Progress: 30,054 words, Twelve Chapters (First draft)

What a wild ride.

This novel consistently challenges me. I’ve altered the story so much from its original concept that I’m now forced to change the title. Ghost City is now tentatively titled ‘Spread,’ (forgive my crude font work) and that title may very well change in the future. I’ve written a new synopsis you can find here.

I’m still happy working on this book. With all the missteps and journey detours, I could have easily called it off and chosen another project, but I’ve tried to embrace this adjustment process as part of embracing life as a novelist.

Having to rewrite scene summaries for the third (maybe fourth?) time has been disheartening. It’s amazing how stubborn the brain is as to what is ‘fact’ once the fingers have carried out their orders. Changing a character or an action the character has taken, places they’ve been or have yet to go seems like repositioning an immovable object, but it can be done. Being able to make those objects moveable is a foundational component for being a good writer. You must be willing to adapt.

Though my celebration for completing subsequent scene summaries has diminished, I know that each alteration gets me closer to bringing this world to life. Not everything is going on the scrap pile, which is nice, but some scenes will need rework. New scenes are making their way in. Pacing will be improved. Hopefully, the mystery and tension is better primed as well. All of this is sacrifice for improvement, and eventually I will have an actual first draft of this thing. At times it feels like slaying a dragon, but that too can be done. You don’t see many dragons around now, do you? 😉

As for my goal of a first draft by my birthday (Nov 21), it looks unlikely, but I do plan on writing every day in November. Maybe the flood gates will open. Maybe this newest path I’ve carved will set the words neatly in place. I will try, and persistence is another trait of a good writer. From creation to publication, to finding an audience, there are endless barricades to success. Those lacking persistence needn’t bother beginning.

Thank you so much for reading. Please follow, subscribe, and comment. Also, check out MovieRetakes.com for my film review podcast and film-related articles. Happy writing, everyone!