Thoughts on (being almost finished with) The Shift

Tonight, I sat on my friend Ally's (CSG4ME) couch and talked about fanfiction for probably four hours. Yeah. We drank beer, too, if that makes us sound cooler or something. We swapped favorites, talked plots, and generally enjoyed dorking around. Also, I shared some of the things I'd written lately - including a one shot I have fondly dubbed "Delusions, and Other Matters of the Heart". I'll let y'all simmer in the sheer glory of that title for a moment. ;)

I have a goal. I do not know whether or not this is an achievable goal or not, but it is a goal. My goal is to have The Shift finished (not edited) by the time school ends, or around then, so that I can start posting during the summer and writing the second fic, The Battle. Realistically, I have only a good three chapters in me for this story, and I'm progressing rather well at the speed I'm going. My new notebook is filling up, almost a third full, and I have some really fun ideas in store.

Writing this first story has been a little bit of a struggle for me, just because although I know exactly what I want to happen doesn't mean I know how to write it right. So much of what I establish in this story will be crucial to the next two and the balancing act is drives me a little crazy at times. It needs to be there, it cannot be subtle, but I cannot beat my readers over the head with it like a ton of bricks.

Legolas' story is really what I thought of when I first got the idea for this probably three or so years ago, and so it is really important to me that I get this right, so I can do it justice. His particular journey through the War of the Ring is unlike any other story I've read, and I hope that everyone will like it. I hope that it will be a new take on something many people have written about.

Anyway, I typed up chapter 8, and I am working on typing chapter 9 while I write chapter 10. Legolas grows from an infant to an adult in probably thirteen chapters in this story, so I apologize in advance for the number of ridiculous jumps in the timeline. (Don't worry - I clearly mark what year scenes take place!)