Drunk 'n drive, drunk 'n write

Don't worry. I'm neither going to drive, nor write while drunk.

Let me rectify that last statement.

I'm not going to publish any of my story updates while drunk, but I might write some of them in such a state -- before revision.

So, where is this post going?

Drunk 'n drive basically says: 'think before you act'. You can't do that when writing. Too many opportunities get lost. Characters want something when I'm not prepared, or an event pops up in my head. It has to go into writing before I forget.

Most likely I'll come down on that piece of writing with the hammer of doom later, but it still has to transit from thought to text first.

Now, if I have time to use said hammer of doom, wouldn't that imply that I'm further ahead in the story than what can be read here?

Yes.

Chapter three is 'finished' and I'm mostly through with chapter four. In fact I already know how the story is going to end. At least in terms of having written the epilogue, which may see a total rewrite at a later stage.

Which brings me to the thought that I publish what was, and write what may come to be. And that thought tempts me to dump what's already there.

But I won't. I try to update the story on a daily basis, and currently I have the luxury of excess time to write. My work won't allow me that luxury indefinitely, and for that reason alone it's good to have scenes to publish those rainy days when I can't afford to write anything.

The story this far, not taking into account changes I might want to make, runs to some 40K words. I plan to end book one after 60. That should provide a conclusion, even though it's far from the conclusion.

I want a satisfying end. In order to do so I plan ahead for a few natural points in the story. The first come after the first school year, or around a quarter of a million words, or four books.

I have written scattered scenes further than that, but what really happens to my characters during their second year is still hidden in shadows, even for me.

That first year, though, I can see.

I'm trying to think before I act.