3,137

Off to a good start with 3,137 words in the first night, or approximately 6% of the 50,000 goal. If I keep this pace, I'll change my personal goal to writing the complete novel of The Arctic Heart by the end of the month.

It's going more easily than my last experience two years ago either because I'm too tired at the moment to be distracted or because I know the plot and beats of this story much better. It's shorter and simpler.

I'm very excited right now because I love this part, the beginning. But then, I love most parts of this story. I'm on Chapter Five, but we're still in kind of the introduction. I don't want to give too much away, but here's an excerpt.

"Atop the stabbing grooves of the table and between his arms, laying bare below rolled up sleeves, is a drawing, a worn crease across it's middle where it has been folded, the lower half discolored from the damage of water and a corner very slightly burnt. It is of a woman sitting in a long flowing pink dress with a high white collar. She holds a single carnation in her clasped hands and has the posture and appearance of regality, but for her irreverent, crooked smile and the one curl of auburn hair falling from atop her head to grace the side of her cheek. Two young boys stand beside her in the picture, the taller at the back with his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. They are no more than 10 and 8, with dark hair like their mother and are as equally well-dressed. In their eyes is a look of mischief and its suggested presence just past the picture's borders."

Things to remember as I update: This is unrevised and potentially incorrect in terms and even grammar, spelling and sentence structure. Hell, it might even come off as boring. My main goal right now is to get a structure down, and have fun with detail as I'm inclined.

It helps with focus to have music I don't have to change. And setting small goals, like 500 words in 15 minutes, or 1000 in 20 minutes, helps to reach the overall goal, which will probably be 3000 to 5000 words in a substantial sitting.

And for those of you following along with me, thanks for the encouragement and support! If you're writing, I hope it's going well for you, too!