Past the first hurdle

Dawning Suns has passed 5000 words. Now, during Nanowrimo, I would do that during one day's sprint, but the difference is that I'm actually thinking about what I'm writing this time. Sadly, I'm not liking it any better. Too forced, too bland, too boring ... you know how it is.

Next hurdle is, of course, having three chapters complete. Three chapters are what you sell your book with (to some publishers), and so they have to pretty much stand up and dance. Like the frog. With the tophat. You know.

So once I get to the end of chapter three, and hopefully around 9000 words or so, I'm actually going to stop and edit. I know that They tell you to just get the rough draft out first, then edit, but there it is. Have to be contrary.

I've gotten some more notes about the short story affectionately named "Steampunk Ireland." I think I'll be using that one as my "busman's holiday" When the sands of Egypt get to be too much, I'll slip over to the stilted language of Victoriana and the cool depths of Irish bogs. Something like that, anyway.