Hello, dreamers.

Work proceeds apace on Dawn of the Pioneers. I feel good about how things are going right now. While my concerns over Phase 2 persist, the progress I’m making now is gratifying, and I’m glad I stuck with it.

There’s a lot to say this week. So, without further ado, here’s the latest on my current work-in-progress:

Dawn of the Pioneers

So much has happened, it’s hard to decide where to start. Suffice to say, this story has taken on a life all its own.

As anticipated, I wrote the final chapter of Phase 2 over the weekend, splitting the chapter over two days. It’s always a good feeling when something turns out almost exactly as it was planned, and I’m pleased to say that’s what happened with the chapter, titled “Alpha”. I tied up most of the plot lines of Phase 2 (save one that was intended to carry forward into Phase 3), and ended the chapter with a long-awaited cliffhanger.

To that end, I’m pleased to report that Nina Stark is in fact alive.

Though I’d considered feathering the brakes, after some consideration I decided to move right into Phase 3, and I’m glad I did. The first few chapters flew by, allowing me to lay down the reader’s first glimpse of Earth in the 22nd century. and how much human technology has advanced.

Now, it’s time to press on. While I’d originally planned to make Phase 3 entirely about Nina, I’ve since reconsidered, partly due to my desire to add some action to this phase of the novel. As such, the chapters showing Nina on Earth will be interspersed with chapters following Rand and his companions in the colonies, struggling to adapt to a world that changed overnight. Through both of these plot lines, I’ll be able to lay the groundwork for the greater story going forward: the rising tensions between Earth and its most distant colonies in the Ursa Moving Group. To that end, I plan to use Phase 3 to show the slow transformation of Holmes into a genuine leader, and lay the foundations for an eventual armed conflict between the United Nations of Earth and the Pioneers.

As for NaNoWriMo, somehow I’ve managed to increase my pace since last year. As of this writing, I stand just shy of 40k for the month…and this is only the second full week. At this rate, there’s a good chance, barring any unforeseen setbacks, that I’ll complete NaNoWriMo 2019 sometime next week. With this in mind, initially I’d planned to hit the brakes, taking a few days off to regroup. But now I’ve decided to press on. There will be time to edit once NaNoWriMo is complete. For now, it’s time to focus on doing the thing.

On the bright side, this means I’ll be done with NaNoWriMo well before Thanksgiving. What’s more, as I usually like to take a week off between phases, my week off after Phase 3 should line up nicely with the holiday. That means I’ll be able to enjoy time with my family in Pennsylvania without feeling the urge to write. Maybe.

My rush of progress has also buoyed my hopes of completing Dawn of the Pioneers before the end of the year. Though I may still have a lot of work to do after completing the first draft, just getting that far will be a victory. I have a lot of lingering concerns, as I’ve said. But overall I feel I’ve gotten the hang of this story. I feel it’s something that truly needs to be written. And I’m happy to have taken the time to do so.

I may be closing in, but my NaNoWriMo 2019 experience is far from over. So keep reading, and as always, dare to dream. – MK