Usually, I post these self-shaming updates on Sunday, but I was too busy watching Roger Federer reclaim the top spot in men’s tennis.
One must have clearly defined priorities, right?
In between break points, I did manage to pull myself away from the television long enough to take a good hard look at my WIP. I haven’t really done that since JuNoWriMo ended. I was a little scared, but it wasn’t all that bad. There are parts that work, parts that don’t, parts that scream WTF. It could have been worse. It needs to be better.
After reading through 90 or so pages of material, I decide that Anna needed a brother. So, I added him, and then I killed him. Cold, I know, but necessary. It will add an emotional element and focus to the story that I felt was lacking. Of course, adding (and killing) an important new character means that the underlying dynamic of my story has changed and therefore, an outline revision is in order.
I can’t tell you how much that thrills me. You know, because outlining is my favorite part about the writing process.
Moving on. I want to take a minute to acknowledge and thank Julie over at Word Flows for the Lucky 7 Meme Award she tossed my way a couple of weeks ago. These sort of things always put a smile on my face. Thank you, Julie!
Of course, this one is a little different from most. It requires giving up a piece of my WIP for the world to see. That’s not something I am comfortable doing outside of my writing group. If it had been anyone else, I would have bowed out, but for Julie, I will do it.
The Lucky 7 Meme Award Rules are as such:
1. Go to the 7th or 77th page of your work in progress. 2. Go to the 7th line of the page. 3. Copy the next 7 sentences or paragraphs. Remember, they must be as they are typed. 4. Tag 7 authors. 5. Let them know they’re it!So, here are my 7 lines – unedited and raw.
That’s all I’m willing to give.
“Rome, however, remained constant. The streets and lanes were still narrow and winding, paved in worn uneven cobbles. The stucco facade of the old buildings were still faded and covered in graffiti. Smart cars, motor bikes, and scooters still clogged every conceivable inch of space. Life moved on.
Anna inhaled. Even through the fog of her grief, it felt good to be home.
She didn’t live far from the piazza, just around the corner on the Vicolo Moroni, a street so confined she could touch the walls on either side. Her flat was on the top floor of a Renaissance era structure the color of salmon. A heavy wrought iron gate shielded an intimate courtyard with a bubbling fountain and potted orange trees from view. The entrance to the…”
There you have it. Doesn’t tell you much, does it?
***There seems to be a formatting difference. In Word, this excerpt is truly 7 lines.
Of Bears and Boating 
You seem to handle killing off characters better than I do. When it’s necessary, I can do it but I definitely give myself lots of doubting room and chances to change my mind. Killing characters and breaking up characters that are happy are two of the hardest things for me to do as a writer. Good luck with the outline revision
I went into this story with the notion that all of the characters are expendable – well, all of them except Anna. I have a list of who will live and who will die. I have racked up quiet the body count, but that is also the nature of the genre. I think that makes it easier for me to let them go. There is one who character who is slated to die that I have mixed feelings about killing. He is a patriarchal figure who Anna adores. It will be hard to see him die.
The revisions are going well. I hope to be done soon. Thanks!
Thank you! That means a lot.
Nice, cool excerpt. I like the idea or a murdered brother – there are a lot of possibilities and implications with that situation.
Thanks, Bill. I have been playing with the idea for a while but finally decided to do it.
As always, you are awesome!!!
🙂
Woohoo! I’m special! And in a good way, for once. Now that’s awesome.
I have to say, I love the sense of place in that excerpt. 7 lines will never tell you a lot (probably why I inevitably cheat and do something longer), but you’ve painted such a vivid picture, infused with emotion.
This is exactly why I tagged you. 😀