#WIPMarathon Update #9

Last report wordcount and chapter count/scene count: I was at 15K of Shiny Book 2! I was also working on two novellas.

Current report WC + CC/SC: I finished my draft at 76K! :D

I also reached 16K of this novella, so that's 4K added this month.

I also worked on several rounds of (intensive!) edits on Shiny New MS based on feedback from two rounds of readers. I cut/rewrote close to 10,000 words (it's now 79K). And I still love it! ^_^

And my first round of publisher edits on Darkworld Book 3 came in from my awesome editor! So... more edits. *brain explodes*

WIP Issues this month: Not so much a writing issue as a technological one, but I kind of broke another laptop. (Or rather, a certain book broke it :P) So I had to replace it with a new desktop computer (which is awesome!) and deal with all the technological.. stuff.

Also, juggling, an inevitable consequence of getting editorial notes on a different project while working on a draft! It meant pulling out my brain and shaking it a bit so it wanted to work on the right series, which was a bit more difficult than I expected! I wish my brain came with a project switch...

Four things I learned this month in writing:

• Hmm... you know, it's been another rollercoastery month (publishing!), but I think (I hope!) I'm starting to just... write through it. The first half of this year, I really struggled with constant knockbacks kicking my progress off-track, whereas now, something "meh" happens and I kind of give it a glance and then carry on writing anyway!
• I learned that it's totally okay to stop mid crazy-drafting mode and fix major issues before they steamrollered out of control. I was THAT close to the end of my draft, but some issues were just annoying me so much that it was stopping me making progress until I went back and fixed them. (My OCD means that when something's bugging me, it's REALLY bugging me, so I had to do it, really!) I ended up cutting 3000 unnecessary words and adding a couple of new scenes, and the words just started flowing again!
• ...that's all I've got. *falls asleep*

What distracted me this month when writing: ICELAND! *ahem*

Goal for next month: Hmm... I wasn't going to do NaNo, but based on the way this series has been going so far, I might give it a try for Shiny Book 3! Or perhaps some short stories. I still need to finish Darkworld edits, though. (Then again, I got over 50K this month without even realising it, so there is hope!)

Last 200 words: Book 2 is spoilery, so this is from the latest version of the first book! 

Skyla grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the way of a swiping claw. The monster reared up to its full height, letting out a roar loud enough to make my eardrums hurt. Claws slashed madly, and the beast drove us further and further back, out into another, narrower corridor.

“We’ve got to lure it away,” I gasped, my dagger suddenly feeling like a flimsy knife in comparison to those claws.

“This way!” Skyla pulled me down a side-tunnel, panting, hair plastered to her face with blood from a cut on her cheek. The wyvern screeched, angry its prey was escaping, and struck out – we backed up further down the tunnel. The ceiling was narrow, so I’d hoped the wyvern wouldn’t be able to fit, but as it dropped to the ground and began to slither in a rapid, snake-like movement, I knew we’d driven ourselves into a bigger trap. Skyla’s nails dug into my arm. We backed away further and further and as its teeth snapped, pure panic took over.

We ran, the beast’s cries echoing behind us, faster, faster – claws swiped at our backs and I felt my coat tear, shredded to ribbons. Another swipe, and the dagger clattered from my hand. No!

No time to stop. My heart pounded in tandem with our frantic steps as we ran through corridors even I didn’t know, until I skidded to a halt at a dead end.

Dead. We were dead.