On reaching the finish line

Okay, so I've finally hit the 50,000 word quota...all in 5 days before the deadline. I'm still half-satisfied though. The scene is right smack in the middle of the naval battle in Baleares, and I'm not really feeling what I'm writing. Nonetheless, I will have to get this scene over and done with in order to get to the part that I'd want to write most---and that is shipping my 3 MCs to the New World.

Funny how I've slowed down to a pathetic crawl after 50k. I don't feel like a winner, not when I'm not entirely satisfied with the current state of the scenes unfolding in the story.

I just want to get this over and done with! D:

The long overdue update

I am procrastinating yet again to update this blog about this crazy project that I signed up for. And judging by the date today, man, I've been so lazy in updating this blog. I've been caught up with work and with the everyday task of coughing up 2,000 words for this novel. Let me just tell you about my roller coaster journey so far.

ONE. I will have to revise the novel title & synopsis because frankly speaking, the 13 chapters I've written so far doesn't even come close to the synopsis I came up with. Heck, the 3 main characters (MCs) haven't even immigrated to GE just yet! *headdesk*

TWO. Despite the above-mentioned reason to run around like a headless chicken, I am quite actually pleased on how the background story's turning out. Most of the scenes I've imagined and committed to each chapter were actually included in the game's backstory. YAY! My weird imagination is actually being useful for a change.

THREE. There might be a possibility that this 50k word fanfic novel will just tackle the story of the Old World, meaning just Orpesia (Vespanola, Oporuto, Brestia, Targa and Illier). Oh, and there's also smatterings on the beginnings of Granado Espada thrown in for good measure. The origins of my 3 MCs are also included here, but since I am not Jesus and I can't work miracles, I don't think I have enough firepower to flesh out the GE story we all know in-game.

FOUR. Concurrent to that thought, God willing if I still have that burning passion to write about the game, then probably NaNoWriMo 2010 will be the sequel to this year's novel. By that time, hopefully, I'd have done proper research on the quests, starting from the Pioneering storyline down to the Masquerade arc. This one takes major research, and I will have the time to do so if I shelve this part of the story for next year.

FIVE. I am at woe. It's the 2nd to the last week of November and my scenes are crawling like shat. However, I am planning an exciting scene which will hopefully end the novel at more than 50k words---and that's the time the 3 MCs will be shipped to the New World. Hopefully I have enough scenes to get to that part.

Just for the record, here's my word count breakdown for the past few weeks:

Day 1: 5016
Day 2: 7449
Day 3: 9812
Day 4: 11980
Day 5: 14109
Day 6: 16252
Day 7: 18438
Day 8: 20561
Day 9: 22264
Day 10: 23329
Day 11: 25016
Day 12: 27154
Day 13: 28824
Day 14: 30929
Day 15: 33098
Day 16: 35144
Day 17: 37186
Day 18: 39281
Day 19: 41471
Day 20: 43652

I did mention that I am running into a bit of scene stump, right? Well, I got past that when I introduced the cameo appearance of the Falkenhausen Family in the story. I am LOLing the whole time these guys talk...have you ever heard people speak of themselves like there's nothing between their ears but thin air? That's the stuff I'm talking about. LOL mode!

“Oh, do you really think so, Lehre? I had to memorize the spell you taught me for an entire week and it was very difficult at first, but then I said to myself that if ever I am going to be a good enough Elementalist, I have to be like my brother Lehre, and Lehre is really great and all, but I have to be great as well. But then, I lost the piece of parchment you gave me where you wrote the spell, and I did not want to ask you for another copy because I know you can be quite grouchy when I ask you to repeat what you have taught me, so I tried my very best to recall the chant you told me to memorize, and I did! I did remember! It was very nice, kind of like this furry Shapka hat that is so fluffy that I love hugging it when I am not wearing it over my head.” --- Alia Falkenhausen, Chapter 13

See what I mean? LOOOOOOL! I love these guys for rescuing me from a perpetual state of boredom!

[Preview] The diary of Ferrucio Espada

Ferrucio Espada and his Dear Diary

Day 5 of NaNoWriMo. I am at 14,109 words with 6 chapters and still building the background story around Orpesia in general.

I've finally set the pace to talk about the voyage of Ferrucio Espada which will inadvertently lead him to discover the New World. To help me paint a better picture of it all, I've been researching about Christopher Columbus.

I just realized that there are a lot of similarities drafted with the fictional character of Mr. Espada with that of 'ol Chris, although the circumstances or the story behind their similar discovers were somewhat different.

And yes, Pioneers, the Pinta did exist. It was one of the fleets that sailed with Columbus in the 15th century.

Since good 'ol Chris kept a seafarer's diary to chronicle his perilous adventure out in the ocean, I thought maybe I should give Mr. Espada similar treatment as well. And without further ado, here's a short preview of Mr. Espada's Dear Diary moments. XD

Today, we ran at about 7 ½ knots, sometimes at 9 knots. Approximately, we made 177 miles, but I told the crew 132 miles; it seems they cannot stand it any longer. They mutter incoherent things under their breaths, yet I know that they mock and slander me for dragging them to this long voyage. I accuse them for their lack of spirit and their deliberate disobedience to me, their captain. I had to tell them repeatedly of the oaths they swore before the king to see to the end of this mission. I tried to lift their spirits as best as I could, telling them all about the rewards we will all reap once we accomplish our task, but to no avail.

They said it was insanity on their part to risk their lives, regretting the very pledge about swearing allegiance to me in this journey. Some feel that they have already reached the point in the voyage where no man has gone before and are thus not required to go to the end of the world with such dwindling provisions and lack of resources for the trip back home.

Some of my trusted men (who continue to dwindle in number as we go about this perilous quest) told me that if I continue to persist, the men will throw me into the sea when I am asleep. They will then craft this tale that I fell overboard while taking the position of the North Star with my maps.

There are times when I had to bite back my tongue in agreement to their complaints; I too feel that this journey has been an act of lunacy on my desire to embark on a new adventure. As much as I love a good exploration as any sailor, I do not want it to be at the expense of these men whose families are still awaiting their return back home. Yet, I am confident that if I lose command of this expedition, the flotilla will never reach Katai, and will most probably never make it back to Oporuto.

I still pray to God that He will give me the strength and the perseverance to see through all this and show us the way.