Tag: progress updates

Yesterday marked 30 consecutive days of writing on The Flower Key Rebellion! I’m celebrating!

It’s been years since I was able to face my writing so seriously and consistently. Being able to track my progress with the tools on the NaNoWrimo website has made a huge difference, honestly. 💕

At 30 Days, I’m about two days’ worth of writing ahead — which is practically a miracle, considering how many days behind I was for a while there. After several days spent writing to the exclusion of most else, I finally caught up and surpassed the trajectory goal, and now I am 22,000 words deep. It’s only a quarter of the way through the first book, but the sense of accomplishment at having been consistent for so long now is amazing!

A lot of changes have happened, even as I worked on this draft. I even started out labelling the volumes I and II Chronicle. They have individual names now — The Gathering and The Scattering.

The first chapter has been an interesting trip all this time, but I’ve added more scenes, more information, and even dared to mention characters that won’t make an appearance yet — *le gasp*! But it’s amazing how freeing and telling it’s been, how informative, how much connection has been built, just by going ahead and bringing in those characters.

As an example, imagine that you have a main character that’s been written as a loner the whole book, and then 3/4ths of the way through… GASP, their best friend that was off attending basic training for the military returns home! But… author, dear author, your character apparently hasn’t thought about them or had their actions influenced by them even once this whole time…?

Amplify that by (at least) four times and you have what I’m doing here. 😂

It’s great to see the connections our main characters have with other people affecting them organically. A natural connection, a quiet, familiar connection… people aren’t built in a plastic bubble, and seeing how others have made their mark on you(r character) is a beautiful thing indeed.

There have also been redesigns! Again! But I think I’m finally throwing off the last vestiges of under-thinking from this story’s earlier incarnations, thank God. 😅 Here’s hoping you’ll love them as much as I do once I get them drawn. 💖

Keep on going. Keep on hoping.

~Aviva Godfrey

New year, and at last I enter the classes connected to my thesis project!

Kitheriyan Chronicles series, The Flower Key Rebellion: I Chronicle, is up to just over 2k words on it’s current draft. I don’t think I can even count how many times I’ve started and restarted — a good half-dozen, at least — but I’m quite pleased with the direction it’s headed this time. I actually went back to my very oldest draft (in my memory, because I don’t think the document even exists anymore) and used the opening frame I employed there. So much better!

If you would like to follow along on the progress, I’m currently tracking my efforts on NaNoWrimo’s website, as it has ways for you to record time and word count, etc. on projects. 💖

Chapter 1 has just come to a close, and today begins Chapter 2. It sounds so early! It’s hard to think of all the drafts, research, and background work put into the story when the word count currently related to it is so small, but I hope you will all keep an eye out for it. 💕

Keep on Going. Keep on Hoping.

~Aviva G.

I kind of plaster it everywhere (I’m a little proud of myself; just a little), but I’m attending Southern New Hampshire University online, working on my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Well, I upped my class load to two this semester and it’s a little hairy getting started… but I think I’ll manage. Hopefully.

*cue internal screaming*

But well, in my Storytelling class it’s time to start pitching the idea that’s going to evolve into our thesis project — a full-on novel! I’m sure it’s super scary for a lot of my classmates if it’s their first time. If it were my first time, I’d be like, “OMG WHAT DO I DO.”

I still kind of was feeling like “OMG What do I do?” but thankfully I overthink everything.

So while I have pages up and labeled Coming Soon for All-Purpose Junkie and Happy Angel!, I’ve decided to work on the epic fantasy that’s been stalking me for 15 years.

Kitheriyan Chronicles: The Flower Key Rebellion

Kitheriyan Chronicles is, properly, the series name. The Flower Key Rebellion is the centerpiece, the original inspiration for this universe; and from it blooms a myriad of stories that I can’t wait to write for you. I may not have a book to hand you right off, but small mercies, I’ve been hoarding art for the characters for ages. Take a look around the gallery and look forward.

Keep on Going. Keep on Hoping.

~Aviva G.