Looming Threats (ROW80 Update)

Quiet week so far.  The writing continues, albeit super slowly...

I never watched the third season of "Avatar."  I've been slowly re-watching the first two "Books," and now I am finally starting "Fire." 

I feel that the threat of a natural or foreign disaster is a common enemy in exciting stories, and Avatar manages to combine them both.  The expansionist Fire Nation is threatening the existence of the two remaining nations, the Earth and Water tribes.  But in the coming months, there will be an eclipse, and then a comet.  The first will block the sun, the Fire Nation's energy source, and the second will re-double their power.  So there is definitely a time limit in place.

 

In my own story, a plague continues to spread across the "Kingdom," despite the diligent efforts of many healers.  One of those healers is making a rash or brave decision to investigate other stricken towns, in the hopes of figuring out what the common elements are.  But what has kept the select few safe so far?  And can they remain "protected"?  Also, how urgently does she need to find the cure?  I'm still struggling to decide whether the sickness is natural or unnatural, unnatural meaning magical or constructed with harmful (or well-meaning) intent.  There continue to be TOO MANY CHOICES.

ROW80 Update.  To refresh your memory, "A Round of Words in 80 Days" is a set of personal daily/weekly goals, that I am trying to accomplish within a period of 80 days.  It's a sort of friendly online-accountability system--ROW80-ers try to focus on their own writing and self-improvement by setting small, achievable goals, and post twice-weekly status updates.  These updates include successfully achieved goals and goal revisions, but also try to lay out our continuing struggles.

WRITING-SPECIFIC GOALS:

1. Blog Sketches: Nothing new.

2. Blog Drafts (10+ blog posts for November & December, revised to two ROW80/NaNoWriMo update posts & one crafts-based post per week):  I'm definitely slowing down.  But so far so good!

3. Vlog Idea: Nothing new.

4. Creative Writing: My characters are still fighting a plague.  I've been discussing possible causes with a couple friends, trying to define the rules of the disaster.  The big question to decide is whether there is a master-mind, or whether this has all been the result of a huge, tragic accident...

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ONGOING SOCIAL MEDIA/PERSONAL GOALS:

5. Tweet more Original Content & Reply to more ROW80 posts/comments.  Same.

6. Keep Up with Minimum Exercise Goals: My minimum personal goal is still 3/3/3 (3+ sets each of counter push-offs, planks, and jumping jacks, for 3+ days in a row). I continue to sort of meet this (some exercises and stretches each day, although not necessarily those three in particular).