ROW80 Update - May 13

A Round of Words in 80 Days update:

Episode 2 of The Misplaced Hero posted.


Wednesday Day 38 - 130 minutes?  I don't know, I lost track after two hours.  Had a good short session in the morning roughing in Episode 4, which will be difficult.  Then I finally wrestled Episode 2 into submission, and posted it.  I was going to skip doing a new banner, but I had to at least change the text to reflect the episode title, and all I really had to do was put in a ring. And then I had to change the background color to reflect a feeling of night.  And then....  So I did a new banner.

Thursday Day 39 - 75 minutes.  Mostly did some artwork for Monday's episode and also got that episode up on the site and ready for publication.  The artwork was a challenge: the concept of the episode is sort of abstract.  But I realized that there is a reference to Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and I could illustrate the key scene from that book. It's not my best illustration, but it's one I'm particularly pleased with.

Then next Thursday, I just need to come up with a good abstract background for a margarita.  I think the episode is going to give me more trouble than the art.  (But I have a good idea for changing the location, which will more naturally get to the next spot.)

Friday Day 40 - 52 minutes.  Half-way point on the Dare!  I meant to do more today, but I zoned out on some other story ideas for a bit.  Then I found myself zoning out on this one, which is a good thing, mostly. Episode 4 is tricky, and that's the one I'm trying to get ready. I have an earlier version which has some nice lines in it, but I have to cut and rearrange a bit.  (It was the opening of the book, originally, and contained a lot of dialog-exposition about what happened in the first three eps.)

I also wrote a very small bit from Rozinshura's point of view -- something for around Episode 8 or 9, I think.  Rozinshura, I knew, would be fun.  Since he is careful of what he says, though, I didn't realize how much fun his private thoughts were.  (I should have.  It's clear from his understatement what he thinks.)

Saturday Day 41 - 112 minutes. Did some work on the Rozinshura chapter, and thought about how it was going to fit in.  Then I got Episode 4 mostly whipped into shape, it's a little long, but I think it deserves it.

Evolution

I am not using Lily's voice as much as I expected.  She's supposed to be blogging the story, but it's not obvious.  Even when she makes commentary, it blends with the thoughts of the view point character.

I had expected that the whole story would be less formal, and more casual.  She could chat on about things more -- but even here, where I'm doing set up and backstory, the story just pushes forward.  I think the story really is suited for the format.  We'll have to see if Lily's voice is the right way to approach it.  I mean, it's not that it would change much -- she's telling the story in a traditional way.

Funny thing; as I was writing from Rozinshura's point of view, I thought he could be a fun voice to tell this very story. (Might even be fun to do a varying point of view -- where people tell other people's stories rather than their own.  Maybe an exercise outside the story.  Maybe even Roshomon-style.)  I'll talk more about this on Tuesday, when I do an "about the story so far" post.

But first, on Monday, we'll hear about how Alex was lured into thinking, against his will, and failed to flunk.

See you in the funny papers.