Any Pseudonym: Blog

Dammit. Just had a system crash when my in-progress files were open. File recovery only gave me corrupted files. My backup files are 13 days old, so I just lost two weeks progress.

So, what I just wrote/posted earlier today? Never mind. (Insert muttered cursing and comments regarding the need for a new laptop.)

I've made it through all recent emails, but still have some older ones to respond to. (If I've responded to a newer version of an older email or if the email does not need or allow a response, I won't respond.)

The next chapter is in hand, but still needs two more scenes and some connecting text.

I also removed at least a couple pages worth of material. Upon re-reading it, I realized that people familiar with the characters' backstories wouldn't need all the extra material, and people unfamiliar with them wouldn't care about getting such detail.

As to the possible expansion to the omake/one-shot story I mentioned, the first posting is actually potentially almost ready for posting (feel the certainty!). The additional chapters will be kind of random in both scheduling and content, since I'm basing it on what might be fun to write or see happen.

My sincere apologies for how long it took to get this chapter out. It was 90+% complete when I posted chapter five, and I expected to get it out quickly.

While a few things happened in my personal life, none of it was sufficient to cause the big delay. What happened instead was that I hit a mental wall. I know this isn't high art or serious literature, but even so, I had serious writer's block. It got to the point where I was writing maybe a sentence a week, on average. After a couple months of no progress, I switched to a series of standalone stories set in the omake-ish Alpha offshoot and was able to start writing again. (Not that any of those stories are ready to post, but all together, I currently have about 29,000 words worth of material written. Yes, I am a seriously undisciplined writer.)

So, the last bit that I couldn't write for this chapter has finally been written. It's shorter than I had planned, but it's done. I also currently have:
- 26K words/53 pages written for Chapter 7, where we introduce new characters and visit DC,
- 3800 words for Chapter 8, where we visit Paris, and
- 20K words for Chapter 9, where the plot is secret for now.
(For comparison, this chapter is roughly 64 pages/32K words.)

As for the future? If the story comes smoothly, I could have Chapter 7 out in a few weeks. If not, then who knows.

I also have a big backlog of emails to go through. Again, my apologies. When I can't write, answering emails related to said writing is frustrating.

All right, new plan.

Chapter 5A will become Chapter 5, while the second half of it will become Chapter 6.

This is for two reasons:

First, as reader Ben Doom pointed out, it's unfair to some readers since updated chapters don't show up as new chapters and can thus be easily overlooked.

Second, my chapter lengths are getting out of hand. Chapter Five, as originally planned, might top 100 pages.

So, here's the new plan:

Chapter 5 -> 5 (Tokyo), 6 (Kyoto)
Chapter 6 -> 7 (New arrivals, DC), 8 (Paris)
Chapter 7 -> 9 (event), 10 (maybe)

I'm also reposting Five because some of the formatting didn't come through properly. I'm working on the update now and hope to have it uploaded within the next couple hours.

I admit it: I have a problem.

Not long ago, I emailed someone an estimate on when Chapter Five would be posted (a week or two ago). At the time, the estimate was completely accurate.

Then I had to go and start adding to it. 'Oh look,' I said to myself, 'that's a great spot to add that one scene I've been meaning to fit in. And I should really expand that bit. And while I'm at it, I have a neat idea for a new scene there.'

So my old 80-pages-max estimate for Chapter Five is currently sitting at 87 pages, with a new estimate of under 100 pages. And remember that I'm not a fast writer to begin with.

However, the first half of Chapter Five is now complete, covering the Tokyo part of the trip. The Kyoto half is maybe 90% complete, give or take. (For me, the Kyoto half is more fun, though the first half is more important story-wise.)

So what I'm doing is posting Chapter 5A today (or at least submitting it for posting). Once the chapter is complete, I'll repost/replace it using the completed chapter. Hopefully, that should happen within the next couple weeks.