#Writing Update

Word count: 4,217 words

With that word count, it means I have just over 1,600 words to hit this month’s word count target of 10,000 words. I am naturally going to see if I can beat it by way and it is possible with over a week to go of this month. I could also get the just over 1,800 I didn’t get last month.

The main reason for the big word count is the fact that my character (and I) have discovered she is a dab hand at duelling, even with a very basic knowledge of magic. Of course there is some fun to be had with that and is perhaps ideally revealed now as my FMC’s secret has been announced to an after school club she has joined before going round the school like wildfire.

It is earlier than I anticipated but I am realising that realistically, when it comes to names, it would be very difficult for her to hide it and perhaps should have come out earlier. But it is out now and I know I can use it for some fun, especially as she and her classmates have not yet been sorted. All their true natures could come out and make sorting them for the school (and for myself) much easier. I still have no idea how they are going to be sorted or how I am going to make it a magical process. I just know it happens on Halloween.

I am actually excited by the possibilities suddenly opened up by revealing her name now, both at school and upon her return home and still the main plot line is intact. Something mentioned could actually now help play into the hands of it even though it was meant to be throwaway background information about my FMC.

Plan for this week is primarily just to keep writing and keep going with the story. Finish my word count and perhaps catch up last months words too then keep pushing to make my graph look all pretty and nice! As a quick aside, the picture is perfect since the new series of Doctor Who started today in the UK and I stopped writing this post to watch it. There is every chance I might be tempted to keep using it for the rest of this series’ run.

Townscaping: Naming Your Fake Town

I find naming things very difficult and I can’t be the only one so here’s a post to help.

Scott Tracey - Young Adult Writer

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About nine months ago, I wrote a post about creating your own fake town.  To this day, it’s one of the most actively read posts on my blog – people are still finding me via that post.   And it’s still the reason why people FIND my blog.  So I figured I would do a series of posts, elaborating on some of those ideas.

First up: how and what to name your fake town.

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Let’s face it.  Naming a fake town is one of the coolest parts of coming up with your own setting.  Who wouldn’t want to live in a place like Arkham, Idaho; Cemetery Junction, California; or Bloodlust, Indiana?  A fun name will keep you excited, it will (hopefully) intrigue your readers, and it  can really say something about the strange goings on in this sleepy Midwestern burb.

In my mind, there’s at least three different…

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How to Create Your Own Fake Town

This is well worth a read if you need help on creating a setting for your story. US-centric but definitely helpful.

Scott Tracey - Young Adult Writer

So one of the things I’m a fan of in novels is the “fake town.”  Also known as the “fictional city,” the “imaginary inlet,” or the “hypothetical hot spot.”  Or maybe I’m the only one who thinks of them like that?  Ahem.  Okay, moving on.

So what’s the point of crafting your own town to set the story in, versus using an established city.   I think the main benefit is the ease with which you can write.  If you use an established city, then you’re expected to do more research.  But if you create your own town, you can just make it all up as you go.  Now there are pros and cons to this.

The pros are obvious:  you can build up the town however you like, and whatever’s going to make your job easier.  It has whatever history you want it to have.  Who cares if there’s not…

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