crypticauthourwrites

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 14 August 2025

The plans to enter the mines grow ever more complicated.

Thoughts and feelings as I work on things: Well... it's been a heck of a month. And progress has been somewhere between frustratingly slow or just frustrating

Trying to even the month of July. Some more developments at work, but that's just a daily thing. The Fic of the Month was supposed to be an old Hades idea, but I found I didn't have the passion for it.

This month is working on the original work I hope to be my next book project HSP.

One because it's a project I'm genuinely interested in. Two because it feels very relevant (maybe even a little heavy handed on the world right now). Three because when I pitch various projects to work on this is the project everyone picks (in strong part because of the title).

Yet somehow we're halfway through the month and not much progress has even happened.

I respect that personal life comes first from a hobby. On the other hand,

It's a tightrope.

One WHN, I've identified a metaphor that helps verbalise my frustrations with that.

So forever ago now, the Illustrator and I were working on a massive canvas with oil paints. The key feature being less the medium and more the Illustrator was the one at the brush and our goals were quite lofty. Bordering on unachievable.

Now instead we've moved onto a mixed-media style cross stitch hoop with me at the needle and hopes to have it be accepted to a local fair.

But we have over a decade of material we find ourselves still trying to squeeze onto the hoop and more so...

... we have a problem where

Me: working on the pattern and looking over what we have already stitch

Illustrator: runs in with excitement "You know how we have blue thread/paint/similar to evoke an ocean in our piece?"

Me: "Yeah, and we already have blue/green/so on we've already collected over the years so we're good. Plus we already have where that will be mapped out."

Illustrator: "Yeah, but I found this blue thread that's been intertwined with tinsel! That way it will evoke light refracting off seafoam and water! Oh and we'll need to put the ocean in a different spot to make sure that is perfect!"

Usually at that point we begin to unravel what work we already had and this cycle will inevitably repeat.

I want stuff on the hoop. If this is a puzzle piece we're putting together then I want corners to work off of.

That or I want to call off the project.

Which is a very very tempting thing to do.

Big personal goal is to finish one of my fics and upload another chapter to a separate fic. Plus an outline for HSP. Topping it off would be the WHN draft 3 hardpoints.

Wish me luck in the personal life too. Good luck would be nice.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 11 January 2025

The canary hasn't come back from the mines

My thoughts and feelings while I work on things: Yeah I already hit a small burnout, but not fully which is nice. Of the 11 days into the new year, I written 7. More than half. During this time I'm also learning visual art. Finding out how many resources, tips, and cheats from experienced artists has been a delight. I can't say my thanks enough to a community I just started to dip my toes into.

Today has mostly been taking in art. I did try out new brushes and the like.

The oddest thing I'm discovering, well not odd, the... I didn't see it coming, but in hindsight isn't surprising - is how roulette my mental Muse is.

How typically my mind works is - Day 1 I work on Project A then Day 2 I switch to Project B then Day 3 I'm supposed to flip back to Project A, in this instance WHN. But my mind as I'm writing one project it's hard to just go back and forth. My mind now warmed up on Day 1 and wants to continue on Project A, but so I get more done (an attempt to) I bully it into Project B.

But instead, as the olden words go, the plot bunnies do as they will

Most typically my writing is like a terrarium in a bowl. It develops and fills until I take it and tip it over. Then it needs time to refill and develop again. But now it's more like as I'm unwedging one small facet, more pour free. Even things completely unrelated. Plus the notes app and random scraps of paper or my sheer determination to try and crowbar in to my current works.

Actually an idea for a Writing Thoughts I've had is how I've seen the development of different drafts of WHN.

It's basically been a microscope. How each draft increases in precision and the vision clears up.

Final point on my mind is I finding out why, for me personally, the middle slump exists. Simply put, again just for me, is the effort. A brand new WIP is inspiration and unfettered joy. I can throw paint willy nilly or strike lines across the canvas as the vibe feels right. But the more gets invested, the more small changes need to be addressed on their ripple effects.

Just today a different direction for a scene in WHN came up, but immediately I froze because... well where does this lead? And so on.

Trying to get chapter four and maybe

[crypticauthourwrites]

a Better Sound

There's a sonnet Where a scream Would be better placed

Who taught you to heal By bleeding? When they themselves Have never seen the insides Of their own veins?

A smile is composed of teeth So too is is rage They mistook your enamel for soft

So pardon the pardon And see what spills From their throat As you teach them How one really heals.

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 1 July 2025

wordcount mines deeper than I thought, mapping has become tricky

Thoughts and feelings as I work on things: Beginning this entry in frustration. I was hoping to do development for draft 3 in June then begin initial writing of draft 3 in July and continue the momentum onwards.

But I'm nowhere near ready to actually beginning writing draft 3

Basically the things that needs to get done

do information layout per chapter

character profiles for design docs

illustrator concept art for design docs

terms coined in an reference index

And I have started to work on all those things and the Illustrator is making good progress on concept stuff, but it's still not ready. I'm not even to plotting out 50k worth of information - the supposed midpoint of the book.

Today I wanted to finish up chapters 7,8,9 or past the 30.5k~17k to the midpoint. In more exact terms:

chapter 7 - 27.5k ~ 12k

chapter 8 - 24.5k ~ 7k

chapter 9 - 21.5k ~ 2k

Which... if I do truly end up writing the latter number of 5k per chapter then by chapter ten we're already at 50k which is supposed to be big reveal turning point.

To be fair it doesn't need to be at 50k words exactly. It's more that I'm aware a first time debut novel is against all the odds. Especially with how competitive the publishing market is. One thing I hear regularly from people who publish is anything over 100k is put under greater scrutiny. Much less anything over 120k. So I want to make WHN as tight as possible to maximize that probably limited wordcount.

Another point of struggle is the solution to the book's thematic problem is community.

Which requires... some more thought I suppose. Effort if I'm being cynical. Because I could introduce hundreds of new OCs. Just dozens of characters per line, but that won't really mean much if they don't have substance.

So it's not a quantity of characters, but the quality. How do I integrate more characters into the trio's journey so there's a sense of community? As well as the integration of the Arthurian cast...?

Honestly in a perfect world I would do even more research into Arthurian canon (the jumbled mess that it is) to decide on other little details and how I want to characterise these legendary figures. Like they're free for use, but I want them to feel right and grounded in a sense that's... that can connect to others.

Meeting with Illustrator later to decide the plan for July. Here's hoping things pick up more than June

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 21 June 2025

Setting up camp outside the wordcount mines

Decent progress week though unsure if I'll be set up enough for July's draft 3 start

So goals for this week were renaming Karri Grey, giving Maris Black a new last name, starting to do chapter breakdown with a focus on when readers learn what information, and character profiles.

Illustrator is busy with real life stuff until July so that comes first.

Good news is: - Karri Grey is new Rowen Arvel - Maris Black is now Maris Starling - Prologue, chapters one through three are set up for draft three

Was working on the character profiles, but the OC template didn't save properly. So will need to redo those. Plus finishing the rest of the chapters for draft 3 which I was hoping to start in July.

Summer is terrible on my focus. What was supposed to be a warm up fic was me updating a chapter of one of my fics and making notes for other fics that I want updated or posted.

I do have to acknowledge progress has happened. Even if I'm still my own worst critic.

So this upcoming week I'll try to get greater chunks of the goals done.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 12 June 2025

charting my way to the next wordcount mines

hiatus over! (twelve days ago so let's do a status report)

The month off was needed. Got less done than I wanted or thought I would. Which is typical.

Read plenty of Urusla K. Le Guin and absorbed as much art as possible. Finally saw Sinners which was incredible. Also checked out how other people did Arthurian characterisation like "Guinevere Deception" by Kiersten White

Now almost half-way through the month, I'm hoping that I'll have all the necessary ducks in order to get started with draft 3 in July.

Already met up with the Illustrator. We both agree with my gut instinct that this will be the last Major Rewrite version from the ground up.

Things to get done before July- - answer questions I wrote during hiatus - have confirmed character details (blurbs and vital details) - have confirmed reference sketches - world terms and definitions - how information is distributed through draft 3

so far the first one has been done. Illustrator and I are touching base once a week. Right now I'm trying to finish character blurbs and the Illustrator is doing monster reference sheets.

With the 15th around the corner I want to start ironing out the info distribution cause I feel that might be the biggest headache. Wish I had a giant board where I could lay out post cards and separate them out using conspiracy string.

Concern for me is we haven't restarted, but I'm already struggling with motivation.

Not in a "I want to put the project down". I do want that. I want to write other books. It's more "should" statements that appear in cognitive-behavioural therapy. I keep tying up my own energy in what I "should" be doing.

I should be working on WHN. That's the main project. I should be updating the two fics I through up on AO3 during the hiatus. I should be making time on the other books I want to be working on. I should be working on the short story for Pride.

And in those SHOULDS doubt seeps in.

Doubt that shackles my hand entirely. Each word out is less a flow and more a painful carve into a stubborn rock.

While I keep making my efforts forward, I'm hoping to find that thing that inspires me past this fog. Put away the shoulds and such.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

1 May 2025 Cryptic Journal

Month of hiatus! Let's go!

But for one last go I thought I'd have one place where the total wordcount for WHN Draft 2

Prologue: 1,421 Chapter 1 Total - 11,767 Scene 1 - 2,031 Scene 2 - 2,682 Scene 3 - 2,021 Scene 4 - 2,131 Scene 5 - 1,260 Scene 6 - 1,642

Chapter 2 Total - 10,543 Scene 1 - 2,070 Scene 2 - 1,131 Scene 3 - 2,511 Scene 4 - 2,291 Scene 5 - 2,541

Chapter 3 Total - 26,975 Scene 1 - 1,002 Scene 2 - 1,861 Scene 3 - 1,217 Scene 4 - 1,234 Scene 5 - 2,219 Scene 6 - 2,771 Scene 7 - 2,039 Scene 8 - 2,144 Scene 9 - 3,009 Scene 10 - 3,002 Scene 11 - 2,341 Scene 12 - 2,872 Scene 13 - 1,290

Chapter 4 Total - 12,315 Scene 1 - 1,188 Scene 2 - 2,141 Scene 3 - 1,632 Scene 4 - 1,778 Scene 5 - 1,570 Scene 6 - 4,007

Chapter 5 Total - 15,140 Scene 1 - 1,084 Scene 2 - 1,047 Scene 3 - 1,343 Scene 4 - 2,005 Scene 5 - 2,155 Scene 6 - 1,411 Scene 7 - 5,195 Scene 8 - 900

Chapter 6 Total - 7,989 Scene 1 - 1,538 Scene 2 - 2,693 Scene 3 - 1,000 Scene 4 - 1,461 Scene 5 - 1,297

Chapter 7 Total - 4,591 Scene 1 - 1,310 Scene 2 - 1,218 Scene 3 - 2,063

Chapter 8 Total - 2,747 Scene 1 - 1,609 Scene 2 - 521 Scene 3 - 617

Chapter 9 Total - 4,794 Scene 1 - 1,641 Scene 2 - 1,033 Scene 3 - 1,702 Scene 4 - 418

Chapter 10 Total - 3,450 Scene 1 - 1,205 Scene 2 - 540 Scene 3 - 1,705

Whew! Glad that's taken care of! As much as it's going to get massively rewritten. As much as I call it my hiatus, if a thought for how to go about tackling draft 3 or an idea that seems cool for draft 3 come up then I do write it down.

Trying to read as much as possible during May. Especially published works. Fanfiction is comfort food, but just reading half of "The Left Hand of Darkness" already worked my brain in new ways to be deeply inspiring.

Still going to write fanfiction every day. No need to think about if the wordcount is too long or short. Or if the creative choice will go over well with a certain audience or editor. Free of having to chance down a publishing agent and hoping my work rises to the top of the slush pile. I just get to write the nonsense of stuff I know I love.

Rotating things around so sometimes a chapter or one shot will take more than a week to actually get done.

Illustrator and I plan to meet the first of June for when WHN development starts back up. Another positive is someone on here posted a really good Scrivener template that I think will help organise the new direction of draft 3. Then July will be the return.

Time for my May goal to being enjoy my time, absorb all I can, not mess up at the real life job, and see where the Muse takes me now that it's off its leash.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 16 April 2025

Report from the wordcount mines: WHN Draft 2 101,781!

Thoughts and feelings as I work on things:

And draft two for What Happens Next has been wrapped up!

Now I can finally take that hiatus!

Similar to draft one, there just reached a point where either I just called it done or started setting things on fire. It is better than draft one by leagues. I don't just mean that in terms of a doubled wordcount either.

Themes are expanded. Characters have more subtlety. The vision is getting clearer.

Trouble is my brain has already moved onto draft 3. The Illustrator and I even met up for a fun day of brainstorming. Double trouble is the details we went over is in direct contrast to prior versions.

Learning that my fanfiction history has trained me to write in a certain way. Been doing fan inspired works for...two decades now? Maybe just shy of that - which has let me have a lot of really fun practice and feedback. What it hasn't given me is worldbuilding skills. I learned how to take pre-existing assets as it were and rearrange them in an engaging way.

So Illustrator is helping by laying foundation and assets for me to do that. Elevating them from not just Illustrator, but co-author honestly.

But I will be taking a break.

At least for a month.

Crow in the Clinic is done. Draft 2 of WHN is done.

Plan is to do last minute ideas and things that can act as fertilizer or inspiration for draft 3 then at the end of April the current manuscript will be sealed.

May will just be for me to do whatever I want. Hoping I can write as many fanfictions as possible. Though knowing me I'll get sucked into another long form, heavy research, many chaptered thing. At this point I have so many fanfic ideas it's tricky to decide which to give my newly freed attention to.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 5th of April 2025

Vague calling from the wordcount mines has WHN at 96,190

Thoughts and feelings as I work on things: I have now discovered that I lose steam in March. Back when I got stuck on chapter three for way too long for my personal taste that happened in March too. Still muscling through. So much so-

that draft two of What Happens Next will be done in April

So current plan is finish draft two (which is looking to be double the original draft's wordcount and ending in chapter ten) most likely before 15th of April then spend the rest of the month wrapping it up. This would include anything like spare scenes and such that don't contradict what's already in place. So no alternate takes on a character introduction.

May Draft 2 will be sealed so no new additions. Then I'll take a month hiatus to refresh and not look at it. Or I will end up setting it on fire.

June Illustrator and I will review draft two and start making notes for Draft 3. Plan out new format and worldbuilding changes and such.

July will start again with Draft 3. Which I'm really really really hoping doesn't take nearly as long and doesn't require as much rewriting as the others do. My gut says there may be one more rewrite(ish) left though before the revisions and only chapter rewrite phase

Bloodborne fic is done and I still can't believe it.

During my month hiatus I want to try and just get as much fanfic and such ideas out there before having to go back to WHN. As much as I'd like to say I learned my lesson about doing long chapter long form fanfiction that requires a lot of research - it's just a thing I enjoy, even if it's not what garners me attention or kudos.

The majority of my fic ideas are pretty short and don't demand much in the way of getting library books.

Good progress and plan though!

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 15 March 2025

Wordcount mines closed in honour of Stab Ceasar day

My thoughts and feelings as I work on things: As of... well this early early morning, I have finally transferred all of my handwritten on paper notes to the Supernote Manta. And immediately it's so nice to just look at folder labelled "Fanfiction" divided by specific fandoms and know that everything in that specific folder will pertain to that topic.

It reminds of Clip Studio and the like. A complex tool that is very, very helpful... if I know how to use it. Which I don't feel I'm using it to full capacity. Maybe because I'm not using the hand gestures much?

Still my main goal is to push it to the limit before the return period is up.

Now onto actual story stuff

Illustrator is almost done with chapter four's cover art. We'll be touching base again the 30th. By then I should have part 3 (chapters 7, 8, and 9) done.

First beta reader we've been using emailed the pdf of part one with notes on it. And it is brutal.

After my emotional back and forth from anguish to rage - I did think over the feedback in a more constructive fashion. Even in her own words that summarised her feedback were in two points.

I am too close to my characters. I know and already love them so depicting them is with the charm of a close friend that I'm automatically expecting my readers to do the same with zero effort

I don't explain anything. I have artefact writing from it being a prior Pokemon fic where people have magical companions, but without the IP of Pokemon attached this needs an explanation.

The first one will take some thought and probably a massive sea change for the complete rewrite of draft 3.

Now I'm not going to launch immediately into draft 3. Once draft 2 is done I'll take about... a month hiatus? Writing whatever I want that has nothing to do with WHN. After which I'll start development and notes with a more concrete plan. Then and only then start into draft 3

Does mean I won't make that April reading journey deadline for possible querying. Last date is September 20th... may aim for that?

Crow in the Clinic chapter nine is up!

Wrote it literally the day of, but it was uploaded before midnight so technically it was on time.

This upcoming week I'll work on chapters ten and the epilogue. I do wonder if any of the fic is good. Probably reads as "passionate, but deeply flaw and without polish" could be worse.

Back on WHN feedback I have a two part answer to the second point.

Meta-narratively: have a glossary. Fantasy and sci-fi use it all the time. In the front or the back have terms and a small blurb next to it so readers can refer back to it. Then again I have been reading a lot of danmeis recently which localisation includes explanation of terms in the end of the book

Narratively: Character A can say "Do you have a Spirit?" then Character B can say "Who doesn't?" Then in prose have the definition laid out in a way that reads too terribly of a lecture. The formula doesn't have to follow that to the letter, but that general layout of someone sets it up then someone responds with the in universe attitude to be followed by a clear exposition may help

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 8 March 2025

Haven't looked into the wordcount mines

My thoughts and feelings as I work on things: It arrived! It has arrived! My Supernote Manta has arrived! And so far so good

It doesn't compare to the Remarkable 2 in terms of writing feeling or if I remember right the Remarkable 2 also had the ability to share the screen while you worked on stuff which was handy for meetings.

Everything else though I've been happy with it. Though I haven't had it for long, the note taking experience and organising has been top-tier. Next thing is to afford expanding the memory card

Stories are progressing well. Though Bloodborne chapter 9 still isn't ready for Monday. Tomorrow I'll have to finish it. And if all works out then it will be done before the end of March entirely.

Looking over my other ideas I think Crow in the Clinic will be my last long and complicated work for fanfiction. I've shifted the energy to stuff that hopefully one day will be published. I basically have a new fanfic idea a day, but even if they're multi-chapter they're pretty surface level and off the cuff. Little polish or research.

It's the new fanfiction ideas that do keep me motivated though when I'm in the slog of some drafts. Like yes I'm tired of writing This Thing, but soon that will be done and I'll be able to write This Other Thing.

Part 3 of WHN should be finished by end of March as well, though as ever hopefully sooner.

Illustrator got the chapter cover for chapter 3 done! And it looks great!

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 2 March 2025

Rough report from the wordcount mines

WHN currently at: 88,728 Bloodborne fic: 65,105 So far fic a month(/chapter a month): success! January: cross over fic February: chapter of A Place On The Throne March, in progress: finish Bloodborne fic

Thoughts and feelings as i work on things:

Took the weekend off. Met with Illustrator just to vent and watch Wicked. Some WHN, but it was very minimal. Personally I'm just not at the phase where I want to dissect it. Draft 1 never finished narratively, so I feel it best to complete Draft 2 in its entirety - have a hiatus - then come back to look at it - then begin Draft 3.

Which hopefully won't be such a full rewrite.

If not that Draft then Draft 4 being mainly focused on edits and not rewrite.

Far more experienced writers than myself have said a few things that I'm learning are very much true.

Fanfictions main purpose is learning your style

Your first book is learning about how you personally write a book

Fanfiction is, for me at least, good at giving an outlook for passions. It gives a focused excuse to practice writing. Plus the bonus of sharing it with other fans and having them give feedback about what they like about it. It can really helpful to keep writing with the positivity.

But the difference with original writing is tracing versus freehand. The former helps build muscle memory. But it can't be all one does forever.

And learning how you write a book is very much a thing. What is your process? How long does it take you? What rituals are required? I

It's another challenge in the already monumental task of the debut novel.

Here's to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 16 February 2025

Good reports from the wordcount mines

WHN: 86,200 Breakdown -

Part 2 Complete! Total 35,444 Chapter 4 - 12,315 (compared to draft one's 3,747) Scene 1 - 1,188 Scene 2 - 2,141 Scene 3 - 1,632 Scene 4 - 1,778 Scene 5 - 1,570 Scene 6 - 4,007

Chapter 5 - 15,140 (compared to draft one's 4,293) Scene 1 - 1,084 Scene 2 - 1,047 Scene 3 - 1,343 Scene 4 - 2,005 Scene 5 - 2,155 Scene 6 - 1,411 Scene 7 - 5,195 Scene 8 - 900

Chapter 6 - 7,989 (compared to draft one's 5,757) Scene 1 - 1,538 Scene 2 - 2,693 Scene 3 - 1,000 Scene 4 - 1,461 Scene 5 - 1,297

Half way there!

And we're officially off the original draft. Draft 1 ended with the characters in King Arthur's Tomb discussing what they'll need to do. So first consequence will be shorter chapters as all I have will be the bare bones.

Already I can see that trend with chapter six not being much longer than original draft. Though with the goal of 120,000 wordcount and nearly at 90k with six chapters left that's not a bad thing.

Illustrator found a beta reader for a blind reaction to part 1. Generally positive. Main negative was too confusing. Like how the magic system works. Why people have Spirits. Like that. That I clearly have a strong narrative vision, but it needs another pass or two to make it clear for others.

I do know I'll be taking another hiatus after this draft is done. Not as long as the first thing around. Maybe a month at most. The alternating days has been working out. On a concrete manner. Emotionally, I don't feel like I'm accomplishing much. With the state of the world I'm uncertain of what my future will hold. Or... there's a churning within me. I can't describe it.

Close to figuring out the end of Bloodborne. It's either two or three chapters. There's a critical plot point that I can't discern. What would be the most satisfying is the question I keep circling back around on.

Here’s to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 8 February 2025

just crawled my way out of the wordcount mines: First chapter of TWST fic: 3,481

WHN: 82,442 Breakdown - Chapter 4 - 12,315 (compared to draft one's 3,747) Scene 1 - 1,188 Scene 2 - 2,141 Scene 3 - 1,632 Scene 4 - 1,778 Scene 5 - 1,570 Scene 6 - 4,007

Chapter 5 - 15,140 (compared to draft one's 4,293) Scene 1 - 1,084 Scene 2 - 1,047 Scene 3 - 1,343 Scene 4 - 2,005 Scene 5 - 2,155 Scene 6 - 1,411 Scene 7 - 5,195 Scene 8 - 900

Chapter 6 (so far) - 4,231 (compared to draft one's 5,757) Scene 1 - 1,538 Scene 2 - 2,693 Scene 3 -

Well... that's certainly a jump. And for bonus points I wrong basically both the TWST fic and scene 2 today. While doing chores. Pat on the back to me.

Rotation has been working. Though I do still wish I could just work on something exclusively until it was done and gone. You don't realise how few days are in a month until half of them are dedicated to one work and the other half is a random selection of others.

Also realised how feral my main characters are.

We have Gwen, who is very much a gremlin. There's the POV of Against Bombs with Bandages, that's a spoiled socialite who is ignoring a war. Working on the third prince character for my work A Place on the Throne. And the main characters for Hope Springs Potatoes are literal children.

Smartest, most stable one is Eileen the Crow - and I'm borrowing her!

I don't know when I'll update my twst fic, but have been enjoying the updates. Truly wonder if we're in end game or what's happening. Excited for the anime news.

Looking at the rough schedule I have down tomorrow is the next chapter of Crow in the Clinic. I bought Lindsey Fitzharris's book "The Butchering Art. Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine." as reference and loving it. I'm making notes on stuff I'll be including in my fic. I'll definitely be leaving a note for people to be checking out the work. Especially if they've been liking the Victorian tidbits in my fanfic so far. Do need to have the chapters ready for March.

One real life work is still ramping up and two because it'll be the ten year Bloodborne anniversary. Really want to shine and honour a game I love so much. Have a pretty strong feeling this will be the year I finish it.

Finally figured out what endings everyone is going to have. I just want the characters to get there in a satisfying fashion. If it's not done in March then definitely in October. If possible I'd also like to be doing a chapter release a week during the anniversary.

Here’s to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 26 January 2025

Wordcount report fresh from the mines: WHN - 65,850

breakdown: On the 21st it was 65,850 as of today it's 68,550 I'm writing every other day with a minimum of 1k words on those days. By the end of January I plan to have chapter five finished with roughly 4k more words added.

Chapter 4 - 12,315 (compared to draft one's 3,747) Scene 1 - 1,188 Scene 2 - 2,141 Scene 3 - 1,632 Scene 4 - 1,778 Scene 5 - 1,570 Scene 6 - 4,007

Chapter 5 (so far) - 5,479 (compared to draft one's 4,293) Scene 1 - 1,084 Scene 2 - 1,047 Scene 3 - 1,343 Scene 4 - 2,005 Four scenes remaining

My thoughts and feelings as I work on things:

Really should be nicer to myself after rereading the last entry. I even posted a fic on my other account almost immediately after finished that one. It got four comments off the back! Four! I've never had such a wonderful number of responses! Everyone was so kind it made me want to keep going!

Spoke with Illustrator and we're switching up going forward. From no on, along with illustrations for the chapter covers, they'll act as a beta reader and cheerleader to keep me going. I do think we need to start sharing stuff with others though. Like there's Discord writing communities that have beta reading channels. Or r/betareaders could be useful. Then after draft 2 we may need to discuss finding a professional editor and paying them.

Current deadline I've given for chapter two's cover is this Saturday. We'll be touching base again at that time to see how things are going. My own personal deadline with chapter five is then too. My guess/estimate is that chapter six will be similar to chapter four and five at five/six scenes in total if I'm mentally breaking it up right.

I tend to look at scenes like set changes in theatre. If the techs need to roll out new pieces on stage while the lights go dim (usually a different location) then I count it as a scene change.

On days I'm not doing WHN has been a rotation. Whatever my Fic a Month is gets priority next to it. So, for example, February working title "A Place On The Throne" will probably get the most attention. Then "Crow in the Clinic" as that needs to be ready for March and the ten year Bloodborne anniversary.

Have made progress on my next two novels as well. Working title "Against Bombs with Bandages" and "Hope Springs Potatoes". "A Place On The Throne" is still so nebulous I'm not sure if it will be a short story, or a full series. I think it will be longer than one book though from a gut feeling. Again depends on development. "Against Bombs" is fun for queer historical research and a protagonist POV I've never done before, but a similar one features in "The Throne". HSP is post apocalyptic road trip and different than all the others, but the gritty tech part has its DNA in "Throne". It can be fun to see ideas and themes connected across my works. Tropes I lean into versus how each story's lens differs them.

Again still may need to move up my TWST fic development since apparently they're putting out more chapter content soon. Also would like to get my "Maltese Falcon AU" out before January to celebrate it coming to public domain. (I am aware and terrified of current events, but am desperately trying to ignore them at least here in this journal where I just want to make notes about my art). I don't think there's much left to "Maltese Falcon AU" so hopefully that won't be too hard despite the workload increase at the day job this final week of January.

Alright, let's do this!

Please be safe or safe for others out there

Here’s to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 11 January 2025

The canary hasn't come back from the mines

My thoughts and feelings while I work on things: Yeah I already hit a small burnout, but not fully which is nice. Of the 11 days into the new year, I written 7. More than half. During this time I'm also learning visual art. Finding out how many resources, tips, and cheats from experienced artists has been a delight. I can't say my thanks enough to a community I just started to dip my toes into.

Today has mostly been taking in art. I did try out new brushes and the like.

The oddest thing I'm discovering, well not odd, the... I didn't see it coming, but in hindsight isn't surprising - is how roulette my mental Muse is.

How typically my mind works is - Day 1 I work on Project A then Day 2 I switch to Project B then Day 3 I'm supposed to flip back to Project A, in this instance WHN. But my mind as I'm writing one project it's hard to just go back and forth. My mind now warmed up on Day 1 and wants to continue on Project A, but so I get more done (an attempt to) I bully it into Project B.

But instead, as the olden words go, the plot bunnies do as they will

Most typically my writing is like a terrarium in a bowl. It develops and fills until I take it and tip it over. Then it needs time to refill and develop again. But now it's more like as I'm unwedging one small facet, more pour free. Even things completely unrelated. Plus the notes app and random scraps of paper or my sheer determination to try and crowbar in to my current works.

Actually an idea for a Writing Thoughts I've had is how I've seen the development of different drafts of WHN.

It's basically been a microscope. How each draft increases in precision and the vision clears up.

Final point on my mind is I finding out why, for me personally, the middle slump exists. Simply put, again just for me, is the effort. A brand new WIP is inspiration and unfettered joy. I can throw paint willy nilly or strike lines across the canvas as the vibe feels right. But the more gets invested, the more small changes need to be addressed on their ripple effects.

Just today a different direction for a scene in WHN came up, but immediately I froze because... well where does this lead? And so on.

Trying to get chapter four and maybe five done before seeing the Illustrator again in February.

Here’s to another week 👍

[crypticauthourwrites]

Cryptic Journal 4 January 2025

Camping outside the wordcount mines

My thoughts and feeling as I work on things:

Wow, new year. Theme: Seeds. As apposed to last year with Mountains. Over thirty, but that doesn't mean I can't invest in the future of my life or start trying to achieve my dreams.

Let's see... been doing the rotation thing...

Thursday I did Maltese Falcon AU. I don't think it's very good, but I do find it fun to write!

Friday was WHN. As was today. Was not my intention. I thought I was going to work on a crossover fic or dream fic. Guess I auto started on the current novel.

Probably going to be it for the entry.

Feel like the daytime joy is about to pick up in intensity. So far been doing an hour after my workday ends. And also so far the worst thing has been writing at least 500+ a day and still feel like I'm going nowhere with my progress.

Here’s to another week 👍