progress!

For the past two weeks, I have been ill.  First, a head cold, and then that traveled down and made itself at home in my lungs.  I hadn’t gotten any writing done between the last post and last Thursday (when I finally started feeling human again).

That being said, I have managed to turn that around.  As of the 14th of July, I had 15,000 words, and five chapters.  As of today, I have 25,000 and nine chapters written.  So, yes: progress is being made.  And I do plan to churn out another chapter tonight.

Like with The Godshead and Highway to Tartarus, the chapters of Fire and Forge are self-contained, but interconnected short stories.  There’s a bit of a plot–boy meets girl, stuff happens, they overcome stuff, and work on happily ever after (because that takes more work than overcoming the stuff to get to the ever after part)–but not a whole lot other than that.  There are some that are bright and fun, and some that are darker and more depressing, much like life.

And yes, I fully acknowledge that few are interested in mythology, but the characters won’t shut up until I’ve written their stories.

At the rate I’m going, I’m hoping to have this finished within another three weeks or so.  I really am.  I won’t count on it, but there’s a chance… and then I can rewrite it and then hand it off to beta readers.

I’m still playing with several different novel ideas for over November (when my students will be working on their research paper) and December (when we’re out for Christmas break), but don’t know yet which one will decide it’s ready to be written.

I’ll just have to see which characters in my head are the loudest and the most annoying when the time comes…

Update

This time last week, I had around 6,000 words written.  As of today, that total is a hair over 15,000.  Five story/chapters finished.  And 26 more to go.

Honestly, I’m having trouble finding the time and energy to write this one.  I’m trying, like I do every summer, to get the house in better, more easily maintained as livable, shape for the school year, when I’ll have less time and energy to keep up with it.

Sad to say, but writing, as much as I need to do it, is at the bottom of my priorities list.  It doesn’t keep my house, takes time away from caring for the kids, and I don’t sell enough to pay the bills.  I seriously don’t have the resources–time or money–to spend promoting my work so that it sells better, either.

Speaking of housework and kids…

The kids are old enough now to really be able to help with housework.  Daniel, my son, can put all of his laundry away by himself.  Kathryn still needs help sorting it into types, and getting it into the right drawers.  Kathryn feeds the dog, and Daniel holds the 20 foot leash when the dog is in the front yard.  Both kids put their dirty dishes in the sink.  Both kids clean their own rooms daily, and help with the living room.  And Daniel has started using the dust buster on the couch, after they eat granola bars for breakfast.

This means that I have more time and energy for other parts of the housework, and leaves more energy to write.

So, bottom of the priorities list, yes, but I’m able to do more with help.

Updates

I still don’t have the cover art for the children’s book, or for the short story.  And I am still working on Fire and Forge.

I had a bit of a hang-up, on the last chapter.  I couldn’t quite see how the various deities understood the travel method Hephaestus worked into the cars.  I got that sorted out, and so far have just under 10,000 words, with 28 planned chapters to go.

As for life issues…well, they’re still there.  I’m dealing.  It’s just slowing down the writing process quite a lot.