So, the WIP. My pet project for months, happily stewing away on the stove of my mind. A few comments on Sputnitsa’s First Draft Joys inspired me to give you all an update on how the story is coming along.
- It now has a working title: Per Ardua ad Astra, or From Hardship to the Stars. Its the RAF motto. Not terribly original on my part.
- The research is going. By chance, I found a handy book called The Few by Alexander Kershaw. It has many descriptions of dog fights, RAF slang, and is a captivating read. I don’t have to worry about my shotty Internet connection, either. Long live the book!
- Characters are coming along. There are even a few female characters chucked in! And I like ’em, which is the important thing.
- The story is beginning to take shape. A few scenes are cropping up.
- I’ve already killed off a character. Yes, he makes an appearance in the story (and is a main character prior to his death). I shouldn’t be so bummed about his death, but I know it’s a plot point and/or experience that defines the other characters. I’m a little worried about his demise sounding forced, but I won’t know until I finish writing the first draft, eh?
Of course, things aren’t progressing as quickly as I would like them. But they are progressing. And my friends are a bit concerned about my over enthusiasm for all things WWII.
CC//flickr John Griffiths
Ned Wolfe 
Glad to hear things are progressing at a stellar rate, Beth! Good for you! Sounds like your research is progressing as well. It will be truly wondrous when you wrap it all up at the end! Then the rewrite! 🙂
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Glad to hear everything is one track. The books sounds like something I should pick up soon. BTW, are those Spitfires in that pic? I can’t really tell because while they do have the slopping grade under the nose I don’t know if the air cooling intake is underneath the main fuselage (Hurricane) or under the left wing (Spitfire).
Keep up the good work.
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They are Spits – The Hurricanes had flat wings and were a bit bulkier in shape.
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Character death already- took JK 4 books before that happened.
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It’s a war after all. Lots of shooting and stuff. A death or two are not out of the question. I always like to kill someone in the first chapter myself, just to get the ball rolling.
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It sounds like you’re doing well. Don’t look back and don’t worry about anything until you’ve gotten the first draft finished. I made that mistake with Starbreaker and spent years rehashing the same stuff.
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Thanks for the encouragement! I’m looking forward to jumping in and getting the writing started.
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