03-12-2022 - KC: The Farmhouse #23
05-12-2022 - KC: The Farmhouse #24
Picking up from: God damn. Derrek turned and rushed down the stairs. As he reached the tenth step, he saw the front door swing shut, a dark figure rushing beside the stairs, further down the hall.
Session 1 - Time: 45m - Words: 670
Not the best writing week, but some progress on maps and a cover. There also was a lot of idea switching during the writing sessions, which made for a lower average word count. I think the no timer sessions don't work great for these sections. It could also be, I'm just discovering the house myself. I'm going to keep an on eye on that next week.
I did some reflecting on the setting itself. My original idea was to have a sort of abandoned old farmhouse for all of this to occur. While I still like that idea, it wouldn't fit with being an active farm in the current age. What was your initial expectation with the title? It's important I get my promise right. Outside is safe, but inside worries me.
All right, time to cut the crap. I tried a marathon this week, but it were only 2 sessions and some map/cover work. That doesn't count. I need a better plan, also for my mornings. I'm up at 7AM and still I managed it 3-4 times this week to finish my writing around 11AM30. Sure, breakfast, coffee and stuff, but that's still a lot of unaccounted time. Since I am not working at the moment, I have more freedom, but it's making me lazy. On average, my prep time is 20-30 minutes, 60-70 minutes of writing and 20-30 minutes for review and publishing the post and writing. That's on best a window of 2 hours, max 2h30. I should be able to block that out accordingly. So, for tomorrow I plan this block from 8AM to 10:30AM.
Marathon: no timer will not cut it. I need more concise prep per session or risk dry stretches. My plan here is to take Tuesday or Wednesday and postpone the post from 12PM until I am done with the marathon sessions. Making the post is too much hassle. It will pull me out of the zone. For each session, I will do a 5 min prep, 30 min Pomodoro, and 5 min break. For each completed 3 sessions, I'll take a longer 30 min break. Once I call quits, I'll upload the new post and trigger the mailing then. This will be a onetime-only exception to the 12PM posting.
Derrek still has three teens to catch. I plan to leave 1 for the ending, with the help of Chip, not sure which one yet. Warren has escaped too many times already. It would fit for him to be last. Yves already had a lot of screen-time too, so I'll make sure he'll be caught first of the three. Since he's involved in the current scene, I'll make sure only Warren escapes it.
That leaves Dina, the screamer, still residing in the basement. I'm not sure yet what to do with her. Route 1: keep her in the basement, with an army of mannequins. Route 2: Derrek blocks the door with a chair from the dining room, he catches Yves and Warren, returns to the stairs to find the chair knocked over, door to the basement open… I like option 2 for suspense, but it throws open a lot of doors again (literally).
There are still 2 big question marks I cannot forget: the toilet and the pot on the cooking fire. Don't worry, just some silly scares… or are they?
Enjoy your Sunday!
W48 review & W49 plan
04-12-2022 - 1 year ago - 5m 8sPrep:
As promised, one extra writing session. This is going to be action-packed. Derrek is heading down the stairs as he spots someone running inside from the front door.Picking up from: God damn. Derrek turned and rushed down the stairs. As he reached the tenth step, he saw the front door swing shut, a dark figure rushing beside the stairs, further down the hall.
Sessions
Session 1 - Time: 45m - Words: 670
Discovery
The lights on the stairs and hallway below were on too, connected to the button from above. That's him! The watcher, Yves. Must have slipped outside while the tractor was still running outside. Watching me. Derrek tried aiming his rubber gun while taking the steps, but Yves already passed his vision. He heard another door open, footsteps following quickly again. Crap, gotta do this the hard way. He hurried on below, taking care not to stumble down the steps.
At the fourth step, he saw enough through the handrail spokes, the kitchen door was still moving. There! He turned at the bottom, jumped over the sickle, and passed through the open kitchen door.
NEW CHAPTER - Kitchen
Derrek entered the kitchen with a huff, his breath and heart pumping him onward. His eyes took in the room quickly, no teen. He took two quick steps into the cooking area, to the pantry. But the door was still closed.
He heard a soft whistle from behind him and spun around. Yves hadn't gone for the pantry, he had turned right immediately in the kitchen. The door to the unknown room was wide open and in that room Yves stood looking at him. His chest also heaving. The candles from the kitchen cast a soft light on him, he wore a black cape, hood draped in front of his face. His hand was on the other door's handle, back to the hallway.
Didn't even check there, why head back? He could— Derrek's thoughts rushed through him, but Yves was moving again, opening the door. Oh no, you don't. Derrek raised his rubber gun and shot as the back of the robe went through the door. He heard a rather satisfying grunt come from the youth, but the cape moved beyond. Derrek rushed forward, his eyes flicked to the right, to the kitchen's door to the hallway. Around? His eyes flicked back and caught on something in the unknown room. Quick check. He thought to himself as he rushed into that room.
NEW CHAPTER - Dining room
Still moving toward the hallway door, he threw a glance across the room. There was no direct light in the room except for some reflections from the kitchen's candles. The room went to the outer wall too, no extra rooms beyond it. Its walls seemed to have a big painting on either side, which he couldn't make out in the dark.
There was a longer wooden table filling the room with chairs on either side. Derrek didn't count as he passed, but a lot more spaces than the table from the kitchen. An older classical chandelier hung from the ceiling, unlit.
The table was filled with stuff. The candles only lighted the outer part of the table, and on it Derrek saw loose notes with scribbles, books, crayons, herbs, and other ritualistic things spread out.
Derrek took it all in quickly, he hadn't time to form any thoughts on it beyond a, Huh, as he passed the room with quick paces. He looked back toward the door to the hallway.
Yves was still there, from the outside, he pulled the door shut. Wait, what? Derrek grabbed the handle and gave it a quick pull, but it was being kept shut. What?! Why is he holding it? Going around then.
Derrek began moving toward the kitchen door, but froze after the first step.
The door was moving, pumpkin man, Warren, came from behind the door. The pumpkin mask reflected eerily in the candle light. He was way bigger than he expected, the previous time he had only seen him in flashes.
Derrek worried for a second, he'd move into the room with him. It was worse, he started closing the door too. Oh shit. He pushed his body into action, moving forward, but Warren shut the door.
"Hey!" Derrek shouted as he threw himself against it. It didn't budge.
At the fourth step, he saw enough through the handrail spokes, the kitchen door was still moving. There! He turned at the bottom, jumped over the sickle, and passed through the open kitchen door.
NEW CHAPTER - Kitchen
Derrek entered the kitchen with a huff, his breath and heart pumping him onward. His eyes took in the room quickly, no teen. He took two quick steps into the cooking area, to the pantry. But the door was still closed.
He heard a soft whistle from behind him and spun around. Yves hadn't gone for the pantry, he had turned right immediately in the kitchen. The door to the unknown room was wide open and in that room Yves stood looking at him. His chest also heaving. The candles from the kitchen cast a soft light on him, he wore a black cape, hood draped in front of his face. His hand was on the other door's handle, back to the hallway.
Didn't even check there, why head back? He could— Derrek's thoughts rushed through him, but Yves was moving again, opening the door. Oh no, you don't. Derrek raised his rubber gun and shot as the back of the robe went through the door. He heard a rather satisfying grunt come from the youth, but the cape moved beyond. Derrek rushed forward, his eyes flicked to the right, to the kitchen's door to the hallway. Around? His eyes flicked back and caught on something in the unknown room. Quick check. He thought to himself as he rushed into that room.
NEW CHAPTER - Dining room
Still moving toward the hallway door, he threw a glance across the room. There was no direct light in the room except for some reflections from the kitchen's candles. The room went to the outer wall too, no extra rooms beyond it. Its walls seemed to have a big painting on either side, which he couldn't make out in the dark.
There was a longer wooden table filling the room with chairs on either side. Derrek didn't count as he passed, but a lot more spaces than the table from the kitchen. An older classical chandelier hung from the ceiling, unlit.
The table was filled with stuff. The candles only lighted the outer part of the table, and on it Derrek saw loose notes with scribbles, books, crayons, herbs, and other ritualistic things spread out.
Derrek took it all in quickly, he hadn't time to form any thoughts on it beyond a, Huh, as he passed the room with quick paces. He looked back toward the door to the hallway.
Yves was still there, from the outside, he pulled the door shut. Wait, what? Derrek grabbed the handle and gave it a quick pull, but it was being kept shut. What?! Why is he holding it? Going around then.
Derrek began moving toward the kitchen door, but froze after the first step.
The door was moving, pumpkin man, Warren, came from behind the door. The pumpkin mask reflected eerily in the candle light. He was way bigger than he expected, the previous time he had only seen him in flashes.
Derrek worried for a second, he'd move into the room with him. It was worse, he started closing the door too. Oh shit. He pushed his body into action, moving forward, but Warren shut the door.
"Hey!" Derrek shouted as he threw himself against it. It didn't budge.
Week 48 - Review
Not the best writing week, but some progress on maps and a cover. There also was a lot of idea switching during the writing sessions, which made for a lower average word count. I think the no timer sessions don't work great for these sections. It could also be, I'm just discovering the house myself. I'm going to keep an on eye on that next week.
I did some reflecting on the setting itself. My original idea was to have a sort of abandoned old farmhouse for all of this to occur. While I still like that idea, it wouldn't fit with being an active farm in the current age. What was your initial expectation with the title? It's important I get my promise right. Outside is safe, but inside worries me.
Week 49 - Plan
Writing method
All right, time to cut the crap. I tried a marathon this week, but it were only 2 sessions and some map/cover work. That doesn't count. I need a better plan, also for my mornings. I'm up at 7AM and still I managed it 3-4 times this week to finish my writing around 11AM30. Sure, breakfast, coffee and stuff, but that's still a lot of unaccounted time. Since I am not working at the moment, I have more freedom, but it's making me lazy. On average, my prep time is 20-30 minutes, 60-70 minutes of writing and 20-30 minutes for review and publishing the post and writing. That's on best a window of 2 hours, max 2h30. I should be able to block that out accordingly. So, for tomorrow I plan this block from 8AM to 10:30AM.
Marathon: no timer will not cut it. I need more concise prep per session or risk dry stretches. My plan here is to take Tuesday or Wednesday and postpone the post from 12PM until I am done with the marathon sessions. Making the post is too much hassle. It will pull me out of the zone. For each session, I will do a 5 min prep, 30 min Pomodoro, and 5 min break. For each completed 3 sessions, I'll take a longer 30 min break. Once I call quits, I'll upload the new post and trigger the mailing then. This will be a onetime-only exception to the 12PM posting.
Story (SPOILERS)
Derrek still has three teens to catch. I plan to leave 1 for the ending, with the help of Chip, not sure which one yet. Warren has escaped too many times already. It would fit for him to be last. Yves already had a lot of screen-time too, so I'll make sure he'll be caught first of the three. Since he's involved in the current scene, I'll make sure only Warren escapes it.
That leaves Dina, the screamer, still residing in the basement. I'm not sure yet what to do with her. Route 1: keep her in the basement, with an army of mannequins. Route 2: Derrek blocks the door with a chair from the dining room, he catches Yves and Warren, returns to the stairs to find the chair knocked over, door to the basement open… I like option 2 for suspense, but it throws open a lot of doors again (literally).
There are still 2 big question marks I cannot forget: the toilet and the pot on the cooking fire. Don't worry, just some silly scares… or are they?
Enjoy your Sunday!
Linked in this post
Story
Kane's Cases: The Farmhouse
Chapters
21 - Hallway
22 - Kitchen
23 - Dining Room