Next stage
Hi livejournal,
Whenever I think about writing, I tend to come back here. While I have some issues with continuing to use my character's name, especially while I'm writing her, I like the continuity that this livejournal has across such a long period of time.
First - it all turned out ok professionally. Better than ok, actually. After the last entry, I was picked up by the business intelligence team from a short stint back in the call centre. I am now part of a 3 man BA team and am viewed to be an MVP for all of IT. We just got a new female team member, and I'm working closely with her. She has come from a situation as bad as mine was with Pauline, and I'd like to make her feel welcome and accepted. One of our team is also quite junior from a BA perspective, even if she has been working in IT for longer than me. I think we work well as a team. It's great to have other females in my team to work with (who aren't bitchy).
I was sent to a Women in ICT Leadership Summit - which was filled with 'C-suite' badasses that were incredibly inspiring. I need to figure out what my next steps are to getting to that level of badassery, even if I don't want to aim for 'C-suite' level. That's one of the things I'd like to start writing about. Aptly, 'Rantings of a Wanna Be Nerd' is still an applicable name - and I don't think that will ever change. It was well chosen by my 2002 self - how old would I have been, 18?
Second - My daughter is a frustrating, amazing, high energy dork. She's incredibly clever, but delayed in her speech and social development. We have recently had her diagnosed autistic. Of course my mom doesn't believe that at all. But, it does mean we have a lot of support from the government and the ministry of education to help her get ready for school. I am doing better than I thought I would. Any thoughts that I had about not connecting with my daughter are gone. I want what's best for her. I'll try to give her everything I can. I do find her antics frustrating and I'm looking forward to the day when I can relate more to her. But, she's still incredibly sweet and very insightful. I think she'll have some great stories in her when she gets a bit older.
**
There are a few things I want to track out of the next finite period of time, and some for the long term.
I've been revising/rewriting Champion (Book 1 of my story that has been in place as long as this journal) for the past 6 months. That's the longest period I've spent on it in a long time. I have a nanowrimo goal of completing the draft and enable it to be professionally edited.
I'm approximately 2/3 through the plot at 120k words. There are a few missing sections which I'll detail below, and about 30k words in the ending section. I've had 4 beta readers look at it, all of whom have been helpful and positive. I've quizzed them about which aspects of the plot they've noticed. The good news is that the main one seems to make sense to them. Some of the more subtle foreshadowing is being missed, but I don't mind. I've always maintained that the story reads differently on a second reading. As long as it's satisfying, that's all I ask.
In previous versions of the story, the ending was a heroic fall. There wasn't any other way I could think to end it. Since that time, I have reduced the strength of my villain, and given Kras actual allies in Gras and Erique. Instead, this will be a rather anticlimactic concluding fight. I think I know how it's going to go down, and I'm ready to run to the end. I'm excited. It's all coming together.
Current WC: 120133
- (?) Round 2 fights to put in Meadow's death (x3)
- Erique Fight 1 extension
- Desert Kras (brings forward transformation)
- Sintara in between scene (pre sestek)
- Erique at the library
- (?) Unsure whether there will be a time lapse or some Erique/Sintara/Kras scenes
- Various island scenes/kras pov
- the boat ride back to the mainland
- Gras/Kras training at the tournament
- Final Fight
- Reconciliation between Kras and Sai (sweet ending)
The other thing I want to track is my professional development. I want to make concrete steps and record them.
But maybe this will wait until the end of November :)
Wish me luck!