Daynote - Fri 19th Jul 2024
On my way to Harrogate.
An extremely early start today (thanks to the train timetables not quite lining up and the only alternative being a very early bus), but it's all worked out and I'm writing this from the train to York, and thence to Harrogate for the Crime Writing Festival. I'm there all weekend and I expected I'll probably be wandering about with a big goofy grin on my face.
ON DECK: The train ride has proven fruitful, with a cheeky 1,336 words on the new short story Ridealong. This is a fun one to write, especially as I come up with new ways to horrify myself about notional futures. And just inventing new stuff is doing good things to my brain. One of the best things about developing a sustainable writing routine has been finally getting to the point where drafting has become a real joy, rather than a painful battle of wills with my own psyche. Once you've worn that groove in your own life that tells your brain 'this is an enjoyable activity that makes you happy' it becomes so much easier to get started and get words down.
LISTENING: Jamming to Living in the Library again. I should probably vary my listening a bit.
WATCHING: Finished off SAS: ROGUE HEROES last night, before my early night. Good stuff, though it feels like it left off right when things were starting to get super interesting. Wonder if there will be another series at some point.
READING: I'd packed my eReader last night, so I started reading THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION by Donald Maass. Really good and thought-provoking piece of craft writing that's very, very focused on the impact of story. I'm enjoying it.
UP NEXT: Three days at Harrogate, woo! Then back to writing on Monday. I'm loosely aiming to finish Ridealong by the end of next week, but the story will be as long as it needs to be. So far I've written four scenes ranging in length from 500 words to 1,400 words, and I have seven or eight scenes left to write, though I suspect they will get longer as I go along. So with any luck I'll finish the draft on Thursday or so, do a quick edit on Friday and give it to my critique partners. But it might bleed over into the following week, we'll see. Then, back to outlining.