Day Three - 5,859 words and counting

This month, I'm writing a novel. All my progress can be found on my private blog. The commentary for each day's work can be found below.

I debated a couple of different ways that I could take the scene from here. This is my favorite, though I'm not sure it was the best.

I think I managed to catch most of the really glaring errors as I wrote. For example, at first when the girl left the room, she was still barefoot and wearing just her nightgown. Of course, at first I had picture a far less grand hallway outside, and with no guards, so perhaps the omission is understandable. Once the guards and the grand corridor with all its paintings entered the story, I knew that she needed something, to keep her warm and preserve her modesty.

The painting of the Sea Wall was an afterthought, though I think it fits. I think I needed to introduce it early in the story, and this was as good a way as any.

There's a reason that there aren't many mirrors around. It's no real spoiler, just a cultural note I thought I would throw in. Mirrors are considered to be unlucky. There's a superstition that you should never look your reflection in the eye, because if you do, you risk trading places with your mirror self and being trapped in the mirror. To avoid this, you must touch each eye with water, which is the reason behind the basin just outside the door. The girl, of course, is ignorant of this.

In case you're wondering what the cheek tattoos look like, see the pictures at the right. The one with the wavy line is Elma's; the other belongs to the guards.

This was the end of chapter one. Thanks for reading, and if this didn't suck, I'll see you at 10pm tomorrow.

Today's Total: 1,885 / 1,689 words (111.6%)
Progress to Date: 5,859 / 5,235 words (111.9%)
Total Progress: 5,859 / 52,347 words (11.2%)