Beginning at the beginning...again.

Ugh.

The past few days have not been great to me WRT writing. (Heh, "WRT" looks like "write".) I was steaming along, almost sure to hit my midmonth goal (5K new words, for a total of 15K). Then Thursday night I was just sooo brain fried. I took Friday off work to spend the whole day writing--though with DH and DS here I was distracted several times--and only got 900 words. Which isn't bad, but I've been known to do 1-3K in about 3 hours on a good night, so it's not my best, either.

At first glance, it might seem like I actually got close to my goal. Well. Here's the rub: after some discussion on the Forum, I've pretty much decided that my original opening scene is too far ahead of the actual "story" to open the book with. So, that means 3K down the tubes (though I will be saving it, just in case). Parts of the scene will be reworked and recycled into other scenes, and the rest will be mentioned as backstory. I'm keeping my current word count, though, because I have written that many words. And some very wise people on the Forum have counseled me that sometimes you don't know where the story begins until you're done with the whole thing.

Ooh, new opening line (or part of it): Today was supposed to have been my wedding day...

I think that gives the reader a sense of backstory and engenders sympathy for the character while encouraging them to read on. She was supposed to be married? Today? What happened?

My current plan is to pick up on the day she travels back, which is Midsummer's day and, yes, the date she had planned to marry. (Except the wedding got called off 3 months ago when her fiance decided to start dating her best friend.) Still waiting for my muse to appear with a good, tension-filled, interesting way for her to meet Theresa (that's for you, Jon and Shaylin) and get the stone before she goes to the castle. Hmmm.

Well, I didn't get any writing done today. I decided to take the weekend off and "reboot" so I can start refreshed on Monday. Unless my muse--who usually decides to pop in when I have decided to not write (there's your split negated infinitive, S&J)--shows up with a good idea. I also need to get some Narc crits done, because I promised. For tonight, though, to bed with me.

Gaidhlig Word of the Day: sgìths, claoidh. "Weariness."