One Month

I started this blog because I wanted to have a record. To be able to go back in a year's time and see where I started, or in two years, or five. To that end, I'm going to be posting a monthly report, mainly just talking about my wordcount, what I've learned, and what stories I've finished/am working on.

When this blog was made, I hadn't written anything for over 2 years. I started back up because the dream of becoming a writer never left me, but just seemed unattainable. Until I read the indie publisher thread on Darknest. Suddenly, I had hope again. So much so that I launched myself into writing again as if I never took that years-long break.

Of course, thinking I could publish the first thing I wrote after my break was not just overly optimistic, it was fantasy. But I progressed fast over this first month, to the point where I now feel capable of producing writing of a quality worthy of being paid for. The last short story I finished this month, Purity Taken, is what I intend to be my first published work.

That will take formating and cover design, but I have confidence that I can start following the Month - Week - Day schedule of (At least) one ebook released a month, at least one blog post a week, at least 1000 words written a day. I may release some of this month's other work in a BDSM package-deal at some point later, too, but we'll see.

Monthly Words

My goal was 1000 words per day, every day. That didn't happen. My optimism had me blasting away at the keyboard at a rate I couldn't support from a cold start. That resulted in me taking two lengthy breaks (One of 3 days, another of 6), but I've decided to take it as a learning experience. While I'm still getting back into things, the best I can do for myself is to take 2 days a week off. I just can't expect to be a writing machine just yet, even if I want to.

This first month, I managed 27.636 words. I'm counting nothing but words in stories, here. I have written much, much more if blogs, forum posts and roleplay is counted, but it isn't, because I can't publish any of that. Anyway, rounded slightly, the above total puts me at 921 words per day. Considering that I spent almost a third of the month on break, I think that's alright. Not my goal, but it's close enough, giving me room to improve next month.

I have given a little thought to my long term goal, and come to the conclusion that I will try to add 250 words to my daily tally every 3 months, hopefully leaving me at 2000 words per day in a year.

What Have I Learned

Mainly things I used to know. I've rediscovered things like throwing away the much-dreaded first chapter, because it has a tendency to consist of a lot of telling of a given world rather than action. I've shrugged my habit of starting stories in an incredibly boring way to start with action instead. To start in a way that provokes interest and questions from the reader.

In other words, I need to adhere more to the screenwriting rules: Only include things that will be of direct importance to plot. If a delivery method can be done in multiple ways, choose the most simple and direct. If there are any segments that can be removed and still maintain plot integrity, do so.

In summary, the past month has been spent mostly rediscovering my old ways. How to write characters better and developing ideas. I don't think I've learned any groundbreaking new stuff, but that hasn't been the goal, either. The goal is simply to get into the habit of writing. I have much to improve on that front this next month, even if the word tally of the first puts up the lie that I did alright.

Short Stories written:

A Different Prince Charming (Futa/F, Fantasy, Rape)

Strobe Lights (M/M/F, M/F, Rape, Drugs)

Breakfast Bitch (Futa/F, D/s, Deepthroating)

Who You Are (Futa/F, D/s, Oral) - Continuation of Breakfast Bitch.

Purity Taken (M/F, Anal, BDSM, Breeding) - To be published