Writing.

I re-named this part, instead of Plotting it’s now Writing and will hold anything and everything about coming up with and writing new stories.

Not a lot of actual progress this week, but I have made some HUGE progresses when it comes to understanding my own process. My main focus at the moment is collecting raw material and ideas for the trilogy I’m working on. I will also focus a lot on getting in to a solid writing routine that will include a lot of free writing and writing exercises.

Revising.

Well, since a lot has happened this last week I haven’t done as much revision as I had wished. But I think I’m doing pretty good anyway. I might not have revised as many pages as I had wanted to but I have come up with some solid ideas that will make the story better.

As to the plan of getting the story ready for December 1st, well… that’s not going to happen. My head isn’t in the right place at the moment to reach that date. I won’t set a new date but I’ll keep working on it and make it the best I can. When it’s ready it’s ready. No stress.

Documentaries.

• When Aliens Attack

What I read.

• My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking
• Fate by Amanda Hocking
• Flutter by Amanda Hocking
• Wisdom by Amanda Hocking
• Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh (The Psy-Changelings Series, Book 2)
• All Fired Up by Kristen Painter

I’ve been working on my Swedish folklore trilogy this week. At the moment I’m focusing on research and building the world, the culture and such. Having lots of fun with it and I’m SO looking forward to spending 24/7 in this world once Wild Magic is finished.

Revising.

Progress is slow but steady on Wild Magic. I’m a little bit behind on my schedule but fingers crossed it’ll be ready in time. If not, no big deal… I won’t rush it. Just under 70% done.

I know that I’ll have to go through it a couple of more times but I know that each subsequent pass will take a lot less time than this first one does. So I haven’t given up on December 1st quite yet.

Documentaries.

• The Haunted
• Vatican: Hidden World

What I read.

• Damian’s Oracle by Lizzy Ford
• Damian’s Assassin by Lizzy Ford
• Bound by Blood by Cynthia Eden
• The Wizard’s Spell by Cynthia Eden
• Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
• Honor Bound by Moira Rogers
• Moonshine by Moira Rogers

I love to see how fellow writers use their notebooks. So I thought I’d share random pages from my own notebook. I plan to post a new spread every Wednesday. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

I thought I’d start with weekly check-ins as a way to keep track of my progress towards my goals.

Plotting.

I’ve been researching for a new project. It’s a trilogy based on Swedish folklore. At the moment I’m gathering as much info as I can about the subject. Next up is world-building and character development.

Revising.

My goal is to publish Wild Magic on December 1st. So far I’ve revised almost 60% of the draft. 

Documentaries.

I’m consciously trying to watch more documentaries. I think it’s a great way to fill the mind with all kind of random tidbits that can be used when creating stories.

This week I’ve watched:

• Salem Witch Trial Conspiracy
• Ancient Discoveries: Rituals of Death

What I read.

• Torn by Amanda Hocking
• Ascend by Amanda Hocking
• Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory
• Toil and Trouble by H.P. Mallory

Yay me! Yesterday I reached the end of the first draft of my current wip. I’m so pleased with myself. At the moment it comes in just under 20’000 words but I reckon that when finished it will be closer to 30’000. Maybe.

Besides writing I’ve been playing around in a software called Poser. I’ve been creating a model of my main character. She’s not finished yet but it’s getting there.

I peek through the large door frame into the witch’s laboratory. She’s standing with her back towards me, bent over a big brown book surrounded with pouches and bottles filled with dragon claws, fairy hair and midsummer dew. Then I see it, the big juicy, shiny red apple sitting there waiting to be licked by me. Ooooh, what a treat this will be.

“Don’t lick anything, or I’ll turn you into a frog.” This is her usual way of greeting me ever since the incident that momentarily left me with tentacles and no tongue. The King had been mighty unhappy with both of us, but it was none of my fault. I’m almost positive about that.
She turns around, and with her crooked index finger, she points towards a stone. My heart sinks, it isn’t the apple.

I give her a stern look, trying my best to look assertive. I reach up for the stone, give it a good lick, and let the flavours roll over my tongue.
“Young stone, from the mountains. I would say some acidic sand with a hint of volcano ash… and… tarragon?”
The witch waves her hand as if she wants me to continue. There is nothing left to taste, I shrug, and put down the stone.

With a sigh she turns to her book, flipping pages while mumbling. I look at the apple and drool. I lean forward trying to get close enough for a sneak lick. I extend my tongue towards the apple.
“Stuuuuupid dwarf.” She shrieks. I flinch and my tongue misses the apple. Instead it hits the bottle next to it. The bottle tastes sweet like honey, not bad for a foreign metal, not bad at all. It also has a nice but surprising warming effect on my tongue that spreads throughout my body.
“My ears feel funny.”
“I told you to not lick anything.”
“You shouldn’t leave things on the table then, should you?” I stroke my beard, as I always do when I need courage.

I stare at the apple, willing it to come to me. I concentrate really hard, so hard that my ears points towards the apple. My ears do what?
“You’ve turned me into a fairy,” I yell. “Fairies are terrible lickerers.”
“Well, the whole of you won’t, probably, be a fairy. After all, there is quite a lot of you and you only took a teeny tiny lick.”
“I can’t have fairy ears. I can’t. There is no such thing as a fairy-dwarf, there just isn’t. You better tell me it’s reversible or I’ll do something. I swear I’ll do something.” I can’t let the other dwarfs see me with fairy ears. The jokes would never stop. Someone might try to taste them. I have to come up with a plan. I rub my small pointy nose. My small pointy what?
“And now my nose? You better get this sorted pretty quick or… or…”
“Be careful with your temper, or you’ll escalate the fairy transformation!”
“Chaaaaaaaange me back.” I wail, stomping my feet on the ground.
“Looks like we’re out of spider veins, I’ll have to improvise.” She carefully measures out a few ingredients into a small bowl, and stirs them into a thick paste.
“And you are sure it will work?”
“Well, sure… I think so. Yes.”
“And if not?”
“Hmmm…” She studies her big book again. “If not, it will complete the current transformation.”
Neither of my choices sounds good to me. You can only revert so many spells. What if I end up like a fairy all together? Oh, the humiliation. Maybe there is another way out of this? Quick thinking isn’t my strong part, but sometimes even my brain strikes gold.

I balance on my toes and lean towards the apple. I open my mouth. My tongue is only a few inches away, and I can already feel the shiny texture of the apple.
“Rana sylvatica mutari.” Her voice is loud and sharp, and she points her finger at me. A jolt runs through my body. I feel my body change, not only in size but in shape.
“Ribbit,” I croak with a smile on my face. I won’t be a fairy after all. Ok, I won’t be a Royal Lickerer either but so what? Instead I will have the most incredible tongue, and be the world’s best lickerer.

————

One Lucky Lick

Copyright © 2011 by Tanja Gustavsson