Day 1,479 - Backstory and Timelines

One of the interesting aspects of writing The Militia is that I am writing in roughly the same time in which we exist. Current events shape it, and the characters exist within it. Any passing of time in the real world before completion can lead to a need to revise backstories of main characters as well as key scenes.

For example, when I start writing, Al-Qaeda was much more powerful. ISIS didn't even exist. The Arab Spring was still young, and bin-Laden had only died a few months prior. The Arab world has changed significantly since then, as had the world at large. Further, some characters now needed to be older, which affects how some parts play out.

Timing, you see, is important. My story, even outside of external influences, needed help with timing. I realized over the last few days that the MC has a longer backstory and setup. The early chapters about the antagonist were interspersed, but were months or even years ahead in time. It was throwing things off. I was saying "here's Mahfoud!" and he's on the scene, ready to go.

So tonight, I fixed it. Not completely, I had to stop writing so I could get sleep. But significantly. He now has a great backstory. He is *slightly* more sympathetic.And the timing is now fixed.

Made it through 593 words. Another record since being back. If I keep the pace as is, I would complete the first draft within four or five months. I hope to beat that.