Wordcount Wednesday

So two weeks ago, I decided to take a week-long break from Failstate to prepare my entries for the ACFW Genesis Contest (a process that I haven't quite finished yet) and to try to regroup from the mess that is this first draft. Now that I've had another week to start writing again, I'm not sure the break was a good idea.

Last Thursday, as I sat at my computer and willed myself to start writing again, I was at a complete loss. It was almost as bad as starting at the beginning of a novel. Where had I left off? Oh, that's right. Is that where I should pick up? I already know that the last scene I finished before the break would be moved to an earlier part of the book during the rewrite, so it didn't make sense to pick up right where it ended. I finally picked an arbitrary spot (the wrong one, I think), and started writing and hoped for the best.

The first page or two was agonizing but before too long, the words started flowing. Failstate now stands at 45,516 words, just a little over my self-imposed halfway point. I suspect the book might be shorter than I originally intended, but we'll see.

The structure is still a colossal mess. I'm thinking when I begin the rewriting process, I'll need to tape a time-line to a wall somewhere and use Post-It Notes to figure out the way the scenes are really supposed to go. I'm not really looking forward to that. I suspect I'll be tearing my hair out at some point.

I also had some fun earlier this week. I've been having trouble picturing my characters, especially in their superheroic alter-egos. I actually wished I was still playing City of Heroes so I would still have access to their powerful character creator. But in lieu of that, I found this gem: HeroMachine 2.5. Not quite as versatile as City of Heroes, but it still got the job done.

For behold, five of my Failstate characters in their costumes:











I personally like how Failstate and Meridian turned out. Well, I'll just keep plugging away.