Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Every other...

Back in June I expressed that I was getting through a chapter a week. That was true. However, the events displayed in those chapters were making the story too long and were ultimately summed up cleverly in one chapter. As of now I'm probably clocking a chapter every two weeks. October will be a month of catch up. Hopefully, I can get back to the chapter a week (if I want to make a December deadline). But, I'd rather not hurt the story, cutting corners or making the writing suffer by breezing thru the story's issues.

I have finally found the string to tie certain events together. Still sort of hammering out the kinks, but now I understand the motives of characters seeking out the main characters. It's funny how the answer was there all along, it only makes sense.

b write black.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Character Nostalgia

Started reminiscing about one of my first characters ever created who had some funny misadventures. I think I might pull him out and make him a character in a short novella I'm planning to write. (Don't hold me to any of this. I'm just in the moment of excitement).

I created this character at the end of the fourth grade. I was determined to write a book. Wrote a funny short story that clocked in at about twenty pages. It was this particular character's misadventures being at a summer camp. In the sequel he became a camp counselor. Ultimately, this character was 'cast' in the 'lead' for my first completed manuscript: Identical Thefts, which also had a sequel titled In It Again. All of this character's stories were done in the first person. I'd like to pull the character out of the drawer and showcase him. The story would be short (novella short) and funny. I think 'quirky' is the word.

Who knows.

b write black.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Sweet 16

On chapter 16 and counting. Chapter 15 was a doozy. It set up a lot of drama to come. New characters had to be introduced. The same happened within chapter 14, but it was much less complicated. The difference was chapter 14 showcased the main villain (i know, he doesn't appear until chapter 14. But there are some bad mambajahambaz along the way). The badguy is the badguy. He's less complicated, but definately not a flat character. What rounds his character is his extreme intelligence and the fact that anyone put in his position would do the same thing, given the power or authority to command to kill. He's the ultimate chess player.

Chater 15 brought in characters that are very gray. It sets up a situation that will be come very complex for one main character, and introduces another that appears noble but has done some very heinous acts to keep his small town safe from colonization and economically sound. He is disguised a a pious man, but his methods are anything but. This character's arc will be interesting. He has committed acts to which there are no redemptions from, which will drive him mad.

That being said, those small little plot points are now popping off. Chapter 16 will be a cool down from the two preceding chapters' events. Then it's fullsteam ahead to knock off small story lines leading to smooth sailing for our main characters, until the time for tragedy arrives. Oh, well. It's drama.

b write black.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Consolidating plot points

I'm not trying to make plot lines run parallel, just make certain points start to manifest earlier in the book. This way, I don't have to have these plot points stretched out towards the end, and make the book feel like it's dragging.

I also have a fear of summing up everything a little too nicely, especially after dragging my characters through the mud for 400+ pages. Oh, well. Learn as I go. It's been good so far.

b write black.

Writing is funny

I'm still hoping the book doesn't get too long. I'm also hoping that in consolidating plot points that I'm not cutting corners to the point where I'm trimming too much off. The chapter I'm on now is an exercise in just letting the length be. It's not even that long. It's (so far) 12 pages (when I wanted 10). It'll probably end up being 15 pages. That's not bad. There's a lot of emotion that needs to be built up between one character and his family. It also goes into backstory that saves me the trouble of having to summarize it elsewhere.

I can continue the story once this chapter is finished. After the first major story arc, the following chapters have been a setup for the rest of the book. So they were far more than I expected. The small little plot points are on the horizon. December 2009 and February 2010 are still at odds, bidding on when this book gets released. I'll know a little more come mid-October, which is basically just around the corner. I'm still trying to hammer out a reason for one plot line. I don't want it to be forced.

Despite all the hard thinking and the fingers bleeding from heavy typing, I couldn't be more happy with finally writing this book. It started off as scattered ideas consolidated into notes and some form of coherency. That was Spring 2006. Now it's in the process of being written AND ultimately released.

b write black.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Epic FAIL!

I have decided to begin writing my 3rd epic poem come January. Hopefully, ACoM will either be published by that time, or in its final editing stages. I will also publish the 3rd epic poem second. Yes. That means 2 Enlighten the G.O.D.Z. will have to collect a li'l mo' dust before publishing. However, I will continue to refer to 2 Enlighten the G.O.D.Z. as the second epic poem. The third epic, which does have a title attached to it, will still be the 3rd epic poem, though the 2nd published. I know, very George Lucas/Tarantino. Oh, well.

B write black.

The Same December

The writing for ACoM has been paced wonderfully. It may be possible, as plot points are being restructured and consolidated, that the book could see the shelves come December. (Do not hold me to that). I still approach the thought as wishful thinking.

Some news I do have, regarding ACoM, is that the cover has been completed and received great approval from the fiancee. (she is, after all, the toughest critic). If she likes it, it's great. She's never wrong. Never. That's what she tells me. Over and over and over again. (I just got a sharp look as she read this)

Ancientartoffacts.com will receive its major overhaul come the end of November. The sight will look much more refined, less cluttered. There are also some new projects brewing. Which will be talked about in the next post ... being written in a couple of seconds.