Writing Update
Scenes Arranged: 11
Total Scenes: 33
That’s a 50% increase! It doesn’t sound like much, but I feel like I have so little time to throw at writing right now that arranging that many scenes feels like a huge victory. More importantly, those 11 scenes bring me to my first major plot bone: the Inciting Incident. This is going to be a powerful set of scenes that light the match on the plot and I can’t wait to get the scenes arranged for it. I’m starting to feel the momentum coming on.
Reading Update
Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy: Finished
Vengeful: 36%
This is a new section I want to include that highlights what I’m reading and how I’m doing with it. Having the Writing Update above has helped keep me accountable to get SOMETHING done every day on that front. This section will function much the same way for me.
Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy was a surprisingly good short story by JY Yang. The ending came out of nowhere and was so satisfying. I’m looking forward to this author’s Tensorate novels even more now.
As for Vengeful, anyone who knows me knows that it’s no secret that V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors. It was her Shades of Magic series, specifically A Darker Shade of Magic, that reignited my love of reading. Vengeful, the second novel in her Villains series, is exquisite in its construction, just like Vicious was, but feels more focused. It’s great and I’m devouring it as fast as I can.
Personal Update
Lora and I are ONE WEEK AWAY from celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary! This is so exciting for us. Two days before that, we’ll celebrate six years together. It sounds cliche to say, “Where has all the time gone?” but we talk regularly about that very subject. It seems like we just met and yet, we have this whole life around us. It’s incredible and a blessing and I love it and her all the more for it. I’m extra excited because I’ve got stuff planned and am excited to reveal it to my bride.
I know. We’re sickening. You can throw up on my blog now. It’s cool.
Discussion Topic – Want vs. Need
There are two aspects to this: personal and literary.
Personally, this comes down to a heart of gratitude. It’s something that we’ve taught our kids. When we point it out, they get it right away. In the US, we’ve grown so accustomed to say “I need” as a hyperbolic expression of “I really REALLY want.” In truth, our wants will always outpace our means so if we focus on our needs being met, we will end up much happier. That’s why when my wife asks me what I want for special occasions, my answer usually comes down to “time.”
Oh! The heart of gratitude. By focusing on our needs, when those are met, we are grateful for the fact that we DON’T have mortal needs anymore. With that gratitude activated inside of us, we start spreading it around. For me, I start being grateful for the sunrise and a breeze on my face. I’m even grateful for my kids during the rare moments they bicker because I HAVE them and love them and that need within me is met.
Now, from a literary perspective, this affects characters on a deep spiritual and moral level. Their Want (capitalization intended) is the thing they’re chasing from the beginning of the story (or often before). It’s what drives them through a good portion of the narrative. Their Need is what will allow them some self-realization and self-actualization to become a better version of themselves. Their Need is what is necessary for them to grow as a character. Some characters get what they need by the end of a story, some don’t, but it is always there. [Credit to @KMWeiland for teaching this to me through her fantastic books on writing craft. If you are looking for more information or primers on the art of writing, check out her site here.]
So how does ALL this apply?
For me, it’s perspective. Characters in books are just thinner versions of real humans. The problems of the lesser version are no less real for those of us walking about as the heroes of our own stories. If we can pivot our attention and intention from what we want to what we need, we can experience greater levels of satisfaction and lower levels of anxiety and fear.
And wouldn’t that be great?
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG