'd like to make it clear that the recent pause in updates was due to laziness in writing Evaluations, not the story itself. Plus I had exams until yesterday. Anyway.

No title yet, as you can see, though I haven't focused much on one. It might become apparent once the story moves forward a little, or not, in which case I'll just makes something up. But let's hope it doesn't come to that.

The writing moves on at a decent rythm, at least decent for me. I've played this part of the story many times in my head (this is the novel I've been wanting to write for years, though to be fair most of what I've written so far is relatively new), so no lack of ideas for a while now. It's getting exposition-y, but frankly as far as I can see there's no alternative for that. Hopefully it isn't too annoying, otherwise I'd have to reconsider the entire story... but let's not go there.

Wordcount: 2865

Since last time: 1521

Evaluation: 0-TAPIR

What the hell is 0-TAPIR, you ask? A working title. Project TAPIR is what I like to call the novel I've been wanting to write for many years now and restarted several times. What I've got right now is a prequel of sorts to it, a story that happens in the same continuity involving some of the main characters. Hence the zero. (The zero goes at the beginning because otherwise it messes up the Evaluation count.

0-TAPIR is specifically the story of Mielen (name subject to change), but also in a way the story of why the world is as it is. A small part, because she wasn't there for a lot of it, but that's to be filled by other characters. Mielen's story has changed a lot throughout the years, most of the changes meant to remove clichés and depower her, because damn was she absurdly powerful originally. Now, she's might actually be at a disadvantage against some people! I'm so proud of myself.

Wordcount: 1344

Evaluation: Countdown 2

Many thousands of years ago, I used to do this thing where I posted weekly updates of my ongoing writing projects. It's back, baby!

Sort of. I've only written a handful of paragraphs yesterday, due to terminal laziness and lack of inspiration. Mostly laziness. But still, I'm back, and hopefully I'll get my shit back together.

Wordcount: 225

Total: 820

Evaluation: Countdown

Been a while since I wrote one of these. Laziness really, though I have been working on stories.

Countdown is yet another Vurok story, it revises a bit of Void's backstory. It's after he discovered his powers, and after he went Pather, but before he met Ananke and became Void. Which means I'll be revealing his name! His surname, at least.

I have written 594 words so far, and I have an intro to add to it and some bits to revise, but I've been lazy about it. I don't have much in terms of stuff to do this week and the next, so I'll have a chance to work on it later.

But there's more! Though not technically a story, I'm working on yet another Psychflare simultaneously. It's called On the Nature of the Common Vampire, and it's basically an extensive description of Vurokian vampires, framed as a reference book. Yes, there are Vurokian vampires. No, I hadn't mentioned them before. I had a very specific idea for vampires for some fictional setting, I figured a way they'd make sense in the Vurokverse, so I decided to throw them in. Because, hey, why not.

ONCV stands at 1308 words in length. So yes, I've put more work into it than into Countdown, but the latter got the evaluation title because I started it first and it's the one that's actually a story rather than worldbuilding material.

Evaluation: Fehu 6

Last weekend was Father's Day, which happened to eat into my usual writing time, so that's why there was no evaluation last Monday. I considered putting something up around Wednesday or so, but instead I chose to keep working on what I have and make a bigger update today.

So, Fehu is nearing completion! The last major thing to be solved has been solved, as usual by accident. I happen to be re-reading some Whateley, and I get this idea for a character... so I play around with it, kinda lost as to what I can do with it, and then I notice he could fill a much needed role in Fehu. Voilà. Virtually every main Vurok character was born as a character idea I got from Whateley, so it fits quite nicely. And he's a lot of fun to write, too, so that's a bonus.

A few details need work, but I could get this over with in a week or two. Hopefully.

Wordcount: 3448
This week: 830

Evaluation: TCOFTWOFTL

Sometimes I need to stop writing what I want to finish so that I can write what I enjoy. And so the few days I wrote this week were dedicated to The Chronicles of the Wars of the Light, a thing I thought of many years ago and decided to finally start.

Don't be misled by the title, it's a just-for-fun thing. The basic idea occurred to me when I was on the first or second incarnation of Project Tapir (the fantasy novel I'll never finish), thinking about black-and-white morality in Fantasy. Y'see, one of the things about Project Tapir is that it's about ambiguity. Any of the three factions has a claim to being the "good guys". So I was thinking about how I didn't want to write a story about how Goodguy McHeropants and the Light Warriors fight against Azazel, Emperor of Evil...

And the idea came to me. I would write just that story. Except, Goodguy McHeropants would be the most evil bastard ever to lead the Light, and be the entire cause of the war between him and Azazel, who was the nicest guy and just happened be named after a demon and inherit an empire called "Evil."And it would all be told by a narrator who tries as hard as possible to be completely neutral to the conflict.

I never got around to writing it, but it was sitting in my idea file for a while and I figured it was just time to do something funny. In the current incarnation it's a bit less openly ridiculous (I changed McHeropants' name, for one) but the idea still remains. I still don't know if I should just send it back to full-blown self-mockery. I'll see if I can write it as-is and still give a feel that yes, the Order of the Light are genocidal maniacs and Azazel is just protecting the Darklands from them.

Wordcount: 762

Evaluation: Fehu 5

Not much to say today. The story still goes ahead at my characteristically sluggish pace, some parts I'm happy with, others less so. I'm not sure if I'm conveying the right feeling with what I write (but most likely not) and I don't know how to improve it.

I just realised an obvious trick I haven't been using that would probably help. Quantifying! Keeping track of exactly how much I write per day (or per week) should be a decent measure of progress, plus it leaves a clear trail of how my rate evolves over time, plus having a number makes it easy to set a target which helps self improvement.

So as of today I'll include a wordcount so I can depress myself with how little I get done!

Fehu total: 2606

This week: 361

Pathetic, I know. I get distracted.

Evaluation: Fehu 4

Back on track, yay! The words are flowing once again, as I predicted they would, and the story moves forward nicely. Plus, I have a bit of an idea where I go from here, which is generally a good way to end a writing session.

So I wrote yet another piece of dialogue, and as usual it was terrible. Though, if I'm not deluding myself, a bit less terrible than usual (I assign a high probability to "deluding myself"). I'm still not sure if the other party made sense as a choice, but she'd had a bit of an introduction earlier in the story, so it's better to reuse her than to create an entire new character solely for that purpose. There is someone else I could use, which works better in some ways and less in others. I'm attached, perhaps irrationally, to my current choice, so she stays for now.

Plotwise, it feels nice. Depends on where I go from here, because I could either keep up a red herring for a while more or just drop it. I don't know how rushed it feels to drop it now, and I have a terrible intuitive sense of pacing (especially right after writing), so I'm leaning towards keeping it for a while longer, just to be on the safe side. Might be more fun.

The major plot point I mentioned last time is still unsolved, but I think I can ease into it from where I am. I won't know until I can see the transition, I'm just slightly optimistic. Feels more and more like the natural place to end Fehu. What comes after, who knows. A bit of an idea for a sword-and-sorcery thing if I can get it done, but I can worry after I finish here. If nothing else, there's more Vurok to be written.

I haven't been looking at my idea file for a while now (to give you an idea, I still hadn't removed Ananke or Golden Sky from it). As a result, I have at least two hints for stories there I have no idea what I meant when I wrote them. (That happens all the time when I look at old Evaluations, but there it matters very little). Bothers me, let me tell you.

As a final note, the post I hinted at last time is going up probably tomorrow, if you're impatient. Which I know you aren't.

Evaluation: Fehu 3

Who sucks? Well, lots of people. But as for the purposes of this exercise, me. 2 weeks skipped in evaluations, which unsurprisingly coincide with two weeks of little-to-no writing. Three weeks, actually, but at least I've got one or two things done today and yesterday.

Oh, there's plenty of excuses like tests and the Rapture and studying and blegh. Some of them are even true! But it remains a fact that I could have done so much more. So yeah, I suck. I'll try to do better, etc.

As I mentioned last eval, I'd hit the point where I had little idea of what I could write next. As usual, that meant nothing much happened until I decided to sit down and think instead of waiting for inspiration to fall from heaven. It worked, more or less. I know where to take the plot now, roughly, and if I sort out one particular annoying plot point the story would have accomplished its goal. It will probably be a small step in a larger story rather than self contained, but that works for Vurok. That is to say, I can technically end it wherever I want, but the natural point is when Machi begins to train herself in her talent. If I can transition elegantly enough into that point, I win. Sort of.

So yeah, most progress is theoretical rather than actual so far. It bothers me, but it does at least foretell writing might happen soon. Hopefully tomorrow.

Evaluation: Fehu 2

Another week, another page and a half or so. A rhythm I'd consider "flowing nicely", compared to usual, though I have stricken the point of no-plot. Or, strictly speaking, the point of little-plot. That is, I don't know what happens next with enough detail to begin writing it. I only got there about ten minutes ago, so I can't predict how long it'll take for the words to start coming out of my fingers again. I'm optimistic, but not too much.

My prediction from last week came true, and Machi has revealed part of her real first name. Though, I noticed shortly after writing the last Evaluation, there's also a nickname-based-on-the-name for another Vurok narrator revealed in an earlier story, so not actually as relevant as I thought. It's not as obvious as Machi's case, you probably wouldn't be able to guess the name from it, but it's there.

Also, fuck you, dialogue. Why must you sound horrible every time I write you?

In less related news, I made a potentially life-altering decision today. I can't really explain the kind of consequences it would have, it would seem really minor to most people who aren't me. Plus, I don't actually know, and it'll take at least a couple of weeks to see the results in a more generalizable context. It's rather exciting, in a not-actually-that-exciting kind of way.

Evaluation: Fehu

Blergh, another week skipped. Void's origin story hit a roadblock, I have no idea how to go on from there.

Good news is, I got a decent idea for... another Vurok origin story! I have to thank James Patterson for it, really, I was reading a book of his and it was so lame my mind started figuring out ways it could be improved. And, lo and behold, I came up with a magic system for the Vurokverse I like much better than the previous one. Which means, yes, finally Machi gets point-of-view and a story, and it seems to be flowing much easier than Void's.

The magic system does have some potential for easy overpowering, so I will have to keep checks on that. Vurokians are not supposed to be demigods. But other than that, it's cleaner, it makes more sense, and it's allows for things like unusually powerful magical effects that cannot be replicated at will, which is useful. I don't want to have to keep track of every little thing mages can do and then have to make sure they aren't conveniently forgetting their powers according to the demands of the plot.

The upcoming scene might just be the first time one of my Vurok characters gets mentioned by birth name. Or at least by a nickname based on the name. I've yet to have a point-of-view character whose real first name is known (except possibly Denise, depending on what you consider her "real" name to be). Ana was going to be the first, but I scrapped that story and then Golden Sky was told from Jack's perspective (Jack is also a fake name, incidentally). So yeah, possible milestone. I get excited by the weirdest thing

On the title, Fehu is the first rune in the Elder Futhark, which seemed an appropriate title for story about beginnings and magic. Plus it gives me a potential naming scheme for further stories along that line, though I doubt I'll go with it.

Evaluation: Void Origins 2

My most insincere apologies for not having anything up last Monday. Truth be told, I had made little to no progress with the story. And, my internet connection had been unusually slow, which ate up time I'd normally use to write. Plus it annoyed me.

As it turns out, all of the above remains true, but I thought two straight weeks without updating was slipping into bad habits. So, the state of the thing so far:

It's less than one page long so far, partly because I've only written anything 2 or 3 of the last 14 days. Also partly because I changed my mind about the direction the plot was going, so I rewrote about half of that one page today. I'm still in the awkward "trying to ease into the main plot" stage, but I've passed a small hurdle.

I'm still not too sure about where the story goes from here, which is a bad sign. Right now, the big problem is that there is an entirely different story developing in my head. I'd work on that, but: The main character is overpowered, there is little to no plot, and it's heavy on visuals. Meaning, I cannot write it. So instead of imagining how Void gets out of the family business and discovers his powers, furthering the plot of the current Psychflare, my brain prefers to think about Nameless Protagonist killing bad guys with his magic weapon. I suck.

But anyway. I know what the main stimulus for that is (fanfiction I'm reading), so in a few days it should be done with and maybe I can focus on the stuff I want to focus on. We'll see, as always.

Evaluation: Void Origins

Lately I've been thinking about how much Vurok needs fixing. Some of it is continuity, some of it is nonsensicalness, some of it is that it just plain sucks. Anyway. So basically I've decide to start over, as it were. I'm not getting read of what I've written so far, yet anyway. What I will do is I'll start writing stories set earlier in the timeline, revise from there, and when I get to the time when the current Vurok stories are set, I'll rewrite them or replace them. The last psychflare was the first example of that, being set at the beginning of La Sangrienta's 20 year killing spree. According to my official Vurok Timeline, that sets it 26 years before the events in Void. But the Vurok Timeline will need rewriting as well, so that's not set in stone.

Anyway, what it all adds up to is that the next Psychflare is the story of how Void became Void and who he was before. More or less. Set roughly 8 years after First Steps, but like I said the timeline is not set yet. I've written about... 2 sentences of it, still trying to find a way to ease into it. Hopefully I'll find something by next week.

Evaluation: 4-Vurok 1

Well, new story in the works. Title-less so far, but it's the 4th in the Vurok canon, hence the name.

While the first couple of pages were easy, now I've hit the point of bloackage, so to speak. I came up with plenty of ideas about how the plot moves froward from now on since I finished Ananke, but as luck would have it I forgot most of them. Stupid, I know. They weren't too detailed out, anyway, so it's not like I would've sent them straight to paper (word processor) the moment I remembered them, but still. Knowing more about what I had decided sure would come in handy.

But I'll remember eventually and recreate what I can't. I'm more concerned about what I have written than by what I will write, by which I mean past stories. It's becoming increasingly obvious that some things in Void, Reflections and (to a lesser extent) Ananke should be reworked to make more sense and fit in with new things. How much, I'm not sure. Will I actually do it, I still don't know. It should be kept in mind that, however much I speak of "finishing" stories, they are rough drafts. I don't have a loyal fanbase that will be offended if I change them, that I can be sure of. I don't think anyone who isn't me has read more than two psychflares, let alone have any emotional attachment to the state things are now. But I am lazy, that much is evident. So getting motivated enough to rewrite and reupload is not going to be too easy.

About the writing itself... not terrible, I suppose. Managed to make work a few things I couldn't for a while, so that's good. More about Void's powers is revealed, and the Spirit of Darkness makes her first appearance (as something other than a part of Void himself, that is). A bit more on the Ana/Void relationship, which is glaringly absent from past issues. I suck at writing romantic relationships, maybe I should retcon them into fuckbuddies rather than a couple. We'll see.

Will be away from civilization and thus writing and blogging starting next Sunday. That might mean an early evaluation this week, or simply nothing until I get back. I'll work more on Project Tapir then (since I write that on good ol' pen and paper), that might see some notes here as well.

Evaluation: Golden Sky 7

Yay, progress! I got back on track and the story is moving forward at a respectable pace. It could be finished by this time next week. It could be finished by this time tomorrow, probably, if I took the time to write it. But oh well, I can't write and dick around on the 'tubes and read papers on decision theory all at the same time. OK, I already finished that paper. But it was long, ok? Fascinating and long and is this sounding suspicious to anyone else?

My reprioritization trick is still not working out, but I'm not giving up yet. I just found myself a treasure trove of useful resources that could be bumped to priority status, and while that might mean less writing time, it means more self-improvement time. Well, one specific kind of self-improvement, namely absorbing knowledge, but it's one I like anyway.

So, on the story itself. I like what I wrote today and yesterday, not as crappy as I'm used to on first impression, but that might just be that I haven't re-read it yet and found the stupid errors and annoying style and bare descriptions and poorly formatted dialogue and oh ungod I'm depressing myself already. Fuck that, I'm happy. I got stuff done, that's the important part.

So, it's all setting the scene for a big confrontation. I'm not exactly sure how this goes from now, the original plan called for splitting this in two scenes but I think it'll flow better if it goes all together. Make more sense, too.

And... uh... there's a building. And a minor character whose entire personality is being polite and scared of people who look like crazy serial killers. Also he has magical powers but that's not really relevant.

So, see you next week, imaginary readers! Unless I finish it before, in which case see you then. Or some of you become real and pay me a visit. I don't know which absurd scenario is more improbable (yes I do).

Evaluation: Golden Sky 6

So... yeah. Lately, I'm in this "work -> check forums, blogs, webcomics, and other internettery -> holy shit it's midnight -> sleep -> work" cycle. I'm not sure why, but I'm having less free time that I used to ("free" time defined as time not spent in activties part of my daily cycle, which means forum time is not free time). And writing time is a subset of free time. Plus, I'm trying to teach myself Python, which eats into my writing time even more. And then I'm unmotivated and blah. So shit like this happens, when I don't write for weeks. The obvious solution is restructure my daily activities to give writing higher priority, but I'm terrible at implementing obvious solutions that cut into my easy recreation time. I'm working on it.

At least, Saturday I managed to get my ass properly geared and write at least a few paragraphs (from which the last post came, you may have noticed).  Writing some more now, though a part of it was a rewriting of Saturday's stuff. So, not as much done in net wordcount, but at least better in quality. Some parts of what I wrote were so ad hoc they deserved to be killed.

So there's where I am right now, fixing a mess into slightly better mess. I'll do that reprioritising thing, if it works I should have this finished soon, if it doesn't, time to find something else.

One day I'll find a way of self-improvement that doesn't rely on piling hacks after hacks. Maybe. Then again , maybe not, the human brain was not exactly built to be reworked from the inside into something better. Hope them AI scientists hurry up so I can both upload my mind to computer and rework it into something functional. Maybe someone else would approach something more structured that doesn't involve turning into a cyborg, but virtually anything on that front seems to come from a consortium of snake oil pedlars and woo fluff-bunnies (Both sell you bullshit that doesn't work, but the former charge more and know they're lying)

Evaluation: Golden Sky 5

Yes, it is Tuesday, and not Monday. Sorry about that, no real excuse other than "by the time I remembered it was way too late to get started and I needed to sleep". (One day I'll figure out why I apologise to imaginary readers, but today is not that day).

In somewhat better news, progress! I'm pretty sure where everything fits now, all that's left to figure out is whether to fill one particular blank spot or leave it blank. I'm tending towards the latter option, will be what happens if I don't get any good ideas to fill it with this week. Not long till the end, now, I think, but I have a habit of being wrong about that.

I'm thinking of eliminating one aspect of the story that gets almost no mention, but it just might survive to the end and the big "action scene". I'm terrified of writing that, I suck at action, but I need to learn some time, right? (I want to, at any rate).

Other than that, I'm kinda annoyed about Anna's dialogue, it sounds too adult. She's supposed to be 10 (in this particular part) and I have no idea how to write her to be more childlike but still herself, mostly because her character is built around her being unusually smart. So she talks about deep stuff (sort of), and it sounds older than it should. Very tempting to just say "fuck it" and leave it at that. Shitty, but very tempting.

Not much else to say. This week better be productive.

Evaluation: Golden Sky 4

Blergh. Two straight weeks without an update, and I only really have an excuse for the first one. The second one was mostly "Yay, no more studying, let's do something fun!" which got me to basically gaming at all my free times. Even this past weeks I've been doing mostly that, though I managed to pull off a few things.

So, developments, wrote very little, but solved the biggest problem with the plot so far. In two stories, no less, one of 'em being Golden Sky and the other my work-in-progress novel, provisionally titled Project Tapir (not really, but I'll refer to it as such until I find a better title than the one it has right now). Technically evaluations are supposed to be about Psychflares that arebeing written, but hey, it's writing, so I'll babble about that for a minute. 

So, Project Tapir is a fantasy novel I began plotting, um, two years ago or so. It has undergone several bajillion changes, to the point it has basically nothing to do with the original except the genre. To give an example: One of my characters, Sophia, began as the protagonist of the first major incarnation (meaning when I began writing it as opposed to just thinking about it). By the time I said "Well, this sucks" and restarted, she was one of many viewpoint characters. Third start, the one I'm currently at, she no longer appears in the story. The plot is also ridiculously different, it began as epic struggle to save the world, now it's political intrigue and separatism. The only reason it qualifies as a single book as opposed to two or three different ones is that the changes are gradual, so I began by adding a few characters, changing a few aspects of the world, diminishing some roles, phasing out annoying details, and before you know it your protagonist is demoted to extra and might not even exist.

Though I believe it has greatly improved. Take Mielen, for example, a relatively early arrival that has had a few ups and downs in relevance. When she first appeared, she was basically a physical goddess, in terms of power at least. Over time, I de-Mary Sue'd her (it was difficult, I'd grown quite attached to her overpoweredness), and now she's still powerful and probably needs further nerfing, but no longer has the whole "THE GODS THEMSELVES COWER BEFORE MY MIGHT!" thing going on. She's also no longer part dragon (seriously, my shittiness as a writer never ceases to amaze me). The backstory for the universe no longer requires mysteriously ancient people with lost magicks, elven and dragon societies make a lot more sense and have a few original twists, the plot is actually tolerable and somewhat original, etc. And, today, I even solved one of the bigger holes left in the plot by the latest rewrite. I'm not sure how long it'll take me to finish it, and how long after that to deshittify it. But hey, progress.

So, as for that other thing I'm writing and that is in the title of this post... well, not much to say, really. Just, figured out something that was annoying me, if I get more focused this next week I'll be able to make some serious progress. If not, then, fuck me.

Evaluation: Golden Sky 3

Hurray for updates. Busy this week, don't expect an evaluation on Monday (standard "unless I get really productive on Monday itself" disclaimer applies)

So, Jack is now officially Jack, by which I mean I have decided that yes, that'll be his name, or at least what people call him (not sure what his birth name is, which you'll notice is often something I tend to omit). Though he has another weird nickname in the community. I couldn't resist. Anna has been mentioned by name as well, by now her place in what's to come is clear, even if "what's to come" is not. From the writing, at least, I actually do have a pretty decent idea of what the big event is in my head, but it takes a bit more background to show it. Probably in the next scene

Wrote and rewrote a part, which was sounding quite awful. It's somewhat better now, but I'm still not happy with it (I never am, with dialogue). Eventually I'll get the hang of it. Eventually. Maybe.

What's coming up is a pretty big part I'm not sure how to write, it's kind of something the plot hinges on so I don't want to simply handwave it away, but it's tricky to find a decent explanation. Still, I know I'll be much happier with myself and with the story if I can make it work, and it shouldn't be that hard. I'm feeling confident.

So... um, characterization, I suppose is coming along, maybe somewhat not really. Jack, possibly. Anna, she's just appeared, and her character has undergone much rewriting I'm still not sure what will show up in Golden Sky and what died with Under the Surface. So I have to work on that. This next part, again, pretty much key for that.

As for the rest of the plot, well, it's not entirely clear right now, but I know the rough aspects of it. Like I keep observing, writing is so much easier when I have an ending to work towards, instead of a beginning to work from. And Golden Sky's final scene just so happens to be its introduction, so I know the ending quite concretely. All a matter of getting there, now, and I can pull that off. My life is gonna get rescheduled quite a bit staring next Monday, so writing time is unpredictable, but if it all goes well I might be close to finishing this. But I'm not getting my hopes up, just yet. As always, we'll see.

Evaluation: Golden Sky 2

Welp, this is coming along.. Somewhat. It might go faster once I get more free time, which should be somewhere about two weeks from now. Regardless.

Right now I'm working on our nameless narrator's backstory, to whom I'll provisionally refer to as Jack. I'm not sure that'll be his name, I'm not even sure if he'll be a he, but Jack works for now. Anyway, it's one I've worked with in many variations over the years, so I'm happy to at last write it down for someone. Though it means I won't be able to use it anymore. Or at least not as much.

I'm still unsure about one key aspect of the plot, but I can't find any alternatives. I don't think they are possible. Sure, a few variations here and there, but the core is still the same. So I'll just have to give it my best shot at that and hope it doesn't suck. Other than that, I'm working on how Jack meets Anna, which is in a sense the beginning of the story proper, instead of the Jack's backstory (Anna's backstory being mostly Graduality and possibly referred to in passing in the meeting).

I have to flesh out the Illuminated interactions a bit more, since  it's at the core of the plot (Illuminated are people like Jack and Anna, you'll find out about them eventually). Specifically why it's so chaotic, which is a new development but does help explain the conflict between Jack and Anna, on two different levels. Right now It's kind of handwaved away, I'll have to work on a real reason at some point, will make the story more satisfactory. Probably.

So that's all I have for now, see you in a week if I wasn't swallowed by studying.