Where Have the NovelBits Gone?

I know, I know what you're thinking. Hey, wasn't this blog supposed to chronicle how a girl has started writing her first novel? There hasn't been an update since June! What is with the anime/manga reviews? Well my friends, it has been a while - 7 months to be exact. To tell you the truth, I spent a good 3 or so of those months completely stuck on my storyline. To be quite honest, I still am, but I have come a lot farther than I was 7 months ago. I really needed to step back from the plot line and start building my world from scratch. Since the last update the following has happened: major character names have changed, relationships have been redefined, settings and appearances have been decided (I did a lot of drawing to get to the point where I liked the character designs), backstories have been developed and a prologue as well as 1 chapter has been written. Slow start? I know, but hear me out. Every time I work on each chapter, I only get so far until I realize I need more description here, find this sentence or that sentence awkward, etc. To sum up my slow progress: I can't seem to kick the habit of editing as I write. This was exactly why I originally wrote all my ideas in a leather notebook but now I have so much written there, that I figure it's time I start typing some of it and making sense of it. This has been a challenge because it means reading and rereading what I have, sometimes, already written sloppily.


However, there is some really good news here to grab from here because I have finally figured out a major point of the plot that I myself was questioning. Now that I have it set, I can delve deeper into the character of Sindile. For those that forgot, here's a very short summary of what the general premise of my novel is:

Some believe it to be a legend, or a mere figment of an overactive imagination. Nevertheless, the story goes that in a tea house by the sea, there lived a tortured man who plucked at the strings on his ancient instrument, filling his home with sorrowful tunes day in and day out. They say that he was once a great warrior of the rebellion, riding at the forefront during the Battle of Rthiem's Way. They say that when he finally tasted defeat, the taste was so bitter, he fell into disarray and cost the rebellion their victory. They say he buried all his friends, others say he killed the woman he loved. Stories abound of his ability to control the weather, the millions he has stashed beneath his flower beds and his ability to make an excellent Earl Gray Tea. 

But, no one will ever know if the stories are true. This man does not exist, at least not according to the Grid; the system which tracks every living being, does not track any man such as this. In fact, according to official records his tea house is nothing but barren land. However, I can assure you that this man did exist once. His name was Sindile and this is his story. 

Sindile is a very important character, as you can see, but my story started out following Sindile in his teenage years. This is when things begin to move in the storyline. However, as I explored another character in the story, I realized that since they were born in the same place, he and Sindile must share many characteristics and a pretty similar backstory. That's when it all fell into place and I can now account for Sindile's early years. This was a major development as it works very well with my plot and has fixed a terrible gaping hole. Of course, there are other holes in the plot that I'm still working on figuring out, so stay tuned! I will be introducing a new character in the next NovelBits and maybe it will help me work my way through the storyline more as well :)