2007.09.01
At long last, a first draft
Well, it’s taken me nearly six months, but I finally managed to turn out a complete first draft of my short story. There were numerous interruptions and re-thinking of plot details throughout the process, and a whole ton of research I never made direct use of in the story, but I’m happy with the results so far. Weighing in at 12,000 words, it’s not a very long story, but it’s the longest piece of fiction I have ever attempted.
Now comes the tedious process of editing and revising, and then I will be recording the story in audio format. I’ve already read the story aloud dozens of times (piecemeal), so the prospect of recording it is particularly exciting for me.
There are numerous incidental topics I would like to address with regards to what I discovered during the process of writing, but those will have to wait for future posts.
For now, I’ll leave you with the prologue as it currently stands:
Arthur sat in an overstuffed chair, the red leather of its upholstery in stark contrast to the brown, fading cover of the book in his hands. Turning it over slowly in the soft light of early dawn, he paused to wonder if he would get it back when this was all over. After all, it was one of only two copies that remained. Sighing, he reminded himself that it was the only way to make contact now. Gregory had died too young, and she would not quickly come to trust anybody else.
They had known her all her life; had known from the beginning that it would be she who would represent them. Theirs was a delicate game; move too soon, and the enemy would learn too much. So they had waited. Waited too long perhaps, but it could not be helped. Now, with scarcely a week left, it could be delayed no longer. Contact must be made before the others found her.
Arthur put down the book and picked up the phone. First contact would be made tomorrow.
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