Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Words on Wednesday: Progress on my WIP

Once again I have posted a chapter of Veiled in Shadows.
In this chapter Katharina argues with her father over her love affair with Ebi. Also an engagement is announced.

Now to what I am going to talk about tonight…

I said last Wednesday that Deb surprised me with a new Netbook.

My time on the train has suddenly become amazingly productive. On my way into the city my station is the first on the line so I always get a seat. I put on my headphones to block out the World and I write (or think) for a solid hour before I have to get off at my stop.

On the way home mine is the fourth city stop so the train is usually full when I get on. Standing room only! But somewhere between a third and a half of the way home enough people get of to allow me a seat. So there is another precious 30 or 40 minutes to work.

This is simply bliss. My WIP (Veiled in Storms) has been languishing while I have been getting Veiled ready for publication. Now suddenly it is full steam ahead again.
You’ll have to forgive my nautical metaphor, but I’m writing about Ronnie my Royal Navy character at the moment.

Now a sample of what I wrote today. Please bear in mind that this is very much a first draft. I’ve done nothing to it (not even a rough edit this is literally just pasted out of my “scribble” file) and the way I write this scene may never make it into the book. It could easily end up just as ‘back story’.

With out further ado I give you Ronnie somewhere in the North Atlantic:

The light on the destroyer's bridge flashed and stuttered so fast that I couldn't keep up. I turned to Rogers, my signalman, 'He makes '"Goodbye and good luck", sir.'
'Respond, "At least we shan't have to put up with any more haggis" '.
Rogers grinned, and began frantically clattering on the shutter of our signal lamp. I stared at the wake of the departing destroyer. She was escorting the battered convoy of merchant ships that we had helped shepherd on our way north, back to Loch Ewe in Scotland.
They were going south, but I was returning to Russian waters in my tiny ship. I had ninety men on my little vessel, but suddenly I felt more lonely than ever before.

9 comments:

Joanna St. James said...

For a 1st draft this is good, now what support group for writers spouses does she go to? my hubs needs to take a page from her book and get me an IPad and a Wii

Old Kitty said...

Oh Ronnie!!! What a tortured soul!!! Great first draft - already I am feeling his pain!!!

Thank you!!! I am inspired to try and keep awake on my hour's commute home!! :-)

Thank you for putting up your next chapter - I shall desist...!!! Cos I got my whole signed (ahem) book on its way!!! Yay!!

Take care
x

Anonymous said...

Glad your commute is now so productive.

Finished 'Veiled' yesterday and popped a review on Goodreads.

Sarah Ahiers said...

Yay for the navy! My WIP is also full of ships and the sea and a navy. Good times!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

So awesome that a new piece of equipment makes your writing soar!

Jemi Fraser said...

That's 90 minutes per day! Awesome :)

Love the haggis line!!!

RosieC said...

Thanks for sharing. Your wife sounds pretty awesome for getting you the netbook. Those are great and so much easier to carry around. Good luck with your progress!

Kathleen Jones said...

Hi Al - very glad about the netbook - I use one too, they're brilliant. Have just put up your interview and a review of the book on my two blogs. many thanks for doing it for me!

Al said...

Hi Joanna,
Thank you. That sounds like a brilliant idea for a support group!

Hi Jennifer,
I agree poor Ronnie. I am pleased you like it.
I am much better at staying awake on the train now I have a reason for staying awake.
That you do!

Hi Christine,
It makes the time more than bearable.
Thank you! Hope you liked it!

Hi Sarah,
Yay for the navy.
Although Ronnie is in the navy ships and sea won’t feature too heavily. The whole reason is to get a British point of view to my WIP which is set mainly in Russia.

Hi Karen,
It is awesome. My WIP has gone from stagnant to happening!

Hi Jemi,
90 productive minutes are about 85 a day more than I have been managing on my WIP just recently. I though the haggis line might go down well.

Hi Rosie,
Deb is pretty awesome full stop! Netbooks are brilliant, not as light as an iPad, but I think actually much more practical for word-processing. Thank you!

Hi Kathleen,
I think the netbook is so convenient, I barely know it is in my briefcase until I use it!
Thank you so much for that wonderful review and for the opportunity to do that interview, it was fun!