Progress Report

Friday!

Today was a really good writing day. I wrote about 2.5k words — not the hefty word count of other weeks — but, this part is very tricky because every word counts, and it's full of descriptions and details. So, even if it's technically fewer words, it's the same or even more the amount of work.

I also decided to 'skip' a set of choices. It's the one I showed in the Sneak Peek at the beginning of this week. Basically, Romanus can think about a series of people or events and each of them has some long variation depending on your past choices, the relationship with the characters, what you saw and didn't see, what you may know and connect... all of that is very fun to write — I wrote the Pirate first, and I like how different the text is from a Romanus who met and knows who the pirate is to one who didn't even go to the Harbor.

The Theer twins were next, and again, while it's fun to write the variations for 1: if you've accepted the ball. 2: if you believe they're involved in the disappearance of your maps. 3: you have romance points with either of them or are oblivious, or neither. As fun as that all is, after a while, it starts to get repetitive.

And that's exactly what I want to avoid. I don't want to reuse text. I want to write Neia's choices with a fresh mind and focus on her character — not be looking down the list to see how close I am to being done.

So, with that, I decided to skip the other characters and go on with the chapter. With that, I just finished scene 3!! Or, well, almost finished. Once I'm done writing the chapter, I'll go back to write the missing choices, but, for now, scene 3 is done and so, Monday, I'll step into the final scene of the chapter! Scene 4.

These are the characters left to write:

I'll enjoy crossing them one by one. 😋

Next week's goal is to make good headway into scene 4. I'll try to write every — as of now, writing is part of my routine, and I don't want the good habit to fall apart.

That's all the tidings I have to deliver. While I walked home today, a little white butterfly flew in front of my nose. I crossed my eyes in that uncomfortable, silly way one does when you're trying to see something very near, and was able to catch the fleeting glance of a black, curved beak.

The little thing fluttered its delicate wings and flew away over some grass. The moment sticks with me, even hours after, and I just realized why: life is made of small, beautiful moments. May you have tons of them and fill your weekend with fleeting, precious memories. 🌹