queenlua | (Reply)

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i definitely also have a lot of "[stuff happens here]" and "Then Anthony rose and ____" in my drafts, lol. doesn't necessarily make me go any faster, but, yeah, it's absolutely about getting the bones down and—even moreso about the rhythm, actually. i've been thinking about this woolf quote, lately—my earliest drafts are totally nonsensical to anyone but me because i leave "___" for random sentences in the middle of the paragraph, and that's to indicate "there's a sentence here, but i don't know what that sentence is exactly yet, i just know what it should flow/feel like right now." like, ah, here's an example picked from my current WIP:

Claude waited for another question. But Rhea said nothing more, just stood ___. And the longer she stands there, the more he ___, the more the bow slung over his back feels ___. So he ___.

Rhea watches him as he readies himself to leave. Just watches, unobtrusive, ___. He keeps turning ___, because it feels like she’s about to say something, ___, but every time he turns ___.

[pause, Claude’s wyvern is ready to go]

“Rhea, you... How did you do it?”

i dunno if anyone else's drafts look like this? but it's how mine look lmao