# Share the joy: what's your writing success today? (8 Viewers)



## indianroads

Just finished chapter 23 of the first draft of my next novel. I'm heading into the climax of the story - feeling excited.
Changed the title yet again, now it's _Afterworld: Redemption_.


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## Taylor

Nice!  I like the title.  Is it part of a series?

I just finished chapter twenty-five of my first novel.  I was pleased to have it complete, because it was a particularly difficult chapter.  It holds clues to the mystery and needs to tie into previous chapter foreshadowing, as well as lead to the next suspicious event.  My plot is based on true events of a certain period, so I had to do quite a bit of digging to find an appropriate clue.  I'm really happy that I found something with good bones, that I can build on.


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## Foxee

Great news, Indianroads! Great title. 

Taylor, WTG!

Nice to hear of progress, hat's off to the writers of long works! Nice idea for a thread, too.

I'm happy that I've had about an hour from 7 am to 8 am open up four mornings a week and I've been getting my coffee, herding up my new little neurons, and writing for most of that time. I've got a possibly-short-story underway, about 2,900 words into the first draft and the juice is still flowing so that's always a good day.


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## indianroads

Taylor & Foxee, great news!

Taylor: I'm unsure if my current work will become a series, unlike my Extinction series I don’t see an overarching theme or story, but the world it’s set in has the potential to spawn more tales. So, for now it’s stand alone. Next up could be a prehistory tale around the Gobekli Tepe archeological site.

Foxee: I’m enjoying the luxury of retirement, and write for about five hours a day. Life is good for this old fart.


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## VRanger

Can I jump the gun? I got off to a slow start on Chapter 17, just 500 words each two nights in a row. Night before last I got out 1500 words, though, which gets me to half the chapter. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I zone in on 5000 word chapters as an average, looking for 20 chapters for 100K words. All of my early writing career was spent budgeting stories to specific word counts, so that's where this comes from. ;-)

So tonight I'm about to bear down on the last half of Chapter 17 and hopefully polish it off. I know where it's going, and as long as that's in mind, I can crank out the words. Here's my favorite scene from the first half of the chapter:

_"I'm looking for a friend. He's likely in an opium den. What I want from you is a list of opium dens."
_
_He digested this statement and looked us over. There was never a local narc who looked like us. I didn't consider the man quick-witted, but I had confidence he could get that far. I also had confidence he'd realize he looked on a foreign couple, likely holding a roll of cash, in an alley they should never have walked down. I saw that gleam in his eyes, but I knew he'd as of yet no opportunity to pass the word along so we could be surrounded. I glanced at Agares, shrugged, and kicked him in the nuts. I dragged what was left out into the alley, and pulled the door closed behind him.
_
_He whined pitifully. I gave Agares the high sign. She displayed fangs and extended her fingernails, the same ones which had gashed Athena's cheek and shredded a priceless Persian rug. She used the middle nail on her left hand to draw blood on his neck, showed him the blood, then licked it to clean the nail. A new combination of expressions revealed themselves … fear and contrition.
_
_"As soon as you feel like talking, I'll have that list. Of course, we could get it from someone else once you're no longer available to speak."
_
_We got the list._


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## indianroads

vranger, I like it!


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## VRanger

Thank you ... and update ... I made it.  5200 words plus, and on to Chapter 18. I've got to wrap this bugger up in the next three chapters! Hmmmmnnnn.


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## Taylor

Well, last year in January, I started my novel.  My goal was to write a minimum of two chapters a month.  I had some really productive months in the Spring, beating my target.  Then in August to November, I got distracted when we sold our family home, downsized and moved to a small town.  It had gone completely cold.  Then I started back up with encouragement from this forum, and made really good time in December and early January.  Today I started chapter twenty-six.  If I can complete it by January 31, I will have caught up to my original goal.  

Thanks to all of those who said, just write...write...write!


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## Cephus

Yesterday, finished the first book in a new series, it came in around 117k and took just over a month to write. Today, I'm off to editing and I'm reading an entire series that I wrote last year so I can get through editing duties on the final book.


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## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Well, last year in January, I started my novel.  My goal was to write a minimum of two paragraphs a month.  I had some really productive months in the Spring, beating my target.  Then in August to November, I got distracted when we sold our family home, downsized and moved to a small town.  It had gone completely cold.  Then I started back up with encouragement from this forum, and made really good time in December and early January.  Today I started chapter twenty-six.  If I can complete it by January 31, I will have caught up to my original goal.
> 
> Thanks to all of those who said, just write...write...write!



Did you mean "two *chapters *a month"? ;-)

And well done. About how close do you think you are overall to completion?


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## Taylor

vranger said:


> Did you mean "two *chapters *a month"? ;-)
> 
> And well done. About how close do you think you are overall to completion?



Yes...thanks!  I went back and edited it. Can I blame that on auto-correct? 

Hoping to have it complete by April or May.


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## Tiamat

I haven't had any ideas that were worth writing down for the last couple of weeks, but that all changed a few days ago. I started in on it today and I'm pleased with how it's going. I'm not nearly as productive as others in this thread, so I won't be throwing down thousands of words in a single day most of the time. But the idea is just for a short story, so if I can finish a first draft by the end of next weekend, I'll be satisfied.


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## indianroads

Phenomenal day today - 2,500 words written and chapter 24 complete. Four more chapters to go!

This was the chapter where the two main characters first meet - well - they did run into each other earlier but it was brief because he punched her in the the temple and knocked her out... so no conversation.

I'm enthused by how the story is developing. It's definitely non-standard, they're both bad people doing bad things on opposite sides of a war. Circumstances change them though, and as their arcs converge they're morphing into different people. It's a blast to write.


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Phenomenal day today - 2,500 words written and chapter 24 complete. Four more chapters to go!
> 
> This was the chapter where the two main characters first meet - well - they did run into each other earlier but it was brief because he punched her in the the temple and knocked her out... so no conversation.
> 
> I'm enthused by how the story is developing. It's definitely non-standard, they're both bad people doing bad things on opposite sides of a war. Circumstances change them though, and as their arcs converge they're morphing into different people. It's a blast to write.



I heard Stephen Kings daily goal was 2,000.  You must have been on fire!   Good work!!


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I heard Stephen Kings daily goal was 2,000.  You must have been on fire!   Good work!!



This is way above normal for me - so it's a bit of a fluke. I can usually get in 1,000 words, but the confluence of characters and events made it easier.


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> This is way above normal for me - so it's a bit of a fluke. I can usually get in 1,000 words, but the confluence of characters and events made it easier.



That must be a great feeling to be so into your characters...


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## EternalGreen

I learned a bunch of new words. 

My writing has become more wholesome, in general.


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## Taylor

EternalGreen said:


> I learned a bunch of new words.
> 
> My writing has become more wholesome, in general.



Oh?  What brought that on?


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## Taylor

My writing has slowed down these last few days because I am navigating through a treacherous part of the story arc.  It is based on real life events of a crime, something like building a fictional story around an actual war.  The facts and timelines need to be authentic.  But then trying to weave in the fictional part, it all has to work believably with the reality.  I feel sort of like I'm on tightrope for a short period and there's no way around it.  Only about 400-600 words a day.  The good part is, I know if I hunker down and do it, I'll be out of this passage soon, and can get back onto the fun stuff, like the steamy romance.


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## EternalGreen

Taylor said:


> Oh?  What brought that on?



I guess I am learning to focus on the good, not just the bad, aspects of existence in writing.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> My writing has slowed down these last few days because I am navigating through a treacherous part of the story arc.  It is based on real life events of a crime, something like building a fictional story around an actual war.  The facts and timelines need to be authentic.  But then trying to weave in the fictional part, it all has to work believably with the reality.  I feel sort of like I'm on tightrope for a short period and there's no way around it.  Only about 400-600 words a day.  The good part is, I know if I hunker down and do it, I'll be out of this passage soon, and can get back onto the fun stuff, like the steamy romance.



we all have unique ways of of navigating through our stories. I find it helpful to open a word doc and write out the points I need to cover as bullet points. Then I read through it and can easily move things around before committing it to actual writing.


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## VRanger

I jumped into Chapter 18 just before midnight, and shook up my normal pattern. Usually my big action scenes end a chapter, and the start of the next chapter wraps up any questions about what happened in the 'fog of war', then builds the scenario the chapter is to cover.

Chapter 17 ended with an action sequence, and Chapter 18 started with the protagonists briefly believing they were in the clear before realizing they were still in danger, then proceeded into an even more intense battle. 1700 words later, that battle is over, as is my writing for the evening.

I've got a list of characters on each side of the struggle to kill off by the climax, and I'm lagging behind. I'm starting to think I'm doomed to run over my word count. LOL But ... I did finish off two bad guys in this battle. So ... progress.


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## Puellamagi

Today I probably have finished the working draft of the exposition scene for the first chapter. So I am pretty happy with the imaginary that I had found.


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## BrandonTheWriter

I wrote a couple of paragraphs of a story. Doesn't sound like much but I've been having more trouble than usual lately. Getting words down is the most important thing.


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## indianroads

First draft of Chapter 25 was finished today - three more chapters and the first cut of the novel will be complete. Word count is running at rate that will bring me to about 102K, that's a bit high but I'll trim it back during edit.

The FMC's city - that she had risen in power to rule collapsed by her own hand. This is part of her metamorphosis from a terrible person to someone that wants to be better.

The MMC showed her how to do it, but left the choice up to her. He's also morphing and growing a conscience.


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## Terra

I've been sidetracked with life this month, but was given tons of inspiration so even though I wasn't writing as much, creativity was still flowing. I've been taking an online workshop on Flash CFN, and will have my first piece ready to submit to a lit mag by the end of January. Which lit mag? Idk yet ...


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## indianroads

Terra said:


> I've been sidetracked with life this month, but was given tons of inspiration so even though I wasn't writing as much, creativity was still flowing. I've been taking an online workshop on Flash CFN, and will have my first piece ready to submit to a lit mag by the end of January. Which lit mag? Idk yet ...



If you like that sort of thing check to see if there is a writers guild in your area. I live near Colorado Springs, and we have the 'Pikes Peak Writers Guild' - it's a good group that helps answer questions and offer support. We used to meet in person once a month... but haven't in a LOOOONNNNGG time. They host virtual meetings, but I hate those.

We also have an event called 'Write Drunk, Edit Sober' - which kinda tells you what the group is like.

Anyway, go a internet search and see what you come up with.


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## VRanger

indianroads said:


> We also have an event called 'Write Drunk, Edit Sober' - which kinda tells you what the group is like.



I don't "write drunk" but I do like to sip port or brandy (occasionally Scotch) during my late evening writing sessions.


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## Taylor

BrandonTheWriter said:


> I wrote a couple of paragraphs of a story. Doesn't sound like much but I've been having more trouble than usual lately. Getting words down is the most important thing.



Glad to see you are back in the saddle.


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## Tettsuo

Figured out the main plan for the antagonist of my next novel. I have the motivation, but not the overall plan he was working towards to achieve the main objective.


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> we all have unique ways of of navigating through our stories. I find it helpful to open a word doc and write out the points I need to cover as bullet points. Then I read through it and can easily move things around before committing it to actual writing.



Yeah, that's a great idea to get the creative juices flowing. I do something similar in that I keep an outline on an Excel doc, where I set out all the chapters, POV, plotlines etc., with a column for requirements. It's a good birdseye view of the story. Plus it provides a quick glance of how often characters appear and how often each plot is developed. I also added a filter, so I can look at it by just one character, just one family or just one plotline, etc. I use that to stay balanced. But adding your idea, I'll copy and paste the requirement notes I made for a chapter on the actual word document. I like that...thanks!

Like right now. I'm kinda stuck! I think I'm just tired from all the research I did that last few days. Any tricks for momentary blocks due to fatigue?


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yeah, that's a great idea to get the creative juices flowing. I do something similar in that I keep an outline on an Excel doc, where I set out all the chapters, POV, plotlines etc., with a column for requirements. It's a good birdseye view of the story. Plus it provides a quick glance of how often characters appear and how often each plot is developed. I also added a filter, so I can look at it by just one character, just one family or just one plotline, etc. I use that to stay balanced. But adding your idea, I'll copy and paste the requirement notes I made for a chapter on the actual word document. I like that...thanks!
> 
> Like right now. I'm kinda stuck! I think I'm just tired from all the research I did that last few days. Any tricks for momentary blocks due to fatigue?



I use Excel during my edits as well, to follow secondary characters when they enter and leave, major events, and to make sure I don't cover a particular subject more than once. For the main characters I track the morphing of their characters as the move along their arc. 

I do a ton of edits before I send it out to a professional because it saves me money and time.


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## Backstroke_Italics

My success story for today has been finishing up some beta reading I was working on. I have found beta reading to be very rewarding, and helpful for my own process.


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## indianroads

I won't get much writing done today. Taught a TKD class this morning, and now I get to snow-blow our (long) driveway.


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## Kent_Jacobs

Mine is always going to be really boring: It's writing a paragraph that I think looks professional enough to appear in a published book. If I can string enough professional looking paragraphs together and tell a compelling story, bonus! As I said, I'm a nuts and bolts person.


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I use Excel during my edits as well, to follow secondary characters when they enter and leave, major events, and to make sure I don't cover a particular subject more than once. For the main characters I track the morphing of their characters as the move along their arc.
> 
> I do a ton of edits before I send it out to a professional because it saves me money and time.



It's funny after reading your other post in 'write what you know', this made me think that the reason we use Excel to write is because we dragged it with us from our past life. I wonder, how many writers have discovered the beauty of a spreadsheet program for organizing thoughts?


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> It's funny after reading your other post in 'write what you know', this made me think that the reason we use Excel to write is because we dragged it with us from our past life. I wonder, how many writers have discovered the beauty of a spreadsheet program for organizing thoughts?



Probably so. We use what we are comfortable with.

At my local Pikes Peak Writer's Guild meeting one person stated that they write the stories and books on their PHONE. I have no idea how that's possible, but you know, if it works I say go with it.


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## VRanger

Early this morning I brought Chapter 18 to within 1100 words of completion, and worked out how to fix a character's insanity. This type of scene was a first for me, in describing the cause and nature of the insanity, and what my MC decided to try as a solution. I'm more convinced than before I'll write past my conceptual target of 100K words, but I'm not too worried about that. According to one source, most fantasy novels wind up between 100K and 115K. 110K would give me 20K words after I wrap up Chapter 18, and that will be more than enough.

So I need one interesting scene tonight, and on to 19.


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## indianroads

vranger said:


> Early this morning I brought Chapter 18 to within 1100 words of completion, and worked out how to fix a character's insanity. This type of scene was a first for me, in describing the cause and nature of the insanity, and what my MC decided to try as a solution. I'm more convinced than before I'll write past my conceptual target of 100K words, but I'm not too worried about that. According to one source, most fantasy novels wind up between 100K and 115K. 110K would give me 20K words after I wrap up Chapter 18, and that will be more than enough.
> 
> So I need one interesting scene tonight, and on to 19.



Great news!


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## Foxee

Right now any forward progress with writing, any time spent at all, is a win. I was so happy to have an hour first thing in the morning open up with my son's return to school for his third quarter. He's a chatterbox and an extrovert so when he's at home he likes to talk to me. Now that he's 15 and the Teenage Boy Silences strike occasionally I try to let him chatter when I can handle it. So peace descends and I have this hour...except when he misses the bus or doesn't have JROTC drill and PT. 

All that to say, out of the four days so far this week, this morning is the ONLY morning that I had that hour for focusing on writing and I did get here and put distractions aside and worked. Whatever else happens, this is still a good day.


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## indianroads

The rough draft of Chapter 26 is done. Two more to go.


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## EternalGreen

Surprisingly, I finished chapter four.


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## VRanger

Early this morning I finished off Chapter 18. This isn't a "writing night", so I'll get a start on 19 tomorrow night. I introduced a solution to one problem which may, to the thinking reader, presage the solution to the crisis at the climax.

I'll have to spend some time thinking on how to make it harder for my hero, because the solution for his problem is too slam-dunk easy given the mechanism in his grasp ... if used cleverly. LOL


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## VRanger

Shame on you guys for giving me two in a row. Get busy!!! ;-)

I love to juxtapose antithetical concepts where appropriate, and I just drifted into one:

"He began to regress into hysterical sentimentality."

This is in the process of a quarter of my Chapter 19 quota. I thought I'd simply roll into the idea I had for the start of the chapter, but it flowed and I got a lot more than I intended.


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## Kent_Jacobs

Started my first ever blog! I've got no idea what to do with it, and perhaps that's a good thing.


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## Deleted member 64995

TheMightyAz said:


> Started my first ever blog! I've got no idea what to do with it, and perhaps that's a good thing.


Congratulations!!



I have to update my blog.
I almost managed to finish the presentation chapter. And the first draft.


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## Kent_Jacobs

LadySilence said:


> Congratulations!!
> 
> 
> 
> I have to update my blog.
> I almost managed to finish the presentation chapter. And the first draft.



I'm just going to keep it simple. I get easily distracted.


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## Taylor

I finished chapter 27 which puts me one chapter ahead of my monthly goal, with still two more days left in January.


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## Tiamat

I love how many "finished [XXX]" posts I see in this thread! It makes my heart happy.  

I'm gonna throw out one of my own here: I finished the short story I started last weekend. It's the shortest thing I've written in a good while, capping out at around 1600 words. Love the rush of finishing a thing I've started. Makes me feel like a grown up.


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## Foxee

I finally feel as though I've got a writing process shaping up that I've never had before. A methodology that helps me to get some progress done even if I didn't feel inspired to begin with.

Starting out with a dull headache and minor chaos here today (which ordinarily would have stopped me from writing) I worked through the morning and possibly have the idea that I will pursue for the short story competition. Woohoo!


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## Deleted member 64995

I managed to finish a chapter of an old story.I had put that story aside, because I didn't know how to continue.
Now, however, I have a precise idea.


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## Backstroke_Italics

A beta reader just gave me a withering, devastating critique. I'm trying to treat it as a positive thing.


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## bdcharles

Backstroke_Italics said:


> A beta reader just gave me a withering, devastating critique. I'm trying to treat it as a positive thing.



I've cut betas loose for this reason before. I don't need gushing praise and am always keen to know when something isn't working, but if the person obviously can't stand the thing, and sees no way of balancing honesty with respect, they're not the right audience for me.


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## Backstroke_Italics

I don't mean they were rude. Quite the opposite. It was just a bitter pill to swallow when I saw how many problems there are to fix. I'm trying to remember that this is the point of beta reading, and I should be glad that I didn't try to publish something before it's ready.


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## indianroads

The first Draft of Afterworld: Redemption is DONE!!! It came in at a bit under 102K words, which is right where I wanted it. It's a little lengthy on the back end, but that will be fixed in the editing phase.

I'll take a break from the MS for a few days... but will still do some work on the blurb (I hate writing blurbs). I also have a short story in mind for my website, so I'll get on that too.

Anyway - it's a good day! The first draft is DONE!


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> The first Draft of Afterworld: Redemption is DONE!!! It came in at a bit under 102K words, which is right where I wanted it. It's a little lengthy on the back end, but that will be fixed in the editing phase.
> 
> I'll take a break from the MS for a few days... but will still do some work on the blurb (I hate writing blurbs). I also have a short story in mind for my website, so I'll get on that too.
> 
> Anyway - it's a good day! The first draft is DONE!



CONGRATULATIONS!!!  A good day indeed.  

Did you see my break down of the Stephen King blurb?  That might help.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> CONGRATULATIONS!!!  A good day indeed.
> 
> Did you see my break down of the Steven King blurb?  That might help.



No, I missed it. Which thread is it in?


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> No, I missed it. Which thread is it in?



I can't find the thread anymore, but here it is.  I read a bunch of his back blurbs and they were all pretty similar.  

Let's look at a Stephen King novel, _The Outsider, _​for an example of a good blurb and break it down:

_"A living nightmare has come to flint city, Oklahoma, as an eleven year old boy is found brutally murdered, in a local park - an unspeakable crime that rocks local law enforcement to its core as the most heinous atrocity anyone there has ever witnessed. Equally stunning is the identity of the prime suspect: Terry Maitland, one of Flint CIty’s most popular citizens, as well as a little league coach, English teacher, and devoted husband and father. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose own son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Multiple eyewitnesses and irrefutable evidence mean an ironclad case...until the investigation expands, and horrifying new details begin to emerge. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer is revealed, it will shock you as only master storyteller Stephen King can."_

1) - The plot:_"A living nightmare has come to flint city, Oklahoma, as an eleven year old boy is found brutally murdered, in a local park - an unspeakable crime that rocks local law enforcement to its core as the most heinous atrocity anyone there has ever witnessed."_

2) - The protagonist:_"Equally stunning is the identity of the prime suspect: Terry Maitland, one of Flint City’s most popular citizens, as well as a little league coach, English teacher, and devoted husband and father."_

3) - The antagonist:_"Detective Ralph Anderson, whose own son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest."_

4) - The genre:_"Multiple eyewitnesses and irrefutable evidence mean an ironclad case...until the investigation expands, and horrifying new details begin to emerge."_

5) - The hook: _"__Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?"_

6) - The sales pitch:_"When the answer is revealed, it will shock you as only master storyteller Stephen King can."_

And all of this is captured in 141 words.


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## Foxee

Did not quit today.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I can't find the thread anymore, but here it is.  I read a bunch of his back blurbs and they were all pretty similar.
> 
> Let's look at a Stephen King novel, _The Outsider, _​for an example of a good blurb and break it down:
> 
> _"A living nightmare has come to flint city, Oklahoma, as an eleven year old boy is found brutally murdered, in a local park - an unspeakable crime that rocks local law enforcement to its core as the most heinous atrocity anyone there has ever witnessed. Equally stunning is the identity of the prime suspect: Terry Maitland, one of Flint CIty’s most popular citizens, as well as a little league coach, English teacher, and devoted husband and father. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose own son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Multiple eyewitnesses and irrefutable evidence mean an ironclad case...until the investigation expands, and horrifying new details begin to emerge. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer is revealed, it will shock you as only master storyteller Stephen King can."_
> 
> 1) - The plot:_"A living nightmare has come to flint city, Oklahoma, as an eleven year old boy is found brutally murdered, in a local park - an unspeakable crime that rocks local law enforcement to its core as the most heinous atrocity anyone there has ever witnessed."_
> 
> 2) - The protagonist:_"Equally stunning is the identity of the prime suspect: Terry Maitland, one of Flint City’s most popular citizens, as well as a little league coach, English teacher, and devoted husband and father."_
> 
> 3) - The antagonist:_"Detective Ralph Anderson, whose own son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest."_
> 
> 4) - The genre:_"Multiple eyewitnesses and irrefutable evidence mean an ironclad case...until the investigation expands, and horrifying new details begin to emerge."_
> 
> 5) - The hook: _"__Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?"_
> 
> 6) - The sales pitch:_"When the answer is revealed, it will shock you as only master storyteller Stephen King can."_
> 
> And all of this is captured in 141 words.



That's excellent, thank you very much.
I've been using a somewhat similar template: https://blog.reedsy.com/write-blurb-novel/


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> That's excellent, thank you very much.
> I've been using a somewhat similar template: https://blog.reedsy.com/write-blurb-novel/



This sight looks good too, but I like the addition of the antagonist and the sales pitch at the end.  I learmed about those from another site.  

Anyway...have fun!


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> This sight looks good too, but I like the addition of the antagonist and the sales pitch at the end.  I learmed about those from another site.
> 
> Anyway...have fun!



I always liked this blurb - which is actually a product description (I wonder if I should start a separate blurb/description thread?). It's for Andy Weir's Artemis:

_Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich. 

 Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her  hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich  enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something  better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for  a long time.

 So when a chance at a huge score finally comes  her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from  small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a  particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large  explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run  into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got  the ‘swagger’ part down. 

 The trouble is, engineering the  perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little  heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of  Artemis itself. 

 Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a  killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her  head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance  at staying alive and saving her city. 

 Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal. 

 That’ll have to do._


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I always liked this blurb - which is actually a product description (I wonder if I should start a separate blurb/description thread?). It's for Andy Weir's Artemis:
> 
> _Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.
> 
> Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her  hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich  enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something  better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for  a long time.
> 
> So when a chance at a huge score finally comes  her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from  small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a  particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large  explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run  into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got  the ‘swagger’ part down.
> 
> The trouble is, engineering the  perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little  heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of  Artemis itself.
> 
> Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a  killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her  head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance  at staying alive and saving her city.
> 
> Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.
> 
> That’ll have to do._



Yes I like it!  They mention the word "rich" four times.  That will attract a certain target market, like me.  I love to read about rich people.

I think a thread would be good.  You could get other people's opninions as well.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yes I like it!  They mention the word "rich" four times.  That will attract a certain target market, like me.  I love to read about rich people.
> 
> I think a thread would be good.  You could get other people's opninions as well.



I like that blurb because it communicates the character so well. Yes, it's set on the Moon, which is an interesting setting, but Jazz drives the story.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I like that blurb because it communicates the character so well. Yes, it's set on the Moon, which is an interesting setting, but Jazz drives the story.



Although on second read, I see she is not really rich...lol!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Although on second read, I see she is not really rich...lol!



Nope, she's living in the lowest levels in a pod that's the size of a coffin.

BTW: I started a blurb thread.


----------



## Sir-KP

Not a success but I've started publishing my finished story chapter by chapter to Wattpad.

It's not like I have other choice.


----------



## VRanger

Cranked out another 1500 words in Chapter 19, leading my wife to worry how much over word budget I'll wind up for the novel. LOL

I wound up with a scene I hadn't really planned at the moment, but it had to come sometime. Many chapters earlier, the MC was bullied into doing something which the discerning reader would expect to have negative consequences. I couldn't leave that hanging, and it turned out this was a good place to explore the ramifications.

In the middle I wrote a paragraph I call "eating words". Eating words is writing something that isn't essential to advance the story's action, but is (hopefully) entertaining and/or scene setting. If you don't have enough parts of scenes that "eat words", you'll never get to 100K+ words for your novel. ;-)

_I heard croaking by the riverbank from some huge, deformed frogs. They were flicking their tongues into the river and coming back out with fish of unappetizing appearance. Then a tongue flicked back out of the river and retracted holding one of the frogs. The rest scattered inland in a panic. One slammed directly into me, leaving a slimy mess on my pants. It dropped straight down, and I kicked it into the river, hoping the frog-eater would get it. I realized if I tried to wipe off my pants, I'd just get the mess on my hands. Then I'd have to go to the riverbank to wash off my hands. The tongue I'd just seen had been about a foot wide. I walked north with slimy pants._


----------



## Taylor

Only 499 words today...but they were good words...so I'm satisfied.


----------



## VRanger

Wrapped up Chapter 19 in my normal post-midnight writing session, which rounded out my word count at just over 96K. I'm definitely NOT going to wrap this up in the next 5K words. 10 might still do it, though. Regardless, 96K is a lot of writing behind me. 

This is a book I started 12 years ago and had about 12K in not quite three chapters. I continued it in late September, so a lot of production since then.


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> Wrapped up Chapter 19 in my normal post-midnight writing session, which rounded out my word count at just over 96K. I'm definitely NOT going to wrap this up in the next 5K words. 10 might still do it, though.



It's exciting, you are getting close!


----------



## indianroads

Updated my website with a martial art story. Worked on the blurb/product description and got it to point where it’s not completely awful. Then finally, took a nap - the first editing pass starts tomorrow.


----------



## VRanger

I started out my "late night session" with the idea I'd kick off Chapter 20 just to get it in motion, since I'd taken a break over the weekend after polishing off Chapter 19. I scratched out 500 words, then got on a roll. Before I finished I had almost 1800 words and finished the scene. With what has happened in the story there, I "might" finish it off in this chapter and a bit more. With the trick the MC is going to use to conquer the climax, that doesn't have to be a lengthy passage.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I spent the weekend researching the book.
It was very productive.


I've completed the main character sheets.


----------



## Foxee

I am attempting radical surgery with a butter knife in a desperate race against time, bathed in the shimmering heat of the funeral pyre of my first attempt.

All normal here with the writing life.


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> I am attempting radical surgery with a butter knife in a desperate race against time, bathed in the shimmering heat of the funeral pyre of my first attempt.
> 
> All normal here with the writing life.



Better a butter knife than a machete... or a table saw... or dynamite.

Keep plugging away, you'll get it.


----------



## thepancreas11

I came back to Writing Forums after a long hiatus. Time to get back into the writing world.


----------



## Foxee

indianroads said:


> Better a butter knife than a machete... or a table saw... or dynamite.
> 
> Keep plugging away, you'll get it.


You were right! I was able to move from butter knife to power sander and now I've just got to tighten the nuts a little more so that the pitch of the screaming reaches high C. Once that's done I can polish it and apply boot to push it out of the helicopter.

Thanks for the encouragement, I really wasn't sure this thing was going to make it!


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> You were right! I was able to move from butter knife to power sander and now I've just got to tighten the nuts a little more so that the pitch of the screaming reaches high C. Once that's done I can polish it and apply boot to push it out of the helicopter.
> 
> Thanks for the encouragement, I really wasn't sure this thing was going to make it!



I knew you could do it! Sounds awesome.


----------



## indianroads

Reached the halfway mark of the first edit of my next novel. 
A couple plot holes fixed, but nothing too drastic.
It's written somewhat lean, but I've still managed to pull 800 words out of it so far.


----------



## Taylor

W-E-L-L...I don't know if it's success, but I just managed to write 550 words after procrastinating all day.  Thank goodness for WF, so even when I'm not "writing', I'm still writing, if you know wha_t _I mean.  

Although vranger's got me paranoid about using the word "was"...lol!  He did say that an average of 6 times a page was ok...so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.  Sometimes it's better not to know so much, because then I'd have to write what I know.  

EDIT:  850 now


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> W-E-L-L...I don't know if it's success, but I just managed to write 550 words after procrastinating all day.  Thank goodness for WF, so even when I'm not "writing', I'm still writing, if you know wha_t _I mean.
> 
> Although vranger's got me paranoid about using the word "was"...lol!  He did say that an average of 6 times a page was ok...so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.  Sometimes it's better not to know so much, because then I'd have to write what I know.
> 
> EDIT:  850 now



Fantastic.
For me - it helps to not worry too much writing pretty words, I just get the story down on paper (figuratively) and clean it up during editing.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Fantastic.
> For me - it helps to not worry too much writing pretty words, I just get the story down on paper (figuratively) and clean it up during editing.



Yeah, I've never been able to figure out how to do that.   I write as clean as I can as I go.  It's a lot slower.  Especially the dialogue.  It all has to make perfect sense or I can't move on.  What a crazy bunch we are hey!

Where are you at with your second draft?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yeah, I've never been able to figure out how to do that.   I write as clean as I can as I go.  It's a lot slower.  Especially the dialogue.  It all has to make perfect sense or I can't move on.  What a crazy bunch we are hey!
> 
> Where are you at with your second draft?



I'm about 3/4 through, and have removed about 1200 words so far.

My first drafts are fairly clean because I’ve improved my plotting technique.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I'm about 3/4 through, and have removed about 1200 words so far.
> 
> My first drafts are fairly clean because I’ve improved my plotting technique.



Good work!  You are making good time.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I organized the week.
So on Sunday, I can work on other writing projects.
Yesterday I experienced a small theater text.
I liked it so much, I enjoyed it.


Today I resume writing the book.


----------



## Tiamat

I wrote 1,000ish words on a new short story today. That's become my new goal--if I sit down to write, I want to squeeze out 1K. So I met that goal and I'm happy about that, but more importantly, I figured out where my story is going. I'm a little over 2,000 words into this piece (started yesterday), and if you had asked me yesterday where I was going with it, I'd have said, "Beats me." For that matter, if you'd asked me today while I was writing, I'd have said the same thing. But after I hit my word count, I thought about everything I'd written so far, and now I feel like I know what I'm doing. So that's my success!


----------



## Taylor

Tiamat said:


> I wrote 1,000ish words on a new short story today. That's become my new goal--if I sit down to write, I want to squeeze out 1K. So I met that goal and I'm happy about that, but more importantly, I figured out where my story is going. I'm a little over 2,000 words into this piece (started yesterday), and if you had asked me yesterday where I was going with it, I'd have said, "Beats me." For that matter, if you'd asked me today while I was writing, I'd have said the same thing. But after I hit my word count, I thought about everything I'd written so far, and now I feel like I know what I'm doing. So that's my success!




Yes that 'knowing what you are doing' is the best.  I look forward to another story from you.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I just finished my fourth memoir of 2021! One of my writing goals for the calendar year was four memoirs, and now I've met that, and will 
be starting another one soon to surpass. The rest of my life might be a train wreck, but my writing goals will be crushed!

-JJB


----------



## Taylor

JJBuchholz said:


> I just finished my fourth memoir of 2021! One of my writing goals for the calendar year was four memoirs, and now I've met that, and will
> be starting another one soon to surpass. The rest of my life might be a train wreck, but my writing goals will be crushed!
> 
> -JJB



Fantastic!  Good work!!!


----------



## Taylor

1200 words on the novel today.  Felt good!

 Tomorrow back to my paid writing gig.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> 1200 words on the novel today.  Felt good!
> 
> Tomorrow back to my paid writing gig.


Awesome!


----------



## VRanger

Tonight I cracked 100K words (by 600) and resolved the crisis with the major active villain. I blogged about this ... I think I'm going to touch on the three (so far) unresolved sub-plots and leave them open for a sequel. I didn't plan this as a series when I wrote the first three chapters 12 years ago, but over the last few months I've very much enjoyed writing this character in first person. He's worth another 100K words just for how much fun I've had.

My next writing session will cap this novel.


----------



## thepancreas11

I wrote a fable for a competitions with Fractured Lit. I've now written two short stories in four days after not having done so for close to four years.


----------



## Taylor

Just got my outline and approach approved.  Client loved it!!


----------



## EternalGreen

Despite all my rage, I am still a night owl.

That's alright, because I will have almost half a chapter (having started with nothing) done before I sleep tonight.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Just got my outline and approach approved.  Client loved it!!



Client? What are you writing?


----------



## VRanger

Okay. I kept my promise and completed my WIP in my next writing session. However, it wasn't an epic effort. I decided I'll be writing a sequel, so I moved my two character arcs along, but left more to be done to satisfy each. I left a traitor to be dealt with in the sequel, his main ally having been dispatched in the previous scene. I didn't send the villain to the typical fate.



Spoiler



Instead of being killed in the final battle, he was trapped and turned into the hero's gardener and handyman. 



As normally happens to me, my last line came as a surprise. I suddenly realized I'd finished the story, typed a sentence to acknowledge that state, and it's over.  Now comes the hard work.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Okay. I kept my promise and completed my WIP in my next writing session. However, it wasn't an epic effort. I decided I'll be writing a sequel, so I moved my two character arcs along, but left more to be done to satisfy each. I left a traitor to be dealt with in the sequel, his main ally having been dispatched in the previous scene. I didn't send the villain to the typical fate.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Instead of being killed in the final battle, he was trapped and turned into the hero's gardener and handyman.
> 
> 
> 
> As normally happens to me, my last line came as a surprise. I suddenly realized I'd finished the story, typed a sentence to acknowledge that state, and it's over.  Now comes the hard work.



fantastic! Great job!


----------



## Foxee

Today when my dedicated writing time turned into complete bus-garage-calling chaos over getting my son where he needed to go, I still managed to churn out fifteen minutes of writing and then started to dissect this story to see what it needs and doesn't need. Still working, still in it.

Overcoming obstacles in my creative life is a big deal for me so I'm very happy! (and thank you for a place to mention it)


----------



## Theglasshouse

I got inspired today after reading a story and so after reading critically I am planning on replacing the characters, theme, and I should have an original story since I am only to reimagine it drastically. It's a reimagining.

I found this book that talks about photography and how to be inspired by it. Picture memoirs can help me describe better. They aren't expensive usually I believe, and I found one that has 500 pages and costs 4 dollars. The location of the place is what I wanted, and it has pictures to help imagine the place as well as facts. The below book prompted it. Photo memoirs could be a decent way to describe. I do appreciate the previous advice on description. This was can be used for any sort of descriptive writing. So this is another approach if you will.
*
Write What You See: 99 Photos to Inspire Writing

*I dont usually rewrite stories which is why I am going to say this is the first time I retell a different story.


Some strategies are photo essays (the best strategy for description since it is free and includes the vocabulary on the internet): Analyzing photo essays, family photos, found photographs, and memoirs.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Client? What are you writing?



There are significant changes in policy at the provincial government due to Covid with respect to financial controls. Employees need training. I'm designing and authoring the training manuals and scripts for the training videos. 

I was worried when I took on the contract that my novel would stall, but it hasn't and I am still finding time to write.  

 I'm actually finding it quite inspiring working in government again.  The basis for my novel involves public policy, and it's something that fascinates me. I'm hoping it's something that people will like to read about when wrapped in fiction. Going back to working with policy in real life is like a renewal of my original motivation to write fiction.

EDIT:  The other thing I just realized is that there is a fair bit of fiction writing with the training because I create fictional cases as examples of the lessons.  Characters, plots and all!


----------



## Taylor

Theglasshouse said:


> I got inspired today after reading a story and so after reading critically I am planning on replacing the characters, theme, and I should have an original story since I am only to reimagine it drastically. It's a reimagining.
> 
> I found this book that talks about photography and how to be inspired by it. Picture memoirs can help me describe better. They aren't expensive usually I believe, and I found one that has 500 pages and costs 4 dollars. The location of the place is what I wanted, and it has pictures to help imagine the place as well as facts. The below book prompted it. Photo memoirs could be a decent way to describe. I do appreciate the previous advice on description. This was can be used for any sort of descriptive writing. So this is another approach if you will.
> *
> Write What You See: 99 Photos to Inspire Writing
> 
> *I dont usually rewrite stories which is why I am going to say this is the first time I retell a different story.



Oh I'm so happy for you...that  sounds perfect!  Have fun!!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> There are significant changes in policy at the provincial government due to Covid with respect to financial controls. Employees need training. I'm designing and authoring the training manuals and scripts for the training videos.
> 
> I was worried when I took on the contract that my novel would stall, but it hasn't and I am still finding time to write.
> 
> I'm actually finding it quite inspiring working in government again.  The basis for my novel involves public policy, and it's something that fascinates me. I'm hoping it's something that people will like to read about when wrapped in fiction. Going back to working with policy in real life is like a renewal of my original motivation to write fiction.
> 
> EDIT:  The other thing I just realized is that there is a fair bit of fiction writing with the training because I create fictional cases as examples of the lessons.  Characters, plots and all!



that’s interesting. I believe that anytime we compose thoughts in writing we learn and improve.


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> Today when my dedicated writing time turned into complete bus-garage-calling chaos over getting my son where he needed to go, I still managed to churn out fifteen minutes of writing and then started to dissect this story to see what it needs and doesn't need. Still working, still in it.
> 
> Overcoming obstacles in my creative life is a big deal for me so I'm very happy! (and thank you for a place to mention it)


Awesome!


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> that’s interesting. I believe that anytime we compose thoughts in writing we learn and improve.



Oh I know. I started doing this type of work about 10 years ago. In the early days it took me forever to craft the fictional cases. They have to illustrate the issue while the characters basically screw up so the participants can see what not to do, and what the potential outcome would be. I remember having the drafts go around and around to various policy folks for revisions. That was so educational because now, I just bang them together.

I see that you have drawn on your engineering experience with the _Extinction Series_.  Have you ever thought of writing a modern day mystery around Silicon Valley?


----------



## Foxee

Taylor said:


> I see that you have drawn on your engineering experience with the _Extinction Series_.  Have you ever thought of writing a modern day mystery around Silicon Valley?


I second this idea!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Oh I know. I started doing this type of work about 10 years ago. In the early days it took me forever to craft the fictional cases. They have to illustrate the issue while the characters basically screw up so the participants can see what not to do, and what the potential outcome would be. I remember having the drafts go around and around to various policy folks for revisions. That was so educational because now, I just bang them together.
> 
> I see that you have drawn on your engineering experience with the _Extinction Series_.  Have you ever thought of writing a modern day mystery around Silicon Valley?





Foxee said:


> I second this idea!



That's never crossed my mind... and I'll give it some thought.

A heist would be amusing... everyone would get stuck in traffic.


----------



## BornForBurning

Getting back to the dang craft. Man, if I have to sacrifice reading this modernist degeneracy in my textual analysis class to actually find the time to write some experimental pulp (ala my working lifeblood), I'll stop reading the modernism. Cane is awful. Story upon story about touching a black woman's chest. No. Thank. You. 

On a bright side, my fiction writing professor wants us to start pitching short story ideas, so I threw her one of my stuck-in-the-basement-at-2AM-with-old-friends concepts: 

Thomas Dutch is Copperman, a human with the supernatural ability to turn into molten metal and absolutely nothing else, forcing him to rely on his stoic blacksmith girlfriend to forge him into a blade of raw iron and defeat the CYBERWITCHES, an order of demon-worshipping women with extensive cybernetic enhancements that jack into HELL ITSELF.


----------



## Llyralen

This was the most heart-warming thing I read all day-- I wonder how it strikes other writers.
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-jane-vonnegut-made-kurt-vonnegut-a-writer


----------



## EternalGreen

BornForBurning said:


> Getting back to the dang craft. Man, if I have to sacrifice reading this modernist degeneracy in my textual analysis class to actually find the time to write some experimental pulp (ala my working lifeblood), I'll stop reading the modernism. Cane is awful. Story upon story about touching a black woman's chest. No. Thank. You.



To quote the racism watchdog: "Woof."


----------



## VRanger

After finishing the first draft last night, I started my first read through tonight. The purpose of this read through focuses on flow, continuity, and loose ends. Like, you write something in Chapter One you mean to be important, and you never get back to it.  I did that, and I'm going to need to add a couple of lines at the end of the book to pretend I didn't just forget about the reference ... like I did.

In my defense, I wrote the first three chapters twelve years ago, so they're not as fresh in my mind as everything I wrote starting the end of last September.

I do this read through in the software, so that if I spot a typo or a sentence I should revise, I can do that on the fly. I'm calling it quits for the night after the first scene in Chapter Three ... getting tired and that leads to missing things. Having written this portion twelve years ago, I'm catching more to clean up than I find in more recent work. Plus, Chapter Two was a long chapter, 6,000 words ... a bit of a grind as I restructured a lot of sentences.


----------



## JBF

Revisiting an old idea.  Nothing written yet, but I think it may have wheels provided I can figure out how to translate the concept into story form.  

Long story short, I was reading one of my regular blogs a while back.  Somehow the topic drifted onto the subject of evil in the everyday world and another commenter (an ex-cop) mentioned something that jarred this loose.  Per his recollection, there were a number of times over the years that he knew for a certainty he'd been in the presence of something sinister - beyond the norm of working daily with society's underbelly, at any rate - and been especially glad to hand off custody of those particular individuals to either the jail staff or other agencies.  

Among the worst, he said, were the time he's been standing in front of a door with one hand on the knob and his weapon drawn and _known _at the gut level there was something patently evil waiting on the other side.  A cousin who spent the better part of a decade doing similar work in the early '80s had stories eerily similar, as had a former coworker of mine who had a front-row seat when the U.S. military was working house-to-house in Iraq.  There was always the sense of danger - but sometimes there was an extra note of malice that set one incidence apart from the next.  

Having never been military or LE, I had an experience in that same vein from my last job.  I lived near the middle of a good-sized town, then.  The four blocks north of the apartment were comprised of churches.  Parking lots filled up on Sunday, but the rest of the week things were pretty quiet.  Everything else surrounding was light commercial or residential.  Except for the couple a few doors down having a domestic dispute every other week we didn't see a whole lot of excitement.  

Anyway.  I'm a habitual night owl.  If I wasn't working the next day, my habits usually kept me up until three or four in the morning.  In this particular instance I was in the living room watching a movie with the lights off.  I finished up around two and started shuffling snack trash to the kitchen.  Only walking back into the living room I see this silhouette on the blinds.  Not doing anything...just standing in front of my window.  The four church lots all had good parking floods, so whoever it was, they were pretty thoroughly backlit.  

No big deal.  There were a couple of neighbors who kept the same hours as me.  I figured one of them couldn't sleep, or had to take the dog out, or was out on a smoke break.  Normal apartment stuff.  

I drop my trash in the kitchen and I'm going back into the bedroom when I hear the door rattle.  Probably just a fluke, but when I look again there's no shadow on the blinds.  Maybe a drunk.  Maybe somebody sleepwalking.  The place was locked up, so it didn't matter much.  

Except it don't happen just the once.  

So me, figuring this might be a development, goes and gets ye olde home defense shotgun and a flashlight.  By the time I got back the noise had quit, and I went up and checked the peephole to see if my new friend had vacated.  

Nope.  Standing right there in front of the door.  I couldn't make out too much in the way of the details, being as the light was all behind him, but I could tell he wasn't swaying like a drunk or twitching like a meth-head, and if he'd been one of the neighbors he would have had the courtesy to knock.  And even though I couldn't see his face I knew he was staring at me.  Sort of that slow, patient type of look you see with apex predators.  The hard stare.  The kind you _feel_.  

We stood it off for a couple of minutes before he shuffled off into the bushes next door.  Never did find out who he was or what he wanted, but I tell you one thing...you could feel the _off-ness _of the whole affair.  That clinging, lingering sense of something being dead wrong and just all of a sudden realizing there's more on the table than you remember betting.  

I guess we got lucky.  Neither one of us got to learn anything new and ugly like we might have otherwise.  

So yeah.  _The evil on the other side of the door.  _

There's probably a way to hammer that into something readable.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

JBF said:


> Revisiting an old idea.  Nothing written yet, but I think it may have wheels provided I can figure out how to translate the concept into story form.
> 
> Long story short, I was reading one of my regular blogs a while back.  Somehow the topic drifted onto the subject of evil in the everyday world and another commenter (an ex-cop) mentioned something that jarred this loose.  Per his recollection, there were a number of times over the years that he knew for a certainty he'd been in the presence of something sinister - beyond the norm of working daily with society's underbelly, at any rate - and been especially glad to hand off custody of those particular individuals to either the jail staff or other agencies.
> 
> Among the worst, he said, were the time he's been standing in front of a door with one hand on the knob and his weapon drawn and _known _at the gut level there was something patently evil waiting on the other side.  A cousin who spent the better part of a decade doing similar work in the early '80s had stories eerily similar, as had a former coworker of mine who had a front-row seat when the U.S. military was working house-to-house in Iraq.  There was always the sense of danger - but sometimes there was an extra note of malice that set one incidence apart from the next.
> 
> Having never been military or LE, I had an experience in that same vein from my last job.  I lived near the middle of a good-sized town, then.  The four blocks north of the apartment were comprised of churches.  Parking lots filled up on Sunday, but the rest of the week things were pretty quiet.  Everything else surrounding was light commercial or residential.  Except for the couple a few doors down having a domestic dispute every other week we didn't see a whole lot of excitement.
> 
> Anyway.  I'm a habitual night owl.  If I wasn't working the next day, my habits usually kept me up until three or four in the morning.  In this particular instance I was in the living room watching a movie with the lights off.  I finished up around two and started shuffling snack trash to the kitchen.  Only walking back into the living room I see this silhouette on the blinds.  Not doing anything...just standing in front of my window.  The four church lots all had good parking floods, so whoever it was, they were pretty thoroughly backlit.
> 
> No big deal.  There were a couple of neighbors who kept the same hours as me.  I figured one of them couldn't sleep, or had to take the dog out, or was out on a smoke break.  Normal apartment stuff.
> 
> I drop my trash in the kitchen and I'm going back into the bedroom when I hear the door rattle.  Probably just a fluke, but when I look again there's no shadow on the blinds.  Maybe a drunk.  Maybe somebody sleepwalking.  The place was locked up, so it didn't matter much.
> 
> Except it don't happen just the once.
> 
> So me, figuring this might be a development, goes and gets ye olde home defense shotgun and a flashlight.  By the time I got back the noise had quit, and I went up and checked the peephole to see if my new friend had vacated.
> 
> Nope.  Standing right there in front of the door.  I couldn't make out too much in the way of the details, being as the light was all behind him, but I could tell he wasn't swaying like a drunk or twitching like a meth-head, and if he'd been one of the neighbors he would have had the courtesy to knock.  And even though I couldn't see his face I knew he was staring at me.  Sort of that slow, patient type of look you see with apex predators.  The hard stare.  The kind you _feel_.
> 
> We stood it off for a couple of minutes before he shuffled off into the bushes next door.  Never did find out who he was or what he wanted, but I tell you one thing...you could feel the _off-ness _of the whole affair.  That clinging, lingering sense of something being dead wrong and just all of a sudden realizing there's more on the table than you remember betting.
> 
> I guess we got lucky.  Neither one of us got to learn anything new and ugly like we might have otherwise.
> 
> So yeah.  _The evil on the other side of the door.  _
> 
> *There's probably a way to hammer that into something readable.*



I think you just did. LOL. You little devil you ...


----------



## Deleted member 64995

1400 words divided into 3 chapters, from 3 different novels.
I can't wait to have more time,  to write more.
Research takes me a long time.


----------



## Taylor

Llyralen said:


> This was the most heart-warming thing I read all day-- I wonder how it strikes other writers.
> https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-jane-vonnegut-made-kurt-vonnegut-a-writer



What a beautiful story.  It has inspired me this morning.  I was looking for some typical quote about, "Behind every successful man... blah blah blah"  But there are so many different versions.  

Maybe the story speaks more to a team.  Whatever that team is comprised of....


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> After finishing the first draft last night, I started my first read through tonight. The purpose of this read through focuses on flow, continuity, and loose ends. Like, you write something in Chapter One you mean to be important, and you never get back to it.  I did that, and I'm going to need to add a couple of lines at the end of the book to pretend I didn't just forget about the reference ... like I did.
> 
> In my defense, I wrote the first three chapters twelve years ago, so they're not as fresh in my mind as everything I wrote starting the end of last September.
> 
> I do this read through in the software, so that if I spot a typo or a sentence I should revise, I can do that on the fly. I'm calling it quits for the night after the first scene in Chapter Three ... getting tired and that leads to missing things. Having written this portion twelve years ago, I'm catching more to clean up than I find in more recent work. Plus, Chapter Two was a long chapter, 6,000 words ... a bit of a grind as I restructured a lot of sentences.



Congratulations - sounds like your work is moving in a good direction.

One thing that has helped me in my editing passes is to have my computer read my work back to me. Too often when I read my own work my eye glosses over a wrong word (spelled correctly, but it's not the word I intended to use) and also missing or duplicated words. 

I use MS Word to write, which has a 'SPEAK' utility built into it - you just have to activate it. At the very top-left of the Word window you have the file-save, undo, and redo options, next to that is a pull-down button where you can add more options. Select 'More Commands' and look for 'Speak'. The voice kinda sounds like Stephen Hawking, and occasionally mispronounced words, but I catch a TON of errors using this feature.

Each edit consists of two passes. The first is me reading the text, correcting errors and looking for plot-holes. On the next pass I listen to Stephen, and clean up what he catches.

Anyway, this is a process that works for me, and so may not work for anyone else - but I just thought I'd mention it.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> What a beautiful story.  It has inspired me this morning.  I was looking for some typical quote about, "Behind every successful man... blah blah blah"  But there are so many different versions.
> 
> Maybe the story speaks more to a team.  Whatever that team is comprised of....



As a huge Vonnegut fan, I enjoyed that.


----------



## indianroads

JBF said:


> [...]
> So yeah.  _The evil on the other side of the door. _



I've been in situations like that... it's an eerie feeling, sort of like someone running an ice cube down your spine.


----------



## VRanger

It sounds like a good tactic. I couldn't personally use it here, because I'm writing in our den, and my wife may be watching TV or reading, and that would be distracting to her.

At this point, any proofreading is only opportunistic. Once all revision is complete, I then run the novel through my proofreading app. It splits the novel into discreet sentences, then presents them to me one sentence at a time in random order. When you mention your eye glossing over a wrong word, that typically happens when you proof the work straight through. You wind up reading the story rather than concentrating on the words, and read over mistakes.

Examining one sentence at a time, and in no particular order, eliminates that problem. In a list below, I display the sentence in context just in case that's useful, and it sometimes is. Over time I've added several points of analysis, and I display warnings for things like homonyms, clichés, copulas, overworked words, filler words, etc.

After one pass through every sentence, the app bumps a proofreading revision number, and then repeats the process with only the sentences revised in the first pass. That's because it's quite likely to introduce a new error as you fix another one.  The revision passes continue until no revised sentences remain. Typically, each of my own passes is about 10% of the number of sentences from the previous pass. Those aren't all because I introduced another error ... most often it's just continued fiddling with a sentence I didn't like the first time around. By the time that's done, it's pretty solid.

Years ago I read somewhere that NY houses find approximately 7 typos in a full length novel to be acceptable after editing. I'm looking to beat that standard by the time I have a finished product.



indianroads said:


> Congratulations - sounds like your work is moving in a good direction.
> 
> One thing that has helped me in my editing passes is to have my computer read my work back to me. Too often when I read my own work my eye glosses over a wrong word (spelled correctly, but it's not the word I intended to use) and also missing or duplicated words.
> 
> I use MS Word to write, which has a 'SPEAK' utility built into it - you just have to activate it. At the very top-left of the Word window you have the file-save, undo, and redo options, next to that is a pull-down button where you can add more options. Select 'More Commands' and look for 'Speak'. The voice kinda sounds like Stephen Hawking, and occasionally mispronounced words, but I catch a TON of errors using this feature.
> 
> Each edit consists of two passes. The first is me reading the text, correcting errors and looking for plot-holes. On the next pass I listen to Stephen, and clean up what he catches.
> 
> Anyway, this is a process that works for me, and so may not work for anyone else - but I just thought I'd mention it.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> It sounds like a good tactic. I couldn't personally use it here, because I'm writing in our den, and my wife may be watching TV or reading, and that would be distracting to her.
> 
> At this point, the any proofreading is only opportunistic. Once all revision is complete, I then run the novel through my proofreading app. It splits the novel into discreet sentences, then presents them to me one sentence at a time in random order. When you mention your eye glossing over a wrong word, that typically happens when you proof the work straight through. You wind up reading the story rather than concentrating on the words, and read over mistakes.
> 
> Examining one sentence at a time, and in no particular order, eliminates that problem. In a list below, I display the sentence in context just in case that's useful, and it sometimes is. Over time I've added several points of analysis, and I display warnings for things like homonyms, clichés, copulas, overworked words, filler words, etc.
> 
> After one pass through every sentence, the app bumps a proofreading revision number, and then repeats the process with only the sentences revised in the first pass. That's because it's quite likely to introduce a new error as you fix another one.  The revision passes continue until no revised sentences remain. Typically, each of my own passes is about 10% of the number of sentences from the previous pass. Those aren't all because I introduced another error ... most often it's just continued fiddling with a sentence I didn't like the first time around. By the time that's done, it's pretty solid.
> 
> Years ago I read somewhere that NY houses find approximately 7 typos in a full length novel to be acceptable after editing. I'm looking to beat that standard by the time I have a finished product.



I use headphones.

It seems like a combination of our techniques could be beneficial. One thing that reading and listening through the work catches (for me) is overused words.

What app are you using - I may look into picking it up.


----------



## Llyralen

I really appreciate this man’s enthusiasm this morning and how he also believes a book can change the world.  Yay! 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sHfrvpgDsaw


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I use headphones.It seems like a combination of our techniques could be beneficial. One thing that reading and listening through the work catches (for me) is overused words.What app are you using - I may look into picking it up.


You know, I've never used headphones. Oversight on my part.

I wrote the app and run it on a combination of my application server and my SQL Server. But as I offered in a PM a while back, I'm more than happy for you to use it. I consider it to be in beta, but I've used it for six novels of my own now--by some time next week it will be seven--and there are several other authors I've given access.


----------



## JBF

indianroads said:


> I've been in situations like that... it's an eerie feeling, sort of like someone running an ice cube down your spine.



Yup.  

The sense of being in the presence of something ugly with out a whole lot of material barrier in the way.  One of those fun little holdovers from the lizard brain, I guess.


----------



## indianroads

During the course of this first edit, I decided to rewrite some of the last two chapters of my novel. I worked through the one requiring the most change today - I'll do some editing on it tomorrow, then jump into the final chapter.

I made these changes because the pace of the book is quick, and the last chapters had too much deviation. I like plots that are like a brick tossed out of a high-rise window. With some luck, I'll finish the first editing pass of 'Afterworld: Redemption' tomorrow.


----------



## Ralph Rotten

I haven't written anything in a year or so.
I've been on a writing sabbatical.
All I've been doing is working and flying my spaceship in Elite Dangerous.
The other day I discovered 2 earthlike planets in the same solar system. They orbited as a binary pair, tidally locked to each other.
Just 11,000 light years from Earth.
Soooo cool.

Actually, all that binge-flying has had me formulating a new story centered on the game.


----------



## Darkkin

Spent two minutes and conjured something that wasn't horrendous...(It's a reasonable expectation.)


----------



## indianroads

Finished the first full edit of Afterworld: Redemption. Dropped the WC by 2,287 to 99,380. It's lean with tons of action and I'm loving it.

In my last series (Extinction) the main recurring character was a pacifist, in this novel both the FMC and MMC are abusive and viscous people. The change was nice.

Anyway, Indianroads is doing his happy dance.

Over the next couple of days I'll play with ideas for the cover (to send to my designer) and work on the blurb and product description.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I "discovered" a writer and a book (and his poems). I have ignored him for years. Now I adore him. The writer is Stephen Crane and his amazing work is his poetry. Simple, interesting, but often show an enigmatical paradox. I'm now reading his Red Badge of Courage. That boy can write! What a find!


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Congratulations - sounds like your work is moving in a good direction.
> 
> One thing that has helped me in my editing passes is to have my computer read my work back to me. Too often when I read my own work my eye glosses over a wrong word (spelled correctly, but it's not the word I intended to use) and also missing or duplicated words.
> 
> I use MS Word to write, which has a 'SPEAK' utility built into it - you just have to activate it. At the very top-left of the Word window you have the file-save, undo, and redo options, next to that is a pull-down button where you can add more options. Select 'More Commands' and look for 'Speak'. The voice kinda sounds like Stephen Hawking, and occasionally mispronounced words, but I catch a TON of errors using this feature.
> 
> Each edit consists of two passes. The first is me reading the text, correcting errors and looking for plot-holes. On the next pass I listen to Stephen, and clean up what he catches.
> 
> Anyway, this is a process that works for me, and so may not work for anyone else - but I just thought I'd mention it.



I have a speak function with google docs, but I can't get it to work.  Do you know if there is something tricky that may be preventing it?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I have a speak function with google docs, but I can't get it to work.  Do you know if there is something tricky that may be preventing it?



Sorry - I don't know anything about Google Docs.


----------



## Taylor

Taylor said:


> I have a speak function with google docs, but I can't get it to work.  Do you know if there is something tricky that may be preventing it?



Welll I got her to talk but she jus reads the title and then spews out a few randiom sentences, and keeps saying "selected".   Or when I type she calls out the letters, but Ican get her to just read.  I'm going to keep playing around, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.


----------



## Taylor

Taylor said:


> Welll I got her to talk but she jus reads the title and then spews out a few randiom sentences, and keeps saying "selected".   Or when I type she calls out the letters, but Ican get her to just read.  I'm going to keep playing around, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.



Yay!   I just figured it out.  Thank you Youtube.  You have to turn in on Chrome vox under assessibibly.  Then go to your document and use your up and down arrow.  You have to go line by line though which is workable.  I'm sure eventually I'll figure out how to get it to work on its own.  What a great idea Indianroads!


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Finished the first full edit of Afterworld: Redemption. Dropped the WC by 2,287 to 99,380. It's lean with tons of action and I'm loving it.
> 
> In my last series (Extinction) the main recurring character was a pacifist, in this novel both the FMC and MMC are abusive and viscous people. The change was nice.
> 
> Anyway, Indianroads is doing his happy dance.
> 
> Over the next couple of days I'll play with ideas for the cover (to send to my designer) and work on the blurb and product description.



How exciting!  It's inspiring.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Today's writing success actually happened late last night, but still is a happy thing. I finally finished a story that I had started back in early 
November, in which I somehow managed to lose the plot about a third of the way through. A few days ago, I re-opened the dormant file
and got a zinger of an idea on how to keep going. The story is twice as long as originally planned, but I finished it late last night after a 
couple days of 3.5 hour sessions.

I am both happy and relieved that it's done, as I absolutely hate having unfinished work.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> Today's writing success actually happened late last night, but still is a happy thing. I finally finished a story that I had started back in early
> November, in which I somehow managed to lose the plot about a third of the way through. A few days ago, I re-opened the dormant file
> and got a zinger of an idea on how to keep going. The story is twice as long as originally planned, but I finished it late last night after a
> couple days of 3.5 hour sessions.
> 
> I am both happy and relieved that it's done, as I absolutely hate having unfinished work.
> 
> -JJB



Great news! Writing takes a lot of perseverance.


----------



## Private Universe

JJBuchholz said:


> Today's writing success actually happened late last night, but still is a happy thing. I finally finished a story that I had started back in early
> November, in which I somehow managed to lose the plot about a third of the way through. A few days ago, I re-opened the dormant file
> and got a zinger of an idea on how to keep going. The story is twice as long as originally planned, but I finished it late last night after a
> couple days of 3.5 hour sessions.
> 
> I am both happy and relieved that it's done, as I absolutely hate having unfinished work.
> 
> -JJB



Nothing as satisfying as tying up a loose end in writing :smile:


----------



## Foxee

Yay Flashes published "Running Water" today! And when I re-read it I actually liked it which is always a great feeling.

(THANK YOU to the Flashes staff)


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> Yay Flashes published "Running Water" today! And when I re-read it I actually liked it which is always a great feeling.
> 
> (THANK YOU to the Flashes staff)



WOW Great news! Congratulations! YOU ROCK!


----------



## indianroads

Tried to force myself not to  write, and didn't completely succeed. I did keep my MS closed down, but I worked on cover input for my designer and the product descriptions (it's down in Publishing Discussion -> Query Letters, Synopsis (etc) if you want to give some feedback).

Cleaned up my office and moved a drawing desk downstairs where my granddaughter can use it. Rode around on my motorcycles (with the cold weather they've been in the garage for a couple months). I'm considering trading my 2014 Indian Vintage for one of the new, smaller Indians - at 66 yo it's getting tough lifting an 830 pound motorcycle.


----------



## Foxee

indianroads said:


> Rode around on my motorcycles (with the cold weather they've been in the garage for a couple months). I'm considering trading my 2014 Indian Vintage for one of the new, smaller Indians - at 66 yo it's getting tough lifting an 830 pound motorcycle.


Y'know we do have a 'post a selfie' thread here somewhere and if you're shy you can still post a pic of the motorcycle. I wouldn't be mad at that at all.


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> Y'know we do have a 'post a selfie' thread here somewhere and if you're shy you can still post a pic of the motorcycle. I wouldn't be mad at that at all.



I did not know that. I'll look for a picture tomorrow.


----------



## Tiamat

I sat down at the computer with the goal of writing 1,000 words, and ended up writing close to 1,400 instead. If I can do that again tomorrow, I think I might just finish this story I've been working on for the last week or so.


----------



## Taylor

Foxee said:


> Yay Flashes published "Running Water" today! And when I re-read it I actually liked it which is always a great feeling.
> 
> (THANK YOU to the Flashes staff)



CONGRATULATIONS!  There is no more satisfying feeling, than liking your own work.


----------



## VRanger

I finished my editing read-through last night just before midnight, and spot-checked a few places today to scrub excess prepositional phrases. I decided to stop doing that in the draft, and finish it in the proofread, since I'll be going over it one sentence at a time in that process anyway. So I've just compiled the Scrivener files into an RTF, and in a few minutes I'll have it uploaded to my proofreading app and parsed into sentences (and individual words ... which is how I identify my own set of overworked words).

For 100K words, proofreading will take me about 35 man-hours. It's real work, but it's also very effective. I recently followed an author to his Amazon page and found a typo in the second paragraph of his preview. This is my defense against that! LOL


----------



## Taylor

Got 1/4 of the way through the first draft of the Participant Manual. (current contract)  It's not as fun as writing my own stuff, but it's writing.


----------



## VRanger

9263 sentences to proof, and closing in on 24 hours later I'm down to 5000. LOL I have modified 727 of them. Only a few of those were typos, the rest was fiddling to improve clarity, drop some preposition phrases, and the like. I'm going to guess about 15 were actual typos.

I'm sort of proud of myself. My historically personal most over used word is "could". In my first novel I was hundreds of uses over the norm. I started out here only 89 over the norm. It comes from paying attention whenever I type it and trying to find something else. Of course, usage for "might", a common replacement for "could", shot up a bit. LOL

Three of my four most "overused words" are "I", "me", and "my". However, since this is in first person, that's expected.

It gets harder from here. In the column where I display 5 sentences before and after the current sentence, for context, I have a checkbox by each sentence to go ahead and mark it as 'completed' ... so that it doesn't come up for individual review. So short sentence of one to five works, chapter headings, occasional blank lines, and scene separators can get marked off sometimes in blocks of five or six at a time ... in addition to the current sentence to be reviewed.

However, after about the 45% mark in proofreading, I've marked off the majority of those 'gimmes'. So those 5000 remaining sentences all need the attentive eye. It isn't exactly one of those 80/20 deals, but it's in the neighborhood.


----------



## Tiamat

I suppose this is only tangentially a "writing" success, but earlier today, I accepted an offer for a new position at work as a policy & procedure writer, which comes with a fancy new officer title and a pretty spiffy raise to boot. I'm pretty stoked about it!


----------



## Ralph Rotten

I just had one of my shorts published in an anthology by my publishing group Indies United. 
It was actually a story that had been previously published in another anthology.

Other than that, I just been flying my spaceship.


----------



## Taylor

Tiamat said:


> I suppose this is only tangentially a "writing" success, but earlier today, I accepted an offer for a new position at work as a policy & procedure writer, which comes with a fancy new officer title and a pretty spiffy raise to boot. I'm pretty stoked about it!



That is wonderful news! It is absolutely a writing success. I know we had a conversation about this last summer and I thought you should go for this if the opportunity arose.  Sooo glad it did!!  As a fellow writer who wrote policy and procedures for over 10 years I can tell you it is very satisfying.  It's a contribution to society, especially in your world of banking.

CONGRATULATIONS Tiamat!!!!


----------



## Taylor

I wrote my butt off today, but got my first draft of the Participant Manual completed and submitted for approval.  The client must be happy, I just signed a two year contract. :-?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I wrote my butt off today, but got my first draft of the Participant Manual completed and submitted for approval.  The client must be happy, I just signed a two year contract. :-?


Alright! Awesome news.
Take this opinion from someone that grew up on the street: money = good.


----------



## VRanger

Big sigh. I just finished the first proof of the novel, with 917 sentences changed. So now I review those 917 sentences again. As I mentioned before, it's just as easy to introduce a typo when editing a sentence as when writing it in the first place, so every sentence changed gets another look.

I didn't actually have 917 typos or clarity adjustments. As it turns out, exporting from Scrivener to RTF, loading that in Word, then copy and pasting it into my app wound up with some formatting glitches that came from some very odd Rich Text tags Scrivener produces. So I had things like italics with no space after the word, apostrophes with a space generated in front of them ... miniscule corrections ... but my app still flags them as changes. I'm not blaming this on Scrivener, it's a combination of RTF tags out of Scrivener which are different than what Word produces, and my code which parses RTF tags when I break out individual sentences. I have to examine those tags and add code to recognize the ones coming out of Scrivener.

Those 917 sentences are going to take two and a half man-hours to review, which I can't do in one sitting. So if you see me posting here, you'll know when I'm taking respite from the salt mines. LOL

Off Topic Note: My wife recently had cataract surgery on both eyes (one at a time), and we got her the top end lenses. Now she can read my computer screen from across the room. I've asked if we can get a refund and get the original lenses restored, but she's resistant to that suggestion. (She just looked over here and said, "917 huh?")


----------



## Foxee

indianroads said:


> Alright! Awesome news.
> Take this opinion from someone that grew up on the street: money = good.


I grew up in a Scottish entrepreneurial family so I do believe that money should have a certain direction = toward me. If it's going the other way I need to reconsider that.

After five straight days of messing up/giving away my writing time and worrying that all my ideas had leaked out, I sat down this morning and banged out a story that I'm 2100 words into and not done yet. Best of all, I keep chuckling as I write. At least I'm keeping myself entertained!


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I completely redone the first chapter of my novel.
I have changed a lot of things.
Now, I like it more.


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> I grew up in a Scottish entrepreneurial family so I do believe that money should have a certain direction = toward me. If it's going the other way I need to reconsider that.
> 
> After five straight days of messing up/giving away my writing time and worrying that all my ideas had leaked out, I sat down this morning and banged out a story that I'm 2100 words into and not done yet. Best of all, I keep chuckling as I write. At least I'm keeping myself entertained!



I love it when that happens.


----------



## indianroads

LadySilence said:


> I completely redone the first chapter of my novel.
> I have changed a lot of things.
> Now, I like it more.


Awesome! Keep it rolling along.


----------



## Taylor

I have not met my minimum 200 words a day on my novel for the last week.   

It's funny how before I took this contract to help out the government with respect to new Covid requirements, I had not been affected much by Covid at all.   Now I live, eat and breath Covid!   I'm hoping to carve out some time on the weekend to get caught up.


----------



## Taylor

Taylor said:


> I have not met my minimum 200 words a day on my novel for the last week.
> 
> It's funny how before I took this contract to help out the government with respect to new Covid requirements, I had not been affected much by Covid at all.   Now I live, eat and breath Covid!   I'm hoping to carve out some time on the weekend to get caught up.



Yay, even though I was really tired from last week, I managed to drag my butt to the computer and hammer out 1200 words.  They were important ones too, because they set out the last business transcation that must occur for the big reveal.  Feels good.  I'm going to have a glass of wine now.  It's 5 o'clock somewhere isn't it?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yay, even though I was really tired from last week, I managed to drag my butt to the computer and hammer out 1200 words.  They were important ones too, because they set out the last business transcation that must occur for the big reveal.  Feels good.  I'm going to have a glass of wine now.  It's 5 o'clock somewhere isn't it?



Great! Perseverance, we just gotta keep at it.

I'm closing in on the halfway point in my second edit of my WIP. It's going well, but my cover designer won't get to my stuff until July - and my book will probably be done by the end of May.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Great! Perseverance, we just gotta keep at it.
> 
> I'm closing in on the halfway point in my second edit of my WIP. It's going well, but my cover designer won't get to my stuff until July - and my book will probably be done by the end of May.



Whoever you use has done an amazing job so far, so I see why you would want to wait.  It's only the difference of a month or so.  May be you will take longer to edit anyway?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Whoever you use has done an amazing job so far, so I see why you would want to wait.  It's only the difference of a month or so.  May be you will take longer to edit anyway?


Thanks, and you’re right about the editing. I also have another story brewing in my head.


----------



## Tiamat

I just marathoned through about 1800 words and _finally_ finished the short story I've been working on for the last several weeks. My favorite word is the "END" that I get to type when I finally finish a piece I've been struggling with.


----------



## indianroads

Tiamat said:


> I just marathoned through about 1800 words and _finally_ finished the short story I've been working on for the last several weeks. My favorite word is the "END" that I get to type when I finally finish a piece I've been struggling with.



Wonderful! I love writing “The End” (I’m a bit more verbose).
Congratulations! It’s great hearing about our victories.


----------



## JBF

I'm slogging through the process of completely changing style and voice in an extant project.  

It's been...interesting.


----------



## VRanger

Getting darned close to having this novel done. It's been two heavy weeks of editing and proofreading. Now it will get a final read from my wife (English degree and a good proofreader herself), and it will be ready to go to the Copyright Office.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Getting darned close to having this novel done. It's been two heavy weeks of editing and proofreading. Now it will get a final read from my wife (English degree and a good proofreader herself), and it will be ready to go to the Copyright Office.


Sounds great, congratulations!


----------



## EternalGreen

I powered through about a 1,000 words on a brand-new story idea.

I think people are going to like it.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My successes were yesterday. 

One, I finished and sent out my monthly Flash Fiction Flash newsletter (as I've been doing for over twenty years now). 

Two, I wrote and finished and sent to the editor my latest monthly essay for OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters. 

I spent most of February either in the hospital or in physical rehab so I'm surprised I was able to meet the deadlines on either of these things. (I'm on the mend but the mending is taking far too long.)


----------



## indianroads

EternalGreen said:


> I powered through about a 1,000 words on a brand-new story idea.
> 
> I think people are going to like it.





Pamelyn Casto said:


> My successes were yesterday.
> 
> One, I finished and sent out my monthly Flash Fiction Flash newsletter (as I've been doing for over twenty years now).
> 
> Two, I wrote and finished and sent to the editor my latest monthly essay for OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters.
> 
> I spent most of February either in the hospital or in physical rehab so I'm surprised I was able to meet the deadlines on either of these things. (I'm on the mend but the mending is taking far too long.)



Awesome! All movement takes us forward.

I've struggled through the edits of a few chapters - both MC's are struggling with complex problems, writing their situations and concerns so they can be easily followed was tough. Anyway, I got through chapter 19 today (dropped the total WC by 250) - only 9 more chapters to go.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm smokin' today. I got to work on my chapbook about my trip to Indonesia. I printed off all of them so I can read them in hard copy. I revised two poems and wrote a new one. Now I have just two more poems to write (I need at least 15 poems) and I can submit the collection to a chapbook publisher. (I have some rough drafts I can use to fill the last two so I don't have to do the remaining two poems from scratch.) 

I've put off this project far too long. I'm serious this time. Seriously. I'm going to finish this project. I will. I promise myself I will. And I'm serious too. You better believe I'm going to finish it this time. Seriously. I will. Nothing will stop me. You'll see. I'm really serious about it this time. Really.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm so proud of me! I finished my chapbook collection of poems about my amazing trip to Indonesia. I actually finished it! After years of dabbling with it (getting about half of the poems published but never getting the entire collection written and put together) I'm now ready to submit the manuscript to a publisher.  I'm busy now patting myself on the back for finally finishing that project. I'm so tickled!


----------



## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I'm so proud of me! I finished my chapbook collection of poems about my amazing trip to Indonesia. I actually finished it! After years of dabbling with it (getting about half of the poems published but never getting the entire collection written and put together) I'm now ready to submit the manuscript to a publisher.  I'm busy now patting myself on the back for finally finishing that project. I'm so tickled!



Fantastic! Putting that final period after the last sentence is a wonderful feeling.


----------



## Cephus

Finished another book yesterday, came in at 119k, which was about what I expected. It took me just over a month. Now I'm in editing mode and once that's done, I'll go back for the last book in the trilogy.


----------



## indianroads

Moving through my 2nd edit, and have just 3 chapters to go. This pass I've pulled ~300 words out of the MS so far, and plugged a couple minor plot holes. 
I like the story. It's fast paced with a lot of action, with dark but intriguing (IMO) characters.


----------



## Backstroke_Italics

I did some writing exercises today to build up my stamina before I start my new novel. I spend five minutes writing as fast as I can followed by two minutes of meditation. Usually there is no topic; it's just stream of consciousness, and then I delete it all. After half an hour my brain is begging for Netflix and potato chips, but it really helps me to focus on my writing after I do a few days of these stamina exercises.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I had been thinking about a new story that takes place in one of my universes for the last couple of weeks, but was unable to come
up with some plot elements. This changed last night, as I managed to conjure up in my mind how most of it will work, and started
an idea sheet that is nearly full.

I've been dealing with a lot of stress due to life issues as of late, and this sometimes inhibits my writer's brain.

Hopefully, I'll start writing this new story soon.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> I had been thinking about a new story that takes place in one of my universes for the last couple of weeks, but was unable to come
> up with some plot elements. This changed last night, as I managed to conjure up in my mind how most of it will work, and started
> an idea sheet that is nearly full.
> 
> I've been dealing with a lot of stress due to life issues as of late, and this sometimes inhibits my writer's brain.
> 
> Hopefully, I'll start writing this new story soon.
> 
> -JJB



Fantastic! 
In your writing process, what’s the next step?


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm doing great. I said earlier that I got together the collection on my trip to Indonesia so it's ready to be sent to market. I've reviewed it, further polished the poems, added a couple of poems to begin it and end it, and think it's fully ready to go now. I'm torn between entering it in a competition that will take months to get results and going the self-published route on this project. 

Finishing that project inspired me to work up a general poetry collection (combining published and nonpublished pieces) and it's ready to be entered into a competition that begins in June. I'm almost finished with that project and mainly need to find the best order for each of the poems (about 40 of them). 

Which inspired me to group together my poems on my gods and goddesses for another competition (when I find one). 

I'm so pleased about how one thing led to another and I got some heavy work done. I'm also busy selecting flash fiction for a "best of" issue and I'm nearing completion on that project. There have been some great pieces submitted and published. 

I like it when I can complete projects. I always have more waiting in the background.


----------



## JJBuchholz

indianroads said:


> Fantastic! In your writing process, what’s the next step?



My whole process kind of looks like this:

1) Story idea pops into my head (either random, or through some sort of inspiration).
2) Figure out the plot of the story, and how it will play out (depending on if it's in one of my universes, or a stand-alone).
3) Work on an idea sheet, making point form notes and adding most of the needed information (characters, setting,
plot points, title, etc.)
4) When the idea sheet is at least 75% complete, start writing the draft while adding points to the idea sheet.
5) Complete the story, and go over the idea sheet once more.
6) Editing.

There is sometimes an extra step, or additions to some of the steps listed above.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> My whole process kind of looks like this:
> 
> 1) Story idea pops into my head (either random, or through some sort of inspiration).
> 2) Figure out the plot of the story, and how it will play out (depending on if it's in one of my universes, or a stand-alone).
> 3) Work on an idea sheet, making point form notes and adding most of the needed information (characters, setting,
> plot points, title, etc.)
> 4) When the idea sheet is at least 75% complete, start writing the draft while adding points to the idea sheet.
> 5) Complete the story, and go over the idea sheet once more.
> 6) Editing.
> 
> There is sometimes an extra step, or additions to some of the steps listed above.
> 
> -JJB



Sounds like a good plan!

NOW GET TO WORK! (just kidding... not really)


----------



## indianroads

Just finished the second edit of my WIP (Afterworld: Redemption). I pulled out 436 words this time, and am down by 2,723 words from the first draft.

I'm a retired engineer... those of my sort measure pretty much everything. Don't hate me.

Usually, I run through around 8 passes before my editor sees it, but this time the work is looking pretty clean so she may see it sooner than expected. 

Feelin' good!


----------



## JJBuchholz

I had an interesting piece of writing success happen to me today. Got out of my stressful mindset, and was listening to a song this morning
when it got stuck in my head. Now, I'm used to incorporating song lyrics into a story, but this was different. I took a long, hard look at the
song's lyrics and came up with a story for them. I played the song again and let me mind take me away to what it would look like as a 
movie instead of a song, then started writing.

My story is entitled, 'The Unforgettable Fire" (based on the U2 song of the same name) and was written in just under two hours. It's 
shorter than a lot of stuff I normally write, but upon completion, felt perfect to me in both plot and length.

-JJB


----------



## Tiamat

I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months 

So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.


----------



## indianroads

Tiamat said:


> I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months
> 
> So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.



Great news!


----------



## Kyle R

Tiamat said:


> I started a novel today. Only wrote 500 words, but the point is, I only started writing fiction again last June after a very long break. I told myself that if I could do two things, I might consider writing a novel again. One is to stick with it for a year and find a way to love it the way I did before I walked away from it. The other is have a story published in a professional market. So it's only been nine months, not a year, but I do love it again, and I have stuck with it. And the story won't be published until May (and I haven't signed a contract yet and am not yet allowed to say who the publisher is), but the novel idea came to me this afternoon and I decided it'd be stupid to make myself wait another three months.





Tiamat said:


> So there we go. I'm writing a novel and that's my writing success for the day.




Way to go, Steph!

I'm super eager to read your story when it comes out. 

And nice job on starting a novel. I how it feels to be adrift and in limbo. I don't know what caused the feeling for you, but for me, the whole Covid world threw my writing aspirations for a big a loop. I've been trying to claw my way out of the murk ever since.

Also: 500 words a day can become an awesome novel in just a few months. :encouragement:


----------



## Tiamat

Kyle R said:


> I how it feels to be adrift and in limbo. I don't know what caused the feeling for you, but for me, the whole Covid world threw my writing aspirations for a big a loop. I've been trying to claw my way out of the murk ever since.


I totally get that. However, I hold a very strong opinion that what this world needs is more fiction by Kyle Richardson, so I'll just be over here, cheering you on while you pull yourself back onto steady ground. 

And thanks!!


----------



## indianroads

A while back our friend Taylor suggested that a write a novel based in Silicon Valley (where I used to live and work). It was an interesting idea, and I even suggested a humorous chase scene through rush hour traffic - maybe engineers 'chasing' each via an app on their phone.

Well guess what? I had trouble sleeping last night I came up with the key points while staring up at the ceiling. This morning wrote out the rough plot. It's a techno-thriller, with humor, satire, horror aspects, and a government conspiracy. I'll start on this story after my WIP is published in July/August of this year. Currently I'm calling this new story: Afterworld: Inception, and hope to have it out mid-2022. 

If Taylor allows it, I'll give her a dedication.


----------



## EternalGreen

I discovered that, if I write on paper and then type the results, I get three benefits: 1) I boost my creative throes and use a stronger voice when writing on paper, and: 2) my editing is more comprehensive because I have to rewrite every single word, and: 3) no distractions at all!

Pencil-and-paper isn't the best medium for everyone, but I recommend returning to the base method if you're stuck or are distracted easily!


----------



## indianroads

Booked my cover designer for the book Taylor suggested. It's set for mid-April (he's very popular).


----------



## VRanger

I'm taking a few days break to recharge between projects. Being Type A and lacking any sort of patience, when I get to the editing and proofreading stage I wear myself out from the last word of writing until I feel comfortable it's ready for a second set of eyes. However, I did load up the fairy tale last night and added on a paltry 650 words, which happened to flesh out the chapter. So now when I rev up that project in a few days, I'll be looking at a fresh chapter. I need a pleasant interlude with a peaceful, homey feel before the bad guys show up. I just need to decide how long to make that interlude.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I put aside, the children's book I wanted to write.
I realized that the person who wanted to dedicate it, not worth it.
No problem.
I will work on other projects, which stimulate me more.


----------



## indianroads

LadySilence said:


> I put aside, the children's book I wanted to write.
> I realized that the person who wanted to dedicate it, not worth it.
> No problem.
> I will work on other projects, which stimulate me more.



It's always best to follow your heart.


----------



## Taylor

Final Draft of of videos and Participant Manual approved.  Now I just need to create the correlating Facilitator Guide.  

The client is very happy!  He wants me to bring another legacy course up to the same standard.  I was hoping this would end so I could focus on my own stuff.  But contracts like this don't come along everyday.  Besdies I feel a calling to government in times of need.  But an approval and recognition in that they want more is always very satisfying.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Final Draft of of videos and Participant Manual approved.  Now I just need to create the correlating Facilitator Guide.
> 
> The client is very happy!  He wants me to bring another legacy course up to the same standard.  I was hoping this would end so I could focus on my own stuff.  But contracts like this don't come along everyday.  Besdies I feel a calling to government in times of need.  But an approval and recognition in that they want more is always very satisfying.



You're doing great. Your creative writing will be there when you're done. Sometimes when I work on other things I get new ideas for an existing project, which is a positive. Also, when you return to your writing it will be like a dam breaking - all the creativity you've held back will burst forth.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> You're doing great. Your creative writing will be there when you're done. Sometimes when I work on other things I get new ideas for an existing project, which is a positive. Also, when you return to your writing it will be like a dam breaking - all the creativity you've held back will burst forth.



Ahhh..your great!  Just what I needed to hear....


----------



## indianroads

Victory for today.

Finished the first outline of 'Inception' a Taylor inspired novel set in the near future Silicon Valley. The outline ran to eight pages, which is a good start. It will probably stretch to twenty-six or twenty-seven pages before I start in on the first full draft.

Main characters are coming together:
Uncertain/shy MMC that gains confidence.
A strong willed FMC that finds her place in the world
A megalomaniac antagonist (NSA Agent) that gets his comeuppance in the end.
A ghost in the machine that evolves from a little girl to a goth teenager.
And a cat, that holds the key to everything.

There's a chase through the heart of Silicon Valley during morning rush hours.
Revenge of the nerd when MMC gains confidence. 
Fancy parties. 
Government over reach.
A plan to enslave the nation.
National press.
High tech.
Ferrari's. Houses in Saratoga.
Corporate intrigue. 

Yeah - I think it's got legs.


----------



## Darkkin

I apparently confused people by writing about soap...(Not sure how, but it made me laugh, so that counts as joy, right?)


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Victory for today.
> 
> Finished the first outline of 'Inception' a Taylor inspired novel set in the near future Silicon Valley. The outline ran to eight pages, which is a good start. It will probably stretch to twenty-six or twenty-seven pages before I start in on the first full draft.
> 
> Main characters are coming together:
> Uncertain/shy MMC that gains confidence.
> A strong willed FMC that finds her place in the world
> A megalomaniac antagonist (NSA Agent) that gets his comeuppance in the end.
> A ghost in the machine that evolves from a little girl to a goth teenager.
> And a cat, that holds the key to everything.
> 
> There's a chase through the heart of Silicon Valley during morning rush hours.
> Revenge of the nerd when MMC gains confidence.
> Fancy parties.
> Government over reach.
> A plan to enslave the nation.
> National press.
> High tech.
> Ferrari's. Houses in Saratoga.
> Corporate intrigue.
> 
> Yeah - I think it's got legs.



You've been busy...look exciting.  It will be a good read!

But, I think someone named Taylor needs to have a cameo in this novel.


----------



## EternalGreen

Absolutely POWERED through a short story. I spawned 3,400 well-polished words in two days with no signs of slowing.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> You've been busy...look exciting.  It will be a good read!
> 
> But, I think someone named Taylor needs to have a cameo in this novel.



Ha! I’m Silicon Valley trained. I predict there will be a character named Taylor.


----------



## druid12000

Put the finishing touches on a fanfiction piece (The Wizard, Black Sabbath song) and posted on the Workshop. 

That was a fun, and tricky, story to write. I've never tried incorporating other people's words into a story.

Now, I'm going to see if I can get the band to post it on their fan page


----------



## Deleted member 64995

1000 words of a chapter. He pleased me so much writing it. I wait a couple of days, then with a clear mind, I correct him.


----------



## Darkkin

Did a five minute scribble, I love the depth of the allegory, but I wonder if I was a bit too cryptic...


----------



## Riptide

Caught my rewrite of a novel up to where I had stopped on the original. So now, with a better idea of where I want it to end, I can finish off the last 5k to 10k. I'm no longer rewriting, this is gonna be all new material, and I'm excited for it.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Last night I had a strange dream.
When I woke up, I thought about this absurd dream.
I got up because I had nowhere to write.
This crazy dream gave me an idea for a story.
I think I have written the longest synopsis of my life.
This morning, copying the written notes, I counted the words.
1500
Synthesis is not my gift.


----------



## thepancreas11

I submitted a short story to a fiction competition today! That's my third submission in three weeks.


----------



## VRanger

Over the last couple of days I've started back in on my fairy tale, which is a bit sooner than I expected to. I've knocked out three chapters, which is not as demanding as my novels, since I'm only writing about 1000 words per chapter on this ... aiming for about a 20k novella. It's a bit tougher to get words in here, since my MC is a mouse, and he doesn't speak. I typically eat a lot of words in dialogue. However, he's learning language, so I may have him overhear specific human dialogue in upcoming chapters.

It will be nice to finish this project, as it's the last of the three projects which were once all hanging around at the same time, uncompleted.


----------



## Foxee

With index cards made for the stepping-stones of the novel I want to launch I expected to do some more work on that today. Instead I found myself hurtling through almost an hour of writing/brainstorming on a different subject that I had scribbled down on a random sheet of paper. It's a concept that I keep coming back to but am still not ready to launch and write dedicatedly...there's some complexity to it. It's one of those conversations with myself that will go on from year to year as I learn more about brain-science (hopefully) and then once I can feel like "Of course the story happens this way" I'll be able to write it.

I have several short stories and flash fics that I should polish and send out. 

But the big progress was to just sit here for a few turns of the hourglass to write like my head was on fire and feel like my brain was exploding with ideas. That's a very good thing.


----------



## Taylor

Thanks to *indianroads* for not listening to my excuses and kicking my butt, I wrote 750 words on the novel today.   

I thought I saw another post where someone called indianroads, ‘Indiana Jones.’  Now every time he motivates me, I hear that theme song…


----------



## Crooked Bird

Managed to revise both scenes today, not just one! Now I need to know if they work...


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I reread the beginning of one of my stories, never finished. I had abandoned him.
I like the plot, so I changed the place where the protagonist lived.
I definitely like it more. I wrote 588 words.


----------



## -xXx-

predawn flesh out.
that will be my take-a-break-go-to today.
next step, what can be cut?
review.
reorganize as needed.
may have it finished before dinner time.
if so, i will celebrate with a new experience.
was gifted a four pack of a new "healthy" ginger ale.
one is chilling now.


----------



## indianroads

At the 1/3 mark in my third edit of Redemption. It's going well, only minor issues found thus far.


----------



## Taylor

1200 words and spent at least an hour trying to iron out a secondary plot.  Exhausted...


----------



## VRanger

Another day, another (short) chapter. Right in the middle of the chapter I decided on a major plot deviation that makes a lot more sense and led to a humorous conversation between my MC (a mouse) and the little girl who feeds and protects him. It's _sort _of a conversation. The mouse obviously can't talk, but the girl can sense what he's thinking and _she _talks. The humorous thing is the mouse never really understands what the girl is getting at. She's trying to teach him about counting, then strays into multiplication and blows his little mind, so he goes to sleep.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I spent Sunday looking for information for one of the protagonists of my book.
It was very interesting what I found.
Today we start writing again.


----------



## indianroads

I reached the 2/3 mark through my third edit of Redemption today. Everything is going well.


----------



## VRanger

Can I share my writing dilemma instead? I'm now 8500 words into this 20K novella, having started chapter nine of probably twenty, and I'm having a big think over whether to hit the gas on this story. By hit the gas, I mean the bad guys show up and a literal battle of cat and mouse begins. (The hero is a mouse and he'll be making an unlikely ally of his consistent enemy, the cat, to foil the bad guys). So what I have to decide is if I have enough material there to carry half the book, or if I need more lead up ... and if I need more lead up ... what material would that be to add substance before I hit the gas?

It's a crucial decision. When the bad guys show up the tone of the book will pivot abruptly. I _could _go ahead and hit the gas, then if I come up short, I'd be thinking about going back and inserting scenes, but I rarely do that. I try to pace the story correctly as I write it.


----------



## indianroads

Busy day.
I edited 4 chapters today, leaving 6 to go.
Gave input to a woman I’m helping to develop a self defense class for women in domestic violence situations.
Talked to my martial art teacher, Grand Master Aleem.
And took my wife to dinner at out favorite Mexican restaurant.

Oh, and we had out house furnace replaced.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I often see this thread popping up and the only thing I can contribute is 'I wrote today'. And that's it. For me, that's the only success that matters!


----------



## bdcharles

Created a book cover that facebook didn't utterly despise...


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

bdcharles said:


> Created a book cover that facebook didn't utterly despise...



Is that for your seagull story? If so, post it here, I'd like to see the finished product!


----------



## bdcharles

TheMightyAz said:


> Is that for your seagull story? If so, post it here, I'd like to see the finished product!




Okay, okay, I ... Okay. I'll do it. I said I'll do it!

However I've just discovered pixabay so I may be some time


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

bdcharles said:


> Okay, okay, I ... Okay. I'll do it. I said I'll do it!
> 
> However I've just discovered pixabay so I may be some time



Get a move on!


----------



## Kent_Jacobs




----------



## bdcharles

TheMightyAz said:


>



I've lost my nerve...


----------



## bdcharles

TheMightyAz said:


> Get a move on!



OK, here it is. Go on, slice me open. String me up for not leading the eye. Have a go at me for crimes against whitespace.


----------



## -xXx-

bdcharles said:


> OK, here it is. Go on, slice me open. String me up for not leading the eye. Have a go at me for crimes against whitespace.
> 
> View attachment 26600



and your preorder location is where?
pls.n.thx


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Written two versions, of the same story: I have to understand which is the most correct to use.


----------



## bdcharles

-xXx- said:


> and your preorder location is where?
> pls.n.thx



All in good time  I just need to settle on a cover and then I plan to set up the pre-order. But why am I suddenly terrified of this whole process? What if I get a bad review? What if I don't get a book trailer? They'll shout my name in the streets with orders to be flogged.


----------



## -xXx-

bdcharles said:


> All in good time  I just need to settle on a cover and then I plan to set up the pre-order. But why am I suddenly terrified of this whole process? What if I get a bad review? What if I don't get a book trailer? They'll shout my name in the streets with orders to be flogged.


nah.
everyone gets a bad review.
stock your celebration supplies.
make a mix collection.
create a box in which flog orders may be safely transported to grill.
take picture of the colors, pre-ember-ash.

i will write a review.
which i can not plan to do
until preorders happen.

what does not appeal (above cover)?
perhaps your second release will warrant a different cover.

grab your fav beverage
for upload-button-clicked.

jussayin'


----------



## indianroads

bdcharles said:


> All in good time  I just need to settle on a cover and then I plan to set up the pre-order. But why am I suddenly terrified of this whole process? What if I get a bad review? What if I don't get a book trailer? They'll shout my name in the streets with orders to be flogged.



It is scary, but at the same time one of the best feelings you can ever experience.


----------



## Cephus

Got started on the last book in a trilogy. Three days in and nearly 20k in the bucket.


----------



## EternalGreen

Cephus said:


> Got started on the last book in a trilogy. Three days in and nearly 20k in the bucket.



Jesus Christ. 20k in three days? How's that even possible?


----------



## Cephus

EternalGreen said:


> Jesus Christ. 20k in three days? How's that even possible?



That's nothing. It's hardly over my standard 5k a day. I'll be done with the book in just over a month.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> That's nothing. It's hardly over my standard 5k a day. I'll be done with the book in just over a month.



WOW!


----------



## VRanger

The answer to the dilemma I discussed worked out. I wrote one more chapter of lead up, where I foreshadowed how the bad guys get in. That gets me to chapter ten. I think I'll have two chapters of the bad guys taking over and being bad, eight chapters of "cat and mouse" to defeat them, and a chapter to wrap up.


----------



## Foxee

I've been continuing to build my plotline map and now character dossiers. The ideas are flowing just fine every time I get to sit down and work. Good stuff is happening.

Indianroads, thought of you when I was in Kittanning, PA the other day:


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> I've been continuing to build my plotline map and now character dossiers. The ideas are flowing just fine every time I get to sit down and work. Good stuff is happening.
> 
> Indianroads, thought of you when I was in Kittanning, PA the other day:
> 
> View attachment 26618



That's an Indian Vintage, an awesome bike. The paint job tells me that it's newer than mine; I have a 2014, the first year they came out (it's a numbered bike, #463 of the first 1901). They're terrific motorcycles - you should learn to ride, because you don't know how much you're missing when riding in a car ('cage' in biker parlance).

My win for the day is that I finished my 3rd editing pass of 'Redemption', which removed 100 words, the novel now comes in at 98,844 words (down 2,823 from the first draft). 

I have some work to do around the house that will take up much of tomorrow, but after that I'll hop back on 'Inception' - which is still in the early plotting stage. It's a novel set in Silicon Valley, just a few years from now.


----------



## Phil Istine

This might sound odd on such a thread, but my success today was in cutting about forty words.  They made that part seem convoluted, so they went.


----------



## Taylor

Two Facilitator Guides approved and accepted by the client...invoice already gone out!


----------



## Darkkin

I nattered a bit on things I wouldn't otherwise talk about on my IG, quite simply because no one asks...Some people use social media for attention.  I use it as a sounding board to make sense out of the world, usually by writing about small things that make me think.


----------



## EternalGreen

I love seeing my proper manuscript format headers because it means the story is just about done and ready to be shipped off.


----------



## VRanger

Having finished the last of my peaceful lead into the action, I got back to this manuscript tonight for chapter ten, and the bad guys easily infiltrated and took over. Only the magic mouse and the family cat escaped capture. So I got into some action and dialogue, and I can breeze through some action and dialogue. I wrote the chapter in about 40 minutes.  Disclaimer: These are only 1000+ word chapters.

The only drag on production from here to the end is that I have to create situations for the magic mouse and the cat to bedevil and eventually defeat the intruders. And that has to happen gradually, since I have nine chapters to fill with that stuff. LOL



> “So what is this about a mouse?” The words were followed by the human laughter Merwen could recognize and understand.
> 
> “There was a mouse in the little girl’s room, sleeping on her pillow. The thing sensed me coming, resisted the sleeping spell, and flew off through the wall!”
> 
> “A ‘mouse’ resisted the spell. I know you’re not drunk, so what’s wrong with _this _story?”
> 
> “Nothing’s ‘wrong’ with what I’m telling you. It happened.”
> 
> “And you’re worried about a mouse?” Now laughter pealed from three throats, each a unique expression of the form.
> 
> “I didn’t say I was worried about a mouse. It happened, and it’s surprising. Very odd.”
> 
> “I don’t think you know _what _you saw. But while you’re worrying about dumb animals, why don’t you go find that cat before it causes any more trouble?”
> 
> “I _didn’t _say I was worried, I tell you. And _you _find the cat. You’re the one it scratched.”
> 
> “Okay, I’ll find the cat if you’re not up to it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Footsteps clacked across the floor and away.
> 
> The cat had limited spaces in which to hide. However, cats have an innate property having nothing to do with magic. Have you ever tried to find a hiding cat? Good luck. They can reach and fit into, behind, under, on top of, and in the middle of spots you’d deem impossible.
> 
> By mid-morning, the intruders abandoned the search for the cat. Eavesdropping again, Merwen overhead them guess the cat found a way outside. Of course, Merwen knew where the cat had hidden. Their error amused Merwen, all the more because he knew the cat was close by … next door in the sitting room … sitting on top of the chimney flue.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I am ready and prepared for my first NanoWrimo


----------



## indianroads

Working away on Inception - a techo-thriller set in a near-future Silicon Valley. Still in the plotting phase, and won't start the first draft until June or July. Found some plot holes, filling them in. Adding back story and motivation for my characters. My MC has a stuttering problem that will be surgically corrected in chapter 3 (that's were the adventure really begins), and in doing research I learned that males are four times more likely to develop stuttering than are females. Interesting.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Working away on Inception - a techo-thriller set in a near-future Silicon Valley. Still in the plotting phase, and won't start the first draft until June or July. Found some plot holes, filling them in. Adding back story and motivation for my characters. My MC has a stuttering problem that will be surgically corrected in chapter 3 (that's were the adventure really begins), and in doing research I learned that males are four times more likely to develop stuttering than are females. Interesting.



Can't wait for Inception!  I put my hand up for beta reader if needed.


----------



## Taylor

The only thing I wrote today (not includng WF posts) was comments to explain why I overrode system-generated failures of applications for Covid benefits that were denied only because of mistakes or clerical errors.  Getting money into needy hands is a worthy reason to write.  Very satisfying!


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I am happy with the result obtained in the competition, even if I finished last.
I'm here to learn and improve.


----------



## Taylor

LadySilence said:


> I am happy with the result obtained in the competition, even if I finished last.
> I'm here to learn and improve.



Remember competitions are subjective.


----------



## Taylor

Interesting word count today...1111.   And oh what glorious words!  foxee inspired me to use Shakespearean quotes in my dialogue. 

Super stoked about it because the whole Hamlet and Polonius relationship is perfect for my theme.  I'm going to bring the two Shakespearean characters (by quotes) into the mix as having comparable motives/conflicts to my characters to create suspicion.    Yay...I love this stuff!!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Interesting word count today...1111.   And oh what glorious words!  foxee inspired me to use Shakespearean quotes in my dialogue.
> 
> Super stoked about it because the whole Hamlet and Polonius relationship is perfect for my theme.  I'm going to bring the two Shakespearean characters (by quotes) into the mix as having comparable motives/conflicts to my characters to create suspicion.    Yay...I love this stuff!!



Great news! Congratulations!

I'm still working on the second pass of the plot for my Inception novel - I have five more chapters to go, and the outline is currently sitting at ~13,000 words - all bullet points. After this pass there will probably be three or four more before I start in on the first draft.

Character profiles still lie ahead. My MC (Mike Collins) is sort-of modeled from the Irish leader Michael Collins that helped free his country from the English. I talked my wife into watching a movie about him last night (she was bored), and I decided to have my character actually be a descendant of Michael Collin's older brother Patrick John Collins. He'll have to make some speeches about freedom, so that should fit right in.

I like including animals in the story - and my MC will have a cat, who currently appears in my profile pic over there <--.

The female MC will be named Melissa (Mel) Taylor.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Great news! Congratulations!
> 
> I'm still working on the second pass of the plot for my Inception novel - I have five more chapters to go, and the outline is currently sitting at ~13,000 words - all bullet points. After this pass there will probably be three or four more before I start in on the first draft.
> 
> Character profiles still lie ahead. My MC (Mike Collins) is sort-of modeled from the Irish leader Michael Collins that helped free his country from the English. I talked my wife into watching a movie about him last night (she was bored), and I decided to have my character actually be a descendant of Michael Collin's older brother Patrick John Collins. He'll have to make some speeches about freedom, so that should fit right in.
> 
> I like including animals in the story - and my MC will have a cat, who currently appears in my profile pic over there <--.
> 
> The female MC will be named Melissa (Mel) Taylor.



You've made great progress!  You must be excited about this one.

Love the names.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> You've made great progress!  You must be excited about this one.
> 
> Love the names.



I love my stories; we all must, otherwise why would we write them?


----------



## EternalGreen

Some days I write like an actual maniac on Adderall--the next, I feel anxious I don't have enough written. 

It's not always about word count. The writer's ability is her best investment. Gods knows (if god there is, which I deny) the world doesn't need me churning out slush for the world's slushpiles; it needs carefully crafted, lurid prose. I refuse to value quantity over quality. Still, I can manage just shy of 1,000 fictional words per day. That's enough.

I find creative memoir _extremely_ easy to write. In that genre, I can manage 1,000 words in just a few hours. This discovery is my joy for today.


----------



## Taylor

This is so cool, I have to share this.  I just cracked 70,000 words!   And what's particularly cool about that is my original goal when I started the novel in January 2020, was to write two chapters a month and complete at 70K.   Since then I have upped the needed word count to about 100K.  

However, I just finished Chapter 33, and that puts me over my original goal, which would have been 32 chapters by the end of April.  

Thanks to everyone who has supported me on this milestone...you know who you are.


----------



## indianroads

WOW! Awesome!

Regarding WC - I usually write long, then edit it down to size.

CONGRATULATIONS!!


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> This is so cool, I have to share this.  I just cracked 70,000 words!   And what's particularly cool about that is my original goal when I started the novel in January 2020, was to write two chapters a month and complete at 70K.   Since then I have upped the needed word count to about 100K.
> 
> However, I just finished Chapter 33, and that puts me over my original goal, which would have been 32 chapters by the end of April.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has supported me on this milestone...you know who you are.



As we would say in some other forums (or online games) -- WOOT! 

The cool thing on a first novel is this is about the tipping point where you now know ... KNOW ... where you're going and that you're going to finish.


----------



## VRanger

Last report I'd just finished Chapter Ten. Fast forward, and I just put Chapter Thirteen to sleep tonight. The bad guys had a very bad episode with the cat, with a major assist from Merwen the mouse. Could his name be Merwen because it sounds something like Merlin? Nah. Not that I'd tell.

I had a section of dialogue in my previous post, and we've discussed dialogue in my thread and a couple of others recently. This concerns dialogue tags and other methods of identifying the speaker. I've got something completely different in mind here. There are four intruders, and they're having conversations. The mouse is hearing them through a mouse-sized crack in the baseboard. I'm simply not naming the intruders nor indicating which one is saying what, though I give a little personality (so far) for two of them. It really doesn't matter who is saying what. It's the gist of each conversation that's important.

Aren't I just SOOOO avant-garde?


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Last report I'd just finished Chapter Ten. Fast forward, and I just put Chapter Thirteen to sleep tonight. The bad guys had a very bad episode with the cat, with a major assist from Merwen the mouse. Could his name be Merwen because it sounds something like Merlin? Nah. Not that I'd tell.
> 
> I had a section of dialogue in my previous post, and we've discussed dialogue in my thread and a couple of others recently. This concerns dialogue tags and other methods of identifying the speaker. I've got something completely different in mind here. There are four intruders, and they're having conversations. The mouse is hearing them through a mouse-sized crack in the baseboard. I'm simply not naming the intruders nor indicating which one is saying what, though I give a little personality (so far) for two of them. It really doesn't matter who is saying what. It's the gist of each conversation that's important.
> 
> Aren't I just SOOOO avant-garde?


Of course you are. You’re an ascot wearing writer and an inspiration on WF.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Of course you are. You’re an ascot wearing writer and an inspiration on WF.



I did get  my ass caught in a fold-up cot one time.


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> Last report I'd just finished Chapter Ten. Fast forward, and I just put Chapter Thirteen to sleep tonight. The bad guys had a very bad episode with the cat, with a major assist from Merwen the mouse. Could his name be Merwen because it sounds something like Merlin? Nah. Not that I'd tell.
> 
> I had a section of dialogue in my previous post, and we've discussed dialogue in my thread and a couple of others recently. This concerns dialogue tags and other methods of identifying the speaker. I've got something completely different in mind here. There are four intruders, and they're having conversations. The mouse is hearing them through a mouse-sized crack in the baseboard. I'm simply not naming the intruders nor indicating which one is saying what, though I give a little personality (so far) for two of them. It really doesn't matter who is saying what. It's the gist of each conversation that's important.
> 
> Aren't I just SOOOO avant-garde?



So the only way the reader will know there are four intruders is the difference in personality?  Or some other indication?


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> So the only way the reader will know there are four intruders is the difference in personality?  Or some other indication?



I tell them there are four. I just don't go into detail about them other than one being bossy and one being whiny.


----------



## indianroads

Just finished the second draft of the plot of Inception... which will be my ninth book... wow... that's a lot of typing.

Anyway this plot outline came in at just under 15K words. It will grow with the next draft.


----------



## VRanger

Chapter 14 done. I should have this novella's first draft done before we go on vacation the end of next week. It's starting to really roll now that the mouse and cat are on offense. Merwen has launched the cat into a surprise attack on the four intruders, and they're assessing the damage after the cat once again escaped untouched. The family is immobilized by magic, but their housekeeper has been left free to cook. The worst wounded intruder is curled in a fetal position on the floor with serious injury to face and neck. His comrade is trying to assist him.

*****************
He looked at the mother. “Do you have any salves to help cat scratches and bites?”

“She can’t talk, remember?”

“Oh, right.” He looked at the housekeeper. “How about it?”

“Sure, I’ve got something over here in the cupboard. It will sting and hurt, I warn you.”

“What medicine doesn’t? Go get it!”

The housekeeper pulled a jar out of the cupboard, and Merwen had seen her use a paste out of that jar before. She used it to scour particularly dirty pots. The man took the jar. He pulled his comrade’s arms away from his head and began to apply the paste. Screaming recommenced as he slathered on the grainy green concoction.

“Got any whiskey? If we can get some down him that might help a little.”

“Yes, sir, we have some over here in the same cupboard. Use it for cooking sometimes.” The housekeeper retrieved an unmarked bottle of cleaning fluid and handed it over.
************************


----------



## indianroads

This morning I trained in martial arts, and tutored five ladies getting ready to test for their 2nd Dan Black Belt test. In the afternoon, I reworked an old short story about growing up in a small town in the Redwoods, then put it up on my website.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I am very excited about my first Nanowrimo.
I discovered that you can insert multiple projects.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I've finally managed to end a two-week period of time in which I wrote nothing, and didn't even come up with a viable idea. I've come
up with a premise for a novella in one of my series (Temporal Flux) that sees the events of September 11/2001 never happen. A man
gets pulled into a temporal schism during the attacks (due to the energy released), along with newspapers from the 12th. Emerging
over a week in the past, he somehow alters history to where none of it happened.

Agents Six and Red from the 27th Century T.E.B. (Temporal Enforcement Bureau) split up to investigate, find the man, and discover
that he's deranged and doesn't want to be sent back to the proper timeline, in which he dies in the WTC along with all the others.

I'm still jotting down plot points and such, but the working title right now is 'Terror'.

I hope to start a draft soon.

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

LadySilence said:


> I am very excited about my first Nanowrimo.
> I discovered that you can insert multiple projects.



November's a bad time for me. Hallmark Christmas movies have already started! LOL (Plus Thanksgiving week).

However, looking back, I did manage 12.5K last November, but I had a couple of tie ups. The first chapter started that month took two weeks because I could not decide how to go about a major encounter. The next chapter didn't come easily, either. However, I did write 85K words for a complete novel last May. I just have to pick my own month. 

Writing success today? Finishing up Chapter 15, started last night but I had to cut off for an early appointment this morning. Plus, I managed a poem for the 9th straight day. I'm gonna get that badge on my profile if I have to rewrite Old Mother Hubbard one day!


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I managed to organize the chapters of my novel.
Now I have a clearer idea of the direction to take.


----------



## VRanger

Chapter 17 of the fairy tale complete. The story took a left turn along the way. I'd intended more of a battle of wits between the invaders and the magic mouse, but the invaders are having a hard time recovering from the very first encounter, so now I'm playing their reaction to that episode for laughs with the mouse occasionally bedeviling them. It reminds me a bit of the movie Mouse Hunt, but I'm not derivative of Mouse Hunt, and didn't have it in mind when I started this. The basis of the comparison is man vs. mouse with man encountering misery. I'm probably closer to Home Alone.  However, here I have the entire family still home, just being succored by the mouse.

ETA: I can NEVER encounter the word "succor" without laughing once again at my favorite episode of The Vicar of Dibley.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Rewritten a short chapter of an old story. Rereading, I found many inconsistencies.


----------



## indianroads

Just passed the halfway point of edit #4 of my novel Redemption. So far, just untangled a few paragraphs for clarity, and made some changes to word choice. Looking good so far.


----------



## Darkkin

Procrastination paid off.  I don't know why, but when I put things off and they pile up and I finally take the time to get caught up, I deviate from plan and my pantsing usually seems to work pretty well.  The work tends to be a little more organic.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I finished the April draft of NanoWrimo well in advance. I couldn't sleep yesterday, so I wrote all day.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Completed the 2nd draft of my novel and it's twice the size of the 1st draft!

Now for the 3rd draft, will it shrink or will it grow?


----------



## Henny

indianroads said:


> Just finished chapter 23 of the first draft of my next novel. I'm heading into the climax of the story - feeling excited.
> Changed the title yet again, now it's _Afterworld: Redemption_.



Oh wow! We can't wait to read and hear from you


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Today my printer ran off my first rough draft copy of a poetry chapbook I'm going to self-publish. It would be of limited interested to the world but would be quite interesting for friends and relatives. It's on a trip I took to Indonesia and it's wonderful seeing the 19 poems (4 previously published) all collected together in book form. It's amazing how many little mistakes litter the landscape, too. I thought everything was nice and clean. So now I'm busy fixing all those little snags. Soon as I choose a cover, and fish out more mistakes, I'll be finished and can submit it to Amazon's KDP.  (Unless some of you suggest a different publishing place.) I've never self-published before so it's been quite interesting and it's going to be exciting to see the finished book. So far, it looks great. 

Plus, I wrote another poem for the 30 poems in 30 days event. That was Poem #17 I submitted today. This is far from easy to do. But rough drafts are better than no drafts (usually). 

Good day, all in all.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Being the saddo that I am, I listed all 90 chapters in Excel then, in the next column, listed all the revisions and additions I want to make.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the 4th editing pass of Redemption. Word count dropped by ~100, down 3000 from the first draft. Doing a quick read through for clarity, then will set it on the shelf for a couple of weeks. In the mean time, I’ll work on the plot of Inception.


----------



## Phil Istine

I started editing some work a friend has been writing for a 2,000-word submission elsewhere.  I went through the first 110 or so words and cut it to about 50.  I was able to do this because of what I've learned on here about redundancies.  Also, she was being descriptive in a place where the MC needed to flee for her life.

I stopped after the 110 words because I didn't want to go through the lot only to find that she didn't want that level of cutting.  She does and reckons my version is much stronger due to the cuts.


----------



## Darkkin

I've put up a few decent pieces in recent days, not all on script, but solid work.


----------



## Foxee

Holy. Carp.

I did not at all work on my novel or on the short story I expected to get to Friday morning and intended to reboot today. I did not do anything I expected. 

However! The experiment that I mentioned in a different thread -- writing down various kinds of conflicts on slips of paper and drawing them out as I wrote a new story -- really worked. I've been coming back to this throughout the day and adding to it and am currently up to 3,369 words in and still rolling. Most likely it'll finish up as a longer short story depending how the ending works out.

The experiment isn't universal to every project or every person but it might be a keeper as far as if I'm working and it seems like the story is stalling out. There's nothing like drawing out a random conflict to include to keep things hopping.

woohoo!!


----------



## Cephus

Tomorrow I'll finish editing a book and then start planning the next. I had thought I'd start writing May 3 but I'll get to it earlier. That's always a good thing.


----------



## EternalGreen

I got paid today.


----------



## indianroads

Just finished the fifth edit of Redemption. It's a fast paced tight story (98600 words) and I like it. Next step is to reformat into a single 6x9 file, then ship it out to my editor.

I'll take a break over the weekend - working as a referee at an open martial art tournament - and will jump back on Inception next week.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I'm working on two WIPs right now (one of them is stuck on a plot point), and I have an idea for a third. I'm not always a big fan of having
multiple WIPs at the same time, but when the ideas flow, I say let them.

-JJB


----------



## Darkkin

Wrote one poem, deleted it, too prosaic, started over, wrote another that said more with less...


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> I'm working on two WIPs right now (one of them is stuck on a plot point), and I have an idea for a third. I'm not always a big fan of having
> multiple WIPs at the same time, but when the ideas flow, I say let them.
> 
> -JJB



I'm with you there. This is the first time I've worked on concurrent projects. The demands on my time went through the roof.


----------



## Darkkin

Puzzled as to how I ended up with the Puma's Puzzle...


----------



## Serendipity

My joy is the fact that I am able to pursue my writing again. I had to take five years off to care for aging parents. Now I am back, and I am ecstatic about being able to write and submit my work. I'm a little rusty, but I'm sure it will pass.


----------



## indianroads

After returning home from a Karate tournament yesterday, I worked on the Afterword and the blurb/product description for Redemption. Today I'm diving back into the plot of Inception (my next book).


----------



## Darkkin

I played with monsters.  Manticore, Chimaera, Sphinx...


----------



## JJBuchholz

My novella that I have been talking about in another thread is finally unstuck and nearing completion. I found the device needed to
move the plot ahead yet maintain an emotional impact (also giving my main characters pause to reflect), and it worked out nicely.

All I need to do now is stick the ending (not always easy).

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

I thought I'd finish my novella before our vacation last week. Events conspired against that.  Plus I didn't write on vacation, and this week got a bit hectic. I did squeeze in 500 words on chapter 18 today, though. Plus, I finished the 30 poem NaPoWriMo challenge.


----------



## indianroads

Working my way through the plot of Inception... for the third time. Will probably do it again before starting on the first draft.

Redemption is still with my editor. She was hit by breast cancer several years ago and still struggles with the aftereffects. Her input should be in my hands in another week or so. From what she's told me, there's nothing earth shattering coming my way (good news).


----------



## Taylor

I was just about to write an email to say I would be willing to work on Saturday (Covid relief) for the fifth week in a row after working overtime all week, and an email popped up with the title "OT not required this weekend."  Yay!!!!  I can write this weekend.  I look forward to posting my writing success on Sunday.


----------



## VRanger

Last night I wrote the last chapter and last line of my fairy-tale novella.  That is the last of my "started but running in place" projects. Now I can start the next one with a clean slate and nothing hanging around in the background.

I have several in mind to pick from, but I also just inquired about the possibility of adding to an existing series, and should that get an okay (only slight better chance of this than the Heinlein sequel I wrote though), THAT would suddenly become my next project. I wrote a 2000 word opening scene to see if I could do it justice, and I believe I did. In this case I am in contact with the original author's family, but they are not in control of the literary estate, the late author's agent is. The family might be okay with it, but they don't have the authority to green light it. They have agreed to pass my idea along to the agent though, so unlike the Heinlein sequel, I'll at least get a hearing, even if it's a no.


----------



## Foxee

I decided to buckle down and go through a printout of a story that I've been working on for a few months, on and off, highlighting parts I like and making notes. The title was terrible, I hated it every time I wrote it or saw it so this morning I tackled the title, just combing through quote after quote about the story's theme. After making many more notes than I intended to a new title popped into my head....revealing that the story I'd been working on was only the frame of the story. There will be seventeen stories told within the story. Holy cow, so there's basically an anthology. Most of the progress today after that has been just my imagination offering up more changes and expansions while I hunted for scraps of paper to make notes or ran repeatedly to my computer.

It may not be success in the action of writing but when my imagination suddenly serves up a bunch of ideas, I consider that to be a win!


----------



## indianroads

Glad WF is back - I missed everyone.

I'm finishing up another plot of Inception (my Silicon Valley thriller). I learned something, which will only apply to an avid plotter like me. By going through the near final plot I used excel to track possible plot holes, points mentioned too often, locations visited, key items I need to allude to during the story that will all come together in the final chapters. I think it's going to work well.

Oh... and to make the pantsers go crazy, my plot outline is running a bit over 20K words. Tomorrow I'll finish it up, then do a first cut of the description / blurb.

I'm feeling confident about the story.

After that I'll take a break from Inception and jump back into another edit of Redemption.


----------



## indianroads

I hate writing blurbs... I really, truly do. 

They have to be short (no one wants to read a book about a book), yet describe the world, the characters, their conflict, AND convince a potential reader to pick it up.

So, today I wrote the first-cut of the blurb for Inception (my Silicon Valley techno-thriller), and the only good thing I can say is that it's the right length (141 words).


----------



## Steve_Rivers

Today I did my duty by a fellow writer I know and sent him the notes of my beta read of his book.
I always get slightly apprehensive when I read someone's book because there's always that chance it might be a let down.

Thankfully, more often than not I find I'm surprised by people's talent and creativity. Despite one serious PoV wobble and a bit of accidental misdirection, I'm happy to say that the book was very good. So fingers crossed my notes help him work out the kinks.

Time to concentrate on my own stuff again!


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I'm finding my rhythm.
Even if slow.
I look ahead, and I don't let anyone stop me anymore.


----------



## RachelR

I figured out my villain’s motivation today.


----------



## indianroads

I posted the first cut of the blurb for Inception (my Silicon Valley techno-thriller) down in '*Query letters, pitches, synopses, bios etc*' today. Next I'll take another look at the plot.


----------



## Tiamat

I've been battling with a story that I haven't quite been able to figure out, but I think today I maybe figured it out.


----------



## VRanger

Finished putting my novella through my proofreading app today, with the normal result. I either corrected or fiddled with just over 10% of the sentences. Now I'm starting the final read through.


----------



## VRanger

Early this morning I finished my last technical read through, so it just went on my Kindle. In a couple of days I'll do another read through just as a reader, and hopefully not find much that I missed in the "work" iterations of reading it.  My wife is always eager for a "final version", so I'll load it on her Kindle shortly. I've read my last four works to her as I wrote them, generally a scene or even a few paragraphs at a time, and that over the course of a few weeks or months. So she likes finally being able to put it all together in a sustained read rather than hearing a piece here and a piece there, even if the pieces are in order.

I started a few notes on one of the novels I've been planning for when I cleared the "unfinished backlog". Unless something unexpected pops up (like an invitation to write something else I recently put a feeler out on), "Moods" will probably become my next WIP. I think for it I'll actually do the murder mystery I've been considering for a few months. My plan for this book has only revolved around a predicament the MC faces, but that predicament could be placed atop any plot, so a murder mystery is as good as any.


----------



## Foxee

Managed half of a new installment of my blog story even with the phone blowing up and my children making a LOT of noise playing on the Xbox. Doesn't sound like much but 15 mins of focus in this environment is a big deal.

If anyone would like to offer me the opportunity to go live in one of those mountain cabins with no internet or phone for a million dollars I might take that deal right now.


----------



## Cephus

Yesterday, I finally finished up the last book in a trilogy. It came in just over 125k and a week late. Monday, I start writing the next book, one of the few standalones I ever do. It should have started May 3.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the 6th editing pass of Redemption - this included the feedback from my editor, which wasn't bad. Word count dropped by about 100, and fully formatted it comes in at 98923 words, which is right about where I wanted it. I'll take a break for a few days then hit it again.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I did it at last. I finally got all my poetry organized so that I can put my hands on it quickly. I've been hard at work on it for the last three or four days and it was time well spent.

I now have all the publishing notes with each published poem (info on when something was published, who published it, when they published it, links to the pieces, etc.). I now have all my unpublished poems carefully alphabetized by title. Before, it would take quite a bit of time to determine if something has been published or not. Now it's easy to get the information I need.

I'm about ready to send off my chapbook on poems about my trip to Indonesia. Now with this organization I've done, I can put together a collection for publishing consideration.  I should have done this years ago, this careful organizing. But I didn't.


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## Darkkin

I've been flipping through a dozen different tabs on my tablet getting my more recent Strangeways pieces into a working chronology that will not leave reader going, 'How the hell did we get to this point?'  Nearly a dozen pieces sorted and titled into my blog.  Now I'm just waiting on admin approval because these pieces, they matter. They are critical to the next two pieces I'm working on.  One, Place at the End of the Stars, I just finished this morning.  This is one of the biggest confluence set ups I have done to date with my 'Ways.  It is an amazing disaster and a huge amount of work, but all the parts have finally fallen together and are synced, poised for the next chapter.

- D.


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## VRanger

Doing something completely different. I'm deep into planning for a murder mystery, and this time a puzzle mystery rather than a treasure hunt mystery. The murder mystery is a serious plot, but it's actually the backdrop for what my MC is doing while he's trying to solve a dilemma ... although the dilemma is brought about due to an event in the murder mystery.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I spec'd out all my characters and identified victims, murderers, witnesses, etc. Tonight, I started a time line of events which will, upon completion, will cover the entire course of events. Then I'll go back and drop in real clues and red herrings. At that time, I should be ready to start writing. While I'll definitely be a Plotter for this novel, I'll try to leave enough details of scenes loose that I can still work in some things to surprise me as I go. I already surprised myself a bit tonight as I named the characters. It turns out my MC has a brother I didn't know about who works for the first victim's attorney. I thought it was amusing I could work a surprise into the plot just by filling in my character spreadsheet with names. LOL


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## Theglasshouse

I am trying to post 500 words at a time on a short story I am working on. I finished another 500, but I have plenty of unresolved conflicts to reach the 2000 mark. I have been using the reading mode in Microsoft Word which spaces the text for dyslexia (reading view tab). NVDA lets me read it, the text is inaccessible to the text to speech in word but not to NVDA which is a workaround method. I will read it out loud before I do post it. I also made a small breakthrough as well since an idea I thought up to make the readers believe the ideas. I am very pleased, but I will take my time with this one to make sure it can have the least amount of mistakes I can manage. I will continue writing more tomorrow. Some subconscious ideas appeared rather than the research this time around.


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## indianroads

Theglasshouse said:


> I am trying to post 500 words at a time on a short story I am working on. I finished another 500, but I have plenty of unresolved conflicts to reach the 2000 mark. I have been using the reading mode in Microsoft Word which spaces the text for dyslexia (reading view tab). NVDA lets me read it, the text is inaccessible to the text to speech in word but not to NVDA which is a workaround method. I will read it out loud before I do post it. I also made a small breakthrough as well since an idea I thought up to make the readers believe the ideas. I am very pleased, but I will take my time with this one to make sure it can have the least amount of mistakes I can manage. I will continue writing more tomorrow. Some subconscious ideas appeared rather than the research this time around.


Keep at it, you're doing great.


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## Pamelyn Casto

I'm so proud of me. I had a free day today so tore into what I hope to do for my writing. First, I collected several haiku for a project I have in the works (this time focusing on female haiku writers).  Then second, the better news for what is particularly important to me, I focused hours of my attention on a lengthy essay I've been trying to write for the last three years. I know it's an important essay and I've done a ton of hard research on the topic. But I want to make sure it's the best work I can do. Mostly I let the "works consulted" list hold me up (I find putting those together to be so tedious). But today I dragged out all my works consulted and listed them. Then I began focusing on smoothing the language of the article itself. I have an editor who is very interested in my essay so I'd like to get it finished (finally).


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## indianroads

Doing research today about stuttering, hearing loss, blindness, Alzheimer's & dementia.
Also checking out how the FBI and NSA spies on US citizens.


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## Cephus

I hit 100 pages into my WIP in the first week, which was good, but wow, I realized just how depressing this book actually is.


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## Pamelyn Casto

indianroads wrote: 
Doing research today about stuttering, hearing loss, blindness, Alzheimer's & dementia.
Also checking out how the FBI and NSA spies on US citizens.

That's an important study to do. I read that hearing loss probably leads to Alzheimer's because a person who can't hear well will often withdraw from social contact (and go downhill from there).  I wonder how much damage this pandemic has done in social isolation alone.


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## Taylor

Cephus said:


> I hit 100 pages into my WIP in the first week, which was good, but wow, I realized just how depressing this book actually is.


How so?


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## Cephus

Taylor said:


> How so?


Pretty much all of the main characters die in the end and that's the happy part.


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## Darkkin

Finally sat down and finished the piece I have been procrastinating about.  Nothing like a deadline to get one's butt in gear.  Took me a bit, but I got it done.


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## Taylor

Cephus said:


> Pretty much all of the main characters die in the end and that's the happy part.


Oh, dear!  I take it they have an arduous journey.   There must be something redeeming...otherwise, why write it?


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## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> indianroads wrote:
> Doing research today about stuttering, hearing loss, blindness, Alzheimer's & dementia.
> Also checking out how the FBI and NSA spies on US citizens.
> 
> That's an important study to do. I read that hearing loss probably leads to Alzheimer's because a person who can't hear well will often withdraw from social contact (and go downhill from there).  I wonder how much damage this pandemic has done in social isolation alone.


The covid lockdown has resulted in elevated rates of suicides, spouse and child abuse and mental disorders - the CDC says it was needed, but I question the cost, not only to people and families, but to small businesses as well.

The MC character in Inception (still in the plot phase) suffers from stuttering to such an extent that he self isolates and doesn't say much... and when he does he uses ASL to talk to a friend at work that has a deaf brother. He will get a chip implanted in the Broca's area (speech center) of his brain and will be haunted by an AI that can link to it.
After that... as my wife likes to say, zany adventures ensue.


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## Taylor

I just finished Chapter 34 which keeps me within my minimum writing goal of two chapters a month.   

But, I had a huge wake-up call this week!  

For the past three months, often working overtime, I have been adjudicating Covid Benefit Relief applications.  Each case involves a phone call with the applicant, and then either approve or deny.  I took solace in the first few weeks because to close each case I wrote a paragraph to justify my position.  However, after a while, it became more efficient to copy and paste standard phrases, so no writing at all.  

This past week, every single morning I painfully yearned to write.  I will be finished with this project at the end of the month.  After that, I will never again whine...waa...waa...when I am not motivated to write.   I will write -- regardless of my state of mind and appreciate the huge privilege that it is.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I just finished Chapter 34 which keeps me within my minimum writing goal of two chapters a month.
> 
> But, I had a huge wake-up call this week!
> 
> For the past three months, often working overtime, I have been adjudicating Covid Benefit Relief applications.  Each case involves a phone call with the applicant, and then either approve or deny.  I took solace in the first few weeks because to close each case I wrote a paragraph to justify my position.  However, after a while, it became more efficient to copy and paste standard phrases, so no writing at all.
> 
> This past week, every single morning I painfully yearned to write.  I will be finished with this project at the end of the month.  After that, I will never again whine...waa...waa...when I am not motivated to write.   I will write -- regardless of my state of mind and appreciate the huge privilege that it is.


Suppose that with the covid lock down: 
Business owners didn't have to pay franchise fees (if they own a franchise) or rent. 
Home owners didn't have to pay their mortgage.
Apartment dwellers didn't have to pay rent.
Landlords and home owners didn't have to pay property taxes.

With that the government would be low on money and couldn't pay their employees.

Would the covid restrictions have been lifted sooner?


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Suppose that with the covid lock down:
> Business owners didn't have to pay franchise fees (if they own a franchise) or rent.
> Home owners didn't have to pay their mortgage.
> Apartment dwellers didn't have to pay rent.
> Landlords and home owners didn't have to pay property taxes.
> 
> With that the government would be low on money and couldn't pay their employees.
> 
> Would the covid restrictions have been lifted sooner?


I'm going to take the fifth on discussing the politics of Covid response.   

I can only say, the inadvertent effect for me is that I learned something about myself.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I'm going to take the fifth on discussing the politics of Covid response.
> 
> I can only say, the inadvertent effect for me is that I learned something about myself.


I learned that being anti-social works in my favor.


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## Foxee

indianroads said:


> I learned that being anti-social works in my favor.


The only thing I like about the masks is that nobody tells me to smile. I can scowl at EVERYBODY with no repercussions!


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## Pamelyn Casto

There's this person I have to deal with a lot. I don't like this person. Behind my mask I could stick out my tongue at him. Childish? Yes. But fun. He had no idea.


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## VRanger

You do know that now I have to ban you all for going off-topic!

(No, I can't actually do that.  )


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## indianroads

Going through editing the plot for my Silicon Valley story, I turned the last three chapters into four. The story flows better and the climatic chase is more exciting... I hope.


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## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Going through editing the plot for my Silicon Valley story, I turned the last three chapters into four. The story flows better and the climatic chase is more exciting... I hope.


I'm continuing to step through the plot for my murder mystery. This is a brand-new process for me, as I'm writing the story blow by blow, line by line, in my spreadsheet for the project. Some lines encompass a scene, and some spell out details within a more complicated scene. All the real thinking about the plot will be done before I start, and I've never done that before. There will be personality and details to add as I write, but I'll never have to wonder where I'm going to pull "what comes next" from. I'm closing in on 60 lines of plotting now, and I'm probably 20% of the way into the plot, if that.


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## indianroads

Sounds great! Before I became an avid plotter I saw the the majority of my problems were issues with order, my first editing passes amounted to sorting. Plotting works best for me.


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## indianroads

Finished another run through of the plot for Inception (Silicon Valley thriller). Added a chapter to make the ending less abrupt and more satisfying. The plot is a 28 page word-doc sitting at 21K words.

Next, I'm back on Redemption (Dystopian scifi) for what I hope will be the second to the last editing pass. My cover artist isn't scheduled to get to it until the end of July (he's in demand).


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## Deleted member 64995

I am proud of myself.
Yesterday I had a crisis, just the idea of writing, I had a panic attack.
I closed my eyes. 3 deep breaths, some music, and I started writing.
I won. In my small way, I feel like a winner.


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## Ajoy

I'm getting ready to drop my draft off with two new readers this week (for feedback). I'm nervous!


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## Darkkin

Nothing fictional today, but I did get a few thoughts out of my head...


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## indianroads

Finished the final edit of my novel Redemption this afternoon. It will sit for another two months waiting on my cover designer, so I may give it another final look in mid/late July. I'm pleased with how the story turned out.

Next up is starting the first draft of Inception my (Taylor inspired) Silicon Valley thriller. I'm planning to take some long motorcycle rides over the weekend to depressurize, then hit it next week.

I had another idea for a novel pop into my head last night (can you believe it?) - it's based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story 'The Sentinel' (and is the basis of 2001 A Space Odyssey).


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## Taylor

Just signed another contract to write financial training manuals.   Not as much fun as writing my novel but pretty close.

EDIT: Well technically the contract was already in place but signed off on the new work order.  Perfect timing I will finish with Covid Relief Benefits next week.


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## Irwin

I'm planning on writing some short flash fiction pieces — like 400-500 words — once a week using an English idiom as a prompt. I'll choose and post the idiom on Fridays so I and anyone who wants to participate can work on it over the weekend and then maybe polish it a bit during the week. I'm calling it Friday Flashday. You'll see more info tomorrow when I post it.

I'm doing this because I need more practice writing, and the once a month LM challenges, while helpful, aren't enough. I don't seem to be improving.


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## VRanger

I'm continuing to write a blow-by-blow description of my plot, but I've hit a slow spot where the first crisis has been resolved, and I have to figure out how to make sure the murderer isn't too obvious and what I want to do for a second crisis in the mystery. In the meantime, I'm moving forward with solving the unusual problem I dreamed up which the detective faces personally. In the meantime, I've tried MORE books about writing puzzle mysteries, with no more enlightenment than I've found before. It's lucky I thought up my own method of designing clues.

I did find one well-known mystery author who concurs with me on the two types of "mystery solves" - Puzzle and Treasure Hunt - except he calls Treasure Hunt mysteries "Quest" mysteries. I think "Treasure Hunt" is a more evocative and accurate term. I'm sticking with that.

Also, I exported my Excel spreadsheet of plot points to a .txt file, and used that to import 75 rows into Scrivener, into a secondary section that I'm using in the corkboard layout. What does that get me? With the main section selected (the one all the plot points live under), I can search for a character name, and only the cards containing notes with that character appear. This is very useful to check on what the character has already done, and when. It's a much more powerful tool than stepping through a Find in Excel.


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## indianroads

vranger said:


> I'm continuing to write a blow-by-blow description of my plot, but I've hit a slow spot where the first crisis has to be resolved, and I have to figure out how to make sure the murderer isn't too obvious and what I want to do for a second crisis in the mystery. In the meantime, I'm moving forward with solving the unusual problem I dreamed up which the detective faces personally. In the meantime, I've tried MORE books about writing puzzle mysteries, with no more enlightenment than I've found before. It's lucky I thought up my own method of designing clues.
> 
> I did find one well-known mystery authors who concurs with me on the two types of "mystery solves" - Puzzle and Treasure Hunt - except he calls Treasure Hunt mysteries "Quest" mysteries. I think "Treasure Hunt" is a more evocative and accurate term. I'm sticking with that.
> 
> Also, I exported my Excel spreadsheet of plot points to a .txt file, and used that to import 75 rows into Scrivener, into a secondary section that I'm using in the corkboard layout. What does that get me? With the main section selected (the one all the plot points live under), I can search for a character name, and only the cards containing notes with that character appear. This is very useful to check on what the character has already done, and when. It's a much more powerful tool than stepping through a Find in Excel.


It sounds like you have a good process in place.

Regarding the blow-by-blow plot description - what I've found that works for me is to make several passes, starting with very broad strokes, then adding details on subsequent passes. I start with the start and the end, then fill in the space between them with chapters first, then plot points.
Initially, I lay out the chapters - this is the main story arc. A lot of times this is just a general idea the story and a few events along the way. This is usually just a couple bullet points per chapter.

Ch.1: initial event that kicks off the story.
Ch.2: things get complicated.
Ch.3: the plot escalates so that by the end of this chapter I want the reader hooked.
Ch.4 - Ch.X: the story still in broad strokes
Ch.Y & Ch.Z: the climax and the HEA.

THEN - I go back and flesh it out by adding a few bullet points in each chapter subsequent passes... I continue this process until I have a page of bullet points for each chapter. It's easy to catch plot holes at this phase, and sometimes decide that there isn't enough story there.

THEN - I do continuity checks for the plot, and lay out the character profiles and technical details I'll refer to during writing. By this time I'm ready to start the first draft.

NOTE: I use MS word for the chapter plots, and Excel for the world, character profiles, and other details I'll be referring to while writing.

Anyway... that's the way I do it, and everyone has their own process - no one is wrong. Not everyone is as OCD as I am.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> It sounds like you have a good process in place.
> 
> Regarding the blow-by-blow plot description - what I've found that works for me is to make several passes, starting with very broad strokes, then adding details on subsequent passes.


That's essentially my plan for creating the puzzle mystery. First pass is to plot out all the events from beginning to end. Second pass is to decide on clues. Third pass is to decide on red herrings. This is the process I NEEDED that none of the "How To's" came close to suggesting.

The important part about the first pass is to make the murder plot (and evasion) complicated enough that it leaves hooks to hang clues on. Since I've got six victims, I should have plenty of opportunities to hang clues. LOL The critical element is my process for the first murder. The killer thought it was a slam dunk to blame the death on a pre-existing medical condition. When things get complicated, he has to attempt to orchestrate additional events. That's where his mistakes have to arise. But at the same time, I have to point the finger at other suspects, make the killer look innocent and one of them look guilty. LOL

BTW, Chapter Three is usually where I make things start to pop. (Great minds). ;-)


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## indianroads

Officially started in on the first draft of Inception this afternoon. Got about 900 words in, and had a great time doing it.
The first scene is from the POV of the MC's cat - that was a blast to write.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Officially started in on the first draft of Inception this afternoon. Got about 900 words in, and had a great time doing it.
> The first scene is from the POV of the MC's cat - that was a blast to write.


Can't wait to read it...no pressure..lol!


----------



## VRanger

Over the last few days, I've added a couple of dozen plot elements to my murder mystery. I just had a weird thought tonight. When we have these bright ideas, we'd like to think they're new, but as soon as I discuss it, people will think of several times other writers have written it. My murderer has just had two witnesses killed, and tells my MC and the police detective that one of the witnesses told him his suspicions before he was killed, therefore the murderer tells them he may be the next target. Red herring (and two passes ahead of schedule!).

My idea is to have the murderer, late in the book, murdered by the same method as the original murder. Then it will indeed look like he was a target of the murdering mastermind of up to seven deaths in the story. In the denouement, my MC will reveal that the recently murdered murderer was actually the culprit, his motive, and the clues which prove this. That leaves the murder of the murderer unsolved. But the MC declares his job done, says finding out who killed the murderer is the job of the police, and since the murderer got what he deserved, wishes his killer the best of luck. ;-)

I can 'almost' think of a story like this, but can't put my finger on it. It's not "Murder on the Orient Express", because although Poirot left the murders on the conscience of the murderers, he knew they had all been involved. I'm thinking my MC will leave not knowing and not caring.


----------



## indianroads

Don't worry about it - to quote something I read by someone I don't recall... but it may have been Heinlein - _There's nothing new under any sun._
However, your voice and perspective will make what is old new again.


----------



## JBF

Threw another idea in the maybe box.  Seems like it might bear out with a little work.  Naturally, it's well outside anything I'm working on lately in style and setting.  It also came from a dream , so I'm not sure if I can claim credit for it.  

It probably won't go anywhere.


----------



## indianroads

JBF said:


> Threw another idea in the maybe box.  Seems like it might bear out with a little work.  Naturally, it's well outside anything I'm working on lately in style and setting.  It also came from a dream , so I'm not sure if I can claim credit for it.
> 
> It probably won't go anywhere.


Weird - a lot of my ideas come from my dreams. 
My wife says that lucid dreaming is a sign of lunacy... so you know... there you go.


----------



## JBF

indianroads said:


> Weird - a lot of my ideas come from my dreams.
> My wife says that lucid dreaming is a sign of lunacy... so you know... there you go.



It's an odd affair, sleep.  

I dug into the whole sleep/dreams thing a while back after a run-in with sleep paralysis.  Probably the most interest facet down that particular rabbit hole was the way the brain disconnects itself from the body while shifting between being awake and being asleep.  Incidentally, sleep paralysis is what happens when the mind slips a gear and breaks the command and control circuits without disengaging the conscious mind.   

Fun times ensue.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Don't worry about it - to quote something I read by someone I don't recall... but it may have been Heinlein - _There's nothing new under any sun._
> However, your voice and perspective will make what is old new again.


Google estimates 130 million books published. That was in 2010. We ain't none of us coming up with something brand new. LOL


----------



## ritudimrinautiyal

indianroads said:


> Don't worry about it - to quote something I read by someone I don't recall... but it may have been Heinlein - _There's nothing new under any sun._
> However, your voice and perspective will make what is old new again.


Exactly!!! For that reason, one should pursue what one wants to write and one may never know, if some new metaphors or a few new vibrant ideas originate there as individual's signature thing even if the complete piece is not a newly discovered planet. 

Ritu


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I hope I can write something. These have been very busy days.
I miss writing, and I miss the forum.


----------



## Taylor

Well, that was a successful writing day!

I wrote over 1800 words and finished chapter 35.   I was struggling earlier because I wrote my typical 700 words and then felt dissatisfied with my inability to be more prolific. It is the only thing that I am really pushing myself to improve upon right now...write more words in one sitting.  I usually poop out after each scene.

I also got past a big hump in that there is a black-tie charity event which all the main characters need to end up at.  I wasn't sure how to make that happen so it was somewhat coincidental, but not really because they all travel in the same social circle.  I managed to do it in dialogue, so they can explain how it came to be they were all invited.  It works well and sounds quite natural...not too forced. (At least to me.) That's a load off my shoulders.  Now I'm just looking forward to writing the event...a lot goes down.


----------



## Cephus

Taylor said:


> Well, that was a successful writing day!
> 
> I wrote over 1800 words and finished chapter 35.   I was struggling earlier because I wrote my typical 700 words and then felt dissatisfied with my inability to be more prolific.



I'm not going to tell you what I wrote today then.


----------



## Taylor

Cephus said:


> I'm not going to tell you what I wrote today then.


3,000...5,000?


----------



## Cephus

Taylor said:


> 3,000...5,000?



I stopped at 6643, although granted, I only went that far because I decided, arbitrarily, that I wanted to hit 70k today.


----------



## indianroads

I'm at about the 3/4 mark (2800 words) in chapter 1 of Inception. The story is set in Silicon Valley (CA) so there's a bunch of technical stuff going on about 128 bit AES encryption and carbon nanotube field transistors - I'm doing by best to water it down... or at least serve it in small portions. I'm still having a blast though.


----------



## indianroads

I finished chapter 1 and am about a third of the way through chapter 2 on the first draft of Inception. I did back away from some of the superfluous techno-babble, so it's going well.


----------



## VRanger

Still plodding through plotting on "Moods". I'm in the middle where a tangle of action is needed, thus the plodding. My wife gets an author's newsletter, which had a link to another blog at the bottom, and she thought it might bear on mystery writing (-- it did but it wasn't at all useful--just bemoaning crashing through a block by writing what turned out to be a plot full of holes LOL). However, that second blog did mention using software called Scapple, which lacks only an "r" being a flavored drink in a bottle.

It's by the same folks who produce Scrivener, and only costs $18, so I immediately popped. Its facility is as a giant virtual whiteboard. As a bonus, you can directly drag and drop content from Scrivener onto it, which I can use to layer simultaneous events, clue appearances, etc. But I mainly bought it with a separate project in mind, which I have considerable content for, but is almost impossible to organize. I think this will let me get that project completed and published.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Still plodding through plotting on "Moods". I'm in the middle where a tangle of action is needed, thus the plodding. My wife gets an author's newsletter, which had a link to another blog at the bottom, and she thought it might bear on mystery writing (-- it did but it wasn't at all useful--just bemoaning crashing through a block by writing what turned out to be a plot full of holes LOL). However, that second blog did mention using software called Scapple, which lacks only an "r" being a flavored drink in a bottle.
> 
> It's by the same folks who produce Scrivener, and only costs $18, so I immediately popped. Its facility is as a giant virtual whiteboard. As a bonus, you can directly drag and drop content from Scrivener onto it, which I can use to layer simultaneous events, clue appearances, etc. But I mainly bought it with a separate project in mind, which I have considerable content for, but is almost impossible to organize. I think this will let me get that project completed and published.


Cool, maybe after use Scapple for a while you'll write a review?
I didn't get much done today - yard work. We have property, and it usually takes me a full day to mow and trim everything - although as I've aged I've divided the work into two days. First I rode the mower around, then broke out the whirligig, but the line feeder broke so I went down and bought a new one... then there was the assembly - it was probably made in China and someone just pressed a button to translate the instructions into English. What a PIA.
However, I finished at about 3:30 and had time to write several hundred words. Tomorrow I'll finish up the yard in the morning, and hopefully finish chapter 2 of Inception by the end of the day.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Cool, maybe after use Scapple for a while you'll write a review?
> I didn't get much done today - yard work. We have property, and it usually takes me a full day to mow and trim everything - although as I've aged I've divided the work into two days. First I rode the mower around, then broke out the whirligig, but the line feeder broke so I went down and bought a new one... then there was the assembly - it was probably made in China and someone just pressed a button to translate the instructions into English. What a PIA.
> However, I finished at about 3:30 and had time to write several hundred words. Tomorrow I'll finish up the yard in the morning, and hopefully finish chapter 2 of Inception by the end of the day.


After about 20 years on my mower, I finally broke the belt this year. Luckily a friend has a mower lift and struggled with me to replace the belt. Both my friend and the local supplier rejected my plan to simply tie a knot in the belt and put it back on. I kept replacing replacement string for my trimmer, misplacing it, and buying more. After our two moves to get out of the house in Charlotte finally settled, I found all the spools. Now I can look at enough string to probably see me to glory. ;-)


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## Deleted member 64995

Yesterday wrote 200 words.
I am proud of myself. Despite the strong depression, I am continuing to write even if a little.
Today's goal: to write 500 words.
Never give up.


----------



## ritudimrinautiyal

LadySilence said:


> Yesterday wrote 200 words.
> I am proud of myself. Despite the strong depression, I am continuing to write even if a little.
> Today's goal: to write 500 words.
> Never give up.


I wish you become my inspiration to go for hundred words writing thing.


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> Nice!  I like the title.  Is it part of a series?
> 
> I just finished chapter twenty-five of my first novel.  I was pleased to have it complete, because it was a particularly difficult chapter.  It holds clues to the mystery and needs to tie into previous chapter foreshadowing, as well as lead to the next suspicious event.  My plot is based on true events of a certain period, so I had to do quite a bit of digging to find an appropriate clue.  I'm really happy that I found something with good bones, that I can build on.


do you have an idea how many chapters your book is going to be? I have a rough guess but nothing planned, hoping around 35ish before revision.


----------



## Darkkin

I did some nonfiction yammering, word count numbers are not huge, but I actively engaged in my craft...by monologuing.    I am now an incompetent bad guy.  (Bonus points if you get the reference.)


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> do you have an idea how many chapters your book is going to be? I have a rough guess but nothing planned, hoping around 35ish before revision.


Yes, it will be 48-50 chapters. I've planned it out...but leave the possibility for some pansting.


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> Yes, it will be 48-50 chapters. I've planned it out...but leave the possibility for some pansting.


Whenever I plan something out it never goes the way I see it in my head lol. The amount of revising that will need to be done for the story alone will be a lot let alone rewording sentences, grammar ect. If you feel comfortable, I wouldn't mind reading some of it. I don't know how good of advice I could give because I'm a new at writing but I am interested in reading it.


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> Whenever I plan something out it never goes the way I see it in my head lol. The amount of revising that will need to be done for the story alone will be a lot let alone rewording sentences, grammar ect. If you feel comfortable, I wouldn't mind reading some of it. I don't know how good of advice I could give because I'm a new at writing but I am interested in reading it.


That is a nice offer thank you!   When I'm ready for feedback, I'll let you know.  It's a very complicated plot, so I prefer for someone to read it when it's finished. For now, I only use one beta reader, but it will need lots of eyes before it's ready for publication.

You might find it useful to critique some of the works in the Fiction Showcase and Fiction Workshop.


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> That is a nice offer thank you!   When I'm ready for feedback, I'll let you know.  It's a very complicated plot, so I prefer for someone to read it when it's finished. For now, I only use one beta reader, but it will need lots of eyes before it's ready for publication.


Yes I feel you. My draft is a dumpster fire and I have a lot of elements I am trying to weave into my  plot. It is nowhere near close for beta reading. I have major revisions I need to make. I do need help with my craft and want critique, that is why I might post snippets here and there for feedback and encouragement. Did you write much before this novel?


----------



## Matchu

20 years on a mower (draft)
Every year slower
set the blade lower
married to leaf blower
He’ll show her
diesel red
Hoisted on bedstead
His lines driven
Up down a blanket
Smooth as an angel
He cried
Honey honey
See my bottom now
Lawn, lawn
garden
sorry love I will
put the kettle on


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yes, it will be 48-50 chapters. I've planned it out...but leave the possibility for some pansting.


The book I'm currently reading has 113 chapters, but they're all short... the effect is a sort of non-disconnected staccato. Maybe the author structured it that way to encourage the audience to keep reading? I'm unsure if I care for the structure.


----------



## VRanger

I'm in the middle of adding a BUNCH more plot cards tonight.  One thing that's interesting me--my early cards are brief notes. As I go, they're getting much more detailed, in a steady progression. I think it's similar to things I learn about my characters and story in the process of writing the manuscript. The more I know, the more detail I can add. In the plotting tonight, my MC and his allies have solved two other mysteries in addition to the main murder mystery. That's connected to the personal dilemma my MC faces. I'm also beginning to understand places where I need to hang clues, even though I'm not yet specifying detail as to what the clue is.


----------



## Taylor

I managed to push out a meager 500 words today.  It's not impressive, but I feel like I am back into the groove after my 3-month hiatus working full time. 

Thanks to @SueC and @Olly Buckle for pushing me to keep writing my novel on the side.  It kept the story alive and avoided the WIP getting too cold.


----------



## KeganThompson

I think I need to take a break but I feel like if I do I will have a harder time completing. In one sitting I write on average 300 to 500 words. It makes me forever to write anything let alone anything decent lol but I try to write something at least 5x a week. My goal is to have most of my rough draft done by the end of August so I can go back and revise. An author said she revises before she can push through the last bit. I was going to try that cuz I'm so eager to revise. Trust me, there is a lot fix. It sucks but atleast I know that now, means I'm learning lol
 how much do you usually write a week/ in a sitting?


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> I think I need to take a break but I feel like if I do I will have a harder time completing. In one sitting I write on average 300 to 500 words. It makes me forever to write anything let alone anything decent lol but I try to write something at least 5x a week. My goal is to have most of my rough draft done by the end of August so I can go back and revise. An author said she revises before she can push through the last bit. I was going to try that cuz I'm so eager to revise. Trust me, there is a lot fix. It sucks but atleast I know that now, means I'm learning lol
> how much do you usually write a week/ in a sitting?


Writing fiction typically 5 days a week, minimum 200 and up to 1800.

Writing non-fiction paid on contract and tight deadlines...up to 6 days a week and 2500 a day.   I will be heading into one of these soon.


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> Writing fiction at least 5 days a week, minimum 200 and up to 1800.
> 
> Writing non-fiction paid on contract and tight deadlines...up to 2500 a day.   I will be heading into one of these soon.


I am such a slow writer the idea of strict deadlines sounds stressful. I do pretty decent at keep my own person deadline but it wavers especially lately.
Mind me asking what is it you do?


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> I am such a slow writer the idea of strict deadlines sounds stressful. I do pretty decent at keep my own person deadline but it wavers especially lately.
> Mind me asking what is it you do?



I am a specialist in the area of ethics for professionals and government employees.  I write the course materials which involve creating case studies. Most of it is non-fiction, but the case studies are just like flash fiction.  I create the scenarios and characters based on real-life lessons the client wishes to convey.  It's actually pretty fun, but the deadlines always loom, because the training dates are typically already set in stone.  (I wish they wouldn't do that to me.)


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> I am a specialist in the area of ethics for professionals and government employees.  I write the course materials which involve creating case studies. Most of it is non-fiction, but the case studies are just like flash fiction.  I create the scenarios and characters based on real-life lessons the client wishes to convey.  It's actually pretty fun, but the deadlines always loom, because the training dates are typically already set in stone.  (I wish they wouldn't do that to me.)


What made you want to pursue writing a novel? I'm sure they're were a few things but anything in particular?


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> What made you want to pursue writing a novel? I'm sure they're were a few things but anything in particular?


Well, I have always enjoyed reading fiction.  Mostly, authors like Ayne Rand, James Michener, James Clavell, Dan Brown, and even Jackie Collins.  They write about industries and don't shy away from controversial subjects...and you can learn something.  About ten years ago at a dinner party, I was discussing the fact that there were fewer of these types of novels around.  My friend's husband, who tends to be sarcastic, said, "Why don't you write one?" He was totally being a smart ass.  Strangely enough, it planted the seed.  I started writing it, developing the characters over a long period of time.  I never pursued it seriously, until I retired from working full-time.  Now I hope to use my background in design and finance to tell complex stories for those who wish to be challenged and learn something about an industry. We'll see what happens!

Thanks for asking.  That actually felt great to share, because I hadn't really thought about it in those terms before.

What about you...why a novel?


----------



## SueC

KeganThompson said:


> I think I need to take a break but I feel like if I do I will have a harder time completing. In one sitting I write on average 300 to 500 words. It makes me forever to write anything let alone anything decent lol but I try to write something at least 5x a week. My goal is to have most of my rough draft done by the end of AuI





KeganThompson said:


> I think I need to take a break but I feel like if I do I will have a harder time completing. In one sitting I write on average 300 to 500 words. It makes me forever to write anything let alone anything decent lol but I try to write something at least 5x a week. My goal is to have most of my rough draft done by the end of August so I can go back and revise. An author said she revises before she can push through the last bit. I was going to try that cuz I'm so eager to revise. Trust me, there is a lot fix. It sucks but atleast I know that now, means I'm learning lol
> how much do you usually write a week/ in a sitting?


Hey Kegan,

I think it might be helpful for you to identify what you like to write and why. Personally, I like to write about people and their struggles. I am not into fantasy or sci-fi or anything that doesn’t smack of reality. I am also a very unstructured writer. I know there are others who set aside time during every day to write, but what if your “muse” isn’t working then? LOL. So I read a lot, listen to people talk a lot, watch movies, and sometimes it takes a while for me to know what direction my characters are going to go. When I write, I seldom count how many words I have accomplished in a given time period. Instead, I work until I’ve been able to say what my characters need. Find out what brings you joy, Keegan. What does it mean to you when you put pen to paper? Take the time you need to dig deeper, to get to the core of what writing means to you. I’ve said this before – but my goal is to make people cry! Does that sound awful? I don’t mean it in a bad way. Like the first story I had published in a small magazine, called “Gone Visiting,” made a co-worker cry because it reminded her of grandfather. So I was hooked.  Don't make writing a chore or a competition, kiddo. 

Sue


----------



## VRanger

KeganThompson said:


> I think I need to take a break but I feel like if I do, I will have a harder time completing. In one sitting I write on average 300 to 500 words. It makes me forever to write anything let alone anything decent lol but I try to write something at least 5x a week. My goal is to have most of my rough draft done by the end of August so I can go back and revise. An author said s\he revises before she can push through the last bit. I was going to try that cuz I'm so eager to revise. Trust me, there is a lot fix. It sucks but at least I know that now, means I'm learning lol
> how much do you usually write a week/ in a sitting?


I hesitate to compare writers' production, because it's all over the place even for name authors. Daily production is not a measure of your effectiveness. If I'm writing full time, I can write approximately 5K words a day, but I've been writing for a long time, and I have several titles behind me now in addition to my early work in interactive fiction. I think production (when we're not limited by non-writing events in life) has more to do with thinking than writing. It's easier if we have a grasp on where the details of the plot are going. If I'm stuck on where to go, I get the story to a good place for dialogue and crank it out. Dialogue comes easily for me. I can burn up a LOT of words in a dialogue section, plus it often gives me further detailed ideas for the narrative. That obviously won't be everyone's answer, but I think in general a writer should get to their strength and lean on it to break out into higher production, if that's a goal.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I recently discovered again, the Lipograms.
I find them stimulating, to keep the mind trained and to enrich the personal dictionary.
I decided to do them also in English. It's hard, but I enjoy it.


----------



## Cephus

Usually, I don't write weekends or holidays but this morning, I got up and at least put down 3500 words, bringing me over 100k. I didn't want to have to play catch up all week so I can finish up by Friday.


----------



## Taylor

Only 450 today...but what glorious words they are.  Is it normal to get excited about your own stuff?

At this rate, it will take me two more months to complete.  I wish I could go faster.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Only 450 today...but what glorious words they are.  Is it normal to get excited about your own stuff?
> 
> At this rate, it will take me two more months to complete.  I wish I could go faster.


Yes it is normal to get excited about your own work! And congratulations!

Today I finished chapter 3 of Inception - my Silicon Valley thriller. I'm pleased about how it's turning out.
I also received an invitation, and questions for an interview on a Dystopian writing site on Facebook. I was emailed a bunch of questions and responded with my answers. I doubt the site has much of an audience, but what the heck - it was fun.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Yes it is normal to get excited about your own work! And congratulations!
> 
> Today I finished chapter 3 of Inception - my Silicon Valley thriller. I'm pleased about how it's turning out.
> I also received an invitation, and questions for an interview on a Dystopian writing site on Facebook. I was emailed a bunch of questions and responded with my answers. I doubt the site has much of an audience, but what the heck - it was fun.


Oh that's really cool!  Will you share it with us?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Oh that's really cool!  Will you share it with us?


Sure.
I could post the interview questions and my answers, or wait until the page manager publishes it and give the link. Unsure which way to go.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Sure.
> I could post the interview questions and my answers, or wait until the page manager publishes it and give the link. Unsure which way to go.


Maybe it could go in our interview section here?  Either way...I will look forward to reading it.


----------



## Irwin

I just completed the first draft of my Flash-Friday flash fiction piece, which is an accomplishment since I haven't really written anything in about a month. I'll finish it tomorrow and post it. The writing prompt was _Monkey Business_.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Sure.
> I could post the interview questions and my answers, or wait until the page manager publishes it and give the link. Unsure which way to go.


I think it would be most polite to wait until they publish it, rather than stealing their thunder since they initiated the process, then link it from here.


----------



## Miko134

That's fantastic great job! It sounds like a lot of work along with a ton of research, so you should feel very proud of yourself for seeing it through!

Mines a little different to the others here. I recently published my first Children's book 'The Dinosaur Space Rescue' on Amazon, which is a rhyming book about dinosaurs who travel through space, along the way learning the value of appreciation and gratitude. Today a local primary school has contacted me saying they love my book and want me to do a reading of it to a group of 5-7 year olds.

I'm extremely nervous but also excited.


----------



## Taylor

Miko134 said:


> That's fantastic great job! It sounds like a lot of work along with a ton of research, so you should feel very proud of yourself for seeing it through!
> 
> Mines a little different to the others here. I recently published my first Children's book 'The Dinosaur Space Rescue' on Amazon, which is a rhyming book about dinosaurs who travel through space, along the way learning the value of appreciation and gratitude. Today a local primary school has contacted me saying they love my book and want me to do a reading of it to a group of 5-7 year olds.
> 
> I'm extremely nervous but also excited.


Congratulations!  

I'm certain the nerves will go once you start reading and see the kids' faces.


----------



## VRanger

Miko134 said:


> That's fantastic great job! It sounds like a lot of work along with a ton of research, so you should feel very proud of yourself for seeing it through!
> 
> Mines a little different to the others here. I recently published my first Children's book 'The Dinosaur Space Rescue' on Amazon, which is a rhyming book about dinosaurs who travel through space, along the way learning the value of appreciation and gratitude. Today a local primary school has contacted me saying they love my book and want me to do a reading of it to a group of 5-7 year olds.
> 
> I'm extremely nervous but also excited.


It reminds me in a sideways fashion of the episode of Star Trek: Voyager where they encountered a bipedal race descended from Earth dinosaurs.  Over millennia they had lost all knowledge of their origins, but DNA proved it to be true.


----------



## Phil Istine

vranger said:


> It reminds me in a sideways fashion of the episode of Star Trek: Voyager where they encountered a bipedal race descended from Earth dinosaurs.  Over millennia they had lost all knowledge of their origins, but DNA proved it to be true.


The one about Distant Origin Theory - one of my favourite Voyager episodes.


----------



## indianroads

Miko134 said:


> That's fantastic great job! It sounds like a lot of work along with a ton of research, so you should feel very proud of yourself for seeing it through!
> 
> Mines a little different to the others here. I recently published my first Children's book 'The Dinosaur Space Rescue' on Amazon, which is a rhyming book about dinosaurs who travel through space, along the way learning the value of appreciation and gratitude. Today a local primary school has contacted me saying they love my book and want me to do a reading of it to a group of 5-7 year olds.
> 
> I'm extremely nervous but also excited.


Wonderful!! Wow!


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> I think it would be most polite to wait until they publish it, rather than stealing their thunder since they initiated the process, then link it from here.


I completely agree - apparently I'm in line behind a couple others.


----------



## Darkkin

Pulled out some older pieces that have great foundation work, and while I've been doing much more reading than writing, I still managed to get a few things hammered out.  One of the downsides of telling a story in verse is the fact that it takes a little bit of time to find the rhythm again.  The specific playlist I needed was on my other device at home, not on my phone, but I've been pecking away at the piece since I got home...(much to Rue Dog's disgust).  Apparently I'm not paying enough attention to him, (given that two bouncy balls have landed on my table in the last ten minutes....).  And the piece that I'm working on, it is one I just really like and always have.  A stroll through a dreamtide of oddments.


----------



## Phil Istine

I've been going through a dry spell as stress seems to knock my creativity, but I managed to write something for the 100-word flash fiction challenge - even if it was loosely based on a recent poem I wrote.


----------



## indianroads

The hardback versions of my first two novels came in today - pictures in the self publishing forum.
Worked out at the Taekwondo Dojang this AM, then had to cut down a tree and get things ready for a run to the garbage dump tomorrow. Not getting much writing done.
I get grumpy when I don't get time to write.


----------



## Cephus

Just finished another book, exactly on schedule. 20 days of writing, 118,213 words. 442 pages.

Next week, we go back to editing.


----------



## indianroads

This afternoon I got 2200 words into chapter 5 of Inception. That's a lot for me.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 5, and am studying my notes for chapter 6. I'm behind schedule, but the writing is going well.

And YES. I'm a former engineer, so I schedule everything.


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> And YES. I'm a former engineer, so I schedule everything.



I schedule everything too. I track a lot of details about what, when and how much I write, which is why I'm as productive as I am.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> I schedule everything too. I track a lot of details about what, when and how much I write, which is why I'm as productive as I am.


You've got me beat in terms of productivity, that's certain. 
Probably like you, I've found that the work I do up front the less editing I'll have waiting on the back end.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of Inception's chapter 6. 
22K words in the bucket, and heading toward my goal of 103K for the total - I'll edit down from there, probably ending up at ~98K for the novel.


----------



## indianroads

Kind of a bummer, but also good that I caught it.
I went off the rails with chapter 6 of Inception yesterday by writing without following my notes. Fixed it today, but it took all afternoon.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Kind of a bummer, but also good that I caught it.
> I went off the rails with chapter 6 of Inception yesterday by writing without following my notes. Fixed it today, but it took all afternoon.


Ah...so you can be a pantser when you want to be.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Ah...so you can be a pantser when you want to be.


It's the anarchist in me - he needs to be controlled.


----------



## VRanger

This is more like my writing success from last year, but ...

The latest gentleman to read my Citizen of the Galaxy sequel just posted this in the Facebook Heinlein forum. It's hard to get my head around:

Roger Christenson (Twitter admin for The Heinlein Society)

"I read Rudbek of Rudbek last week and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's very well written, very much in Heinlein's style, and as a lifelong Heinlein fan I approve of it entirely and would love to see it published and I'd keep it right alongside Citizen of The Galaxy. I believe Heinlein would approve of the plot and details. The characters are his. There are many Heinleinesque touches. The Heinlein feel of it holds up to the end.

I've been frustrated by so many reviews comparing a book to Heinlein that turn out to be phony, only like Heinlein in some plot detail. This one's the real deal. I recommend it to anyone here - if you've expressed doubt, ask Jim to let you read it and see for yourself. Then I propose a petition to try to get it published."

Just ... wow. If you ever get a review like that, you can refrain from reading more reviews. It's all downhill from there. LOL

If I somehow wind up posting this all over the place and blogging it, well ... cut me some slack.


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> This is more like my writing success from last year, but ...
> 
> The latest gentleman to read my Citizen of the Galaxy sequel just posted this in the Facebook Heinlein forum. It's hard to get my head around:
> 
> Roger Christenson (Twitter admin for The Heinlein Society)
> 
> "I read Rudbek of Rudbek last week and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's very well written, very much in Heinlein's style, and as a lifelong Heinlein fan I approve of it entirely and would love to see it published and I'd keep it right alongside Citizen of The Galaxy. I believe Heinlein would approve of the plot and details. The characters are his. There are many Heinleinesque touches. The Heinlein feel of it holds up to the end.
> 
> I've been frustrated by so many reviews comparing a book to Heinlein that turn out to be phony, only like Heinlein in some plot detail. This one's the real deal. I recommend it to anyone here - if you've expressed doubt, ask Jim to let you read it and see for yourself. Then I propose a petition to try to get it published."
> 
> Just ... wow. If you ever get a review like that, you can refrain from reading more reviews. It's all downhill from there. LOL
> 
> If I somehow wind up posting this all over the place and blogging it, well ... cut me some slack.


That's an exceptional review.  Congratulations!


----------



## indianroads

A better day today. I diddled with chapter 6 a bit more and am happy with it now. Then went on and got halfway through chapter 7, and stayed between the rails this time.
I've decided that writing is a lot like herding cats.


----------



## indianroads

I finished chapter 7 of Inception, and am officially a quarter of the way through the first draft.

While at the Taekwondo dojang I met a young woman getting ready to attend BYU to study English, with a goal to become a writer. She’s working through the second draft of a SciFi novel. I sat with her, and her mother and brother after class and talked writing process. I also directed her here (WF) and to the Pikes Peak Writers Guild.


----------



## Darkkin

East of Monday.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished revising a long conversation scene in chapter 4 yesterday. It took about two full days, and I'm afraid to read it over for fear of getting sucked back into endless cycles of changes.  It was a fairly informational conversation, so the ripple effects for every change are so annoying. I'm hoping to be moved on to chapter 5 by tomorrow!


----------



## Theglasshouse

I wrote 1700 words of notes between now and yesterday. Today I got the idea for the premise or the conflict and what the story is about. (baed on the work I did yesterday). It will be a while before I begin though since I want to obtain that book, I mentioned. The one on narrating and describing by using journals. So, a protagonist that has some opposing forces. I am trying to make it a subtopia.


----------



## Wren9244

I have (mostly) plotted two novels in 3 days. And have spent 20+ hours gathering information and researching a few topics. This is honestly my favorite part of the process.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 8 of Inception today - the story is moving along nicely.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> Finished chapter 8 of Inception today - the story is moving along nicely.


Are you more of a outlined or a pantser?


----------



## indianroads

KeganThompson said:


> Are you more of a outlined or a pantser?


An ardent plotter.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> An ardent plotter.


Do you plot ever scene before writing?


----------



## indianroads

KeganThompson said:


> Do you plot ever scene before writing?


I started out writing by the seat of my pants - that was decades ago, none of that work was published. Failure is a great teacher - and I've learned that for *me*, plotting is the way to go. As carpenters say: _measure twice, cut once._


----------



## indianroads

KeganThompson said:


> Do you plot ever scene before writing?


I create 1 page of notes for each chapter. I don't really concentrate on individual scenes, those tend to fall where they do when I write the first draft.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> I started out writing by the seat of my pants - that was decades ago, none of that work was published. Failure is a great teacher - and I've learned that for *me*, plotting is the way to go. As carpenters say: _measure twice, cut once._


I'm a pantser but I do a basic outline. I am making major revisions so my first draft is like an outline for basic concepts. I would get too bored if I plotted to much and so much changes as I go.


----------



## indianroads

We each have our own way of working, that's the beauty of art.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> We each have our own way of working, that's the beauty of art.


I'm a new writer so I am still learning my process. I am changing a lot of things but I'm glad I wrote as much as I did because it was good practice. I can already see progress from where I first started


----------



## Darkkin

I did a minor contemplative piece on my reaction to a task minder app.


----------



## Ajoy

I just finished the first act of my draft 3 revisions. I cut it down by about 3K, which isn't bad if I can manage some heavier cuts in act two (it's a little long, proportionally).  I'm hoping to finish the draft in early July.


----------



## indianroads

Ajoy said:


> I just finished the first act of my draft 3 revisions. I cut it down by about 3K, which isn't bad if I can manage some heavier cuts in act two (it's a little long, proportionally).  I'm hoping to finish the draft in early July.


Cool! Funny how I once thought people just sat down and wrote a book, then automatically found an agent and publisher. Boy, was I wrong.

I'm about a third of the way through my first draft of Inception, and I hope to get it done by early/mid August. But that's when the fun starts - edit, edit, edit... editor... edit, edit edit. Format. Cover art. It's a long road, but I love every minute of it.


----------



## Stormcat

Just broke 40,000 words.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> Cool! Funny how I once thought people just sat down and wrote a book, then automatically found an agent and publisher. Boy, was I wrong.
> 
> I'm about a third of the way through my first draft of Inception, and I hope to get it done by early/mid August. But that's when the fun starts - edit, edit, edit... editor... edit, edit edit. Format. Cover art. It's a long road, but I love every minute of it.


I think what's funniest to me is how every draft is so hard but in different ways. I think I had convinced myself that each draft would get easier based on my experience with shorter work. Working with such a huge amount of content totally changes things (at least for me!). I still thought this draft would be easier and I imagined working on revisions some of the time and query prep at others, but revision is taking all of my time/energy! As long as I finish revision on (my self-imposed) schedule though, it should be all good. I'm racing against August 10th, when I have to go back to work.  Teaching takes a lot of my creative energy, slowing my writing pace so much. But I do agree with you, despite how much work, the editing is the fun part in so many ways-it's so rewarding to see the efforts of revisions paying off!


----------



## KeganThompson

Ajoy said:


> I think what's funniest to me is how every draft is so hard but in different ways. I think I had convinced myself that each draft would get easier based on my experience with shorter work. Working with such a huge amount of content totally changes things (at least for me!). I still thought this draft would be easier and I imagined working on revisions some of the time and query prep at others, but revision is taking all of my time/energy! As long as I finish revision on (my self-imposed) schedule though, it should be all good. I'm racing against August 10th, when I have to go back to work.  Teaching takes a lot of my creative energy, slowing my writing pace so much. But I do agree with you, despite how much work, the editing is the fun part in so many ways-it's so rewarding to see the efforts of revisions paying off!


One of my favorite things about editing is seeing the i progress made. I can see easier what to cut, how to reword things and simplify them. It is reassuring knowing u are making progress as a writer even if u still got miles to go and will never stop improving.


----------



## indianroads

I'm pretty slow, but refuse to rush the process - what I create has to be as good as I can make it. I'm retired, so I treat my writing like a job (much less taxing than design engineering), and I work 8 to 10 hours every day. Yet it still takes me a month to do the plot outline, then close to 3 months to write the first and only draft. I've worked a lot on the process I use for plotting and writing the draft, and now the editing goes much faster than it once did.

That sounds tough, but it really isn't because I love the entire process of writing.


----------



## Turnbull

I wrote over a thousand words on a story that I thought I had run out of inspiration for.


----------



## Ajoy

Today I got together for a chat with a fellow teacher from my school.  He's published a few middle-grade and YA novels through Macmillan in the last several years, and he shared some of his agenting and publishing experience with me. He also shared copies of a couple of his queries that got a lot of interest and even offered to take a look at my query when it's ready. It was really neat!


----------



## Cephus

Got the outline done for a new book series that I'll start writing on Monday. That gives me two days to nail down some characters.


----------



## Mark Twain't

I wrote. For the 1st time in weeks I wrote!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I managed to get a 500-word essay in good enough shape . . .  to ask, no, to *BEG *for critiques. I'm a member of another group who lets us post "Offer" when we need quick help. So I asked for that help and quickly got a response from a talented writer. I look forward to seeing the results of the critique. This essay is important to me because it's to be the introduction in a collection of flash fiction pieces. I was asked to choose the best pieces published and write a brief essay about the genre. My deadline is fast approaching and for weeks I've been almost in full panic mode. In trying to get it written I had a bout with illness that knocked me off my feet for a while, bouts with computer malfunction that knocked me off my computer several times a day, and had every frustration under the sun. I had/ have the worst case of writer's block I've ever had too. For weeks I've worked on the essay, revising it over and over again but just couldn't be satisfied with it. I'm hoping this short break I'm taking as I wait for quick critiques will snap me out of my writer's block. So that's my joy and my success for the day-- I got my essay into good enough shape to beg for help.


----------



## Irwin

Trying to figure out a good way to get from point A to point B. Sometimes I need to think about something for a few days before I can write about it.


----------



## Taylor

Irwin said:


> Trying to figure out a good way to get from point A to point B. Sometimes I need to think about something for a few days before I can write about it.


I thought I was the only one who did that.  I make all sorts of diagrams too.  Is that another INTJ thing?


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> I thought I was the only one who did that.  I make all sorts of diagrams too.  Is that another INTJ thing?


It's funny cuz I will plot write plot write and I take a 1 to 2 day break in between chapters usually. Now I'm editing plotting and writing


----------



## KeganThompson

Irwin said:


> Trying to figure out a good way to get from point A to point B. Sometimes I need to think about something for a few days before I can write about it.


I take a 1 to 2 day break between chapters to plot usually


----------



## Irwin

Taylor said:


> I thought I was the only one who did that.  I make all sorts of diagrams too.  Is that another INTJ thing?


Could be. I'm currently at point A and I want to build up the tension and then release it suddenly at point B. 

Maybe I'll diagram the possible paths. Thanks for that idea!


----------



## Irwin

I figured it out while driving home from the vehicle inspection station a little while ago. Sometimes driving a car can be a good environment for brainstorming.


----------



## Cephus

Irwin said:


> I figured it out while driving home from the vehicle inspection station a little while ago. Sometimes driving a car can be a good environment for brainstorming.



That and the shower.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I thought I was the only one who did that.  I make all sorts of diagrams too.  Is that another INTJ thing?





Irwin said:


> Could be. I'm currently at point A and I want to build up the tension and then release it suddenly at point B.
> 
> Maybe I'll diagram the possible paths. Thanks for that idea!


You Pantsters...  wandering around with no pants on... how do you get anything done?


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> You Pantsters...  wandering around with no pants on... how do you get anything done?


Haha...yes that is the million-dollar question!


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> You Pantsters...  wandering around with no pants on... how do you get anything done?


I stay in my apartment...and write
_literally has no pants on_


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Huge, bigger than huge, sigh of relief. I just finished and sent off the 500-word essay that was troubling me so much last week, the essay that was giving me writer's block like I've never had before. I got two emergency critiquers from another group and they helped me get it into shape. They mainly convinced me I was being too hard on myself and that the essay needed little in the way of improvement. Now, with their tweaks, I'm pleased with the essay. I hope my editor will be too. Just after I sent the piece off, I got a notice from another editor that one of my prose poems will be published later this summer. So today is definitely a GOOD day. So I'm sharing the joy of both events. Picture me with a big pleased smile on my face.


----------



## floribabiden

I'm happy that I've had about an hour from 7 am to 8 am open up four mornings a week and I've been getting my coffee, herding up my new little neurons, and writing for most of that time. I've got a possibly-short-story underway, about 2,900 words into the first draft and the juice is still flowing so that's always a good day.
vinay bhagatji


----------



## Cephus

Started knocking out a new book on Monday, been hitting goals consistently, should be done middle of next month.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> Started knocking out a new book on Monday, been hitting goals consistently, should be done middle of next month.


Wow! You're good. It takes me a month to do the plotting, 2 - 3 months to finish the first draft, then several months more to do all the editing and formatting. My cover designer takes a week to create artwork, but has to be booked a year in advance (he's in demand).
I'm impressed!


----------



## indianroads

KeganThompson said:


> I stay in my apartment...and write
> _literally has no pants on_


My wife worries about our daughters and their families dropping by when I'm in that state of comfort.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 13 of Inception today. One more chapter and I'll be halfway through the first draft. Currently, most things are going MC's way, but shadows are falling.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm patting myself on the back for getting the table of contents completed for a poetry manuscript contest. To do the table of contents I had to make my selections (which is quite time consuming). So I chose and placed in order 50 poems. I can include up to 12 previously published poems and the rest had to be unpublished. Now I have to make a title page, an acknowledgements page, run off the poems, and follow a couple of other intricate instructions to finish up. I'm on such a roll lately for getting my work out there. I've put it off way too long. My poetry darlings have been screaming to be set free into the big, bad world. Soon, babies, soon.


----------



## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I'm patting myself on the back for getting the table of contents completed for a poetry manuscript contest. To do the table of contents I had to make my selections (which is quite time consuming). So I chose and placed in order 50 poems. I can include up to 12 previously published poems and the rest had to be unpublished. Now I have to make a title page, an acknowledgements page, run off the poems, and follow a couple of other intricate instructions to finish up. I'm on such a roll lately for getting my work out there. I've put it off way too long. My poetry darlings have been screaming to be set free into the big, bad world. Soon, babies, soon.


I love listening to poetry, it's like music with silent notes - but I absolutely, positively can't write it, and admire those that can. The world is a more beautiful place because of people like you.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

indianroads said:


> I love listening to poetry, it's like music with silent notes - but I absolutely, positively can't write it, and admire those that can. The world is a more beautiful place because of people like you.


What a wonderful compliment, indianroads. Thank you. Poetry that seems peaceful enough sometimes gets written due to quite unpeaceful, even downright ugly and nasty situations. Poems are sometimes the aftermath. I don't think it's so that you posilutely, absitively cannot write it. I've seen your writing here and you clearly have a poet's soul who is no doubt hoping to find himself. You just have to draw him out. I bet you could tell some wonderful tales in the form of poems. Meantime, I'm going to smile the rest of the evening over what you said.


----------



## Ajoy

I've made it through chapter 11 (of 32) on my revisions.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> My wife worries about our daughters and their families dropping by when I'm in that state of comfort.


Good thing I live alone with no children. don't think my dog minds me undies


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> Wow! You're good. It takes me a month to do the plotting, 2 - 3 months to finish the first draft, then several months more to do all the editing and formatting. My cover designer takes a week to create artwork, but has to be booked a year in advance (he's in demand).
> I'm impressed!



Because I know what I'm going to be writing years ahead of time, I have the story pretty much hammered out by  the time I get around to plotting it. My plotting this time took 3 days. It'll take 20 days to get the first draft down. I've already got my covers for the next 3 books in and by the time it gets through all of the beta testing and all that, they'll be done. It helps to work ahead.


----------



## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> What a wonderful compliment, indianroads. Thank you. Poetry that seems peaceful enough sometimes gets written due to quite unpeaceful, even downright ugly and nasty situations. Poems are sometimes the aftermath. I don't think it's so that you posilutely, absitively cannot write it. I've seen your writing here and you clearly have a poet's soul who is no doubt hoping to find himself. You just have to draw him out. I bet you could tell some wonderful tales in the form of poems. Meantime, I'm going to smile the rest of the evening over what you said.


Thank you. You're very kind.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> Because I know what I'm going to be writing years ahead of time, I have the story pretty much hammered out by  the time I get around to plotting it. My plotting this time took 3 days. It'll take 20 days to get the first draft down. I've already got my covers for the next 3 books in and by the time it gets through all of the beta testing and all that, they'll be done. It helps to work ahead.


I'm really impressed. Wow.


----------



## VRanger

I got another email today about my Heinlein sequel, this time from another big-time contributor to the FB Heinlein Forum. The gentleman who gave the book such a generous notice early last week sent the file out to several people, including Tom. Tom indicated he's enjoying the read, and offered to pay me for it. I told him I cannot accept payment, since I don't have a license (yet, hopefully), so that would be unethical. I told him if he's willing to send me a few notes on things he likes or doesn't like, that would be more than enough of an exchange. This is getting WAY too heady.


----------



## Taylor

I just wrote 121 picture descriptions to make some training materials "assessible."  Not sure I can call it joy, other than when I send out the invoice, after the client approves it. (Amazed at what they are willing to pay for this stuff!) 

Tomorrow back to the novel...stay tuned for some real joy as I work on the big multiple POV chapter where it all goes down.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I just wrote 121 picture descriptions to make some training materials "assessible."  Not sure I can call it joy, other than when I send out the invoice, after the client approves it. (Amazed at what they are willing to pay for this stuff!)
> 
> Tomorrow back to the novel...stay tuned for some real joy as I work on the big multiple POV chapter where it all goes down.


I rode the around our property for several hours this afternoon; there wasn’t much joy in that either. We live at the foot of Rockies, where the prairie begins. It’s been dry so far this summer and fire season is upon us, hopefully the closely cropped grass will keep us safe.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I rode the around our property for several hours this afternoon; there wasn’t much joy in that either. We live at the foot of Rockies, where the prairie begins. It’s been dry so far this summer and fire season is upon us, hopefully the closely cropped grass will keep us safe.


If you have enough property to ride around in, I would say that's worthy of joy.  I was picturing a motorcycle but could have been a lawn tractor or ATV?  

I pray your family is safe during this hot season. Is there anything you can do to prepare?


----------



## LivingPoetintheFlesh

Still slugging away on my novel. Two novels to be exact. Also tinkering a novelette.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> If you have enough property to ride around in, I would say that's worthy of joy.  I was picturing a motorcycle but could have been a lawn tractor or ATV?
> 
> I pray your family is safe during this hot season. Is there anything you can do to prepare?


It was hot and humid for Colorado, so I’m still somewhat dehydrated. It’s a lawn tractor, and therefore not much fun.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

800 words, to resume writing ... I'm happy


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I finished the acknowledgements page for the contest for poetry manuscript. So the table of contents is finished (and the 50 poems selected) and now the acknowledgements page is finished (where/ when each poem was previously published). Now what's left is I have to come up with a lead poem and a title for the manuscript. By George (whoever he is), I think I am on my way. "Joy to the world, to all the boys and girls. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea and joy to you and me." Oops, a song demanded I sing it. (Songs are always hiding out, waiting to take over my thoughts.)


----------



## LivingPoetintheFlesh

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I finished the acknowledgements page for the contest for poetry manuscript. So the table of contents is finished (and the 50 poems selected) and now the acknowledgements page is finished (where/ when each poem was previously published). Now what's left is I have to come up with a lead poem and a title for the manuscript. By George (whoever he is), I think I am on my way. "Joy to the world, to all the boys and girls. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea and joy to you and me." Oops, a song demanded I sing it. (Songs are always hiding out, waiting to take over my thoughts.)



What's the contest? Name? Also poetry books are hard to compose. My poems usually end up being really bad or really good.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

LivingPoetintheFlesh said:


> What's the contest? Name? Also poetry books are hard to compose. My poems usually end up being really bad or really good.


It's an annual manuscript contest for writers in just one state of the U.S. (I prefer not giving out info about the contest but if you're in the U.S., figure a way to contact me privately and I'll share the contest info with you.)

Yes, I hear you when you say poetry collections are hard to compose. I've had the devil of a time with that. I write as an idea strikes me so there's little unity between my poems, little that's thematic. Putting them in some kind of manuscript "order" has been a huge challenge. Lately I've started writing more on themes so maybe in the future the ordering part won't be as difficult as it's been this time.

I agree too about feeling as if the poems are really bad or really good. I feel that way too. But what puzzles me and surprises me quite often is what I viewed as not so  good one time, looks pretty good next time. And what I viewed as good one time, will switch to the really bad side next time. And through getting poems published I discovered that sometimes an editor will prefer and accept one that isn't one of my favorites.

 I work hard on my poems and have hundreds left that are still in rough draft stage. I keep revising, tweaking, polishing. I tend to tweak as I gather to send out too.


----------



## LivingPoetintheFlesh

Pamelyn Casto said:


> It's an annual manuscript contest for writers in just one state of the U.S. (I prefer not giving out info about the contest but if you're in the U.S., figure a way to contact me privately and I'll share the contest info with you.)
> 
> Yes, I hear you when you say poetry collections are hard to compose. I've had the devil of a time with that. I write as an idea strikes me so there's little unity between my poems, little that's thematic. Putting them in some kind of manuscript "order" has been a huge challenge. Lately I've started writing more on themes so maybe in the future the ordering part won't be as difficult as it's been this time.
> 
> I agree too about feeling as if the poems are really bad or really good. I feel that way too. But what puzzles me and surprises me quite often is what I viewed as not so  good one time, looks pretty good next time. And what I viewed as good one time, will switch to the really bad side next time. And through getting poems published I discovered that sometimes an editor will prefer and accept one that isn't one of my favorites.
> 
> I work hard on my poems and have hundreds left that are still in rough draft stage. I keep revising, tweaking, polishing. I tend to tweak as I gather to send out too.



I'm not in the US but seeing as the contest is there, I think I will take a pass on that.


----------



## indianroads

Officially halfway through my novel Inception - due out probably in April next year - lots to do, and my cover designer is becoming an issue because he's in high demand. I may have to look for another one.

Anyway, Chapter 14 of Inception is complete (this is just the first draft). Currently sitting at 51,702 words on pace for 103,404 total WC. And YES, I measure everything, that's what old engineers do.


----------



## Joker

I wrote 114 words to open The Black Label's first draft. Not great quality or quantity, but I spent the morning agonizing over how to organize my scenes and coming up with a few more names.


----------



## LivingPoetintheFlesh

Joker said:


> I wrote 114 words to open The Black Label's first draft. Not great quality or quantity, but I spent the morning agonizing over how to organize my scenes and coming up with a few more names.



Black Label? Lol isn't that a drink?


----------



## Joker

LivingPoetintheFlesh said:


> Black Label? Lol isn't that a drink?



Probably.

In-context of the story, it's a colloquialism for citizens of the Vespian Empire who have been denaturalized. Corrit and the vespian mob he'll run into all have been black labeled.


----------



## indianroads

This morning started with me running through the plot of chapter 15 of Inception... yes, each chapter has a page of notes that I sort before writing. With that done i started in and completed 2400 words of it, with about a thousand more waiting anxiously for me tomorrow.
It was a good day.


----------



## VRanger

With trying to get my new role sorted out as Supervisor, assisting with a site project IndianRoads kicked off and owners and staff have been working on for the last 10 days or so, helping get my built-in shelves built, installed, and organized, assisting the Heinlein Society in organizing the 35K files Bill Patterson willed to them, running my business, and having friends from Florida as guests for a few days ... I got almost nothing done on the plot outline for my murder mystery for almost three weeks. Yikes!

Yesterday and today I finally reoriented myself on the most recent plot developments and dove back in. This puts me into the last act. My detective has, in a way, figured out every detail about the main murder, but can't remember it. His friends and family are now in danger as the main murderer is panicking and thinks the group is about to expose him, and I still have one person to eliminate. Anyway, I'm back on course, sipping Port and Plotting. The two Ps.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> With trying to get my new role sorted out as Supervisor, assisting with a site project IndianRoads kicked off and owners and staff have been working on for the last 10 days or so, helping get my built-in shelves built, installed, and organized, assisting the Heinlein Society in organizing the 35K files Bill Patterson willed to them, running my business, and having friends from Florida as guests for a few days ... I got almost nothing done on the plot outline for my murder mystery for almost three weeks. Yikes!
> 
> Yesterday and today I finally reoriented myself on the most recent plot developments and dove back in. This puts me into the last act. My detective has, in a way, figured out every detail about the main murder, but can't remember it. His friends and family are now in danger as the main murderer is panicking and thinks the group is about to expose him, and I still have one person to eliminate. Anyway, I'm back on course, sipping Port and Plotting. The two Ps.


I hate it when life interferes with writing...


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 15 of Inception today. 
MC life has improved but gotten a lot more complicated since the start, but now things are about to fall off the cliff. The opposing forces have gathered and the real conflict is about to begin.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

indianroads said:


> I hate it when life interferes with writing...


Me too!
Social life, lunch, dinner ... sleep ...

I want the 48 hour day.

My books are taking shape, I'm happy with that.


----------



## Smith

I wrote an excerpt of a random scene from a maybe-middle part of my WIP. And I didn't completely hate it.

No idea how the story gets there. No idea where it goes from there. But the giant, wise, talking snake guardian and its conversation with the MC had been asking to be "sketched" in my mind for a while.


----------



## Ajoy

The good news is that I found the second major place I should be able to cut down my overall word count--my middle act is strung out in a few places. It took a weekend of fretting before I figured out how I was going to fix it. When I figured it out, I spent yesterday rearranging the scenes of a five-chapter chunk and began rewriting with the new order in place. I'm working on chapter 14 revisions today, and I should have an update for words cut after chapter 19 (crossing my fingers that it will be significant!).


----------



## KeganThompson

I finished the first page of my complete rewrite


----------



## Taylor

I finished chapters 36, 37, and 38.  These were the first chapters where the time period overlapped for the three MCs.  So I wrote them simultaneously flipping from one to the other.  It is the day they travel individually to a charity event in the Hamptons.   Next, I will write the chapter covering the reception where I will have three POVs in one chapter.  I've already blocked it out, so I know it's going to work.  So excited to write it.  And so happy to be heading into the climax.  AND... I am two chapters ahead of schedule.


----------



## indianroads

I put my Extinction Series on the WF Members' Published Books forum (check it out), and am feeling pretty good about that.
Then went through the plot for chapter 16 of Inception and managed to sneak in 500 words or so before dinnertime. 
It was a good day.


----------



## Taylor

Had so much fun today writing my big multiple POV event chapter.  One of those swanky cocktail events where high-powered individuals are weaving in and out of a small gathering that vacillates between multiple combinations of people networking.  The reader is the only one who hears all the pertinent tidbits from the various exchanges.

As I was writing it, I realized there are two very prominent characters who hadn't met yet.  They are both in serious relationships but not married.  There's a major spark!  Hmmm...what's happening here?  See the advantages of being a panster?


----------



## indianroads

> See the advantages of being a panster?



No. 
Honestly though, as a strict plotter my characters still often surprise me.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> No.
> Honestly though, as a strict plotter my characters still often surprise me.


It's why we love it so much!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> It's why we love it so much!


They can be petulant little buggers.


----------



## Parabola

Finally was able to log into my google drive, where my novel is stored. Rereading parts of it now. One thing that's occurring to me is that I can add a bit more authenticity to the character (almost a year away from the project helps to give a bird's eye view of what can be improved on several levels).

Also combed over a short story that I consider a bit more inspired than many previous works. I'd still like to dress up the prose a bit, but not a bad place to start.


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> Finally was able to log into my google drive, where my novel is stored. Rereading parts of it now. One thing that's occurring to me is that I can add a bit more authenticity to the character (almost a year away from the project helps to give a bird's eye view of what can be improved on several levels).
> 
> Also combed over a short story that I consider a bit more inspired than many previous works. I'd still like to dress up the prose a bit, but not a bad place to start.


Welcome to the site.  I went through long periods of down time on my first novel. It was quite a charge to finally write the last line!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My writing success of the day has me be-bopping I'm so pleased. I just heard that a collection of stories I was asked to select and for which I wrote the introduction and where am shown as editor, went live today. It will be available online, in PDF, and in print. More details on the six o'clock news (as they become available). Oh, yeah, love that news and love that bebopping. It's great to have a place where we can shout out our now and then great moments. I'll post the formal news, the links and such about this collection, later on over at the publishing success thread. For now, I gotta bebop a while longer.:-D


----------



## indianroads

I'd bebop with you, but when I dance I look like flailing marionette operated by a drunken puppeteer.


----------



## Joker

I'm up to 500 words. Probably the hardest 500 words I've ever written. But I know what I'm dealing with now.


----------



## VRanger

Other responsibilities are really making my plotting piecemeal, but I'm sneaking some in tonight. I'm using Scriviner note cards to create the story step by step, and numbering them. Note 161 has the scene I discussed with Taylor a while back, when she was plotting her three different perspectives at a party. We might both use this device.  I have my MC and his brother in a business meeting that coincidentally includes most of the suspects. The suspects get into a verbally violent finger pointing/claimed alibi fracas dominated by cross talk. After the meeting the brothers agree they heard an important clue in the middle of the cacophony, but disagree on who said it.

Since I'm quite likely to write this in first person, I'm going to have to figure out how to portray this conversation so the reader has the same experience, but at the same time has a chance to figure out who said it. Yes, I like to set challenges for myself. It's what makes writing fun.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Other responsibilities are really making my plotting piecemeal, but I'm sneaking some in tonight. I'm using Scriviner note cards to create the story step by step, and numbering them. Note 161 has the scene I discussed with Taylor a while back, when she was plotting her three different perspectives at a party. We might both use this device.  I have my MC and his brother in a business meeting that coincidentally includes most of the suspects. The suspects get into a verbally violent finger pointing/claimed alibi fracas dominated by cross talk. After the meeting the brothers agree they heard an important clue in the middle of the cacophony, but disagree on who said it.
> 
> Since I'm quite likely to write this in first person, I'm going to have to figure out how to portray this conversation so the reader has the same experience, but at the same time has a chance to figure out who said it. Yes, I like to set challenges for myself. It's what makes writing fun.


A good day then! Good for you!
I had a productive day as well, and nailed down about 2800 words of Inception's chapter 17 - about 800 more to go tomorrow. The book is moving right along.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> A good day then! Good for you!
> I had a productive day as well, and nailed down about 2800 words of Inception's chapter 17 - about 800 more to go tomorrow. The book is moving right along.


I think I already figured out how to do it. The MC reports it with who he thinks says it. In the later conversation, the brother disagrees and they argue over it. I present a potentially unreliable narrator, but the reader has to decide if that's the case. With everything else going on with my poor MC, the reader won't have any trouble doubting if he's got it right.


----------



## Parabola

vranger said:


> Welcome to the site.  I went through long periods of down time on my first novel. It was quite a charge to finally write the last line!



Thanks. It's exciting getting back to the editing/revising process. Yeah, writing the ending is great, but it's only the beginning in the grand scheme of things. 

In other news I'm worming my way into a halfway compelling intro finally. At first I considered using parts of the unfinished sequel as a springboard for the original, but that would've drastically altered the story. Intuitively, the intro always seemed off to me, like a lead christmas ornament weighing the whole tree down. Fortunately it seems to be coming together (slowly).


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 18 of Inception is complete.
Before proceeding though I decided to work out how to convert a paperback novel cover to one that will fit a hardback book. This is for Amazon BTW. I’m still working on it, and will write up my process in the self publishing forum when I get it right.


----------



## VRanger

Drat doggone shucks darnit HE-double toothpicks! I looked back over the "Coming soon" section in my Books Forum post. I described "Moods", the book I'm in the later stages of plotting, as noir ... and it is. THEN, I realized it's missing an important noir element ... the dangerous female trying to seduce the main character. Oh, I have a character in there who can fill that role, and she makes perfect sense to do that with. The problem is, it's not there. Now I have to go back through 170 odd plot points and work that into the story. I was too focused on a developing romance with the "good girl" next door. However, this will add some delicious embarrassment as the two women pull on him like a wishbone. I just have to go back in and do it, but it will take quite a bit of adjustment to the plotting I've already done, and I don't suppose anyone but me is available to do it. Grumble, snarl, sigh, gulp, wince, gnash, shake head, look at ceiling, procrastinate by bitching about it here. Oh well, no time like tomorrow to do it.


----------



## PiP

After months of procrastination, I finally felt inspired by July's poetry challenge prompt and wrote a poem.


----------



## Taylor

Thanks to @vranger, I was able to get past a blockage I had to chapter 40.  I had not written a time jump before.  He gave me some really great ideas, but more importantly, he gave me the confidence to move forward and write 700 words.   Hey thanks, Vrang...I'm a happy camper tonight!  How's that for a cliche...lol!


----------



## indianroads

Busy day.
I added hardcover options to Departure and Desperation (from my Extinction series) and wrote up a how-to for others that may want that option - it's posted in the Self-Publishing forum. The issue was mostly due to the covers I had a professional create for those books - I wanted to keep the artwork of course, but the template for paperback books differs from hardback, so adjustments have to be made. Anyway, if anyone here wants to try it, you know where to look for instruction.

Once that was done, I started in on Chapter 19 of Inception - and wrote about a thousand words.


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## VRanger

I've started to squeeze the Fem Fatale noir character into my plot. Barbara, already identified as the psychotic niece--and hopeful of being mentioned in the will--of the first murder victim, was an obvious choice. I've already had her come onto the MC twice, the second time as she barges into his apartment in the middle of the night, and causes enough commotion that two neighbors, including the "girl next door", witness the incursion. Miles, the MC, is hampered in his ability to resist by the circumstance *spoiler* that he's possessed by 20 odd spirits, any of which may take over at any time, and at least one of which is quite interested in taking advantage of Barbara's overtures. ** end spoiler ** Barbara is really only trying to get Miles interested in her in the hopes of improving her stature in negotiating an inheritance in the face of a missing will. She's psychotic, not stupid.

Kristi, the "girl next door", is honestly interested in Miles, but is miffed at the Barbara incident, and is frankly put off by the untimely eruption of possessing spirits, one of which was frightening.

I think I only need to work in one more Barbara episode before I can get back to advancing the plot.

[Taylor - I'm messing around in YOUR world. Miles is an accountant brought in to audit the books of the murdered rich lady and her corporation.]


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## Taylor

vranger said:


> [Taylor - I'm messing around in YOUR world. Miles is an accountant brought in to audit the books of the murdered rich lady and her corporation.]


My spidey sense tells me he finds something suspicious.   An unexplained monthly payment perhaps?


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## VRanger

Taylor said:


> My spidey sense tells me he finds something suspicious.   An unexplained monthly payment perhaps?


He finds cooked books alright, but the spurious entries point to the wrong person, because the corporation's head accountant found it first, blackmailed the real guy, and started assisting the embezzlement to facilitate the blackmail payments. So after he did that the trail leads to him! This is back (at least) in the 50s, so everything is still in handwritten ledgers. I haven't put any details to the mechanics of the embezzlement yet.


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## indianroads

Busy day - 
I'm still having issues with importing custom covers made by my designer into a hardback book format. I made some changes and submitted it again, and am waiting to see if the Amazon techie's will accept it.

I also finished chapter 19 of Inception (wrote about 2500 words today). 

... and also, I learned that the link to my amazon author page doesn't work in the bookstore - for now, I've removed it and will look at it later.

On deck, is placing my Outlaw series, Dark Side of Joy and The Last Dragon in the bookstore. I'll do that tomorrow.


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## Darkkin

I rarely use first person narrative in my creative pieces.  Tonight I did so...weird.


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## Cephus

I actually got something done today for the first time since Thursday. I rarely ever write on weekends or holidays and my wife wound up having both Friday and Monday off unexpectedly. I did still do something but it was just 5500 words over the whole 4 days and that's embarrassingly bad. At least today I got back in the swing at 6300 words and got mostly caught up for the lost time.


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## indianroads

Getting words on paper is always a good thing.


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## indianroads

Taught martial arts in the morning, poomse (form) Keumgang and Taebeck (2nd and 3rd dan forms) for newish black belts.

Took a new approach to the dilemma of using professional paperback covers for hardback books: the direct import just isn't working, so I used Amazon's cover creator and used a paperback cover for just the front of a hardcover book. It's still in review, hopefully it will work. It's not the solution I wanted, but maybe it will work for now.

I started chapter 20 of Inception - and got a thousand word in, so some success there.


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## Taylor

Wrote a very difficult chapter today.  The secondary plot climax -- the protagonist's life goes sideways.  It takes place six months later.  I found a way to write almost the entire chapter in recalling conversations. Basically, I segwayed into each conversation, which are months apart, with a few sentences.    It was also difficult to write because it covers a very complex financial transaction that took place within the protagonist's business.  It's something I had experienced first-hand in the late nineties, so I was comfortable to describe it, but trying to make it easy to understand for the reader in a few hundred words, and all in dialogue...not so easy. 

Really tired now.  Taking the day off tomorrow to play golf and have lunch with the ladies.


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## Ajoy

I've finished the third draft revisions through chapter 18 of 32 now. The last section was really strung out, so there were lots of great places for cuts. So far, I've turned the first 75K into 62K. Yay!


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## indianroads

I finished Chapter 21 of my Silicon Valley techno-thriller today - Inception. The MC is suffering the darkest hour of the story - he was waterboarded today. A reader once said that he liked my writing, but would hate to ever be my main character... he's right, I do tend to put them through the ringer. MC's life will start to improve in Chapter 22, but he still has some hurtles ahead.

ETA: this afternoon I wrote 1200 words of Chapter 22. A good day.


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## indianroads

Chapter 22 - DONE.


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## Deleted member 64995

Not a success ...
I had an idea for a story, but I realized that writing it could create problems for me from a narrative point of view.
Then looking at a Stephen King book "Storm of the Century", I had an epiphany.
Screenplay.
I've never written a script. It will be exciting to try.


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## indianroads

Practiced martial arts on my own in the AM.
Wrote 1400 words of Inception chapter 23. The book is going well.


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## Ajoy

I'm working on chapter 21 and I was able to cut a 2300 word scene down to 1600 words (it was very purple, which is apparently how I make my way through the first draft version of the vision scenes in my story--it's not really an issue with any other scenes.  Anyway, I'm happy with the revised scene because I moved it into chapter 21 from chapter 20, making 21 too long.


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## Darkkin

Don't know, but I think I unconsciously metaphored in a glass rabbit scribble, but damn, the piece is solid.  Simple, but solid.


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## Mark Twain't

Been battling with my novel for the past couple of months so I decided to take a break and maybe think of something else to write. Then an idea came to mind and I've spent the morning plotting the story out, the beginning, middle and end, and I'm happy and also quite excited to be starting out on a new adventure.


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## Deleted member 64995

1400 word


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## VRanger

Mark Twain't said:


> Been battling with my novel for the past couple of months so I decided to take a break and maybe think of something else to write. Then an idea came to mind and I've spent the morning plotting the story out, the beginning, middle and end, and I'm happy and also quite excited to be starting out on a new adventure.


No disadvantage there. I've pointed out before that no less prolific an author than Asimov discussed working on multiple projects, directly stating that if he hit a wall on one, he'd simply pick up another one for a while.


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## KeganThompson

Wrote a flash story in a note book at work, gonna type it up and edit it before posting


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## indianroads

Inception Chapter 23 = DONE


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## Pamelyn Casto

It's finished! It's out of my hands! It's in the mail! I sent off my poetry manuscript today. Yay! I thought I would never get it finished. What a huge job that was. But it's done now and I'm happy for that. It doesn't go against your manuscript because you did so much cursing as you got it together, does it? Every computer glitch around jumped in my computer and it was frustrating beyond words. Only curses fit the frustrating situations. I tell myself it was not the poems I was cursing but the computer. Anyway, it's finally a done deal. I'll hear the results in November. I've already gathered three poems for another competition with a deadline of Aug. 15. Maybe I won't have to do as much cursing this time. I'm feelin' fine this evening.


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## Taylor

Only 200 words today, but worked out some kinks in chapter 41.

Also had fun talking to @indianroads about fashion.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Only 200 words today, but worked out some kinks in chapter 41.
> 
> Also had fun talking to @indianroads about fashion.


Yes, I’m wearing Dolce & Gabbana to my martial art class tomorrow. I feel so pretty.


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## VRanger

When I wrote the sequel to Bone Kien, I had an interrogation scene where the interrogators have the interrogatee in a remote location that contains danger. As an incentive to answer, they threatened to leave him there. When I wrote the sequel to Citizen of the Galaxy, I wrote a sequence where the MC has a prisoner in a remote location. As an incentive to answer, he threatens to leave him there.

While there was no chance the Citizen of the Galaxy sequel and the Bone Kien sequel would ever be read by the same person, that was tolerable. Now there is a chance (albeit still small) that the Citizen sequel could get out and make some of my other books more attractive. I can't have people read the two similar scenes and come to the conclusion I have no further imagination for interrogations. ;-) So tonight I rewrote the interrogation in Bone Kien: Roots. The answer was sitting right there. I have a young lady mage who specializes in divination. She doesn't really need a lot of help from the prisoner to get the ball rolling. 

By the time she suggests that all she needs is his tongue as a component for the spell to hear what's he's had to say for the last few days, his desire to cooperate surfaces.


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## Cephus

It looks like it'll take me until mid-way through next week to finish this book, which is fine. I put down 7400 words today, which got me to right around 105k. Right now, it looks like the book will top out around 125k or so and another 4 or 5 days ought to get me there.

Then I can do it all over again. Whee!


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## indianroads

Cephus said:


> It looks like it'll take me until mid-way through next week to finish this book, which is fine. I put down 7400 words today, which got me to right around 105k. Right now, it looks like the book will top out around 125k or so and another 4 or 5 days ought to get me there.
> 
> Then I can do it all over again. Whee!


That's amazing productivity! Wow!


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## Cephus

indianroads said:


> That's amazing productivity! Wow!



Eh. I fell behind because of the 4th. I should be at least 5k ahead of where I am right now.


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## Sinister

What it feels like in my brain to try and write.  I've always found it much easier to never try to write.  I'm perpetually afraid of trying to write.  As a matter of fact, if anyone here has any successful tips on trying to write...  Then you're sitting on a gold mine.

I'm one of those miserable lots who is informed by circumstance on when it is time to write.  Now, what I write is largely left up to me...but not when.  It is bizarre. 

That said, serious talk, if you have pointers, I have no pride, arrogance or ego, am a quick-learner and all-ears.

I haven't been able to write in...months.  Just blogging.

-Sin


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## Cephus

Don't try. Do it. Trying gets you nowhere. Put your ass in the chair and write.


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## Pamelyn Casto

Sinister said:


> (snip of text):  I've always found it much easier to never try to write.  I'm perpetually afraid of trying to write.
> That said, serious talk, if you have pointers, I have no pride, arrogance or ego, am a quick-learner and all-ears.
> I haven't been able to write in...months.  Just blogging.
> 
> -Sin


Sinister, I think all potentially good writers are afraid to write at one time or another. They've likely read good works and realize the huge difference between their own writing and the writing of the accomplished writers. It IS easier not to write at all.  But your muse keeps nagging you . . . so listen to her. You _want_ to write.  I don't know what you'd most like to write (don't know whether you're an aspiring novelist, short story writer, poet, etc.) but what I'm saying below is helpful regardless of what genre you prefer. 

Over the years I've often found it helpful to keep writing, no matter what. For instance, I have literally hundreds of undeveloped haiku and from those pieces I make use of images or phrases or ideas for other, longer work. A haiku doesn't take much time to write and it helps a ton with the creative process. Yes, they're exceedingly _difficult_ to write well, but even our failures can be good for keeping us creative (and can give us a store of images or ideas).  

If you're down again then learn another form of writing and make attempts at writing it. You could explore tanka, or longer yet, haibun. You could then explore micro fiction or longer but still short-short flash fiction.  You could explore the difference between a mainstream nonfiction piece and a creative nonfiction piece. Lately novels done in flash fiction pieces are being published, so maybe start playing with that idea. 

Mainly, write something every single day (that's not written for your blog or for this discussion forum). Push yourself to write a three-line haiku. Or a three-lined poem (there are magazines and journals for those). Doesn't that sound fun? To learn about a form and then give yourself permission to turn out the worst that's ever been written (like my failed haiku attempts). And at the same time you get the permission to write a fine piece you never pictured yourself writing. 

The efforts I list have pulled me out of my writing slumps many times.  Hope they help you, too.


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## Sinister

Pamelyn Casto said:


> Sinister, I think all potentially good writers are afraid to write at one time or another. They've likely read good works and realize the huge difference between their own writing and the writing of the accomplished writers. It IS easier not to write at all.  But your muse keeps nagging you . . . so listen to her. You _want_ to write.  I don't know what you'd most like to write (don't know whether you're an aspiring novelist, short story writer, poet, etc.) but what I'm saying below is helpful regardless of what genre you prefer.
> 
> Over the years I've often found it helpful to keep writing, no matter what. For instance, I have literally hundreds of undeveloped haiku and from those pieces I make use of images or phrases or ideas for other, longer work. A haiku doesn't take much time to write and it helps a ton with the creative process. Yes, they're exceedingly _difficult_ to write well, but even our failures can be good for keeping us creative (and can give us a store of images or ideas).
> 
> If you're down again then learn another form of writing and make attempts at writing it. You could explore tanka, or longer yet, haibun. You could then explore micro fiction or longer but still short-short flash fiction.  You could explore the difference between a mainstream nonfiction piece and a creative nonfiction piece. Lately novels done in flash fiction pieces are being published, so maybe start playing with that idea.
> 
> Mainly, write something every single day (that's not written for your blog or for this discussion forum). Push yourself to write a three-line haiku. Or a three-lined poem (there are magazines and journals for those). Doesn't that sound fun? To learn about a form and then give yourself permission to turn out the worst that's ever been written (like my failed haiku attempts). And at the same time you get the permission to write a fine piece you never pictured yourself writing.
> 
> The efforts I list have pulled me out of my writing slumps many times.  Hope they help you, too.


It does sound fun...and daunting.  I'm used to only writing when my brain makes me.  When I do, what I write is...I mean...  The quality compared to when I force myself to write is absurd.  If I could write like that all the time, I could make a handy sum writing.  But it only hits maybe three or four times a month.  No matter what I've tried to do beyond that has been hot garbage.  It's a matter of positive reinforcement.  I write when my brain says to write, I get a treat.  I try it on my own and I lose all confidence in my own work.

It'd be okay, but waiting until I feel the need to write leads to me wanting to start new projects with the result that nothing is ever completed.  I have about fifteen amazingly well-thought out and written beginnings to short-stories or novels...  With nothing ever truly acomplished.

-Sin


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## VRanger

Sinister said:


> It does sound fun...and daunting.  I'm used to only writing when my brain makes me.  When I do, what I write is...I mean...  The quality compared to when I force myself to write is absurd.  If I could write like that all the time, I could make a handy sum writing.  But it only hits maybe three or four times a month.  No matter what I've tried to do beyond that has been hot garbage.  It's a matter of positive reinforcement.  I write when my brain says to write, I get a treat.  I try it on my own and I lose all confidence in my own work.
> 
> It'd be okay, but waiting until I feel the need to write leads to me wanting to start new projects with the result that nothing is ever completed.  I have about fifteen amazingly well-thought out and written beginnings to short-stories or novels...  With nothing ever truly acomplished.
> 
> -Sin


Start writing a synopsis, and then a plot outline. Start with a couple of pages for your synopsis. Then go back and add all the detail you can think of. Finish the story conceptually. Your quality doesn't vary according to your desire to write, it varies according to your inspiration for ideas to continue. So make a cheat sheet to link you to that next stage of the story.


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## Sinister

Won't waste any time trying it at once.  Thank you, vranger and Pamelyn!  I'm optimistic as hell now.  I should get a new burst of inspiration in a week or two, probably.  Til then, I'll see what I can type up.  ^^

-Sin


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## Deleted member 64995

Cut 300 words, now the text is more readable.


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## VRanger

LadySilence said:


> Cut 300 words, now the text is more readable.


Very common. A lot of authors don't understand why. When you do, you're taking a giant step forward.


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## KeganThompson

Sinister said:


> It does sound fun...and daunting.  I'm used to only writing when my brain makes me.  When I do, what I write is...I mean...  The quality compared to when I force myself to write is absurd.  If I could write like that all the time, I could make a handy sum writing.  But it only hits maybe three or four times a month.  No matter what I've tried to do beyond that has been hot garbage.  It's a matter of positive reinforcement.  I write when my brain says to write, I get a treat.  I try it on my own and I lose all confidence in my own work.
> 
> It'd be okay, but waiting until I feel the need to write leads to me wanting to start new projects with the result that nothing is ever completed.  I have about fifteen amazingly well-thought out and written beginnings to short-stories or novels...  With nothing ever truly acomplished.
> 
> -Sin


I have issues with this too. I force myself to write because if I write when inspiration hits then nothing would get done. It's good to take a step back from your work but you hate what comes out when you force yourself-same here. Do you write on pen and paper? I do sometimes, it helps me relax and be sloppy and ugly with my writing. I get the main concepts down and transfer them to a doc with better wording/ structure. really helps when I'm really struggling with certain sentences/ paragraphs. Even tho you can easily backspace a doc, it's so pristine looking it almost looks final. 
If I write in a notebook, and sometimes I write and rewrite sentences until it looks less awkward before moving it to a doc. I can compare what I wrote initially in a notebook to my rewritten sentences, instead of constantly backspacing. Helps me gain perspective and it takes the pressure off. 
Idk if that helps. But maybe something to think about?


----------



## Sinister

KeganThompson said:


> I have issues with this too. I force myself to write because if I write when inspiration hits then nothing would get done. It's good to take a step back from your work but you hate what comes out when you force yourself-same here. Do you write on pen and paper? I do sometimes, it helps me relax and be sloppy and ugly with my writing. I get the main concepts down and transfer them to a doc with better wording/ structure. really helps when I'm really struggling with certain sentences/ paragraphs. Even tho you can easily backspace a doc, it's so pristine looking it almost looks final.
> If I write in a notebook, and sometimes I write and rewrite sentences until it looks less awkward before moving it to a doc. I can compare what I wrote initially in a notebook to my rewritten sentences, instead of constantly backspacing. Helps me gain perspective and it takes the pressure off.
> Idk if that helps. But maybe something to think about?


I have a pretty bad tremor in my dominant hand that only appears when writing or handing something to someone and as a result my handwriting is absolutely illegible.  But, as a consequence or despite the tremor, I have a pretty high WPM.  Something like 110, when I know what it is I'm typing.  

The only thing I've noticed that helps me form sentences and string together prose, oddly, is saying it aloud to myself like a crazy person.  Somehow, babbling and trying out words and sentences helps...especially with dialogue.  I don't care to do it, because it looks/sounds like I've gone insane.  Which is a damn silly objection, I guess, since the only things that live within...idk...5 miles of me are my two chihuahuas, labrador/alsatian mix and my cat.

-Sin


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## KeganThompson

Sinister said:


> I have a pretty bad tremor in my dominant hand that only appears when writing or handing something to someone and as a result my handwriting is absolutely illegible.  But, as a consequence or despite the tremor, I have a pretty high WPM.  Something like 110, when I know what it is I'm typing.
> 
> The only thing I've noticed that helps me form sentences and string together prose, oddly, is saying it aloud to myself like a crazy person.  Somehow, babbling and trying out words and sentences helps...especially with dialogue.  I don't care to do it, because it looks/sounds like I've gone insane.  Which is a damn silly objection, I guess, since the only things that live within...idk...5 miles of me are my two chihuahuas, labrador/alsatian mix and my cat.
> 
> -Sin


Well talking like a crazy person sounds like your version of scribbling sentences everywhere. I need to read my work out loud or at least get a program that reads my docs. But I'd feel off about saying sentences out loud too but you will get use to it and if that's what helps you, you gotta do what you gotta do .
...I don't know if u saw (lol) but..I got a Chihuahua myself   I love dogs


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## TheManx

Well, I finished writing a white paper today about hospital acquired infections. A pretty good paycheck -- so eat your heart out, "creative writers."


----------



## Sinister

KeganThompson said:


> Well talking like a crazy person sounds like your version of scribbling sentences everywhere. I need to read my work out loud or at least get a program that reads my docs. But I'd feel off about saying sentences out loud too but you will get use to it and if that's what helps you, you gotta do what you gotta do .
> ...I don't know if u saw (lol) but..I got a Chihuahua myself   I love dogs


I shouldn't mind acting crazy while writing, anyway.  I act that way almost all the time anyway.  It's a lame objection.
Also, I don't know what I would do without my dogs.  Out here, they're all that keeps me halfway sane.  They're two brothers that I got from a relative's litter.  One of them, Ozymandias, Ozzie for short, is the most precious thing.  He loves sitting outside and watching butterflies and birds.  Anything that flies he just seems to think is magical.  Won't chase them or hurt them, just loves watching the things.

We don't deserve dogs.  lol


-Sin


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## Sinister

TheManx said:


> Well, I finished writing a white paper today about hospital acquired infections. A pretty good paycheck -- so eat your heart out, "creative writers.



I've read many a paper on Nosocomial infections and the dangers of foamites in the waiting rooms and whatnot.  Even edited a paper on them for a friend.  Fascinating stuff, and more than a little scary, imho.

-Sin


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## TheManx

Sinister said:


> I've read many a paper on Nosocomial infections and the dangers of foamites in the waiting rooms and whatnot.  Even edited a paper on them for a friend.  Fascinating stuff, and more than a little scary, imho.
> 
> -Sin


Yeah? I just like the money.


----------



## indianroads

Sinister said:


> I shouldn't mind acting crazy while writing, anyway.  I act that way almost all the time anyway.  It's a lame objection.
> Also, I don't know what I would do without my dogs.  Out here, they're all that keeps me halfway sane.  They're two brothers that I got from a relative's litter.  One of them, Ozymandias, Ozzie for short, is the most precious thing.  He loves sitting outside and watching butterflies and birds.  Anything that flies he just seems to think is magical.  Won't chase them or hurt them, just loves watching the things.
> 
> We don't deserve dogs.  lol
> 
> 
> -Sin


All writers are insane... we all hear the voices of our characters, don't we?


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## Sinister

indianroads said:


> All writers are insane... we all hear the voices of our characters, don't we?


Sometimes they can be very nagging.

-Sin


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## indianroads

Sinister said:


> Sometimes they can be very nagging.
> 
> -Sin


It's troubling when they argue too... reminds me of when my kids were little.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Sinister said:


> What it feels like in my brain to try and write.  I've always found it much easier to never try to write.  I'm perpetually afraid of trying to write.  As a matter of fact, if anyone here has any successful tips on trying to write...  Then you're sitting on a gold mine.
> 
> I'm one of those miserable lots who is informed by circumstance on when it is time to write.  Now, what I write is largely left up to me...but not when.  It is bizarre.
> 
> That said, serious talk, if you have pointers, I have no pride, arrogance or ego, am a quick-learner and all-ears.
> 
> I haven't been able to write in...months.  Just blogging.
> 
> -Sin


Hilarious. 'Too much thinking, man', I think my muse let itself out. 

Maybe it's just where you are in life? 

I get the fear thing. I was told this morning that my fear is failure. Is it? (How could I fear failure if I've never succeeded?) So I will pass along the cliché advice I received: Just do it. 

I don't know if that sage counsel will be any more helpful to you than it was to me, but since then I did manage to eek out several paragraphs and spent several hours working on an outline. Well, 'yeah' on the outline, but the 'just do it' seems to need a bit more doing on my part. Definitely not sharable.


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## Sinister

Megan Pearson said:


> Hilarious. 'Too much thinking, man', I think my muse let itself out.
> 
> Maybe it's just where you are in life?
> 
> I get the fear thing. I was told this morning that my fear is failure. Is it? (How could I fear failure if I've never succeeded?) So I will pass along the cliché advice I received: Just do it.
> 
> I don't know if that sage counsel will be any more helpful to you than it was to me, but since then I did manage to eek out several paragraphs and spent several hours working on an outline. Well, 'yeah' on the outline, but the 'just do it' seems to need a bit more doing on my part. Definitely not sharable.



Yeah, I was thinking that too.  I'm not a very adventurous or daring person.  I generally take all my risks in my head.  I'm taking action on that in couple of days actually.  So that might help.  Something has to give, anyway.  I often feel that even if I did complete a manuscript I would just let it sit without sending it in.  I did that with homework when I was in school.

That whole idea that authors are their own worst critic?  Yeah...  That's a truism, in my case.

I'm not doing something that I should that's the bottom line, really.  So I figure now is the time to start doing pretty much anything and everything.

I'm thinking too much about doing something...too much thinking not enough doing...

-Sin


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## indianroads

Finished Inception chapter 24 today, and got 2500 words into chapter 25. This is the meat of the story climax.


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## Deleted member 64995

750 Words written for a Synopsis.


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## Cephus

Blah. I worked really, really hard this week to make up for the time I lost over the 4th and I did it. 33k this week alone. I also had to add another chapter to the book to cover the ending of one of the character's solo journeys. That was unexpected and will make the book still longer but I think I can still bring it home at about 130k. I swear, this thing is going to be finished by Wednesday no matter what I have to do.


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## indianroads

I finished the first draft of Inception's chapter 25 this afternoon. Just 3 more chapters to go.


Cephus said:


> Blah. I worked really, really hard this week to make up for the time I lost over the 4th and I did it. 33k this week alone. I also had to add another chapter to the book to cover the ending of one of the character's solo journeys. That was unexpected and will make the book still longer but I think I can still bring it home at about 130k. I swear, this thing is going to be finished by Wednesday no matter what I have to do.


Sounds like you're doing great work!

Currently, the WC of Inception is sitting at about 92K, and I'm on pace to hit 103 K total - which is right were I like it. My process is to write a bit long, then edit down - my final WC goal is 98K.


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## Cephus

indianroads said:


> I finished the first draft of Inception's chapter 25 this afternoon. Just 3 more chapters to go.
> 
> Sounds like you're doing great work!
> 
> Currently, the WC of Inception is sitting at about 92K, and I'm on pace to hit 103 K total - which is right were I like it. My process is to write a bit long, then edit down - my final WC goal is 98K.


I tend to write short and add in revision although I don't do that so much anymore. My normal book comes in around 115k and this is a spiritual sequel to a book that ran 124k so I guess it's close enough.


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## VRanger

Back to my mystery plotting. I realized I was missing a second noir trope ... my hero coming under suspicion for the crime he's helping investigate. So now the frame is on.


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## Ajoy

I finished the third draft revisions for chapter 24 yesterday and I'm into the third act now. We have a family visit next week and I go back to work on August 11th, so I'm hoping I can finish the draft before then. (It should happen as long as I don't get unexpectedly stuck!)


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## Taylor

I wrote 2300 words today which is a lot for me!  

I was feeling so guilty because once things started to open up post lockdown, I was too busy playing and not writing.  So I devised a formula that calculates my average words per day rate over the past 15 days and projects that rate over the balance to be written to give me a completion date.  If I write at a higher rate then the completion date is sooner, and if I write at a lower rate then I watch as the completion date gets pushed out.  Somehow this bolstered my production.  Some of you more disciplined authors are probably cringing at this...lol!  Hey...how many times have we heard it said...you gotta do what works for you.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I entered a 24-hour writing contest that started today at noon (when I got the prompt). My story's due tomorrow at noon. But other than a few tweaks, I think I have turned out a fairly decent story. A few writer friends and I have been doing this contest for over twenty years and this speed is shocking to me. I'm usually a last minute-er.  I've won a couple of honorable mentions and a door prize now and then. But some of my friends have won the top prize ($350) a couple of times. And others have won seconds and third places. I grew discouraged and haven't entered in a couple of years, but still meet with my online friends (we enjoy whining about how impossible the prompt is). This recent bout of getting my poetry manuscript to a market shows my muse actually trying to do her job! So I'm pleased.


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## KeganThompson

Nothing. I took the day off from writing lol.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I wrote 2300 words today which is a lot for me!
> 
> I was feeling so guilty because once things started to open up post lockdown, I was too busy playing and not writing.  So I devised a formula that calculates my average words per day rate over the past 15 days and projects that rate over the balance to be written to give me a completion date.  If I write at a higher rate then the completion date is sooner, and if I write at a lower rate then I watch as the completion date gets pushed out.  Somehow this bolstered my production.  Some of you more disciplined authors are probably cringing at this...lol!  Hey...how many times have we heard it said...you gotta do what works for you.


Nerd... and I mean that in the best possible way.
(I do something similar)


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## Cephus

KeganThompson said:


> Nothing. I took the day off from writing lol.



I take every weekend and holiday off. You need to recharge your batteries somehow.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished revising two chapters yesterday (about 7k total). This section is going faster, though this next chapter I'm working on needs a section added to a scene, so it's going to take a bit more time. Plus, I'm about to leave for a family camping trip for two days. Back to chapter 27 on Tuesday evening!


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## indianroads

Finished chapter 26 of Inception - only two more chapters until it's finished. The climax of the story is over a span of three chapters (25 - 27) of secret maneuvers and chase scenes - I'm drinking a lot of coffee to help me write chase scenes... fighting scenes too... I like coffee... really like coffee... yes I do, I do. Coffee good, wonderful stuff. The primordial seas where life on Earth first took hold must have been filled with coffee.

In chapter 27 MC is riding his motorcycle in SF bay area rush hour traffic (imagine a slow moving parking lot) splitting lanes like a madman - he must get to FMC (20 miles away) within a half hour or someone dies. He's being chased by federal agents in black SUVs that are shooting at him. Angry commuters open cars doors in front of him. Bullets flying. Drones tracking. News media chasing too.

On to chapter 27.
Coffee = good.

ETA:
2000 words in on Chapter 27 this afternoon. All action - this it the peak of the story line. Will the main characters live or die?


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## Deleted member 64995

Written 0. 
I spent the weekend, copying all the notes I had around the house to a PC.


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## indianroads

Finished chapter 27 of Inception today (a tale inspired by the one and only Taylor). Only one more chapter to go and the draft will be finished. It's currently sitting at 99233 words and might grow to something over 102K by the time I'm done, which should be Wednesday or so this week. I plot A LOT before starting out, and only do ONE draft - then a bunch of editing passes.

On Redemption, my cover designer is scheduled to start work next Monday - he usually only takes a few days to work his magic - and I'll publish after that.

Then I'll take a breather - my wife wants to go down and stay a couple days at Colorado's Great Sand Dunes. Should be fun - and the night skies are supposed to be fantastic. I'll try not to write while I'm there and catch up on my pleasure reading instead.


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## Pamelyn Casto

I tweaked, polished around ten poems today. Indianroads,, if you can go on vacation and not write, you're a stronger one than I am. I'd have to _at least_ be scribbling in the margins! (My treasured books have no resale value.) I'm sure I need a break but can't manage to convince myself that's exactly what I need-- a little break  from writing. From reading, too, since that's what I most like to do when I'm not writing something. This crazy pandemic has led me to stronger bad habits-- too much time separate from people, too much time writing, and too much time reading (and scribbling). I wonder if I could regenerate my interest in oil painting  . . . to have some different activity take the leading role now and then. I just love to read and write. To take a breather . . . wonder what that might feel like.:-D


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## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I tweaked, polished around ten poems today. Indianroads,, if you can go on vacation and not write, you're a stronger one than I am. I'd have to _at least_ be scribbling in the margins! (My treasured books have no resale value.) I'm sure I need a break but can't manage to convince myself that's exactly what I need-- a little break  from writing. From reading, too, since that's what I most like to do when I'm not writing something. This crazy pandemic has led me to stronger bad habits-- too much time separate from people, too much time writing, and too much reading (and scribbling). I wonder if I could regenerate my interest in oil painting  . . . to have some different activity take the leading role now and then. I just love to read and write. To take a breather . . . wonder what that might feel like.:-D


I know exactly what you mean - during the trip to the sand dunes I'll probably read AND make notes for future writing projects in my notebook.
Over the last few months I've worked on 2 books simultaneously - the first time I've ever done that. I was finishing Redemption, which will be on Amazon in a few weeks, and was plotting then writing the draft of Inception. Frankly, I'm exhausted... but in a very good way.


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## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Then I'll take a breather - my wife wants to go down and stay a couple days at Colorado's Great Sand Dunes. Should be fun - and the night skies are supposed to be fantastic. I'll try not to write while I'm there and catch up on my pleasure reading instead.


I will be interested to hear more about this experience and how as visitors you got the best view of the dunes.  It's for my chapter 41.  I've left the part when they go to the dunes loosely drafted until I get more intel.


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## Pamelyn Casto

Uh huh. I knew a writer as dedicated as you would have to write something while on your break. Uh huh. That's the problem with it, indianroads! The joy of writing, the creativity, the discoveries, the research, the problems with trying to write can exhaust, totally exhaust, but it feels as if it's exhaustion in a very good way. I wish you the exact kind of breather you most want and need.


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## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I will be interested to hear more about this experience and how as visitors you got the best view of the dunes.  It's for my chapter 41.  I've left the part when they go to the dunes loosely drafted until I get more intel.


My wife reminded me that daughter #1 plus 2 grandkids are coming in August, so there’ll be a delay... hopefully not a long one.


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## Cephus

Another one down. 129k, took 4 weeks and 2 days to complete. Tomorrow... it's back to editing a previous book. I'll be ready to start the next book on Monday, August 2nd.

A writer's job is never done.


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## Taylor

Cephus said:


> Another one down. 129k, took 4 weeks and 2 days to complete. Tomorrow... it's back to editing a previous book. I'll be ready to start the next book on Monday, August 2nd.
> 
> A writer's job is never done.


You are a marvel!  What genre do you write?


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## Cephus

Taylor said:


> You are a marvel!  What genre do you write?



Sci-fi.


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## Deleted member 64995

I had left a novel unfinished because I couldn't go on. I was not satisfied with the result. Yesterday I reread it, and I had an idea to change, setting and historical period.
Yes, it is definitely much better now, and I like it better.


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## indianroads

Yabba-dabba doo! I finished the draft of Inception!!  <Imagine Indy doing the happy dance (hint, it's not a pretty sight)>
28 chapters - I wanted the draft to hit 103K words and got it to 102,968 - which is great - and I will trim it via edits to ~ 98K or so.
Feeling AWESOME.
but...
Now I have to get everything together for my cover guy that's set to work on Redemption next week - I also want to read through that novel one more time before it goes live on Amazon.
And after that...


----------



## Megan Pearson

Unexpected success began when I forgot my computer cord this morning. Had to write with pen & paper. (My hand is out of shape!) Took 3 pages of notes for a non-fiction book idea. Came away with a better sense of who my audience will be and a very basic action plan which will require a survey and a statistical analysis to help refine the book's direction. Interestingly, came away realizing I need to read a book I'm not too happy about reading, but may really help my project. Probably won't do too much more work on this, this summer, outside of brainstorming and orienteering for the survey and finding out what's already been published on my topic, but it's sure a lot more than I planned on doing for this topic when I got up this morning!


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## indianroads

Formatted the final three novel of Extinction so there are hardcover books available - I'm getting better at the process, but it still has a bunch of wrinkles in it.
Sent off the input for the cover of Redemption to my cover designer - he's scheduled to start work on it on Monday.
Started the final read through of the Redemption text - and got through the first four chapters with only a few minor changes.


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## Deleted member 64995

Finish first chapter


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## Cephus

Finished the editing pass on my last book yesterday, came in just under 119k and I loved re-reading it. Sometime in the middle of the week, it'll go out to betas. Monday, I start planning the next book, with a start-date of August 2.


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## Ajoy

I finished my draft 3 revisions yesterday! (130K)

Then I went to the movie theater with my wife and watched a ridiculous action movie I don't remember the title of as a reward. 

Next up:
Reread last 5 chapters (they went fast and I need to double-check that I didn't miss anything!)
One more pass on chapters 1-3
Query research, blurb & synopsis

But we have family in town until next Thursday, so I'm going to spend some of the next week relaxing with the fam!


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## Taylor

Cephus said:


> ...and I loved re-reading it.


Joy to my ears!  That's the way it should be.


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## Cephus

Taylor said:


> Joy to my ears!  That's the way it should be.



If you don't like it, why would your readers?


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## indianroads

Finished the final read through of Redemption - I had a few capitalization issues and fixed them, beyond that nothing major. 

I'm very pleased with how the work turned out.


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## Deleted member 64995

3080 written words, I'm happy.



Spoiler: Happy Dance LoL


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## indianroads

First round of editing on Inception started today. Got through chapter 1, picking up the low hanging fruit.


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## Deleted member 64995

700 words °_°


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## Cephus

I hadn't planned on starting the new book until Monday but I did get through about 3500 words regardless and it's flowing nicely. If everything goes well, I expect to have this draft of the book done by the 27th.


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## Mark Twain't

800  words. The most I've written in a day for quite a while.

I've even posted it it the fiction workshop.


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## indianroads

Still waiting on the cover for Redemption.
Edited 2 more chapters of Inception today - dropped the WC by 80. The writing is unexpectedly clean... either I'm getting better or my eyes are becoming weaker... it's probably the latter.
Attended the birthday dinner for my 9 year old granddaughter.


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## Deleted member 64995

Write 300 word, cut 20 ^_^


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## Kent_Jacobs

Revised some of the first chapter of The Sixth Chamber. Nudged a little awkwardness out of some of the first few paragraphs and I always get a buzz doing that.


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## Cephus

I just crossed 10k on my first "official" day of writing, which puts me 2.5 chapters into a 30 chapter book. That's not half bad for day one.


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## Mark Twain't

1,200 wolrds tday. Most I've written in a day for quite a while. Could've been a lot more if the day job hadn't got in the way.


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## Sinister

Finished writing a LM entry for August.  So that's 650 words.  Now, I'm gonna take the remaining time to work it into a dental draft for submission.  And in my down time, I've got a short story with no title.  I'm about six paragraphs in and it's turning out to be dialogue heavy.  I feel the need to prune it.  I never like it when my work is too bloated in any one direction.  If I was Quentin Tarantino, I wouldn't worry.  But I can only rely on my dialogue to be interesting up to a point.  Have to round it off with some storytelling and some sort of action.

No blog posts this weekend.  I can afford to miss out a week's worth, I'm sure.

-Sin


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## indianroads

Mark Twain't said:


> 1,200 wolrds tday. Most I've written in a day for quite a while. Could've been a lot more if the day job hadn't got in the way.


That's great to hear.


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## indianroads

Sinister said:


> Finished writing a LM entry for August.  So that's 650 words.  Now, I'm gonna take the remaining time to work it into a dental draft for submission.  And in my down time, I've got a short story with no title.  I'm about six paragraphs in and it's turning out to be dialogue heavy.  I feel the need to prune it.  I never like it when my work is too bloated in any one direction.  If I was Quentin Tarantino, I wouldn't worry.  But I can only rely on my dialogue to be interesting up to a point.  Have to round it off with some storytelling and some sort of action.
> 
> No blog posts this weekend.  I can afford to miss out a week's worth, I'm sure.
> 
> -Sin


This is just me... but I prefer to write long and trim back. Try to keep from editing _too much_ as you write, and pick it apart in edit.


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## Sinister

indianroads said:


> This is just me... but I prefer to write long and trim back. Try to keep from editing _too much_ as you write, and pick it apart in edit.


That makes pretty good sense, really.  It feels like it would be a lot easier to trim a bigger story than to beef up a real shrimpy work.  Doing the 650 word limit LM challenge kinda brought that home to me, recently.

-Sin


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## Kent_Jacobs

Mark Twain't said:


> 1,200 wolrds tday. Most I've written in a day for quite a while. Could've been a lot more if the day job hadn't got in the way.


This is what scares me the most. It's all well and good 'practising' and going through a piece meticulously, but at some point (Feb!) the training wheels will have to come off and I'll no longer be able to 'take my time'. I could ... but it isn't going to get a novel written. I just pray it's not going to take forever to ween myself off the editor.


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## Deleted member 64995

600 word, I'm happy


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## Mark Twain't

After another 1,000 words yesterday, 1,200 more today and still going. Completed the rewrite of the chapter which follows the one I posted in the fiction workshop the other day.


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## Taylor

Not sure if this is a share the Joy, or more of a share some relief.  I have five chapters to wrap up my novel, but I got really stuck.  I just kept staring at the outline, not knowing how to proceed.  Part of the problem is there is a significant time jump, due to the story being based on a real-life event, and I wanted to be true to the date. 

I like to push myself not to 'tell' too much, but to write the story in action and dialogue.  However, it became harder due to working around the above.  I've decided just to tell if I need to for now just so I can move forward, and then go back and re-write sections if I come up with a clever idea.  I am writing again...whew!  That's my joy.


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## KeganThompson

I started the LM challenge today. Never entered before and never judged, but looks like I will be doing both this month  
Since I am judging, I wont have the added pressure of a score at least


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## Mark Twain't

Ok, time for bed but rather pleased with my 2,600 word day.


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## KeganThompson

Mark Twain't said:


> Ok, time for bed but rather pleased with my 2,600 word day.


Dang what time is it where you're at? It's not even 5:30 where I live lol 
And congrats! That's a good word count. I doubt i've ever written that many in a day.
~Goodnight


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## indianroads

Busy couple of days.
Edited Inception yesterday - and received the cover for Redemption.
Today I started the process to go live on Amazon with Redemption and updated the html code for my website. I'll wait for the book (kindle, paperback, and hardcover) to be life on Amazon before transferring the html to my web provider.


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## Mark Twain't

KeganThompson said:


> Dang what time is it where you're at? It's not even 5:30 where I live lol
> And congrats! That's a good word count. I doubt i've ever written that many in a day.
> ~Goodnight


I'm in the UK and it was just after 10pm when I posted.

Good Morning.


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## Joker

Cephus said:


> I just crossed 10k on my first "official" day of writing, which puts me 2.5 chapters into a 30 chapter book. That's not half bad for day one.



I managed 200 today :/


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## indianroads

Spent most of the day mowing and cutting down weeds on our property. Daughter #1 and her two kids are coming on Sunday, so I want the place to look nice - I only get to see her once a year due to covid travel restrictions.

My cover guy sent me a really nice artwork for my paperback option for Redemption, and it linked and passed Amazon's inspections. So, the Kindle and paperback options are there - hardback remains a problem, the Amazon option is still in beta so it's quirky and throws a lot of errors that shouldn't be errors. I have another hardback version in the queue... hopefully that will work out. Once that's done I'll link it to my author page and Redemption should be live and for sale.

On Inception, I only got through the edits for chapter 11 today - it's going well.


----------



## LCLee

Taylor said:


> It is based on real life events of a crime, something like building a fictional story around an actual war.  The facts and timelines need to be authentic.  But then, trying to weave in the fictional part, it all has to work believably with the reality.



I am having trouble with the time line on a historical fiction piece. I had to move my opening—20,000 words—back nine chapters. Now I that I have rewritten the opening chapters, I only have three chapters to go—to tie in with the original opening. I guess you should start every chapter that way.


----------



## Cephus

Joker said:


> I managed 200 today :/



Everyone starts somewhere. I'm currently just under 30k for the week. 5 years ago, I was writing 2k a day. Keep at it.


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## indianroads

Redemption, my eighth book (can you believe that?) was released on Amazon this morning - there's a link to it in the Member's Published Books forum. These events remind me of when my kids moved out of our house and started their own lives - it's a weird sort of nervous excitement... and coincidentally it takes me on average 9 months to complete a book... funny how that works out.

The seed for Redemption was planted during a discussion with a friend about the nature of good and evil, and whether pure evil or pure good exists. I don’t believe they do. In life and writing, a villain or antagonist is simply a person or character that opposes your goals or the objective of the protagonist. In short, everyone is the hero of their own story.

In real life, people do some pretty awful things. Some are sociopaths and have messed up wiring in their heads, they are the exception. The rest bring harm to others due to selfishness or as a result of past trauma; can these people be redeemed? I believe they can, but the impetus to right the wrong and fix themselves must come from within rather than imposed from without.

My novel, Redemption is about two awful people on opposing sides in a war, that struggle to rise above themselves to become better.


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## Cephus

Not bad. Hit 132 pages for the week, 36,385 words. That's actually impressive for a first week, even though I cheated a little. Normally, I only get about 25-27k in the first week and ramp up from there but I'm happy.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> Not bad. Hit 132 pages for the week, 36,385 words. That's actually impressive for a first week, even though I cheated a little. Normally, I only get about 25-27k in the first week and ramp up from there but I'm happy.


Dude... you're a rock star.


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## Cephus

indianroads said:


> Dude... you're a rock star.


Hardly. I'm positively slow compared to people who have already got a million words in for the year.


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## indianroads

Cephus said:


> Hardly. I'm positively slow compared to people who have already got a million words in for the year.


Yeah... but are they good words?


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## Taylor

Using all my writing brain cells to work on a first draft of the _Budgeting and Planning Application Virtual Participant Manual_ for the Ministry of Finance, I managed to get the outline drafted earlier today.   

Then, I still managed to squeak out 350 words on the Novel.  I'm happy with that!


----------



## Taylor

Cephus said:


> Hardly. I'm positively slow compared to people who have already got a million words in for the year.


Who are these people?


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Yeah... but are they good words?


I was "privileged" to be sent a manuscript to review comprised of ten novels in a series ... 100K words each. A million words. The lady thought she had created a brilliant new form ... 100% dialogue. It wasn't quite unreadable, but it was the next-door neighbor to unreadable. A million words of effort wasted. It's a shame no one told her after, say, 50K words. I thought she had story creativity and could have written something worth reading if she hadn't been fixated on her invention. As it is, I don't think she ever wrote anything else after that failure.


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> Yeah... but are they good words?



They're published and selling words.


----------



## Taylor

600 words today and only 4 1/2 chapters left to land the plane.  I'm not quite ready to prepare the landing gear...but it's starting to feel really close.


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## indianroads

Got through chapter 15 of Inception's first editing pass. I've only dropped about 450 words out of it so far - the writing is fairly tight, and my plot hole tracking system is working kinda-sorta well. 

#1 daughter + two grandkids are flying in from California tomorrow, so my editing will slow down for several days.


----------



## Sinister

934 words and counting.  I'm on a roll.  3,500 into this WIP.  It's about this time when not having a set title starts to really peeve me.  I know it's superficial, but somehow the title is almost like having a flag to serve under.  Not having one, the work just...It doesn't feel official.  I'm tempted to stop writing until I have this sorted out.  It's a dumb method, I know.

-Sin


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## Cephus

Sinister said:


> 934 words and counting.  I'm on a roll.  3,500 into this WIP.  It's about this time when not having a set title starts to really peeve me.  I know it's superficial, but somehow the title is almost like having a flag to serve under.  Not having one, the work just...It doesn't feel official.  I'm tempted to stop writing until I have this sorted out.  It's a dumb method, I know.
> 
> -Sin


Yeah, that bugs me too. Normally, I have a title long before I get to the book but there was a time, back in 2019, when I was on the second book by the time I came up with a series title and my cover artist was bugging me because he didn't know what to put on the cover.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Sinister said:


> 934 words and counting.  I'm on a roll.  3,500 into this WIP.  It's about this time when not having a set title starts to really peeve me.  I know it's superficial, but somehow the title is almost like having a flag to serve under.  Not having one, the work just...It doesn't feel official.  I'm tempted to stop writing until I have this sorted out.  It's a dumb method, I know.
> 
> -Sin





Cephus said:


> Yeah, that bugs me too. Normally, I have a title long before I get to the book but there was a time, back in 2019, when I was on the second book by the time I came up with a series title and my cover artist was bugging me because he didn't know what to put on the cover.


I currently have 5 pieces of work and every one of them has a working title. I won't decide on anything final until the end but I have to have something in place from the start.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I can't really say that this is a 'today' thing, but has rather occurred in the last week. I've gotten back into writing my long-term,
four part mini-series that has stalled every so often. Luckily, I've given myself a deadline of December 31st to complete the
whole thing, and am now in the second part hashing out plot devices and whatnot.

The main trilogy will flow nicely, it's the fourth part (on it's own) that will deal with the aftermath which has given me a level
of trepidation of sorts.

-JJB


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Word Write 
Yesterday 1820
Today 2250


----------



## Cephus

Mark Twain't said:


> I currently have 5 pieces of work and every one of them has a working title. I won't decide on anything final until the end but I have to have something in place from the start.


I've had working titles like "that alien invasion story" and that's not all that helpful.


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## Mark Twain't

Cephus said:


> I've had working titles like "that alien invasion story" and that's not all that helpful.


Well all my working titles could turn into published ones so I guess a little creativity there helps.


----------



## Sinister

Well, I have a "working" title, sort of.  But I hate it and I know that I'm not keeping it.  The thing is, the working title not only reflects what I hope to convey with the story, but in its own way _inspired_ the story, itself.  In all ways, the working title is perfect.  I just hate it.  I hate the way it sounds, looks...  "Internecine".  It's awful and I'm shopping for something way more attractive.  And this has become such an issue, that it's distracting from writing on the work itself.  

-Sin


----------



## Cephus

Mark Twain't said:


> Well all my working titles could turn into published ones so I guess a little creativity there helps.


When you know the next 40 books that you're  going to be writing, they can't all be winners.


----------



## Taylor

So much joy today!  I had left chapter 42 unfinished because it needed a big reveal at the end and a cliffhanger.  I couldn't at the time come up with anything l liked enough to write, so I left it earmarked for completion.   After having fun all morning on WF -- I suddenly became inspired.    So I wrote it.   550 words and oh....such glorious words!!  It is better than I imagined.  I'll sleep well tonight.  Thanks, WF friends.


----------



## Ajoy

Well, I've barely been on the forum over the last nine days or so because I had a surprise 4th draft. I think deep down, I knew it was coming, but I had a pacing issue in the 30K leading up to the climax and I needed to do a continuity check on my MC. It was intense, but I feel as ready as I can be to start that next step.

That said, I'm taking the next month off of writing because I go back to work on Wednesday, and I'll be busy busy with that! When I come back to writing after the month off, I'm going to start working on my query letter and agent research! 

Though I won't be working on writing projects for the next month, I'm still hoping to find some forum time despite what I know to be true (which is that I basically live in my classroom for the first month of school).    

Thanks for being such a great community!


----------



## Mark Twain't

A complete rewrite of the D-Day scene from the 'Opening Scene" thread I posted soon after I joined.


----------



## Joker

Cephus said:


> Not bad. Hit 132 pages for the week, 36,385 words. That's actually impressive for a first week, even though I cheated a little. Normally, I only get about 25-27k in the first week and ramp up from there but I'm happy.



This is what we young folk call a "certified bruh moment".

For the record, I've managed ~400 words a day lately.


----------



## Mark Twain't

2 more chapters rewritten, 4,120 words.


----------



## Cephus

Joker said:


> This is what we young folk call a "certified bruh moment".
> 
> For the record, I've managed ~400 words a day lately.


It's better than nothing, right?


----------



## Deleted member 64995

500 Word


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Even today 500 words.


----------



## Joker

LadySilence said:


> Even today 500 words.



That's almost exactly what I did today.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I found my routine 500 words a day.
Never less.

582 Words Today


----------



## Joker

LadySilence said:


> I found my routine 500 words a day.
> Never less.
> 
> 582 Words Today



I'm with you, albeit a bit shorter. I wrote ~450 again this morning and my brain was burnt.


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## Sinister

1000 words.  I have no explanation for what happened.  I was sick as a dog all day today and yesterday.  I'm not better, per se, but I went outside and wrote 1000 words on my WIP.  It's 6,143 words strong at this point.  I am maybe one more thousand words from finishing the whole thing.  After that...the editing...the revisions.  I haven't come this close to completing a project in a long long time.  The only question I have right now is the question I bet all writers ask themselves.

Am I going to stick the landing?  I don't have an exact end mapped out, only a rough idea.  But coincidences, guesses and longshots have worked out like magic so far.  It's actually a little creepy how well I've been doing.  It feels almost like I needed to write this.  That's a cool feeling, but a scary one.  Still no title, but I'm leaning close to one and it's slowly winning me over.

-Sin


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## Cephus

I crossed 70k today and topped 6k/day four out of five days, which is pretty good for the second week. Usually, by the time I hit the third or fourth week, I'm knocking through 7k days regularly but I have to build up to it.


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## Deleted member 64995

628 Word Yesterday


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## indianroads

Finished the first full edit of Inception.
Dropped the WC by 1210.
Eliminated a few plot holes.
In general, the story is in surprisingly good shape. I'll take a week or so off and will hit it again with fresh eyes.
Hopefully the weather and the fires were having in Colorado will abate and I'll have a chance to get some riding in.


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## Taylor

Met my writing goal of 1000 words today.  Sweet!


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## WasatchWind

Well, I finished a chapter the other day for the first time in a few months - I'm not sure though really where to go from here.


----------



## indianroads

WasatchWind said:


> Well, I finished a chapter the other day for the first time in a few months - I'm not sure though really where to go from here.


I take it that you're a pantser (write by the seat of your pants) then.


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## Sinister

indianroads said:


> I take it that you're a pantser (write by the seat of your pants) then.


Omg, is that what that's called?  My current WIP is my first experience with that.  In this instance, it's working really well for me.  I can't believe that that will always be the case, though.

On-topic:  I added 400 words.  My progress is slowing down now that I'm getting closer to finishing.

-Sin


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## WasatchWind

indianroads said:


> I take it that you're a pantser (write by the seat of your pants) then.


Well I haven't had the best of times trying to plan it out. I'm not sure exactly where to start with planning my plot out.


----------



## indianroads

WasatchWind said:


> Well I haven't had the best of times trying to plan it out. I'm not sure exactly where to start with planning my plot out.


We all evolve and find our own way.


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## Deleted member 64995

Yesterday:
my 549 Word at Day


----------



## VRanger

WasatchWind said:


> Well I haven't had the best of times trying to plan it out. I'm not sure exactly where to start with planning my plot out.


Write the next thing that sounds fun and interesting. If you know your characters, that knowledge can lead you. When you get stuck big time, you'll have learned enough about the plot direction to write a synopsis of the rest. That's what I did for the opening 12 chapters of my first novel ... the last 8 got plotted. If you read it and pay close attention, you'll notice there are a couple of things early in the novel that sort of get lost before the end of the story. {Shhhhhhhhhhh! That's a secret between you and me.}


----------



## indianroads

Well, with the first edit of Inception complete, I decided to take a motorcycle ride today. It's monsoon season here, so I was dodging thunderstorms, but it was a good day.
Of course, while riding my next project played in my mind... and actually kinda came together... and may the gods help me and my potential readers - it turned out to be a sorta-kinda romance. This was a project where I wanted to write a story that ran forward and backward at the same time.
The MMC is dying from a brain aneurysm - circle of willis in the brain so it's not operable. His marriage has fallen apart, and he first wants to visit his only child (daughter). In talking with her he decides to return to his family home - on the other side of the country, and takes off on his motorcycle. He meets people on the way, a woman in particular, and she agrees to go with him (she's going home too).
As he moves forward across the country his life is recounted in memories running backward as he rides.
And yes - it's been done before, but I hope to make it fresh.
I came home, opened excel and laid out the route he will ride, and have bullet points of what's seen along the way and of meeting the woman, I also have a set of bullet points for his backward memories. The story has a nice twist at the end.


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## Sinister

My WIP just got corrupted.  I managed to recover it, I think.  My heart was in my throat.  Does anyone have any clue why this happens?  I saved and exited from the program like normal.  My patience for this sort of unexplained crap is very thin.  I don't need these kind of scares.  I like good old fashioned "You screwed up, you know what you did, this is the results."  Ugh...  Feel sick to my stomach now.

I was going to write.  Now, I can't even think.

-Sin


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## VRanger

Sinister said:


> My WIP just got corrupted.  I managed to recover it, I think.  My heart was in my throat.  Does anyone have any clue why this happens?  I saved and exited from the program like normal.  My patience for this sort of unexplained crap is very thin.  I don't need these kind of scares.  I like good old fashioned "You screwed up, you know what you did, this is the results."  Ugh...  Feel sick to my stomach now.
> 
> I was going to write.  Now, I can't even think.
> 
> -Sin


What software are you using? Regardless, look into ViceVersa backup software, and enable the archiving feature. You can then get back to any version of your document no matter what the app is.


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## Sinister

vranger said:


> What software are you using? Regardless, look into ViceVersa backup software, and enable the archiving feature. You can then get back to any version of your document no matter what the app is.



I'm using LibreOffice.  It's a free software suite adapted from older versions of Word.  I haven't heard of ViceVersa, but I can't take this sort of thing lying down.  That's all I need, to pour weeks of work into something for it to be unrecoverable.  I'll get it.  I feel like I've been threatened by a Mafioso.  "That's a nice story you got there.  Shame if something bad happened to it."

I'm having none of that.

-Sin


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## Cephus

Sinister said:


> My WIP just got corrupted.  I managed to recover it, I think.  My heart was in my throat.  Does anyone have any clue why this happens?  I saved and exited from the program like normal.  My patience for this sort of unexplained crap is very thin.  I don't need these kind of scares.  I like good old fashioned "You screwed up, you know what you did, this is the results."  Ugh...  Feel sick to my stomach now.
> 
> I was going to write.  Now, I can't even think.
> 
> -Sin


Never, ever, ever have just one copy of anything. Ever.


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## Sinister

Cephus said:


> Never, ever, ever have just one copy of anything. Ever.


I'm definitely coming round to that conclusion.  Never considered it, but now I can't think of anything worse that could happen to a writer.  

-Sin


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## indianroads

I’m rather paranoid, and daily back my work up on 3 flash drives, 2 in my office and one I carry with me... and weekly I throw my work into a zip file and email it to myself.
In retrospect I should’ve capitalized PARANOID.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Sinister said:


> I'm using LibreOffice.  It's a free software suite adapted from older versions of Word.  I haven't heard of ViceVersa, but I can't take this sort of thing lying down.  That's all I need, to pour weeks of work into something for it to be unrecoverable.  I'll get it.  I feel like I've been threatened by a Mafioso.  "That's a nice story you got there.  Shame if something bad happened to it."
> 
> I'm having none of that.
> 
> -Sin


I'm using Scrivener. It's not free but it's not expensive either. I have it set to autosave regularly and every time it saves, it sends a copy to Dropbox.


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## bdcharles

Woohoo! Finally had my novel accepted by Booksirens for advance reader copies ... that was a damn faff-and-a-half ...


----------



## bdcharles

Sinister said:


> My WIP just got corrupted.  I managed to recover it, I think.  My heart was in my throat.  Does anyone have any clue why this happens?  I saved and exited from the program like normal.  My patience for this sort of unexplained crap is very thin.  I don't need these kind of scares.  I like good old fashioned "You screwed up, you know what you did, this is the results."  Ugh...  Feel sick to my stomach now.
> 
> I was going to write.  Now, I can't even think.
> 
> -Sin


I've had this a couple of times. It ~seems~ to me mostly when I have saved onto an external drive, but that drive is still 'available' in some way (file open, directory open) and my PC crashes. I'm sure also that I've caused it by saving and exiting, but before the file is properly 'saved' (check the little status thing at the top of MS Word). It's a horrible feeling. I even got this guy that used to do IT for the military or something to try and restore it, but it was well and truly fuggered. Fortunately the most time I lost was 3 weeks. Nothing for it - just has to rewrite. And back up a lot.


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## Cephus

indianroads said:


> I’m rather paranoid, and daily back my work up on 3 flash drives, 2 in my office and one I carry with me... and weekly I throw my work into a zip file and email it to myself.
> In retrospect I should’ve capitalized PARANOID.



Mine is on a main drive, immediately uploaded to the cloud, daily backups every night and to a secondary drive that resides in a fireproof safe. Nothing is ever getting lost.


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## Deleted member 64995

Preface, Cut, changed, fixed:
113 Words

Introduction
cut, arranged, written:
408 words

520 words were written yesterday


----------



## Taylor

Very productive day!  Started with yoga, then came home and wrote 650 words on the Novel.   Then, four hours drafting my Facilitator Guide for my consulting practice.

Got grounded...made progress on the novel...made some money.


----------



## Joker

350 today. Meh. The words are coming, but much slower than I hoped.


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## Taylor

Joker said:


> 350 today. Meh. The words are coming, but much slower than I hoped.


But you made progress...that's excellent!


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> 350 today. Meh. The words are coming, but much slower than I hoped.


This one is tough. We click Like because you reported progress, and we want to support you. But then you weren't thrilled with the progress, so what does our Like say about that? That much longer before you get finished and provide competition?  LOL All progress in writing is good. It's not a race.


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## indianroads

Martial art practice in the morning.
Afternoon doing research on brain aneurysms, and working on world building, and character development including the backstory of characters that will be kept mostly hidden until the final chapter.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> 350 today. Meh. The words are coming, but much slower than I hoped.


Any step forward is progress, and that = good.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Sinister said:


> My WIP just got corrupted.  I managed to recover it, I think.  My heart was in my throat.  Does anyone have any clue why this happens?


Mice? Brownies? Full moon? (Why does anything happen?) Sorry that's not more helpful--I only graduated to writing on a computer after experiencing how long it takes to type up a 95,000-word manuscript.

I feel for you! I have been having my own computer issue, some sort of system glitch, but have been so busy traveling out of state I haven't had it looked into. When I asked my computer guru about it, he just shrugged and said maybe it was a fluke & would go away. 

That was May or June & it hasn't gone away. I seriously need to take it in for some TLC.


----------



## Megan Pearson

I have been experiencing the violent rise and fall and rebirth of a nonfiction book idea I've been nursing along this past month.

But the drama began Sunday, when I began brainstorming on paper my vision for this book. I happily came away with some five or six hand-written pages of notes and research to-do's.
Last night, I was told I wasn't qualified to write this book. 
What a miserable day.
Then today, I told so&so that had I my notes (as they were home & I was not), I would have thrown my notes in the trash. (Temper tantrum? Seemed to be the only response I could think of at the time.) So&so clarified some points, saying that after we talked so&so realized what I was writing was not what they thought I was writing. (_Grrr_ is too mild. Why do people always jump to conclusions and not ask questions first???)

So rises the phoenix, dusty and dingy, wings clipped and beak seared, for my heart is not in it anymore. I really wish I weren't so open about sharing what I'm doing before I've done it. So, since this thread is about success, my success in this is that this book idea has survived its first major criticism.

(Somehow it's empowering to see this in words.)


----------



## bdcharles

Megan Pearson said:


> I have been experiencing the violent rise and fall and rebirth of a nonfiction book idea I've been nursing along this past month.
> 
> Last night, I was told I wasn't qualified to write this book.
> 
> So rises the phoenix, dusty and dingy, wings clipped and beak seared, for my heart is not in it anymore. I really wish I weren't so open about sharing what I'm doing before I've done it. So, since this thread is about success, my success in this is that this book idea has survived its first major criticism.



Well, you _have _to share what the book's about now


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## Deleted member 64995

Introduction. written words
611

Tale short, self-contained
300 written words


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## indianroads

ZERO actual writing done, but I took a ride with the wife through the mountains to a hippy town above Boulder called Nederland. She was born in the Netherlands, so she kinda chuckles at a Netherlands +8000 ft above sea level in the mountains (the joke is that most of the European Netherlands is below sea level).

Anyway, while riding I had time to think through the plot of my next story beyond Inception (which already went through it's first full edit) - to another story I'm roughing out titled (for now) The Last Ride. Oddly, it's kind of a romance... told from the POV of a dying man. All my stories include some sort of relationship, but this novel will have it be closer to the front and center - not quite all the way though, but pretty close. So, while I was riding, I thought of a way to add tightness to the twist at the end. I think it will make the story better, but will have to poke it with a mental stick over the next few days so see if it's alive and well... and will actually work.

ETA: OH - I received the hard copy of Redemption today - looks good I think.


----------



## Sinister

500 words closer.  I'm so close, why do words trickle out like cold honey when you're SO CLOSE.  If I finish this short story, it will be a major personal victory.  But I feel like I'm having to fight for every single sentence and it feels, for the first time in this story, that I'm making stuff up.  I don't even care.  I have the end plotted.  I KNOW what happens, but its just not translating into words.

/griping

-Sin


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## PiP

I should be sharing the joy  I had crafted my last contribution to the summertime collab challenge, However, I was unexpectedly called away from the iPad for several hours  and forgot to save my work before I left . _pulls sad face_ I lost several hours work to cyberspace Heaven. Gutted. Feel like deflated balloon. Lol
Respect to anyone who can concentrate  when they have young children constantly interrupting them.


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## Mark Twain't

4,783 words, the most I've ever done in a day and that was on top of the day job!


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## VRanger

PiP said:


> I should be sharing the joy  I had crafted my last contribution to the summertime collab challenge, However, I was unexpectedly called away from the iPad for several hours  and forgot to save my work before I left . _pulls sad face_ I lost several hours work to cyberspace Heaven. Gutted. Feel like deflated balloon. Lol
> Respect to anyone who can concentrate  when they have young children constantly interrupting them.


The few times I've had that happen, I generally felt like I did a better job on the second time around. So at least there's that. ;-)


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> I should be sharing the joy  I had crafted my last contribution to the summertime collab challenge, However, I was unexpectedly called away from the iPad for several hours  and forgot to save my work before I left . _pulls sad face_ I lost several hours work to cyberspace Heaven. Gutted. Feel like deflated balloon. Lol
> Respect to anyone who can concentrate  when they have young children constantly interrupting them.


Usually, when you re-write it comes out better!  

Have you considered setting up your computer so it is automatically saved to the cloud?   IPad I think has one. There are a number of other applications you can use.  The most common is Google docs.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> I should be sharing the joy  I had crafted my last contribution to the summertime collab challenge, However, I was unexpectedly called away from the iPad for several hours  and forgot to save my work before I left . _pulls sad face_ I lost several hours work to cyberspace Heaven. Gutted. Feel like deflated balloon. Lol
> Respect to anyone who can concentrate  when they have young children constantly interrupting them.


On the plus side - I'll wager you'll remember to save your work before leaving it from now on.

At some time or the other, we've ALL done that or something similar.


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## Deleted member 64995

Cut off a useless part
words cut 200

Written
575


----------



## Megan Pearson

bdcharles said:


> Well, you _have _to share what the book's about now


Arrghhh!!! I had this beautiful reply, stepped away for dinner when the laptop went to sleep, and when it did that it disconnected from the internet, and when I logged back in I lost the whole thing. .... Grrr. 

The super-short re-write is, it's a nonfiction Introduction to Teaching Sunday School manual. It's for the small church that lacks resources and staffing but relies on volunteers. The problem is that volunteers have little in the way of training. Thus doing their own Bible Study and turning that into a Sunday School lesson is quite beyond them, so because the small church typically can't afford the nice, commercial lesson packages, the volunteers are left scratching their heads over the free materials they glean from the internet. So this manual is meant to shore up knowledge about basic Christian doctrine, Bible Study methods, curriculum writing and evaluation tips, teaching method suggestions, and include further resources on Awanas programs, Vacation Bible School programs, and other things that might interest the new and baffled volunteer who is suddenly left in charge of, well, everything. (Been there, done that!)


The exact criticism was: "_but you can't teach!_" Well, no, I may not have a degree in education but I have taught Sunday School, Dressage & horsemanship for many years, and just this past spring I _almost_ applied for a job teaching in my field of study at our local college. The whole issue seems to be one of content vs. method. So I brought up that the PhD students I met at one of the residencies I went to were _very_ interested in my teaching methods and encouraged me to write a book on it. (Well, in the argument it didn't sound like bragging, but here it sure does, doesn't it!) So I guess this is that book. You see, when I was a youth I attended an experimental school that has since received some notice in the professional education journals--it was a modern version of the one-room school. I took what I remembered our head instructor doing and applied it to teaching ages 3-23, and that's the unique perspective I wish to include in this book.

So, this is a book on teaching by someone who can't teach.

Yup. Badge of honor.


----------



## Taylor

Megan Pearson said:


> The exact criticism was: "_but you can't teach!_" Well, no, I may not have a degree in education but I have taught Sunday School, Dressage & horsemanship for many years, and just this past spring I _almost_ applied for a job teaching in my field of study at our local college. The whole issue seems to be one of content vs. method. So I brought up that the PhD students I met at one of the residencies I went to were _very_ interested in my teaching methods and encouraged me to write a book on it. (Well, in the argument it didn't sound like bragging, but here it sure does, doesn't it!)


No, it doesn't.  It sounds like you have a great idea!  


Megan Pearson said:


> So I guess this is that book. You see, when I was a youth I attended an experimental school that has since received some notice in the professional education journals--it was a modern version of the one-room school. I took what I remembered our head instructor doing and applied it to teaching ages 3-23, and that's the unique perspective I wish to include in this book.
> 
> So, this is a book on teaching by someone who can't teach.


Well clearly you CAN teach.


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## Joker

Just short of 500 words.

It's a thing.


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## JBF

Not so much a success in word count, but I figured out a late-story plot point that's been bugging me for some time.


----------



## Sinister

I just wrote 2,518 words.  My story is now finished.  I'm done.  That is the most I have written in a single sitting in a long long time and the first story I have written to completion in almost 4 years.

It totaled to 7,404 words.  I don't even know what to do.  I feel completely exhausted.  I'm going to smoke my pipe outside for a bit.  Go inside, fix something simple to eat, get a drink and play some sort of video game, I think.  At least until I fall asleep.  This has been unusually draining.  I don't even know what I think of the story as it is now, but the thing is finally done.

In a day or two, I'll take a look at it.  Then start to edit and revise.  Maybe, if I can chop it up into decent chunks, I might workshop it on here, if I figure out how to do that.  At some point, the stupid thing might even have a permanent title.

Ladies and Gentlemen, goodnight.

-Sin


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## Deleted member 64995

Written
433 words, which added to the others, become
2123 of preface.
Writing, however, I did not like what was coming out, so I changed something, and from a preface it became the final epilogue.
Now I'm satisfied, it helped me so much to clarify my ideas.

770 words of the first chapter.


----------



## indianroads

Sinister said:


> I just wrote 2,518 words.  My story is now finished.  I'm done.  That is the most I have written in a single sitting in a long long time and the first story I have written to completion in almost 4 years.
> 
> It totaled to 7,404 words.  I don't even know what to do.  I feel completely exhausted.  I'm going to smoke my pipe outside for a bit.  Go inside, fix something simple to eat, get a drink and play some sort of video game, I think.  At least until I fall asleep.  This has been unusually draining.  I don't even know what I think of the story as it is now, but the thing is finally done.
> 
> In a day or two, I'll take a look at it.  Then start to edit and revise.  Maybe, if I can chop it up into decent chunks, I might workshop it on here, if I figure out how to do that.  At some point, the stupid thing might even have a permanent title.
> 
> Ladies and Gentlemen, goodnight.
> 
> -Sin


The creative process is often exhausting for me as well. 
I write most every day for 4 to 8 hours, and I'm wrung out afterward. I usually wander downstairs and lay on the sofa while my wife watches TV - she has a liking for what I call _Murder TV_ (true crime shows) which I find vaguely disturbing, but I guess it's ok... as long as she isn't taking notes.
Beyond mindlessly watching the shows, reading actually helps recharge my writing batteries.

Still - yes, creating art is tiring, but bringing our stories into the world is a gift not just to others, but more to ourselves.


----------



## VRanger

I've gotten nothing done on my mystery plot for the last few days (very little the last few weeks LOL), but this week PiP and I did move along our collaboration, and last night I wrote 1000 words on a new project I have a partner in. I can't up and give details without my partner and I discussing if we want to do that yet, but it should be fun.

Back to the mystery plot, I've been branching out over the summer to read different types of mysteries in hopes of settling myself firmly into the genre and the technique. I'm reading the first Sue Grafton right now. She's a good writer (duh, 26 more books published than most of us!), but she's not exactly my bag, or what will ever happen with my writing style, either. To do her style you need to be an architect, interior designer, wardrobe expert, landscaper, and makeup artist. I'll never go very close to any of that.


----------



## Sinister

indianroads said:


> The creative process is often exhausting for me as well.
> I write most every day for 4 to 8 hours, and I'm wrung out afterward. I usually wander downstairs and lay on the sofa while my wife watches TV - she has a liking for what I call _Murder TV_ (true crime shows) which I find vaguely disturbing, but I guess it's ok... as long as she isn't taking notes.
> Beyond mindlessly watching the shows, reading actually helps recharge my writing batteries.
> 
> Still - yes, creating art is tiring, but bringing our stories into the world is a gift not just to others, but more to ourselves.


I have to confess, I probably watch some of the same shows.  I'm a big fan of Forensic Files.  But I have a weakness for murder mysteries and whodunnits.  Always wanted to write a couple books in that genre.  lol

But, yes, I was surprised how exhausting this all was.  I have finished several short stories before, but this is probably the most invested I've been in writing for a while.  I've also never written something so quickly.  I'm more used to taking my time.  Don't know why this one was different.  It was pretty cathartic, though.  Now if I could just make a habit of it.

-Sin


----------



## indianroads

Sinister said:


> I have to confess, I probably watch some of the same shows.  I'm a big fan of Forensic Files.  But I have a weakness for murder mysteries and whodunnits.  Always wanted to write a couple books in that genre.  lol
> 
> But, yes, I was surprised how exhausting this all was.  I have finished several short stories before, but this is probably the most invested I've been in writing for a while.  I've also never written something so quickly.  I'm more used to taking my time.  Don't know why this one was different.  It was pretty cathartic, though.  Now if I could just make a habit of it.
> 
> -Sin


Some stories demand to be told and we are forced to comply. The novel I'm working on now has been in my head for years - it's daunting and right now I'm questioning my ability to write it coherently.


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> The creative process is often exhausting for me as well.
> I write most every day for 4 to 8 hours, and I'm wrung out afterward.


I never feel that way. I just wrote 6400 words today and I could write another 6400 when I got home. Once I get in the zone, it's hard to get my brain to stop producing prose. I will get up and my brain is still writing and it takes me time to turn it off.


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## indianroads

Rough outline if the first three chapters of Last Ride is kinda sorta done.


----------



## PiP

Taylor said:


> Usually, when you re-write it comes out better!
> 
> Have you considered setting up your computer so it is automatically saved to the cloud?   IPad I think has one. There are a number of other applications you can use.  The most common is Google docs.


Unfortunately, I typed directly into the collab conversation and not into a document. I won't be doing that again. I am not sure if it came out better but I do remember the darling sentence which took me an hour to write is no more ...  

For those who have not tried the collab challenge I can highly recommend it.


----------



## VRanger

PiP gave me the OK to share this. We've decided to expand the work we've done in the Collaboration Challenge into a novel. I wrote another 1000 words on it last night. I'm not in production mode yet, just playing around with establishing my main character. PiP will soon start with hers. I've got the male lead, and she's got the female lead. Yes, my wife gave me wide eyes when I revealed I was partnering to write a Romance. LOL Here's the secret. Romance is just science fiction without the spaceships. Fantasy without dragons. As I've expressed elsewhere, IMO all good fiction is based on interesting characters and their interesting story. As long as I resist temptation to have them stumble through a wormhole or a time portal in one of my chapters, I think I'll manage.


----------



## Megan Pearson

indianroads said:


> Some stories demand to be told and we are forced to comply. The novel I'm working on now has been in my head for years - it's daunting and right now I'm questioning my ability to write it coherently.


Sometimes the greatest things we do are also the most challenging. 

You can do this.


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## PiP

vranger said:


> PiP gave me the OK to share this. We've decided to expand the work we've done in the Collaboration Challenge into a novel. I wrote another 1000 words on it last night. I'm not in production mode yet, just playing around with establishing my main character. PiP will soon start with hers. I've got the male lead, and she's got the female lead. Yes, my wife gave me wide eyes when I revealed I was partnering to write a Romance. LOL


At least it overcomes the issue of a man trying to 'think' and write like a woman and vice versa. Lol

I am really looking forward to the challenge


----------



## bdcharles

Got my first reviewer going today. Well, the first that's provided any feedback, which is more than for their previous reviews. That's a good sign, right? I'm spamming their page. Come on, come on, come _on-uh!_


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## indianroads

Not really a 'success' but it will lead to one - 
The process I was using for The Last Ride (probably out late next year) is NOT working. The three chapters I outlined yesterday can be saved, but the method I was using to write the details of each chapter went off the rails because the plot is simply too complex for a shortcut. I've gone back to the intermediary spreadsheet method I used for Inception and Redemption and will add more detail to cover the increased complexity before moving to writing chapter outlines.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Not really a 'success' but it will lead to one -
> The process I was using for The Last Ride (probably out late next year) is NOT working. The three chapters I outlined yesterday can be saved, but the method I was using to write the details of each chapter went off the rails because the plot is simply too complex for a shortcut. I've gone back to the intermediary spreadsheet method I used for Inception and Redemption and will add more detail to cover the increased complexity before moving to writing chapter outlines.



The old adage comes to mind...if it ain't broke...


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> The old adage comes to mind...if it ain't broke...


Yeah... but I thought I could improve it.
That didn't work out.


----------



## Cephus

Three weeks in, just hit 95k and 350 pages. I figure I've got about 100 pages to go and that's simple given how fast this book has come together. Unless something goes way longer than I think it will, next week will be it.


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## Taylor

1200 words for me today.   

I really like my rolling average word count calculation that tells me I will be finished September 7, if I write at the same pace as the last 15 days.  Now that I've caught up, I don't feel so guilty about having taken a few days off this week to play golf and lunch with the ladies.

I have less than 6K words to go.  If I was @Cephus,  I would complete it tomorrow before breakfast.


----------



## KatPC

I have not written in a while - my last piece a thorn ever since. What started as a promising story developed nicely but finished with an underwhelming conclusion, questions of where did it go wrong has played constantly. Two weeks later, no writing, more reading, spending too much time in the forum, looking through a friend's first draft novel, I lay on a hotel bed, in London, with the kids, when the perfect ending just materialised.

Sometimes a short twist is all that was needed and I can end the 'shelve or not shelve' thread with the happy news today, that the ending will change to tie all the loose ends up.

Joy


----------



## Cephus

Taylor said:


> 1200 words for me today.
> 
> I really like my rolling average word count calculation that tells me I will be finished September 7, if I write at the same pace as the last 15 days.  Now that I've caught up, I don't feel so guilty about having taken a few days off this week to play golf and lunch with the ladies.
> 
> I have less than 6K words to go.  If I was @Cephus,  I would complete it tomorrow before breakfast.


I don't write on weekends but on a normal day, sure. I've put in some 7k days this past week and expect to do more next week.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Only 610 words yesterday but that was in the hour between finishing work and starting dinner


----------



## Turnbull

I wrote at least 1.5k words today, and writing it really primed the pump and made me feel inspired.


----------



## Mark Twain't

2.6k yesterday but I set out to do more.


----------



## VRanger

Another 1K on our collaboration, after midnight, but it finished my first chapter. I don't know if it will be chapter one or chapter two in the book. We'll see what PiP comes up with.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> Another 1K on our collaboration, after midnight, but it finished my first chapter. I don't know if it will be chapter one or chapter two in the book. We'll see what PiP comes up with.


Ermmmm... no pressure then. LoL I am only on the second paragraph


----------



## Taylor

780 words and it feels like the landing gear is out.  I'll be hitting the tarmac soon...


----------



## indianroads

I finished the first outline of 'The Last Ride' today. I abandoned the idea of starting with detailed chapter outlines - I thought I was ready for that, but... nope. It's in Excel as I've done with previous projects.

This plot is particularly challenging for me because while the story moves forward, one character is recalling his past from the present tense moving backward, and the other character is recalling her childhood moving forward. Although this seems unnecessarily complicated it has to be done that way so their stories mesh in the last chapter of the book.

I'll take a break from The Last Ride, and start the second edit of Inception tomorrow.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Ermmmm... no pressure then. LoL I am only on the second paragraph


<------ Gets out whip .... Kerrrr-ack! ;-)


----------



## Mark Twain't

vranger said:


> <------ Gets out whip .... Kerrrr-ack! ;-)


Well that's a whole different type of collaboration!


----------



## Deleted member 64995

today 1189
Yesterday only 50


----------



## VRanger

Mark Twain't said:


> Well that's a whole different type of collaboration!


Probably a better topic for the forum Plot "Devices"?


----------



## Mark Twain't

2.2k words today and finished a new chapter (not a rewrite).


----------



## Deleted member 64995

618 Word Today
I finally managed to get the idea out of my head that the first draft is the final one.
Now I write with no more anxiety.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Oraganizzation Book Day
only 50 Writes


----------



## VRanger

Wrote about half of my next chapter. PiP and are discussing a plot wrinkle to possibly add a simple murder plot to ramp up the tension a bit, but still retain the RomCom feel. We're going to lead off each chapter with either one of my song lyrics, or one of PiP's poems, with a focus congruent to the chapter's content. I rewrote a verse in the lyric I used for my first chapter to match up to my MC's life. Luckily, I have 40 lyrics to choose from for 10 or 11 chapters, and if none of them fit somewhere, I'll write a new one. Plus, if the plot drags out to wintertime, I have some seasonal lyrics in my Christmas songs folder.


----------



## Taylor

For some strange reason, I started writing my ending three chapters simultaneously.   Doing a couple of paragraphs of one, and then rotating. Each chapter has a different POV -- one of the three MCs.  I think I may be loath to let these characters go, I have sooo enjoyed writing them.   At any rate, I am savouring every moment of this. It's like eating dessert!

Starting to think about the next in the series.


----------



## Mark Twain't

I opened up Scrivener once I finished work this afternoon with  view to working on the novel. Then a new story popped into my head. Whilst it was fresh, I started a new project and am about to head for bed having written 3.3k words of a new sci-fi/dystopian novel.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Finished part of my narration. I researched it. Today I used split screen on scrivener for the first time. I was able to take the details I wanted and to add it to the narration. I googled encyclopedias, free magazines on the internet (National Geographic being one of them, Smithsonian and another one which is oceana.org). I even used a map of the area (road and Google Maps) based on the fictional fantasy/science fiction story's setting. I wrote 500 words and I suspect my paragraphs are organized well. I googled swimming, beaches, snorkeling, and so on. It took about 4 hours of looking around the web. I exercised for one hour on my brother's insistence. My narration is heavily based on research. It is something I didn't do before.

I suspect I approached narration and description the wrong way. It's going to take 3 days probably to rewrite the whole thing.

I am just stuck at making the verisimilitude of the narrative 100% near future, so it will be far future.

That narration was time intensive especially since I was describing something I haven't done in recent memory.


----------



## indianroads

A quarter of the way through the second editing pass of Inception - deleted 263 words so far. It's going well.
@Taylor FYI - the FMC is named Melissa (Mel) Taylor to honor the suggestion to write this story.


----------



## Questionable

I'm still pretty young and don't fully understand how my creative brain operates yet.  I haven't written anything close to a book before - my writing experience amounts to "roleplay" in which I and another person would get together and type out stories, one turn at a time, each telling solely from the perspective of our own characters.  An adaptive, improvisational, real-time storytelling exercise 3-10 paragraphs at a time.  I've always really wanted to write a book, but after years of _needing_ another person to tell a story, I've felt that I _require_ a _plan_ for the novel I've wanted to write for years to account for the lack of a second brain always working opposite my own to generate creative goodness.  I've always been an _idea _person, but there's just structure that's missing to attach my occasionally good ideas to without someone else.

You can probably see how my only significant writing experience being unplanned improv is an issue here.

However, today I sat down and managed to actually detail out some significant bullet points for my story. There's been no work on actual chapters yet, but I'm _finally_ starting to feel like there's a chance of this actually taking off. The plan is coming together, it's exciting, and I think I'm slowly learning how to fill the shoes of the "other person" in my creative process.  Making my own framework.

Considering that I would be what most writers call a "pantser" in every single area of my life, the fact that I am morbidly afraid of approaching a novel with anything less than a fully-fledged wikipedia page's worth of organization has always struck me as funny in a really ironic way...

But here I am.  Ta-daaaa...


----------



## VRanger

Questionable said:


> Considering that I would be what most writers call a "pantser" in every single area of my life, the fact that I am morbidly afraid of approaching a novel with anything less than a fully-fledged wikipedia page's worth of organization has always struck me as funny in a really ironic way...
> 
> But here I am.  Ta-daaaa...


I've very often written the first few chapters pantsing, then buckled down and at least written some notes for the rest of the story. But I always still get in some significant events, and often characters, which aren't in the notes. They become the subplots novels need, and keep it fresh so I'm finding out new fun things for myself, and not simply checking off my plot outline.


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> I've very often written the first few chapters pantsing, then buckled down and at least written some notes for the rest of the story. But I always still get in some significant events, and often characters, which aren't in the notes. They become the subplots novels need, and keep it fresh so I'm finding out new fun things for myself, and not simply checking off my plot outline.


To paraphrase one of my favorite authors: I don't control my characters via steel rods, it's more like old worn out rubberbands.


----------



## Cephus

Well, that was the weirdest thing ever. I had two more chapters to go on this book and I figured it would have to roll over to Monday when I realized, in finishing chapter 28, that I'd just ended the book. It was the perfect ending and lead-in to the next book so I think I'm going to move the last two chapters of this book to the beginning of the next one and start it off there. I'm not quite positive, so they're just hanging out there for the moment but I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to do. That ends this at almost 125k, which is certainly respectable, and I got it done in the 20 days I allocated. That feels good.


----------



## piperofyork

I finished the first draft of Chapter 28 of my first novel...and had my first posts here


----------



## indianroads

piperofyork said:


> I finished the first draft of Chapter 28 of my first novel...and had my first posts here


Awesome! 
And WELCOME!


----------



## piperofyork

indianroads said:


> Awesome!
> And WELCOME!


Thank you very much!


----------



## PiP

Finally finished first poem for novel. Going to workshop first before it is signed off.


----------



## VRanger

Cephus said:


> Well, that was the weirdest thing ever. I had two more chapters to go on this book and I figured it would have to roll over to Monday when I realized, in finishing chapter 28, that I'd just ended the book. It was the perfect ending and lead-in to the next book so I think I'm going to move the last two chapters of this book to the beginning of the next one and start it off there. I'm not quite positive, so they're just hanging out there for the moment but I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to do. That ends this at almost 125k, which is certainly respectable, and I got it done in the 20 days I allocated. That feels good.


That happens to me. I'll write a line near the end of a late chapter and think, "That's it. That's The End".


----------



## Cephus

vranger said:


> That happens to me. I'll write a line near the end of a late chapter and think, "That's it. That's The End".


I just realized that I did sort of the same thing for the last book in this series. I'd intended to have a reveal at the very end and then, at the end, I wanted to do something more upbeat so I pushed that scene off to the beginning of this book. Now I'm pushing things off to the beginning of the next book to give this one a happyish ending. So long as it works, I don't mind but this is twice in a row.


----------



## indianroads

Running through the second edit of Inception, half way through and I've cut 543 words. It's tightening up nicely.

I've also been rethinking the ending of the Last Ride - my weird romance novel - and think I've found a smoother way to reach the HEA.


----------



## VRanger

At PiP's suggestion, I set up a folder on my Google Drive with a sub-folder for chapters as we finish them, and the plot outline in the main folder, with a system for us to each make changes in our own color, and then normalize the changes we we've agreed on them. I eliminated a couple of early chapters focusing on the single characters to give us more room in the middle for some bad guys and a murder. I left it there for PiPs idea and comments before we carry our more recent ideas through the rest of the plot.

We might include a separate document for side notes, too.


----------



## Taylor

Worked like a dog the last few days to make my August 31st deadline for a Ministry of Finance writing contract.  During a meeting today, the client ventured into scope creep and then offered to extend the deadline a few days.  My boss said, "Noooo". 

I was so happy that right after the meeting I wrote 300 words on the novel.


----------



## VRanger

Does software writing count? ;-) I just finished an overhaul at the end of a shopping cart checkout process that the client thought "simplified" the result, but actually resulted in my writing three completely new pages of code, since the "unsimplified" code still has to exist for other uses in the system (like displaying the complete order with all its line items). I've been avoiding finishing it for almost two weeks, because it was annoying work and I shy away from annoying work. LOL However, it's still done 10 days before the due date, so I don't have to feel guilty about avoiding it. It did drive my business partner to distraction, because he's been wanting to test and demo it for all that time.


----------



## Kimoco

I've started writing a short romance story. And I don't usually have short stories, but I'm really trying to keep it short for real this time. And also it's a narrator's voice, not a first-person POV.


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> Does software writing count? ;-) I just finished an overhaul at the end of a shopping cart checkout process that the client thought "simplified" the result, but actually resulted in my writing three completely new pages of code, since the "unsimplified" code still has to exist for other uses in the system (like displaying the complete order with all its line items). I've been avoiding finishing it for almost two weeks, because it was annoying work and I shy away from annoying work. LOL However, it's still done 10 days before the due date, so I don't have to feel guilty about avoiding it. It did drive my business partner to distraction, because he's been wanting to test and demo it for all that time.


It counts!


----------



## Mark Twain't

Wrote 2k words for Glendaara (working title for new WIP), 1k of which was (very rough) plotting. Not something I normally do but it was strangely satisfying. I now have a beginning, a middle and an end.


----------



## VRanger

*Plot Card 185*

Plot Card 185 is the turn in my mystery. The MC has figured out what happened and who is behind it, and decides what to do with that information. Except ...

... it's been a busy month in many ways, which I've discussed at various points. The upshot is Plot Card 185 has sat, half written, for most of the month of August, and the MC did NOT decide what to do next. The month is by no means wasted. I've written two and a half chapters of Poet Lariat, my collaboration with PiP, and she and I have had a continuing discussion on plot and development of our characters. Fiction is happening ... but ... Plot Card 185 ... sitting there ... staring back at me and mocking me each time I've attempted to write the rest of its content.

I managed to raise that sticky latch tonight and burst through it. Part of the issue has been trying to decide how I want to end my mystery. There are choices. I can have the classic "draw the suspects together for the reveal". Then, there is the "suspect gets onto the investigator and they fight it out in an action ending". You can "turn it over to the police and let them sort out the final scene". Of course, available is "suspect tries to murder the investigator but falls into a trap and reveals themself". Sometimes, "suspect realizes it's hopeless and gives up". There are a few others which are less common, but come up in vehicles like police procedurals.

I can name examples of all of these in prime mystery literature. Do I want to select one of these classic endings, or try to manufacture another type? That's a challenge, because these endings are all popular and they all make sense as interest grabbers. I'm not even sure where I'd go as an alternate, but I might set that as a puzzle. Anyway, I have a few more plot cards to write before I have to decide how to approach the reveal ... now, back to them.

ETA - Sometimes it takes less time than I imagined it would.  I thought of a different ending, but it does hinge on the story's trick plaguing the MC for most of the novel.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

I'm a little stuck writing these days.
Writer's Block.
Any suggestions? I am reading a lot, but it is not necessary.


----------



## piperofyork

LadySilence said:


> I'm a little stuck writing these days.
> Writer's Block.
> Any suggestions? I am reading a lot, but it is not necessary.


I'm sorry to hear that, @LadySilence. 

Is the writer's block not being able to think of new writing ideas or not being able to execute a writing plan you've already sketched out?

If I'm experiencing the latter, I sometimes force myself to write crap - knowing full well that it is crap - and then go back and edit it later. Getting anything down on the page, however bad, gives me a job to clean up, so to speak, and usually leads to a few good sentences. After a couple days of that I can typically break through.


----------



## Sinister

vranger said:


> *Plot Card 185*
> 
> Plot Card 185 is the turn in my mystery. The MC has figured out what happened and who is behind it, and decides what to do with that information. Except ...
> 
> ... it's been a busy month in many ways, which I've discussed at various points. The upshot is Plot Card 185 has sat, half written, for most of the month of August, and the MC did NOT decide what to do next. The month is by no means wasted. I've written two and a half chapters of Poet Lariat, my collaboration with PiP, and she and I have had a continuing discussion on plot and development of our characters. Fiction is happening ... but ... Plot Card 185 ... sitting there ... staring back at me and mocking me each time I've attempted to write the rest of its content.
> 
> I managed to raise that sticky latch tonight and burst through it. Part of the issue has been trying to decide how I want to end my mystery. There are choices. I can have the classic "draw the suspects together for the reveal". Then, there is the "suspect gets onto the investigator and they fight it out in an action ending". You can "turn it over to the police and let them sort out the final scene". Of course, available is "suspect tries to murder the investigator but falls into a trap and reveals themself". Sometimes, "suspect realizes it's hopeless and gives up". There are a few others which are less common, but come up in vehicles like police procedurals.
> 
> I can name examples of all of these in prime mystery literature. Do I want to select one of these classic endings, or try to manufacture another type? That's a challenge, because these endings are all popular and they all make sense as interest grabbers. I'm not even sure where I'd go as an alternate, but I might set that as a puzzle. Anyway, I have a few more plot cards to write before I have to decide how to approach the reveal ... now, back to them.
> 
> ETA - Sometimes it takes less time than I imagined it would.  I thought of a different ending, but it does hinge on the story's trick plaguing the MC for most of the novel.


I need a clearer understanding of plot cards.  Because this sounds like a highly organized and informed method...and I need all of that that I can get my hands on.  Are plot cards specific twists or steps in a mystery story plot or are they just one of many possible steps?  Or are they just an alternative form of an outline?  

-Sin


----------



## Lawless

LadySilence said:


> I'm a little stuck writing these days.
> Writer's Block.
> Any suggestions?



Have you tried to meditate? That is, sit and try to "calm your mind". I can't do that. The thoughts racing back and forth in my head are driving me crazy.  ;-)


----------



## Taylor

LadySilence said:


> I'm a little stuck writing these days.
> Writer's Block.
> Any suggestions? I am reading a lot, but it is not necessary.


I just take a character and plunk them into a scene.  Then I write them looking around and reacting to what they see, or describe what they may be thinking, without any particular purpose for the story.  It may end up being part of my WIP or it may not, but at least I'm writing. It seems to loosen up the creative mind and get it back on track.


----------



## VRanger

Sinister said:


> I need a clearer understanding of plot cards.  Because this sounds like a highly organized and informed method...and I need all of that that I can get my hands on.  Are plot cards specific twists or steps in a mystery story plot or are they just one of many possible steps?  Or are they just an alternative form of an outline?
> 
> -Sin


What I'm calling Plot Cards are notes I'm making with the Corkboard feature in Scrivner. Visually, they look much like computerized 3x5 cards. I've just titled them 1 through 195 ... 195 being the last card I wrote last night, and upon which I wrote THE END at the bottom of.  So yes, they are the method by which I'm outlining this mystery.

My first pass was to complete the plot, and in doing so I wrote "CLUE" on quite a few of the cards. In my second pass, I'll go back and create details for each clue, which I think will be easier to come up with now knowing the entire plot. The last preparatory step will be a third pass to add red herrings ... then I'll be ready to dive into Chapter One.


----------



## indianroads

LadySilence said:


> I'm a little stuck writing these days.
> Writer's Block.
> Any suggestions? I am reading a lot, but it is not necessary.


Reading usually works for me. immersing myself in someone else's work seems to encourage my own.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

piperofyork said:


> I'm sorry to hear that, @LadySilence.
> 
> Is the writer's block not being able to think of new writing ideas or not being able to execute a writing plan you've already sketched out?
> 
> If I'm experiencing the latter, I sometimes force myself to write crap - knowing full well that it is crap - and then go back and edit it later. Getting anything down on the page, however bad, gives me a job to clean up, so to speak, and usually leads to a few good sentences. After a couple days of that I can typically break through.





Lawless said:


> Have you tried to meditate? That is, sit and try to "calm your mind". I can't do that. The thoughts racing back and forth in my head are driving me crazy.  ;-)





Taylor said:


> I just take a character and plunk them into a scene.  Then I write them looking around and reacting to what they see, or describe what they may be thinking, without any particular purpose for the story.  It may end up being part of my WIP or it may not, but at least I'm writing. It seems to loosen up the creative mind and get it back on track.





indianroads said:


> Reading usually works for me. immersing myself in someone else's work seems to encourage my own.



Maybe I better take a break.
And I think seriously if it is the case to continue writing.
I am very discouraged.


----------



## Lawless

LadySilence said:


> Maybe I better take a break.
> [---]



It's okay to take a break. In fact, maybe you want to try this experiment:

Make a decision that you will not write for 8 days (192 hours). Take a look at your watch and write a note: "I am not allowed to write until such-and-such a date, such-and-such o'clock." Place it where you can see it so you won't forget.

During that time, you may not do any creative writing, no matter what. When the time is up, see how you feel.

Things may become a lot clearer to you.

The only exception: if your urge to write is so strong that not being allowed to makes you cry, then the ban on writing ends prematurely. Throw the note away.


----------



## VRanger

I added a bit to the end of chapter three of the collaboration, which ties the first two chapters to the collaboration PiP and I did for last Spring's collaborator challenge. A plot point in Chapter Three caused me to think of another song, so I went ahead and roughed out lyrics for it.


----------



## indianroads

LadySilence said:


> Maybe I better take a break.
> And I think seriously if it is the case to continue writing.
> I am very discouraged.


Just live with your characters for a while. Often their stories get richer that way. 
I know this sounds weird, but sometimes they talk to us, the trick I’ll learning to listen.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Lawless said:


> It's okay to take a break. In fact, maybe you want to try this experiment:
> 
> Make a decision that you will not write for 8 days (192 hours). Take a look at your watch and write a note: "I am not allowed to write until such-and-such a date, such-and-such o'clock." Place it where you can see it so you won't forget.
> 
> During that time, you may not do any creative writing, no matter what. When the time is up, see how you feel.
> 
> Things may become a lot clearer to you.
> 
> The only exception: if your urge to write is so strong that not being allowed to makes you cry, then the ban on writing ends prematurely. Throw the note away.



For me, writing is like breathing.
I write every day.
I can't live without writing.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

indianroads said:


> Just live with your characters for a while. Often their stories get richer that way.
> I know this sounds weird, but sometimes they talk to us, the trick I’ll learning to listen.


I'll try. Thanks


----------



## indianroads

LadySilence said:


> For me, writing is like breathing.
> I write every day.
> I can't live without writing.


I'm the same way, but be gentle with yourself. 
In times like this, write without writing - meaning think about your characters and their story. What might be happening is that you've missed something about the story or a character, and you need to discover it before continuing.


----------



## indianroads

I'm still in the midst of the second edit of Inception. MC is experiencing his darkest hour.


----------



## Taylor

LadySilence said:


> For me, writing is like breathing.
> I write every day.
> I can't live without writing.


I'm the same.  But I don't always work on my fiction every day.     

Do you have someone you can write letters to?  It's a great creative outlet and has a purpose as well as recognition.  My sister has hundreds of letters she has saved from me. Just let your mind run freely, with no pressure to produce anything of consequence.  

Another thing I have been doing on my down days is writing about someone else's work.  I take a novel from a favorite author and make notes about specific things. Like: What is the POV?  Do they head hop? How often do they use dialogue tags? Are there any metaphors? What length are the chapters? When do they introduce new characters? Any cliches? It can be quite educational and you are still writing and can take a break from your WIP. 

And in the spirit of this thread, I have been writing like a fiend all week, but only to complete my technical writing project that was approved by the client yesterday.  Whew!  Now a bit of administrative stuff today and then back to my novel...


----------



## Deleted member 64995

indianroads said:


> I'm the same way, but be gentle with yourself.
> In times like this, write without writing - meaning think about your characters and their story. What might be happening is that you've missed something about the story or a character, and you need to discover it before continuing.



Thanks.
You will try to write without thinking too much.


----------



## Deleted member 64995

Taylor said:


> I'm the same.  But I don't always work on my fiction every day.
> 
> Do you have someone you can write letters to?  It's a great creative outlet and has a purpose as well as recognition.  My sister has hundreds of letters she has saved from me. Just let your mind run freely, with no pressure to produce anything of consequence.
> 
> Another thing I have been doing on my down days is writing about someone else's work.  I take a novel from a favorite author and make notes about specific things. Like: What is the POV?  Do they head hop? How often do they use dialogue tags? Are there any metaphors? What length are the chapters? When do they introduce new characters? Any cliches? It can be quite educational and you are still writing and can take a break from your WIP.
> 
> And in the spirit of this thread, I have been writing like a fiend all week, but only to complete my technical writing project that was approved by the client yesterday.  Whew!  Now a bit of administrative stuff today and then back to my novel...


No, all my friends now only use WhatsApp, voice messages, or video calls. Nobody writes letters anymore.
I have never ever "analyzed a novel", I took some passages that I liked. But I've never analyzed the text.
I read, always for the pleasure of reading. Because I liked the story.
I'll try, I'm not sure how to do it. But I want to try.
Thanks so much for your advice.


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> Just live with your characters for a while. Often their stories get richer that way.
> I know this sounds weird, but sometimes they talk to us, the trick I’ll learning to listen.


It's why I live with my stories for years before I write them. It's why I know the next 40ish books I'm going to write. They sit there and I roll them all around in my head and make notes for years before I ever get down to writing. The trilogy I'm planning right now, I've known for at least 2 years. It's just a matter of putting the pieces where they go.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Just shy of 4k words today. One week since I started Glendaara and have written almost 16k words, the most productive I've ever been.


----------



## PiP

Managed to complete a rough draft (on paper) of another poem for collab.


----------



## piperofyork

Finished the first draft of Chapter 29. Three to go, if I stick to the current outline...


----------



## indianroads

Now three quarters through the second edit of Inception - dropped the WC by 717 so far.


----------



## Digital Dive Labs

.


----------



## VRanger

I've reached the point in the collaboration novel where I've caught up to the first piece PiP and I wrote last spring. We had a 1000 world limit for that, but in the novel it will expand to at least 3K, and as much more as we need. The collaboration was simply the emails and private thoughts, but in the novel we'll expand that content, plus add some character activity between the emails. I also wrote a scene for chapter six the other night, making this my first asynchronous writing.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I have finally started to write again after three weeks of nothing. Almost every night this week, I've written at least one scene or
more for the trilogy I'm working on, and have also done a rough sketch (idea sheet) on another story, and am also planning a
new memoir as well.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

I finished the second edit of Inception today, and dropped another 930 words, missing my target of 1000. Total WC stands at 100828. The 'grapple and triumph' point of the story is a motorcycle chase through SF bay area rush hour traffic - that was a blast to write.
The story is turning out great, and I thank @Taylor for the suggestion to write it.


----------



## indianroads

Today I worked on the excel plot outline for my Last Ride novel. This a preplot device used to get the order of events laid out - it’s easier to move large chunks of the story around this way.

Three concurrent plot lines.
1. Events moving forward.
2. MC memories moving backward - descending order.
3. FMC memories moving forward - ascending order.

Everything comes together in the last chapter.

I have a ton of sorting to do before moving the plot to word, where everything will get fleshed out before starting in on the full draft.

I contacted my cover guy and discussed the project, and he admitted it’s outside of what he specializes in, so I’ll be looking for a new artist.


----------



## PiP

Phew! Finally finished my contribution to chapter 5 of collab. Can't wait to return home so I can work without distractions. Now back to first chapters to build backstory


----------



## VRanger

I hadn't thought I'd have a chance to write more fiction until early next week, as I have a major server migration to prepare for this week and perform over the weekend. However, I found myself at midnight this evening with nothing particular to do, so I put about 3k words into "Moods". This is the typical "I'm introducing you to the characters and scenario" part of the murder mystery, without the murder having happened yet. I need another strong scene to fill out the chapter, and then I can introduce the murder.

I started writing the chapter in first person, so that answered that question.  There is a LOT I could have done in omniscient third in this story, but first will give me a lot more latitude for humor, and be more of a challenge to get in the parts of the story which would have been a slam dunk in O.T., but with a lot more exposition and a less personal style. So first it is, and first person in a murder mystery is a good fit for the genre.


----------



## piperofyork

Woke up with a start at 5:15 when _the next sentence_ came to me...downstairs to write, and after a short burst of activity, I finished the first draft of Chapter 30. Two more to go!


----------



## Cephus

I've been editing like a madman. I gave myself a week to edit a book before starting writing again and it hasn't worked out that way. Monday was a wash because it was a holiday and yesterday, my youngest daughter woke up feeling sick and I spent 5 hours sitting at urgent care with her for no good reason. Today, I've punched through 12 chapters and if I can keep up the pace, I will be done tomorrow as I wanted. This is not at all fun. Good thing it's been slow at work so I can sit in my office and do my own thing.


----------



## indianroads

I have the Excel version of the plot for the Last Ride pretty much complete - next step will be moving it to word format and expanding it. It's been tough to get the various timelines to sync right at the pinnacle of the story; I'm feeling a bit more confident in the story, it remains a significant stretch of my abilities - hope I'm up to it.

Will take a few days away to run another editing pass on Inception, then will jump back on the Last Ride with fresh eyes.

It's looking good though.


----------



## VRanger

I scratched out that last thousand words to end Chapter One of Moods. Despite my 195 note cards of plot outline, I introduced a subplot at the end of this chapter much earlier than the plot cards called for. Of course, I hadn't thought of that subplot by this point in my note card writing, so it makes sense I might want to pull it back toward the front of the story.

I'm a bit ahead of my plan, because I haven't gone back and dropped in the clues yet. But I got a bit ahead of PiP while she's been on holiday, on the RomCom, and I'm in a good creative state. So I started up on Moods, too. When "Poet Lariat" starts to roll, which should be soon now that PiP is headed back to sunny Portugal, I'll go back to my plan for clue dropping in Moods.

I'm having a ball on both projects right now, and when that happens, words and ideas flow.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished the trilogy (wrote like a madman the last few nights), and just started the unofficial fourth part of the story, which is the
aftermath. Even though I gave myself until the end of this year to complete all of this, I'm okay with it almost being done now
because then I will be able to move on to a couple more writing projects.

-JJB


----------



## Cephus

I got the edit done, which was a really close thing so I'm clear to get started on an entirely new trilogy on Monday. I already know where the next couple of books in this series are going but I won't come back to it until next July. I think I've got 6 more books to write between now and then.


----------



## piperofyork

Cephus said:


> I think I've got 6 more books to write between now and then.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Cephus said:


> I got the edit done, which was a really close thing so I'm clear to get started on an entirely new trilogy on Monday. I already know where the next couple of books in this series are going but I won't come back to it until next July. I think I've got 6 more books to write between now and then.


I thought I was cool by plotting out my next couple of short stories and a memoir, but my hat is off to anyone that can plot several novels ahead! That takes
a massive amount of vision! Respect!

-JJB


----------



## Cephus

JJBuchholz said:


> I thought I was cool by plotting out my next couple of short stories and a memoir, but my hat is off to anyone that can plot several novels ahead! That takes
> a massive amount of vision! Respect!
> 
> -JJB


When you have tons of ideas and years to think about them, it's not hard. By the time I get close to writing, I have virtually all of the story hammered out and the actual planning stage is pretty simple, it's just filling in the blanks.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Cephus said:


> When you have tons of ideas and years to think about them, it's not hard. By the time I get close to writing, I have virtually all of the story hammered out and the actual planning stage is pretty simple, it's just filling in the blanks.


In some cases, I'll have three writing projects going at the same time. If I get stuck with one, I'll move over and work on the next. I'm a big fan of plotting
out stories in advance whenever possible, especially if I can visualize the whole thing in my head. That being said, I've started to jot more down in my many
notebooks and creating detailed points so that I don't have to try and write too many projects at once. 

Once my 'aftermath' installment of the trilogy is done, I'm going to move on to another project, and I also have a new memoir I'd like to start.

-JJB


----------



## Cephus

JJBuchholz said:


> In some cases, I'll have three writing projects going at the same time. If I get stuck with one, I'll move over and work on the next. I'm a big fan of plotting
> out stories in advance whenever possible, especially if I can visualize the whole thing in my head. That being said, I've started to jot more down in my many
> notebooks and creating detailed points so that I don't have to try and write too many projects at once.
> 
> Once my 'aftermath' installment of the trilogy is done, I'm going to move on to another project, and I also have a new memoir I'd like to start.
> 
> -JJB


Many years ago, I started keeping track of my random thoughts, things that I figured might fit well into a book someday. It's now thousands and thousands of items long. I go through it once or twice a year and see which parts fit together and I might come up with 3-4 new series that way. Add that to all of the story ideas that I cook up mostly well-formed and it's no wonder I get so many on the list.


----------



## PiP

Trying to tame Google Docs is like trying to persuade an awkward child to cooperate. After a lot of cussing, huffing and puffing I finally managed to transfer my content for the collab from iPad 'Pages' to GD on my PC. Now I just need to find the secret button which tells me how many words I've written. My target is either 2000 words or four hours per day.


----------



## VRanger

PiP is right ... Google Docs is a pain. If I copy and paste into it, the formatting failures are annoying. I finally wound up simply uploading a DOCX for changes to our latest chapter, which it handles much better than its native format.

So ... writing:
I did a first scene for Chapter Two in Moods, but only 600 words. I also did a 2000-word addition to Chapter Five in Poet Lariat, which expands on what happens in Cal's life between emails (for anyone familiar with our challenge entry from last spring). As opposed to our word limit of 1000 words in the challenge, the chapter is now 4500 words, with more to come from PiP for Julia's side, I expect. The entire manuscript is at 17,000 words, with more pending from PiP on her opening two chapters for Julia.

PiP's creation of Hope, Cal's sister, continues to be extremely fruitful in my scenes, giving me great dialogue opportunities.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Am I the only one that doesn't use Google Docs? I've never even really given it as much as a thought.

-JJB


----------



## Lawless

JJBuchholz said:


> Am I the only one that doesn't use Google Docs? I've never even really given it as much as a thought.



No, not the only one.  

I won't trust an online service to keep backups for me. Not to mention the small matter that Word is far more comfortable to use.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I use MS Word for my main drafts, and Notepad for character/plot files and point form notations. Aside from those, I also prefer
my many physical notebooks that populate my table and work area.

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

JJBuchholz said:


> Am I the only one that doesn't use Google Docs? I've never even really given it as much as a thought.
> 
> -JJB


PiP and I are using it to transfer content in our collaboration, but I use Scrivener now to create, and Word to format. Scrivener is ridiculously incompetent at formatting. It often loses a style between one paragraph and the next. Google Docs also does not retain all style information on a paste into it.


----------



## JJBuchholz

A collaboration! I've always wanted to do that! I'm a little jealous now.... 

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

JJBuchholz said:


> A collaboration! I've always wanted to do that! I'm a little jealous now....
> 
> -JJB


Foxee is running periodic collaboration challenges, which is how PiP and I teamed up. We wrote collaborations for the first two, and decided for the third to do a sequel to our first story. However, the sequel ran away with us, and we'd never have pared it down to the challenge's word limit. I asked PiP what she'd think about expanding the story into a novel, and she was quick with a positive response. So here we go.

The point is, Foxee's challenges would be a good place for you to start.


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> Am I the only one that doesn't use Google Docs? I've never even really given it as much as a thought.
> 
> -JJB


I use MS Word and Excel for my work.
I dislike and am wary of on line tools.


----------



## Cephus

JJBuchholz said:


> Am I the only one that doesn't use Google Docs? I've never even really given it as much as a thought.
> 
> -JJB


Honestly, I don't know that I've ever used Google Docs in my life.


----------



## VRanger

Not exactly my writing success, but helping someone else. Dan Sawyer is writing a book called "The Secrets of Heinlein Juveniles", and is just putting up a Kickstarter for it. As it turns out, Roger Christenson, who's a fan of my Citizen of the Galaxy sequel, put Dan and I together a few weeks ago, and I just sent him a list of edits for the first half of his book. It's an interesting book from an author's point of view, although it might not be so for the average fan, as it is heavy in places with technical elements of plotting.

Tonight, Roger also linked Dan's Kickstarter in the FB Heinlein Forum, which led to this little conversation:



> Steve Davidson
> ...
> One thing bothers me about this project: if an author has "uncovered the secret of RAH's success with juvies" - why is he writing a book about the secret, when he could be writing juveniles/YA stories that will be "perpetual"?





> Roger Christenson
> Jim Dutton seems to know the secret; I've recommended his superb CoTG sequel to J. Daniel Sawyer.
> · Reply · 2h
> 
> Jim Dutton
> Roger Christenson The "secret" is simple. Read and reread an author for 55 years, then write on the book you're reread 10 or a dozen times. Something's bound to rub off. LOL
> · Reply · 22m
> 
> Roger Christenson
> It hasn't worked as well for many other authors who tried to imitate Heinlein.
> · Reply · 20m
> 
> Tom Losh
> Jim, it also, undoubtedly, requires a talent for writing that few seem to have.
> Beyond that, you somehow kept your follow-on aimed perfectly at the same "juvenile" feel. You had a great feel for the texture and nuances of the story. It reads as if it is simply a continuation of the same book, not even a separate book. No more interruption than the turning of a page. (...and so many "hooks" into earlier parts of the story, straight from CotG.)
> · Reply · 14m
> 
> Tom Losh
> Roger Christenson wrote: "It hasn't worked as well for many other authors who tried to imitate Heinlein."
> TRUTH!


I would like to point out that I in no way set out to "imitate Heinlein". That's casual conversation, not an in depth take on what I did writing the book. LOL But when people compare what I wrote in any way to what Robert Heinlein wrote, I take it as an entirely unexpected compliment.


----------



## VRanger

Get with it, you guys! I shouldn't have two posts in a row here 24 hours apart! LOL

Today I integrated PiPs new material into chapter five. It's now so long we'll probably split it into two chapters. Her material is VERY good. I think it will hook readers into the FMC's story, and it's amusing.

Then I opened up my chapter six (may become seven) and finished it, adding a scene before what was already there, and a scene afterward, to bring the chapter up to 3K words.


----------



## PiP

You beat me to it! @vranger LoL I was going to say I'd completed my contribution to Chapter 5 ... YaY! with another 1300 words ... But then I am 'encouraged' to develop the MC's reactions further. Okay, I sow more 'potential story' seeds which we can nurture later, or not.

My writing success today? We will see. I've discovered setting daily goals when writing a book (unlike NaNo) is not just about word count it also includes research and staring at the 'blinking' cursor as you consider character and plot development in future chapters


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> You beat me to it! @vranger LoL I was going to say I'd completed my contribution to Chapter 5 ... YaY! with another 1300 words ... But then I am 'encouraged' to develop the MC's reactions further. Okay, I sow more 'potential story' seeds which we can nurture later, or not.
> 
> My writing success today? We will see. I've discovered setting daily goals when writing a book (unlike NaNo) is not just about word count it also includes research and staring at the 'blinking' cursor as you consider character and plot development in future chapters


Yes it does. On my side, I was very happy to figure out the manner of the next incoming songwriting tip. Sometimes I set up a plot device, like the three incoming tips, without knowing what I'm actually going to write. So it's a relief when I solve the challenge I left for myself. LOL


----------



## indianroads

Working on edits of Inception - quarter of the way through, reduced the WC by another hundred.
Mapping plot points via excel as I go - a couple of minor tweaks so far.

Rethinking / second guessing the ending for the Last Ride - no decision yet on that front.


----------



## Taylor

900 words yesterday and 650 today.  Still not finished.  But soooo close.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Almost finished the unofficial 'part four' (aftermath) of the trilogy I've been working on. It's 10:32pm right now as I type this,
and I'm halfway through the final scene. Once complete, I'll move on to another project.

-JJB


----------



## KeganThompson

So this was yesterday's witing joy: Entered in the LM challenge for the first time...and I'm not a judge so guess who will be getting a score (I didn't end up putting anything up last month)..its exciting and scary. But I had to do it. There were a lot of entries last month and I got a bit overwhelmed, it was my first time judging and I don't think some of my scores accurately represented how I felt-too low-lil' ol' me was actually kind of brutal    So I thought it was only fair to have my work scored this month. And I needed the challenge.
Today: I finished my _cough_ 2nd draft of "chapter" one of a piece I got a burst of inspo for.


----------



## PiP

KeganThompson said:


> So this was yesterday's witing joy: Entered in the LM challenge for the first time...and I'm not a judge so guess who will be getting a score (I didn't end up putting anything up last month)..its exciting and scary


Well done for judging last month and entering this month it's quite a challenge on both counts. It's great to see new members jump in with both feet  Thank you


----------



## PiP

Last night I was tinkering with a very rough draft for one of my chapter contributions for the collab. I concluded after several hours of head scratching, writing and procrastination there is a fine line between an info dump and show not tell... and should this be the opening chapter for Julia or a later chapter.

I need a hook to grab the reader's attention in the opening lines... *NTS sift through previous discussions in the plot and character development forum.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> Last night I was tinkering with a very rough draft for one of my chapter contributions for the collab. I concluded after several hours of head scratching, writing and procrastination there is a fine line between an info dump and show not tell... and should this be the opening chapter for Julia or a later chapter.
> 
> I need a hook to grab the reader's attention in the opening lines... *NTS sift through previous discussions in the plot and character development forum.


I consider the events captured in the first lines and pages the impetus that sets the world of the novel / character off balance, and that drives the story forward. So, what's happening there?


----------



## Taylor

I just wrote "THE END."


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> I just wrote "THE END."


BIG OLD super-duper Congratulations.  Pretty unique feeling, huh?


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> BIG OLD super-duper Congratulations.  Pretty unique feeling, huh?


Yup! Even better than convocation.


----------



## KeganThompson

Taylor said:


> I just wrote "THE END."


How ya feeling?


----------



## Taylor

KeganThompson said:


> How ya feeling?


I'm at a loss for words.  Anything I write to describe it sounds like an understatement.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yup! Even better than convocation.


Don't forget to do the crazy dance (you know the one that embarrasses your kids) around the room - it's a required right of passage.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Don't forget to do the crazy dance (you know the one that embarrasses your kids) around the room - it's a required right of passage.


Haha...already done!


----------



## piperofyork

Taylor said:


> I just wrote "THE END."


Congratulations Taylor!! I'm very happy for you!


----------



## KatPC

Taylor said:


> I just wrote "THE END."



Well done! @Taylor This made me smile a lot. Congratulations!

To add to the thread, I finished a short story. I have been trying out a newer and 'improved' way through editing this piece. Gone through 2 drafts and onto one more read through and carefully analysis of each sentence before I tentatively say ... Finished.


----------



## indianroads

Reached the halfway point in the third edit of Inception. 210 words eliminated so far. Found a couple small plot holes too, and plugged them.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Haha...already done!


Is there a video?


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Is there a video?


God...I hope not!


----------



## indianroads

Finishing a novel is among the best feelings in life. 
The commitment, patience, and just plain hard work involved no one other than another author can comprehend.
Seriously huge congratulations!


----------



## piperofyork

2/3 through the penultimate chapter. Really crawling now but every sentence is a little victory. Heavy pressure to stick the landing...


----------



## PiP

Taylor said:


> I just wrote "THE END."


Congratulations!


----------



## VRanger

> The young man answered. “If there’s anything criminal about Mother’s death, I for one want to know. What’s left upstairs is not Mother. She can’t hold us again. She can’t sooth us again. She can’t make us want to be better again, and she can’t protect us anymore. We can’t protect her, either. But if someone did something that caused her to have one less day with us than she should, I want to know. I want to know who. And heaven help them after that!”
> 
> I decided I’d just met Joey.



I'm just shy of 4K words in Chapter Two of Moods. This is how I know I've finished a chapter. LOL I keep looking that that last line, and all I can think of is "Chapter Three Next". No matter what I've got to say here, it has to come later. That ends a chapter.

I took some time out from my SQL Server migration, which I thought would happen last weekend, but I'm getting an early start on for this weekend. So I hit 1500 words on Moods tonight.

Next, I need to write an episode for the "Ghost of Songs Future" in Poet Lariat. PiP has just written a great start to her inciting incident for what she thinks will be chapter two, but I'm pretty suspicious should be chapter one. RomCom. I think we need to lead with the FMC.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Taylor said:


> God...I hope not!


These days, there's always a video. I'll keep an eye on tic-toc.


----------



## Lawless

With my fanfic novel as good as completed (I have only the last four pictures to upload which I'll probably do later this afternoon), I've been (of course) planning on returning to my SF novel "The Incomprehensibles".

I opened the manuscript occasionally during the past week or two, and felt apprehensive and void of ideas. I had vague fears that maybe I won't be able to complete it at all, maybe I have written it for so long that I've stopped caring about it or depleted my creative energy. A couple times I tried to write something and then gave up after a while.

Today I wrote two short scenes before noon practically without effort. I felt almost as enthusiastic about this project as in the beginning. I did realize I have been away from this so long that I occasionally need to re-read some previous parts to recall things like what exactly does this or that person know at one or another point, but it's no big deal, because fortunately I have the background material well organized – there's a timeline in a separate file and I can easily find out when one or another character was last mentioned.

So the wheels are back in motion, if that's the right expression. I feel confident that I'll be able to write the remaining fifth or so. And I'm damned eager to do it.


----------



## KatPC

I can share the same feeling @Lawless. I finished a few stories and never went back as I deemed them 'not very good,' only to return and have that fun fuzzy feeling I had when I first started. In the process of editing them, catching the nostalgia of writing them. They weren't 'bad,' just needed a lot more TLC

I am pondering on whether to post a story for critique ...


----------



## Cephus

What a crappy week. I started out strong, then crap went completely wrong on Wednesday and I fell behind and then this morning, my wife's car died, the computer completely imploded and I spent all morning getting it towed around and I fell even further behind. I've spent my time trying desperately to catch up all day and I think I ended up in a good place at about 28k and 7 chapters for the week. I'm still on track to finish by October 9 if nothing else bad happens.


----------



## VRanger

I managed to (hopefully) complete my server migration several hours earlier than it might have taken, and even an hour earlier than my optimistic estimate early in the evening. That made my partner, who is taking on the bulk of production verification, happy we wouldn't be staying up all night to complete the process. We told clients we were reserving the entire weekend for the migration, but in truth they were live again by 11 PM (about four hours ago).

So I got a chance to chill down a bit ... this kind of effort pumps adrenalin like an accordion at a polka festival ... catch up on a couple of recorded TV shows ... and relax to some music and a couple of glasses of port.

Plus, I squeezed in a thousand words on Moods, breaking 10K for the novel thus far. 10K already alarms me somewhat. As mystery, I should be aiming for 90K, and I have a LOT of story left to tell.


----------



## Phil Istine

Another 1,500 words towards my slightly-embellished-but-not-by-much autobiographical masterpiece.  Actually, it's very much first draft quality, perhaps even pre-first draft, but that doesn't matter yet.  Some of it was a rant


----------



## PiP

Phil Istine said:


> Another 1,500 words towards my slightly-embellished-but-not-by-much autobiographical masterpiece.  Actually, it's very much first draft quality, perhaps even pre-first draft, but that doesn't matter yet.  Some of it was a rant


It's good to have a rant with ourselves.

After reading through this thread








						Suggestions For Writing In the Perspective of a Woman
					


How do I do that? I am writing a story that has a woman in it and I need answers to how I can write like one? I am a male writer who has a main character as woman. Does anyone have any novels where a woman is the main character? Or self-help books to help me with this challenge?





					www.writingforums.com
				




Today, I decided to rewrite my opening chapter. For me and I hope @vranger  approves it flows and has a better sense of direction as I plant story seeds to be nurtured later on in the book (or not). The MC was rather 'wet' and 'wimpish' and did not fit well with later chapters. I knew something was wrong and I've been procrastinating for days,. It's amazing where inspiration comes from if we keep an open mind!


----------



## PiP

Today I have rewritten my first chapter. 4000 words. Trying to grab and then old a readers attention is a lot harder than it first appears.I usually write poetry or expat travel blogs so this presented quite a challenge.


----------



## indianroads

3/4 of the way through my third edit of Inception - deleted 288 words so far. Tightening it up, still have a few hurtles to get over.


----------



## Phil Istine

Another 585 words added today.  At the moment it's awful.  It jumps around in time and thought, backtracks when one thought leads to another, and although it means little to others, is triggering all kinds of emotional responses within me.
It will get better.


----------



## PiP

Phil Istine said:


> It jumps around in time and thought, backtracks when one thought leads to another, and although it means little to others, is triggering all kinds of emotional responses within me.
> It will get better.


It must be tough for you to revisit the past, Phil. Once it's down on paper and emotion spent perhaps it will become easier ....


----------



## VRanger

After midnight last night (so early this morning, officially) I squeezed in another 600-word scene on Moods, and today added a 2600-word chapter (chapter nine) to Poet Lariat. The 2600-word count is a bit of a cheat, since 600 words are in two song lyrics I wrote long ago and am leveraging into this novel. PiP will contribute a scene to chapter nine at some point and fill it out.

I had a lot of fun with my second scene today in PL. My MC (Cal) is working through a process to write a song lyric (even though, as I mentioned, I already had the lyric). But I got to go through the creative process in my scene to explain how he considered problems and altered his vision for the lyric to overcome those problems ... even though I didn't really have those same problems when I wrote it ... the main idea popped into my head without grinding the gears.

This is a different experience, writing two novels at once, collaborating on PL, AND writing scenes asynchronously in PL.


----------



## LoveofWriting

I got to 45k words recently for my latest W.I.P so that is a start.


----------



## Taylor

Finished editing Chapter One.   You guys did not tell me how exhausting this part is!


----------



## KatPC

Taylor said:


> Finished editing Chapter One.   You guys did not tell me how exhausting this part is!


It is exhausting. I have had to stop my second draft to focus on Shorts to improve my editing, as I keep on amending, changing, amending ... rinse and repeat.

Keep going though. And good luck!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Finished editing Chapter One.   You guys did not tell me how exhausting this part is!


It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.


No kidding!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> No kidding!


Don't want to scare you... but it's several marathons - you'll never catch everything you should on the first pass... or the second... or the third...


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Taylor said:


> Finished editing Chapter One.   You guys did not tell me how exhausting this part is!



That's exactly what I've been moaning and weeping and wailing about . . . the editing process. I've been deep into the editing of my nonfiction book for days and days now. I'm exhausted and am about to lose it! (Or maybe I'm just hoping I'll lose it so I'll have an excuse to put it away.) I just now found a quotation that applies so well: 

_Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. _— George Orwell

Yes, that's how it feels. Sometimes just surviving is an accomplishment.


----------



## JBF

After a month of non-writing (outside LM flash pieces) I finally got moving on something I've been putting off for a while now.

It might still be a trainwreck, but it's a start.


----------



## VRanger

I didn't have inspiration for the next Moods scene, so I took the cocktail party scene PiP and I had written for the Summertime collaboration and filled it out ... about 600-700 additional words. I also went back and did some early editing on our starting chapters.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the third edit of Inception - my Silicon Valley thriller. I dropped the word count by another 403, which is 2544 fewer than the first draft. I'll let it sit for a week or so, then hit it one more time in the current format. After the fourth edit I'll reformat the story in book form, and start editing again. Quite a ways to go yet, but the novel is coming together nicely.

In other news, I'm displeased with the ending of the Last Ride (the novel what will follow Inception) and have an idea that should streamline the story so it's easier to follow. I'll start work on that tomorrow.


----------



## Taylor

Made it through editing three more chapters today.   Funny the things you find.  For example, why is she saying the party is Thursday night when it's actually next Saturday.  Duh! 

As I'm reading the early chapters again, it's taking me back in time.  I remember when I first started writing it, my only goal was to write a novel.  How things change.


----------



## PiP

I've written nearly 2000 words towards my next chapter and about another 1000ish in my notebook still to be uploaded. I find it easier to write in hard copy away from my PC as there are fewer distractions. However, it's a darn nuisance to include and update the online file. Half of what I've written is gibberish so if I manage to get everything online tonight tomorrow will be spent knocking it into shape. Fingers crossed.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Made it through editing three more chapters today.   Funny the things you find.  For example, why is she saying the party is Thursday night when it's actually next Saturday.  Duh!
> 
> As I'm reading the early chapters again, it's taking me back in time.  I remember when I first started writing it, my only goal was to write a novel.  How things change.


Is this your first time editing a full novel?


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Is this your first time editing a full novel?


One of my own yes.  I have edited one for a friend once.  Why, do you have some advice?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> One of my own yes.  I have edited one for a friend once.  Why, do you have some advice?


I do, but don't think this thread is the right place for it. I'll start a separate thread - just for advice, no arguing - share your method.


----------



## VRanger

1600 words on Moods. I'll put part of the last scene in Pretty Words. They're not really pretty, but I hope they're entertaining. I just wrote what's in Notecard 17, and I'm at 12K words and the end of Chapter Three. Only 178 Note Cards to go. LOL I've been setting the table, and now the seance *has *to happen in Chapter Four.


----------



## indianroads

A rough day actually. 
Inception is shelved for a few weeks so I’ll have fresh eyes when I hit the fourth edit. So I worked on the plot for the Last Ride, the next book in my queue, and I ripped the old plot to pieces because it wasn’t working. So now I have pieces of the story scattered across my spreadsheet… it looks like the scene of an axe murder.
Hopefully tomorrow it will start to come back together.


----------



## VRanger

Tonight I edited PiP's second chapter, and happily informed her that she was worrying too much about it. There was nothing to cut, minor rewording in a very few places, and some commas to add. I was working with her just typed first draft, and every one of us needs the same edits at that point. I sneaked and did that. She typed it up on our shared Google Drive, and messaged me that I could edit after she did more work on it tomorrow. I wanted to see exactly the state of it first, because I suspected she's underestimated her fiction, and I was right. Nothing wrong with it but the mass insecurity all us writers feel. LOL

Earlier today she pointed me toward a Romance writer who sells well and has a few series in her bibliography. PiP writes better than that author, hands down. Bonus points to anyone who can explain where the idiom 'hands down' originated.


----------



## Backstroke_Italics

Today I posted my first requested review to my blog. It felt good to have some engagement with my tiny handful of readers.


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> Tonight I edited PiP's second chapter, and happily informed her that she was worrying too much about it. There was nothing to cut, minor rewording in a very few places, and some commas to add. I was working with her just typed first draft, and every one of us needs the same edits at that point. I sneaked and did that. She typed it up on our shared Google Drive, and messaged me that I could edit after she did more work on it tomorrow. I wanted to see exactly the state of it first, because I suspected she's underestimated her fiction, and I was right. Nothing wrong with it but the mass insecurity all us writers feel. LOL
> 
> Earlier today she pointed me toward a Romance writer who sells well and has a few series in her bibliography. PiP writes better than that author, hands down. Bonus points to anyone who can explain where the idiom 'hands down' originated.


It's from horse racing when the two are so far ahead and no there's doubt, they are going to win. So the jockey loosens his reins and puts his hands down on the horse. (Thanks Google.)

Btw, I won't be posting here for the next couple of days as I will be outside enjoying the last of the "Indian Summer."


----------



## Digital Dive Labs

.


----------



## indianroads

After seven versions of the plot for the Last Ride, I'm finally starting on the detailed outlines for each individual chapter. Chapters 1 & 2 complete today.
It's looking good, and I'm feeling positive.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> Tonight I edited PiP's second chapter, and happily informed her that she was worrying too much about it. There was nothing to cut, minor rewording in a very few places, and some commas to add. I was working with her just typed first draft, and every one of us needs the same edits at that point. I sneaked and did that. She typed it up on our shared Google Drive, and messaged me that I could edit after she did more work on it tomorrow. I wanted to see exactly the state of it first, because I suspected she's underestimated her fiction, and I was right. Nothing wrong with it but the mass insecurity all us writers feel. LOL
> 
> Earlier today she pointed me toward a Romance writer who sells well and has a few series in her bibliography. PiP writes better than that author, hands down. Bonus points to anyone who can explain where the idiom 'hands down' originated.


I've just spotted this, Jim. Wow, thank you! I do feel insecure as a writer because I am dyslexic. ... so there is hope LoL I would never have attempted this project alone.

So... my writing success yesterday was to outline another two poems for the collab which I will workshop on WF. And expand previous chapters. About 700 words in total. Probably 4-5 hours worth of more thinking than writing! AND looking for plot holes tying in the new story with our previous collab challenge entries. Please keep that Collab challenge going, @Foxee


----------



## piperofyork

I finished the first draft of my first novel. Although I'm proud of the accomplishment, that transcendent sense of _arrival _remains elusive, largely because I can't stop thinking of what still needs work! I suppose I just need to set it aside and ruminate on the fact that this is a major milestone in a journey that started a little over four years ago...


----------



## Taylor

piperofyork said:


> I finished the first draft of my first novel. Although I'm proud of the accomplishment, that transcendent sense of _arrival _remains elusive, largely because I can't stop thinking of what still needs work! I suppose I just need to set it aside and ruminate on the fact that this is a major milestone in a journey that started a little over four years ago...


CONGRATULATIONS!!!     That is a major accomplishment!   Relax and enjoy.


----------



## VRanger

This morning I went through PiP's additions to our existing material ... again only minor edits as first drafts require. Some really delightful passages in there. I'm hoping it doesn't sound like "buttering up the boss". LOL I've read her travel journaling, and knew she has a talent for turning in "bad day humor". 

Without the word restriction we faced in the spring collaboration challenge, we expanded that into TWO chapters. PiP furnished a new poem for the adaptation, and I "adapted" it by integration into some lyrics I wrote five years ago. In PiP's latest, she threw a bone to the hook in those lyrics which got an audible laugh from me. It was a very cool sentence and feeds perfectly into what comes up later in the lyrics' hook. I think readers will have the same reaction.

I haven't written any new material myself since Thursday night. I want to see how Carole's "Chapter Nine" shapes up before I start into a "Chapter Eleven". Chapter Ten is what would have been our "Summertime" collaboration challenge, had it not already been 3000 words before we gave up on the 1050 word limit! I should get something more written on Moods tonight.


----------



## Taylor

Well, I can only edit about 2-3 chapters a day, but I'm up to Chapter 13 now! 

Funny the things I'm picking up. Like a minor character moved to Vienna to pursue her career, but two chapters later she is living in a castle in France.   I think all my fantasies exploded over the pages...lol!.   But I'm happy with what I have edited to date.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Well, I can only edit about 2-3 chapters a day, but I'm up to Chapter 13 now!
> 
> Funny the things I'm picking up. Like a minor character moved to Vienna to pursue her career, but two chapters later she is living in a castle in France.   I think all my fantasies exploded over the pages...lol!.   But I'm happy with what I have edited to date.


The first editing passes usually take longer because there are more errors - later passes = fewer errors = go quicker.


----------



## VRanger

I did bang out the end of Chapter Three of Moods, and this latest scene was important because I had to set up a rationale for a seance to settle an intestate estate ... which is a patently ridiculous proposal. So I had to come up with a couple of good reasons to rationalize it, and hopefully I did. I hinged it on the heirs not wanting to take the chance a probate court would auction off all the family property and divide the proceeds in cash, plus a cousin who was in the missing will, and threatened to keep a court battle raging, since the normal intestate procedure would likely rule her out of a share the will provided. I have the family deciding a seance is ridiculous, unlikely to be beneficial, but if there is a small chance, why not? All they risk is wasting some time. The idea is the deceased mother might verify the contents of a document provided by the lawyer who drew up the will.

If you're an estate attorney, pretend you never read this. LOL However, I did do a good bit of research into what happens in the case of a missing will. The law was only bent a bit to protect the essence of my plot. So, 1700 words over 90 minutes tonight, after I was assured a win in my fantasy football league when Dak Prescott hit his last TD pass.


----------



## PiP

I wrote 3000 words in my head and only 1000 on the page. My MC's friends have introduced an interesting twist which ties up some loose ends that have been bugging me from earlier chapters. No doubt I will write another 2K in my sleep. Nite all


----------



## Mr.Mingo

Still practicing interpretations of different writing practices in established work. Took on writing about perspectives in William Faulkner's _As I Lay Dying, _which was a challenge to get out 700 words for, but I feel like they're well grounded. Perspective is critical to that short novel and I feel it is an often over-looked mechanic.

I do a lot of articles and short pieces on writing and literature. Fun to study these skills straight from the sources and dig into what makes these novels work.


----------



## Taylor

Interesting day!  I found an inconsistency with a small plot issue in Chapter 6 and Chapters 13, 14, 16.  So I changed 13, 14, and 16 to be in alignment with 6.  Then, when I got to Chapter 17, it was clear that Chapter 6 was wrong.  So I changed 6, then 13,14, and 16 back.   Oy vey!     But the joy is, I'm up to Chapter 18 now.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Did some scientific research for a story I am planning. Found another promising book to help me learn to write with clarity but that is available on kindle which is at a low price. Finished reading the art of creative writing by Lajos egri which is for creating characters and conflict. I recommend it. It is free to borrow and read at the free online library: the internet archive. Now I need to highlight my research findings for the science of the story. I am still waiting for the other books. The most important one probably will arrive a bit after October the 15th at the post office. It could be that it arrives later than anticipated. The book I read is probably the best book for characterization purposes. Tomorrow I also plan to watch again the syntax and fiction video and more. I will take notes after I see the videos.






						How to Write Clearly: Write with purpose, reach your reader and make your meaning crystal clear - Kindle edition by Albrighton, Tom, Kessler, Doug. Reference Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
					


How to Write Clearly: Write with purpose, reach your reader and make your meaning crystal clear - Kindle edition by Albrighton, Tom, Kessler, Doug. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading...




					www.amazon.com


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Interesting day!  I found an inconsistency with a small plot issue in Chapter 6 and Chapters 13, 14, 16.  So I changed 13, 14, and 16 to be in alignment with 6.  Then, when I got to Chapter 17, it was clear that Chapter 6 was wrong.  So I changed 6, then 13,14, and 16 back.   Oy vey!     But the joy is, I'm up to Chapter 18 now.


Editing is juggling combined with untangling knots. You'll have to comb though it again and again because often by fixing one problem you create others.
Hint: Keep notes as you edit.


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> You'll have to comb though it again and again because often by fixing one problem you create others.
> Hint: Keep notes as you edit.


Good advice. I started a new chapter and plot only to discover I needed to include more information in an earlier chapter.


----------



## KeganThompson

This is kind of late because it was yesterday but the first LM challenge I entered I won second place. So that's exciting!


----------



## VRanger

Mine's late also. Night before last I wrote a scene well beyond where we are in Poet Lariat ... thought of it in the hot tub here on vacation, and wrote it up later in the evening. This writing business is so tough. :-( Then I wrote just shy of a thousand words to start Chapter Four of Moods ... introducing the Medium who will perform the seance.

Yesterday I sort of did some editing on Part-Time Pagan God. I put it in our shared Google Drive for PiP to try out if she wants to, and decided to read ahead a bit. I found a couple of typos and kept on, so I'm in the process of giving it another read through all the way in case I pick up on any more. (Plus, I've got to admit, I got into the story again. It's been six months since my last edit pass, long enough to rediscover things I liked that I'd forgotten about).


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> Mine's late also. Night before last I wrote a scene well beyond where we are in Poet Lariat ... thought of it in the hot tub here on vacation, and wrote it up later in the evening. This writing business is so tough. :-( Then I wrote just shy of a thousand words to start Chapter Four of Moods ... introducing the Medium who will perform the seance.
> 
> Yesterday I sort of did some editing on Part-Time Pagan God. I put it in our shared Google Drive for PiP to try out if she wants to, and decided to read ahead a bit. I found a couple of typos and kept on, so I'm in the process of giving it another read through all the way in case I pick up on any more. (Plus, I've got to admit, I got into the story again. It's been six months since my last edit pass, long enough to rediscover things I liked that I'd forgotten about).


Vranger has Duracell batteries .... probably English humour.
_
I put it in our shared Google Drive for PiP to try out if she wants to, and decided to read ahead a bit._

I wondered if I was meant to read it or you shared it by mistake.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Vranger has Duracell batteries .... probably English humour.


In the US, it's the Energizer Bunny.  However, there was a Duracell battery plant in the small town we now live near, but I think they closed it down recently. More jobs drifting to China. :-(



PiP said:


> _I put it in our shared Google Drive for PiP to try out if she wants to, and decided to read ahead a bit._
> 
> I wondered if I was meant to read it or you shared it by mistake.


There's a note about it in our most recent PM chain.  By the way, the offer is open to any WF member who'd like to try it. Just PM me and let me know if you'd like a file in MOBI or ePub. It's the one about the Greek God of Luck having some issues in the modern day. Demons, Vampires and Fallen Angels, Oh My! (Not horror, though).


----------



## piperofyork

Finished the first edit of my book. Shocked to see that I cut 13K words in the last week (down to 122K). Now the deep breath before the deeper edit...


----------



## Backstroke_Italics

Nice work! I wish I had the courage to cut 10% of my draft in one edit.


----------



## Phil Istine

Another 1,850 words today of my autobiographical piece.  I'm not so sure it's a success as it's very much early first draft quality, and the feelings I'm dragging up can be a severe distraction.  But I am determined to soldier on.  It's like swimming through sewage.  Some might read it and think it is heavily embellished.  I wish it was; any embellishments are slight and infrequent.
And thank you to the owners for allowing me to tuck it away in Dante's.  You may never truly know how precious I am finding that facility.


----------



## indianroads

Currently plowing through the plot outline of the Last Ride - got through Chapter 15 today. It looks like the book will have more chapters than I initially planned. Same word count, but the plot has to be broken up conveniently - so I brought it from 30 chapters to probably 35. To reach the sweet spot in the full written draft I'll write about 2900 words per chapter (102 K total), then edit it down to the high 90K range.

I'm creating a puzzle that I hope the readers won't be certain of until the last two chapters.

Excited and feeling good about it.


----------



## Phil Istine

And another 750 pain-seared words tumble from my fingers.  I'm going out to play for a while.


----------



## Mark Twain't

I've finished converting Kill And Be Killed from past to present tense. Still a way to go but much happier about it now.


----------



## indianroads

This may be an odd achievement - but yesterday I did NOT write. Well... ok, I think I posted on WF in the morning, but that was it. Instead my wife and I took a ride into the mountains to see the changing seasonal colors. It was a nice day, and since I'm overly committed to writing, skipping a day amounts to an achievement.


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> This may be an odd achievement - but yesterday I did NOT write. Well... ok, I think I posted on WF in the morning, but that was it. Instead my wife and I took a ride into the mountains to see the changing seasonal colors. It was a nice day, and since I'm overly committed to writing, skipping a day amounts to an achievement.


 I read somewhere you write six hours a day? So yes, it is an achievement.   But did you manage to switch off your brain?


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> I read somewhere you write six hours a day? So yes, it is an achievement.   But did you manage to switch off your brain?


Actually yes. It was a beautiful day, lots of color in the mountains - it's not quite down to our house in the lowlands (7,000 elevation) but above 8,000 feet it was spectacular. I'm back working on the plot now, and it's coming together a bit easier.


----------



## Stormcat

Today, in a non-writing channel of Discord, I mentioned I was writing a book. I didn't even say what it was about or how close to finished it was, but people got excited to read it! I have fans!


----------



## VRanger

Either PiP or I had to take plunge into chapter eleven, and I took on the challenge. And it WAS a challenge for me, because I had to write a relationship starter ... my first. This is a gray area for our collaboration, because she is writing Julia, and I'm writing Cal. Every once in a while, we have to write a scene with both, and that's going to be more common from this point on. We have to be in tune with each other's character. I think I did a good job, but PiP will have to chime in to confirm if that's true. LOL

Only 900 words, but for a scene I had to take baby steps to craft.


----------



## LoveofWriting

Recently I wrote about 500 words and now I am about 55k words out of 80k, good luck to me.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> Either PiP or I had to take plunge into chapter eleven, and I took on the challenge. And it WAS a challenge for me, because I had to write a relationship starter ... my first. This is a gray area for our collaboration, because she is writing Julia, and I'm writing Cal. Every once in a while, we have to write a scene with both, and that's going to be more common from this point on. We have to be in tune with each other's character. I think I did a good job, but PiP will have to chime in to confirm if that's true. LOL


You did. Dialogue is very good... but men have no idea what women are really thinking LoL Our thoughts are more complex. *Just teasing!* LoL I wonder why we had stalled on Chapter 11.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I am still trying to finish up the editing and polishing of my nonfiction book. This is the hardest job in the world! The only way I can do it now is by taking it page by page, small chunks at a time. I'm exhausted. Mainly, the doggone end notes are doing me in. I did one huge segment with end notes yesterday so I'm pleased with that. I'm now having trouble deciding when end notes are necessary. I read similar books and the authors treat the displayed knowledge as if it's mostly their own. But it can't be that they can recall without help hundreds of exact dates, quotations, titles, and movements.  I hope I'll get it all figured out.  So the joy for me today is that I made a small dent in the mess.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> You did. Dialogue is very good... but men have no idea what women are really thinking LoL Our thoughts are more complex. *Just teasing!* LoL I wonder why we had stalled on Chapter 11.


_I_ have complex thoughts. I have a White Knight Complex, a Collector Complex, and a Type A Complex, at the very least. So there!


----------



## indianroads

Back in the writing saddle... weird metaphor... but never mind. 
Blew past the halfway mark in my plot draft. Working on Chapter 20 now. Also deleted a chapter, reducing the count to 34 - this was done to tighten the ending. I have a good feeling about story.


----------



## VRanger

Today I did a complete read through of the 10+ chapters PiP and I have completed in Poet Lariat. I found a couple of places where early ideas for character names had changed, and cleaned that up. I found a few things to edit a bit, and answered a couple of questions PiP asked to make sure she wasn't breaking continuity in what she's currently writing. I got to, again, enjoy a few cool lines each of us have produced. 

I also suggested that our story organization should lead with her first two chapters about Julia, followed by my first two Cal chapters. Originally, they sat as Cal in chapters one and three, and Julia in two and four. However, Julia has considerable action which occurs well before Cal's introduction, so without explicitly doing flashbacks, Julia should come first. Plus, as this is a Rom Com, I really think it should lead with the FMC.


----------



## PiP

I have decided to buy myself a whiteboard and post-it notes so I can keep track of names, places who said what and where, from earlier chapters. My memory is reasonably good but as the plot becomes more involved it is the little things that trip me up ... I also need to keep track of Vranger's characters times and dates as well as my own.

Last night was the first time we were working together in real-time via google docs and conversation. As I was writing chapter 11 and exploring the nuances of the start of a blossoming relationship between Cal and Julia, there was Jim's little red cursor following along several sentences behind me. Er... no pressure PiP LoL  I am such a slow writer at times I spent three-quarters of the time thinking. Poor Jim probably felt like he was pushing a juggernaut up a mountain inch by inch LoL

Anyone else working on a collab project?


----------



## Phoenix Rose

I finalized my blurb-final-final-no-really-final-9.doc and sent it to my editor. 

*Falls over dead *


----------



## Phoenix Rose

PiP said:


> I have decided to buy myself a whiteboard and post-it notes so I can keep track of names, places who said what and where, from earlier chapters. My memory is reasonably good but as the plot becomes more involved it is the little things that trip me up ... I also need to keep track of Jim's characters times and dates as well as my own.
> 
> Last night was the first time we were working together in real-time via google docs and conversation. As I was writing chapter 11 and exploring the nuances of the start of a blossoming relationship between Cal and Julia, there was Jim's little red cursor following along several sentences behind me. Er... no pressure PiP LoL  I am such a slow writer at times I spent three-quarters of the time thinking. Poor Jim probably felt like he was pushing a juggernaut up a mountain inch by inch LoL
> 
> Anyone else working on a collab project?


No, but that sounds both perilous and fun.  Good luck with it!


----------



## VRanger

Phoenix Rose said:


> No, but that sounds both perilous and fun.  Good luck with it!


It's a lot of fun. Yesterday will be a unique experience. I didn't really understand, since I hadn't done it before, that if two people have a shared document open simultaneously, there are cursors for each. I added commas to a sentence, then saw the sentence retyped. "Uh oh", I sez. I made a comment in the sidebar to promise PiP that henceforth, I'd let her finish writing a sentence before I edit it. 

I believe there could be a great many pitfalls in a collaboration. However, PiP and I have an easy time accepting each other's ideas for where the story might go, we're both productive writers, our skill levels are well matched, and our styles complement each the other. Any of those four things have potential to cause issues, I would think. In one of the collaborative chapters (meaning content from both of us in the same chapter) written several weeks ago, I sometimes can't recall who wrote what until I run across a word spelled differently between British and American writing, or an instance of unique slang/idiom. As an added bonus, we honestly enjoy reading each other's work.

I'm going to pitch the differences just mentioned as a "feature" when we submit. Part of the novel's interest SHOULD come from the nature of the collaboration, and I think those differences will add real color (or colour) to the book.

I've been wondering for several days if there is a "book outside the book" ... in other words ... writing a short, instructive non-fiction on how our collaborative process developed, came to work, and proceeds through the project. All of our notes on how we decided to start the project and how it's developed exist either in Conversations here, or the margins of Google Docs.


----------



## PiP

Tonight vranger and I conducted an experiment by writing dialogue interactively using Google Docs. It felt like the characters were actually having a live conversation as we followed letters then words across the page. It was AMAZING. We wrote 1200 words of dialogue using this method. A method Jim will explain far better than me as it's nearly 00.30 here. That's certainly taking writing collaboration to the next level.


----------



## VRanger

I don't know if it was a unique experience, but I'll bet it was VERY unusual, and it was fascinating. I started out by writing a 500-word intro scene ending with Cal's first line of dialogue for the interaction portion. After that, including spoken dialogue, internal dialogue, and incidental action, we actually wrote 1566 words. Half a chapter with our nominal budget of 3K per chapter ... which we consistently run over.

After seeing each other's presence in the same document earlier in the week, it turns out we had both independently considered trying a 'live collaborative session'.

I broke the promise I talked about. Sometimes I fixed a typo at the start of a sentence while PiP was still writing toward the end of a sentence. LOL I asked her what she thought of having a real-time flesh-and-blood auto-correct. (She didn't answer, which made me nervous).

Most of it was stream of consciousness, keeping in mind what we know of our characters from the novel to that point, but we also made a few notes to each other at the bottom of the document for a couple of directions to take the conversation or action. With Cal a song writer, and Julia a poet, much of the conversation, held at a table poolside during a barbecue, involved the characters discussing their writing. The goal of the session was a conversation to build some affinity between the characters, as they are the focus of the Romance.


----------



## JBF

I finally got a chance to sit down and write, and barring disaster seem to be making some headway on the Halloween-season story from hell.  

Quality is dubious, but it's something.


----------



## piperofyork

Finished a ten page outline for my second novel. My first book (still being edited) started in a 'pantser' way, but I morphed into a plotter the deeper I got into the experience of writing it. Now there is no doubt: I'm a plotter.


----------



## indianroads

piperofyork said:


> Finished a ten page outline for my second novel. My first book (still being edited) started in a 'pantser' way, but I morphed into a plotter the deeper I got into the experience of writing it. Now there is no doubt: I'm a plotter.


Welcome fellow plotter.


----------



## VRanger

PiP and I had a Google Docs session earlier tonight where we discussed the focus and some plot points for upcoming scenes in our current chapter, and we each wrote a couple of scenes. I had a few of suggestions for her first one (between her character, Julia, and my character's sister, Hope). There was a point I needed made to Hope that springboards a good bit of future action for Hope.

Once PiP had to retire for the evening, I made a new version file for the chapter (12) and organized all our new stuff into it, which is some work. We had material here and there, and some of it out of order.

We're at 42.5K, which has to be about halfway of our word budget. I think we'll wind up wrapping up this story well short of the end of our chapter-by-chapter synopsis. That's OK, material is already there for the sequel. ;-)

PiP is writing some quite clever material. I got lucky we fell in together as writing partners.


----------



## PiP

Yes, I was about to enjoy a nice piece of steak at Cals favourite restaurant when I had to close down for the night.. 0030. Gutted. I went to bed hungry and dreaming of steak. BUT…it was good to walk away because it gave me opportunity to think of a slightly different angle to the conversation :men and food…and sex which could add some humour… or not. We will see.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> Yes, I was about to enjoy a nice piece of steak at Cals favourite restaurant when I had to close down for the night.. 0030. Gutted. I went to bed hungry and dreaming of steak. BUT…it was good to walk away because it gave me opportunity to think of a slightly different angle to the conversation :men and food…and sex which could add some humour… or not. We will see.


My wife is half Indonesian… where cannibals persist on a few remote islands, so predictably jokes fly with me suggesting she write a cookbook… you know: How To Serve Man.


----------



## VRanger

I edited PiPs' lengthy scene that ended Chapter 12. She had taken on a tough, tricky scene, and made a fine job of it. I added a couple of details and made a couple of small changes for continuity, then wrote 1500 words in two scenes for Chapter 13, plus made some notes for the order of action we probably want to use in 13. PiP will need to add her seal of approval to those suggestions. She has the closing scene in Chapter 13, too, and it's not a clearly easy one, either. However, every time I think we have a section that could be difficult to manage, one or the other rises to the occasion. That makes it fun. 

Tonight I wrote another 1000 words on Moods, which took me through the seance and the second murder. I've been so concentrated on Poet Lariat I haven't done much on Moods lately, just the start of Chapter 4 while we were at the beach last week. To my credit, since I was on vacation, I did a LOT more reading than writing on the trip. I can occasionally be dissuaded from workaholic tendencies.


----------



## bdcharles

I've managed to continue with rewrites / edits on my WIP two mornings in a row, with only a few minor distractions.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> I edited PiPs' lengthy scene that ended Chapter 12. She had taken on a tough, tricky scene, and made a fine job of it. I added a couple of details and made a couple of small changes for continuity, then wrote 1500 words in two scenes for Chapter 13, plus made some notes for the order of action we probably want to use in 13. PiP will need to add her seal of approval to those suggestions. She has the closing scene in Chapter 13, too, and it's not a clearly easy one, either. However, every time I think we have a section that could be difficult to manage, one or the other rises to the occasion. That makes it fun.


As you can see, Jim is the brains ... I am so impressed by his organisational and editing skills! To be honest without him I would have lost the plot ages ago. Now I just keep my head down and write ... and follow the plotline. What surprises me is the differences in language and culture. He suggested one scene and my response English ladies would not do or say that. LoL



vranger said:


> Tonight I wrote another 1000 words on Moods, which took me through the seance and the second murder. I've been so concentrated on Poet Lariat I haven't done much on Moods lately, just the start of Chapter 4 while we were at the beach last week. To my credit, since I was on vacation, I did a LOT more reading than writing on the trip. I can occasionally be dissuaded from workaholic tendencies.


I don't know how you manage to cram so much in a day!


----------



## LoveofWriting

Wrote about 100 words today. So far I am at 61k out of 80k in my W.I.P, I hope you all will beta read it when its finished.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> As you can see, Jim is the brains ... I am so impressed by his organisational and editing skills! To be honest without him I would have lost the plot ages ago. Now I just keep my head down and write ... and follow the plotline. What surprises me is the differences in language and culture. He suggested one scene and my response English ladies would not do or say that. LoL


One reason I wouldn't be on a project like this without you.  I can write good stuff with female characters, but nowhere, and at no time am I going to, solo, attempt the final say on 'girl talk'. LOL


PiP said:


> I don't know how you manage to cram so much in a day!


I sit at the computer too much. It helps that my computer is in our den. So whatever else is going on, I've got a keyboard in my lap!


----------



## Taylor

I finished the first edit of draft-V2 on Thursday.  On Friday a friend took me out for lunch to celebrate.  And yesterday we hosted a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving extended family dinner.  But now I am feeling immense pressure to get the novel read-ready.  Can I tell you how many times I have heard, "I can't wait to read it"?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I finished the first edit of draft-V2 on Thursday.  On Friday a friend took me out for lunch to celebrate.  And yesterday we hosted a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving extended family dinner.  But now I am feeling immense pressure to get the novel read-ready.  Can I tell you how many times I have heard, "I can't wait to read it"?


+1 : I can't wait to read it.


----------



## Visualinotion

I'd like to share the good news: a coleague illustrator asked me if I had some work that I'd like to give him for character design since he knows I write. And I talked with him about my novel and he agreed to make some concepts for the species in my fantasy world. I could draw them myself, but I always thought I would like other illustrators try it first so they don't get influenced by my designs. So maybe I'll do some kind of encyclopedia with his designs and a brief description of the species and their purpose inside the Empire. I'd like to have a lot of people designing them actually ·_· Maybe more friends try it when they see the encyclopedia?


----------



## indianroads

Finished with the first full draft of the Last Ride. Believe it or not the plot came out at nearly 22K words, which is fine for a work of this complexity. I'm pleased with it, but will still do some work on it before starting in on the full writing draft.
Anyway - yay!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Finally. At last. I did it. I finished getting the many end notes in my book consistent. That was a chore and a half but I finished that part this evening. I'm not computer savvy so sometimes, too often really, I made more problems than I solved as I tried to figure out how to do end notes. Now I need to go through the entire thing a time or two more and then I should be able to get it to the publisher. I've wanted to quit so often but I stuck with it. At times I honestly thought setting up the end notes was going to finish me off. But I'm still kicking after all.


----------



## VRanger

A couple of days' worth of stuff in this comment:

PiP and I just spent a considerable effort tweaking Chapter One of Poet Lariat. She wound up keeping my suggested "girl talk" scene with not that much alteration, which flattered me.  She has a rather dark beginning for her character, Julia, and since this is a Rom Com, we wanted to end the chapter on a humorous note and blunt some of that early atmosphere ... so we put some attention on that.

Last night I wrote the seance scene in Moods, and read it to Betty. The seance comes to an abrupt and unexpected end. I found Betty's response encouraging, "That's it? I was really starting to get into that!" If a reader wants more, you wrote it well. 

The result of the seance sticks my MC with a bunch of spirits connected to him, which are able to possess him. Tonight I wrote the first possession scene. This is a challenge, because with each possession, I'm going to have to write in the voice of that spirit's character. Tonight was "the Dandy".

The "first possession" is only 700 words. That doesn't tip the scales on production, but both scenes are examples of stage setters that are important to get right.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> A couple of days' worth of stuff in this comment:
> 
> PiP and I just spent a considerable effort tweaking Chapter One of Poet Lariat. She wound up keeping my suggested "girl talk" scene with not that much alteration, which flattered me.  She has a rather dark beginning for her character, Julia, and since this is a Rom Com, we wanted to end the chapter on a humorous note and blunt some of that early atmosphere ... so we put some attention on that.


LoL ... yep, I loved the idea *in the end* ...but there is a BIG difference between American girl talk and English. BUT, I kept an open mind and after making a few tweaks ... for example, replacing the word stockings for clothes ... who wears stockings in the UK - girls wear tights? LoL and in UK women wear pants or knickers but pants are trousers in the US? Clothes are hopefully generic. We worked on the chapter for a couple of hours and totally transformed it - several new ideas bounced back and forth which we will expand into later chapters. I love it! Just goes to show in a collab it is important to keep an open mind and learn how to make a bridge between cultures while maintaining the difference ... if that makes sense LoL We worked in GD so I found it fascinating to watch as Jim suggested some alternatives to some passive voice sentences and I watched the sentences change before my eyes in real-time.


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> LoL ... yep, I loved the idea *in the end* ...but there is a BIG difference between American girl talk and English.


Hmm...did not know girl talk was regional...lol!   PiP, you and I will have to engage in some girl talk so I can see the difference.


PiP said:


> BUT, I kept an open mind and after making a few tweaks ... for example, replacing the word stockings for clothes ... who wears stockings in the UK - girls wear tights? LoL and in UK women wear pants or knickers but pants are trousers in the US? Clothes are hopefully generic.


I would suggest that they are tights if they are not see-through.  Anything 20 deniers or less, opaque or sheer, I would call them nylons, pantyhose, or just hose...not to be confused with hoes. Stockings, only if there is a garter belt involved, pre-1960 or?     And, I refer to my pants as pants.  Just checked a number of online ladies' stores...and yup...it's pants.  Whew...I can continue to be a pantser...not a trouserser.


PiP said:


> We worked on the chapter for a couple of hours and totally transformed it - several new ideas bounced back and forth which we expand into later chapters. I love it! Just goes to show in a collab it is important to keep an open mind and learn how to make a bridge between cultures while maintaining the difference ... if that makes sense LoL We worked in GD so I found it fascinating to watch as Jim suggested some alternatives to some passive voice sentences and I watched the sentences change before my eyes in real-time.


@vranger, @PiP... such a great idea to collab on GD!  Sooo looking forward to reading this.  Kudos to you both.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> @vranger, @PiP... such a great idea to collab on GD!  Sooo looking forward to reading this.  Kudos to you both.


I didn't know whether to Like, Thanks, or HaHa that comment, Taylor. That's the one thing I liked better about the previous software, I'd have done all three. 

Plus, I'M SO GLAD you chimed in and I didn't have to try to sort through women's clothes across the Atlantic!


----------



## indigostar

Joining here!


----------



## Taylor

vranger said:


> I didn't know whether to Like, Thanks, or HaHa that comment, Taylor. That's the one thing I liked better about the previous software, I'd have done all three.
> 
> Plus, I'M SO GLAD you chimed in and I didn't have to try to sort through women's clothes across the Atlantic!


You HAD to know I couldn't resist an opportunity to comment about clothing.


----------



## indianroads

@Taylor : Fashion note from my next novel Inception... the one you suggested I write.

_“I’m no crazier than anyone else in Silicon Valley.”

“That’s true; you’re certainly not as bad as some of the programmers I work with.” Mel chuckled. “Clashing colors, stupid sci-fi tee-shirts, plaid shorts, and worn out sandals. And what’s with the calculator on their hip? Seriously, they look like gunslingers wearing those things.”

“Silicon Valley owes its success to those guys,” he replied._


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> @Taylor : Fashion note from my next novel Inception... the one you suggested I write.
> 
> _“I’m no crazier than anyone else in Silicon Valley.”
> 
> “That’s true; you’re certainly not as bad as some of the programmers I work with.” Mel chuckled. “Clashing colors, stupid sci-fi tee-shirts, plaid shorts, and worn out sandals. And what’s with the calculator on their hip? Seriously, they look like gunslingers wearing those things.”
> 
> “Silicon Valley owes its success to those guys,” he replied._


Oh yes...I know that look.  You have captured it well!


----------



## indianroads

For credibility, programmers MUST wear the uniform.


----------



## Mr.Mingo

indianroads said:


> “That’s true; you’re certainly not as bad as some of the programmers I work with.” Mel chuckled. “Clashing colors, stupid sci-fi tee-shirts, plaid shorts, and worn out sandals. And what’s with the calculator on their hip? Seriously, they look like gunslingers wearing those things.”



Sounds pretty nineties to early 2000's. Nowadays, they just look strung out. Lots of hoodies, baggie shorts, or sweatpants. Permanent dead stare and darkened eyes. Unless they lucked out and made a good platform. Then they're multi-millionaires to billionaires. 




indianroads said:


> Silicon Valley owes its success to those guys,” he replied.



The silicon forest and the silicon desert do mostly too.


----------



## indianroads

Mr.Mingo said:


> Sounds pretty nineties to early 2000's. Nowadays, they just look strung out. Lots of hoodies, baggie shorts, or sweatpants. Permanent dead stare and darkened eyes. Unless they lucked out and made a good platform. Then they're multi-millionaires to billionaires.
> 
> The silicon forest and the silicon desert do mostly too.


Probably so - I retired and moved away from Silly-con valley in 2006. This novel is set in 2042 - so perhaps that style will return, but I'll probably turn the calculators into phone apps or portable terminals.

My success of the day is getting back into editing Inception (Silicon Valley thriller), dropped 95 words out of the first two chapters.


----------



## PiP

My joy today is finally completing a tricky scene which faded to black before it needed an XXX certificate. I have not laughed so much since pre covid…


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> My joy today is finally completing a tricky scene which faded to black before it needed an XXX certificate. I have not laughed so much since pre covid…


I prefer leaving the XXX scenes to the reader's imagination... but that may be because I embarrass easily.


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> I prefer leaving the XXX scenes to the reader's imagination... but that may be because I embarrass easily.


Exactly.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I prefer leaving the XXX scenes to the reader's imagination... but that may be because I embarrass easily.


Yeah, I explained to PiP that I've still got "What if my Mother read this syndrome", even though Mom isn't still around.

But no, we're not writing Romance Erotica, we're writing a Rom Com. PiP went just far enough to be funny infused with Habanero sauce. ;-) We had a funny moment last night when she considered including a reference to a TV character with a bizarre name in her dream sequence. I said, "Just one other thought I had. We're in a hyped-up sexy situation here, with both characters wondering if they should have gone farther. The name "Worzel Gummidge" kind of blows the mood for me."

Here's what I have to put up with from my writing partner:


> I am laughing so hard my body is wobbling and my desk is shaking along with my Screen. Worzel is better than a cold shower. I can hardly type ....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I thought this book was aimed at women LoL


----------



## indianroads

vranger said:


> Yeah, I explained to PiP that I've still got "What if my Mother read this syndrome", even though Mom isn't still around.
> 
> But no, we're not writing Romance Erotica, we're writing a Rom Com. PiP went just far enough to be funny infused with Habanero sauce. ;-) We had a funny moment last night when she considered including a reference to a TV character with a bizarre name in her dream sequence. I said, "Just one other thought I had. We're in a hyped-up sexy situation here, with both characters wondering if they should have gone farther. The name "Worzel Gummidge" kind of blows the mood for me."
> 
> Here's what I have to put up with from my writing partner:


That's a lot better than Wonder Warthog.


----------



## VRanger

There were some scene stubs for PiP for Chapter 14, and she wrote scene intros for both of them. Very promising for what's about to happen in the scenes. Will Julia tell Cal's sister Hope about "The Dream"??? I'm actually anxious to know.  

I wrote an ending scene for the Tucson Tex concert at Lake Tahoe. Then I wrote an opening scene for the next chapter where Julia's nasty ex Eddie shows up to try to access the gravy train. That scene has yet to get PiP's stamp of approval, though. I've got Brit slang in it, and she must approve and/or edit it.

The concert was originally slated, I think, for Chapter 11. Now it may move back, again, to Chapter 16! LOL That's not excess content on our part, it was my initial plotting not taking into account how much room we needed for character interaction and dynamics up to that point.

A couple of times while PiP is writing in Google Docs I've had the doc open at the same time, watching her write, which has been interesting and fun. She paid me back last night, she revealed, watching as I typed up the end of the concert. Normally I would have typed that in Scrivener and pasted it over. Not sure why I wrote it directly in GD last night, but I'm glad I gave PiP a chance at revenge. LOL

So we've invented a new concept: Author Voyerism!


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> So we've invented a new concept: Author Voyerism!









You might have something there, Jim! AND I just realised this post was not a private convo ...


----------



## Foxee

vranger said:


> So we've invented a new concept: Author Voyerism!


Hate to break this to ya but my collab partner and I have been writing in real-time on Google Docs (my kids referred to it as The Ghost) for years.

The term Author Voyeurism is new, though!


----------



## VRanger

Foxee said:


> Hate to break this to ya but my collab partner and I have been writing in real-time on Google Docs (my kids referred to it as The Ghost) for years.
> 
> The term Author Voyeurism is new, though!


Yeah, but were you sneaking a peek when you had no reason to do so other than insatiable curiosity? If the answer is Yes, then yes, you beat us to it.


----------



## Foxee

vranger said:


> Yeah, but were you sneaking a peek when you had no reason to do so other than insatiable curiosity? If the answer is Yes, then yes, you beat us to it.


Nah. I just outright watched.

...whoops.


----------



## PiP

Foxee said:


> Nah. I just outright watched.
> 
> ...whoops.


NExt time I have to write a sex scene I'll invite you along for a threesome ... maybe you can offer some tips...COZ men just ain't got a clue


----------



## indianroads

About a quarter of the way through the 4th edit of Inception. It's looking good so far, removing a few dead ends and filling minor plot holes.

Last night an idea for a two book series came to me. I'll let it percolate in my mind until Inception is done, then rough it out to see if the story has legs; I'm pretty sure it does, and it's a story I've not read before.


----------



## Taylor

Woke up at 4:00 am, wide awake, and decided instead of tossing and turning, I'd get up and write.  Spent an hour researching the real-life case, that will form the basis for my Titan Series, Book 2 plot.  Then, I went crazy developing a new spreadsheet. (Sorry @Ralph Rotten)  This template is comprehensive and dynamic. Unlike Book 1, it has the chapters as column headings.  That way the rows can be expanded to meet various data needs without expanding the columns or rows that don't need much space.  Plus the 'Freeze Screen' function allows me to see all categories with one chapter at a glance.  I also set up characters and settings to have individual cells so I can use pivot tables to see each character by date, setting, scene, etc. I had issues last time with keeping characters' actions in alignment and not being repetitive, so this will help me locate relevant conversations and beats.  And at the very least, it is an efficient way to capture those fleeting ideas before they get away!

You can take the girl out of auditing, but you can't take auditing out of the girl!


----------



## JBF

PiP said:


> NExt time I have to write a sex scene I'll invite you along for a threesome ... maybe you can offer some tips...COZ men just ain't got a clue



- cue soap opera music - 

_Today, on Days of Our Writing Forums..._


----------



## indianroads

JBF said:


> - cue soap opera music -
> 
> _Today, on Days of Our Writing Forums..._


Boom-chicka-wow-wow.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Woke up at 4:00 am, wide awake, and decided instead of tossing and turning, I'd get up and write.  Spent an hour researching the real-life case, that will form the basis for my Titan Series, Book 2 plot.  Then, I went crazy developing a new spreadsheet. (Sorry @Ralph Rotten)  This template is comprehensive and dynamic. Unlike Book 1, it has the chapters as column headings.  That way the rows can be expanded to meet various data needs without expanding the columns or rows that don't need much space.  Plus the 'Freeze Screen' function allows me to see all categories with one chapter at a glance.  I also set up characters and settings to have individual cells so I can use pivot tables to see each character by date, setting, scene, etc. I had issues last time with keeping characters' actions in alignment and not being repetitive, so this will help me locate relevant conversations and beats.  And at the very least, it is an efficient way to capture those fleeting ideas before they get away!
> 
> You can take the girl out of auditing, but you can't take auditing out of the girl!


WOW! I'm really impressed! 
I believe that a lot of the struggle of writing can be alleviated by being organized. I'm also glad to see you take on larger and more complex projects - we learn and grow by doing.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> NExt time I have to write a sex scene I'll invite you along for a threesome ... maybe you can offer some tips...COZ men just ain't got a clue


I'm speechless. But turned on ...

(I'll have to go all Jimmy Stewart on you ladies. "You want to see kissing? I'll write you some kissing that'll curl your toes!")


----------



## KatPC

Taylor said:


> Woke up at 4:00 am, wide awake, and decided instead of tossing and turning, I'd get up and write.  Spent an hour researching the real-life case, that will form the basis for my Titan Series, Book 2 plot.  Then, I went crazy developing a new spreadsheet. (Sorry @Ralph Rotten)  This template is comprehensive and dynamic. Unlike Book 1, it has the chapters as column headings.  That way the rows can be expanded to meet various data needs without expanding the columns or rows that don't need much space.  Plus the 'Freeze Screen' function allows me to see all categories with one chapter at a glance.  I also set up characters and settings to have individual cells so I can use pivot tables to see each character by date, setting, scene, etc. I had issues last time with keeping characters' actions in alignment and not being repetitive, so this will help me locate relevant conversations and beats.  And at the very least, it is an efficient way to capture those fleeting ideas before they get away!
> 
> You can take the girl out of auditing, but you can't take auditing out of the girl!



** I feel like a spider in the corner of your room eavesdropping into your conversations. 

"Hahaha," Spida says, feet behind it's head, erm, I mean, I say (I'm Spida, this is getting confusing, it's very late here, actually I'm there in your room eavesdropping, this comment isn't going well, backup!) 

"Well done @Taylor. I love it when people can 'pinch' a few moments here and there to do something productive and being very organised."

** Blows the trumpet in celebration.

Actually I'm a spider. I better hide into the dark and make another home, you might destroy my first but tomorrow I will wake you up at 5am with my Spider singing.

"Mwahahaha ..."
** Cough cough **

"It's not Covid, I think I had a fly stuck in my mouth.

(Sorry for this silly reply ... it is late here in the UK and the mind is in a funny mood ... too much story writing! - Don't take offense!)


----------



## VRanger

PiP and I blew past 53K words yesterday, with some additional content pending that she's written but is massaging. She wrote a great scene between Hope (MMC's sister) and Julia (FMC) about the dinner date from the previous evening. Hope wanted to know what happened. I wrote a scene where Eddie (Julia's ex) chases her to the States and almost doesn't recognize her as he watches for her in the lobby of the hotel, and also a scene where I dropped a surprise on PiP that I'd been planning for a couple of days. 

PiP is working on scenes before and during the concert, especially where Cal's (MMC) ex shows up and gets catty.

I realized something yesterday. I've mentioned that if I wasn't collaborating with PiP, there is no way I'd be writing this book, and I'm very glad I'm writing this book. However, I'm also doing some of my better writing, and I ALSO owe that to PiP. I'm very keen to write a scene she's going to enjoy reading when she gets it. My normal projects, I'm happy with what I'm writing, but my first reader is somewhere down the road. Here, my first reader for a scene is only hours away, and it doesn't matter that it's my writing partner. It's making a difference.

@PiP, does that mean you're a Muse? ;-) (or simply amused)


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> @PiP, does that mean you're a Muse? ;-) (or simply amused)


I don't know but I think our writing and behind-the-scenes banter has also kept YOUR good lady amused and entertained. LoL. A comedy collab could almost be a book in itself with its own story.

I certainly would not have attempted such a project so we have our dear friend @Foxee to thank for the collab. I wish more WF members would at least try the 1000 word challenge to test the waters.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> WOW! I'm really impressed!
> I believe that a lot of the struggle of writing can be alleviated by being organized. I'm also glad to see you take on larger and more complex projects - we learn and grow by doing.


I am coming to agree with you on the organization part. And actually, it's not a larger or more complex project.  Book 2 will follow suit in size and complexity of Book 1.  It's just that on the first one, I didn't know what I was doing.  I stopped writing twice to devise some type of system, albeit crude, when I couldn't arrange my thoughts, and on the first edit, I found a few inconsistencies and repeats.  So, the added complexity you mention is all in the organization.  

_Oh, what a tangled web we weave!_
   -Sir Walter Scott


----------



## indianroads

I’m halfway through the 4th edit of Inception. WC dropped by 100 so far, the largest part taken from chapter 1 where I deleted a short paragraph. In all, the process is going well. Next up is the concatenation of the separate chapters into book format.


----------



## Backstroke_Italics

vranger, I'm jealous of your excellent collaboration. Maybe I should steal your idea to make myself more productive...


----------



## VRanger

Today's writing success had nothing to do with producing new prose. Since we're writing scenes out of order at times, PiP wasn't sure if something she was about to write was too early. I realized I didn't know, either. So last night I went into our plot outline and added notes for each scene in the last three chapters, bookmarked the scenes in the chapter files, and hyperlinked the entries in the plot outline to the bookmarks.

Today I did that for the first 13 chapters, and at the same time cleaned up action for a few notes we had outstanding. I actually did write just a few paragraphs where PiP wanted to move one bit of action to a later chapter, and it needed some foundation to support it in the new spot.

This will be our policy from now on ... as soon as we add a scene or a scene stub, I'll bookmark it, add it to the outline, and link it. We're undergoing "on the job training" as we settle into this collaboration.

I have also learned to NOT number future chapters. LOL Now all future chapters are listed as Chapter ??. ;-)

We listed out a sub-plot for a supporting character, and I have no idea where each point in that sub-plot will fall in future chapters, so I just numbered those plot points, and as they wind up coming into the story, they'll get listed as scenes (or parts of scenes), and get deleted from the current list.

I did insert a one-liner into a scene PiP was writing earlier tonight, and colored it in light gray to indicate it was just a suggestion. The next time I looked at the file, she had recolored it same as her text, so I was happy to see she approved!


----------



## PiP

Backstroke_Italics said:


> vranger, I'm jealous of your excellent collaboration. Maybe I should steal your idea to make myself more productive...


Hey, why not put yourself forward for Foxee's collab challenge it's only 1000 words so only about 500 each.   IT's a great way to be productive especially if you hook up with a partner with a pointy stick. (as in whip). Just joking.


----------



## Taylor

Another 4:00 am rising.  This time straight to the keyboard.  My office faces a water view and there was a spectacular sunrise...not too painful, and eased the following struggle.   One little man on the shoulder..._you can't do it again...you can't do it again_.  On the other shoulder, another little man ..._yes you can...yes you can...YES, YOU CAN!_

And I DID!  I strung together a diverse group of characters and connected them to the underlying case.  Then, what I'm most proud about is that I discovered in my settings a place they will have a reason to all meet on a regular basis.  This was major because, at the end of Book 1, all the main characters ended up living in different cities.  

Oh, what joy!!


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> One little man on the shoulder..._you can't do it again...you can't do it again_.  On the other shoulder, another little man ..._yes you can...yes you can...YES, YOU CAN!_
> 
> Oh, what joy!!


Always my biggest source of nerves. I read back over a chapter, like it, and think WHERE did that come from? How do I write that again? LOL But I do. I worry about it less now than a couple of years ago.


----------



## LoveofWriting

Did some editing on my grimdark short story and wrote a bit of my novel W.I.P, that will do it for me.


----------



## Riptide

Got to 48k on Acorn. Slowly chipping away at it. 500 here, 500 there. Not really paying attention to my daily wc anymore and just chugging along.



Taylor said:


> Another 4:00 am rising.  This time straight to the keyboard.  My office faces a water view and there was a spectacular sunrise...not too painful, and eased the following struggle.   One little man on the shoulder..._you can't do it again...you can't do it again_.  On the other shoulder, another little man ..._yes you can...yes you can...YES, YOU CAN!_
> 
> And I DID!  I strung together a diverse group of characters and connected them to the underlying case.  Then, what I'm most proud about is that I discovered in my settings a place they will have a reason to all meet on a regular basis.  This was major because, at the end of Book 1, all the main characters ended up living in different cities.
> 
> Oh, what joy!!


Unlike this masterpiece of early rising, I can't seem to do that, though I do rouse up at 3 every day for some unknown reason and fall promptly back asleep... but last night I managed to stay up until like 11 writing. Of course... I was also three drinks in and a bit tipsy. Maybe I should do what the great do and just... keep myself drunk to write.


----------



## VRanger

Riptide said:


> Of course... I was also three drinks in and a bit tipsy. Maybe I should do what the great do and just... keep myself drunk to write.


One of my song lyrics is "I Write All My Best Songs When I'm Drunk" (which I always disclaim as NOT biographical). I incorporated it into the collaboration as a double adaptation ... it's the adaptation of PiP's character's poem produced for adaptation, plus I adapted my original lyrics to fit in with that! (That's a lot of adapts in one sentence ... I believe a new personal record for me).


----------



## VRanger

Last night PiP finished her pre-concert and during-concert scenes, and the during-concert scene turned into another fun live collaboration. PiP had me writing dialogue and incidental action for the singing star, and we wound up each adding suggestions to the scene which added a lot of richness over what either of us would have come up with on our own.

The concert scene was one I had particular concern we get right, as it involves a LOT of crowd reaction. I've seen scenes like that written with so much hyperbole, and too little connection to what the crowd was reacting to, that they can become eye-roll candidates. I think we got the right balance where a reader will understand the crowd reactions and, in some cases, react along with them.

Like so many elements of this book, that scene was a first for either of us, so I thought it important to understand the landmines going into it.

I added a scene for the next morning between the MMC and the FMC, and got a thumbs up for it, which is important to me. I'm still feeling my way into contemporary romance, so whether I think a scene is good comes from a level of inexperience. The reactions of PiP and my wife are therefore helpful. They are not unbiased, but hopefully either one would tell me if a scene simply doesn't work.

PiP is doing a bang-up job with Julia, a character who has a pathetic start but is experiencing growth in leaps. We're at 58K words now, essentially near to the last act. I'm trying to get PiP to leave some of these reports. She's half of this team and I don't want to hog this thing.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I found a new influencer yesterday called Joe Abercrombie. He's the antithesis of my writing goals, offering me everything I need to adjust in between my flourishes, but he's equally as obsessed with word choice, sentences and paragraphs. His characters are some of the best in the business and his dialogue is incredible. Two other things I want to improve a lot. I'm stoked.


----------



## JBF

Project From Hell has exceeded 10,000 words with no end in sight.  

This is perhaps success.  Progress...I don't know.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> Last night PiP finished her pre-concert and during-concert scenes, and the during-concert scene turned into another fun live collaboration. PiP had me writing dialogue and incidental action for the singing star, and we wound up each adding suggestions to the scene which added a lot of richness over what either of us would have come up with on our own.



I enjoy the live collab scenes especially when your good lady is offering suggestions  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8we sometimes gang up on vrange).  I can't for the life of me write southern dialogue so on one scene I gave vranger the outline I needed and we wrote the dialogue interactively.



vranger said:


> I added a scene for the next morning between the MMC and the FMC, and got a thumbs up for it, which is important to me.


Yep it was good 


vranger said:


> I'm still feeling my way into contemporary romance, so whether I think a scene is good comes from a level of inexperience.



I am not saying you get the thumbs down ... some just don't 'float my boat' and I know we can do better LoL  I am honest.


vranger said:


> The reactions of PiP and my wife are therefore helpful. They are not unbiased, but hopefully either one would tell me if a scene simply doesn't work.



LoL

 last nigh I wrote a scene with ranger watching over my shoulder ... (It was a very slow process so I think at one stage he took the dog for a five-mile walk to burn off some of his restless energy- it took me over two hours to write 200 words.) when he returned ... he said ... after I added an unexpected twist he said…Ah - I was not expecting that... (and two hours later, I was still writing at 10 past midnight)  as I keep telling him:  Always expect the unexpected from women.

I once told him he is patience personified ... I write EXTREMELY slowly.



vranger said:


> PiP is doing a bang-up job with Julia, a character who has a pathetic start but is experiencing growth in leaps. We're at 58K words now, essentially near to the last act. I'm trying to get PiP to leave some of these reports. She's half of this team and I don't want to hog this thing.



Don't worry. I am usually knackered after a four-hour writing stint ... LoL AND you explain our progress far better than me.


----------



## Foxee

After a stupid dry spell where no idea seemed appealing and all of my thoughts silly, I forced myself into writing for a half-hour this morning (after allowing myself a 15-minute spell of whining on the page about our lack of income just to get it out of my head) on a scene from a NaNo novel attempt from a couple of years ago. Maybe this thing isn't as dead as it first appeared.

Also, not about myself but about my 12 year old daughter who writes all the time. She was telling me what she's working on right now and I love her ideas. We found out we were both working on telepathy stories last night which was weirdly satisfying.


----------



## indianroads

JBF said:


> Project From Hell has exceeded 10,000 words with no end in sight.
> 
> This is perhaps success.  Progress...I don't know.


Short stories can grow legs… like Clarke’s The Sentinel did.


----------



## VRanger

Foxee said:


> After a stupid dry spell where no idea seemed appealing and all of my thoughts silly


I can assure you that silly thoughts do NOT deter me from writing them. Just ask PiP. LOL


----------



## JBF

indianroads said:


> Short stories can grow legs… like Clarke’s The Sentinel did.



I watched a lot of cheesy horror movies when I was younger.

If this thing starts sprouting legs it's getting hit with a frying pan.


----------



## Foxee

JBF said:


> If this thing starts sprouting legs it's getting hit with a frying pan.


See? That's just a new chapter in the story.


----------



## JBF

Foxee said:


> See? That's just a new chapter in the story.




Kurt Russell.  Sombrero.  Shotgun.  Flamethrower.  In that order.  

It's the only real fix for this kind of thing.


----------



## NajaNoir

I let go of a sentence that I had wanted to keep. It was out of place and too jarring. Not every story needs a sunrise I guess.

So, I think that counts as a success for the day.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I've spent the last couple of days putting in end notes in an essay I wrote over twenty years ago. The publication at that time required me to merely list my sources, no page numbers required. So now, over twenty years later, a publication that wants to republish the essay asks for page numbers. That new requirement means I've had to come up with the page numbers to around twenty sources I used way back then (more than twenty years ago). I finally managed to come up with them. I'm glad I tend to hoard good books or books I've quoted so I'm happy to see I still have them all. But just that chore alone took what seemed like forever. Some lengthy books I had to explore page by page to find the quotation I used way back then. This in itself has been such a time-consuming job.  Am I happy I'll soon get to move on to the next project? You bet I am!


----------



## PiP

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I've spent the last couple of days putting in end notes in an essay I wrote over twenty years ago. The publication at that time required me to merely list my sources, no page numbers required. So now, over twenty years later, a publication that wants to republish the essay asks for page numbers. That new requirement means I've had to come up with the page numbers to around twenty sources I used way back then (more than twenty years ago). I finally managed to come up with them. I'm glad I tend to hoard good books or books I've quoted so I'm happy to see I still have them all. But just that chore alone took what seemed like forever. Some lengthy books I had to explore page by page to find the quotation I used way back then. This in itself has been such a time-consuming job.  Am I happy I'll soon get to move on to the next project? You bet I am!


Goodness, Pam. I hope they are paying you for the essay.


----------



## PiP

NajaNoir said:


> I let go of a sentence that I had wanted to keep. It was out of place and too jarring. Not every story needs a sunrise I guess.
> 
> So, I think that counts as a success for the day.


Yes, it does count.  . I understand exactly what you mean. I call these sentences or even paras my 'darlings'. I copy them into another file in the hope I can use them another time. It's less stressful than killing them off altogether.


----------



## Jack Dettenwanger

Just finished and self-published the first volume in my first series (not a novel, think 25k word count per). I have been wanting to write and publish my own creations for a long time. After a decade of corporate copy writing and instructional design, it feels great to have total creative control.

I'll say this: Even if no one reads it or if people pan it, it feels good to have it out in the world. 

Keep writing and when you're tired and feeling overwhelmed by self-doubt, keep writing. Then write some more.

On to volume two...

Cheers!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

PiP said:


> Goodness, Pam. I hope they are paying you for the essay.


How do you measure pay, PiP? I got no money for doing this. BUT originally a small press editor asked me to write the original essay for his anthology to be published in England (I'm from the U.S.). He knew I knew a lot about the topic. So that was nice pay of sorts-- to get asked to write the article and to get my first publication in an anthology outside my own country. The official pay for it was a free copy of the nice collection (over 20 years ago). Then another magazine quoted my essay and spoke of its high value so that was also rewarding. Then someone else (in my country this time) published it again. So that was nice pay to have my previously published essay recognized by a different editor who also saw it as valuable enough to publish again in his own publication.  Now it will make its third go-round. 

So the answer to whether or not anyone's paid me, the answer is no, not a penny (except for the free anthology), and yes, in more ways than I likely haven't even imagined yet. I got so much pay in ways besides money that I'd do it all over again if I had the opportunity. (Remember, too, I'm not a pro writer who receives big bucks for her work, who has to live on what she earns as a writer, but am more of a fascinated dabbler who loves exploring the arts and writing about the many interesting things I find.) This adding the end notes to that old essay this much later has been difficult to do. But I'm glad that it's almost done now. And super glad that it will soon see the light of day in yet another publication. It's been a great experience all the way around.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the 4th editing pass of Inception, my Silicon Valley techno-thriller. This was a story suggested by our friend, mod-guide-mentor @Taylor - and in her honor the FMC is named Melissa (Mel) Taylor. What I wrote was pretty far from what she probably imagined. When she suggested a story set in Silicon Valley (I worked as a design engineer there for 30 years), the first image that popped into my mind was a chase scene through rush hour traffic, and I started to laugh. At that moment I knew the story would have legs - and I'm pleased with how it turned out.
So - THANK YOU Taylor!
I still have formatting and more edits coming, but the story is in good shape.


----------



## PiP

One of my joys of writing a collab with @vranger  is when a scene arrives at T Junction (turn left or right)  we chew over ideas. Yes, we have a map (plot outline) but sometimes we take a diversion or three to admire the view from a different angle as we explore ideas

Last night I got so carried away with my MC's dialogue (language and tone) it would have boxed us into a corner further down the line.  While I was loathed to give up some of the dialogue (my darlings). Vranger diplomatically made some excellent suggestions and with a tweak here and there we changed the tone so we left the reader wondering if my MC would soften and succumb to her ex's charms ...

Then V offered an interesting twist so after arriving at a T junction we made a decision and turned in the right direction.

So my writing joy today: Keep an open mind and let go of your 'darlings....'

We are now working on chapter 17.


----------



## indianroads

Marginal progress is sometimes the only success I can mention. 

I worked on the blurb (back cover / product description) for Inception yesterday. I strongly dislike writing blurbs, admittedly I have trouble with them and that's probably the source of my rancor, but enticing potential to read my story in 200 words or less is tough business. It was on the 8th revision when I started, and I went through three versions yesterday, with marginal improvements before leaving it again.

Afterword I started formatting my separate chapters into a single file in book form, which is only slightly more entertaining than working on the blurb.

Progress was made though, so... yay.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Marginal progress is sometimes the only success I can mention.
> 
> I worked on the blurb (back cover / product description) for Inception yesterday. I strongly dislike writing blurbs, admittedly I have trouble with them and that's probably the source of my rancor, but enticing potential to read my story in 200 words or less is tough business. It was on the 8th revision when I started, and I went through three versions yesterday, with marginal improvements before leaving it again.
> 
> Afterword I started formatting my separate chapters into a single file in book form, which is only slightly more entertaining than working on the blurb.
> 
> Progress was made though, so... yay.


I did the collation to one document in Word myself yesterday.  All I  can say is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I did the collation to one document in words myself yesterday.  All I  can say is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Yeah - I did the keyboard face plant a few times when I dozed off.


----------



## VRanger

PiP and I did another collaborative scene this weekend where we were both typing ideas and dialogue into it as it went. It wasn't the alternate dialogue discussion like we did one time before, but it was just as much fun. Except for a final review, we put both Chapters 17 AND 18 to bed by this evening.

It's interesting that we are both leeching elements of each other's style. Our dialogue is _very _similar in style and intuition now. If PiP didn't use extra vowels ;-), I wouldn't be able to tell a lot of it apart several days later. PiP wrote a dialogue scene tonight that was a wonderful and funny Summary Scene. Then, we had a bit too much going right for our Romantic Duo, so I threw in a little scene to cast some doubt there again.

We're very close to 64K words now.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> PiP and I did another collaborative scene this weekend where we were both typing ideas and dialogue into it as it went. It wasn't the alternate dialogue discussion like we did one time before, but it was just as much fun. Except for a final review, we put both Chapters 17 AND 18 to bed by this evening.


Beats watching TV ... Once my MC hooked up on video chat with her friend I could easily have exceeded the chapter word count... once us women start nattering ...


vranger said:


> It's interesting that we are both leeching elements of each other's style. Our dialogue is _very _similar in style and intuition now. If PiP didn't use extra vowels ;-), I wouldn't be able to tell a lot of it apart several days later. PiP wrote a dialogue scene tonight that was a wonderful and funny Summary Scene. Then, we had a bit too much going right for our Romantic Duo, so I threw in a little scene to cast some doubt there again.



Yes, I went to bed happy and woke up to "Oh no... we have a spanner in the works... LoL  I am already plotting and scheming to overcome said spanner and Jim will receive a PM note shortly LoL "


vranger said:


> We're very close to 64K words now.


I'm relieved one of us is the word accountant who keeps us both on track.


----------



## indianroads

I attended the PIkes Peak Writers Guild meeting last night - it had been two years at least since we had an in person meeting (I refuse to attend those ZOOM things). There were fewer in attendance than before the government crackdown, but we still had a lively discussion. It's seriously awesome to sit around a table chatting with other writers, sharing stories, answering questions, and receiving advice. If you have a writers guild in your area I recommend checking it out.

One of our members turned out to be a cover designer, and since my regular designer is jammed with requests I talked with her about doing the cover for Inception - I've reviews some of her work and it's pretty darned awesome. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## JBF

Never tried one of those in-person writing group deals.  

I should probably get around to it one of these days.


----------



## Taylor

Even though I was up to my eyeballs in a consulting contract, I managed to hammer out my prologue to Book 2 of the Titan Series.

Also came to an integral conclusion.  I'm going to use the same process as last time, i.e., write...plot...write...plot...       I thoroughly enjoyed writing Book 1, and that is my main purpose for writing so why change that up?


----------



## Foxee

It turns out that a past NaNo novel attempt is back from the dead. Not for the first time. So I'm writing scenes for this thing and this morning when I committed to writing for 15 mins on the current scene I overran by about twice as much and caught some heat from my youngest daughter for not getting her up as early as she wanted. 

I call that a win. On the writing front at least!


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I'm unemployed, as everyone knows, and today I met a group of people funded partly by the 'big gov' and the lottery, that help get people back to work. The thing is, in an unexpected turn of events, they're heavily into writing as a way of building confidence. They have three different outlets which are: The Quill (an amateur writing group), Yellow Bellies (A more professional script writing group that seem to be focused on pantomimes more than anything else) and News Hounds (which is self explanatory).

I met the English teacher who runs the Yellow Bellies and he's taken my 2nd Chapter away to read ... I wonder what he'll think? The bottom line though is I've always wanted to start a writing course and teach people the nuts and bolts. I put it to the group and they seemed interested in the idea. Coming on forums is great but to actually meet writers in person is something I haven't been able to do for years. I'm quite excited.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Even though I was up to my eyeballs in a consulting contract, I managed to hammer out my prologue to Book 2 of the Titan Series.
> 
> Also came to an integral conclusion.  I'm going to use the same process as last time, i.e., write...plot...write...plot...       I thoroughly enjoyed writing Book 1, and that is my main purpose for writing so why change that up?


Exactly! Use what works for you.


----------



## Backstroke_Italics

Nice work, Taylor!


----------



## Taylor

TheMightyAz said:


> I'm unemployed, as everyone knows, and today I met a group of people funded partly by the 'big gov' and the lottery, that help get people back to work. The thing is, in an unexpected turn of events, they're heavily into writing as a way of building confidence. They have three different outlets which are: The Quill (an amateur writing group), Yellow Bellies (A more professional script writing group that seem to be focused on pantomimes more than anything else) and News Hounds (which is self explanatory).
> 
> I met the English teacher who runs the Yellow Bellies and he's taken my 2nd Chapter away to read ... I wonder what he'll think? The bottom line though is I've always wanted to start a writing course and teach people the nuts and bolts. I put it to the group and they seemed interested in the idea. Coming on forums is great but to actually meet writers in person is something I haven't been able to do for years. I'm quite excited.


That would really thrust you into dialogue!    

But I could see your work in that realm.   Good luck with it!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I think I've finally finished adding all my end notes to the nonfiction book I'm writing. That was a total beast of a job. I am familiar enough with footnotes but end notes are something new and untried in my world and I didn't take to them with ease.:-D Now that I've done them, though, it turns out I rather like them.  At last I feel like I can breathe again with my end notes all squared away. It won't be long now before this project is finished. (Or so I keep telling myself so I can survive it.:-D)


----------



## Steve_Rivers

Today the NDA lifted so I'm allowed to inform people that Iron Bubbles, a short story I wrote, got shortlisted for the prestigious Bridport Prize award.
I didn't win, but being short-listed meant I was in the top 100 of over 5,000 entries for one of the UK's top literary awards! Not bad considering it was the first-ever "proper" and "official" contest I've entered 

_Takes off his gloves_ Okay, Booker prize, I'm coming for ya!


----------



## Taylor

Steve_Rivers said:


> Today the NDA lifted so I'm allowed to inform people that Iron Bubbles, a short story I wrote, got shortlisted for the prestigious Bridport Prize award.
> I didn't win, but being short-listed meant I was in the top 100 of over 5,000 entries for one of the UK's top literary awards! Not bad considering it was the first-ever "proper" and "official" contest I've entered
> 
> _Takes off his gloves_ Okay, Booker prize, I'm coming for ya!


Congratulations!  That is quite some joy to share!  Where can we read the story?


----------



## Steve_Rivers

Thanks, Taylor! My mind was itching for the last three weeks because the email they sent me told me I couldn't post anything about it on social media until today. 



Taylor said:


> Congratulations!  That is quite some joy to share!  Where can we read the story?



Well, being the OCD perfectionist that I am, I found myself in the last few days before submitting it umming and ahhing over which words/sentences to cut (I almost used up every one of the 5,000 words I was allowed.. Well,.. 4,997 to be precise, heh!) I -really- wanted to add just a few more little details that I couldn't, due to that limit, so I think I'll be sitting down with it sometime in the next couple of weeks and put them back in. So I'll do that first then put it up for critique.


----------



## KatPC

TheMightyAz said:


> I'm unemployed, as everyone knows, and today I met a group of people funded partly by the 'big gov' and the lottery, that help get people back to work. The thing is, in an unexpected turn of events, they're heavily into writing as a way of building confidence. They have three different outlets which are: The Quill (an amateur writing group), Yellow Bellies (A more professional script writing group that seem to be focused on pantomimes more than anything else) and News Hounds (which is self explanatory).
> 
> I met the English teacher who runs the Yellow Bellies and he's taken my 2nd Chapter away to read ... I wonder what he'll think? The bottom line though is I've always wanted to start a writing course and teach people the nuts and bolts. I put it to the group and they seemed interested in the idea. Coming on forums is great but to actually meet writers in person is something I haven't been able to do for years. I'm quite excited.



Great news! Does that mean you are going to leave us and no one can run by you with your snippets of advice?


----------



## KatPC

I stopped Writing for a week or so. No new documents to tap away, no opening old stories to read, no editing, no reading stories (bar whatever is on the news) and had a little Writing Awakening. For the past week I slipped away, struggling to find answers and the purpose of Writing, deciding to give up (the voices were very noisy) only for Father Time to tap gently on my head and made me realise what I would be missing. 

"The stories you won't be able to tell. The novel you spent 2 years to write, gathering dust, never to see the light."

He tapped on my head a few more times, until something clicked (It wasn't my fingers or someone else's) and the whole crazy creative phase I had was overpowering, but also made me realise my routines were not the most healthy and my mindset wasn't open enough to see the light. 

All of this may sound like garbage and that's okay ... hopefully in the near future I can post a story for you all to read, and red ... and that's okay too.

Happy writing everyone.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

KatPC said:


> Great news! Does that mean you are going to leave us and no one can run by you with your snippets of advice?


It's likely to increase my output on the forum than decrease it.


----------



## indianroads

I've been stressing out about the cover for Inception (my Silicon Valley thriller) - my cover guy was booked solid, probably thanks to covid and a lot of new writers out there. At the start of this year he said that the earliest he could fit me in was April 2022 - the novel could be finished before the end of November. So, I looked around and was vastly unimpressed, I even hooked up with a member of my writers guild that does cover, but we just weren't on the same page when it came to what I wanted. From there I tried my hand at it, and the best I could do was 'not awful'. SO, the good news is that my cover guy can squeeze me in earlier, hopefully in the November/December range. Yay!

The 5th edit of Inception is coming along very well - very few changes and no plot holes found. IMO this is my best writing so far.


----------



## Windsor Fernsby

My progress for my own book is going like this:


Write down a whole bunch of vaguely connected ideas for the events in my plot
Draw a few comic pages of my characters doing dumb crap
Read a great book and then get angry at myself for not thinking of the same idea
Confuse myself by changing my ideal writing style every week

I've only recently started, so I've still got a long way to go. The writing that I had done so far was mostly in the middle of the plot, but today I finally managed to come up with a few paragraphs for the real beginning of the story. I had the premise and the characters, but I was struggling _so hard _with the introduction. At first I thought about going Tolkien and saying things like "Once upon a time there was this guy who lived in a house", but I realized that, well, only Tolkien can do that.

But I came up with an idea, and I've got an actual page! With words!! Real words!!!
It's only the first draft, mind you, but I'm still very happy with myself.


----------



## indianroads

Half way through my 5th editing pass. Sent a lengthy email to my cover designer about the book - not just the blurb, but details about the mood and what the novel is about aside from the plot.

Feeling good.


----------



## Taylor

Did some brainstorming this morning, but got stuck on POV.  So I put a question to WF and then decided to read for the rest of the day.  Ahhh...that was nice.


----------



## VRanger

The last few days our progress has been a bit hit and miss. PiP has family in, and I had to buckle down and finish a proofread of a scholarly book on the Heinlein Juveniles. The author told me today I picked up quite a few things he and other people had not. I suspect that's because he has a lot of complex sentences and lengthy paragraphs for the little boogers to hide in.  But I finished that tonight.

Despite all this, we've passed 70K words, but have a minor dilemma. We're a little short of where we need to be to complete the book, but the rest of the outline is too long to complete in this volume. So we have to come up with about 10k to 15K of intermediate content to end on a "Happy for Now", since we intend a sequel with the rest of the outline content. We HAVE agreed on an ending scene, we now just need to bridge the gap. I wrote a couple of scenes which push a tense subplot and a character arc, but as of tonight I think we need to push those scenes back to almost the end, then wrap the subplot and move right into our ending. In the meantime, we could do some relationship building and relationship angst with our MCs, but it needs to be organic, and not the filler it really is. LOL


----------



## PiP

Only 10k/15k… ? It  will be tough to end on a high considering where we are now…  especially as i need to complete a few sub plots in earlier chapters… I will work on those over next few days.

the only paragraphs I‘ve managed to craft in the last couple of days are still pending further rewrites …. before  they receive the vranger polish. Not that much joy from me at the moment… only frustration


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Only 10k/15k… ? It  will be tough to end on a high considering where we are now…  especially as i need to complete a few sub plots in earlier chapters… I will work on those over next few days.
> 
> the only paragraphs I‘ve managed to craft in the last couple of days are still pending further rewrites …. before  they receive the vranger polish. Not that much joy from me at the moment… only frustration


I have a running joke as we watch the Hallmark Christmas romances. "No WAY they can sort all this out in the next 7 minutes!" Betty chuckles almost every time I say it. I say it because in a two-hour movie, the romance ALWAYS strikes its worst crisis before the last commercial break, and the last commercial break ends with seven minutes left of the two hours. And it's not even really seven minutes of story, because that includes the credit roll. In those five minutes, the couple each realize the errors in either logic or misunderstandings (or both) which have kept them apart, and fall into each other's arms. ;-) That's also pretty much what's going on in the books I've read for research. Solve the problem, end the book. It's not uncommon in other genres, either.


----------



## Riptide

Wrote like 2.5k yesterday during a climatic moment in Acorn. Must've been the Halloween spirit or something


----------



## indianroads

Finished the fifth edit of Inception this afternoon, dropped another 112 words, leaving the total reduction since the draft at 2790.
I'll send it out for review today, then while waiting I'll probably run through another edit.
My cover guy will get on it Dec. 1, and I'll probably have it back and ready for everything to be posted on Amazon by the middle of the month.

I'm very pleased with the work, and believe it's my best writing so far (although that doesn't say much). I owe our one and only Taylor for the inspiration for this story and would like to give her a dedication - do you think she'll go for it?


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Finished the fifth edit of Inception this afternoon, dropped another 112 words, leaving the total reduction since the draft at 2790.
> I'll send it out for review today, then while waiting I'll probably run through another edit.
> My cover guy will get on it Dec. 1, and I'll probably have it back and ready for everything to be posted on Amazon by the middle of the month.
> 
> I'm very pleased with the work, and believe it's my best writing so far (although that doesn't say much). I owe our one and only Taylor for the inspiration for this story and would like to give her a dedication - do you think she'll go for it?


I'd be honored!


----------



## JBF

Took a break from the nightmare.  

Instead, I wrote my entry for this month's LM entry - which I will now ignore for two weeks and then skid in just under the deadline with ill-advised last-minute revisions.  

This is how plans work, right?


----------



## PiP

Finally finished a few paras for Chapter 20. Only took me a week to complete 397 words! Family staying it's been a tough week. Mind willing but body knackered.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I did another interactive dialogue tonight. It turned out very well. It was fun, but not as many laughs ... the Dreaded Let's Be Friends scene. We put it off while PiP's family was in town, as we knew it would take some time and attention to get right. It definitely wasn't easy, but we're satisfied with the result, and we managed to work in a few jokes.

I wrote an introduction to it that ran smack dab into a continuity issue PiP immediately noticed ... my fault for not reading the previous couple of scenes again like I normally do. We agreed the introduction was good ... IF we could rearrange the previous scene to avoid having two completely different things happening at the very same time. We managed that by having the conflicting action in the earlier scene happen ... earlier.

This brings us up to 73K, and we need to end this manuscript at about 85K.  So we're looking at about three chapters of new material, including some additional content PiP wants to add to Chapter Three. By the time we add in the rest of our chapter introducing lyrics and poems, we'll probably wind up at 90K anyway. LOL


----------



## Phil Istine

My autobio-embellishment is still happening.  I don't have a word count because I'm doing it the old-fashioned way at the moment; I find it easier to keep up with my thoughts when writing by hand as I don't have a reasonable typing speed.  I will update the word processor then into the Inferno eventually.  I've arrived at age nineteen or twenty, or thereabouts, and reckon the whole thing has easily exceeded thirty-two-thousand words so far.  And I haven't even arrived at the darkest parts.  It's like a poor-man's convergence of Carrie, Trainspotting, and Christiane F.

Although it's wordy, it is only a first draft, so I'm sure I will end up cutting plenty to tighten up the language, the irrelevancies, and the redundancies.  However, as memories return, I realise there's plenty I've left out and it's also the case that some things I've played down will require some enhancing.  I wouldn't be shocked to find it goes over one-hundred-thousand words in its final form, and that's probably far too many to retain a reader's interest unless they have a specific reason to identify with it (e.g. an ex-Jehovah's Witness or an ex-junkie - or even a psychiatrist  ).

I won't be doing a formal NaNoWriMo though as I need to go at my own pace rather than a fixed or minimum number.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> @PiP and I did another interactive dialogue tonight. It turned out very well. It was fun, but not as many laughs ... the Dreaded Let's Be Friends scene. We put it off while PiP's family was in town, as we knew it would take some time and attention to get right. It definitely wasn't easy, but we're satisfied with the result, and we managed to work in a few jokes.


Yep, it was hard work but still fun ... especially when my MC kept changing her mind taking us slightly off plot. LoL Interesting that part was totally unplanned which gave the dialogue some interesting twists and turns.



vranger said:


> I wrote an introduction to it that ran smack dab into a continuity issue PiP immediately noticed ... my fault for not reading the previous couple of scenes again like I normally do. We agreed the introduction was good ... IF we could rearrange the previous scene to avoid having two completely different things happening at the very same time. We managed that my having the conflicting action in the earlier scene happen ... earlier.



You were keen LoL


----------



## PiP

Phil Istine said:


> My autobio-embellishment is still happening.  I don't have a word count because I'm doing it the old-fashioned way at the moment; I find it easier to keep up with my thoughts when writing by hand as I don't have a reasonable typing speed.  I will update the word processor then into the Inferno eventually.  I've arrived at age nineteen or twenty, or thereabouts, and reckon the whole thing has easily exceeded thirty-two-thousand words so far.  And I haven't even arrived at the darkest parts.  It's like a poor-man's convergence of Carrie, Trainspotting, and Christiane F.


I've enjoyed reading it, Phil. I hope you will complete it then publish.


----------



## Phil Istine

PiP said:


> I've enjoyed reading it, Phil. I hope you will complete it then publish.


That is my ultimate goal, but it will need a lot of editing, and I will probably want to conceal some identities.  Thanks for your positive feedback.  It's different from anything I've done before and it's not so easy to step back and assess it for myself.  I'm thinking the finished article could still be a year away.


----------



## indianroads

Farting around waiting for feedback from my proofreader / editor. I'm going through my old novels on Amazon and updating the back matter to include mention of other books I've written. It's tedious work, but needs to be done.


----------



## Phil Istine

About another 3.5k words today, though it's hard to be certain as they are handwritten.  I go by the number of page sides.  I wrote about some pretty difficult stuff.


----------



## indianroads

Phil Istine said:


> About another 3.5k words today, though it's hard to be certain as they are handwritten.  I go by the number of page sides.  I wrote about some pretty difficult stuff.


Difficult subjects bring out my best writing.


----------



## Phil Istine

I seem to have stumbled upon a way that is currently working for me now that the daylight is ending earlier.  I take my exercise book to work and after finishing I pop into one of two cafés where they have a relaxed attitude and are fine with someone buying a coffee and writing for an hour or two.  That feels easier than writing at home even though I live alone.  Today I spent an hour or so in there and churned out about a thousand words.  It's all handwritten and it will be one hell of a job typing it up, but that's my way at the moment.
If you think the stuff I've already placed in the inferno is dark, some of this is black as pitch.  Maybe it's as well I'm writing it in a public place.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are now over 79K words and closing in on the end of this novel. We have an ending mapped out. PiP wants to add some material to an early chapter, I need to bring a sub-plot to a close, and then we'll be ready for the big finale. We shouldn't be more than a few days from having everything in.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> @PiP and I are now over 79K words and closing in on the end of this novel. We have an ending mapped out. PiP wants to add some material to an early chapter, I need to bring a sub-plot to a close, and then we'll be ready for the big finale. We shouldn't be more than a few days from having everything in.


I thought the closing chapters would be the easiest to write but for me, they prove the most difficult.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Today I got my table of contents in order (for my nonfiction book). This is mega news, I tell you. I'm not the smartest human being when it comes to computer stuff so doing the table of contents is a huge deal for me. So now I have the ToC finished, page numbers are in, and I'm almost finished. I keep thinking that tomorrow I should be done but when tomorrow rolls around I find I still have a ways to go.

I waste so much of my time through not understanding how my computer works-- or in being too afraid to try things. I recall in college, I was putting the finishing touches on my term paper the night before it was due when the computer went haywire.  I must have done something wrong. So I had to stay up the entire night and  redo the entire 20-page paper. I never got over that shock. Computers scare me. 

Tomorrow I should be done . . .


----------



## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> Today I got my table of contents in order (for my nonfiction book). This is mega news, I tell you. I'm not the smartest human being when it comes to computer stuff so doing the table of contents is a huge deal for me. So now I have the ToC finished, page numbers are in, and I'm almost finished. I keep thinking that tomorrow I should be done but when tomorrow rolls around I find I still have a ways to go.
> 
> I waste so much of my time through not understanding how my computer works-- or in being too afraid to try things. I recall in college, I was putting the finishing touches on my term paper the night before it was due when the computer went haywire.  I must have done something wrong. So I had to stay up the entire night and  redo the entire 20-page paper. I never got over that shock. Computers scare me.
> 
> Tomorrow I should be done . . .


What editor/word processor are you using?


----------



## Phil Istine

PiP said:


> I thought the closing chapters would be the easiest to write but for me, they prove the most difficult.


Yes, I get that.  Endings can be tricky.  Finishing a story is like saying goodbye.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

indianroads, I'm using MSWord. I'd guess it's the easiest in the world to use but I'm so gun-shy I'll likely never get over that night when I lost my entire paper due the next day. My latest problem with the ToC is that where I have a title and a Title and a Subtitle on the same page, I get a duplicate page number. I see now, I think, that my problem comes in where I should have the particular title on its own page. 

Phil Istine, like you and PiP, I do wonder what in the world I'll do without the company of my book. We've been constant companions for eons now (or that's how long it seems) and here it's almost time to say goodbye.


----------



## rnorris88

I had a dream that brought me a compelling story idea, and when I got up that morning instead of shrugging it off as not good enough, I sat down and wrote as much of the dream as I could recall in a scene.  I have no idea who the main character is beyond a teenage girl, or where it's set, or what's happening, but I did get that scene.  Hopefully it's enough to go on for now, and the story and characters will continue to unfold!


----------



## Taylor

rnorris88 said:


> I had a dream that brought me a compelling story idea, and when I got up that morning instead of shrugging it off as not good enough, I sat down and wrote as much of the dream as I could recall in a scene.  I have no idea who the main character is beyond a teenage girl, or where it's set, or what's happening, but I did get that scene.  Hopefully it's enough to go on for now, and the story and characters will continue to unfold!


You got the most important part --  that is was "compelling."


----------



## JJBuchholz

I've continued today working on a new story I began a couple of days ago. I haven't felt very creative as of late (haven't been on here either until now),
and did not do any writing at all since my trilogy was finished a couple months back. Every so often, I get a creative downturn and just feel drained of
any and all inspiration.

But, the ideas have started to flow through my mind again, and it led me to start one story and work on an idea sheet for another. It's a little
disheartening to temporarily lose the creative vein, but when it returns, it's most welcome and a happy thing indeed.

Going to spend some time soon catching up on this forum, while continuing to write my new project!

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

JJBuchholz said:


> I've continued today working on a new story I began a couple of days ago. I haven't felt very creative as of late (haven't been on here either until now),
> and did not do any writing at all since my trilogy was finished a couple months back. Every so often, I get a creative downturn and just feel drained of
> any and all inspiration.
> 
> But, the ideas have started to flow through my mind again, and it led me to start one story and work on an idea sheet for another. It's a little
> disheartening to temporarily lose the creative vein, but when it returns, it's most welcome and a happy thing indeed.
> 
> Going to spend some time soon catching up on this forum, while continuing to write my new project!
> 
> -JJB


Not uncommon to have to rest, recharge, and take stock between projects.


----------



## Taylor

Filled up about twenty pages of my new Moleskine dedicated to _Skyline_ the next book in the _Titan Series_.   I remembered that I scribbled for about three months before I started writing Book One.   That process really gets the creative juices flowing for me.  At some point, I might have to drag out the tack board and Post-it notes.  There's something about building it in layers and seeing it all in one big schematic in front of you.  

The vision is still opaque, but becoming more translucent.


----------



## NajaNoir

I got back to a story I had left behind quite some time ago. I had the middle of it fleshed out already, but had no intro. Never could really decide where and how to start it. Out of the blue, it all came to me. It's a beautiful thing when that happens.


----------



## JJBuchholz

vranger said:


> Not uncommon to have to rest, recharge, and take stock between projects.


The trilogy from a couple months back (and it's unofficial fourth part) drained me a wee bit. I'm not sure if other writers out there feel
drained after large writing projects, but it happens to me from time to time.

Feels good to be back at it again, however 

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

Two more days and now @PiP and I are over 83K. I've resolved the subplot, and PiP is working on a very odd piece of business. As in all romances, we must convince the reader the romance is doomed, only to be saved at the last moment for the happy ending. In a previous conversation, I'd happened to write:


> Julia’s smile pried open another of Cal’s secrets. “I bought your latest collection on Amazon. Some of your work reached inside me and taught me things I didn’t know about myself.”
> 
> “I’ve been such a mess, I don’t know how I could have taught anyone anything.”
> 
> “That’s the way of writers, Julia. We’re wiser when we write, and then we tend to leave it on the page.”


This is a sentiment I strongly believe, by the way. When we were discussing how to "save the romance", I happened to think of this line, and remembered a song lyric I wrote long ago where a sentiment could be "left on the page".

SO, PiP is currently "reverse adapting" that lyric into a poem that our two characters can adapt back to the lyric. She got the tough part of this job. She wrote a rough draft of the poem this evening, and it's very good. The final version of it will be dynamite.  Then, as the characters "work on the adaptation", they'll have the romance saving revelation.  

Our first draft will be done this week ... although it might take us a bit longer to finalize the poems and lyrics which introduce each chapter. We have those for the first few chapters, but have concentrated on plot since then, so we owe some introductions.


----------



## PiP

vranger said:


> SO, PiP is currently "reverse adapting" that lyric into a poem that our two characters can adapt back to the lyric. She got the tough part of this job. She wrote a rough draft of the poem this evening, and it's very good. The final version of it will be dynamite.  Then, as the characters "work on the adaptation", they'll have the romance saving revelation.


I don't think Jim believed me when I told him it could take me three days to craft a poem. I spent over three hours last night just staring at the screen writing the odd word before deleting it. Meanwhile on another page, Jim whizzed through about a couple of thousand words. I pledge the *Joy of my writing success today* will be to finish the poem so we can complete the chapter ... no pressure, Pip. No pressure  Poetry can't be rushed LoL


----------



## indianroads

I received the markup with suggested corrections from my proof reader this morning. As usual, I’m kinda scared to open it.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Yes!!! Not fiction but just turned in two essays and a research paper! Saying 'it's finished!' feels sooo good!
It looks official now; I'll be stepping down to part-time next semester and will have time to write again. Had someone told me twenty years ago that I would actually have large chunks of dedicated writing time ahead of me, I wouldn't have believed them. Of course, back then I would have wanted it for my fiction. But now I am actually looking forward to doing quite a bit of nonfiction work. So I think this 'transition of mindset' is a writing success, too.


----------



## PiP

Finally finished the poem we needed for the final chapter of collab ... phew. Poets can't be rushed.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> I don't think Jim believed me when I told him it could take me three days to craft a poem. I spent over three hours last night just staring at the screen writing the odd word before deleting it. Meanwhile on another page, Jim whizzed through about a couple of thousand words. I pledge the *Joy of my writing success today* will be to finish the poem so we can complete the chapter ... no pressure, Pip. No pressure  Poetry can't be rushed LoL


I'm amazed by people that can write poetry - it's a talent that's completely missing within me. I have a difficult time reading it, but love listening to a well crafted poem. If you've watched Penny Dreadful, you've heard one from Wordsworth - which touches my heart.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Megan Pearson said:


> Saying 'it's finished!' feels sooo good!


That is an understatement! Finishing a writing project feels great, and it brings a sense of closure to that project before starting another. To be fair,
sometimes I am sad to finish a writing project, because the writing process itself is very enjoyable. I love working on a project for days/weeks on
end, as it gives me something to look forward to after a long day of work.

-JJB


----------



## VRanger

HOPEFULLY this is success. @PiP can quote me in response and either pat me on the back or excoriate me for abject failure.

I wrote a scene including her FMC (Julia) that she thought would be too intense for her. She demanded a rewrite in terms that made me glad I don't wear boots often, and never in the house, as I would have shaken in them. I love PiP, and we're now fast friends, but when that lady puts her foot down, pull your toes out of the way ... FAST!

Enough levity, and please understand there was a modicum of hyperbole above. (I include this disclaimer for the sake of diplomacy and survival instinct).

Well, I WAS going to modify that scene last night, but with the whole Admin thing, I hit the ground running, and wound up spending all evening last night reading the in's and out's of WF history, and I was kept busy all day today, too. So I just got the revision done.

I retained the conversation Julia should not have been a part of by having Cal's sister suggest she and Julia visit the Powder Room--and as we all know that's a team sport for the ladies--but delay, herself, just long enough to finish the conversation with Cal. I thought my solution to be exceptionally clever. I've been wrong before ...


----------



## indianroads

They scheme against us in the powder room.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> They scheme against us in the powder room.


It's where they devise new schemes to lose our socks ...


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> HOPEFULLY this is success. @PiP can quote me in response and either pat me on the back or excoriate me for abject failure.
> 
> I wrote a scene including her FMC (Julia) that she thought would be too intense for her. She demanded a rewrite in terms that made me glad I don't wear boots often, and never in the house, as I would have shaken in them. I love PiP, and we're now fast friends, but when that lady puts her foot down, pull your toes out of the way ... FAST!
> 
> Enough levity, and please understand there was a modicum of hyperbole above. (I include this disclaimer for the sake of diplomacy and survival instinct).



You have developed an excellent survival instinct, Jim. The scene was more of a cultural difference and your interpretation of my MC reaction to the proposed plot when, in truth, she would have been on the next plane back home.



VRanger said:


> I retained the conversation Julia should not have been a part of by having Cal's sister suggest she and Julia visit the Powder Room--and as we all know that's a team sport for the ladies--but delay, herself, just long enough to finish the conversation with Cal. I thought my solution to be exceptionally clever. I've been wrong before ...


It was  But it did make me wonder what younger Brits now refer to as a visit to the loo.


----------



## indianroads

Sometimes they really are out to get you...


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Sometimes they really are out to get you...


I know. I remember that scene from watching the program first run. :-D I couldn't STOP laughing.


----------



## indianroads

A type of success that only writers will understand.
This morning I decided that my next novel, The Last Ride, which I’ll start in earnest in late December will be written in first person past tense. I wasn’t thinking about the story, but the main character, Logan, just showed up and started telling his story.
I’m excited, and feel ready to get started.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> A type of success that only writers will understand.
> This morning I decided that my next novel, The Last Ride, which I’ll start in earnest in late December will be written in first person past tense. I wasn’t thinking about the story, but the main character, Logan, just showed up and started telling his story.
> I’m excited, and feel ready to get started.


Totally understand the thrill of this.  I am still weighing out differing POVs for my next book,_ Skyline_.  I have been all over the place...lol!   I'm hoping one or more of the characters will rise to the occasion like Logan...that makes it easier to go forward. 

A good choice, for your POV, the same as _The Great Gatsby_, often considered the greatest novel of all time.  Will this be the first time you have written in first person?


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished my latest project after five days in a row of being able to see it all right before my eyes. It was awesome to type 'THE END'
and finish it, but now I'm plotting out another new story, as well as a new memoir that I've been thinking about for the last couple
of months or so.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Totally understand the thrill of this.  I am still weighing out differing POVs for my next book,_ Skyline_.  I have been all over the place...lol!   I'm hoping one or more of the characters will rise to the occasion like Logan...that makes it easier to go forward.
> 
> A good choice, for your POV, the same as _The Great Gatsby_, often considered the greatest novel of all time.  Will this be the first time you have written in first person?


I kinda hate to admit it, but my very first novel - written back in the 80's - was in the first person POV. It was a tremendous pile of rubbish, a story about a family man working in Silicon Valley turned into a vampire, that thankfully I never bothered to shop around.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I kinda hate to admit it, but my very first novel - written back in the 80's - was in the first person POV. It was a tremendous pile of rubbish, a story about a family man working in Silicon Valley turned into a vampire, that thankfully I never bothered to shop around.


Thank goodness it wasn't autobiographical...lol!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Thank goodness it wasn't autobiographical...lol!


Once my vampires were taken and buried, their bodies stayed in their graves. They emerged as sort-of ghosts, visible only at night, when they would attack the living and take their body heat energy as sustenance. The MC was taken by a female vampire, created by an otherworld entity during the neolithic age; she chose him because he looked like her husband from that time.
And, as my wife likes to stay, zany adventures ensued.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Once my vampires were taken and buried, their bodies stayed in their graves. They emerged as sort-of ghosts, visible only at night, when they would attack the living and take their body heat energy as sustenance. The MC was taken by a female vampire, created by an otherworld entity during the neolithic age; she chose him because he looked like her husband from that time.
> And, as my wife likes to stay, zany adventures ensued.


So it sounds more intriguing in that paragraph than your earlier post.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> So it sounds more intriguing in that paragraph than your earlier post.


It was an interesting idea, but I lacked the vision and ability to adequately write it.


----------



## PiP

JJBuchholz said:


> Finished my latest project after five days in a row of being able to see it all right before my eyes. It was awesome to type 'THE END'
> and finish it,


As @VRanger and I work on the final chapter I feel sad to let go of the characters we created. The END feels final while the characters live on in my mind.... Do you feel a need to continue the story with a second book?


----------



## indianroads

I’ve heard it said that a sign of a well rendered tale and characters is that the reader wonders what the characters did the day after the story ended.

it sounds like you guys succeed. Great job!


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I’ve heard it said that a sign of a well rendered tale and characters is that the reader wonders what the characters did the day after the story ended.
> 
> it sounds like you guys succeed. Great job!


That is EVERY Heinlein book, and why I had to write the Citizen sequel. LOL I've been wanting the rest of that story for 50 years! Always leave 'em wanting more. 

Note: So far we succeeded with ourselves. LOL We'll have to see what other readers think. And I know what happens shortly after the end of the book. We left the FMC's hotel robe crumpled on the floor. ;-)


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> That is EVERY Heinlein book, and why I had to write the Citizen sequel. LOL I've been wanting the rest of that story for 50 years! Always leave 'em wanting more.
> 
> Note: So far we succeeded with ourselves. LOL We'll have to see what other readers think. And I know what happens shortly after the end of the book. We left the FMC's hotel robe crumpled on the floor. ;-)


Wow... it took the whole book to get there?


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> And I know what happens shortly after the end of the book. We left the FMC's hotel robe crumpled on the floor. ;-)


Hopefully, the reader will turn the page wanting to know the answer and will be queuing up for the sequel...


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Wow... it took the whole book to get there?


Dat's Romance, baby!


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Wow... it took the whole book to get there?


To be more specific, Romance has common tropes which are Required (note the capital R). One of them is that things must look bleak for the successful culmination of the romance as long as possible. We have the FMC determined to break things off and go home to England for a variety of reasons, as she has strong ties there and doesn't want a cheap thrill romance just for the sake of sex. And we still have her stuck there until the final paragraphs of the novel. The average reader will want to slap some sense into her for the last two acts of the story.


----------



## indianroads

I finished going through the feedback of my proof reader, and incorporated most of it - everything is optional, it's my book after all. The last few days I did a read through of the story to see how it all fell together and ended up altering a few scenes. Next up is a listen-through to hear how the words fit together. My cover design should happen in early December, so it's all fitting together nicely. Still a go for the release of Inception in mid December.

Tonight I'm meeting my writer's guild (Pikes Peak Writers) for pizza at a local place. Those meetings are always fun.


----------



## JJBuchholz

PiP said:


> As @VRanger and I work on the final chapter I feel sad to let go of the characters we created. The END feels final while the characters live on in my mind.... Do you feel a need to continue the story with a second book?


I once wrote a novella called 'Fury' that started out life as a one-off. Several people read it and mentioned to me that it should have a sequel or second
part to the story. 'Heart of the Inferno' became the sequel, and because I couldn't let go of the main character too well, a third part came about at a later
time (once I had a premise for the plot). 'The Embers of Time' was the result, and the story that was only a one-off became a trilogy.

-JJB


----------



## JBF

After a direly slow couple of weeks, I revisited a children's book I wrote a few years back.  

It's still readable.  And probably unpublishable.


----------



## indianroads

Interesting... I have an online newspaper subscription, and an article about the LA PD using fake profiles to spy on people posting in social networks showed up in my inbox. Serendipity - that's what my next novel, Inception, is about.


----------



## NajaNoir

A prompt suggestion  has led me to write my first fairy tale. I saw four words and the story appeared to me and that's that.  Spent some time writing it today.  It's coming along. 

Though I'll say, it might not be exactly happy,  it is a nice change from the usual dystopian that plagues my mind.  So on that alone, be it good or bad,  I would say it is a writing success.


----------



## indianroads

NajaNoir said:


> A prompt suggestion  has led me to write my first fairy tale. I saw four words and the story appeared to me and that's that.  Spent some time writing it today.  It's coming along.
> 
> Though I'll say, it might not be exactly happy,  it is a nice change from the usual dystopian that plagues my mind.  So on that alone, be it good or bad,  I would say it is a writing success.


Sometimes ideas hit and inspire us. Writing is like that.


----------



## VRanger

NajaNoir said:


> A prompt suggestion  has led me to write my first fairy tale. I saw four words and the story appeared to me and that's that.  Spent some time writing it today.  It's coming along.
> 
> Though I'll say, it might not be exactly happy,  it is a nice change from the usual dystopian that plagues my mind.  So on that alone, be it good or bad,  I would say it is a writing success.


I wrote a fairy tale last spring about a magic mouse (novella). It was fun.


----------



## Megan Pearson

An essay I wrote for school was chosen among a few chosen to be read by the class. I am very excited by the opportunity to present it and lead the discussion around it.


----------



## neophyte

I decided to make an outline for my story, which I’ve never done before. (I believe in letting the story carry you.. or used to.) I made a point to come up with a set ending and sprinkle in some foreshadowing. It’s  going pretty smoothly, and I’m writing for a longer time before getting bored!


----------



## VRanger

neophyte said:


> I decided to make an outline for my story, which I’ve never done before. (I believe in letting the story carry you.. or used to.) I made a point to come up with a set ending and sprinkle in some foreshadowing. It’s  going pretty smoothly, and I’m writing for a longer time before getting bored!


Trust me, even with a synopsis or an outline the story will still carry you.  However, you've just provided a safety net. If you get stuck, you already have a cue for how to continue.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I essentially completed the book a couple of days ago.  She's revising some of her early chapters, but we have a complete manuscript from beginning to end. It should be a very short time now before I can start an A to Z read-through, then have PiP do one, then I'll run it through my proofreading app, then final read-throughs, including my wife's.

We picked out art, which I bought yesterday, and did a first rough-in of the cover. For _Poet Lariat_, I found a "rope font" to use for the title. This is only a tentative cover, since we're going to pursue an agent and traditional publishing for this, and if we should be offered a deal the publisher will want to supply their own cover (and maybe even title). But if that doesn't work out, we'll have a cover should we later decide to self-publish.

But while we pass the book around to friends who are interested, we'll have a cover for it.

PiP is working on character sketches of Julia's friends and family in England so we'll have those details to work with while we plot the sequel.


----------



## indianroads

The cover designer will set to work on Inception on Dec. 1, and I'm currently working through the novel one last (hopefully) time. Feeling good about the whole thing.

I'm already looking ahead to writing the Last Ride - a novel about a dying man riding a motorcycle across the USA in an attempt to recapture a moment in his life when he was happy. It's a paranormal romance about the consequences of choices we make. It will be a real stretch for me (just as Inception was), and I'm looking forward to the challenge.


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## VRanger

Two nice pieces of progress. @PiP completed her review and revision of her solo Chapters (1,2,3,9), and I've finished my first round of editing on them, so we should be ready for my A-Z readthrough and revision.

Actually {shudder} before I do the A-Z, I really need to export each chapter from Google to a Docx, and export each chapter from Scrivener to a Docx, and use the document compare feature in Word to make sure the two sets of documents are congruent. I've assiduously attempted to keep the documents in sync, but there might have been tiny room for an oversight here or there. So if they're in there, I'll find them. Am I looking forward to that process? HELL no.

In the other piece of writing progress, I made a set of notes for possible plot elements and scenes for the sequel, and PiP came right in with additional suggestions. I integrated those into the notes I made, and we have a 1700-word treatment which, given our propensity to write word after word after word, should fill out the novel.

We're not going to do the thing where something breaks the couple up and they have to find their way back together. We already did that in Poet Lariat I. Cal and Juliet will be a satisfied team in the sequel. (Don't read too much into the adjective 'satisfied', or do, because you'll be right either way).  We're working in a secondary romance to fool a Commissioning Editor, but really we're looking at a slice of life story with both satisfying and humorous episodes and subplots. Think "A Christmas Story" with sex and no BB gun.


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## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Two nice pieces of progress. @PiP completed her review and revision of her solo Chapters (1,2,3,9), and I've finished my first round of editing on them, so we should be ready for my A-Z readthrough and revision.
> 
> Actually {shudder} before I do the A-Z, I really need to export each chapter from Google to a Docx, and export each chapter from Scrivener to a Docx, and use the document compare feature in Word to make sure the two sets of documents are congruent. I've assiduously attempted to keep the documents in sync, but there might have been tiny room for an oversight here or there. So if they're in there, I'll find them. Am I looking forward to that process? HELL no.
> 
> In the other piece of writing progress, I made a set of notes for possible plot elements and scenes for the sequel, and PiP came right in with additional suggestions. I integrated those into the notes I made, and we have a 1700-word treatment which, given our propensity to write word after word after word, should fill out the novel.
> 
> We're not going to do the thing where something breaks the couple up and they have to find their way back together. We already did that in Poet Lariat I. Cal and Juliet will be a satisfied team in the sequel. (Don't read too much into the adjective 'satisfied', or do, because you'll be right either way).  We're working in a secondary romance to fool a Commissioning Editor, but really we're looking at a slice of life story with both satisfying and humorous episodes and subplots. Think "A Christmas Story" with sex and no BB gun.


Writing is hard.
I read a book by Dean Koontz ages ago called Mr. Murder. It involved a man (MC - who was a successful author) that was cloned without his knowledge - and his clone was modified to be a horrific murderer. The clone learns about MC - and thinks MC stole his life. In one scene he breaks into MC's house and tries to write...
That doesn't go well.
'A man walks into a room,' wait, why is here there? 'A man,' wait, why is it a man?
Eventually the clone smashes the MC's computer to bits and pieces.
Yeah... I get that level of frustration sometimes.


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## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Writing is hard.


I've spent countless hours just on the organization element of this collaboration. It's work, but it's in the comfort of my den in my La-Z-Boy. Thing could be worse. ;-) Right now I'm in Chapter 6 of 24 doing the reconciliation.


----------



## VRanger

Almost 8 straight hours after I started, I finished the reconciliation between Google Docs and Scrivener versions of the manuscript. I did find a few rather important differences between the two, where I had missed a new better version of a sentence or a paragraph. I caught about two dozen places where I'd missed reapplying italics since (for some idiot reason) Google Docs will neither include that sort of markup in a paste or a copy from their own data.

The most frustrating part was that MS Word Document Compare gave me MANY false positives, which by far took up the most time. The feature is useful, but it is NOT elegantly developed. To add to that, ellipses became a minefield. When you create one with Scrivener or Google Docs, you get three periods. Evidently the browser PiP uses converts the three dots to an ASCII ellipse, and both PiP and I use them a lot. So about half of the ellipses in the manuscript flagged as differences. Even though in each case I KNEW Word probably flagged a section solely because of an ellipse, I STILL had to eyeball everything in the two versions of the paragraph anyway ... just in case.

The process, after exporting the 24 chapters from each version, was to then load each version of a chapter in Word Compare, then load the matching Google Doc, then step up to the matching chapter in Scrivener, then scroll down the Word comparison, and for anything flagged scroll down BOTH "live versions" to get the matching section on screen. Sometimes Word pointed out what the exact difference was, sometimes only a detailed manual comparison ferreted the difference, and sometimes there was no difference. And on some occasions, it wasn't clear which version to keep, so I had to make a decision in each of those instances. LOL

But, now it's done! 

Dear @PiP searched out my current file in Google Docs fairly early in the process and moved up with me chapter by chapter, providing companionship in an esprit de corps which went above and beyond the call, but which I found quite comforting.  Thanks Pip!!!


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## PiP

VRanger said:


> Almost 8 straight hours after I started, I finished the reconciliation between Google Docs and Scrivener versions of the manuscript.


I am relieved one of us is tech-savvy  That was an awful lot of work, Jim. Thank you. The transfer would have taken me at least a week!


VRanger said:


> Dear @PiP searched out my current file in Google Docs fairly early in the process and moved up with me chapter by chapter, providing companionship in an esprit de corps which went above and beyond the call, but which I found quite comforting.  Thanks Pip!!!


I felt like a chocolate teapot ... I just wish I could have contributed more.


----------



## Ajoy

NajaNoir said:


> A prompt suggestion  has led me to write my first fairy tale. I saw four words and the story appeared to me and that's that.  Spent some time writing it today.  It's coming along.
> 
> Though I'll say, it might not be exactly happy,  it is a nice change from the usual dystopian that plagues my mind.  So on that alone, be it good or bad,  I would say it is a writing success.


 I do love when story ideas come this way. : )


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## Ajoy

neophyte said:


> I decided to make an outline for my story, which I’ve never done before. (I believe in letting the story carry you.. or used to.) I made a point to come up with a set ending and sprinkle in some foreshadowing. It’s  going pretty smoothly, and I’m writing for a longer time before getting bored!


I can relate to this! I've recently realized I also have that need to let the story (and characters) carry me but also need the structure of knowing where the story is going and the main points of how it gets there. I've finally found a way to describe how I outline, which is to put in my vague ideas in order. Then write the first scene. Then adjust and add to the vague outline. Then write the next scene. Then make the outline even less vague. And keep repeating until the outline is enough to carry it to the end. This is what I did for my recently completed work, but I couldn't articulate it then.


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## Ajoy

VRanger said:


> @PiP and I essentially completed the book a couple of days ago.  She's revising some of her early chapters, but we have a complete manuscript from beginning to end. It should be a very short time now before I can start an A to Z read-through, then have PiP do one, then I'll run it through my proofreading app, then final read-throughs, including my wife's.
> 
> We picked out art, which I bought yesterday, and did a first rough-in of the cover. For _Poet Lariat_, I found a "rope font" to use for the title. This is only a tentative cover, since we're going to pursue an agent and traditional publishing for this, and if we should be offered a deal the publisher will want to supply their own cover (and maybe even title). But if that doesn't work out, we'll have a cover should we later decide to self-publish.
> 
> But while we pass the book around to friends who are interested, we'll have a cover for it.
> 
> PiP is working on character sketches of Julia's friends and family in England so we'll have those details to work with while we plot the sequel.


I love that you've done this project collaboratively--and shared bits of your process along the way. It's very interesting and sounded fun.  I've always wanted to do a collaborative project with my wife, actually. Maybe one day!


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> The cover designer will set to work on Inception on Dec. 1, and I'm currently working through the novel one last (hopefully) time. Feeling good about the whole thing.
> 
> I'm already looking ahead to writing the Last Ride - a novel about a dying man riding a motorcycle across the USA in an attempt to recapture a moment in his life when he was happy. It's a paranormal romance about the consequences of choices we make. It will be a real stretch for me (just as Inception was), and I'm looking forward to the challenge.


It's great how you're pushing yourself as a writer. I can't wait to read about your experience as you go along!


----------



## Ajoy

It's been a while since I've updated in here, but I've been writing away. : )

I've been working on my round two query package for my recently beta read and revised novel. It's all nearly ready, and I'm planning to query 15-20 agents after my winter break--so January. I'm feeling good about this query package, but this novel has some big things working against it for traditional publishing (just beyond the acceptable word count for the genre & a couple of tropes that are currently out of favor for some agents). No matter what on this one, I'm feeling pretty proud of what I've created. 

Meanwhile, I've been slowly getting organized so that I can start outlining for book 2 of the above mentioned novel. I'm writing book 2 from a different POV and focusing on a different book level story arcs. It will still very much act and read like a book 2 that follows the story of book 1 and is deeply connected to it. But...I want to be able to query this book on its own, in case the above book doesn't get picked up. (It makes book 1 still publishable if book 2 sells first..AND if neither sells, I'll have two books ready for self publishing--I'm very excited about how it's all going, no matter which way it ends up turning out. I've finally gotten all my book 2 notes organized and I'm ready to start plotting. I think I'll be able to have my basic plot arcs outlined by the end of January.

Also...about a month ago, I wrote a short story for my local writer group and very quickly decided that I needed to turn it into a novel. I never had any intention of doing more than one project at a time, but here I am. It's going to be YA/New adult, and I'm aiming for the shorter side of that word count on this one. I've got the plot vaguely outlined scene by scene and have written the opening scene (we'll see if that sticks...my now finished novel has had at least four different opening scenes). I'm planning to take this one slow and steady, maybe just a scene or two a week so that I can make sure I'm making time for my adult series book 2. 

I didn't know I could do this while also working my day job, but...knock on wood...It's actually working!


----------



## VRanger

Quiet week in the thread. Let's get with it, people! ;-)

Lots of news from @PiP and me:

We had houseguests for three days which slowed me up a LOT, but I've finished 22 of 24 chapters on the A-Z readthrough and edit, so that will be finished before lunch today. I've cut some sentences and words, rearranged some words, and changed some words here and there. I fixed a place where PiP had Julia taking two baths in one evening, and where I had them going to lunch twice in one day.

I also came back across a line where I promised a scene--and when I wrote that line, I commented to Betty I was committing myself to living up to it--but then _I forgot_ it. I'd rather live up to it than delete the line, so another scene is coming, I just have to figure out what the action will be!

I also had a character promising to help with something, and that was never mentioned again. A couple of small alterations to the final scene took care of that.

In the meantime, both PiP and I have been working on an opening scene for PL2, and PiP wrote some detailed character notes for people on Julia's side of the story. I filled in a bit for Cal's side, too, but since most of PL2 will occur in England, her contribution there was by far the most important. We've also filled in more details on our plot notes. I wonder how many of THOSE we'll actually get to. We left a lot of plot points out in PL1.


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## indianroads

My cover guy (J Caleb Design) is working on Inception - he'll make eCover, paperback, and hardback covers for me. 


> Note from Jake:
> I've got my concept together and look forward to seeing how it develops.  It brings together the elements you've already mentioned and the computer code/circuitry elements.  With this being a technothriller I really want to sell that side of it while still showing the girl but making sure we don't skew too far into a horror/mystery cover as young girls are typical imagery for those genres.


I just finished my eighth edit (my process = one draft, then edit the heck out of it), since I have a bit of time I'll run through it one more time.

Logan, the MC of my next novel, The Last Ride, has been bugging me to get busy writing his story. He's a good guy and patient, and accepts that I'll get to him after Inception is posted on Amazon.


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## VRanger

Last night @PiP and I added the scene we needed to tie up three loose ends from earlier dialogue (and one internal dialogue). Then, we needed a filler scene--because the new scene and the one following were too similar in the style they ended--so we wrote a very short filler scene for the FMC which winds up working out nicely as a bit of foreshadowing for the start of the novel's last scene.

With that, I exported the project to a docx and uploaded it for PiP's first complete read through. In the meantime, my wife, Betty, is itching to get a crack at it. She's heard all or most of it, but since much of the novel was written asynchronously, she'd like to get it in the right order. She previously read an early version of Chapters 1-12, but some of them underwent a good bit of revision since then, including reversing the fate of a character who died, so she can become a major player in our notes for PL2.

We have a LOT of fun notes for PL2 subplots, but what we lack is a strong main thread and a crisis to solve in the last chapter. We may have a romance to build and solve, but our notes hardly touch on it ... so that needs to be developed in detail along with a reason for it to seemingly break.

In a very interesting epiphany (at least for me), writing this update has made me think of a new way to go about plotting PL2. I'm certain it's NOT new to the writing game, or the software I'm considering wouldn't exist, but it will be brand new to me, and presumably also to PiP. I'll leave that in mystery for a while until we work it out.


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## PiP

VRanger said:


> Last night @PiP and I added the scene we needed to tie up three loose ends from earlier dialogue (and one internal dialogue). Then, we needed a filler scene--because the new scene and the one following were too similar in the style they ended--so we wrote a very short filler scene for the FMC which winds up working out nicely as a bit of foreshadowing for the start of the novel's last scene.


Last night I not only learned the importance of filler scenes but also tying up loose ends. An interesting example of 'show' not 'tell' as we discussed via an interactive session on GDs.


VRanger said:


> With that, I exported the project to a docx and uploaded it for PiP's first complete read through.


I'm setting the evening aside to enjoy ...Jim knows I'm pedantic when the English characters speak American English instead of British LOL


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## indianroads

Whether this is a success seems dubious - however - I'm waiting on the cover of Inception (any day now) and so am looking into my next novel, which is a paranormal romance titled The Last Ride. I'm working on the paranormal aspect of it - it needs to be understandable when I write it, and the explanation has to be plausible. The notion is that with every choice we make new realities are created, and when we die they all come together in a singularity. 

To plot the story, I've found that I can't use the standard process I use for SciFi or Thriller stories - so I'm back to a paper notebook, scribbling timelines and hooking events with arrows. This story is definitely out of my comfort zone, and that's why I think I have to write it.

Temptation whispers in my ears though - I have an idea for a two book series set on the moon, it would be easier to pull together... but no... I think I have to do the Last Ride. Writing Logan and Sarah's story will make the moonscape series better. I gotta do it... <whine> but it's hard.


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## VRanger

indianroads said:


> To plot the story, I've found that I can't use the standard process I use for SciFi or Thriller stories - so I'm back to a paper notebook, scribbling timelines and hooking events with arrows. This story is definitely out of my comfort zone, and that's why I think I have to write it.


If you haven't already, you might look into Scapple and/or Plottr.


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## indianroads

VRanger said:


> If you haven't already, you might look into Scapple and/or Plottr.


Never heard of either. Problem is - the plot is taking up all my bandwidth, learning a new software app would melt my brain.
Thanks though!


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## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Never heard of either. Problem is - the plot is taking up all my bandwidth, learning a new software app would melt my brain.
> Thanks though!


Both of them are pretty much pick up and use.


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## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Both of them are pretty much pick up and use.


Thanks! I think I have it figured out. The paranormal thing is just a sketch in my notebook - I think that will be enough - I was having trouble visualizing the flow of the squirrelly weird stuff. This is a case where I have to figure out the ending before I pull the plot together in a way that makes sense.

Looks like the sweet spot for paranormal romance is ~85K, so I dropped a couple stops on their route from Ft. Bragg to Bar Harbor, and have an idea of how to add more paranormal tension to their ride. I think the break I took from thinking about / plotting this story will work in my favor.


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## PiP

indianroads said:


> Problem is - the plot is taking up all my bandwidth, learning a new software app would melt my brain.


I can relate to this


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## indianroads

Still waiting for the cover of Inception - started working through the paranormal mechanics that will fill in the background of the Last Ride. 

Spent the afternoon reading about Quantum mechanics many-worlds interpretation and wave function collapse... did I understand it? *Nope*, but I got the general concept. Now I'm writing up how it will work in the Last Ride. That will provide the structure that the story hangs from.


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## PiP

Proofread another 52 pages with @VRanger  last night. PHEW!  Only about another 40 pages to go ...


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## VRanger

Woke up to this, this morning, after an email from a gentleman who just finished reading my Heinlein sequel. If you ever think I'm getting a big head, blame these people. All I did was write the book. :-/

Facebook thread about it


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## Darren White

VRanger said:


> Facebook thread about it


It's a private group


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## VRanger

Oops to the private group​@Darren White
*Randy Benjamin*​Admin
I finally took time to read "Rudbeck of Rudbeck."
Our friend Jim Dutton wrote a sequel to Robert Heinlein's "Citizen of the Galaxy."
His characters ring true to the original story, and he provides motivation and
action that will sound familiar to readers of "Citizen."
Ya done good , Jim.

20 Adam Ellis and 19 others

12 Comments
Randy Benjamin
Author
Admin
Jim sent me the link to his ebook last summer, but I only now took time to read it.

Darin Locy
Randy Benjamin, I would be interested in reading it!
Randy Benjamin
Author
Admin
Darin Locy
I am pretty sure he'll share the link here, but I'm making sure he approves.


Eric Feigenbaum
Randy Benjamin I'd like this too


Jim Porter
Ditto.


Eric Feigenbaum
Citizen is one of my favorite Heinleins

Jamey Fletcher
It really is a damned good read. I doubt he'll be making the link particularly public - that could open him to copyright problems if he wants to get it published at the professional level. Editors/reviewers is one thing, general publishing would be s…


Jessica'nMichael Lucens
Thorby was one of my favorite Heinlein characters. I'd love to see this sequel someday.


Barbara Trumpinski-Roberts
I read it after you mentioned it last summer. Most excellent.


David McCoy
It’s excellent.


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## indianroads

Got my cover back from my designer today - looks great, I'll stare at it tonight, and if I still love it tomorrow morning it will get green lighted.


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## RedsFables

I had 2 publishing companies reach out to inquire about contracting both of my webnovels for a pay-by-chapter agreement.


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## indianroads

My cover art came in yesterday, I requested some changes and sent it back to the designer. Shouldn't take long to do because it's just text changes. I'm hoping to have the book published on Amazon by the end of next week.


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## VRanger

Over the last few days @PiP and I extended our collaboration to having me follow her (in the latest Google Doc) through her first A-Z readthrough of Poet Lariat. She caught quite a few things ... a few typos I didn't catch, and a good number of adjustments here and there, and double-checked me on continuity. That's important, as several scenes have a few moving parts that needed to stay straight.

Then I exported from Scrivener, reformatted the whole thing in Word, created a ToC, and stuck a cover and a title page on the front. I need to get some information from PiP and I'll submit to the Copyright Office. PiP's been working up a list of agents to approach. We don't know if we'll get a hit on that road, but we're going to try it out.

So as of a few hours ago we can declare an acceptable draft of the novel.  PiP plans to pop the bubbly on Saturday, and I'll raise a glass of Port shortly after I post this comment. Poet Lariat marks PiP's second novel and my ninth.  And let me tell you, after the elapsed time between the first and last chapters of my first novel, looking at that word "ninth" just seems incredible. And it won't be all that long until 10 and 11 get written. I've even got a little pressure being applied for 12 and 13. LOL (Both sequels).


----------



## Ken11

Just succeeded in wrapping the meaning of the text by successful usage of _showing._ Also, succeeded in that the style has improved. Wish me luck


----------



## Deleted member 66515

Today, my main character finally figured out how to put their foot down, and say "enough is enough."
And I'm very proud of them for doing it.

I know I created the character, but they are not me..
So when they have an epiphany, it is not only enlightening to me, but also to them, and I not only find that exciting as a writer, but as an artist in general.
For being able to put myself into the characters head and personality, is what I think we are all trying to accomplish, when we are fictionalizing someone who isn't exactly the same as us.


----------



## indianroads

YAY! The updates to my cover are done, waiting to see if my designer has time to do the paperback and hardback versions. This guy is in demand, he's completely booked through next year. If he's strapped for time I'll use the Amazon templates for the spine and back cover. Looking good, I love it.
ETA:
He says he can get the paper and hard back covers done next week.  Loading the kindle version today.


----------



## PiP

Redherring said:


> Today, my main character finally figured out how to put their foot down, and say "enough is enough."
> And I'm very proud of them for doing it.


 My MC finally learnt to put her foot down. It's rather liberating, yes. If only RL was that simple 


VRanger said:


> Then I exported from Scrivener, reformatted the whole thing in Word, created a ToC, and stuck a cover and a title page on the front. I need to get some information from PiP and I'll submit to the Copyright Office.


Seeing the cover and ToC is like the icing on the cake.



VRanger said:


> PiP's been working up a list of agents to approach. We don't know if we'll get a hit on that road, but we're going to try it out.


Creating a list of potential agents/publishers is a LOT harder than I expected. If we get lucky that will be the cherry.


VRanger said:


> PiP plans to pop the bubbly on Saturday, and I'll raise a glass of Port shortly after I post this comment.


Sadly, I never got to pop the bubbly. Mr Pip went out to watch football and even I can't drink a whole bottle to myself. ... so a happy dance will have to suffice instead








VRanger said:


> And let me tell you, after the elapsed time between the first and last chapters of my first novel, looking at that word "ninth" just seems incredible.


It is incredible!


----------



## RedsFables

My butthead of an mc survived the day and quite frankly I am caught somewhere between massacre & mayhem and amusement moodwise about this.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I'm back working on a story that I put aside a week ago. I had been writing for five days straight before the plot became
a little muddy in my mind, so I took a break. I've been back on it for the last couple days, and should have the climax
done before the end of the day today. 

I want to complete this one, because I have another story idea I need to plot out and start.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

RedsFables said:


> My butthead of an mc survived the day and quite frankly I am caught somewhere between massacre & mayhem and amusement moodwise about this.


Funny how they get petulant and act out at times.


----------



## Taylor

Reviewing all the comments from beta readers and trying to address them all.  I could probably use a little advice on version management.


----------



## indianroads

I've been reviewing Inception's kindle version, and will make a few small changes, then resubmit - funny how things look different when you look at your work in a different format.

My cover guy (Jake) sent the hard and paperback cover templates this afternoon. I'll set those up and load everything on Amazon tomorrow - it will be a day or so before everything is live on Amazon.

I can see the finish line, time for one last sprint.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Reviewing all the comments from beta readers and trying to address them all.  I could probably use a little advice on version management.


Don't know if I can help - but let me know if you want some ideas.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Reviewing all the comments from beta readers and trying to address them all.  I could probably use a little advice on version management.


First of all, you shouldn't address all the comments of beta readers ... only the ones where multiple people point out the same thing, or what is pointed out is very obvious to you needs a change (such as a typo, wrong name, wrong word, or continuity mistake). A lot of what you'll get is reader opinion, and much of that is worthless feedback. I say worthless, because you may or may not improve the story chasing reader opinion.

Once I take the project to MS Word, I'll have a series of files "Title_Rev_1", etc. Each time a major action occurs, I bump the number. So on Poet Lariat, the first export out of Scrivener was 1. My readthrough was 2, PiP's readthrough was 3, then when I added the cover-title page-TOC it went to 4, which is what I submitted to the Copyright Office today.

You have to decide if a set of changes is so major you want to take a picture of the file at that point and bump the revision number.


----------



## indianroads

If you’re receiving inputs from several sources, I suggest you combine them first, and give precedence to issues flagged more than once.

Like VRanger, I name files based on revision level.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> If you’re receiving inputs from several sources, I suggest you combine them first, and give precedence to issues flagged more than once.
> 
> Like VRanger, I name files based on revision level.


When I speak of addressing, I mean reading and considering.  I am incredibly grateful for the three brilliant women who have taken the time from their busy schedules to read and comment.

From what I can see, almost all the comments are worthy.

What method do you use to combine files?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> When I speak of addressing, I mean reading and considering.  I am incredibly grateful for the three brilliant women who have taken the time from their busy schedules to read and comment.
> 
> From what I can see, almost all the comments are worthy.
> 
> What method do you use to combine files?


To answer that, I'd need to know what your input looks like. I take it that you have several sources, and the format of your feedback varies, with each one being different than the others. Yeah, that's gonna be a pain.

Do you have identical copies of your MS returned by your reviewers? How did each one highlight problems? Do you have general comments, written out separately, or do you have comments in-line?

Some how you gotta corral these suckers, and realize that one reviewer may love something while another hates it. Maybe to start you could go through each response separately marking up your MS but not making the changes. Do them one at a time, then, when you have everything within a single file dive in and reconcile everything.


----------



## RedsFables

indianroads said:


> Funny how they get petulant and act out at times.


Truly.  At this point though I am too emotionally invested in them to smite them into oblivion though.


----------



## indianroads

Submitted the paperback and hardback versions of Inception - the covers are always a bit tricky, especially the hardback version since Amazon is still running at BETA there. Jake's covers loaded flawlessly, so it's all good. I'm hoping to go live with all three versions (kindle, paperback, hardback) Inception on Thursday.

I'll take the rest of the day off from writing... maybe.


----------



## Matchu

After my enforced absence through 'employment' I managed to pop one out - my story submission posted to one of the superheavies - so, so the world will never read that one story until the day my 'mate with a blog'  accepts the story in about 4 years time after the 'extensive edits.'    Anyway, I enjoyed the process.   I'll see what the [American] sub/slush has to say?


----------



## RedsFables

I published chapters on each of my webnovels and did edits and outlines for the next chapters to be published. All that is left is filling it out.


----------



## indianroads

My new novel, Inception: A Silicon Valley Techno-Thriller is live on Amazon and posted in WF's Member's Published Books. 

I thank @Taylor for suggesting I write a story set in Silicon Valley (where I grew up and worked as an engineer for 30+ years) - although what I produced wasn't what she had in mind. 

There's no rest for the wicked though, as I'm already starting in on my next novel - The Last Ride: A Paranormal Romance.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> My new novel, Inception: A Silicon Valley Techno-Thriller is live on Amazon and posted in WF's Member's Published Books.
> 
> I thank @Taylor for suggesting I write a story set in Silicon Valley (where I grew up and worked as an engineer for 30+ years) - although what I produced wasn't what she had in mind.
> 
> There's no rest for the wicked though, as I'm already starting in on my next novel - The Last Ride: A Paranormal Romance.


Your work ethic is inspiring!


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> My new novel, Inception: A Silicon Valley Techno-Thriller is live on Amazon and posted in WF's Member's Published Books.


Yay, love the cover. I've also promoted it on FB. Well done Ken


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Your work ethic is inspiring!


For a Silicon Valley engineer, this is a piece of cake.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> For a Silicon Valley engineer, this is a piece of cake.


And for a black belt!   

CONGRATULATIONS on the launch!!!  I agree with @PiP...The cover is outstanding.  I just purchased my copy.  Looking forward to the adventure.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> And for a black belt!
> 
> CONGRATULATIONS on the launch!!!  I agree with @PiP...The cover is outstanding.  I just purchased my copy.  Looking forward to the adventure.


OH! Thank you! I was planning on sending you a signed copy, if you'd still like one PM me.


----------



## RedsFables

indianroads said:


> My new novel, Inception: A Silicon Valley Techno-Thriller is live on Amazon and posted in WF's Member's Published Books.
> 
> I thank @Taylor for suggesting I write a story set in Silicon Valley (where I grew up and worked as an engineer for 30+ years) - although what I produced wasn't what she had in mind.
> 
> There's no rest for the wicked though, as I'm already starting in on my next novel - The Last Ride: A Paranormal Romance.


Oh congratulations!


----------



## Joker

Taking baby steps since I'm so rusty. One page a day, minimum. Hoping to get back to 500 words a day eventually.


----------



## Matchu

Well, after my 'first submission' - a 'wet draft' to 'the world's 3rd biggest magazine, you'll never have to work again submission,' I sent a more considered or a 'dry piece' without all of those supplementary clauses and commas of draft - to an Amsterdam outlet - although I did mis-spell _guilders_ in the letter.  It was a more human-type of cover letter, the first submission being more of your mad-person type crap submission, a long shot.  You need to know this.


----------



## RedsFables

My second webnovel is starting to pick up more interest.


----------



## Joker

I wrote a page and it's only noon. I want to write more. That's how you do this writing thing, yeah?


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> I wrote a page and it's only noon. I want to write more. That's how you do this writing thing, yeah?


I've been known to start with a sentence and then ponder if I want to write more. Typically, I decide to.


----------



## Ken11

(Edit)
Or have I said too much


----------



## Matchu

[EDIT]
I forgot what you typed.
[EDIT]


----------



## RedsFables

My first novel is at 34k/28 chapters---> 5 Chapter outlines waiting to be filled in and published
My second novel is at 14k/10 chapters ---> 8 Chapter outlines waiting
My third novel (started this week) is at 6k/5 chapters->1 Chapter outline waiting
---
I published 2 chapters each for novels 1 and 2 this week.
I also published chapters daily for my third novel.
---
Overall this experiment has been very successful! The multiple plots and chaos helped me to be more consistent and creative in my writing.


----------



## PiP

The joy today would actually be to: sit bum on seat and *write*. I don't care if hubby's team have just scored, or if xx has missed a penalty ... the rice is not cooked enough ... the dinner is cremated... OR if the COVID figures are through the roof ... I am a hermit ...  I've been trying to write a query letter for FOUR days and help @VRanger with a plot outline for our next collab ... tonight I have blinkers to the world ...


----------



## ErikFite

Today, as is the case every day, just keeping my trainwreck of a life on something resembling the right track whilst continuing to write every day.  I started the novel on July 18 and so far have not broken the streak.  I did relax and stopped putting a minimum on my word count./  I keep track, but I decided I;d rather have 500 good words that work with where the stroy wants to go, than 2000 that lead me off somewhere I don't want to go or can't write my way out of.  Also, I drove down into Denver for my bi-monthly supply run and managed to not murder any of the horrible drivers that I swear were out to get me.


----------



## indianroads

My Inception paperbacks came in today.
Inception, by Ken Barrett (aka: IndianRoads)


----------



## Taylor

Finally got the thumbs up from my client on the outline for _Guiding the Planning and Budgeting Process.  _It'_s _a cohort-style self-study course for senior government employees such as Assistant Deputy Ministers, Executive Directors, and Superintendents.  He changed the direction three times last week, so I have *MUCH JOY* today, that I can now go forward with the Video Scripts, Exercises, Participant Manual, and Facilitator Guide.  Still, a lot of writing to be done...but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Starting January 1, 2022, I am back on my personal writing goals of two chapters a month.  Getting excited to start drafting _Skyline_, a sequel to _Profitline_, both stories of high-finance and personal ethical choices.  And yes....there will be ethics compromised.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Finally got the thumbs up from my client on the outline for _Guiding the Planning and Budgeting Process.  _It'_s _a cohort-style self-study course for senior government employees such as Assistant Deputy Ministers, Executive Directors, and Superintendents.  He changed the direction three times last week, so I have *MUCH JOY* today, that I can now go forward with the Video Scripts, Exercises, Participant Manual, and Facilitator Guide.  Still, a lot of writing to be done...but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
> 
> *Starting January 1, 2022, I am back on my writing goals of two chapters a month.  Getting excited to start drafting Skyline, a sequel to Profitline, both stories of high-finance and personal ethical choices.  And yes....there will be ethics compromised.*


Great news.
And if someone isn't compromising ethics, it would be a pretty dull story. Glad to hear you're moving forward.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Great news.
> *And if someone isn't compromising ethics, it would be a pretty dull story. *Glad to hear you're moving forward.


Exactly!


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> The joy today would actually be to: sit bum on seat and *write*. I don't care if hubby's team have just scored, or if xx has missed a penalty ... the rice is not cooked enough ... the dinner is cremated... OR if the COVID figures are through the roof ... I am a hermit ...  I've been trying to write a query letter for FOUR days and help @VRanger with a plot outline for our next collab ... tonight I have blinkers to the world ...


Did the blinkers work?


----------



## PiP

Taylor said:


> Did the blinkers work?


Nope ... afraid not.


----------



## RedsFables

I am writing!


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> Nope ... afraid not.


This time of year is always a little crazy and distracting.  I think I'm only writing right now because I have a deadline.


----------



## indianroads

Hurrah!! Finished the plot for *The Last Ride* (my next novel), but will still run through it a couple of times before starting in on the draft.

This story really pushed my ability to conceptualize a complex plot. Two characters meet on the road, and travel to Maine. Simple, right? Not so much. They knew each other in their youth and are both returning to a place where they remember being happy (with each other). The problem is that they've forgotten the details of their past, and both believed the other was dead. So, as the plot moves forward their forgotten memories move backward, such that when they arrive at their destination, they fall in sync with what the did and meant to each other in their youth, and that's where (as my wife puts it) zany adventures ensue. Add a touch of the paranormal and quantum mechanics at the end, and you have the story.

The plot itself ran to 19.2 K words - and was a struggle to fit together, but with it as a guide the draft should flow smoothly... I hope.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I'm now three days into writing a small novella that I came up with just over two weeks ago. The main plot sees three men
embezzling money from a casino and finding a way to end up with it's ownership (revenge, as a long-time employee got
passed over for promotion too many times), while a young man and young woman (in their 20's) both suffering from
heartbreak find each other in the casino and fall in love (subplot).

The mastermind behind the revenge has enlisted two friends (one is another employee of the casino) to aid him in rigging
games, influencing dealers, and using computers to steal money. The plan is to buy the hotel (which houses the casino) out
from under the owners, and the hardened guy that runs the place (who think he's God's gift to the world).

I wrote three pages of an outline in my notebook, and have been plugging away on the main draft for the last few days
now. I had some initial fear before starting (never written anything based in a casino before), but finally jumped in.

-JJB


----------



## Taylor

JJBuchholz said:


> I'm now three days into writing a small novella that I came up with just over two weeks ago. The main plot sees three men
> embezzling money from a casino and finding a way to end up with it's ownership (revenge, as a long-time employee got
> passed over for promotion too many times), while a young man and young woman (in their 20's) both suffering from
> heartbreak find each other in the casino and fall in love (subplot).
> 
> The mastermind behind the revenge has enlisted two friends (one is another employee of the casino) to aid him in rigging
> games, influencing dealers, and using computers to steal money. The plan is to buy the hotel (which houses the casino) out
> from under the owners, and the hardened guy that runs the place (who think he's God's gift to the world).
> 
> I wrote three pages of an outline in my notebook, and have been plugging away on the main draft for the last few days
> now. I had some initial fear before starting (never written anything based in a casino before), but finally jumped in.
> 
> -JJB


That sounds like my kind of plot!


----------



## indianroads

I updated my web site this afternoon (link below), and the signature on my email.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Taylor said:


> That sounds like my kind of plot!



Thank you! It's my first attempt at a casino caper! I've been interested in this kind of a story for some time, having read
some books and watched several films on the subject. The catalyst was being at a casino resort a couple weeks back
(office Christmas party) and wandering the casino floor (coworkers were gambling, I was researching) and taking in
every little detail while there.

-JJB


----------



## Taylor

JJBuchholz said:


> Thank you! It's my first attempt at a casino caper! I've been interested in this kind of a story for some time, having read
> some books and watched several films on the subject. The catalyst was being at a casino resort a couple weeks back
> (office Christmas party) and wandering the casino floor (coworkers were gambling, I was researching) and taking in
> every little detail while there.
> 
> -JJB


Casino scenes are fun to write.  I have a couple in Profitline.   There are a ton of great videos on YouTube as well.  Enjoy!!


----------



## indianroads

I'm engaging in a bit of hubris today - it's something that I've been doing for a while though. Once my book is published, I take the cover art to a local printer and have it produced on 11x17 paper, and I frame it and hang it on the wall of my office. Yeah, it's kinda egotistical, but no more than my 7th Dan black belt certificate that is on my wall as well. Both are accomplishments that I'm proud of, and I like looking at my old covers; they give me a boost when I'm feeling down.

I encourage other authors to do the same thing. We worked HARD to complete our work, and deserve to feel proud of it.


----------



## got2write

JJBuchholz said:


> I'm now three days into writing a small novella that I came up with just over two weeks ago. The main plot sees three men
> embezzling money from a casino and finding a way to end up with it's ownership (revenge, as a long-time employee got
> passed over for promotion too many times), while a young man and young woman (in their 20's) both suffering from
> heartbreak find each other in the casino and fall in love (subplot).
> 
> The mastermind behind the revenge has enlisted two friends (one is another employee of the casino) to aid him in rigging
> games, influencing dealers, and using computers to steal money. The plan is to buy the hotel (which houses the casino) out
> from under the owners, and the hardened guy that runs the place (who think he's God's gift to the world).
> 
> I wrote three pages of an outline in my notebook, and have been plugging away on the main draft for the last few days
> now. I had some initial fear before starting (never written anything based in a casino before), but finally jumped in.
> 
> -JJB


I write in the same genre - sounds intriguing! Excited to see what you come up with.


----------



## got2write

After sifting through opinions here and elsewhere, made the decision to dump my prologue in my heist thriller _The Wreckage Rider. _I think I’ve known all along that my novel will be tighter and more intense if I incorporate all the prologue bits in the body of the work - but making the decision and seeing a clear path forward gives me all the feels.


----------



## Mark Twain't

got2write said:


> After sifting through opinions here and elsewhere, made the decision to dump my prologue in my heist thriller _The Wreckage Rider. _I think I’ve known all along that my novel will be tighter and more intense if I incorporate all the prologue bits in the body of the work - but making the decision and seeing a clear path forward gives me all the feels.


I have just made exactly the same decision. Now I just have to decide where to shoehorn them in.


----------



## RedsFables

My novels are getting more and more exposure and readers.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Finally finished converting a 100k word novel from 1st to 3rd person.

On a side note, Scrivener's Linguistic Focus is an excellent tool.


----------



## Birb

After a long while of being depressed and unmotivated, I am getting excited about writing again!

Things like, getting praise from my peers about the work I've done, getting really good grades on my essays in school, have really helped!

It's a nice feeling to be trying to sleep when you think of something you want to add to the short you're working on, and then have to jump out of bed to write it before you forget...I mean not with work the next day but, you know what I mean


----------



## RedsFables

Birb said:


> After a long while of being depressed and unmotivated, I am getting excited about writing again!
> 
> Things like, getting praise from my peers about the work I've done, getting really good grades on my essays in school, have really helped!
> 
> It's a nice feeling to be trying to sleep when you think of something you want to add to the short you're working on, and then have to jump out of bed to write it before you forget...I mean not with work the next day but, you know what I mean


Congratulations! I am so happy for you!


----------



## RedsFables

I am set to publish multiple chapters today. The war paint is on folks.


----------



## got2write

Just finished trimming - nay, hacking 2k words from my WIP an despite my initial reservations, it’s better now.


----------



## RedsFables

got2write said:


> Just finished trimming - nay, hacking 2k words from my WIP an despite my initial reservations, it’s better now.


Dare I say, it sounds like it was therapeutic?


----------



## got2write

RedsFables said:


> Dare I say, it sounds like it was therapeutic?


For sure. I find cutting scenes that I care about excruciating but in the end, sometimes cathartic


----------



## RedsFables

got2write said:


> For sure. I find cutting scenes that I care about excruciating but in the end, sometimes cathartic



My condolences.


----------



## indianroads

I went through the complete plot of my next novel, The Last Ride, and I think it's good-to-go. I'll spend the afternoon review character profiles and a few aspects of the world (it's very near future, so not much work to do there). 
I need to work up my energy level, and will jump into the draft in the next few days.


----------



## CyberWar

Not exactly a today's achievement, but finished my latest shortie of sci-fi/black humor in the WF Showcase section the other day (reviews will be much appreciated).


----------



## RedsFables

I am at the computer with a cup of coffee. I have yet to write anything for the day but the ideas are swirling. Hurry up caffeine.


----------



## indianroads

Got in a bit over 2K words on Chapter 1 of the Last Ride. Once I got started, the story went down pretty easily.

My daughter and her family are stopping by tomorrow to open presents - hopefully I can sneak away and do some writing.


----------



## Lawless

Not necessarily a success, but since I'm already here...

Yesterday I looked at the January LM prompt vote and found myself hesitating between three really awesome themes. I thought I'd sleep on it. As I was trying to go to sleep, a story on one of those 3 topics started coming to me. With great effort I succeeded in pushing it out of my mind and falling asleep eventually. This morning, I luckily remembered everything and wrote the beginning down. It's already a little over 650 words and in my estimate it's like 1/3 or 1/4 of the entire story which I have in my mind. I hope they will not elect that topic (I already voted for another excellent one), because I'd hate to have to squeeze my story into 650 words. (But then I usually do.)

I'm unsure if I should complete this story just because I thought of it yesterday. What if those late night bursts of inspiration become a habit? Sleeping is difficult as it is.

On the other hand, I'm really excited to gain some more experience with short (and why not less short) stories. Getting something finished is an awesome feeling, even if it's just a short story.

It's very likely I won't be able to resist. Especially since I know already everything that's going to happen in the story. I'll just have to give a little thought to what exactly goes where and watch out for getting repetitive. The only real work left to do is moods and sceneries in a few places.


_Added later:_
And here's the completed story.


			https://www.writingforums.com/threads/free-as-a-bird-2300w.197121/


----------



## RedsFables

I have 9 chapters lined up for publishing.


----------



## RedsFables

I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas Christmas!
Today I am editing chapters. Yay progress and therapy for mullheaded characters.


----------



## indianroads

I took most of yesterday off from writing, and am back at it today - I'll finish chapter 1 of The Last Ride - THEN I get to install my new 32 inch monitor that Santa somehow got down the chimney.


----------



## Taylor

Had a bit of a shock yesterday, when I realized I made too much money this year to get the professional development (PD) exemption from CPA.  Geez...I'm supposed to be retired!   Anyway...what does this have to do with writing?  Well, I found online courses I can take to complete my PD by December 31.  One of them includes the documentary _Inside Lehman Brothers,_ about the whistleblowers during the 2008 American subprime mortgage crisis.  Watched it and then in the evening, looking for something to watch on Netflix, I stumbled on _Margin Call_.  Great movie and has an amazing cast...but I digress.  It was based on the Lehman crash in 2008 as well.  Now...you are still thinking...what has this got to do with writing?   Serendipitously, my next novel is based on the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.

So today...I am scribbling out my plot!


----------



## JJBuchholz

Working on the fifth chapter in my casino novella today. Having a lot of fun doing so, and am enjoying it!

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 1 of The Last Ride is done, installed my new monitor (and did some house cleaning around my desk), and am about to start in on Chapter 2 of LR.


----------



## RedsFables

I had to do some research and it didn't take too much time to find what I needed to clarify a concept.


----------



## MiltonBradley

I made a bunch of notes, then crumpled them up into a ball, and almost made a basket.


----------



## VRanger

I don't know if it's bragging or not, but I never get tired of it. On Facebook tonight in the Heinlein Forum:

** Roger Christenson*
Jim Dutton wrote a wonderful unpublished (yet) sequel to Citizen of The Galaxy called Rudbek of Rudbek; he'll probably let you read that.
** Tom Losh*
Roger, I certainly hope that Jim can get his excellent sequel approved by the Trust and out to the world. It really does expand and bring to closure a lot of the things that Citizen left open, and Jim managed to get the "feel" of the story just right. It certainly ended a lot of my 60+ years of dissatisfaction with the ending of Citizen...


----------



## RedsFables

Set up my social media - Twitter & Tumblr, Facebook is done too! Yay New Resolution Checklist!


----------



## indianroads

RedsFables said:


> Set up my social media - Twitter & Tumblr, Facebook is done too! Yay New Resolution Checklist!


Good for you!

I’m too old to understand twits or tumble, but I do have an author page on Facebook and a web page.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished my casino-based novella tonight! I had to rework the ending and add an additional chapter to tie up loose ends, but
it's done and I am VERY happy! Elated, even!

-JJB


----------



## Taylor

JJBuchholz said:


> Finished my casino-based novella tonight! I had to rework the ending and add an additional chapter to tie up loose ends, but
> it's done and I am VERY happy! Elated, even!
> 
> -JJB


That was fast!  Nice work!!!


----------



## RedsFables

indianroads said:


> Good for you!
> 
> I’m too old to understand twits or tumble, but I do have an author page on Facebook and a web page.


My FB is great for random snippets, and but personal is an about and index of what's what for my readers if they are interested.


----------



## RedsFables

Today I am filtering through my 'ramblings' to see if any are applicable. Also, I am role-playing in my game and taking notes for my work because of silliness. Woohoo! Sidenote* I am considering adding a guild to my world, The Muffin Brigade featuring Slappin Muffin and Tuffin Muffin. Sisters extraordinaire! Dorky. Yes. But this definitely holds some merit.


----------



## Taylor

Just completed my Editing Questionnaire for the first round of substantial editing.  I actually found that quite cathartic. Pointing out all the areas that are potentially weak to a professional with the aim to fix or improve them.  Sort of like going for your annual medical checkup.  Of course, some things can be cured and others may only be treated, but either way, you are not in it all alone.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I finished plot structure & character arc analysis in writing 2nd draft of my YA novel. I'm pretty happy where my plot points sit & where my MC's character grows throughout. Tomorrow I start scene by scene analysis which will involve edits, I'm sure.


----------



## indianroads

The first four chapters of The Last Ride are done. The story is going well and I’m feeling good.


----------



## got2write

Cut out the prologue on my WIP _The Wreckage Rider_ and dispersed the key elements across the novel. Trimmed 1500 words in the process! My goal is a lean, mean word count in 2022!


----------



## PiP

I finally plucked up the courage to let my husband read the collab novel @VRanger and I have just completed. I downloaded it on his Kindle then went and hid busied myself in the garden. Ten minutes later he came to find me. "I'm flabbergasted!" he said. I held my breath... waiting for comments such as: it's really awful ... instead he looked stunned ..." I'm amazed. It's REALLY good, I had no idea you could write like that." As he read on ... he started to chuckle. Now bearing in mind RomCom is not his normal genre, that was another compliment. So my heartfelt thanks to my collab partner Jim. 
ETA I will add, my husband is hyper-critical and if something is wrong he will find it and moan about it.


----------



## indianroads

I wrote chapter 5 of The Last Ride today; 3000+ word is a lot for me, so I’m pleased. This was an encounter I’ve wanted to write for a long while, but couldn’t fit into my earlier books. The MMC meets a prostitute (not sexually) and they have a conversation about what love is about. It turned out well.


----------



## Mark Twain't

PiP said:


> I finally plucked up the courage to let my husband read the collab novel @VRanger and I have just completed. I downloaded it on his Kindle then went and hid busied myself in the garden. Ten minutes later he came to find me. "I'm flabbergasted!" he said. I held my breath... waiting for comments such as: it's really awful ... instead he looked stunned ..." I'm amazed. It's REALLY good, I had no idea you could write like that." As he read on ... he started to chuckle. Now bearing in mind RomCom is not his normal genre, that was another compliment. So my heartfelt thanks to my collab partner Jim.
> ETA I will add, my husband is hyper-critical and if something is wrong he will find it and moan about it.


It's not my normal genre either but now I want to read it.


----------



## VRanger

Mark Twain't said:


> It's not my normal genre either but now I want to read it.


PM the email address you'd like me to send it to and the most helpful file format for you (mobi, epub, or pdf).


----------



## JJBuchholz

Taylor said:


> That was fast!  Nice work!!!


Yes and no. I wasn't rushing per se, but I spent several days in a row working on it and going over the last bits on the road to
completion. The extra chapter (and epilogue) took more than three hours that night, on top of the hour or so it took me to
complete the sixth chapter.

There wasn't supposed to be more than six chapters, but I was brainstorming in the middle of six and determined I needed
to change the final scene of it, then add seven to fully explain part of the plot (as well as adding a defining scene in there
for pop!). The epilogue was planned from the beginning, but I was able to shorten it because of the additional chapter.

Overall, I'm quite happy with it! One of my writing goals for 2022 is to write a sequel to it as well.

-JJB


----------



## JJBuchholz

indianroads said:


> The MMC meets a prostitute (not sexually) and they have a conversation about what love is about. It turned out well.


This is intriguing. I'd love to read the scene in which this conversation takes place.

-JJB


----------



## bazz cargo

I'm a writer





						The Book of Fighting Climate Change: The Easy Way to Green Our Planet eBook : Borresen, Andrew: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
					


The Book of Fighting Climate Change: The Easy Way to Green Our Planet eBook : Borresen, Andrew: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store




					www.amazon.co.uk


----------



## Taylor

bazz cargo said:


> I'm a writer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Book of Fighting Climate Change: The Easy Way to Green Our Planet eBook : Borresen, Andrew: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
> 
> 
> 
> The Book of Fighting Climate Change: The Easy Way to Green Our Planet eBook : Borresen, Andrew: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.amazon.co.uk


Congratulations!!!


----------



## bazz cargo

@Taylor
Cheers.


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> This is intriguing. I'd love to read the scene in which this conversation takes place.
> 
> -JJB


Early on the conversation starts with:
_Some days it’s love on an assembly line…_
And the conversation ends with:
_Everyone is afraid of the dark._


----------



## RedsFables

Posted tidbits in social media and hooked them back to my website. Thus far no nibbles but that is ok, I am just starting.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Started working on the outline for the sequel to the abovementioned casino novella, 'Acey Deucey'. The sequel has a working
title of 'Raise The Stakes', and will bring back most of the original cast. Two years later, a shady swindler from France (Amelie 
Dubois) conspires with the previously deposed casino manager (Sidney Bates) and his former henchman (Buzzsaw) to swindle 
every last penny from the newer casino owners (Jon Renforth/Sam Eakins).

What no one knows is that Dubois is in it for herself, not Bates' revenge plan that he thinks she'll help him attain. She plans to
double-cross her partners and flee with everything back to France, leaving everyone high and dry. Also from the first story, the
two lovers (Simone and Reid) return to the casino to celebrate having fallen in love there two years prior. Reid will ask Simone
to marry him, but also get caught up in the main plot.

There were will be a few new characters (Dubois, et al), and some twists for characters that featured in the first story, as well as
a character or two that have been written out to accommodate the new adventure/cast. This is very much still a work in progress,
but I hope to start writing it in the next few days or so.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

I'm glad to see people starting the year off right and writing today.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I'm glad to see people starting the year off right and writing today.


Yes, we all have our heads down...you set the bar high.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Taylor said:


> Yes, we all have our heads down...you set the bar high.


I just sat at the bar!


----------



## Mark Twain't

On another note, I've added another 2 scenes to Kill and be Killed and am almost ready to do a final draft. I've also managed to secure the services of an editor. Ok, it's my sister and she's technically not an editor but beggars can't be choosers.


----------



## indianroads

Another productive day! 3300 words; chapter 6 of The Last Ride is complete.

The MC rode his motorcycle from Fallon Nevada to the Border Inn on the eastern edge of the state. He took US-50, which is well known to bikers as The Loneliest Highway - with hundreds of miles of desert, scrub brush, and desolate mountains between tiny towns, it's definitely not a place to break down. 

He visited the Shoe Tree, and rode through Austin, Ely, and arrived at an oddball hotel where he'll meet up with someone that will clue him into the mystery that surrounds him.


----------



## VRanger

For the last three weeks I've been completely hung up on learning critical mechanisms of Xenforo software, learning about things inside the database, and either doing or prepping new projects for WF.

In the meantime, @PiP made numerous notes in our shared file for PL2 subplots that I haven't been able to read completely and organize in my mind. I'm going to put down site management for tonight and start organizing those notes into some prospective step-by-step ideas for each subplot. Then PiP can okay them or make more suggestions. Of course, we have yet to determine a firm central plot line. LOL We might just wind up with an episodic tale comprised of interwoven subplots, which can work. I've read plenty of those. Or possibly one subplot will last all book long and masquerade as a central plot. ;-)

I'm reporting this first, because once I've promised to do it, I will.


----------



## Alanzie

Been on a COVID positive inspired writing rant, starting and finishing Chapter 8 (4,760 words) over the course of a day and a half.  Half way done with Chapter 9.
My symptoms have been fortunately mild but my writing has not.  It's a horror story becoming ever so more horrific!


----------



## petergrimes

I wrote a book once, 175,000 words, all done, I didn't plan it very well, but one person liked it and decided to edit it for me. I'd say some of it might have been okay. I can never work out if my writing is any good. Only a very few people have ever liked it. So I stick to poetry now. Today I wrote a poem, which I enjoyed, that is my writing news for today.


----------



## Taylor

My joy at this moment is in stark contrast to how I was feeling earlier today...complete frustration. 

Yes, that's what writing can do to you.  I had started to draft Chapter One but was just stuck on the main plot.  Something didn't feel right.   My underlying case was slotted to be the 2008 financial crisis.  I was going to go with the whole traunched-up subprime mortgage CDOs and investment banks angle.   But it wasn't working with my characters and chosen city.  That's the problem with sequels.  So, I hummed and hawed... throw out the sequel or throw out the case? 

Spent the rest of the day researching for a more suitable case.  Lots of predatory stuff going on in the market at that time.  Since my MC is a hotelier I looked for something along that line.  Found a ton of stuff about predatory deals of large real estate such as malls, condominiums, and hospitality chains.  Funny thing...how many times the name Lehman Brothers popped up...lol! 

Anyway...I got to the end of this one nonfiction book about the largest real estate deals of all time and BAM!! ...there it was...the perfect case.  Ties perfectly into the crises and the hotel industry and my chosen city.  But, I don't actually use the case...only model the plot after the concept to make it realistic.  So there is still a ton of work to do... but it's so much easier when you are feeling it.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of chapter 7 of The Last Ride. I'm just about a quarter of the way through. The writing is moving quickly (for now) - I modified my plotting/outlining process and it seems to be working so far. 22,846 words so far.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Formulated a new chapter whilst laying in bed this morning.


Me: I have to get up.

Mrs Twain't: It's still early. Why?

Me: Miss Winslow has to shoot her fiancé in the head.

Mrs Twain't: WTF!


----------



## VRanger

Mark Twain't said:


> Formulated a new chapter whilst laying in bed this morning.
> 
> 
> Me: I have to get up.
> 
> Mrs Twain't: It's still early. Why?
> 
> Me: Miss Winslow has to shoot her fiancé in the head.
> 
> Mrs Twain't: WTF!


My sympathies lie with Mrs. Twain't.


----------



## bdcharles

I just passed the 100K word count borderline in the followup to _The Story of Echo_. The finish is, incredibly, in sight. And I wrote 1000 words yesterday despite not really feeling like it! And I had a few visits to my website! Sam's words concerning writers' block were fairly rattling around my thinksponge.


----------



## PiP

bdcharles said:


> I just passed the 100K word count borderline in the followup to _The Story of Echo_. The finish is, incredibly, in sight.


Well done!


bdcharles said:


> And I wrote 1000 words yesterday despite not really feeling like it! And I had a few visits to my website! Sam's words concerning writers' block were fairly rattling around my thinksponge.


Ah, they wouldn't be along the lines of SIT BUM ON SEAT and JUST WRITE ...


----------



## bdcharles

PiP said:


> Well done!
> 
> Ah, they wouldn't be along the lines of SIT BUM ON SEAT and JUST WRITE ...


Them's the ones


----------



## Rach

My book progress so far:

I started my book back in the middle of December 2021. So far I have almost 5,000 words (I know, not a lot!) but I have been struggling with the plot. Right now I'm trying to discover more about both of the characters before advancing anymore into the plot.


----------



## Taylor

Rach said:


> My book progress so far:
> 
> I started my book back in the middle of December 2021. So far I have almost 5,000 words (I know, not a lot!) but I have been struggling with the plot. Right now I'm trying to discover more about both of the characters before advancing anymore into the plot.


I am in exactly the same position.  I say to myself, take your time and get it right.  You will be able to progress faster later when you are more confident in your stride.


----------



## indianroads

Rach said:


> My book progress so far:
> 
> I started my book back in the middle of December 2021. So far I have almost 5,000 words (I know, not a lot!) but I have been struggling with the plot. Right now I'm trying to discover more about both of the characters before advancing anymore into the plot.


Have you tried plotting the story out before starting to write it?


----------



## RGS

Well, I finally got motivated enough to start an Amazon ad campaign. I set it up this evening and just got the approval email, so we'll see where it goes.


----------



## RedsFables

I am struggling to write and it's a good thing. It means I am growing and that I care about what I write. So as frustrating as it is, I will drink my coffee, eat my biscuit and figure out a solution that works best.


----------



## PiP

My joy today was finally completing a two-page synopsis of PL1 as part of a query to a well-known publisher/agent. It should be one page but as brevity is not one of my strong points poor @VRanger has kindly volunteered to condense it.


----------



## Mark Twain't

For some reason, i get my writing mojo in days I'm working. Had a week and a half off over Christmas and hardly wrote a word. I've written 5,000 words over the last 3 days. Novel is up to 102k words now with more to add.


----------



## RedsFables

Sticking to my New Year's Resolution on social media, but it is frustrating. I linked some of my social media together to make it easier. As for my writing? It's been like sludge for what I want to use, however, my 'rambles file' is growing. So progress?  


UPDATE:
I edited my previously published chapter and I fixed it! Muhahahaha now that the damneth hath broke my imagination is freeeeeee!   
Ahem yes, I am currently cackling like the chaos goblin that I am.


----------



## PrairieHostage

RedsFables said:


> Sticking to my New Year's Resolution on social media, but it is frustrating. I linked some of my social media together to make it easier. As for my writing? It's been like sludge for what I want to use, however, my 'rambles file' is growing. So progress?
> 
> 
> UPDATE:
> I edited my previously published chapter and I fixed it! Muhahahaha now that the damneth hath broke my imagination is freeeeeee!
> Ahem yes, I am currently cackling like the chaos goblin that I am.


hahaha one does end up cackling like a nutter with certain victories. Carry on, chaos goblin.

Today I finished scene analysis for emotional beats. Tomorrow, I'll start adding pretty prose to match characters' emotional transitions with all my settings. I think that may be the last layer. Structural plot points and character arcs are done. I'm aiming to be done 2nd draft by end of January


----------



## KatPC

Just posted my LM entry for this month. I spent a little longer on this so hoping my SPaG has improved. It's part of a short story that I have been writing and I hope to finish this soon.


----------



## J. E. Frank

I read my almost 8 year old son the first draft of my second novel and at the end of almost every chapter he begged, "can we please read one more chapter?"


----------



## indianroads

I finished chapter 11 of the Last Ride, leaving 18 to go. The novel has a lot of twists and turns that I hope will lead the reader down false avenues and drive speculation, and provide satisfaction at the end.
The writing is going well, I hope.


----------



## VRanger

A couple of nights ago I finally managed to buckle down and write the "Nasty Neighbor/Antiques Scam" subplot for PL2. I didn't come up with a plot for how our heroes defeat the thieves, but that happens late in the book, so I have time. This afternoon for me (evening for @PiP) we continued with a scene for our first chapter that I started a few weeks ago and PiP has added to since. In the course of this, we did a bit of interactive dialogue, our first of that sort of writing since late in PL.

With seasonal activities, working on things for WF since being added to the ownership group, and some nice projects coming up in my regular business (nice, since that's what I get paid for LOL), I've been itching to get back to writing, but coming up short on either time or energy for the last few weeks. Hopefully I'm past that now and we can get cranking.


----------



## NajaNoir

When I first joined here,  in my introduction, I wrote of being unable to write a happy ending. Was hoping to overcome that. 

I realized today,  after finishing a short story,  that not only can I,  but frankly I prefer it. 

Don't get me wrong,  I love the emotional tug of a bleak ending, but I needn't write one everytime. I feel as though a whole new world opened up. It's freeing.


----------



## PrairieHostage

NajaNoir said:


> When I first joined here,  in my introduction, I wrote of being unable to write a happy ending. Was hoping to overcome that.
> 
> I realized today,  after finishing a short story,  that not only can I,  but frankly I prefer it.
> 
> Don't get me wrong,  I love the emotional tug of a bleak ending, but I needn't write one everytime. I feel as though a whole new world opened up. It's freeing.


That's wonderful, Naja. I prefer happy endings also. For a long time we got happy endings all the time. But they were too saccharine. Then everything was bleak sad endings for the past ten years. I'm hoping we can balance out and get to a place where both are acceptable in literature and film.

I'll complete revisions to three scenes today and view 2nd week material for the course on Novel Revisions. This week's course material covers work I've already done in December but I welcome another approach to character arc and voice. I'm the nerdiest of nerds when it comes to this stuff. I just love it. At least I'm getting outside for a walk with a friend first


----------



## Mark Twain't

Another 2.5k words today., 18k for January so far, and 'Kill & be Killed' has become 'Resurrected'.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I just finished plotting out the follow up novella to the one I finished at the very end of 2021. The sequel to 'Acey Deucey', which is called
'Raise The Stakes', takes place two years after the first adventure. It brings back most of the original cast and also includes a new antagonist
that seeks to undermine the status quo.

I have seven chapters and an epilogue outlined, complete with character arcs and mystique. I hope to start working on this project 
tomorrow night!

-JJB


----------



## RedsFables

I am filling out some chapters today. Writing has been sporadic between my novels so I working to sink back into consistency.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Another 4k words yesterday. Have had a very busy week at work and have just buried myself in writing in the evening!


----------



## Matchu

I have been here before...

...but I am pleased announcing how I have eight different stories posted away to eight different outlets.

And while any intelligent writer might say: 'I am sure you researched each and every one of the publications?' I will have to reply with my nod:

 'No, this was application of the well-known F & F system - brief perusal off Duotrope and hastily tapped intro note apology - for not being resident of Berlin/Arizona etc nor a florist, 'nevertheless...'.  In fact, the intro composed today was the ropiest of them all but they deserve it.  They are actually a magazine publishing people I don't like.  Not a dislike, more the baseless jealousy - writers.  That's what I said in my intro:   if you published that dickhead so why not me?  They're very literary, probably think I'm some kind of ape.  I got that across, at least.

Still, nice to return and read one of the 'stories' so-called as it awaits a decision by a child [under 30] - and the story  itself does not appear as strange a potage [nice writing] as it might, and I do the little happy dance thinking I am all light blue on Submittable.  Then I get my money, a string of mistresses, all the drugs in the world, a castle...

Until the grey Spring.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 13 of Last Ride yesterday and was set to start in on chapter 14 today - BUT - microsoft (sounds like a personal problem) decided to install an update, and as my version of office was (just) out of date, it was deleted.

Indy is not a happy camper today.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Finished chapter 13 of Last Ride yesterday and was set to start in on chapter 14 today - BUT - microsoft (sounds like a personal problem) decided to install an update, and as my version of office was (just) out of date, it was deleted.
> 
> Indy is not a happy camper today.


You have back up right?


----------



## Matchu

Muscle.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> You have back up right?


Oh yeah - Everyday I back everything up in three locations. But I'm kinda upset right now.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Oh yeah - Everyday I back everything up in three locations. But I'm kinda upset right now.


I'm confused about exactly what happened. Was the software deleted or your files? I've never seen anything like that.


----------



## Riptide

indianroads said:


> Finished chapter 13 of Last Ride yesterday and was set to start in on chapter 14 today - BUT - microsoft (sounds like a personal problem) decided to install an update, and as my version of office was (just) out of date, it was deleted.
> 
> Indy is not a happy camper today.


No way! That's crazy! It deleted your entire document? Can it do that? it didn't even save it in the autorecover location?


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Oh yeah - Everyday I back everything up in three locations. But I'm kinda upset right now.





VRanger said:


> I'm confused about exactly what happened. Was the software deleted or your files? I've never seen anything like that.



Could it be the work of that little girl hiding within the internet?


----------



## indianroads

Riptide said:


> No way! That's crazy! It deleted your entire document? Can it do that? it didn't even save it in the autorecover location?


No -  the documents are all fine. Microsoft decided that my version of Office was out of date, and deleted it. FKRS.
I'm back up and running now, but kinda ticked off, so I'm just horsing around.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> No -  the documents are all fine. Microsoft decided that my version of Office was out of date, and deleted it. FKRS.
> I'm back up and running now, but kinda ticked off, so I'm just horsing around.


How old was it? LOL I've got 2013 running on a couple of computers.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> How old was it? LOL I've got 2013 running on a couple of computers.


MS updated (automatically) my operating system - and since my version of office was not supported it was deactivated / deleted - I don't know which. 
I'm back up and running now though, so I'm ok.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Could it be the work of that little girl hiding within the internet?


Whinn! Damn it! You're grounded!


----------



## indianroads

I managed to get in a thousand words on the Last Ride this afternoon regardless of the calamity of the morning. 
I also played around a bit on the cover design - @Taylor helped (thank you!).
My wife has control of the TV remote tonight - so we'll be watching either baking shows or Murder TV... I wonder if they could combine the two?


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I managed to get in a thousand words on the Last Ride this afternoon regardless of the calamity of the morning.
> I also played around a bit on the cover design - @Taylor helped (thank you!).
> My wife has control of the TV remote tonight - so we'll be watching either baking shows or Murder TV... I wonder if they could combine the two?











						Murder, She Baked - Wikipedia
					







					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Mark Twain't

Only 750 words yesterday as we spent the evening in Decathlon & Ikea!


----------



## Matchu

I’ve still got my dear Dad’s old computer from 2005 or something.  He was a techie so possibly my lifesaver objet - some prototype that will sort everything $$$


----------



## PrairieHostage

Completed next round of revisions to 5 scenes in two chapters. Tomorrow I'll revise chapters 8 and 9. Chapter eight will be fun because instead of narration, I'm going to put my MC right into  Cesar Chavez' labor movement march in the form of a dream.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of Last Ride's chapter 14 today... the story is getting kinda romancy - but I think it's going well.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I wrote revisions to chapter 9 today. It took six hours because it contains 6 scenes, all of them dreams except the last. It was fun choosing words that connote the nebulous edge of nothingness in a dream and how you can be in one scenario this second and an entirely different milieu the next. Tomorrow I'll review what I did today and then move to ten and 11. I'm excited to reach halfway point in the novel!


----------



## Ajoy

I've recently finished sending out my second round of queries for my Atlantis Dying Novel, so I'm just in waiting mode on that one, but happy with the improvements for this round. 

I've been working on a new project I'm currently calling _Stella, Not Cinderella_. It's a retelling that takes some huge creative liberties with where the story goes and what the themes are. I've finished two chapters so far and I'm going to try to finish the next chapter or two over the weekend. My goal is to have a first draft finished by the time the school year ends (so I can do revisions over my summer and query in the fall). 

I'm also planning/organizing my thoughts for book two for my Atlantis Dying series, but there are still some major plot points I can't visualize yet so I haven't started writing it. Though, I have been working on an opening line/scene in my head. My goal for this one is to start writing the first draft in April and be working on draft two revisions by mid-summer. 

I've been generally keeping to the goals I've been setting, but working on two stories at once was not in my original plan (the Cinderella retelling was a random inspiration from a short story that I felt immediately compelled to work on), so I'm hoping I can keep meeting these latest goals!


----------



## indianroads

Ajoy said:


> I've recently finished sending out my second round of queries for my Atlantis Dying Novel, so I'm just in waiting mode on that one, but happy with the improvements for this round.
> 
> I've been working on a new project I'm currently calling _Stella, Not Cinderella_. It's a retelling that takes some huge creative liberties with where the story goes and what the themes are. I've finished two chapters so far and I'm going to try to finish the next chapter or two over the weekend. My goal is to have a first draft finished by the time the school year ends (so I can do revisions over my summer and query in the fall).
> 
> I'm also planning/organizing my thoughts for book two for my Atlantis Dying series, but there are still some major plot points I can't visualize yet so I haven't started writing it. Though, I have been working on an opening line/scene in my head. My goal for this one is to start writing the first draft in April and be working on draft two revisions by mid-summer.
> 
> I've been generally keeping to the goals I've been setting, but working on two stories at once was not in my original plan (the Cinderella retelling was a random inspiration from a short story that I felt immediately compelled to work on), so I'm hoping I can keep meeting these latest goals!


I can only concentrate on one story at a time - I've been told that's a 'man thing', but don't know if that's so. Other tales are there though, but I don't focus on them and just let them percolate instead.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> I can only concentrate on one story at a time - I've been told that's a 'man thing', but don't know if that's so. Other tales are there though, but I don't focus on them and just let them percolate instead.


I imagine that's why I've found myself staggering my goals (writing one now and not starting the actual writing of the other until April) has to do with me also needing to concentrate on one story at a time...so I don't think it's just a 'man thing'. lol


----------



## indianroads

Ajoy said:


> I imagine that's why I've found myself staggering my goals (writing one now and not starting the actual writing of the other until April) has to do with me also needing to concentrate on one story at a time...so I don't think it's just a 'man thing'. lol


My wife says that taking care of babies requires multitasking and that job traditionally falls to women. Men on the other hand had to go out into the wild to hunt mammoths, and having your mind wander while sneaking up on one of those beasts with nothing more than a pointed stick would be a bad thing.


----------



## KeganThompson

indianroads said:


> My wife says that taking care of babies requires multitasking and that job traditionally falls to women. Men on the other hand had to go out into the wild to hunt mammoths, and having your mind wander while sneaking up on one of those beasts with nothing more than a pointed stick would be a bad thing.


it's true. women are better multitaskers than men (in general)
maybe that's why my mind is always all over the place...that or the short tension span created by social media...
anywho,
today's writing success...
Completed my longest short so far today. Planning to add more and edit a bit before posting it in the workshop


----------



## indianroads

I wrote 2700 words today - some of them are actually kinda ok.
Just a first cut, not for crit, just playing around:
_An oversized yellow moon hung just above the western horizon, its light fell across the glassy waters of the Miami River and brightened the tops of the trees that filled the park. They sat on deck chairs beside each other as a faint breeze caressed their skin as an easy silence wrapped its arms around them. The faint high-pitched buzz of cicadas rose from the parkland as stars hung thick in the sky above._


----------



## Taylor

Only 500 words...but the start of Chapter One and oh...what glorious words they are!  Thanks for getting me started @indianroads


----------



## RedsFables

Published 3 chapters, totaling 4000+ words and did some editing


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished chapter three of my latest novella. Had to re-work a couple of scenes while writing them, but it was needed. So far,
so good. I'll be plugging away on this one until it's finished.

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

Not sure if this qualifies as joy, but… I had some format issues crop up on Inception’s paperback and hardcover orders. I worked at it and solved the issues.

On all my previous books I used docx documents for everything and didn’t have an issue. I can’t say that anymore. PDF is the way to go now for paperback and hardcover versions.

DOCX remains the way to go for kindle.
I count this as a win.


----------



## VRanger

I'm behind since none of this is "today". But over the last few days, @PiP and I moved from Chapter 1 of PL2 into Chapter 2. I got Plottr software and put characters and locations into it. Now I have to figure out how to interleave plot elements to make a timeline of scenes.

I found a little time to add some material to Moods. I didn't keep a word count, and it was only part of a chapter. My MC woke up in the hospital after his first experience of being possessed, then I introduced a major supporting character who hadn't come on board yet. In the next writing session, I'll introduce one more, and there will only be two others to introduce after that.


----------



## RedsFables

I broke 40k for one of my novels yesterday and today I have wandered through the history of gruit ales for my slice-of-fantasy social media posts. It may be silly but I would totally stay at The Dryad's Inn. Overall, I am tickled-pink with today's work and yesterday's progress.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Have written a 2,000 word summary of Resurrected. hoping to use it to more properly identify plot holes before the full edit.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished writing chapter 3 of my WIP yesterday. I feel pretty good about what I've got down as far as first drafts go. I'm hoping to write chapter 4 today, which will complete the inciting incident. 

I go back to work tomorrow, so I won't make much progress over the week, but it's usually a good chance for me to think through the chapters I'm about to write. I'd also love it if I managed to start organizing my notes for my other novel project, but I just seem to keep adding to my notes document instead. ; )


----------



## indianroads

I worked with a guy going for his 1st Dan Black in TKD this morning, then came home and wrote 1800 words in Last Ride's chapter 16. The writing is going well, but the story line is definitely outside my wheelhouse, well, for now all I can do is wait to see how it turns out.

Back when I started working on LR I told my wife that I was writing a paranormal romance, her response was: _Romance... you? Oh, that's gonna be weird._


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I worked with a guy going for his 1st Dan Black in TKD this morning, then came home and wrote 1800 words in Last Ride's chapter 16. The writing is going well, but the story line is definitely outside my wheelhouse, well, for now all I can do is wait to see how it turns out.
> 
> Back when I started working on LR I told my wife that I was writing a paranormal romance, her response was: _Romance... you? Oh, that's gonna be weird._


Betty didn't say weird for mine, but I did get an "Ohhhhhhhh---kay".


----------



## PrairieHostage

I edited chapters eleven and twelve, to add to setting and improve word choice, tone, phrasing and voice. Only five hours of writing today. I napped for over two hours this afternoon wow.  
Must have needed it.


----------



## Ivy_Spade

I finished my first 25 pages of my story after 11 months of writing, (not a lot but I almost gave up on this WIP like 4 times) I have written 7,310 words!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Fun day for six hours. I analyzed chapter 13, one of my favorites in my WIP novel where my MC recklessly follows a wolf into the Klamath Mountains.

And I inserted markers at the end of two chapters where I want to up the stakes for my MC right before the Climax. I found a good evil thing my antagonist can do to threaten my MC.


----------



## RedsFables

Added my novel to another web novel platform to branch out.
Started a Patreon.
Social media is taking off across 3/4 platforms.
Re-worked website to be encyclopedia-like without spilling the deets. Other new terms & figuratively booping my reader's nose only requires minimal upkeep.
Started a discord for my readers and added links.
Re-did my book cover to garner fresh interest.
Edited 3 chapters.
-------
Huzzah! Happy goblin dance!  Perhaps I should put a firepit in the yard for such occasions so that I may dance and roast marshmallows in celebration.


----------



## RedsFables

This...  I am picking up evil scientist vibes or it just may be my imagination. Has your MC given you any grief lately or has your antagonist been exceedingly well-behaved?


PrairieHostage said:


> I found a good evil thing my antagonist can do to threaten my MC.


----------



## PrairieHostage

RedsFables said:


> This...  I am picking up evil scientist vibes or it just may be my imagination. Has your MC given you any grief lately or has your antagonist been exceedingly well-behaved?


Aside from trespassing, spying and gaslighting, he's doing everything he can to purchase MC's land. Last night I found a real life and obscure vineyard crime that occurred in Europe that I'll borrow for his final move. It fits my antagonist perfectly.  So nice when you find what you need after a little research.


----------



## RedsFables

PrairieHostage said:


> Aside from trespassing, spying and gaslighting, he's doing everything he can to purchase MC's land. Last night I found a real life and obscure vineyard crime that occurred in Europe that I'll borrow for his final move. It fits my antagonist perfectly.  So nice when you find what you need after a little research.


Truly it is. Nothing more frustrating than when you have to sift through what you're looking for. I love research, but there are times.


----------



## PrairieHostage

7.5 hours today analyzing chapters 13-15. I had to make up for lost time yesterday. I'm feeling good about a few places where lyrical phrasing worked and I beefed up the stakes to my MC in the mountains. On his way back after dark in a rain/wind storm, he walks his horse right into a lake  Oh that Gabe. I never know what he's going to do next.


----------



## indianroads

I was too sick (stomach flu) to write yesterday, but manged to get in 2000 words today. I'm feeling pretty good about that.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished chapter 4 (through the inciting incident) of my WIP early this week. I can't really move forward with the main plot until I sort out a few important world-building elements. Luckily I have a couple of parallel chapters to write from a different POV, so I should be able to keep moving forward while I think through the necessary details. I'd be happy to get chapter 5 finished and organize some world-building notes over this weekend.


----------



## Mark Twain't

I wrote a blog post. The first for almost a year and a half!


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished the sequel novella!! Spent the last few nights writing like a madman, as well as going back and re-writing several
paragraphs and lines of dialogue. As with any writing project, I'm a little sad when it's over. It might be a process that drains
us and stresses us, but it's always fun to do. Passion leads to enjoyment and happiness, methinks.

Who would have thought that a poorly written short story from my high school days could be turned into two novellas
with a compelling story and deep characters? I'm very happy with how it all turned out!

-JJB


----------



## PrairieHostage

Analyzed and revised three chapters for 8 hours today. It's clicking and I feel I'm doing my characters justice. Only chapters 19-21 left but I'll likely go through the whole manuscript a final time before printing to send off for evaluation through my guild.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 17 and started in on 18 of the Last Ride today. 56K words so far. Chapter 18 has intimacy in it - tension has been building, but since I embarrass easily, it's all going to be off camera. They'll kiss in the hotel hallway, then she'll pull him into her room.
So no mention of the trapeze bar over the bed.
BTW - if you want to freak out your grown children, hang a trapeze bar over your bed and let them see it - their reaction is priceless.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

My success as usual isn't on completing something but on realising something. I had a couple of months when I wasn't writing anything and only contributed occasionally to the forum, mainly critiques. During those two months I began to worry I'd forget the voice and style I was working on for the whole year. Having rewritten the beginning of my novel many times now, and getting somewhat lost in the process, I appear to have found my way back. That's given me joy.


----------



## bazz cargo

FANFARE
Got my first  feedback on Amazon. 5 stars but no  words.  
Is it too soon for a lap of honor?


----------



## indianroads

bazz cargo said:


> FANFARE
> Got my first  feedback on Amazon. 5 stars but no  words.
> Is it too soon for a lap of honor?


Nope.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Seven hours to analyze and update chapter 19 today. I added in a couple scenes for my antagonist which was fun. But now I'm mentally drained and need tv time. Good night all!


----------



## Taylor

600 words!  Ok it's not a lot...but happy to be back to my novel, after spending the last week teaching and writing training materials. 

I'm still hoping to make my January goal of two chapters. Writing that here might help make it happen.


----------



## VRanger

Friday night @PiP and I had an interactive session, but this time not on dialogue. She laid out the activity of a scene and I added a couple of my own ideas to it. It wound up a bit spicy, with a fairly naughty joke for a reader paying attention. It went over my wife's head. Surprisingly, after 42 years of marriage to me she's still pretty pure. LOL That's what happens when you marry a PK who wasn't rebellious. ;-)

Today PiP got Plottr installed and we explored its Collaboration feature. It's good to both be able to work on the same plotting elements, but it's not conducive to interactive collaboration in the manner Google Docs is. However, it's going to be a BIG help interleaving plot points from our main plot and at least four sub-plots.

In the spicy part of our scene from Friday, PiP introduced what should be a throwaway character who approaches our singing star in the VIP session after a concert. I had an idea to give her a part of a second scene, and now she has a full name (Gloria Chalister) and a likely role in a presumptive book three in the series. She also has an unusual skill which one must read the finished book to discover.

We do, however, have a continuing dispute over whether my MC's newly purchased Cotswold estate should feature an 'upstairs maid'. ;-) My latest compromise ploy is 'maybe the Upstairs Maid is a ghost'. Aren't ancient English estates assumed to be haunted?

(Evidently the designation of 'maid' is not presently popular, in the nature of 'stewardess' vs. 'flight attendant'. However, one of my web site clients calls her business "Maid in the Carolinas". ;-) I rest my case.)


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> Friday night @PiP and I had an interactive session, but this time not on dialogue. She laid out the activity of a scene and I added a couple of my own ideas to it. It wound up a bit spicy, with a fairly naughty joke for a reader paying attention. It went over my wife's head. Surprisingly, after 42 years of marriage to me she's still pretty pure. LOL That's what happens when you marry a PK who wasn't rebellious. ;-)


Fortunately, it didn't go over my head, Jim. And it made me pause to consider our target audience ...


VRanger said:


> Today PiP got Plottr installed and we explored its Collaboration feature. It's good to both be able to work on the same plotting elements, but it's not conducive to interactive collaboration in the manner Google Docs is. However, it's going to be a BIG help interleaving plot points from our main plot and at least four sub-plots.


I loved the visual layout. The fact we can both access the document will be a great help as we develop the plotline and characters as they evolve.



VRanger said:


> In the spicy part of our scene from Friday, PiP introduced what should be a throwaway character who approaches our singing star in the VIP session after a concert. I had an idea to give her a part of a second scene, and now she has a full name (Gloria Chalister) and a likely role in a presumptive book three in the series.


I love the way Jim takes a throwaway character who was only meant to offer a distraction in one small scene and suddenly she is has a full name and no doubt by the time I arrive in plottr to check her character we will have her full family history. BTW as an extension to the plot she should have a handbag pooch ...  (you missed that bit, Jim). LoL


VRanger said:


> She also has an unusual skill which one must read the finished book to discover.


Huh? LoL This I must read.


VRanger said:


> We do, however, have a continuing dispute over whether my MC's newly purchased Cotswold estate should feature an 'upstairs maid'. ;-) My latest compromise ploy is 'maybe the Upstairs Maid is a ghost'. Aren't ancient English estates assumed to be haunted?


At least that is better than my suggestion. (personal room service for guests). Seriously, I don't know of anyone who has upstairs and below stairs staff beyond royalty. LoL



VRanger said:


> (Evidently the designation of 'maid' is not presently popular, in the nature of 'stewardess' vs. 'flight attendant'. However, one of my web site clients calls her business "Maid in the Carolinas". ;-) I rest my case.)


Watch my lips ... no





she looks familiar ... maybe she had upstairs maids.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Huh? LoL This I must read.


It's in the second comment for my suggestions re the next scene and involved the fate of the 4th bottle of champaign. ;-) You've read it. LOL Wasn't there an entire British mini-series in the 70s called "Upstairs/Downstairs"?


----------



## Deleted member 66681

Today I stuck to my schedule and wrote when I said I would (I always allot time to write but most of the time I don't actually do it)! It's a very small success, but I'm trying to get back into writing regularly after not writing literally anything for like a year due to COVID and depression, so I'm very proud of these small wins!


----------



## Taylor

Savannah Sapphire said:


> Today I stuck to my schedule and wrote when I said I would (I always allot time to write but most of the time I don't actually do it)! It's a very small success, but I'm trying to get back into writing regularly after not writing literally anything for like a year due to COVID and depression, so I'm very proud of these small wins!


Wonderful...glad to see you back in the saddle!


----------



## VRanger

Savannah Sapphire said:


> Today I stuck to my schedule and wrote when I said I would (I always allot time to write but most of the time I don't actually do it)! It's a very small success, but I'm trying to get back into writing regularly after not writing literally anything for like a year due to COVID and depression, so I'm very proud of these small wins!


When you're getting a start on anything you're not currently confident about, that is the EXACT way to start. You take small steps and those engender confidence, then you build on that. Good job.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Only 5 hours today, analyzing and revising last two chapters. I'll go over them again tomorrow because I always find more and more, don't ya know.

Last night I researched Canadian editors. I want a substantive edit. Will do line edit and copy edit later. I found someone who looks good and emailed her. 

The quote provided by an American editor was $5/page so that's $1,000 convert to Canadian buckeroos is almost $1300. I'm not interested in that. Although I know she's likely a stellar editor. 

I have a good feeling about this Canadian one so we'll see what she quotes me.


----------



## indianroads

Finished up Chapter 18 of the Last Ride, and got though the dreaded carnal scene. It's definitely PG rated, with NO trapeze or circus clowns involved. It's a lot more romance than bum-chicka-wow-wow, so I was comfortable with it... kinda.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> Finished up Chapter 18 of the Last Ride, and got though the dreaded carnal scene. It's definitely PG rated, with NO trapeze or circus clowns involved. It's a lot more romance than bum-chicka-wow-wow, so I was comfortable with it... kinda.


That's funny cuz I just wrote my little steam scene today too. It's pretty innocent


----------



## indianroads

As I said above, I finished Chapter18 of the Last Ride this morning. I continued working per my usual schedule, and am a thousand words deep in Chapter 19. They mystery that surrounds the couple is slowly unraveling, and they're guessing what it might be... but they're wrong.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of chapter 19, and will try to squeeze a few sentences of chapter 20 before shutting down for the day.
LR is 62K words so far with 10 chapters to go.


----------



## bdcharles

I think I figured out KDP marketing campaigns. We shall see.


----------



## petergrimes

My joy today is that I have started to write again. Back in the first three months of 2020 I wrote maybe 80,000 words of a book, but it had too many problems so I sacked it (I once wrote an entire 180,000 word novel and only learned the same thing after I'd finished it, so that's progress of a sort) and ended up taking up poetry (a turn of events that still baffles me even though I very much enjoy it). Since then, upto now I have written maybe 1,700 words. Until today. I have three prospective ideas for books, I've decided to just have fun and finish writing the first chapter of the strangest one. It's been fun, my writing process has always been writing, then a break sat around thinking, then more writing, then more thinking. Often I spend more time thinking (daydreaming) than writing. But this is where all my ideas come from for my mind is already in the story. So no matter if my writing (about a page of A4 (slow day) has been rubbish, it has been highly productive for below it are two pages of notes about all sorts. I don't know if this will turn into anything serious or if I'll take it any further than just the first chapter ot two, but I am enjoying it and that is all that matters for me right now. Cheers PG


----------



## PrairieHostage

3 hours analyzing & improving prose in last two chapters of my YA novel. 

Followed by 3 hours of my online course (videos and assignments). We focused on prose, theme, cliches, stereotypes. 

My plan for Wednesday, Thursday, Sat & Sun is another run through the whole 21 chapters to work on transitions and read it aloud to catch more spots.

Next week I want to print and deliver to my guild for manuscript evaluation.


----------



## Taylor

Re-wrote my back blurb today using a new guide.  It's much longer, almost 250 words, and more specific in detail, but the format was recommended by my project manager.  We'll see!


----------



## Deleted member 66681

I started a new story today! I have a story that I've been working on for a while (I've started it, stopped, scrapped it, and started over about a half a dozen times over the past two years), and it's refreshing to take a break and work on something different for a bit. It's a nice breath of fresh air.


----------



## PrairieHostage

5 hours analyzing transitions in 8 chapters. I'm feeling very excited, like butterflies in the stomach to get this script printed and delivered for critique. I can say I really did it justice revising to 2nd draft.


----------



## PiP

I wrote about 900 words over the last couple of days which completes Chapter 2 for PLII. We introduced a surprise 'larger than life' character who was not in the original outline. Jim's ( vranger's)  brain cells are already whirring to feature her later in the book ...  I hope she has psychic powers ... I'll certainly need to consult my character crystal ball to see how she is going to evolve.

I also spent about three hours this afternoon researching query letter techniques, agents ... down the rabbit hole and popped up on Twitter. Apparently, if you search #opentoqueries some agents use this hashtag when they are accepting queries. We live to learn


----------



## indianroads

The draft of Chapter 20 of the Last Ride is complete.
65K words in the novel so far.


----------



## VRanger

And while @PiP was busy with the above, I jumped ahead to the first half of a later scene.

PiP and I now have Plottr Pro licenses and I'm slowly adding our scenes and notes from the various main and sub plots. I've been corresponding with the developer about a few bugs in their just released version, and a couple of feature suggestions I hope they agree with ... one of which I think is a MUST convenience feature ... scene numbering within a chapter.

With their latest version, we're both able to view the same Plottr project by using their web version of the software. I think it's going to be a tremendous organization tool even without the scene numbering, allowing me to define scenes along subplot lines--real lines in the graphical representation of the plot--and then move them around to organize them by chapter. 

We're pretty much at the end of Chapter Two by now ... to be determined after I give it the first round of edits and we decide if we should include a couple of short bits of business set in Texas before we transfer the story to England.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just 4 hours today but got through several chapters to ensure smooth transitions. One chapter needs some work so I'll do that after I babysit my Lolo tomorrow.


----------



## KatPC

Happy to be back.


----------



## Foxee

I find the gaps in my creative life to be embarrassing. Somehow I had gotten myself into a position where when I reached for ideas to just write for a while there was nothing there. Very disconcerting. So two nights ago I decided that I would simply copy passages out of existing books from authors that I like. I would just try to get the whole machine moving even if it wasn't with my own words. After copying (longhand) some CJ Box and a little Dean Koontz I was tired and put my neurons to bed.

Yesterday evening I suddenly had an idea which I jotted down. Wasn't free to do anything about it at the time.

This evening I did a tiny bit of research then sat down and wrote for about half an hour so far. Feels GREAT to have an idea to work on again.


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> I find the gaps in my creative life to be embarrassing. Somehow I had gotten myself into a position where when I reached for ideas to just write for a while there was nothing there. Very disconcerting. So two nights ago I decided that I would simply copy passages out of existing books from authors that I like. I would just try to get the whole machine moving even if it wasn't with my own words. After copying (longhand) some CJ Box and a little Dean Koontz I was tired and put my neurons to bed.
> 
> Yesterday evening I suddenly had an idea which I jotted down. Wasn't free to do anything about it at the time.
> 
> This evening I did a tiny bit of research then sat down and wrote for about half an hour so far. Feels GREAT to have an idea to work on again.


It takes me a while to get to sleep - so, I use that time to think about possible stories (I have more of them than I have time for, but that's ok, many of them are rubbish anyway). 
I wonder if you could do the same thing? Kind of a meditation sort of thing? Run through the story, and kinda get to know the characters. For me, it builds depth before I even attempt a plot outline or character bio. More importantly, it makes me enthusiastic about writing it.
Anyway - just an idea.


----------



## RedsFables

The second platform, Royal Road I added my novel to has offered a ton of constructive feedback and helped me re-organized the first 8 chapters of my book to make it flow. 

I shredded erm, edited my novel and it is so much better, even though it was painful in many ways.

My writing is getting better, or rather more diverse.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 21 of the Last Ride this afternoon, then ran the snow blower over the driveway (all 75 feet of it... whew). I'll start looking at chapter 22 and see if I can get a few words in before quitting time at 6pm.


----------



## Foxee

I've set my timer a few times to write this evening and the last time I just blew right past when the timer went off and kept going. It felt wonderful to have ideas and words flowing.


----------



## petergrimes

Hello,

things have been going quite well, I've basically finished my first chapter, been editing dilligently as I go, but I think i'll spend a couple of days polishing it up before I post it. It will be interesting to see what people think. I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I quite like it and at the moment that's mainly what matters to me. For I'm just enjoying writing, having fun and it's been lot's of fun, already know what happens in the next two chapters so that's always useful. I'll see how it goes and then decide whether to write anymore, cheers PG


----------



## KatPC

petergrimes said:


> Hello,
> 
> things have been going quite well, I've basically finished my first chapter, been editing dilligently as I go, but I think i'll spend a couple of days polishing it up before I post it. It will be interesting to see what people think. I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I quite like it and at the moment that's mainly what matters to me. For I'm just enjoying writing, having fun and it's been lot's of fun, already know what happens in the next two chapters so that's always useful. I'll see how it goes and then decide whether to write anymore, cheers PG


It's always good when writing is fun ... just the feeling makes it very worthwhile!

Will await to read!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours this morning finalizing smoothed out transitions between scenes and chapters. Then another hour just now to write up my cover letter to the guild when I drop off 2nd draft of my manuscript to them on Tuesday. Will do read aloud and final touch ups tomorrow. Monday will be printing, printing, printing.


----------



## indianroads

Called away for some family stuff today, and only wrote about 500 in on chapter 22 of the last ride. That’s fewer words to write tomorrow though.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours to read two thirds of my novel aloud and catch some good stuff. I'll do remaining 7 chapters tomorrow. Brain needs a break.


----------



## Taylor

600 words -- I'm happy with that!   I would have met my January writing goal today, but got invited out for dinner by my son, just here for two more days.   I love writing, but like @indianroads  family comes first.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 22 of the Last Ride today. The work is sitting at ~ 71,900 words, and will probably come in at ~ 95K when the draft is complete. I'll edit it down to 90ish K. 
It's going well. Chapter 22 was a transition from riding across the country to arriving in Bar Harbor. Hidden memories are about to emerge.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> 600 words -- I'm happy with that!   I would have met my January writing goal today, but got invited out for dinner by my son, just here for two more days.   I love writing, but like @indianroads  family comes first.


It sure does, Taylor! And tonight I learned Ozark's 4th season dropped on Netflix. I'm gonna binge after I meet my Tuesday deadline!!


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> It sure does, Taylor! And tonight I learned Ozark's 4th season dropped on Netflix. I'm gonna binge after I meet my Tuesday deadline!!


Thanks for the heads up on Ozark.  I will try to ration myself and savour every episode instead of gorging like I did last time.


----------



## Taylor

Just came home from dinner and banged out another 300 words to complete Chapter One, and it feels bloody marvelous!  I finally got my stride with this sequel.  All that uncertainty about POV and who I should bring back was solved for me.  The previous medley of main characters just took over and wrote themselves back in.    _And,_ this all happened in dialogue.  One simple conversation about the major event that occurred in Book 1.

Sometimes it's good to question ourselves but then...we must trust the process.


----------



## VRanger

I've been doing the first edit on our Chapter Two, which is mostly @PiP's work. I added some content to the VIP after-concert scene, and I'm trying to work in a joke for the last scene of the chapter. PiP wants a revelation to happen in a group, but I don't think the joke works in a group, so I have to find a way to split the scene to make both things work. I'll find a way.

In the meantime, PiP unintentionally gave me the perfect lead-in for a naughty joke at the start of the VIP scene. 

In putting everything we had in our sub-plot points into Plottr, I looks like we had room for a Chapter we were unsure if we'd have room to include. That chapter will take place at "my character's" home in north Texas, so I have to buckle down and write Chapter Three as soon as I polish off the last scene in Chapter Two.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> I've been doing the first edit on our Chapter Two, which is mostly @PiP's work. I added some content to the VIP after-concert scene, and I'm trying to work in a joke for the last scene of the chapter. PiP wants a revelation to happen in a group, but I don't think the joke works in a group, so I have to find a way to split the scene to make both things work. I'll find a way.


I rather like it ... are you trying to protect J's reputation? LoL We could always remove him from the scene to save his blushes  He could escort the ladies to breakfast and then leave ...


----------



## PrairieHostage

Worked from nine am to three pm to read last few chapters aloud and print the manuscript. It's all packaged up ready to be dropped off tomorrow. I also emailed it to my previous co-worker who will beta read. Now I can walk away for a while and pay attention to other aspects of my life that fell off the radar. Like exercise and healthy eating. Feeling a great big sense of relief. It's out there. May the universe do with it what it will.


----------



## indianroads

I trained at the martial art hall this morning, then returned and put down about half of chapter 23. I’ll need rewrite part of it tomorrow because a meet-cute occurs that goes on too long.


----------



## VRanger

Very early this morning I wrote the opening scene for Chapter Three while @PiP watched, and she caught a couple of typos. I've edited her as she wrote, so I commented it was only fair she got the turnabout opportunity. LOL She advised me she'd been waiting to do that.

Tonight I wrote the second scene for the chapter, so 2500 words total. There are two more plot elements to accomplish in the chapter, and then we can move the action along to England, which is the real focus of the story.

Both PiP and I worked on the outline in Plottr today. Pip worked on moving character descriptions from a Google Doc into the Character documents in Plottr while I worked on adding Characters and Locations to individual scenes. I finished that through Chapter Eight.

PiP made Chapter documents for Three and Four. I'd typed my scenes directly into the Chapter Three doc, and moved the partial scene I wrote for Chapter Four from the Plottr scene doc into the corresponding Google doc.

While we've done extensive plotting for this book, it in no way stifles our ability to create material as we write scenes. In Chapter Three, our notes included "horseback riding". Well, there are a lot of things you can do in bringing a note like that to life. I brought in a couple of jokes as the characters prepared to ride, and then came up with an action scene which introduces an ongoing element which already has its own defined subplot.

I was so focused on the book today, and have had a busy last couple of weeks, that I recognized mid-evening I was sitting in the last day of the month! Why is that important? I hadn't judged the January LM yet!! I dropped everything for a couple of hours and performed that duty.


----------



## petergrimes

KatPC said:


> It's always good when writing is fun ... just the feeling makes it very worthwhile!
> 
> Will await to read!


Cheers KatPC,

thanks, nice to meet you. I've just posted it in the fiction workshop, it's called 'Magenpie, full Chapter One' don't worry if it's not your cup of tea, it's a bit odd. Cheers mate, thanks Kat, all the best PG


----------



## got2write

Figured out how to link Scrivener to Pro Writing Aid. No more cutting and pasting when I edit!


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 23 of the Last Ride. The work is at 75K words now. 

This chapter had a kinda-sorta meet-cute in it, which is a new thing for me. (I like stretching myself by writing new things.) This trope falls a bit off center from the usual though, because the characters are just remembering and recounting it to each other. The story (without giving too much away) is about two people who have forgotten their past together (it's a paranormal romance) and are in the process of returning to the place they met.

Anyway, I'm both excited and nervous about how it will turn out.


----------



## VRanger

Our surprise Chapter 3 is set at my character's place (and thereabouts) so it was essentially my responsibility. I wrote the last scene this afternoon, but it needed Julia to phone home. That required @PiP 's touch. While she wrote that, I returned to Chapter 2 to take a stab at pulling out the joke I thought needed to be between two characters, while leaving the rest of the saucy dialogue in a group at breakfast in the hotel restaurant. In the end, PiP decided she approved of that treatment. Then I still wasn't quite happy with the tag end of the chapter after the rest of the dialogue rearrangement, but I think I fixed that.

The end of Chapter 3 sends us straight to London, with a well-mapped set of scenes and 1000 words already written for one of them. While there will still be some plotting done in Plottr as we go, we look to now be set for consistent production.

12,500 words in the project so far.


----------



## vitriohl

Just about finished the second chapter of a work in progress from an actual outline (new for me). I think I have made a good habit of writing, finally, sitting down every day after work to write at least a couple of scenes. Combine this with some world building, and I'm happy with where this has gone, so far.


----------



## Taylor

The only personal writing I managed today was my blog post earlier.  Big crunch on writing my advanced Government Governance course for the Ministry of Finance. The client was happy with the progress, but I was not happy that the last-minute out-of-scope work took me away from Skyline.  

So no writing Joy to share....but at least I did a lot of writing on something.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> The only personal writing I managed today was my blog post earlier.  Big crunch on writing my advanced Government Governance course for the Ministry of Finance. The client was happy with the progress, but I was not happy that the last-minute out-of-scope work took me away from Skyline.
> 
> So no writing Joy to share....but at least I did a lot of writing on something.


Talk about interference with your plans! I just retired from federal public service and am impressed with your involvement with the governance course. Ministry of Finance no less!

Today was a weird day. No writing but one of my twin 34 year old sons agreed to beta read my novel. Super stoked about that. Then he forced me to the gym, bought me a salad and gave me a hoot of his indica/sativa before dropping me home.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 24 of The Last Ride today. Romancy stuff that I hope I'm not going over the top with. The two main characters shared their recollections of meeting in chapter 23 - in this chapter it's all about recalling their first date. It's paranormal romance, so something beyond their understanding brought them together, so a link develops when they first meet, and they are astounded how in sync they are during their first date. 
WC sits at ~ 78600 now, with five more chapters to go.


----------



## VRanger

Today I added a bit to my Chapter 4 scene to set it up for @PiP's continuation, and we're both now writing England story. PiP has written Cal's introduction to Julia's parents, and now her ailing grandmother. She's really churned out a lot of story the last two evenings.

Otherwise, I spent the day trimming down notes. I'd written a query to dump a few weeks of PL2 conversation into a file, so today I reformatted the query results into a text document, did some Find/Replaces to break out quote and URLs, and get rid of other annoying embedded BB Code, and then went through what's left getting rid of everything but stuff with ideas we need to keep in mind to include in the story.

I need to check back through entries in the Conversation since I dumped that file, and then I'll upload the resulting document to our shared folder and go back through it again to post relevant notes into our scene structure in Plottr, and create new scenes if needed.

We're back to our old tricks. SO MANY TIMES in PL1 we wrote and we wrote until planned content got pushed back chapter by chapter. I don't think that's going to happen TOO MUCH in PL2, but I AM about to split the scenes in Chapter 4 to make two shorter chapters instead of what might well become one super-long chapter.

Last time our plot outline was just in a Google Doc, so every time that happened I had to go through the doc and renumber everything forward. I finally gave up on that and left future chapters unnumbered until we started them. LOL The good thing THIS time around is if I added a chapter in the middle of Plottr, it automatically moves everything down(over) and renumbers it all. So all I have to do is click + for a new chapter and drag the scenes I want to move from the current Chapter 4 into the "new" Chapter 5.


----------



## ErikFite

Went back a couple chapters to kill off a character.  And I was almost done with the last chapter too.  But where I decided to go, we needed more conflict, and a real defeat for our protagonists, leading up to the resolution in the final chapter.


----------



## indianroads

More than half way through Chapter 25 of the Last Ride. I made a joke of their first intimacy - it was on a beach where to took him to see the stars come out (romantic) - turned out that the beach was covered with stones, and wasn't comfortable. They went back to his rented room afterward.
Anyway, the story is going well.


----------



## VRanger

Today @PiP added to Chapter Four while I tackled a thorny plot sequence. It's a place where we had a general idea of what was to happen, but without the details solved, a couple of things wouldn't have made much sense, or at least made our MCs appear to be making an odd decision which would have seemed out of character and somewhat careless of their current concern.

So I sorted out the sequence of events, eliminating one scene and adding a couple of things which make it all tie together without leaving the reader (or us) shaking their heads about why Cal and Julia were seeming to ignore a serious situation.

Also, last night I explored Plottr's Notes feature, adding some reference material which we'll draw on, even though it's not directly included in the story, some "To Do" notes, and a color-code chart for how we keep up with what's what in our graphical plot chart.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Today @PiP added to Chapter Four while I tackled a thorny plot sequence. It's a place where we had a general idea of what was to happen, but without the details solved, a couple of things wouldn't have made much sense, or at least made our MCs appear to be making an odd decision which would have seemed out of character and somewhat careless of their current concern.
> 
> So I sorted out the sequence of events, eliminating one scene and adding a couple of things which make it all tie together without leaving the reader (or us) shaking their heads about why Cal and Julia were seeming to ignore a serious situation.
> 
> Also, last night I explored Plottr's Notes feature, adding some reference material which we'll draw on, even though it's not directly included in the story, some "To Do" notes, and a color-code chart for how we keep up with what's what in our graphical plot chart.


Wow - you guys are ripping through it! Good on you!


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 25 of the Last Ride today. The story climax and solution to the mystery that surrounds the characters is ramping up. WC is right where I want it (81886) with four chapters to go.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Got about 2k words put down today is all.  But I did finish ripping the book apart and reassembling it prior to that.


----------



## Taylor

I'm sooo jealous when I see you guys all had a productive day and I'm stuck here writing all this crappy MOF stuff!  (Don't tell my client I said that...lol!!)

Trying to push it out so I can return to drafting Skyline on Sunday.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Good end to this day. I'm snowed in so made full use of the last two days. 

I wrote two new poems yesterday and revised them today. They are to be part of a chapbook I am going to enter in a contest. These last two poems complete the number required for the contest so I'll send the collection out on Monday. I just now finished the full manuscript-- got the table of contents finished, gave a final polish to all the poems, added in the two new poems, and put them in the order that seems to work best. All of the poems are about an amazing trip I took to Indonesia. It was wonderful to get to spend time remembering. 

Yesterday, on the spur of the moment, I also wrote an essay for a national poetry newsletter on how to write a certain type of poem.  I sent it off today. I heard back from the editor that he's considering it. 

Good day and now good night.


----------



## VRanger

Tonight @PiP continued her work on a critical scene in Chapter 4 which--in this sequel--defines a key relationship for the reader. I added to the scene to emotionally attach Cal to the relationship. I also moved ahead into Chapter 5 and dropped a couple of thousand words where Cal and Julia travel to the estate he's purchased in the Cotswolds and get acquainted with the property and the staff. Hopefully I added some humor along the way. As opposed to the first book, which is a RomCom, book two is a RomCozy ... but we still need to retain the RomCom flavor and find humor where we can.


----------



## PrairieHostage

No writing these days, but today I booked car, hotels and B&B for my trip to Mendocino County this August. I reached out to several wineries and reservations. It's six months out but neither fire, drought nor pandemic will keep me away. The setting for my novel is a best kept secret in the cornucopia of American farm country. 

Mendocino is a leader in organic, biodynamic and sustainable vineyards and it's part of the Emerald Triangle of marijuana farms. The terrain is peaceful and the vibe, laid back. Often overshadowed by its fancy cousins, Napa and Sonoma, Mendocino County is the perfect setting for my teenaged boy to quietly and steadfastly salvage his neglected vineyard.
I am too in love with my story. You may see me feel a little less romantic when critiques start rolling in!.


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> No writing these days, but today I booked car, hotels and B&B for my trip to Mendocino County this August. I reached out to several wineries and reservations. It's six months out but neither fire, drought nor pandemic will keep me away. The setting for my novel is a best kept secret in the cornucopia of American farm country.
> 
> Mendocino is a leader in organic, biodynamic and sustainable vineyards and it's part of the Emerald Triangle of marijuana farms. The terrain is peaceful and the vibe, laid back. Often overshadowed by its fancy cousins, Napa and Sonoma, Mendocino County is the perfect setting for my teenaged boy to quietly and steadfastly salvage his neglected vineyard.
> I am too in love with my story. You may see me feel a little less romantic when critiques start rolling in!.


If you get the chance, drive up the 101 to the Avenue of the Giants - it's about 45 miles north of Leggett. It's a road that wanders through an old growth Redwood Forest - spectacular.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> If you get the chance, drive up the 101 to the Avenue of the Giants - it's about 45 miles north of Leggett. It's a road that wanders through an old growth Redwood Forest - spectacular.


That looks stunning but unfortunately it won't fit into this trip. I will return to California lots so it's added to my list. Thanks!


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> That looks stunning but unfortunately it won't fit into this trip. I will return to California lots so it's added to my list. Thanks!


My early childhood was in the Redwood Forests, so that's my stompin grounds. Whenever I'm up that way I ride through the Avenue of the Giants.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> My early childhood was in the Redwood Forests, so that's my stompin grounds. Whenever I'm up that way I ride through the Avenue of the Giants.


So beautiful. A person could be inspired to write a few novels in that place!


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> So beautiful. A person could be inspired to write a few novels in that place!


I don't know if you're into meditation, but I used to sit, leaning against their trunks, and just kinda relax and be in the moment. The sound of the wind through the branches, and as the trees sway, they issue a subtle creak and grown. It's also a great place to kick back with a good book and read the day away.


----------



## Taylor

After I finished my consulting work today, (client breathing down my neck, but finally satisfied), I decided to get lost in my new world.  The major setting for my next novel is Las Vegas.  So I used Google Maps and set about the area looking for inspiration.  So many gorgeous and raw locations for scenes.  As I walked around, I wrote descriptions...a part of the writing I love.  Now, I can just drop those pieces in when needed.  It was a great way to get a few words written, not having to dig too deeply, when weary.

Tomorrow...just me and my own writing....can't wait!


----------



## indianroads

3300 words written today - draft of chapter 26 completed. Three more chapters to go!


----------



## Taylor

Oh...I'm always so happy when I can seek out this thread, rather than feeling guilty and trying to avoid it...lol!  

1400 words for me today and completion of Chapter 2.  The inner muse was in good spirits and very cooperative.


----------



## JBF

I don't know if I'd call it a success, but...having begun the Great Conglomerating, I've realized how much editing I have to do on some of the projects I've already got posted.  

Days of editing.  Weeks.  If I play my cards right and take enough naps, perhaps even months.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Oh...I'm always so happy when I can seek out this thread, rather than feeling guilty and trying to avoid it...lol!
> 
> 1400 words for me today and completion of Chapter 2.  The inner muse was in good spirits and very cooperative.


YAY! Getting back into your passion! That's great news!


----------



## indianroads

JBF said:


> I don't know if I'd call it a success, but...having begun the Great Conglomerating, I've realized how much editing I have to do on some of the projects I've already got posted.
> 
> Days of editing.  Weeks.  If I play my cards right and take enough naps, perhaps even months.


Most of my time is spent editing.


----------



## indianroads

A bit over 2K words today. More than halfway through chapter 27 of the Last Ride. The story has reached the heart of the black hole in their memories and they will soon learn the truth behind their happenstance meeting.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I finished Chapter 5 today, about another 2500 words total. It included another one of our "interactive dialogue" sessions. However, this one had an odd beginning. Normally we plan the interactive dialogue sessions. For anyone who hasn't read about these before, that's where I write Cal's dialogue, PiP writes Julia's dialogue, and we build the dialogue interactively in a live session. We discuss the general course of objective of the dialogue and away we go.

This one wasn't planned. I had written some content and turned it over to PiP for a section. Cal and Julia were talking to the housekeeper they'd just met at Cal's recently purchased estate, and I thought something PiP wrote for Julia to say to 'Mrs. Abbot' contradicted something Julia told Cal earlier about dealing with employees. It doesn't matter that _I_ wrote Julia's dialogue in that instance. ;-)

Rather than discuss it in sidebar, I wrote my dissenting thought in character as Cal dialogue. PiP answered in Julia dialogue, and away we went. LOL

We went on to cooperatively write a scene where Cal and Julia intrude upon the locals at the nearby village tavern, and that scene capped the chapter.


----------



## Ajoy

Last I checked in, I'd just finished chapter 4 and the inciting incident of my WIP. Since then, I've written chapters 5-7, including the first chapters from the love interest's POV. I'm enjoying telling the story from differing POVs, allowing the reader to know things characters don't, and allowing characters to have completely different experiences of the events that occur and intersect their lives. 

My plot outline has become more specific, to the point where I can actually see the layout for all remaining chapters (24 total chapters) and the events that happen in each of those chapters. This is great news because I was able to map out my projected progress and if I do two chapters a week, I can be finished drafting by mid-April, which was when I wanted to start drafting my other planned project. 

So...I guess that means my goal for this upcoming week and weekend will be chapters 8 and 9. All of this said, my plot outline will probably continue to have small shifts as the vision of each scene becomes more specific (which happens the closer each scene gets), but I think I'll be able to still keep to this overall timeline, even accounting for shifts in the outline.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 27 of The Last Ride. Two chapters to go, and the secret of their existence (or lack there of) is about to be revealed. Throughout the story I've described a slew of possible answers to the mystery, one is kinda right but there's a surprise at the end. 
88,335 words, and the work should come in under 95 K, which is where I want it. Editing will chop that down to 90-92 K. 
I should (maybe) have the draft complete by the end of the week.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Got about 3400 wrds today on WIP, did some scene sketching, tortured some writers here, had fun helping find a new title with a member, and then went over to check my stats on the Big Guerilla.  Found the newest reviews.  Reviews are things that one ignores, but yet attends.  People who review books at LEAST need to be acknowledged, so I always hit the HELPFUL button.  Today's crop gave me a smile, though.  Especially SteveT58 on both DS and ST.


----------



## Foxee

It's been a struggle to set aside the day-to-day (which often comes after me when I'm trying to write) and find a story. The cool thing is, I found something new to use in order to set all of that aside.

I brought my headphones upstairs and taped a "Do Not Disturb" 3x5 card on the side that faces people when they stroll into my room. I also found some white noise on You Tube and decided to play that to blank out background noises. I don't usually use music when I write because I just block it out anyway but white noise didn't make me feel like I was ignoring something important. I flipped my 15-minute hourglass over and wrote one idea. The white noise I had chosen (birds in the trees) suggested a setting and I rolled with it. For the next 15 mins I put on machine white noise and tackled a whole different story idea. 

This worked marvelously well. The family thinks the sign on my head is funny but they did leave me alone. The white noise did a GREAT job of blocking out everything outside my bubble. So, after fearing that I wouldn't get anything down tonight, I've gotten over 1600 words of three different ideas down. 

It's not pretty but it worked. Hopefully it'll get me to where I need to go.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Foxee said:


> It's been a struggle to set aside the day-to-day (which often comes after me when I'm trying to write) and find a story. The cool thing is, I found something new to use in order to set all of that aside.
> 
> I brought my headphones upstairs and taped a "Do Not Disturb" 3x5 card on the side that faces people when they stroll into my room. I also found some white noise on You Tube and decided to play that to blank out background noises. I don't usually use music when I write because I just block it out anyway but white noise didn't make me feel like I was ignoring something important. I flipped my 15-minute hourglass over and wrote one idea. The white noise I had chosen (birds in the trees) suggested a setting and I rolled with it. For the next 15 mins I put on machine white noise and tackled a whole different story idea.
> 
> This worked marvelously well. The family thinks the sign on my head is funny but they did leave me alone. The white noise did a GREAT job of blocking out everything outside my bubble. So, after fearing that I wouldn't get anything down tonight, I've gotten over 1600 words of three different ideas down.
> 
> It's not pretty but it worked. Hopefully it'll get me to where I need to go.


that's GREAT!!!   Whatever it takes, do it!!  Awesome for you!  I mean it!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Tonight I submitted a 10 page excerpt of my young adult novel to the writer's conference I'm attending this August in the hopes of getting a scholarship. It required a one-page synopsis so that was fun to write. A scholarship will save me $700 and comes with accommodation so that's not nothing!


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I tag-teamed a scene for about 2000 words, then I skipped to the end of chapter for a dialogue scene followed by a summary scene. Yes, a summary scene is "telling not showing", but they are required at times. I always chuckle at my memory of the blog which listed one of the reasons to "show not tell" as "You want your novel to be 500K words". LOL In this case, the reader needed an update on a few things happening over the course of a week, but it needed to be told in three paragraphs, not three chapters.

There is a scene left in the middle for PiP to write about 1000-1500 words which will round out the chapter, and that will wrap up Chapter Six.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> Tonight I submitted a 10 page excerpt of my young adult novel to the writer's conference I'm attending this August in the hopes of getting a scholarship. It required a one-page synopsis so that was fun to write. A scholarship will save me $700 and comes with accommodation so that's not nothing!


Good luck!

Will you be traveling to the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts?









						Annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts | Sechelt, BC
					


We are proud to present this outstanding program of Canadian writers who will entertain, inspire, engage, and challenge us in 2022.





					writersfestival.ca


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> Good luck!
> 
> Will you be traveling to the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts | Sechelt, BC
> 
> 
> 
> We are proud to present this outstanding program of Canadian writers who will entertain, inspire, engage, and challenge us in 2022.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> writersfestival.ca


Thanks Taylor. I'm attending Mendocino Coast Writer's Conference August 4-6 after doing some on site research inland. Would LOVE to join Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts immediately afterward.  I fear my cats would never forgive me. Will put that one on the list!


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 28 of The Last Ride today. One more chapter to go.


----------



## D. L. Keur

indianroads said:


> Finished chapter 28 of The Last Ride today. One more chapter to go.


Exciting.  I need more time or a doppelganger to get in all the reading I need and want to.


----------



## Stormcat

Got through a particularly difficult scene by stealing from getting inspiration from one of my favorite Anime series.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Finished my 6 week online course on novel revision tonight. Next project I'm going to submit a 3500 word short story to a magazine.


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> Just finished chapter 23 of the first draft of my next novel. I'm heading into the climax of the story - feeling excited.
> Changed the title yet again, now it's _Afterworld: Redemption_.


 I just finished writing my novel, it's less than 50,000 words which means it might not go anywhere....but at least I accomplished writing it, I guess.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I just asked for a (another) week's extension on finishing up my how-to book on writing flash fiction. I'm ashamed to say I'm still tweaking it. I'm starting to think maybe this might be a contender for the "most tweaked book award." (If there is such a thing. If not, there certainly ought to be.) I can't seem to let it go! I worry there could be a major error somewhere and if I just go over it one more time, I'll find it and get it fixed. I want to do the best job I can possibly do. Honestly, I fear this could go on forever if I don't stop myself. I'm glad the publisher is patient with me. I've promised myself that in one week, no matter what, I will give up and send it on its way. No excuses. I sometimes think about somehow setting my computer to automatic send so I won't struggle with sending it on its way when the time comes. Have any of you found it difficult to let go? The reality is, I have to let it go. (But I also know that reality is often overrated  .  .  .:-D)


----------



## Foxee

Hot diggity, I think I have a story.

I can tell this is working when I not only handily overrun my 15 minute hourglass but forget to use it. The parts are there. Time to daydream and (hopefully) bring it together. I'm going to put white noise on my headphones and get some mundane tasks done.


----------



## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord

I _finally _got to it and made myself an author website, something I've been putting off for years. I'm happy with how it turned out!


----------



## Mark Twain't

Not sure if this counts as a writing success but I finally got around to making my Scrivener look gooood!


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> I just finished writing my novel, it's less than 50,000 words which means it might not go anywhere....but at least I accomplished writing it, I guess.


Self publish it on Amazon. You never know, it could be a huge hit. It feels good to get your work out there - someone is waiting to read it.


----------



## got2write

Still editing and trimming down my WIP The Wreckage Rider. Half way through this round of editing and I’m down almost 10k words. I _think_ it’s better now


----------



## indianroads

Foxee said:


> It's been a struggle to set aside the day-to-day (which often comes after me when I'm trying to write) and find a story. The cool thing is, I found something new to use in order to set all of that aside.
> 
> I brought my headphones upstairs and taped a "Do Not Disturb" 3x5 card on the side that faces people when they stroll into my room. I also found some white noise on You Tube and decided to play that to blank out background noises. I don't usually use music when I write because I just block it out anyway but white noise didn't make me feel like I was ignoring something important. I flipped my 15-minute hourglass over and wrote one idea. The white noise I had chosen (birds in the trees) suggested a setting and I rolled with it. For the next 15 mins I put on machine white noise and tackled a whole different story idea.
> 
> This worked marvelously well. The family thinks the sign on my head is funny but they did leave me alone. The white noise did a GREAT job of blocking out everything outside my bubble. So, after fearing that I wouldn't get anything down tonight, I've gotten over 1600 words of three different ideas down.
> 
> It's not pretty but it worked. Hopefully it'll get me to where I need to go.


My wife is into quilting - her work areas are: 
1. the entire basement including a bedroom.
2. the dining room on the main floor.
3. a spare bedroom upstairs.

I have my upstairs office, which we refer to as either 'The Dark Tower' or 'Indy's Fortress of solitude'.

When my daughters and grandkids come to visit, everyone knows to stay the heck out of the Dark Tower, and make NO noise upstairs.


----------



## D. L. Keur

indianroads said:


> My wife is into quilting - her work areas are:
> 1. the entire basement including a bedroom.
> 2. the dining room on the main floor.
> 3. a spare bedroom upstairs.
> 
> I have my upstairs office, which we refer to as either 'The Dark Tower' or 'Indy's Fortress of solitude'.
> 
> When my daughters and grandkids come to visit, everyone knows to stay the heck out of the Dark Tower, and make NO noise upstairs.


Gotta love it!!!!!


----------



## Foxee

indianroads said:


> My wife is into quilting - her work areas are:
> 1. the entire basement including a bedroom.
> 2. the dining room on the main floor.
> 3. a spare bedroom upstairs.
> 
> I have my upstairs office, which we refer to as either 'The Dark Tower' or 'Indy's Fortress of solitude'.
> 
> When my daughters and grandkids come to visit, everyone knows to stay the heck out of the Dark Tower, and make NO noise upstairs.


I would LOVE to have a Dark Tower! This house is low on privacy. But I'll keep making it work.


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> Self publish it on Amazon. You never know, it could be a huge hit. It feels good to get your work out there - someone is waiting to read it.


 
Thank you  I actually went through it this evening and got it up to 51,000 words by adding things that I thought would definitely compliment the story, and so now I feel a little better about it. At least it's not under 50,000 words.


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> Thank you  I actually went through it this evening and got it up to 51,000 words by adding things that I thought would definitely compliment the story, and so now I feel a little better about it. At least it's not under 50,000 words.


I think it's best to focus on the story, because I worry that if you stretch it out to meet a particular WC it may lose some of it's tension and immediacy.


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> I think it's best to focus on the story, because I worry that if you stretch it out to meet a particular WC it may lose some of it's tension and immediacy.



True, but I thought up some things to add to the story that actually made it better, things that should have been added and that flushes out the story more.


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> True, but I thought up some things to add to the story that actually made it better, things that should have been added and that flushes out the story more.


Sounds perfect then. Is this your first book?


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> Sounds perfect then. Is this your first book?



Yes, I've written and directed several community stageplays though, and directed three college short films, I miss film a lot more but novel writing is fun too.


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> Yes, I've written and directed several community stageplays though, and directed three college short films, I miss film a lot more but novel writing is fun too.


It sounds like you're very creative! Awesome.


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> It sounds like you're very creative! Awesome.



Yeah, I try to be, thanks! How about you? How long have you been a writer?


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> Yeah, I try to be, thanks! How about you? How long have you been a writer?


In my old life I was an engineer in Silicon Valley (CA). I wrote a bunch of trashy horror books back in the 80s and attracted an agent (self publishing wasn't a good way to go back then) but eventually I had to return to my career. I'm retired and living in Colorado. At first I rode my motorcycle around the US during the summer and wrote during the winder, but with the covid stuff I now write full time. Currently working on my 10th book.


----------



## lithiumflower

indianroads said:


> In my old life I was an engineer in Silicon Valley (CA). I wrote a bunch of trashy horror books back in the 80s and attracted an agent (self publishing wasn't a good way to go back then) but eventually I had to return to my career. I'm retired and living in Colorado. At first I rode my motorcycle around the US during the summer and wrote during the winder, but with the covid stuff I now write full time. Currently working on my 10th book.



Wow! That sounds like a fascinating life and a fascinating story and your 10th book?! That's impressive!


----------



## indianroads

lithiumflower said:


> Wow! That sounds like a fascinating life and a fascinating story and your 10th book?! That's impressive!


My wife insists that I have OCD tendencies - but after exhaustive on that subject - I don't believe her. I enjoy taking on new challenges and projects, but study it for a while before jumping in, and when I do it's with both feet. I love telling stories, and enjoy the creative process of writing - probably just like you and everyone else here. WF is a good place, full of supportive and eccentric people.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I'm submitting a short story to Grain magazine, a quarterly literary publication that features eclectic poems and prose. Today I confirmed they will accept a stand alone chapter from my as yet unpublished novel/WIP. This means less work but I will tweak the chapter to be truly stand alone as a short story. Today I did two hours on cutting one scene, sensory detail, imagery and inner dialogue.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Well, it may not be fiction but I turned in my first major paper of the semester this week. I considered at length whether or not I correctly interpreted the single-sentence instruction. Top guy in his field, so think, 'intellectually fearsome & much revered'. When another student asked for clarity, he said the instructions were clear enough. After class tonight, I decided that I hadn't written the paper he was looking for.

Uh-oh.

But then again, he just might like it.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> Well, it may not be fiction but I turned in my first major paper of the semester this week. I considered at length whether or not I correctly interpreted the single-sentence instruction. Top guy in his field, so think, 'intellectually fearsome & much revered'. When another student asked for clarity, he said the instructions were clear enough. After class tonight, I decided that I hadn't written the paper he was looking for.
> 
> Uh-oh.
> 
> But then again, he just might like it.


I so wanna know what the single sentence instruction was!l Care to share? Or you're just done with it already, that's cool too.


----------



## Megan Pearson

PrairieHostage said:


> I so wanna know what the single sentence instruction was!l Care to share? Or you're just done with it already, that's cool too.


Sure! I'd love to share. Just with some modification: "State and assess __’s arguments against __." 
That's it, that's all of it. 

It's got to be the briefest one-sentence set of instructions for a paper I've ever seen--or written about!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> Sure! I'd love to share. Just with some modification: "State and assess __’s arguments against __."
> That's it, that's all of it.
> 
> It's got to be the briefest one-sentence set of instructions for a paper I've ever seen--or written about!


Holy crap that's wild. Is it a law class? I'm sure you did fine.


----------



## Megan Pearson

PrairieHostage said:


> Holy crap that's wild. Is it a law class? I'm sure you did fine.




I love your response. No, not law. I think law would be easier--much more clear-cut and fact-oriented. (In my humble opinion, as it's more application than theory.) I'm a philosophy major.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> I love your response. No, not law. I think law would be easier--much more clear-cut and fact-oriented. (In my humble opinion, as it's more application than theory.) I'm a philosophy major.


LOL oh philosophy, that nebulous, subjective rabbit hole, quite opposite to the facts of law. You're a brave soul. Lots of creativity in all that thinking. It will hold you in good stead for creating stories. Prof sounds scary.


----------



## Megan Pearson

PrairieHostage said:


> LOL oh philosophy, that nebulous, subjective rabbit hole, quite opposite to the facts of law. You're a brave soul. Lots of creativity in all that thinking. It will hold you in good stead for creating stories. Prof sounds scary.


Yeah, actually, I chose it over an MFA because of what I want to write. Broader application. Plus, I can teach. I am considering applying for a position this fall, just not sure anyone will consider me, as I have no TA experience. BUT, I do have nearly twenty years in another field, so ... will age and maturity trump youth and proper credentials? I am encouraged that an acquaintance of mine landed an adjunct position and she's never taught before, either, so there's hope.

Prof is a lovable mix, part grandfatherly and part scary, and part self-confessed crazy. (I don't believe a word of the crazy part!) I'm graduating this May, although, in his class, I sometimes feel like I'm in kindergarten. But I will remember this short, seven-word sentence assignment. And I plan on terrorizing my students with something like it someday, too. (Muah-ha-ha-ha!) (It was actually a lot of fun. Yes, I enjoy writing papers. Hope to be published professionally but, unlike in fiction, your reputation rides on what you publish, so if you publish garbage, it stays with you forever. So I probably won't publish professionally for a very long time, or at least until I think I'm confident enough to pass professional muster. Or, have a dissertation that requires publication. In the meantime, I have a number of stories I want to tell...)


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> Yeah, actually, I chose it over an MFA because of what I want to write. Broader application. Plus, I can teach.


I enjoyed reading every bit of that and look forward to hearing more about your stories. Exciting you graduate this May and start the next chapter. Prof no longer sounds scary.


----------



## Taylor

500 words and start to Chapter Three.  All 500 words are leading up to a steamy encounter.  Now...I just have to decide how graphic I want to get.  Thinking of target market...hmmm.  Probably a whole bunch of_ verbal_ foreplay. They both get turned on by each other's knowledge of business. Who said accounting was boring?


----------



## indianroads

I finished the draft of The Last Ride. It hit my word budget perfectly - WC = 94,884.
That last chapter was a bugger to get through because I had to double check my previous hints about what might be happening (the paranormal stuff), get it all lined up, and write it coherently. The story turned out well - especially considering that the complexity of this plot (and the romance stuff) was a big stretch for me, but without challenges we don't grow.

I'll let the draft sit for a couple weeks, during which time I'll see if I can pull a cover together and struggle with the blurb (I hate writing blurbs). After that, the editing passes begin.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> 500 words and start to Chapter Three.  All 500 words are leading up to a steamy encounter.  Now...I just have to decide how graphic I want to get.  Thinking of target market...hmmm.  Probably a whole bunch of_ verbal_ foreplay. They both get turned on by each other's knowledge of business. *Who said accounting was boring?*


Me.
Will I blush when I read your book? Hopefully I'll avert my eyes in time.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Me.
> Will I blush when I read your book? Hopefully I'll avert my eyes in time.



Like I say there's foreplay in numbers...hey, they say you should write what you know right?  Just kidding...most of the steamy scenes end before anything happens...


----------



## VRanger

Missed yesterday - Yesterday we almost finished Chapter 6. @PiP has still got a section to add which defines a disease she wants to highlight. It's 4100 words as it sits. She has plenty of space for that section and we can consider it complete as first draft.

Today we combined on Chapter 7 for 3500 words with still a major scene to go for PiP to apply her local knowledge to buying two Hunters (horses) for Cal and Julia to ride. This is important for a future scene where we'll shamelessly riff Dick Francis (and just about every Western ever written or filmed) for a scene where bad guys on horseback chase Cal and Julia across the countryside.

I haven't moved the latest to Scrivener for the total, but we should be about 28.5K right now and probably about 1500-2000 words to finish up those chapters.

In the first book I advised we aim for 85K, as that falls into the sweet spot of publishers' guidelines for RomComs. No such limit here. We're aiming for about 100K but I won't sweat it if we're a bit above that. And if we decide to self-publish after all, I think we should discuss going back into book one and adding some material. There are a couple of plot elements left a bit light there which would fill out nicely with another 15K injected.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> Missed yesterday - Yesterday we almost finished Chapter 6. @PiP has still got a section to add which defines a disease she wants to highlight. It's 4100 words as it sits. She has plenty of space for that section and we can consider it complete as first draft.


We've already undertaken the heavy lifting with the showing.  The telling will be one paragraph when the diagnosis is finalised and a change of lifestyle advised. This part is actually a true story and yes, very close to my heart.


VRanger said:


> Today we combined on Chapter 7 for 3500 words with still a major scene to go for PiP to apply her local knowledge to buying two Hunters (horses) for Cal and Julia to ride.


Yep, looking forward to writing this.



VRanger said:


> This is important for a future scene where we'll shamelessly riff Dick Francis (and just about every Western ever written or filmed) for a scene where bad guys on horseback chase Cal and Julia across the countryside.


I am going to let Jim write this. He loves scripting the bad guys while I watch from the peanut gallery. I will just keep him grounded and remind him England is only a fifth of the size of Texas and the most densely populated area in the UK. But he has a wonderful imagination and I will only use my spurs on him occasionally.








						How Big is England? | Texas vs UK | Is Texas bigger than England
					


Answers through Maps and data for frequently asked questions not only on History, Geography but on other important themes too that can be represented on maps.




					www.mapsofworld.com
				





VRanger said:


> I haven't moved the latest to Scrivener for the total, but we should be about 28.5K right now and probably about 1500-2000 words to finish up those chapters.
> 
> In the first book I advised we aim for 85K, as that falls into the sweet spot of publishers' guidelines for RomComs. No such limit here. We're aiming for about 100K but I won't sweat it if we're a bit above that.


We can also make this book a 'racey' romance Rom Com.


VRanger said:


> And if we decide to self-publish after all, I think we should discuss going back into book one and adding some material. There are a couple of plot elements left a bit light there which would fill out nicely with another 15K injected.


Absolutely, Julia can have a Brazilian Texan style! Just teasing. Seriously, we have so much more we can add and no doubt more fun as we expand some of the scenes.

I usually have a set time of day I set aside to write. Writing a collab may be great fun but it also takes dedication, commitment and patience. More so for me because I write VERY slowly as Jim will confirm he needs the patience  He often goes for a walk (about a couple of miles) and I can still be working through the same scene and at times even crafting the same paragraph as when he left. I know I tease you but you rock, Jim  @VRanger


----------



## Mark Twain't

I've just taken 14k words of what is just unnecessary side plot out of my novel and tucked it into its own folder, possibly to be used as a sequel. The other 98k words have been sorted into a 3 act structure.


----------



## Taylor

Only 200 words, but a HUGE jump in the right direction with the plot after many hours of research.   But my head hurts now.  If plotters could see what's inside of a pantser head when they work on plot, they would be terrified...lol!


----------



## indianroads

Worked on the cover for The Last Ride this afternoon, it’s not going well. I found a background I like, but the upper section isn’t working; hopefully I’ll have better luck tomorrow.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Hadn't checked my stuff for a couple of days, mainly because I was busy working on other stuff.  Just did.  Latest reviews for Stray Trouble.  So thrilled.  There's hope for me, yet.


----------



## indianroads

Managed to stumble through the first version of the blurb for The Last Ride, and I kinda-sorta got the cover together.
Both will likely go through many versions before release.


----------



## justenoughlight

I’ve begun to develop the character design and personality of one of my major side characters more, and I’ve also developed the story behind a relatively major plot point (or at least the first draft of it) quite a lot more (what I’ve got right now: every half-moon, everyone in Shatter has to completely shut down everything they’re doing after the Eighth Phase of sundown- basically when the moon reaches its highest point- because after that, the Silhouettes come out- vaguely humanoid forms made of the fog that’s constantly in Shatter- and they will destroy anyone who steps into the moonlight. The actual killing process is pretty brutal, but after a while, the body simply turns to fog and dissolves into the rest of the fog, basically becoming a Silhouette. Lmk if I can improve this at all!)


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I'm just feeling good about my novel. Now I've put all the practice for my prose behind me, I can concentrate on the bigger picture: the story, the scenes, character development, pacing and all that good shit. It took a while to change my thinking after a full year of disciplined practice, but I'm there now and loving it. I'm looking at my world through fresh eyes, starting to know Yarrod far better and have plans for little short stories in between writing chapters, most of which will be related to The Black Shepherd. I think the first will be 'The Yellow Bird', the name of the tavern the story begins in. There's a reason it's called that and I want to tell that story because it's never going to make it into the novel. I was hoping to finish the novel in two years but I'm allowing myself three just in case. Regardless, I feel everything coming together and I'm excited to 'tell the story'.

And thanks to every single person that's given me pointers and will likely continue to do that throughout the writing of the novel. I may not always agree but I do take notes just in case what is said applies to other sections of the stories I write. I'd also like to thank the owners of this forum and those that work tirelessly to keep it open minded and the best writing forum on the internet bar none. You all do a great job.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP wrote a couple of major scenes ... _including _the scene which introduces our antagonists and our mystery ... vitally important.

Chapter 8 is complete (needs first round edits), and there are still two minor bits of business to complete in 6 and 7.

That out of the way, I wrote 950 words for the first scene of Chapter 9. I'd intended about 1500 words, but I had a strong scene ender after 950, and I don't push that. Once I write something that I recognize as a strong scene ender (which relates to another active thread), that's it. Anything further is overkill. If something is left unsaid, let the reader ponder over it. It's good for them. It just makes them keep going to find the thing they wondered about.

This puts us at 33.5K, which will grow a bit with the completion of 6 and 7. Into Chapter 9 of (as I type of 23 outlined chapters) we're about on schedule for 100K. Not all scenes appearing in the outline are full scenes. One of the scene notes in Chapter 9 was dispensed with inside of a paragraph of dialogue. A scene might be vitally important to the story, but handled in one or two paragraphs of summary. Or it might drag out to 3K words. Sometimes I don't know which way that will tip until we get there.


----------



## Foxee

Final editing pass. Astounded that I could get this done in spite of all the interference and interruptions.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours on one of my short stories about my family's rollicking early years. I actually phoned a guy who lived on our street in Toronto. We laughed remembering slingshot wars in the monstrous hills of dirt excavated for construction of a shopping mall. I told him if this little story is published, I'll send him a copy. Very cool feeling to be a voyeur of one's own life. Especially when all the pain's been dealt with and tucked neatly away. I'm quite enjoying it and can't wait to share with my brothers.


----------



## indianroads

The cover for The Last Ride is pretty much where I want it - and with 5 versions of the product description / blurb it's getting close.
I'm also prepping the editing spread sheet I'll use to check for plot holes / redundancies. 
I should give it a few more days before I jump into editing, but I'm anxious to get started.


----------



## Taylor

Today I received three cover drafts.  The first two were my concepts...and they were just... Meh.  The third was the artist's concept and it was wowsa!   There's something to be said for letting professionals do their thing.   Still not a 100% but a great start.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Taylor said:


> Today I received three cover drafts.  The first two were my concepts...and they were just... Meh.  The third was the artist's concept and it was wowsa!   There's something to be said for letting professionals do their thing.   Still not a 100% but a great start.


That's great.


----------



## indianroads

For my Extinction series, I looked over several (many) artist portfolios and settled on one that had done the type of thing I was looking for. I then drew sketches of my ideas - we communicated by email, went back and forth a bit, and it turned out well. I used him for the entire series - not a good idea to find an artist with a different vision when you're half way through a series because you want them to have a common look.

Once you find someone you can work with, hold tight.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> For my Extinction series, I looked over several (many) artist portfolios and settled on one that had done the type of thing I was looking for. I then drew sketches of my ideas - we communicated by email, went back and forth a bit, and it turned out well. I used him for the entire series - not a good idea to find an artist with a different vision when you're half way through a series because you want them to have a common look.
> 
> Once you find someone you can work with, hold tight.


Your covers are great!  I especially like _Inception_.   Looking forward to my signed copy.


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> Today I received three cover drafts.  The first two were my concepts...and they were just... Meh.  The third was the artist's concept and it was wowsa!   There's something to be said for letting professionals do their thing.   Still not a 100% but a great start.


So exciting!


----------



## Ajoy

So, I made a decision today that I feel pretty good about. I decided to go through all the drafts, revisions, edits, and a round of queries for my YA romantic fantasy BEFORE I ever start drafting book two of my Atlantis Dying series. Originally, I'd planned to start drafting it as I started revising my WIP, but it just hit me today, I want to focus entirely on one project at a time. With a full-time job, it was feeling like too much to juggle, not to mention that one is in third person and the other is in first--talk about asking for editing mistakes.  Anyway, I still plan to be thinking about my book two and organizing notes when I feel like it, but I'm really excited to just fully embrace my current project through the end.


----------



## indianroads

Ajoy said:


> So, I made a decision today that I feel pretty good about. I decided to go through all the drafts, revisions, edits, and a round of queries for my YA romantic fantasy BEFORE I ever start drafting book two of my Atlantis Dying series. Originally, I'd planned to start drafting it as I started revising my WIP, but it just hit me today, I want to focus entirely on one project at a time. With a full-time job, it was feeling like too much to juggle, not to mention that one is in third person and the other is in first--talk about asking for editing mistakes.  Anyway, I still plan to be thinking about my book two and organizing notes when I feel like it, but I'm really excited to just fully embrace my current project through the end.


Smart move.
Been there, done that, with a demanding job and a writing fetish. It's not easy.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I wrote four hours on two short stories and posted one in the Fiction Workshop. I struggled with the story about my family. Felt unconnected to it and like I was phoning it in. But at least I deposited words onto the page. I can revise as needed tomorrow. The heavens can't part *every* day. My male cat Lanny threw up on my rug and bathmat. Long history of finding the right wet food for this bullseye tabby with a sensitive stomach. We shall prevail!


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> Today I wrote four hours on two short stories and posted one in the Fiction Workshop. I struggled with the story about my family. Felt unconnected to it and like I was phoning it in. But at least I deposited words onto the page. I can revise as needed tomorrow. The heavens can't part *every* day. My male cat Lanny threw up on my rug and bathmat. Long history of finding the right wet food for this bullseye tabby with a sensitive stomach. We shall prevail!


I just cleaned up a barf-o-rama in our bedroom - someone gorged themselves, then purged. 
Having critters in the family keeps us humble.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> Smart move.
> Been there, done that, with a demanding job and a writing fetish. It's not easy.


Yeah. It kind of felt like I was just asking to burn myself out. Damn day job (I like my day job, but I also like spending all day writing). : )


----------



## Ajoy

PrairieHostage said:


> Today I wrote four hours on two short stories and posted one in the Fiction Workshop. I struggled with the story about my family. Felt unconnected to it and like I was phoning it in. But at least I deposited words onto the page. I can revise as needed tomorrow. The heavens can't part *every* day. My male cat Lanny threw up on my rug and bathmat. Long history of finding the right wet food for this bullseye tabby with a sensitive stomach. We shall prevail!


The barfing cat and the hunt for the right wet food...so relatable.


----------



## Taylor

You guys would be proud of me.  After client meetings all day I turned down some very lucrative consulting work, so I can make my writing a priority for the next little while.  I have a LOT coming at me.  The first professional edits on Profitline that need to be addressed, cover drafts that need to be massaged, and the sequel waiting to be written.  I feel good...like it was the right thing to do.  Hello writing!


----------



## Darkkin

She is a character I have only glimpsed in shadows, the problem was I did not know her full name and that name is as unusual as she is.  I finally sat down and wrote the introduction for Malign Hellebore Pi, elder sister of impossible Phi.  And unlike Phi, Pi is so unsure of herself, so full of doubt, her isolation is absolute.  But she is needed, even though she will be judged by all who see her because of what she is.  Dark fae.  Mortal supersition would cast her as something else entirely because she has no skills with glamours, what she is cannot be hidden, so she hides herself.

The power she wields rests in her name, yet her wings remain untried.


----------



## bdcharles

Darkkin said:


> She is a character I have only glimpsed in shadows, the problem was I did not know her full name and that name is as unusual as she is.  I finally sat down and wrote the introduction for Malign Hellebore Pi, elder sister of impossible Phi.  And unlike Phi, Pi is so unsure of herself, so full of doubt, her isolation is absolute.  But she is needed, even though she will be judged by all who see her because of what she is.  Dark fae.  Mortal supersition would cast her as something else entirely because she has no skills with glamours, what she is cannot be hidden, so she hides herself.
> 
> The power she wields rests in her name, yet her wings remain untried.


Woohoo! More epic poetry for a turtle-borrne world


----------



## RGS

Well, I got some long-awaited good news this morning. I had called and left a message for the lady in charge of materials submission for the local library system, since it's been almost two months since I submitted my books. She just called me back. There's been a delay due to the holidays, illnesses, and so on, but...

My novels are going to be in the library.


----------



## piperofyork

RGS said:


> Well, I got some long-awaited good news this morning. I had called and left a message for the lady in charge of materials submission for the local library system, since it's been almost two months since I submitted my books. She just called me back. There's been a delay due to the holidays, illnesses, and so on, but...
> 
> My novels are going to be in the library.


Congrats RGS!! That's fantastic! Celebration time!


----------



## PiP

RGS said:


> Well, I got some long-awaited good news this morning. I had called and left a message for the lady in charge of materials submission for the local library system, since it's been almost two months since I submitted my books. She just called me back. There's been a delay due to the holidays, illnesses, and so on, but...
> 
> My novels are going to be in the library.


Well done RGS!  Great news


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I didn't write on my own stuff but I spend 5 hours critiquing another writer's work. I belong to a  Facebook group as well. This author is in Dublin and her novel is a crime thriller. I didn't think I'd like it because it has vampires. But she is a good writer and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Definitely a huge step up from Twilight


----------



## TerraLiga

Today I joined a forum (this one) so I can develop some skills to write a short story. Or two.


----------



## piperofyork

TerraLiga said:


> Today I joined a forum (this one) so I can develop some skills to write a short story. Or two.


Welcome TerraLiga!


----------



## Ajoy

RGS said:


> Well, I got some long-awaited good news this morning. I had called and left a message for the lady in charge of materials submission for the local library system, since it's been almost two months since I submitted my books. She just called me back. There's been a delay due to the holidays, illnesses, and so on, but...
> 
> My novels are going to be in the library.


Wow! That's awesome!


----------



## PrairieHostage

I've been repaid in excess for critiquing a fellow writer's work yesterday. Today, she has critiqued my short story and given me invaluable comments for improvement   to become a truly stand alone piece, apart from my novel. I'm devoting today to reading my three books: Kati Maton's The Chancellor about Angela Merkel; Akwaeke Emezi's Bitter about a Nigerian teen caught up in Black Liberation Movement, and Isabel Wilkerson's Caste about the parallels between Indian, Nazi and racist roots in America. It occurred to me I should start a journal of words I learn while reading. Today I learned groused (grumbled), garrulous (overly talkative) and sangfroid (calm in the face of extreme stress).


----------



## VRanger

The last few days haven't been big for production on PL2 for various reasons on each end, but since my last post we added a couple of thousand words, and we're just a half scene short of completing chapter nine.

@PiP had written a line about a number of days passing between one plot element and another, which made us realize we were winging the timeline too much. That's part of the reason for the slowdown on raw production. I pulled up a real-life calendar and spent a day putting our scenes into a solid timeline for what we've already written, and a few days ahead for upcoming scenes.

PiP convinced me to get WhatsApp, so we also spent a few hours discussing some subplots, as I had a notion to rearrange a subplot to bring it a few chapters forward on Plottr's timeline. I've got to say this software really makes it easier to see how subplots and their scenes are laid out, where things are getting too busy, and drag them around to readjust. All of this would have been a mess in a text document. So while writing took a bit of a backseat this week, the planning sessions we've had were both important and productive.

On the side, I snuck in a couple of thousand words on _Moods_, where my MC has experienced his second spirit possession, with number three coming on its heels. It puts me about 60% of the way through chapter five, right at 20K for the manuscript to date.


----------



## Taylor

Just wrote a thousand word love scene and they are still only in the elevator.  I think I'll leave the rest up the readers imagination...


----------



## PrairieHostage

Oh how I'd love to read that elevator love scene!

From six this morning to four this afternoon, I read three books I have on the go, but mostly rewrote my short story into present tense and first person. Minutes into this exercise, I realized this set the right tone for the story. Now I'mma eat chicken parmesan and watch incredibly simple television, the simpler the better!


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> Now I'mma eat chicken parmesan and watch incredibly simple television, the simpler the better!


Perfect combination!  Enjoy...you deserve it!!


----------



## got2write

I’ve cut 10K words of bloat out of my WIP, down to 115K with my goal of under 110k in sight. Getting close!


----------



## Taylor

got2write said:


> I’ve cut 10K words of bloat out of my WIP, down to 115K with my goal of under 110k in sight. Getting close!


Good work!


----------



## indianroads

I caved.
After competing the draft of the Last Ride, I was set to hold off on editing for 2 weeks. I couldn’t do it though, and started in a few days ago, cutting back on the low hanging fruit. I’m 10 chapters in and have reduced the word count by 370.

I’m liking how it is turning out.


----------



## Deleted member 66681

I finished a story today! It was only an 800-word flash fiction piece, but it's the first story I've finished in like...two years? (depression is a b*tch lol). I know many writers could probably knock something like that out in a day, but unfortunately, that no longer comes so easily to me....(but hopefully I'll get back there someday!)


----------



## RGS

That's right, folks. I published my sixth novel yesterday, and it's live:











						Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
					


Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6).




					www.amazon.com
				




I'm tagging @Lawless on this, so now he'll understand my comment in the other thread about not knowing where a book falls in a series.



I decided to go a unique route on this one. It can be the first read, the last, or any point in between, thus the "#1 or #6" subtitle. I write them all as standalone, so this one is as good a starting place as any.


----------



## Taylor

RGS said:


> That's right, folks. I published my sixth novel yesterday, and it's live:



CONGRATULATIONS!!


----------



## VRanger

Subsequent to creating the date specific timeline I mentioned earlier, I approached the opening scene in Chapter 10, checked the timeline, and realized we have five days of novel time between the last scene in Chapter 9 and the scene I was about to write. We have too much story to tell in five weeks time to ignore five entire days. So I clicked PLUS to insert a new chapter 10, and drug a few scenes from later in the book into the space. We have a decent number of what I've begun to call "Soap Opera Scenes". They're all about character and relationship building and exploration ... necessary to the overall story but not specifically connected to any main or sub-plot action. So the new Chapter 10 got a few of those.

I then proceeded to write 1700 words for two scenes, with a spot in the middle of the first scene where @PiP and  I will do interactive dialogue this evening as Cal and Julia craft a song lyric. It's the scene I discussed HERE.

PiP hasn't yet accused me of frequently rearranging the plot just because it's fun to do in Plottr. (shhhhhh)


----------



## VRanger

RGS said:


> That's right, folks. I published my sixth novel yesterday, and it's live:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
> 
> 
> 
> Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.amazon.com


Way to Go!!  Always very satisfying days.


----------



## indianroads

RGS said:


> That's right, folks. I published my sixth novel yesterday, and it's live:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
> 
> 
> 
> Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6) - Kindle edition by Strickland, R.G. . Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Tippenridge (East Haven Book 6).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.amazon.com


WOW! Great job, congratulations!


----------



## PiP

Well done RGS! So now onto the 7th!!!


----------



## Taylor

Ok @VRanger!  I completed my 1000 word penalty.  Finished off Chapter Three with Washington politics and started Chapter Four with marital turbulence.

Inciting incidents...check!


----------



## indianroads

I edited four more chapters of The Last Ride today. My editing technique is to make eight or more editing passes that trim the work a bit at a time. The process is going well.


----------



## Ajoy

It took me all week and weekend, but I finally finished drafting chapter 9 of my WIP (of 25 planned chapters). It came in right at 3K and the total work is at 23K. I'm excited about the next few chapters, especially because my main character is about to back her dad's truck out his unopened garage door to (temporarily) escape her situation...and because she's really mad. 

I also attended two birthday parties for 6-year-olds and one ballet class this weekend. It was fun seeing my daughter's new friendships, but I do enjoy quiet time after a week in the classroom. 

Here's hoping next weekend is a bit more low key and the chapters flow more easily. ; )


----------



## indianroads

Who remembers this song: Dang me, dang me, they oughta take a rope and hang me...
Well - I had another idea for a romance novel this evening. Dang me. I hope it will fade away because have three novel ideas in line ahead of it. It's a somewhat common story line, so maybe I'll let it go.


----------



## RGS

indianroads said:


> Who remembers this song: Dang me, dang me, they oughta take a rope and hang me...
> Well - I had another idea for a romance novel this evening. Dang me. I hope it will fade away because have three novel ideas in line ahead of it. It's a somewhat common story line, so maybe I'll let it go.


Not a bad problem to have.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just three hours on my short story today. I shared it with my older brother who's an avid outdoorsman. For next 3 days, I'll complete my other short story about my family.


----------



## indianroads

Rough day. I worked several hours on a single chapter of The Last Ride. It’s an important section because the characters know something otherworldly is going on and they explore several paranormal possibilities, they also speculate about their forgotten past. Additionally, their relationship is progressing.

The chapter is better, but I’ll have to return to later.


----------



## Taylor

I finally addressed the comments I got from my first editorial assessment.  I made a spreadsheet, included anything that was a suggestion, and then either addressed it or explained why I didn't.   Made a few more changes of my own and then uploaded it for the next round of editing.  So far so good...but didn't get any writing done on Book 2.  

Most of you already know this, but it's a juggling act when you are working on more than one book at different stages of WIP. @indianroads, I bet you have a black belt in 'juggling' as well!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> I finally addressed the comments I got from my first editorial assessment.  I made a spreadsheet, included anything that was a suggestion, and then either addressed it or explained why I didn't.   Made a few more changes of my own and then uploaded it for the next round of editing.  So far so good...but didn't get any writing done on Book 2.
> 
> Most of you already know this, but it's a juggling act when you are working on more than one book at different stages of WIP. @indianroads, I bet you have a black belt in 'juggling' as well!


Impressive and inspiring


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I finally addressed the comments I got from my first editorial assessment.  I made a spreadsheet, included anything that was a suggestion, and then either addressed it or explained why I didn't.   Made a few more changes of my own and then uploaded it for the next round of editing.  So far so good...but didn't get any writing done on Book 2.
> 
> Most of you already know this, but it's a juggling act when you are working on more than one book at different stages of WIP. @indianroads, I bet you have a black belt in 'juggling' as well!


Juggling? Oh not me. I can barely keep ONE ball in the air - and only work on one novel at a time.


----------



## VRanger

Earlier this evening @PiP and I did a live interactive collaboration on Cal and Julia themselves collaborating on song lyrics. We made a good, if dark, set of lyrics. (The hook I used for the song is "It was a Dark and Stormy Night LOL). Great fun.  

Later on I wrote a scene between the two characters who'll provide the romance in this book. It's defined as an awkward conversation between them, which is no easy challenge to live up to. Hopefully, I did. Then, with nothing for me to independently do in Chapter 10 (all but complete), I started in on the first scene of a newly restructured Chapter 11. We still had too many days before the first scene of the next chapter, so I pulled more content in front of that scene.

I did the first Chapter 11 scene (mostly) in character for the prim housekeeper, and that was fun. I write something like that not exactly with her as the POV character, but as if the 3rd person narrator is sympathetic to her view of the world.

I think I'll write the next scene too before I call it a night. We're now over 40K words and cruising right along. I also did a bit of prep work for the bedroom crawl tonight. If the "awkward scene" was a challenge, writing the bedroom crawl will be a challenge on steroids. If I get it right, it should be hilarious and sexy. That is, *IF* ... I get it right. And I'll face it before the next week is up.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Juggling? Oh not me. I can barely keep ONE ball in the air - and only work on one novel at a time.


There is sense in that!


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> Earlier this evening @PiP and I did a live interactive collaboration on Cal and Julia themselves collaborating on song lyrics. We made a good, if dark, set of lyrics. (The hook I used for the song is "It was a Dark and Stormy Night LOL). Great fun.


It was great fun because I did not realise that's what you were doing! I'm just over there now to finish up and the other two scenes. Late on parade tonight but there are still 3 hours before pumpkin time



VRanger said:


> If the "awkward scene" was a challenge, writing the bedroom crawl will be a challenge on steroids. If I get it right, it should be hilarious and sexy. That is, *IF* ... I get it right. And I'll face it before the next week is up.


I will be watching over your shoulder munching on popcorn and sipping a glass of wine. I am intrigued how this will work ... I've never participated in a bedroom crawl so I live to learn


----------



## PrairieHostage

Four hours on my family short. It's completed but now I'll take several passes to polish, revise, slice and dice etc.I like the ending but I want to make it better and a little more funny.


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> I finally addressed the comments I got from my first editorial assessment.  I made a spreadsheet, included anything that was a suggestion, and then either addressed it or explained why I didn't.   Made a few more changes of my own and then uploaded it for the next round of editing.  So far so good...but didn't get any writing done on Book 2.


I think it makes a lot of sense that your book 2 drafting would halt temporarily while you worked on editing. Those are such different writing modes, I sure couldn't do both at once.

I like your approach to responding to your edits. Also, it seems like another exciting step! How did you feel about the feedback? Did you get any developmental feedback or was it more line-level feedback? ...if you don't mind sharing.


----------



## indianroads

Three chapters edited (1st pass) today (I'm up to chapter18) - total WC has dropped by 578, that's not a lot, but the major hacking usually occurs in edits 2-4. The process is moving along well.


----------



## PiP

Last night I returned to Chapter 5 to insert some dialogue to resolve a potential plothole in Chapter 11 *and* I finished the song on my 'ownsome'... never written song lyrics before, especially C&W so I tried to imagine Dolly Parton.

Laughing, I had all the chapters pages open in separate tabs and it took Jim a while to track me down LoL ...

I also planted some seeds in the dialogue in some of the earlier chapters that have the potential to germinate into stand-alone stories in the future. This is one benefit I'd not considered in favour of not publishing immediately. I believe Jim also added a scene in book 1 which ties neatly into book 2.

It is interesting to note that all the village characters @VRanger writes speak with a funny accent. Q. Accents, which not even I can imitate when spoken aloud and I hail from the area in question. LoL I like to tease him... but as the book's audience will primarily be American,  I'll let him off the hook. Anyone here watch the TV series 'Clarkson's Farm' (Jeremy Clarkson)? Well if so, think of the character Gerald. I'll leave that idea with my English compatriots. LoL... It's fun to read and that's all that matters at the end of the day.


----------



## Ultraroel

I wrote 1st and 2nd chapter of my short story. I haven't written longer stories in a while and this came to mind naturally. Chapter 3 came to me as a short epifany after, while I usually have to think a while before I start writing the next one.

It was incredibly fun to write and the story is interesting, original and the first one where I feel like I have a good personal development arc. Happy happy joy joy.


----------



## Taylor

Ajoy said:


> I think it makes a lot of sense that your book 2 drafting would halt temporarily while you worked on editing. Those are such different writing modes, I sure couldn't do both at once.
> 
> I like your approach to responding to your edits. Also, it seems like another exciting step! How did you feel about the feedback? Did you get any developmental feedback or was it more line-level feedback? ...if you don't mind sharing.



The first round of feedback from a professional, i.e., not someone I know, was very affirming.   80% of it was confirming what I set out to do.  20% were suggestions, some developmental, much of which were deliberate exclusions left for the sequel.  The next round will be more line-level.   I'll provide a bit more detail in my month end blog report.


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> The first round of feedback from a professional, i.e., not someone I know, was very affirming.   80% of it was confirming what I set out to do.  20% were suggestions, some developmental, much of which were deliberate exclusions left for the sequel.  The next round will be more line-level.   I'll provide a bit more detail in my month end blog report.


Thanks for sharing (and I'll have to follow your blog posts about it!)


----------



## indianroads

Worked out this morning, then went home and edited 2 more chapters of The Last Ride.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP got off to a great start last night on a scene critical to the Romance part of PLII. I capped Chapter 11 with a dialogue scene involving unidentified bad guys which foreshadows a major upcoming scene, then decided to begin Chapter 12 with a scene between essentially the same bad guys. It's a patented style of scene I sometimes write when an underling brings disconcerting news to their boss. IR will know what I mean since he recently read _Bone Kien_. LOL (Did you think that scene was funny?)

The result of this proves that women in my life can save the life of a character I meant to kill. My wife (Betty) influenced the fate of James Garsch in my Heinlein sequel, and @PiP gently nagged me until I didn't have the groundskeeper in PLII murdered by the criminal gang. Type A Alpha guy brought down by feminine wiles. I feel like Gulliver on the beach.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> @PiP
> The result of this proves that women in my life can save the life of a character I meant to kill. My wife (Betty) influenced the fate of James Garsch in my Heinlein sequel, and @PiP gently nagged me until I didn't have the groundskeeper in PLII murdered by the criminal gang. Type A Alpha guy brought down by feminine wiles. I feel like Gulliver on the beach.









I need to have a happy ever after ... no murders. Besides Chadwick is yet to propose to Mrs Abbot in the Bedroom Crawl ... Jeeeest joking!


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> I need to have a happy ever after ... no murders. Besides Chadwick is yet to propose to Mrs Abbot in the Bedroom Crawl ... Jeeeest joking!


Chadwick only has half his teeth! Abbot would NEVER let him inside of arm's length, no matter how hard up she is!


----------



## D. L. Keur

VRanger said:


> I feel like Gulliver on the beach.


And that's just where we're keeping you, too.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> I need to have a happy ever after ... no murders. Besides Chadwick is yet to propose to Mrs Abbot in the Bedroom Crawl ... Jeeeest joking!


Oh, @PiP   You _didn't!  _...Resort to crocodile tears, I mean. Groan. ...And @VRanger , you actually fell for it?!!!! Fer shame!


----------



## PiP

D. L. Keur said:


> Oh, @PiP   You _didn't!  _...Resort to crocodile tears, I mean. Groan. ...And @VRanger , you actually fell for it?!!!! Fer shame!


I most def stamped my foot when it came to the bad guys riding over the brow of the hill all guns blazing to inflict mass carnage at the meet and greet BBQ. Not a good sell for a feel-good RomCom.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> I most def stamped my foot when it came to the bad guys riding over the brow of the hill all guns blazing, to inflict mass carnage at the meet and greet BBQ. Not a good sell for a feel-good RomCom.


I think the only 'feel good' your co-conspirator is angling for is the kind that produces slime in the unders and stains on the sheets.


----------



## PiP

D. L. Keur said:


> I think the only 'feel good' your co-conspirator is angling for is the kind that produces slime in the unders and stains on the sheets.


Ah, yes. Especially the bondage scenes...


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> Chadwick only has half his teeth! Abbot would NEVER let him inside of arm's length, no matter how hard up she is!


But this is fiction, Jim.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> But this is fiction, Jim.


So are half of Chadwick's teeth.


----------



## indianroads

Edited 4 chapters today, 5 more and this editing pass will be done. One of the chapters had the MCs recalling their first date; it was an opportunity to show that in alternating POVs, which was fun to write and edit - I think it turned out pretty well.


----------



## PiP

Last night I wrote a fun 'open mic' scene which took place in a typical English, village pub.  The scene was only about 750 words but took me about 4 hours to write. Yeah, I write slow. 70% of the time is spent procrastinating deciding WHAT to write, 5% writing, 20% editing what I've written, and 5% chatting to Jim over the use of 'English', English. During this time Jim @VRanger managed to take two naps to recharge his batteries (boredom - paint dries quicker), walk the dog, watch TV and eat lunch... sigh ... he really IS very patient. I awoke this morning to discover that overnight the SPaG fairy had polished my prose and added some brilliant 'extras'. And yes, it's official - my Southern accent in dialogue is even worse than Jim's attempt at writing country bumpkin.  Ho Hum


----------



## PrairieHostage

While you lovelies clang out the words, I confess this has been a lazy week for me. I wrote Monday & Tuesday on a short, but the remainder's been taken up by activities for my 60th birthday next Monday. (I like to celebrate for a week, not just a day) 

Today party at my son's, tomorrow two friends visit mine for bubbly and Monday my other son and friends take me for supper. It's a good distraction from growing nerves I feel about impending feedback from two beta readers and my guild eval which will arrive in March. 

My only success to report is agent and publisher research for the query spreadsheet I'm going to create in Sunday


----------



## indianroads

I was asked by a local group to donate some of my books for a charity auction - I gave them all nine novels, and signed them too. 
That felt pretty cool.


----------



## Taylor

I wrote 300 words today and I was so pleased with the essence, and what they brought to the story, I just kept reading them over and tweaking them.   And this was after I hand-drafted the idea in my notebook.  Something new.  Wondering if this amount of attention to detail will become a habit.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the first full edit of The Last Ride - WC dropped from 94932 to 93641, a reduction of 1291 words.
I love the way the story is turning out, but have a lot more work to do.
... 
Now a return to the purgatory of blurb writing/editing and the cover.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Now a return to the purgatory of blurb writing/editing and the cover.


Ah...but you do it so well.


----------



## Taylor

600 words today.  Almost done with Chapter four.


----------



## indianroads

Today I got the front and back covers of The Last Ride squared away, and the blurb is ready to go... but I'll probably fiddle with it some more between now and publishing day.


----------



## Taylor

Sooo pleased with myself!  After spending most of the day prepping for a new course I'm teaching tomorrow, I pulled out my MS and wrote 450 words to complete Chapter Four.  I wanted to get caught up on my writing goal of at least two chapters a month.  

I'm inspired by those on this site who are more prolific than me. You know who you are!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Sooo pleased with myself!  After spending most of the day prepping for a new course I'm teaching tomorrow, I pulled out my MS and wrote 450 words to complete Chapter Four.  I wanted to get caught up on my writing goal of at least two chapters a month.
> 
> I'm inspired by those on this site who are more prolific than me. You know who you are!


I'll take quality over quantity any time.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I'll take quality over quantity any time.


But some people have quantity _and_ quality...not mentioning names...lol!


----------



## PrairieHostage

This morning I revised for 3 hours on my short based on input from one of my beta readers. 

Then I read three books I have on the go and... 

Tonight I got first beta input on my novel. It was:
_You did a great job of bringing the story and characters to life. Your writing is descriptive and you know how to pull emotions out of the reader. I teared up when XXX died and was on the edge of my seat when the wolf led MC to the cave. I also like how you brought current events into the story... the 2018 fires, covid, legalization of cannabis, Xbox, Halo...and you did your research on Cali geography, naming counties, valleys, rivers, etc._ 

I'm on tenterhooks to get the eval from my guild. She'll speak to publish-ability. Any day now.


----------



## VRanger

Over the weekend PiP finished up a couple of scenes left hanging for a while, and discussed both in PMs and phone conversation a sequence of events for obtaining English horses (hunters) for our main characters. Once agreed on that, I went back in this evening and made changes or additions to four scenes to get that added to the story.

There are a couple of other incidentals in the plot we've never added, we believe because they've been planned so heavily before and during writing the novel, @PiP and I can't believe we know about them and the characters still don't. _Aren't they paying attention?!_

I started a new page in our Plottr notes tab to keep track of anything we think of we need to go back and address. These are things that don't need scenes of their own, just a casual mention in a few lines of dialogue here and there.

We have written several more scenes since I last posted and are now at 47K.


----------



## indianroads

MA training in the morning, ran some errands, came back and fiddled with the blurb, then couldn't help myself and edited CH 1 of the Last Ride and dropped the WC by 81. 
Tonight I be at a writers guild meeting... actually I gotta leave in about 20 minutes.


----------



## VRanger

Good stuff happened today. @PiP began Chapter 13 with the first part of the scene where the FMC's (Julia) parents arrive at the MMC's Costwold estate and can't believe it's something he bought. She's playing it up for comedy value and probably halfway through the scene. She's at 700 words so far.

I started a scene which was supposed to introduce a new character and instead got off into a dialogue scene between the MMC (Cal) and his mega-wealthy best friend. It went to 700 words. Later on, I wrote the scene I meant to write in the first place, which came in at 1100 words. The "accidental scene" still has plenty of value, as it sets up a plot point and associated scene coming up soon.

I also added to a couple of earlier scenes to provide the underpinnings for our big "town barbecue" that we've known about all along, but the silly characters never mentioned.

The scene I STARTED to write contained information I hadn't yet figured out, so I used my "sneaking up on it" technique, which means that I wrote the action and the dialogue right up to the part I hadn't figured out yet. The tricky part came to me by the time the scene needed it. Thank goodness. And what I came up with on the spur of the moment made a LOT more sense than anything I'd thought of over the last few days ... one reason I dreaded the scene. I needed both a reason for a new character to be where he was, AND a plan to proceed with solving the mystery. Until tonight ... I had nothing.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> The scene I STARTED to write contained information I hadn't yet figured out, so I used my "sneaking up on it" technique, which means that I wrote the action and the dialogue right up to the part I hadn't figured out yet. The tricky part came to me by the time the scene needed it. Thank goodness. And what I came up with on the spur of the moment made a LOT more sense than anything I'd thought of over the last few days ... one reason I dreaded the scene. I needed both a reason for a new character to be where he was, AND a plan to proceed with solving the mystery. Until tonight ... I had nothing.


Looking forward to reading this


----------



## Ajoy

I finally finished drafting chapter 10 of my WIP last night. It came in a bit on the shorter side at 2300 words. I'm still working at the one chapter per week rate. I'd love to increase it to two per week, but that's just not happening. Oh, well.


----------



## Taylor

Ajoy said:


> I finally finished drafting chapter 10 of my WIP last night. It came in a bit on the shorter side at 2300 words. I'm still working at the one chapter per week rate. I'd love to increase it to two per week, but that's just not happening. Oh, well.


Creativity takes time.  That's a pretty good rate...I'd be happy with that!


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> Creativity takes time.  That's a pretty good rate...I'd be happy with that!


Very true. And I find that I have to really be able to 'see' the scene/chapter I'm about to write before I can get going. Sometimes, once I get started, I can roll into unplanned territory, but it takes being in that mindset first. I struggle to shift between 'manager and teacher of unruly pre-teens with cell phones' and 'writer'....Even if I am currently writing backstory for my WIP as the model short story for my students.


----------



## Taylor

Woke up with a spring in my step today...knowing I had the entire day to write.  However, after three full days in a classroom giving a financial management workshop, I was a little brain dead. But after a few cups of coffee, I managed to write 550 words.  I still find it hard to write more than one scene in a sitting.  Looking for tricks to build my capacity.


----------



## VRanger

In PL1, the Tahoe concert kept getting pushed back ... and back ... and back ... but it was because we had a lot of character interaction which needed to happen first.

In PL2, the big barbecue for neighbors, friends, and people from the local village has been pushed back a few chapters, but mostly because we're going by a real calendar and had days we didn't want to waste, since we have a calendar deadline for the last chapter to meet, and plenty of events to squeeze into that time.

We've FINALLY written all but the last scene for the day before the barbecue. @PiP did the heavy lifting in Chapter 13, including the upcoming last scene where the ladies of the novel bamboozle two of the bad guys. It should be fun. She just did a fantastic job on Julia's (the FMC) parents coming to Pratewood and not understanding Cal (the MMC) had bought this entire estate with a manor house on the order of a typical English Stately Home. I did a scene where there are complaints about the stuffy, unfriendly, bossy housekeeper, and played it up for laughs when the groundskeeper, recovering from being drugged by the bad guys, comes to her defense ... then supported by Cal.

Tonight I decided to forego writing to draw a floorplan for the ground floor of Pratewood Hall. It will help us envision future scenes in the manor house, and will be essential when I plan the bedroom crawl. The second floor is coming next ... or should I say the "first floor". In England, the first floor is what we in the USA would call the second floor, since our first floor is their ground floor. I just did a rough sketch, loosely to scale, in Paint. We might as well publish the floorplans in the novel, but before that happens, I'll pay my General Contractor friend to do a professional floorplan to exact scale in AutoCad.

We've passed the 52K word mark now ... more than halfway home.  

Legend:
Purple circles are circular staircases.
Light blue lines are door or openings.
Gold lines are hidden doors.
Gray lines are fireplaces with chimneys.


----------



## indianroads

Six chapters in on the second edit of The Last Ride - WC reduced by 425.
Timeline issues in chapters 3 & 4 - they just need to be swapped, shouldn't be too much trouble when I tackle it later.
It's slow going, but I'm making progress.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> We've FINALLY written all but the last scene for the day before the barbecue. @PiP did the heavy lifting in Chapter 13, including the upcoming last scene where the ladies of the novel bamboozle two of the bad guys. It should be fun.


It should be fun but I've not perfected my Soooouthern drawl ... and I am still working on some ideas on how to use bazookas to bamboozle. Men are sooo easily distracted it shouldn't be hard LoL



VRanger said:


> I did a scene where there are complaints about the stuffy, unfriendly, bossy housekeeper, and played it up for laughs when the groundskeeper, recovering from being drugged by the bad guys, comes to her defense ... then supported by Cal.


That was funny 


VRanger said:


> Tonight I decided to forego writing to draw a floorplan for the ground floor of Pratewood Hall.


And there's me thinking you were slacking!


VRanger said:


> It will help us envision future scenes in the manor house, and will be essential when I plan the bedroom crawl. The second floor is coming next ... or should I say the "first floor". In England, the first floor is what we in the USA would call the second floor, since our first floor is their ground floor. I just did a rough sketch, loosely to scale, in Paint. We might as well publish the floorplans in the novel, but before that happens, I'll pay my General Contractor friend to do a professional floorplan to exact scale in AutoCad.



Please talk amongst yourselves for a mo while I get my bearings ... I am confused ... is this a plan of the 1st floor or the ground floor. Bedrooms are on the first floor and the second floor is the attic. ALSO there are no bathrooms and only one WC  I think you already had your mind on that bedroom crawl, Jim LoL sorry to tease ...


VRanger said:


> We've passed the 52K word mark now ... more than halfway home.


Yay!!! only about 30k to go before we start on book 3


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> In PL1, the Tahoe concert kept getting pushed back ... and back ... and back ... but it was because we had a lot of character interaction which needed to happen first.
> 
> In PL2, the big barbecue for neighbors, friends, and people from the local village has been pushed back a few chapters, but mostly because we're going by a real calendar and had days we didn't want to waste, since we have a calendar deadline for the last chapter to meet, and plenty of events to squeeze into that time.
> 
> We've FINALLY written all but the last scene for the day before the barbecue. @PiP did the heavy lifting in Chapter 13, including the upcoming last scene where the ladies of the novel bamboozle two of the bad guys. It should be fun. She just did a fantastic job on Julia's (the FMC) parents coming to Pratewood and not understanding Cal (the MMC) had bought this entire estate with a manor house on the order of a typical English Stately Home. I did a scene where there are complaints about the stuffy, unfriendly, bossy housekeeper, and played it up for laughs when the groundskeeper, recovering from being drugged by the bad guys, comes to her defense ... then supported by Cal.
> 
> Tonight I decided to forego writing to draw a floorplan for the ground floor of Pratewood Hall. It will help us envision future scenes in the manor house, and will be essential when I plan the bedroom crawl. The second floor is coming next ... or should I say the "first floor". In England, the first floor is what we in the USA would call the second floor, since our first floor is their ground floor. I just did a rough sketch, loosely to scale, in Paint. We might as well publish the floorplans in the novel, but before that happens, I'll pay my General Contractor friend to do a professional floorplan to exact scale in AutoCad.
> 
> We've passed the 52K word mark now ... more than halfway home.
> 
> Legend:
> Purple circles are circular staircases.
> Light blue lines are door or openings.
> Gold lines are hidden doors.
> Gray lines are fireplaces with chimneys.


I just love this plotline of Cal's acquisition.  This will hit home with so many readers who have dreamed of owning such a place.  

I noticed the detail of the Water  Closet. I restored an old English-style house, that was the principal's home of the first school built in Kerrisdale. WCs only. And I can totally imagine the entrance with the grand double staircase. Can it have a circular rent table for Julia to arrange flowers?


----------



## VRanger

Well, I caught hell for having bedrooms on the Ground Floor, so here is Pratewood Hall, Ground Floor, v3 (the upload last night was already v2).


----------



## PiP

You can have some bedrooms on the ground floor. The joys of designing a house so we don't lose the plot ...

I was more concerned with the bathroom arrangements and lack of den


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> You can have some bedrooms on the ground floor. The joys of designing a house so we don't lose the plot ...


SLOWLY I turned ... step by step, inch by inch, I crept up ...


----------



## VRanger

Tonight @PiP started the first rough draft of "the ladies bamboozling the bad guys in the pub". Looking Good.  I read the "Parent's arrive at Pratewood" scene to @D. L. Keur on the phone, and Dawn laughed loudly and often. Either that's a good sign, or Dawn has as twisted a sense of humor as PiP and I do.

I promised PiP I'd do the 1st Floor plan (2nd Floor to us Americans) tonight. Slight hitch. I thought it a good idea to first translate my rough in Paint to Fireworks (the old Macromedia alternative to Photo Shop). That took a while. Then, Dawn looks at it and suggests the Solarium is out of place on the north side of the house.

Details, details.

Sigh.

So we discussed some alternatives to salvage the entire floorplan.

First, this is England. That's where Merlin lived his life backwards through time. Maybe the sun could also go backwards. Betty and Dawn voted this contrivance down. Right off the island.

Okay, let's just change the whole damned setting from England to New Zealand. A moment of shocked silence from Dawn preceded a laugh. A big laugh. Possibly not because she thought the idea was that funny. I'd rather think I'm being laughed with than at ...

Arc Lights on poles? Big mirrors in the Tea Garden? Each suggestion seemed more pathetic.

So ... I could just flip the East and West labels and change two sentences in the manuscript. One reference to the East Wing becomes the West Wing, and one reference to the NW corner of the property becomes the SE corner of the property. I had my heart set on Pratewood being north of the E-W road, but I understand the reader's suspension of disbelief can only stretch so far. I'm sure PiP would have nailed me on this if she hadn't been so fixated on my bedrooms on the Ground Floor.

I did propose explaining it in dialogue. Julia: "What the hell is the Solarium doing on the NORTH side of this place. It's a slam dunk Christopher Wren had nothing to do with THAT fiasco!"


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> I promised PiP I'd do the 1st Floor plan (2nd Floor to us Americans) tonight. Slight hitch. I thought it a good idea to first translate my rough in Paint to Fireworks (the old Macromedia alternative to Photo Shop). That took a while. Then, Dawn looks at it and suggests the Solarium is out of place on the north side of the house.
> 
> Details, details.
> 
> Sigh.



I am relieved I have an alli. She was brave. Very brave.



VRanger said:


> So ... I could just flip the East and West labels and change two sentences in the manuscript. One reference to the East Wing becomes the West Wing, and one reference to the NW corner of the property becomes the SE corner of the property. I had my heart set on Pratewood being north of the E-W road, but I understand the reader's suspension of disbelief can only stretch so far. I'm sure PiP would have nailed me on this if she hadn't been so fixated on my bedrooms on the Ground Floor.


I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you don't need a breakfast room ... especially a long skinny one facing west. It's better to have the kitchen as a big open area like an American kitchen. The kitchen is the hub with a nice big range to cosy round. A huge oak refractory table in the middle and much to Mrs. A's annoyance this is where Julia loves to take breakfast rather than in the dining room.
I'm also curious how Mrs. A gets from the Kitchen to the Hall. _ducks ETA: Entrance hall - unless there are hidden corridors for staff access only_





I'm not surprised poor Jim became so engrossed with the plans while twiddling his thumbs. I write slowly ... layer by layer like painting a picture. I have completed the second layer and now working on the third and final to add atmosphere etc. before I let Jim loose.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> I am relieved I have an alli. She was brave. Very brave.


Nope. Dawn's quite content to give me hell on any point at her smallest whim! (Gentlemen are at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to feminine abuse!)


PiP said:


> I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you don't need a breakfast room ... especially a long skinny one facing west. It's better to have the kitchen as a big open area like an American kitchen. The kitchen is the hub with a nice big range to cosy round. A huge oak refractory table in the middle and much to Mrs. A's annoyance this is where Julia loves to take breakfast rather than in the dining room.
> I'm also curious how Mrs. A gets from the Kitchen to the Hall. _ducks_


If we can get a wall in front of the b****'s forehead, that's me trying to satisfy everyone on these #### @@@@ floorplans! ;-) What hall?


PiP said:


> I'm not surprised poor Jim became so engrossed with the plans while twiddling his thumbs. I write slowly ... layer by layer like painting a picture. I have completed the second layer and now working on the third and final to add atmosphere etc. before I let Jim loose.


We just need the Poet Lariat series to become as popular as Harry Potter so I can build this place one day. Should I add a Wizard's Classroom on the First Floor?


----------



## PiP

Phew! Finally finished the pub scene. Now I can relax.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Hall = Dining Hall, Audience Hall, Great Hall.  'Passageway' or 'corridor' might be something co-authors who live 'across the pond' from one another might settle on?  Last night, I was going to mention that a 'hall' in my limited time there did not mean a walkway between rooms.  In fact, I don't remember corridors except upstairs.  First floor rooms led one to the next, no 'hallways'.  There were passageways for staff--narrow.  There were hidden very narrow stairways that had hidden entrances--push to unlatch doors that had no handles that just looked like fine woodwork insets ...but they had a reason for being there--staff access to upstairs from the work areas which were all below stairs, down on the ground and, in one beautiful place almost a half-basement, half-above the ground, half below on the bottom-most floor.  The kitchen in that particular structure had two kitchens, plus a place where dishes were washed, again a separate room.  And these really handy ...I don't know really what one calls them--mini-elevators that went from somewhere down under to somewhere where the staff came out of to serve.  And of course, me being an early riser, would go exploring where I wasn't supposed to.  Finally, I think in disgust, one of the men with the haughty attitude took me through nooks and crannies.  It took him a while, but I finally got him to break a very small smile.  Anyway, it was fun about the Solarium last night, @VRanger and @PiP  .  You see, I would have NEVER seen the drawings except that @VRanger  insisted I run down the post in this thread and look.  He could have gotten away with it if he hadn't insisted I look, and if he hadn't indicated East and West on his drawing.    And, BTW @VRanger, I said I was going to keep all of that under my hat.  You spilled the beans on yourself!  Now it's open season!


----------



## indianroads

Busy day yesterday - MA training, then a private lesson with 2 4th degrees to dial their poomse in for an upcoming competition.

I took a ride on the Springfield to clear my head, then went back to work on the Last Ride. The current edit (#2) is moving slowly as there is so much going on - three plot lines are in motion - the novel moves forward (present to future) as the two MC's recall their lives backward (past to present), and they all merge when the characters arrive at their destination. It's flowing smoothly - which is my main task when dealing with this level of complexity. At the same time though, I'm making their Guides a bit more obvious - Guides are people that repeatedly appear along the road as they travel that will steer and help them reach their destination. They seem ominous at first, but are there to help.

The edit is creeping along. I'm nine chapters deep and have reduced the WC by 567.

The wife and I watched The Notebook on television last night - it's the comp I'm using for this book. I must admit that when I read this book years ago I didn't like it. In particular, I felt that Allie was borderline abusive with the way she treated the men in her life, and so was reluctant to use it as a comp. I enjoyed the movie though, and think it will work.
I was considering using The Fault in Our Stars, which is a YA novel - with MUCH better writing (took my breath away) - The Notebook fits better though.

The Springfield.


----------



## D. L. Keur

indianroads said:


> The Springfield.
> 
> View attachment 28473


NICE!!!!

As to the editing, "Day in the Life".  Same with the MA.  Hugs.


----------



## Taylor

1000 words to finish Chapter Five.  

I somehow managed to write a flashback within a flashback.  I can't recall ever seeing that before.  There must be a rule about that somewhere...lol!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> 1000 words to finish Chapter Five.
> 
> I somehow managed to write a flashback within a flashback.  I'm can't recall ever seeing that before.  There must be a rule about that somewhere...lol!


Rules are meant to be broken.


----------



## indianroads

Got through chapter 12 of The Last Ride today, 697 words removed so far. The project is going well.


----------



## D. L. Keur

VRanger said:


> Nope. Dawn's quite content to give me hell on any point at her smallest whim! (Gentlemen are at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to feminine abuse!)


Actually, I've stayed mum on quite a few things.  And will remain that way. [smirk]


----------



## indianroads

D. L. Keur said:


> Actually, I've stayed mum on quite a few things.  And will remain that way. [smirk]


Wait... what? Where's the fun in that?


----------



## D. L. Keur

indianroads said:


> Wait... what? Where's the fun in that?


One doesn't provoke sleeping dragons.


----------



## PiP

D. L. Keur said:


> Actually, I've stayed mum on quite a few things.  And will remain that way. [smirk]


probably wise


indianroads said:


> Wait... what? Where's the fun in that?


...survival instinct.
Yesterday, I finally finished painting with words. I then stood back and watched @VRanger use his scalpel on a few clunky sentences, add missing commas and then apply brushstrokes of further colour. It never ceases to amaze me how that third eye can make such a difference to a scene I've agonised over for days.


----------



## VRanger

As @PiP mentioned above, she finished her pub scene where the ladies of the band recognize two bad guys and scam them to their advantage, then we started Chapter 14 ... finally getting to the day of the big barbecue for friends, neighbors, and the local village residents. I started it off with a scene where Cal questions Jake and the Estate Agent about how he got such a good deal on Pratewood, and then PiP launched into a scene with Julia's friends arriving from London.

As a result of the E-W flipping and now having a defined set of floorplans (I finished the first floor with the bedrooms last night), I went back and changed a few earlier scenes to make mentions of the Manor and grounds match the layout and orientation.

We're now at 55K words and rolling right along.


----------



## indianroads

D. L. Keur said:


> One doesn't provoke sleeping dragons.


Yet, if it ever became possible I’d love to train with you guys.


----------



## D. L. Keur

redacted to PM


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I started this afternoon with a phone call, both of us looking at the first floor of Pratewood Hall ... discussing and deciding where Cal and Julia and all their various guests would room. More than playing dollhouse ;-), the goal of our exercise involved figuring out starting positions for various characters prior to the beginning of the bedroom crawl. We then proceeded to decide whom would encounter whom during the course of that series of scenes. Now I have to decide WHERE each encounter takes place, how they get there, and a schedule of who goes where when.

There is a married couple who will NOT wind up participating in the "Where were you when the lights went out" activities of the crawl, but I'm toying with the idea of them wandering around as a PoV and "bumping into" other couples _en flagrante delicto_. Will they become more and more shocked? Disgusted? Blase? Turned on? Will they interrupt and frustrate some liaisons? Learn useful secrets? Pick up techniques? Stay tuned for more exciting details. ;-)

Then PiP moved on to continuing a scene she got a brief start on yesterday, where Julia's friends show up the morning of the big barbecue, and finished it. We had the odd experience of simultaneously writing two different scenes at the same time in the same document ... I kicked off the barbecue activities.

I also did a bit of Google image searching and came up with images for many of our characters, and applied them to the character sketches in Plottr, plus reorganized our growing cast of characters into a more detailed set of categories so they're easier to find when we need to reference them ... just locating one to remember a name has been a big find some days. 

Gotta say, Plottr is REALLY greasing the wheels of getting this novel done.


----------



## indianroads

Only two chapters of The Last Ride edited today. 14 chapters down so far, and 15 to go. WC is down by 789 so far. 
I'm making progress.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> Only two chapters of The Last Ride edited today. 14 chapters down so far, and 15 to go. WC is down by 789 so far.
> I'm making progress.


Nice bike! You certainly are making progress on writing. 

After my two shorts, I'm still on tenterhooks, waiting for my guild evaluation. Any day now. 

I joined two _Shut Up and Write_ groups on meetup.com, one based in a prairie city not far from mine and the other in San Francisco. These groups keep me writing while I wait. I'm beginning to think about two characters in my WIP I'd like to write as MC's in their own novel. I think for quite a while before putting pen to paper. Then it all pours out, that's my process. 

This time I'm going to write a detailed outline with scenes and make the story suspenseful. In my WIP, Gabe is an innocent kid, descendant of Chilean immigrants who works on a vineyard. He unwittingly solves a murder, but it's not the main focus of the story. His friend David (GQ) works on his family's marijuana farms in the Emerald Triangle. I'd like there to be a more sinister crime which Gabe, GQ and Pete need to solve. Then I was thinking a third novel with Pete as main, but that's still formulating in the old noggin'.


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> Nice bike! You certainly are making progress on writing.
> 
> After my two shorts, I'm still on tenterhooks, waiting for my guild evaluation. Any day now.
> 
> I joined two _Shut Up and Write_ groups on meetup.com, one based in a prairie city not far from mine and the other in San Francisco. These groups keep me writing while I wait. I'm beginning to think about two characters in my WIP I'd like to write as MC's in their own novel. I think for quite a while before putting pen to paper. Then it all pours out, that's my process.
> 
> This time I'm going to write a detailed outline with scenes and make the story suspenseful. In my WIP, Gabe is an innocent kid, descendant of Chilean immigrants who works on a vineyard. He unwittingly solves a murder, but it's not the main focus of the story. His friend David (GQ) works on his family's marijuana farms in the Emerald Triangle. I'd like there to be a more sinister crime which Gabe, GQ and Pete need to solve. Then I was thinking a third novel with Pete as main, but that's still formulating in the old noggin'.


That sounds great - good progress being made.
My local writers guild puts on an event called Write Drink, Edit Sober - no one drinks though. What happens is the moderator puts forth a premise, and we have five minutes to write about it - no one pays attention to grammar, spelling, or anything other than getting words written. Afterward, we read what we've jotted down - again though there's no critique, instead people suggest other ways the writer could have gone. It's a good way to get your creative juices going.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> My local writers guild puts on an event called Write Drink, Edit Sober


LOL that's a good title of your guild's write-in.
I just minutes ago discovered my guild offers same thing. Ours is called Penned Up. (I may drink)


----------



## indianroads

Worked out alone for 2 hours in the training hall this morning, then came home and edited another 3 chapters in The Last Ride. Word count reduction after editing 17 chapters is 1,011. 
Feeling enthused, the process is going well.


----------



## Taylor

The inevitable happened today.  I opened up a word doc, typed Chapter Six, and stared at it for an hour.  Then...I remembered the same thing occurred for Book 1.  And when it did, I stopped the drafting and spent a week, researching and working on plot.      Because it's at Chapter six that all the main characters and settings have been introduced and now, I need to roll in the beats.     

So for the next few days, I may not be bragging about word count.  Let the games begin!!


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> The inevitable happened today.  I opened up a word doc, typed Chapter Six, and stared at it for an hour.  Then...I remembered the same thing occurred for Book 1.  And when it did, I stopped the drafting and spent a week, researching and working on plot.      Because it's at Chapter six that all the main characters and settings have been introduced and now, I need to roll in the beats.
> 
> So for the next few days, I may not be bragging about word count.  Let the games begin!!


 It makes a lot of sense to go into research and plotting mode for a little while when that happens. I seem to have a similar problem with the scenes that approach the climax because I can never see them clearly enough until I'm much closer. All that said, I stare at my blank screen for a good hour before the words start to flow on most days. ; )


----------



## Ajoy

I drafted chapter 11 of my WIP over the weekend. If all goes according to plan, I should be at my midpoint in about 5 chapters. (I think the 26 chapters I originally planned will be closer to 30 when I actually write the scenes between the midpoint and climax.)


----------



## indianroads

I’m starting to research subject matter for the next project beyond The Last Ride. It should be a two novel SciFi series, tentatively titled Moonscape. The MC showed up in my imagination last night, he’s a rough character that will be fun to write.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> The inevitable happened today.  I opened up a word doc, typed Chapter Six, and stared at it for an hour.  Then...I remembered the same thing occurred for Book 1.  And when it did, I stopped the drafting and spent a week, researching and working on plot.      Because it's at Chapter six that all the main characters and settings have been introduced and now, I need to roll in the beats.
> 
> So for the next few days, I may not be bragging about word count.  Let the games begin!!


Yep, if you don't have a synopsis and that happens, write one. The synopsis doesn't force you write what's in it, but it's a steady source of ideas. Just this afternoon I wrote a scene where the first part was only tangentially connected to the "title" of the scene we'd mapped out, continued into a confrontation scene where I used a different character and a different conversation than what the outline called for, and the end of the scene came out of thin air. 

BUT ... I had an idea of something to start on and it gained momentum.


----------



## Taylor

This plotting thing is exhausting!   

Decided to deploy the same methodology I used last time.  I made a consecutive bullet point list of the relevant events that occurred in the real-life timeframe.  Shrunk it down to one page and then placed it in a plastic sleeve, to protect it from coffee, tea, wine, tears, etc.   The first thing it reveals is where I need time jumps, so I can start to build those in.  The other function of the list is as I research each point, I get ideas about vehicles to deliver the info.  If it's a conversation who is it with?  Is it playful or serious?  Two people or an event?   For me, it's the most creative part of writing, coming up with a good variety of scene types.

I was inspired by @indianroads while reading his latest release, _Inception._   He's a master at creative scene building.

So...Chapter Six, no longer looks like a blank page to me anymore, although technically it still is, I now can see the action, as James Joyce says, “Shut your eyes and see."   I imagine an argument with a university student and her father when she comes home for semester break.   She discusses her economics paper, while making a case for why Milton Friedman's promotion of the "invisible hand" is unethical because it enables stock-market greed, unethical business practices, and squelches social justice. Of course, her dad is a wealthy tycoon who made his money on Wall Street and real estate.  The same money that pays for her education at one of the top universities in Canada.  Fertile ground for context, backstory, and foreshadowing.  THIS will be fun!!!


----------



## VRanger

Today @PiP worked on polishing up her scene at the barbecue, and I moved ahead to Chapter 15. In a series of scenes ranging from a morning conversation at Pratewood, a visit to an antique dealer, a one-sided PoV of a phone call for the bad guy, lunch followed by Cal and Julia leaving on their afternoon ride, realization back at the manor that some danger might be pending for Cal and Julia, the start of bad guys chasing them on horseback, a short scene break back to the Manor to build tension, and back to the chase ... in a building blizzard ... I wound up with 3600 words.

I relied on a wonderful piece of instruction @D. L. Keur wrote for me on horseback riding, saddles, and jumping, plus PiP's on the spot adjustments as soon as I wrote some riding action. Both ladies have lots of riding experience. I have MANY HOURS of riding experience ... all watching movie and TV westerns. Good thing the ladies were here to keep my scenes real!

Tonight I did more development of the bedroom crawl chapter, which comes next. PiP and I had consulted on the phone about which character would wind up with whom. Tonight I made some notes for each couple about why they left their bedroom, where they were headed for, who they met on the way, and how they wind up with more action than they bargain for ... at least for some of them. Some wind up with _exactly _the action they look for. I've got to be honest ... I'm a bit embarrassed about contemplating writing a sequence of debauchery on this scale. Very few people in the place are going to come out looking like angels. LOL

Then there are the plot questions I must answer:
When they leave their rooms, why do they take the routes they follow?
Why are these people so willing to "fall in" with relative strangers for illicit fun? (Okay, maybe that's a stupid and unnecessary question).
Let's try another one. The blizzard has knocked out the power, but still: Why so little light? What happened to the fireplaces, cell phone flashlights, candles, lanterns?
Why are the two people who went after lanterns and candles so easily diverted from that task? (Okay, another stupid question).
What will my wandering PoV couple actually see, and why are they wandering around, and why do they KEEP wandering around?
What is the relationship fall-out the next day? Will anyone be able to look anyone else in the face at breakfast?

None of these questions are insoluble, but they do require enough thinking to provide scenarios which are on the one hand, exceptional, but on the other, reasonable. BUT ... that's writing. That's what we do. ;-)


----------



## indianroads

@Taylor :
_Decided to deploy the same methodology I used last time._

That's the best place to START, but take a look at your last project with an eye to what worked and what could be improved upon. Create a process of perpetual improvement, built upon what you know, and try something new in the rough spots.


----------



## indianroads

Edited three chapters of The Last Ride today - I'm through chapter 20 now, nine more to go. Total word count reduction is as 1174.
I'll have a batch of editing passes ahead of me due to the complexity of the plot. The big chunks are going into place on this pass, in the ones to come I'll nail down the smaller pieces. The story works well, and I'm pleased with it for the most part.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> @Taylor :
> _Decided to deploy the same methodology I used last time._
> 
> That's the best place to START, but take a look at your last project with an eye to what worked and what could be improved upon. Create a process of perpetual improvement, built upon what you know, and try something new in the rough spots.



I hear you!  Actually, it's quite subtle, but I did just that.  Deciding on a scene and picturing it in my mind before drafting it is new.  Ordinarily, I have to either scribble in my notebook or just start writing before I know what direction to take. Although I always know exactly where I'm going in other areas of my life.  Using your analogy in the editing post, I can't see myself aimlessly driving a motorcycle off to nowhere...lol!  

So...that is one of my goals to become more of a planner.  To see a series of scenes and draft an outline(synopsis) before writing.  It's GOT to be easier than this!!


----------



## D. L. Keur

Taylor said:


> ...picturing it in my mind before drafting....


This is how I write.  It plays like a movie in my head when I'm in the zone ...which is every time I start writing, and I simply type what I see, hear, feel, smell....


----------



## Taylor

D. L. Keur said:


> This is how I write.  It plays like a movie in my head when I'm in the zone ...which is every time I start writing, and I simply type what I see, hear, feel, smell....


Yes, that's what I do too when I'm like you say, "in the zone."  But can you write out a scene, outline or synopsis when you are not playing the movie in your head? That's the part I just can't seem to do...the high-level stuff with just plot points or scene outlines.   So every time I sit down to write I have to rely on getting to that living detail in my head.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I hear you!  Actually, it's quite subtle, but I did just that.  Deciding on a scene and picturing it in my mind before drafting it is new.  Ordinarily, I have to either scribble in my notebook or just start writing before I know what direction to take. Although I always know exactly where I'm going in other areas of my life.  Using your analogy in the editing post,* I can't see myself aimlessly driving a motorcycle off to nowhere...lol!*
> 
> So...that is one of my goals to become more of a planner.  To see a series of scenes and draft an outline(synopsis) before writing.  It's GOT to be easier than this!!


A lot of bikers do just that - these are mostly single men and women though - they leave their responsibilities at home and figure out where they're going on the way. Those sorts are often called _tumbleweeds_ or lone _wolves_. 
In Martial Arts, for @D. L. Keur : One of my Taekwondo seniors was a 5 time international form champion (George Chung), and he would often make up his form when he got out on the floor. He said he did this because there were variations in ring size. He was a great guy and a good friend.

Back to writing. 
In engineering we embrace the concept of _continual improvement_ - not just in products but in how we engineer them. That's where I got the idea for a postmortem.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yes, that's what I do too when I'm like you say, "in the zone."  But can you write out a scene, outline or synopsis when you are not playing the movie in your head? That's the part I just can't seem to do...the high-level stuff with just plot points or scene outlines.   So every time I sit down to write I have to rely on getting to that living detail in my head.


Practice. Practice. Practice.
I write out my plot as bullet points - believe it or not, a full page per chapter. Doing it that way keeps me on track - and away from wandering off into the weeds.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Practice. Practice. Practice.
> I write out my plot as bullet points - believe it or not, a full page per chapter. Doing it that way keeps me on track - and away from wandering off into the weeds.


I have tried...but I just can't seem to do this.  I have a few big ideas/themes that I know I want to hit on, but never know when or how I'll get there.  It's like I only have so much creativity in one sitting and to come up with that many ideas in short period of time...it's hard!  

But, I'll keep pushing myself to plan more as you do...because I believe it is more efficient.  I want to build capacity and this may be the answer. 

My son will tell you I'm a control freak so this unruly mindset when writing is totally off my general philosophy for life.


----------



## indianroads

@Taylor - I've probably mentioned this elsewhere, but no one takes up jogging and starts out by running marathons. Give yourself time. Be kind to yourself. Your process will come naturally in time.

I had to deal with some stuff at the dojang (TKD dojo) today and only edited two chapters. I finished the 2nd edit of chapter 22 of the Last Ride, total words removed now is 1324.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Taylor said:


> Yes, that's what I do too when I'm like you say, "in the zone."  But can you write out a scene, outline or synopsis when you are not playing the movie in your head? That's the part I just can't seem to do...the high-level stuff with just plot points or scene outlines.   So every time I sit down to write I have to rely on getting to that living detail in my head.


This isn't really the thread for this, but here goes:  In point of fact, I do write out my blurbs, synopses, and scene sketches in the zone, but, here's the actual process, step by step.

I'll get an inspiration for a story or a series.  It 'just happens'.  But the 'just happens' is catalyzed by a question--my question.  That question will be something like, 'what should I write next?'  Or, 'If I wanted to write a story that I liked with X and Y and Z parameters, what would happen, how would it play?'  And then, snap, something materializes in my wonderful brain.  I see images, I envision people, sometimes a title, though not with my mystery series, for some reason.  I know the end, and, from the end, can find the beginning, the characters erupt, full blown, and it's a matter of getting to a keyboard and starting to type it all down.  Then comes a pause, and I have to remember to 'ask the next question', which will then be to write out a blurb, then start asking more questions, and I'll jot down scene sketches at random as they formulate--possibilities.  Then I will often get a pretty good grasp of main or significant points.  From there, if it's a series, I start trying to herd some of the sketches into the general direction of when in the timeline they MIGHT appear (this changes).  This is about a three to five day process.  From there, picking up my blurb for the initial book, I then rough out a synopsis, dropping into the zone and letting my fingers just type as the story tells itself to me, again, mostly in visuals that, because I've done it so long, instantly translate into phrases of words in sentences that are actually coherent.  Finding WHO the story is about, or WHO is the MC was the biggest challenge in the Jessica Anderson K-9 Mysteries.  It came early in the morning as I was just hitting the porch to head out to the barn.  "It's the DOGS, Stupid!" brain yelled at I.  <-- note that: Yes, the brain (who's in charge) yelled at the I-self: me, to get the fuck out of the way and see the forest OF trees.  I know this probably won't help, but I do hope it does.  Bottom line is, maybe you're not trusting what we writers call the Muse (who knows what she's about, ie the brain).  Maybe what you need to do is to get the fuck out of the way and let it happen.  Trusting the Muse is tough, though, especially when you are used to maintaining control and calculating everything.  Hugs.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> Practice. Practice. Practice.
> I write out my plot as bullet points - believe it or not, a full page per chapter. Doing it that way keeps me on track - and away from wandering off into the weeds.





Taylor said:


> I have tried...but I just can't seem to do this.  I have a few big ideas/themes that I know I want to hit on, but never know when or how I'll get there.  It's like I only have so much creativity in one sitting and to come up with that many ideas in short period of time...it's hard!
> 
> But, I'll keep pushing myself to plan more as you do...because I believe it is more efficient.  I want to build capacity and this may be the answer.
> 
> My son will tell you I'm a control freak so this unruly mindset when writing is totally off my general philosophy for life.



I feel like I fall between you two in my plotting.  I have a paragraph or two for each chapter, so I always know what kinds of scenes  need to happen next , and what needs to happen in each of those scenes (who will be doing what and where they'll be doing it). Without more detailed plotting, though, I do have a stall between most chapters as I work to actually 'see' the scene play out in my mind like a @Taylor and @D. L. Keur mentioned.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Practice. Practice. Practice.


Those words always mean a lot to me, as they remind me of advice I gave my son on the afternoon of his wedding day. He mentioned they probably wanted to wait a couple of years before providing a grandchild. I told him that's fine, but in the meantime, "Practice. Practice. Practice."


----------



## VRanger

Today I didn't get any writing done myself, but @PiP wrote a lot to finish off her portion of the barbecue scene, and I did the follow-up edit. More than halfway through the second book, and I'm still a bit sensitive about that, but PiP pretty much always approves of the edits. We're lucky it works that way! And it's one of several things which makes PiP a wonderful writing partner. 

My other contributions for the day were to (a) consider some future plot points for the actual romance in this volume, which we need to get around to since it's a RomCom. We've only dropped pointed hints about it so far, and the romance NEEDS to start, since we're at least 60% into the novel by now. LOL Well, those two are about to have an intimate encounter anyway without much of the Romance story head start, but one of them _thinks _they have fooled the other as to who they are. This is one of only two parts of the bedroom crawl which have any lasting importance to the main plot.

We may need to go back and add a few passages re that plot line before we call this a wrap. We've scheduled a phone conference for tomorrow to discuss that subject.

(b) I finished putting all the bedroom crawl activities into their own Plottr outline, spacing the activities out along a timeline, then I (c) made copies of my two Pratewood floorplans and wrote in where each person was at each numbered position on the timeline. That made sure my movement flow didn't have any unintended collisions, and who followed who where made sense in terms of seeing or hearing other people and going to investigate.

I think I've solved my lighting problem by deciding that most people burned up their cell charges using their flashlights earlier, and the power came back on briefly, so people went to bed without seeking lanterns and candles. Then the power goes back out without the cells recharged. A few people DO have some cell power for the flashlights still, which is how some of them are spotted and followed. By the time the real action starts, they're not all that concerned about how much light is available, and in fact probably don't want it around. ;-)

We've now broken past 62K words.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> Today I didn't get any writing done myself, but @PiP wrote a lot to finish off her portion of the barbecue scene, and I did the follow-up edit. More than halfway through the second book, and I'm still a bit sensitive about that, but PiP pretty much always approves of the edits. We're lucky it works that way! And it's one of several things which make PiP a wonderful writing partner.



Hey, do you think Jim is buttering me up? LoL  I've not read the final edits this morning but my parting words to @VRanger last night about the practicalities and plotholes of the BBQ scene were ... think of your dog, Doris, with a bone. Doris is a lovely dog and she features in several scenes... Jim eagerly nods in agreement... my parting words I am like a dog with a bone. I bury the bone so I can dig it up later.





I had great fun writing the scenes including some foreshadowing ... I was in full flow at already around 1000 words and chuntering down the page picking up speed when Jim pops up to remind me I was already at 1000 words. Damn ... I had a moment when I realised I'd not got to the meat ... then followed a WTF? realisation. The party was in full swing, dancing singing the works including a lovey-dovey moment... then I noticed an edit...and a lost in translation moment . the party started at 11 o'clock and finished at 2.0clock. I was thinking 2 in the morning not two in the afternoon! There's more ... practical bits n' boobs probably only women would think of. 

I dreamt about the BBQ all last night. I tossed and turned ... you know ... the stuff nightmares are made of.

Seriously, I love watching Jim edit. My cursor trots along behind his as I observe how he changes a word here or there, restructures a sentence or adds some extra Southern colour etc. It's just a shame all the GD chat disappeared as my PC decided to perform an update overnight so refreshed the page. The convo was hilarious.


----------



## Taylor

D. L. Keur said:


> Maybe what you need to do is to get the fuck out of the way and let it happen.


Yep...works like a charm!  The Muse was out in full glory today.  800 words that I never _planned_ to write.

I'm reading Stephen King's, _Memoir of the Craft.  _His response to the statement, What writing is:  "Telepathy, of course."


----------



## PrairieHostage

D. L. Keur said:


> Maybe what you need to do is to get the fuck out of the way and let it happen. Trusting the Muse is tough, though, especially when you are used to maintaining control and calculating everything. Hugs.


I love this. So true. Author Helen Humphrey said same thing in an interview recently, half the battle is getting out of our own way. It's hard @Taylor because you work a lot of hours outside of your writing life AND you're a parent with a child at home. So cut yourself some slack and try to create a ritual like a bubble bath or walk before each writing sesh to switch gears.

I have some news. Today I received my manuscript eval through my guild. The author's input was everything I wanted and more. First of all, it's got legs. Booyah! I am deeply touched at the strengths she pointed out. This author is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author of ten books and her work has been published in 36 countries

In her summary, everything she experienced as a reader & suggested is incredibly helpful. Provides the compass I need for third draft. I'm beyond excited to begin work. She recommended I read Wired For Story and I'd just purchased that book two weeks ago whaaaat?

I'm actually really perked up because the last couple weeks have been hard waiting. February I did the two shorts but March has been dragging. No more!! Oh today I started a blog here to share my reviews of the books I'm reading.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> I love this. So true. Author Helen Humphrey said same thing in an interview recently, half the battle is getting out of our own way. It's hard @Taylor because you work a lot of hours outside of your writing life AND you're a parent with a child at home.


Actually, he lives on the other side of the country now.  But you're right about the hours outside of writing...working towards cutting that back.  


PrairieHostage said:


> So cut yourself some slack and try to create a ritual like a bubble bath or walk before each writing sesh to switch gears.


That's an interesting idea...I will try it!  


PrairieHostage said:


> I have some news. Today I received my manuscript eval through my guild. The author's input was everything I wanted and more. First of all, it's got legs. Booyah! I am deeply touched at the strengths she pointed out. This author is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author of ten books and her work has been published in 36 countries
> 
> In her summary, everything she experienced as a reader & suggested is incredibly helpful. Provides the compass I need for third draft. I'm beyond excited to begin work. She recommended I read Wired For Story and I'd just purchased that book two weeks ago whaaaat?
> 
> I'm actually really perked up because the last couple weeks have been hard waiting. February I did the two shorts but March has been dragging. No more!! Oh today I started a blog here to share my reviews of the books I'm reading.


Congrats on your big news...that's exciting!!   And I enjoyed your blog today...thanks for the read.  I'll be watching for the next one.


----------



## indianroads

More of the Last Ride chapters edited - I got through chapter 25 today (4 more to go), WC is down by 1544 so far.


----------



## PiP

chuntered off a 1000 words last night. Still got some minor edits before I sign it over to @VRanger for final edit. Unlike Jim, I write in layers. I start with the base coat then gradually add the colour. I get there eventually LoL . It's interesting that while I had the general outline Jim said I approached the scene in a different way than he expected ...

The joy tonight will be writing the bedroom crawl. I'm not sure. We will see. This will probably be X-rated so I'll probably be scraping off layers rather than adding


----------



## indianroads

Busy day again - Martial Art in the morning to early afternoon, then editing The Last Ride. I got through three more chapters today (only one more to go) - with a word reduction of 1688 so far.
This is the climax of the story, so past and present are wrapping about each other and managing the tenses are tricky.
I have a ton of work ahead, but I'm feeling good about how it's turning out.


----------



## Ajoy

Today I worked until 9pm, finalizing student grades for their quarter 3 (of 4, yay!) report cards. Much of that time was spent reading and (lightly) marking 24 first draft stories, probably averaging about 2K in length each. Some of the stories were just terrible...and a concerning statement about how much violence they're exposed to. Some were okay, and some...you would never know they were written by 12-year-olds. A few made me laugh and one even made me shed a couple of tears. I've paired off the stories in what I hope will be complementary writing partners so that they can start peer editing when they return to school. We just finished working through my model story (_cough_ backstory for my WIP _cough_), to hone their peer editing skills. 

Why is this a writing success? Because now I'm on Spring Break and I get extra writing time for a whole week! I'm hoping to get a couple of extra chapters written with my extra time...so hopefully, I'll be reporting back about more finished writing soon.


----------



## Lawless

Ajoy said:


> Some of the stories were just terrible...and a concerning statement about how much violence they're exposed to.


I remember when I was that age, me and my friends were simply afraid to be caught exposing genuine feelings and be laughed at, so we wrote in an obviously unserious manner, about gangsters and such, or something plain humorous.


----------



## indianroads

I finished the second edit of The Last Ride - and dropped out 1730 words, and am down 3021 from the original draft. I'd still like to drop a couple thousand more words out of it, but doubt I'll get there, the MS is at 91,911 now, which I think is fine for the romance genre. 
In other news... 
I was using The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks as my comp title (for the blurb), but may switch it to The Wish (by the same author) as it seems to fit better - both would work though, so I'm in a bit of a quandary. 
What's next...
Several chunks of character memories were out of order, so I'll have to shove that stuff around, then go back to hit it a sanity check, then run through another edit. No biggie though, this work will probably require 8-10 editing passes before I let anyone look at it.


----------



## VRanger

How about my writing failure today? LOL

Now, we all like to come on here and brag about the good things we've done in writing, and we should. It's important for us to feel positive about our writing, and I fully believe a positive attitude helps beget good writing which fires up more positive attitude ... it's a positive feedback loop.

Although I'd finished an extensive outline for the Bedroom Crawl and turned it into its own Plottr set, I wasn't convinced I'd met all my original goals. I had people moving from place to place and running into each other for "one thing led to another", but there were other things I wanted ... people expecting to find someone they never found and being frustrated by that ... and people finding someone other than whom they were looking for and winding up together with them. I had a lot of people wandering around in the dark and winding up with whomever they encountered. 

I considered what I could do to get more of my original idea flavor into the plotting, then flew some suggestions by @PiP and got her seal of approval, so I integrated them into the outline. From there I created scene and paragraph stubs in a Chapter document incorporating everything from the outline, with a few minor changes as I went. Pip and I will each wind up writing about half the chapter, each concentrating on encounters leaning more to our individual character orbits.

But, all that out of the way, I was tired and evidently burned out. I wrote a few paragraphs and they were deadly flat. It looked like I had written synopsis, not content. I can't remember the last time I wrote something that wretchedly dull. I stopped and decided to get a good night's sleep to recharge. I got some brighter ideas for those sections today, so I'm in the process of shining them up.


----------



## indianroads

@VRanger : To have an UP we have to have a DOWN. Take it in stride, (to borrow from Nietzsche) - struggling with prose makes you a better writer.


----------



## got2write

Finished 3rd revision of my WIP today! Now just need to spend a week fine tuning and then get it into the hands of a few beta readers! Getting close!


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday and today I've been working through the chapters of Last Ride, squaring away the character timelines and the spirit guides that are showing up to help them on their way. It's difficult for me because the character timelines go backwards then sync at chapter 22, then move forward to the incident that separated the couple thirty years ago. At the same time, I wanted the guides to be a bit more obvious, so I reduced their number from eight to four - that way they show up more often. I've also added the concept of the relationship between life and death with the rising and setting sun. I have another day's worth of work to get everything squared away, than I'll jump into the third edit. 

I wanted a challenge... and I got it.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My mega success today won't be very big to you. But it was huge to me. I've so dreaded the chore that I've put it off for months and months now. But today I finally managed to do what I should have done all along but just couldn't face it. Today I took three of my previously published essays and put the publishing information in the end notes sections of the chapters. This activity was the chore I expected it to be (I don't fit well with end notes) but at last, it is finally finished.  Now I can move on.


----------



## Ajoy

Well, I'm not at work today! I'm sitting on the couch writing, doing my re-read of chapter 12, which I wrote yesterday. I'm planning to write chapter 13 today and see how far I can push myself over this week off. In rereading my latest chapters, I had to laugh because I'd inadvertently made one of my FMCs obsessed with having pockets in her pants (because so many women's clothes have no pockets). 

Also, @indianroads, I'm starting back at Aikido/Jujitsu tomorrow after ten years (I was only a beginner back then). I know those aren't your specific disciplines, but I was excited to share nonetheless. 

I also called my favorite local equestrian instructor to set up weekly lessons for myself and my six-year-old daughter this summer. I rode all disciplines, trained horses, and gave student lessons for years myself, but sold my last horse four years ago, making me horseless for the first time in 25 years... I've really been missing it lately and hope some saddle time will help me get my horse fix.  

Okay, those last parts weren't specifically writing successes, but I'm going to claim they count because life experiences are good writing fuel.


----------



## indianroads

Ajoy said:


> Well, I'm not at work today! I'm sitting on the couch writing, doing my re-read of chapter 12, which I wrote yesterday. I'm planning to write chapter 13 today and see how far I can push myself over this week off. In rereading my latest chapters, I had to laugh because I'd inadvertently made one of my FMCs obsessed with having pockets in her pants (because so many women's clothes have no pockets).
> 
> Also, @indianroads, I'm starting back at Aikido/Jujitsu tomorrow after ten years (I was only a beginner back then). I know those aren't your specific disciplines, but I was excited to share nonetheless.
> 
> I also called my favorite local equestrian instructor to set up weekly lessons for myself and my six-year-old daughter this summer. I rode all disciplines, trained horses, and gave student lessons for years myself, but sold my last horse four years ago, making me horseless for the first time in 25 years... I've really been missing it lately and hope some saddle time will help me get my horse fix.
> 
> Okay, those last parts weren't specifically writing successes, but I'm going to claim they count because life experiences are good writing fuel.


I guess someone thought that women wouldn't like wearing lumpy pants.

Congratulations on getting back in the martial arts. I've studied a Korean version of Jujitsu called Hapkido; that kind of thing is very effective for self defense. As a writer, it's good to get as many experiences under your belt as possible. Enjoy your training.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> I guess someone thought that women wouldn't like wearing lumpy pants.


I mostly wear dresses myself, but give me a skirt or dress with good pockets, and .



indianroads said:


> Congratulations on getting back in the martial arts. I've studied a Korean version of Jujitsu called Hapkido; that kind of thing is very effective for self defense.


The dojo I'm going to also has a women's self-defense class, but I really enjoyed Aikido and Jiujitsu. If I can pull off the one day a week for a while, I might check that class out as well.


----------



## indianroads

Training clears my mind and it provides a social outlet. I've met a lot of good people while training. 
Like writing, there's a great depth to what you learn, it goes far beyond basic technique. Even in the mechanics though, the are subtleties that take a life time to master.
Aside from that, learning a martial art give you something more that you can add to your writing - if there is a conflict, you'll know how to accurately describe it.


----------



## Ajoy

indianroads said:


> Training clears my mind and it provides a social outlet. I've met a lot of good people while training.
> Like writing, there's a great depth to what you learn, it goes far beyond basic technique. Even in the mechanics though, the are subtleties that take a life time to master.
> Aside from that, learning a martial art give you something more that you can add to your writing - if there is a conflict, you'll know how to accurately describe it.


I actually started martial arts to better understand how to describe physical conflicts in my writing the first time and then fell in love with it. (Life just got complicated for a while and something had to give). Interestingly, I purchased a .22 handgun and learned to shoot it at a range for the same reason...but it's mostly sat in a safe otherwise. 

Now I'm moving into a situation with a character who is a very proficient hunter and survivalist--something I know nothing about...so I am researching that, but hope to have some conversations with some of the people I know who are into hunting and subsistence living (it's big here in Alaska, so there are many friends and acquaintances who could give good insight).


----------



## Ajoy

One more success before I head off to write chapter 13: The vague future events of my plot outline are becoming less vague as my mind is finally making the needed connections to fill in those missing event details. My notes look like a hot mess, but they're just bursting with previously missing information and key plot/character events. So happy!


----------



## indianroads

I completed the third edit of The Last Ride today. It was a streamlining pass to assure the character timelines run in the right order and to eliminate extraneous characters.
WC only dropped by 14, but the story is in better shape now.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP has started on scenes in the Chapter following the Bedroom Crawl while I fleshed out (ha ha) those details. I managed to rewrite the paragraphs I thought were dull, in one of the few times you'll see me rewrite anything, and continued on to do the first steps of the encounter between the strait-laced housekeeper and the former Army Ranger security guy. The scene got a laugh from Dawn and a smiley from PiP, so I must have improved on my original writing for the chapter. LOL

While the entire concept is pretty naughty ... 14 people are having encounters and two more are spying on them ... I'll leave any real naughtiness to the reader's imagination.


----------



## PrairieHostage

This weekend I started reading Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron and a recently published young adult novel, All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (similar episodic structure and theme to my WIP)

Soon I'll be tackling revisions to my novel, but I will read and think for several days (weeks) before starting the rewrite. It's sometimes an anxious period because I want to dive in and write. But I can't cut corners, I want to allow myself time to think choices through because for every issue I want to tackle, there could be more than one way to strengthen. So for now, I'll count reading as success.


----------



## Ajoy

I wrote chapter 13 today and it was a 3K word chapter. Everything is just flowing so well right now!


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> @PiP has started on scenes in the Chapter following the Bedroom Crawl while I fleshed out (ha ha) those details.  <snip>
> 
> While the entire concept is pretty naughty ... 14 people are having encounters and two more are spying on them ... I'll leave any real naughtiness to the reader's imagination.


IT begs the question... how much is show as opposed to tell ...
"Have you got a spare torch in your trouser pocket, Jesse?"
"No, Ma'am."


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> IT begs the question... how much is show as opposed to tell ...
> "Have you got a spare torch in your trouser pocket, Jesse?"
> "No, Ma'am."


"Yes, Ma'am, but I'm _also _happy to see you."


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> "Yes, Ma'am, but I'm _also _happy to see you."


Dang... you beat me to it.


----------



## Ajoy

I just finished chapter 14 today! I'll reread and color code it later, and maybe...get a start on 15 tonight so I'm already running when I start tomorrow. We'll see... I have my first Aikido/Jujitsu class tonight!


----------



## Taylor

Ajoy said:


> I just finished chapter 14 today! I'll reread and color code it later, and maybe...get a start on 15 tonight so I'm already running when I start tomorrow. We'll see... I have my first Aikido/Jujitsu class tonight!


Dang...you're good when the kiddos are on Spring Break!


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> Dang...you're good when the kiddos are on Spring Break!


Thanks! It's immensely easier for me to produce when I have all the time I need for writing (and some mixed in life and social stuff). 

I do better with editing and even revision when five of my seven days are with the kiddos, but drafting is really hard to do with five day gaps in between. Unfortunately, I typically don't have the mental capacity to draft after a day at work. If I could make myself wake early and give writing the best part of my brain, that would be cool, but a lifetime of failing that experiment had pushed me to embrace that I'm not a morning person and will only wake for externally imposed obligations. Otherwise, 9 am sounds like a productive start time to me.  

The great news is that when I go back next week, it'll just be nine weeks until summer break, which gives me a nice long chunk of writing time. Too bad I'm planning to be finished with draft 1 by then. And when I finish revisions and queries, I'll be back to drafting my next project right when school starts up again. I've got my cycle all backward.


----------



## D. L. Keur

I had the ending of the first twelve books in the JA series.  Now, I've done the first scene of Book 13.  This is all happening in between finalizing Book 3, drafting Book 4, and fretting whether I'm going to leave it as the JA series or change the subtitle and series name to something else for the continuation.  But, hey, it feels good.  The crisis at the start of Book 13?  Not telling.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are now well into the Bedroom Crawl. She's written a couple of scenelettes, and started one tonight that she only got a half paragraph into. What was in that half paragraph almost made me spew an entire mouthful of Port. PRICELESS. 



> Audra yawned. Then took a selfie of herself yawning … then yawning while topless.



You have to know Audra. LOL

For my part, I'm well into the encounters of three of the seven couples who find the blackout more satisfying than remaining in one place in the dark. I made sure to keep writing until the manuscript passed the 70K mark. We're not that far from completing this thing. It might not go to 100K, and I'm not going to spec the word count on PL2. Anything between 85K and 100K is fine.



> Gloria stood in place and turned round. The floor to ceiling racks in the wine cellar sprouted bottle necks and corks from almost every niche. The accumulation of dust on some indicated the previous owners hadn’t cared to crate and remove stock from untold ages. On further inspection, she found a few open slots here and there. Obviously they’d pulled anything with enough value to count. Two racks had no dust … filled by the caterers. Half of one rack?
> 
> Champagne! Bingo in a straight line, and Gloria traversed a straight line to the oversized champagne corks with their charming wire muzzles. She pulled out the first bottle conveniently at grasp, prying down the wire loop and twisting it round and round ‘til loose. Gloria firmly grasped the neck of the wine bottle and cradled the cork in the center of her other palm. Experienced, she caressed back and forth to gently release the cork from its inner, urgent tension. As it came free with its crucial resounding pop, she allowed it to move her hand away while still capturing the cork’s violent release.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> @PiP and I are now well into the Bedroom Crawl. She's written a couple of scenelettes, and started one tonight that she only got a half paragraph into. What was in that half paragraph almost made me spew an entire mouthful of Port. PRICELESS.





> _Audra yawned. Then took a selfie of herself yawning … then yawning while topless._



LoL ...Yes, well. The scene stub did say she was bored and her self arousal via selfies where she pouts and poses prompts her to go find a man ... she's lonesome...


----------



## Ajoy

I was so nervous about my Aikido class last night, but I did it! And then I crashed early without doing any more writing or any of my nightly reading! Today is wide open though, so on to the next chapter!!


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday I reworked the blurb for The Last Ride, and fiddled with the back cover (for paper and hardback).
Today I did martial art, then edited the first two chapters - tightening the prose.
I'm pleased with how it's turning out.


----------



## Ajoy

Chapter 15 (2700 words), check!

I'll reread and color code it today as well...maybe start chapter 16 if I'm feeling the energy, but more likely that will happen on Friday. With a lot of social plans on Thursday and Saturday, that leaves me Friday and Sunday, so I'm thinking I can finish through Ch 17 before it's back to work with the kiddos (and back to one chapter a week).

Oooh, oooh...and my word count after 15 of 30 chapters is at 37K, so I'm feeling pretty good about having a nice solid word count in the end. Seems like it'll come in approaching 80K, which is a great place to be for a YA fantasy. 

It's been a blast to have so much writing time...AND I'm enjoying the social time and returning sunshine...though we're still buried in snow. ; )


----------



## Mark Twain't

Finally did some writing, deleting a chapter and adding a new 2.7k one to Kill & be Killed/Resurrected/Kill me Again/You Kill Me, I'll Kill You*


*Pick any title


----------



## Parabola

Open to new ideas, thinking about old works. Wondering if it's worth it to dust them off or start something fresh.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Open to new ideas, thinking about old works. Wondering if it's worth it to dust them off or start something fresh.


I’ve thought about doing that with the archived books I wrote back in the 80’s… but am afraid of what I’ll find.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I’ve thought about doing that with the archived books I wrote back in the 80’s… but am afraid of what I’ll find.



Haha, mine aren't quite that old, but in some ways they seem ancient. Honestly haven't written seriously in a year or more, so it'll be interesting to see which path I'll follow. Though I'm leaning toward revising one older work in particular because I've always enjoyed the concept.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My writing success today is I'm determined to take a break from it all. I have too many projects going and feel exhausted. So for today I am not going to much of anything that's writing related. (But unfortunately, everything is writing related, it turns out.)


----------



## Ajoy

Mark Twain't said:


> Finally did some writing, deleting a chapter and adding a new 2.7k one to Kill & be Killed/Resurrected/Kill me Again/You Kill Me, I'll Kill You*
> 
> 
> *Pick any title


Are those your title finalists? I like "Kill me Again" because it reads easily and speaks to your plot/character. Resurrected sounds too much like a video game or zombie movie to me.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Ajoy said:


> Are those your title finalists? I like "Kill me Again" because it reads easily and speaks to your plot/character. Resurrected sounds too much like a video game or zombie movie to me.


No finalists yet, i'll probably still be trying to think of a title the day it gets published lol.

I like Kill Me Again as well although it was a film in 1989, hence why I started this thread:

https://www.writingforums.com/threads/book-titles.197409/


----------



## D. L. Keur

I haven't posted these for awhile, giving you guys a break from 'my stuff', but you only get so much of a break, so here are some of the latest _Stray Trouble_ reviews that brought me a smile.


----------



## Ajoy

Mark Twain't said:


> No finalists yet, i'll probably still be trying to think of a title the day it gets published lol.
> 
> I like Kill Me Again as well although it was a film in 1989, hence why I started this thread:
> 
> https://www.writingforums.com/threads/book-titles.197409/


I remembered the thread but had forgotten that was the title that started the thread. haha...oops.  

There were some other good suggestions in that thread, so you definitely have some nice choices.


----------



## Parabola

In the mood to write something with surreal imagery.


----------



## indianroads

I'm working on the fourth edit of The Last Ride. The first two edits were mostly sanity checks, the third was continuity, and with the fourth I'm finally diving into the grammar. It's slow going, but after two days I'm four chapters deep into it, and have reduced the word count by 148. The story is still running a little long - I was aiming for ~90K words, but will probably end up around 91K - which I think will work for this genre.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are crawling along the Bedroom Crawl chapter. It's now at 7500 words and counting. LOL But ... there are many, many scene breaks. I just wrote about 1000 words to close out two of the encounters on my side of the authorial ledger, and finished the third earlier today. There is no hurry on this section of the novel. It's an ambitious undertaking, and it needs to be right ... and by _right _I mean it needs to be both sexy AND funny.

I tend to write "sexy scenes" by mostly using double intendres. 'Intendres' is not misspelled. That's the way I always pronounce it, since any good double entendre is on purpose, therefore _intended_.

Could I write actual erotica? Probably. But I'd be like IndianRoads and shy about writing and releasing the copy. You need four hands to type and cover your face at the same time. Even though my mother passed away 18 months ago and I'm in my mid-60s now, I still have a generous dollop of "What would my mother think if SHE read this?!" syndrome.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> There is no hurry on this section of the novel. It's an ambitious undertaking, and it needs to be right ... and by _right _I mean it needs to be both sexy AND funny.


Like good sex ... that can't be rushed either.


VRanger said:


> Could I write actual erotica? Probably. But I'd be like IndianRoads and shy about writing and releasing the copy. You need four hands to type and cover your face at the same time. Even though my mother passed away 18 months ago and I'm in my mid-60s now, I still have a generous dollop of "What would my mother think if SHE read this?!" syndrome.


I have written erotica but I would not go as far as publishing it. I was talking to Jim and his better half on the phone the other night and we were all discussing this chapter and various ideas ... I put forward one as a joke and she told me I'd actually made Jim blush to the roots of his hair. Jim's wife is a hoot and we have a good laugh.

My characters are still wandering around the house in the dark hoping for a bit of nookie but so far have only heard things that go bump in the night. the difficulty for me is setting the scene so they are in the right place at the right time AND in the right mood. I wrote about 600 words yesterday and with another 3000 to go I can see this turning into a stand-alone novella.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> Like good sex ... that can't be rushed either.
> 
> I have written erotica but I would not go as far as publishing it. I was talking to Jim and his better half on the phone the other night and we were all discussing this chapter and various ideas ... I put forward one as a joke and she told me I'd actually made Jim blush to the roots of his hair. Jim's wife is a hoot and we have a good laugh.
> 
> My characters are still wandering around the house in the dark hoping for a bit of nookie but so far have only heard things that go bump in the night. the difficulty for me is setting the scene so they are in the right place at the right time AND in the right mood. I wrote about 600 words yesterday and with another 3000 to go I can see this turning into a stand-alone novella.


You got @VRanger to blush?  Wow.   There's a big notch on the bedpost.  Congrats.  And Betty's the best.  And soooooo patient and understanding about whacky writers.


----------



## Parabola

Finally, after a couple years of revising and forcing a new intro, wrote something last night and this morning which seemed to have that missing "human element." It probably helps I'm approaching it with a layer of sadness that wasn't that before. The motivation is different.


----------



## PiP

I wrote about 500 words for the bedroom crawl ... setting up various scenes for the main event.  One of the scene stub prompts: Audra slips on the bottom step, falls, exclaims, and curses.
Hmmm, curses methinks. This lady is a Southern bell so I looked up Southern cusswords and came up with 'Dangnabbit!',  which is not the first word that would have been uttered by  me if I'd just fallen down the stairs in the dark. I think even @VRanger was surprised by my choice of words. Today, I will (hopefully) tie up all the loose ends and bring together my scenes. It's tough because there is a lot happening at the same time in different parts of the house with virtually the full cast of characters.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> I wrote about 500 words for the bedroom crawl ... setting up various scenes for the main event.  One of the scene stub prompts: Audra slips on the bottom step, falls, exclaims, and curses.
> Hmmm, curses methinks. This lady is a Southern bell so I looked up Southern cusswords and came up with 'Dangnabbit!',  which is not the first word that would have been uttered by  me if I'd just fallen down the stairs in the dark. I think even @VRanger was surprised by my choice of words. Today, I will (hopefully) tie up all the loose ends and bring together my scenes. It's tough because there is a lot happening at the same time in different parts of the house with virtually the full cast of characters.


How about "OW!"


----------



## PrairieHostage

A very happy day for me because I came to some conclusions. I spent the last two weeks digesting and weighing the points made in a professional evaluation of my WIP. I also finished reading all the books I had on the go. 

I agree to all developmental suggestions except two. I'll create a chart to track my protag's motivation & purpose of each scene to ensure the "and so" flow. I'll cut one (beloved) character, improve my MC's dream sequences, and give my antagonist some humanity. 

I'm only axing one not two characters and I'm not placing my MC's dreams into time stamped historical past, thereby creating an episodic structure. It's important to keep the dreams for two reasons: they retain the magical element of my story and they let my MC witness the fine character in his great g-father and grandpa which inspires him to reach goal. 

I will change how he's spun into the dreams and I'll revise the dreams to make them more understandable to the reader and necessary to the main plot. 

Whew! It's very worthwhile to take time with professional critique because you want to make sure you're using what best serves the story you want to tell. Versus running full tilt to revisions. 

After reading a few YAs with similar themes to mine, I feel confident I'm now on a good path. This next round of revisions is very exciting.

I'm booked into author Pablo Cartaya's workshop The Villain Speaks in the hopes of improving my antagonist. It's all going in the right direction as my WIP continues to get the love it needs.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> A very happy day for me because I came to some conclusions. I spent the last two weeks digesting and weighing the points made in a professional evaluation of my WIP.


 I'm looking forward to that happy day.  I received my substantive edit earlier this week.  It's quite extensive and will take time to comb through it all.  I mostly felt exhausted just looking at the marked-up version...lol!    But I'm slowly working my way through it, and so far agree with much of the suggestions.  

Enjoy your next round!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> I'm looking forward to that happy day.  I received my substantive edit earlier this week.  It's quite extensive and will take time to comb through it all.  I mostly felt exhausted just looking at the marked-up version...lol!    But I'm slowly working my way through it, and so far agree with much of the suggestions.
> 
> Enjoy your next round!


Oh fantastic. It's an excellent process that helps to embrace and execute the story we want to tell. Thanks Taylor, you too. We march on!


----------



## Ajoy

I finished drafting Chapter 16 of Stella, Not Cinderella yesterday. It came in at 2900 words which brings my total this week to about 12K. None of my coworkers seem to understand that this has been a dream spring break for me. There has been more than enough fun and social time, but I also got to spend a LOT of time writing. But now it's back to begging for scraps of focused time to write while working the day job until the next break! 

In other great news, a tutor who works in my classroom found out last week that I'd written a novel and was curious about reading it. Since I had a print copy I'd made for my wife, I lent it to her. She just messaged me today to tell me she finished and loved it. What really got me though, was that she said she stayed up until 5am today reading, saying, "just one more chapter" over and over until she finished it. That book is 125K words, so I expected her to have it at least a few weeks. I was thrilled that she was hooked like that. I'm excited to find out more of her thoughts soon! Now if only I could get an agent hooked like that.


----------



## VRanger

Today @PiP continued in the Bedroom Crawl, and is closing in on having her part finished. I wrote a half scene for the "morning after reactions" at breakfast, including Jake's uncertainty about how Cal is going to react to him letting Cal's sister (Hope) seduce him. Seduce him is too polite a term. She went into full attack mode and he didn't really have a chance. She pretended to be someone else in the dark, but as it turned out, fooled no one. Jake and two passing couples both figured it out with no effort.

We hit 74K words today.


----------



## indianroads

Working through the fourth edit of The Last Ride. 
The plot requires a lot of backstory for the two main characters, both told in reverse order, from present time into the past, so I’m working to handle it properly.
Nine chapters into the edit, reduced word count by 200 words thus far.


----------



## Bagit

I've been polishing, adding and condensing mostly, trying to get some brain-fire flow back after much time away.


----------



## Lawless

Ajoy said:


> she said she stayed up until 5am today reading, saying, "just one more chapter" over and over until she finished it.


I really have to congratulate you on this. That your work is able to grab the readers' interest is the most important proof that it's good. It doesn't matter whether or not it satisfies some technical requirements somebody has come up with.


----------



## Ajoy

Lawless said:


> I really have to congratulate you on this. That your work is able to grab the readers' interest is the most important proof that it's good. It doesn't matter whether or not it satisfies some technical requirements somebody has come up with.


Thank you! I know we've talked about a couple of factors that keep it at a disadvantage with getting an agent (the word count & discovering a magical world trope & the connection to Greek mythology), but I sure do feel flattered that a random reader (she's new to our building) would enjoy it so much that she couldn't put it down. She followed up later with all her excitement trying to figure out the early clues about the history of the older timeline before the characters figured it out. In my research, I've learned that there are a whole bunch of readers like this (as opposed to those who just read and enjoy the reveals when they occur), and I think she's my first reader of that type. I love that the character/plot clue hunt was fun for her and I'm happy I also made it accessible for the more casual readers. 

But all that said, I have to thank YOU! Your beta read helped me fix a lot of issues that would have kept it from reading quite so well for my first genuine reader (not a beta reader/family member/friend). You especially helped me find the places where my character development needed work and really, this story is about the characters, so that was a big deal!


----------



## VRanger

@PiP is now close to--if not done--with her work on the Bedroom Crawl. In my mind, she had one of the more difficult encounters to both justify and create the buildup for. She's writing some amusing sequences, and in a couple of cases _completely _surprised me with the way she set them up. Good stuff.

I wrote a couple of scenes for the "morning after", and I'm pleased to brag I got good responses to them from both Dawn and PiP.  

I won't quote what PiP wrote me about them in chat, but it made my day.

Tonight I'm creating a spreadsheet for all the previous chapters by scene content with word count ... the object of which is to inform us of possible chapter reorganization, and to suggest spots for some additional early scenes between the subjects of this book's romance.

In the meantime, @Ajoy has been reading the first book and giving us chapter by chapter feedback. It's a real thrill to get a reader's reactions that way, and we both immensely appreciate her comments. Earlier, we also got a great set of feedback and notes from @SueC.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> @PiP is now close to--if not done--with her work on the Bedroom Crawl. In my mind, she had one of the more difficult encounters to both justify and create the buildup for. She's writing some amusing sequences, and in a couple of cases _completely _surprised me with the way she set them up. Good stuff.


My knees are sore from writing these scenes ... okay, I won't quit my day job as a retiree for comedian. Writing the crawl has been painful and made me dig deep as a writer... as I said to Jim last night after two hours writing produced only about 100 words each word was like extracting a tooth.


VRanger said:


> I wrote a couple of scenes for the "morning after", and I'm pleased to brag I got good responses to them from both Dawn and PiP.  I won't quote what PiP wrote me about them in chat, but it made my day.


Jim writes well so the bar is already high ... but at times he writes exceptionally well ... and funny scenes ... if that makes sense. Because the bar is already so high ... if I said that was great EVERY day ... compliments lose traction so he knows when I say I REALLY really like something ... it is exceptional.


VRanger said:


> In the meantime, @Ajoy has been reading the first book and giving us chapter by chapter feedback. It's a real thrill to get a reader's reactions that way, and we both immensely appreciate her comments. Earlier, we also got a great set of feedback and notes from @SueC.


Yes, my thanks to both. Their feedback has proved extremely valuable.


----------



## Lawless

Ajoy said:


> helped me fix a lot of issues that would have kept it from reading quite so well for my first genuine reader (not a beta reader/family member/friend).


I have to confess, when I was beta-reading, I had a goal to read a certain number of pages per day, but often enough I found the story so interesting I couldn't stop, and so I ended finishing your manuscript much sooner than I had expected.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Did my 30 minutes of exercise followed by four hours of writing. I'm picking the low hanging fruit this week and will get into substantial in April.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> Did my 30 minutes of exercise followed by four hours of writing. I'm picking the low hanging fruit this week and will get into substantial in April.


Good for you!  Just out of curiosity, what do you consider "low-hanging" fruit?


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> Yes, my thanks to both. Their feedback has proved extremely valuable.


Have been reading PL for purely selfish pleasure. So far...it's a delight!   I didn't realize you guys wanted feedback at this point.  I'll read it with that in mind.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> Good for you!  Just out of curiosity, what do you consider "low-hanging" fruit?


The easy stuff: update one chapter with revisions I made to it in another document when I created it as a stand alone short for submission to a magazine; replace Hispanic with Latino (if it's good enuf for Isabel Wilkerson, it's good enuf for me): and place markers in a couple scenes to add details & depth. I found a really pretty text divider, a black sketch of vines which I inserted between certain scenes within same chapter.

The bigger substantial work will be mapping my scenes & chapters to track MC motivation through line, revising dream sequences, cutting, editing or adding scenes and giving my antagonist some humanity. Gonna have to kill my darling George tomorrow


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> Gonna have to kill my darling George tomorrow


 Poor George!    I have the dirty dead to kill tomorrow as well.  The recessive blue eye gene has to go...it messes up the theme and has no purpose. 

Is this Pulitzer Prize-winning Isabel Wilkerson?  Did she suggest it, or?


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Have been reading PL for purely selfish pleasure. So far...it's a delight!   I didn't realize you guys wanted feedback at this point.  I'll read it with that in mind.


Thank you.  It's always nice to hear what people think worked, especially since this is a foray into new territory for both of us. LOL


----------



## Ajoy

Lawless said:


> I have to confess, when I was beta-reading, I had a goal to read a certain number of pages per day, but often enough I found the story so interesting I couldn't stop, and so I ended finishing your manuscript much sooner than I had expected.


This makes me so happy!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Taylor said:


> Poor George!    I have the dirty dead to kill tomorrow as well.  The recessive blue eye gene has to go...it messes up the theme and has no purpose.
> 
> Is this Pulitzer Prize-winning Isabel Wilkerson?  Did she suggest it, or?


lol tomorrow we be cutting 
Yes one in the same. Pulitzer Prize winning Wilkerson uses Latino instead of Latinx throughout her book Caste. I wish I could say I'm connected to her but alas I'm not.


----------



## indianroads

I’ll count this as a success…
I found a snafu in The Last Ride today that brought about a partial rewrite of two chapters. I believe it’s corrected, but will review/fix it tomorrow.


----------



## got2write

Finished the latest revision of my novel and handed it off to my first set of beta readers.
Thrilled.
Terrified.


----------



## VRanger

got2write said:


> Finished the latest revision of my novel and handed it off to my first set of beta readers.
> Thrilled.
> Terrified.


Little secret. If they don't like it, write it off to have had the bad luck to send it out to a group of uneducated, illiterate, nincompoops with bad taste whose pinnacle of readership achievement peaked with a faulty understanding of Mother Goose rhymes.


----------



## AaronH

Today, I wrote a new article for my site. That’s always a good feeling.


----------



## PiP

Today I've been rereading the last few chapters and adding my final layers before signing them off to Jim for a 'spit and polish' edit. Anyways... I was reading some dialogue of Jim's take/spellings on an English country accent and it made me smile.  ... so I dedicate this little clip of Jethro Tull to Jim and accents and ideas for turn of phrase and repetition. 

Actually, the whole show is funny and worth watching  Us English have a very dry sense of humour at times.


----------



## indianroads

I’ve been dealing with tangled timelines in my novel The Last Ride for the last 2 days. I have it almost in hand, the story should be back on track in a day or so.

whew … I wanted a challenge and I definitely have one.


----------



## VRanger

From Saturday's post through this note, we added 5K words to get to 79K, which isn't great word production, but we did get some important things accomplished. I completed the scene-by-scene spreadsheet, which lets us do two things.

First, it's a valuable tool to approach chapter reorganization to balance the chapters if we decide to.

Second, we feel we need more interaction between the couple the romance focuses on. All of their story and action really started in the third act, and we believe that is too late. So I went back into Chapter 4 and added a paragraph to set up the reason for some other early scenes, and wrote an extra scene for them at the end of Chapter 5. Now I'll start looking for places to drop in three or four other scenes ... after we decide what those scenes' content should be! 

We also had a phone conference (I don't THINK I mentioned this yet). With suggestions from @PiP, my wife Betty, and me, we came up with an interesting plan to finish the arc of the bad guys. That's been in the back-burner of my mind for days, and I've been coming up empty on ideas that didn't seem too much like how we handled the first book's bad guys. So I wrote two scenes which take us along that path, and one which continues a previously mentioned ploy of the bad guys to cause trouble for our heroes. (I hate using heroines because it sounds like you have drug addicts in the story).

PiP has also written some "morning after" scenes and polished off the last of her Bedroom Crawl scenes today. She mentioned here, and to me, that writing part of the Crawl concerned her. It concerned me, too, for my parts. I stated early on I thought the Crawl an ambitious project. PiP pointed out tonight that at 9000 words, it's 10% of the novel. LOL So it _better _be good.

Something else I've discussed in the course of writing a second romance, what we're really writing is a Soap Opera. There are a lot of scenes about the changes in our characters' lives, problems and how they deal with them, and amusing episodes. Honestly, for example, there is no critical reason to add the Bedroom Crawl to the plot. However, a lot of the scenelettes are funny, it sets up a host of future character interactions, and contains the seeds for a romance later in the series.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Today I've been rereading the last few chapters and adding my final layers before signing them off to Jim for a 'spit and polish' edit. Anyways... I was reading some dialogue of Jim's take/spellings on an English country accent and it made me smile.  ... so I dedicate this little clip of Jethro Tull to Jim and accents and ideas for turn of phrase and repetition.
> 
> Actually, the whole show is funny and worth watching  Us English have a very dry sense of humour at times.


I finally got a chance to listen to this, and I have to thank you, PiP. Now you've made me realize I haven't been writing those accents NEARLY thick enough! I mean, you can read my accents and understand almost everything the guy is saying! I've failed. I'll go back and rewrite them and try to do better! ;-)

This reminds me of my story about asking for directions at a pub in Brighton. Luckily the gentleman waved his arm in the correct direction, because the only three words I could understand were "War Memorial" and "right". Sure enough, I got to the War Memorial and turned right, and our B&B was the second building on the street. To come to the fellow's defense, it was late afternoon and I think he'd started downing pints about lunch time. So it might not have been ONLY his accent.


----------



## indianroads

I've been struggling the past few days to fix three scrambled chapters in The Last Ride. I ended up editing five chapters over several days to get it right, but it's done-ish. I still have to get through the remainder of this (4th) editing pass, which should take me another week or so. Beyond that, guess what? More editing passes. Lather, rinse, repeat until the MS is ready.


----------



## KatPC

My quiet restraint in 'learning to improve' the weakest part of my writing is tough. The forced lull to focus is necessary, but today, I have slowly loosened the chains and new stories are itching to be told. 

Two new short stories have come to mind, both of them jotted down and I have put them on hold till I allow the mind to explore again. I have plenty of paperwork to complete beforehand (and still sticking to a 'learning routine') but in a few days time I will have more free time to write, create and can let loose. 

The thoughts of creating tingles.


----------



## got2write

KatPC said:


> My quiet restraint in 'learning to improve' the weakest part of my writing is tough. The forced lull to focus is necessary, but today, I have slowly loosened the chains and new stories are itching to be told.
> 
> Two new short stories have come to mind, both of them jotted down and I have put them on hold till I allow the mind to explore again. I have plenty of paperwork to complete beforehand (and still sticking to a 'learning routine') but in a few days time I will have more free time to write, create and can let loose.
> 
> The thoughts of creating tingles.


Glad to hear your spidey sense are tingling!!


----------



## KatPC

I consider myself more of a shadow than a spider @got2write.

When the sun comes out, a lamp or any light really ... you won't be able to get rid of the mind creating stories!
Whether they turn out good is another thing ... but it's fun developing ideas. There are many parked in the 'not ready' bay in the head. Tempted to drive the biggest idea away (an epic Fantasy novel - a first for me when i start it) but that would be a bad idea, not ready. 

Shorts are quick, easy and fun.


----------



## Taylor

Well, I got off to a slow start on revising Book 1, in response to my substantive edit notes.    But I've picked up the pace now as I have built a trust for advice given by this editor.  It's so great to have that fresh eye, not only for suggestions but to set my mind at ease on readability.

I was impressed with the style guide she provided.  In particular, I use a lot of number formats, short terms, and acronyms that are acceptable in financial reports but wasn't certain how to treat these using standard Chicago Manual Style.  It is valuable to have a professional create an acceptable custom guide that suits the manuscript.  And, once we agree on it, she'll ensure I am consistent during the next edit and final proofread. 

I'm about 20% complete.


----------



## indianroads

I'm back in the saddle, editing The Last Ride - with several more passes to go. 26 chapters into it at the close of today, and I should finish this fourth edit tomorrow. I'll have to enhance my editing process - the plot of this book is complex, yet I want it to read easily, so I'll set Excel up to track plot points and topics the characters discuss to be sure that nothing is overdone or has inadequate coverage.

The project is going well, and I'm happy with the progress.


----------



## VRanger

Since last report, @PiP added a scene which is currently at 1000+ words and counting, as she has more to add to it. I began the next chapter with a 1200-word scene that tops off a benefit concert, and wrote a new song lyric for our singing star to perform after the encores. I think I'll go back just after this post and add a couple of paragraphs at the end the last "bad guy scene", and will be three or four hundred more words.

I also added one more scene between our love interests in the book. They have a working relationship along with a bit of an antipathetical romance vibe ... meaning at least one of the characters dislikes or disapproves of the other one through most of the story. 

Right now we're building to the climax of both the romance plot and the bad guy subplot.


----------



## Phil Istine

Two house moves in a month and a struggle to make a new laptop and an ancient printer talk to each other have slowed me down somewhat, but I have finally persuaded the fractious couple to settle their differences.
I am now applying the finishing touches to a Wordfest item to read out at a small room in the local theatre. That will be happening later today. A few people from various backgrounds will be showing and telling us things about their first languages - the town where I live is rich in ethnic diversity. I've gone for English, because I have insufficient skills in other languages, and will be focussing on how quirks of English have given rise to humorous wordplay.

I'm simultaneously looking forward to it and feeling a little trepidation too. Although I've read out my work in public before, the earlier covid restrictions mean I'm out of practice.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Phil Istine said:


> I am now applying the finishing touches to a Wordfest item to read out at a small room in the local theatre. That will be happening later today. A few people from various backgrounds will be showing and telling us things about their first languages - the town where I live is rich in ethnic diversity. I've gone for English, because I have insufficient skills in other languages, and will be focussing on how quirks of English have given rise to humorous wordplay.
> 
> I'm simultaneously looking forward to it and feeling a little trepidation too. Although I've read out my work in public before, the earlier covid restrictions mean I'm out of practice.


This all sounds charming. I love people sharing their first languages in Wordfest readings. Middle of April I'm attending a poetry reading by Indigenous writers.

My only joy in writing today, as I bunker under blankets to sweat out the remainder of a nasty cold, is ideating certain scenes in my WIP to better illustrate how my MC's inner conflict both drives and collides with his external goal to keep his vineyard. Hopefully tomorrow I am well enuf to sit bum in office chair to put pen to paper. The chair has been lonely of late.


----------



## Taylor

Still working my way through the substantial edit of Book 1.  I'm making a few changes of my own while considering suggestions from the editor.   Thought this was a good catch by her.  I had spelled Matteo for an MC who is Spanish in descent.  She pointed out that *Matteo* is the *Italian* form of the given name Matthew.  *Mateo *is the common spelling of the Spanish name. 

But it's slow going again now...I'm only at about 30% complete.


----------



## indianroads

I finished the 4th edit of the Last Ride - total WC is 91354, total reduction from the draft sits at 3578.
I caught and fixed a few rough areas, and the MS is looking good so far - more to do though. I'll hit it again after a few days.


----------



## Bagit

I took a "dark" micro flash of about 60 word count and turned it darker, adding suspense and more purpose. It's about 270 words now.  It feels done, but we all know how that can go until you read it again...


----------



## Parabola

Well, in my mind's eye at least, finally nailed that magical, nostalgic feeling which is a great motivator for the writing process. The key for me is making the story almost like a playground. Now there's enough mental "oomph" to flesh things out.


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> The key for me is making the story almost like a playground.


I love this analogy. I've never thought of it using that word, but this wonderfully describes the feeling I have about writing a novel.


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> I love this analogy. I've never thought of it using that word, but this wonderfully describes the feeling I have about writing a novel.



Yeah, I used to have a roaring video game addiction growing up, always loved the interactive element and couldn't get enough. Strong visuals are also a requirement. They have to work in tandem for me or can't write, so playground seemed to fit lol.


----------



## indianroads

Crazy me.
I spent some time in the Dojang this morning training, then came home and worked on the blurb for The Last Ride - I hate writing blurbs, but they eventually evolve via many iterations into something that will work. After that, I worked on the back cover for LR and adding the newest version of the blurb to it. 

Then I got bored, and was tempted to start work on edit-5 of LR, but, for once I controlled myself.

Instead of working on LR, I created a directory for Moonscape - a 2 book series that's next in line. And... I laid out a bullet point plot (very rough) for the first book in that series - it looks like it will be around 40 chapters - I'll either reduce that number or write short chapters. The first book ends in a cliff hanger, so I may have to publish both books at once or in a very close time frame, which is something I've not done before.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours on my WIP. Today I eliminated an entire character and revised scenes to work without him


----------



## PiP

PrairieHostage said:


> Today I eliminated an entire character and revised scenes to work without him


 If only we had that option in RL.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> If only we had that option in RL.


Wasn't there a story or movie about that? Maybe it was on the Twilight Zone?


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> Wasn't there a story or movie about that? Maybe it was on the Twilight Zone?


Wait ... there is in't it cancel culture.... moving on. Can of worms discussion for another thread.

Last night  I found myself chapter hopping between writing a scene in Chapter 17 where the reader crawls into the mind of a character trying to justify having sex in chapter 16 and watching Jim write Chapter 19. BEcause I write in layers Jim never knows what I will add and when.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> Wait ... there is in't it cancel culture.... moving on. Can of worms discussion for another thread.
> 
> Last night  I found myself chapter hopping between writing a scene in Chapter 17 where the reader crawls into the mind of a character trying to justify having sex in chapter 16 and watching Jim write Chapter 19. BEcause I write in layers Jim never knows what I will add and when.


It actually was a Twilight Zone episode - a writer creates his girlfriend by describing her.

 I digress… now back to your regularly scheduled program.


----------



## indianroads

I worked on Moonscape (my next project) today. 
Finished (for now)
World building​MMC & FMC character sheets​Aux characters​Location stuff​Tech details​
The break was refreshing, and I will attack the next edit of The Last Ride tomorrow.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today was a write off for me. This cold is kicking me in the butt. I had to sleep most of the day and this is the 7th day! 

The joy today was watching an hour talk tonight by Canadian author Lawrence Hill (Book of Negroes). What a lovely man. His father was black and his mom, white. Someone I could listen to forever because he talks like he writes, gentle, insightful and playful. He talked about voice and personality and placing people together who normally don't belong together. He likes to walk a line between comedy & seriousness. He also mentioned storytelling as meditation, gorgeous. I'll be reading his books!


----------



## Parabola

Leaping from memory to memory, filling the spaces in between with present, personal themes (unintentionally).


----------



## CyberWar

Slowly but steadily been making headway on several related projects. 

One is Part Three of "The American Refugee" that some of you who read my stuff are likely already familiar with, the other is an upcoming brand-new one called "Steel Angel", a mil-fic in the same setting featuring a European "peacekeeper" tank crew in the war-torn near-future United States, and the last one is a worldbuilding material mostly for personal reference featuring the Lions of Koresh, a powerful Christian fundamentalist faction in the near-future Second American Civil War featured in both stories.

Though the progress has been slow for the time being, I've been writing at least a couple lines in each of them every day.


----------



## indianroads

Back editing The Last Ride, 5 chapters deep today. The story is working well, and I’m pleased with it.
Next edit will be Word Speak reading it while I listen. Once that passes, I’ll roll the separate chapter files into book form, then start in on the final edits.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Tonight I joined a two hour writing session with my writers guild put on through Zoom. I used the time to begin my chart that maps MC's motivation and scene purpose. I already found two scenes that will fit into other scenes and one scene that needs embellishment. It's a great exercise to get me to next draft.


----------



## Parabola

Finished first chapter, named the next one (which seems to help with structure, and will be removed once it's finished). Might actually get more writing done today ("might").


----------



## Darkkin

I did final edits on my lead in piece for NaPoem 2022.


----------



## Parabola

Fleshing out characters and have some idea where the plot is going. This MS has a bit more realism anchoring it than the previous (not that I necessarily care about that), less loneliness from the MC but tenuous social connections all the same. Still, the plot is building and will just go with the flow for now.


----------



## Parabola

One character dyed her hair so much, the chemicals seeped right into her brain.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> One character dyed her hair so much, the chemicals seeped right into her brain.


I’ve seen evidence of that.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I’ve seen evidence of that.



Yeah it's kinda scary tbh.


----------



## Taylor

So, I've completed my substantial edit review, and solved the plot issues.  As a pantser, I created suspicion about certain characters, not sure if they would be implicated in the crime.  Afterward, I wondered if I left some loose ends.  The editor indicated which ones work, and which ones can be tied up in the sequel, but there is one that she feels may leave the reader unsatisfied at the end. (Which I kinda knew in my heart of hearts.) So, it was good to get the confirmation before tweaking.  She even gave a great suggestion of how and where to fix it.   That along with all the other catches like twice where I used the wrong character name...lol...she totally earned her fee.

Now...the copy edit!  Upwards and onwards...


----------



## indianroads

Halfway through edit #5 of The Last Ride - cut another 472 words thus far.
The project is going well.


----------



## KatPC

I just finished a short story titled Three Faces. It has a deep meaning but I will need to scrub it up and (if the mind is okay) post in the workshop next week. 

I 'like' this story, one I know that has flaws but hoping to iron out most of them before posting. I miss creating ... this feels like a 'good one,' hope the reactions will be the same ...


----------



## Parabola

Woke up early and banged out a couple thousand words. Now I'm indolent and want to take a nap. Might write more in the evening or expand the plot out further (planning), not sure.

Anyway, character conflict is occurring in a way I didn't expect. Ending might be revealing itself but could change.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Over the last few days I removed an entire character and created a chart to map scene purpose and causality, as well as my MC's motivation. I've also outlined first half of the novel's chapters for action, reaction & decision (to ensure causality & flow). Something twigged in my brain tonight that led me to see an opportunity in my story I didn't see before. My editor said I'd have fun once it clicked and I feel I'm finally there. It's been a few concerning weeks so it's nice to feel I'm green lighting again.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are currently working on scenes in chapters 18, 19, and 20 concurrently, and we're closing in on 86K words ... which means we're now over our minimum word count for the novel. We really only need a few more scenes now to wrap it up. We'll cover about two more weeks of "novel time", but much of that will be summarized as a few days of the Euro Concert tour, the first dates of which are in the British Isles. Then we have a double romantic ending planned for Christmas Eve. It will resolve issues in the romance this book focuses on, as well as move ahead in Cal and Julia's relationship.


----------



## Punani

I made myself to write a part of the introduction for my personal statement although it looks awful.


----------



## indianroads

Punani said:


> I made myself to write a part of the introduction for my personal statement although it looks awful.


Awful is a good place to start as it is far better than a blank page.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm working on the 30 poems in 30 days challenge, but by myself, not with a group. I made it last year (wrote 30 new or revised ones) and plan to outdo myself this year. Right now, on the third day, I've put together sixteen new poems already! Some are free verse, some are form poems. I passed the half-way mark on the third day! They're all rough drafts, of course, but I've captured the ideas I've had in my head for years (but never sat down to put them in writing). It's also been fun to try new forms to see what I can make of them. So this is my pat on my back for outdoing myself with the 30/30 challenge (so far). I'm enjoying the challenge again.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Took a 90 minute course on Zoom about editing. The concept of a Roadmap which, to me, simply means after doing a read, make notes on which edits to address. Macro to micro approach. Maps work for me because then I don't feel like giving up 
She also talked about a writing (vs personal) journal, which is similar to what we do on this thread. 
Biggest joy today is my 2nd grandchild was born last night. A baby boy named Lux. Means light in Latin. Can't wait to see him. Third grandchild comes in July whooo!!


----------



## VRanger

I finished a scene in chapter 20 for some comedy value, and added to the end of one of @PiP's scenes in chapter 18. Since it was dialogue between two of her primary characters, and I went deep into a potential schism between them, I needed to wait for a thumbs up. Luckily, I got it. Something like it was needed to add some tension and uncertainty to the Book 2 romance. I was glad to get confirmation on that plot direction, because it will impact scenes I need to write tomorrow.


----------



## indianroads

Still working on edit #5 of The Last Ride. I got through chapter 26 today, that leaves only 3 chapters to edit tomorrow. WC reduction for this edit stands a 838. My method is to write a bit long then hack it back in editing, so it's going well.
Next up (edit 6) will be Stephen Hawking reading it to me, then (edit 7) will be folding everything into a 6x9 format. More edits will follow.


----------



## PiP

I listened to an interesting two-hour webinar last night on writing to market, market trends and genres that sell.


----------



## Parabola

Tackling first draft at a breakneck pace (for me), and the caffeine infused, almost manic mindset is serving two functions: 1) that's the general vibe I'm going for though the second pass through will feature even more caffeine because why the hell not? 2) I want the first draft done in a month.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Tackling first draft at a breakneck pace (for me), and the caffeine infused, almost manic mindset is serving two functions: 1) that's the general vibe I'm going for though the second pass through will feature even more caffeine because why the hell not? 2) I want the first draft done in a month.


I am convinced that life on earth began in a primordial sea of caffeine.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I am convinced that life on earth began in a primordial sea of caffeine.



I might have to use that line.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours revising first two chapters (add or change scenes, delete roughage and ensure flow). I Googled like a maniac to riff off pictures for some scenes. Today I needed a 12 foot truck bed camper with canopy, brick path and party lites. I also needed a vintage brown leather journal. So gorgeous.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> Six hours revising first two chapters (add or change scenes, delete roughage and ensure flow). I Googled like a maniac to riff off pictures for some scenes. Today I needed a 12 foot truck bed camper with canopy, brick path and party lites. I also needed a vintage brown leather journal. So gorgeous.


I love that journal!   I've been revisiting today as well.  Still trying to get it ready for the copy edit.  Based on the editor's suggestion, had to add a short scene in New York, but in a particular period.  My head was already out of this book and in the next, so didn't really feel like getting back in the weeds of research. Fortunately, a Facebook friend who lived there at the time was at my service.


----------



## indianroads

I finished edit - 5 of The Last Ride, current word count is 90525. For me, writing long and trimming back works better than writing short and adding during the editing process. So far, from the first draft I've dropped 4407 words from the MS, and it's looking good although I may drop a hundred or so more words during the final edits.

Next up is having Word read everything back to me - I do it that way because while reading aloud my eye auto corrects without me realizing it, but when I listen to Word-Speak I catch what my eye glosses over. This is one of those things that works for me, but probably won't for anyone else.

With all that said, I'm very pleased how this project is turning out. It's the most complex novel I've attempted to write, and I hope that those that read it will be intrigued throughout and surprised by the ending.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Next up is having Word read everything back to me - I do it that way because while reading aloud my eye auto corrects without me realizing it, but when I listen to Word-Speak I catch what my eye glosses over. This is one of those things that works for me, but probably won't for anyone else.


Well, I tried it out today.  Thanks for the idea...it does really work!  I am picking up some things.    I only have one plot tweak left to do and then I will listen to the whole thing through.


----------



## Parabola

The vibe I'm shooting for is nostalgic, evokes a prosperous, expansive sealike feeling (for some reason, this wormed its way into the atmospheric whole).


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Well, I did it. I created (rough-drafted) 30 poems for the 30 poems in 30 days challenge. And I'm working on poem 31. This has been fun, to try to meet the challenge. I intend to continue for the rest of the month to see just how many I can turn out. Turns out this challenge has been quite an energizer for me. I wrote several free verse poems and several forms I've tried before and several forms I've never tried before so it's been fun to try these new ways. Anyway, that's my pat on the back for meeting the challenge. Now I'll meet it some more.:-D


----------



## Parabola

So the big thing in my experience is to find a tricky balance between atmosphere, plot, and characters, but the first is so foundational for me I have a hard time putting it on the backburner. Simultaneous threads are the goal.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours writing a couple new scenes and moving stuff around, as well as going over yesterday's work. Then an hour cuddling new grandson, Lux. He is perfect. Will write a couple more hours this afternoon.


----------



## indianroads

I'm in between edits of The Last Ride, so I spent the morning farting around with the plot of two future books - about a penal colony on the moon... and the discovery of an ancient alien base spying on humanity, that houses an artificial intelligence that has gone insane because he's lost contact with his civilization and has been alone for 40,000 years. Somehow, _Whinter_ - a character from my Inception novel - crept in and joined the cast of characters. It looks like a good story, so I'll see where it goes.


----------



## Parabola

My MCs tend toward misanthropy, and the one in my WIP doesn't realize this--focusing instead on personal morality. This focus comes out in self-destructive and other-destructive ways, such as permanent psychological damage to a "narcissist sister" (aka another form of the baby hitler question) etc. So morality, or aesthetics of, as a means of distancing from others.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I broke through 90K words yesterday, as I continued to add to Chapter 20 while she worked on her Chapter 18 scenes. I pretty much wrapped up the bad guys' arc while adding a series of frustrating delays to the romance arc.

My Army Ranger security guy just had to alibi why he's so familiar with _It's a Small World _at DisneyWorld. He came close to dropping an F-bomb in the process ... but that's not in my style. LOL

@PiP is about to polish off a dinner scene with some catty dialogue between the female love story interest and a rival. I can't wait!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Four hours on first 5 chapters, moving pieces around and revising my MC's dreams to shorter visions, making sure each vision parallels what's going on for my MC. Making sure each scene has action, reaction & decision, closing each chapter with my MC's decision for next step. I see and feel it all, but I want my reader to see and feel it all too. Tomorrow I'll  read through the first five and begin on chapter six to ten. 

Tonight I'm re-reading passages in Wired For Story, particularly the interplay between internal and external conflict. The book posits that story isn't so much what happens to a character, as much as it's about that character's world view and reaction to what happens. Repetition is the mother of learning.


----------



## Parabola

Been sticking to daily word count rec so far. Aside from that, trying to juggle this WIP and plotting another novel so as soon as first draft of WIP is done, I can jump into the next project. For some reason, I'm aiming for "two novels (drafts) in two months" then go back and edit the first. Knowing me, I'll be lucky to complete the first in the specified timeframe.


----------



## Cephus

Parabola said:


> Been sticking to daily word count rec so far. Aside from that, trying to juggle this WIP and plotting another novel so as soon as first draft of WIP is done, I can jump into the next project. For some reason, I'm aiming for "two novels (drafts) in two months" then go back and edit the first. Knowing me, I'll be lucky to complete the first in the specified timeframe.


That's pretty much how I work. Plot a book, write the book over 4 weeks (20 working days), go back and edit the book prior, lather, rinse, repeat. It got me through 8 full-length novels last year.


----------



## Parabola

Cephus said:


> That's pretty much how I work. Plot a book, write the book over 4 weeks (20 working days), go back and edit the book prior, lather, rinse, repeat. It got me through 8 full-length novels last year.



Damn, 8 in a year? I doff my hat to you, sir.


----------



## PiP

Parabola said:


> Damn, 8 in a year? I doff my hat to you, sir.


And me!


----------



## Parabola

So if nothing else I've built a moral dilemma for myself with a character who is under the thumb of an exploitative personality. He's had an insight that the only way to survive with an identity is to attack first, and in a way that devastates his opponent. Go for the jugular and survive, or let your guard down. I have to be loyal to the characters but their organic development isn't inconsistent with that (but the developments can't be too far-fetched).


----------



## Cephus

Parabola said:


> Damn, 8 in a year? I doff my hat to you, sir.


It's not a big deal. I know plenty of people who write far more.


----------



## VRanger

Last night I wrote the last half of one scene, the first half of another scene (then asked @PiP if she wants the last half of that scene), and finally took on _the _critical scene of the romance ... where the "romantic couple" have to hash out a perplexing issue arising from the Bedroom Crawl. 2300 words in all and we're now well over 90K, though with some scenes in process I haven't caught up on the exact count until all that settles down. With having written this scene for the couple and wrapped up the bad guys, there's only one more big scene to complete, and maybe some small number of shorter supporting scenes. I think we'll be ready to go into read-throughs and edits before the end of next week.


----------



## indianroads

15 chapters deep in edit #6. Not much change in terms of word count, but a lot of phrasing / word choice changes are happening. 
The project is going well, and I hope to roll it into book format early next week. With that done, I'll know the width of the book spline and can finish the cover.
Beyond that, more edits.


----------



## Parabola

"Shades of grey" morality is sometimes (or often?) used to not so steathily advocate for a black and white position.


----------



## PiP

Last night I finished the last supper scene which I've since asked VRanger to read through if any further content was required. Then I moved on to the Charity concert scene ...then I had a moment when I realised the venue mentioned has not even been built yet LoL Doh! Scratches around for new venue.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just a couple hours today, formulating how I want chapter six to look. I take MC from clearing debris to tending soil to working a neighbor's harvest before planting his own vines.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours on chapter six


----------



## PiP

PrairieHostage said:


> Six hours on chapter six


I don't feel so bad now. It sometimes/often takes me hours just to write one paragraph.


----------



## indianroads

25 chapters deep into edit #6. Hope to finish the edit up tomorrow. From there the MS gets formatted into book form... and more rounds of edits beyond that.


----------



## Parabola

Took today off from novel, will get back to it tomorrow--probably. Don't want to become too disconnected from the work.

Vision for the WIP is progressing even though most of the plot has been written--so from the beginning taking place in an oasis of fragmented nostalgic images to a "side-pocket" dimension. The latter is intentionally constructed to be surreal, resembling a game-y final stretch and allowing for only-possible-at-endgame agency.


----------



## Megan Pearson

hello, accountability partners! I have 24 pages due next week and I have squat. Diddly squat. The ship has sailed. The well is dry. The bird of inspiration has flown the coop.

Thankfully, one paper has a soft deadline.

Maybe it's the concussion I'm recovering from. (Take my advice, don't chase the grandkiddies across the playground. Or if you do, be sure and duck when the overhead equipment is head-height. Unless, of course, you're already short. If that's the case, then just have fun chasing them across the playground.)

Maybe it is that I have no motivation.

Maybe it's because it's spring and the potato chips are about to fly up from South America. (If you don't know the reference, that's Lucy from the Peanuts Gang / Charles Shulz.) And yes, I hit my head that hard. I would have had these papers finished by now (would I?) but it's been several weeks and I'm still getting headaches. All's well--except my studiousness. It's been replaced with silliness.

(I am seriously thinking comedy can cure all the evils in the world. Silly, eh?)

But even if it can't, the world still runs on due dates. So maybe tomorrow evening I will stop in and give my brave report. ...But first, I have to read again "Why Frank should not have jilted Mary," as it is essential to the paper I have to write. It's not the reading that's hard--it's the nausea that comes with it.

(No, not being silly--that really is the name of the chapter I have to reread. And no, it _possibly_ has absolutely nothing to do with whatever with you're thinking it means. But, it could be fun to guess!)


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> Maybe it's the concussion I'm recovering from. (Take my advice, don't chase the grandkiddies across the playground. Or if you do, be sure and duck when the overhead equipment is head-height. Unless, of course, you're already short. If that's the case, then just have fun chasing them across the playground.)


Feel better soon, Megan! I've packed on a few pandemic pounds I'm struggling to lose so I know all about hazards of keeping up with the grandkiddies. Good luck with the read and writing the paper.


----------



## Taylor

Megan Pearson said:


> hello, accountability partners! I have 24 pages due next week and I have squat. Diddly squat. The ship has sailed. The well is dry. The bird of inspiration has flown the coop.
> 
> Thankfully, one paper has a soft deadline.
> 
> Maybe it's the concussion I'm recovering from. (Take my advice, don't chase the grandkiddies across the playground. Or if you do, be sure and duck when the overhead equipment is head-height. Unless, of course, you're already short. If that's the case, then just have fun chasing them across the playground.)
> 
> Maybe it is that I have no motivation.
> 
> Maybe it's because it's spring and the potato chips are about to fly up from South America. (If you don't know the reference, that's Lucy from the Peanuts Gang / Charles Shulz.) And yes, I hit my head that hard. I would have had these papers finished by now (would I?) but it's been several weeks and I'm still getting headaches. All's well--except my studiousness. It's been replaced with silliness.
> 
> (I am seriously thinking comedy can cure all the evils in the world. Silly, eh?)
> 
> But even if it can't, the world still runs on due dates. So maybe tomorrow evening I will stop in and give my brave report. ...But first, I have to read again "Why Frank should not have jilted Mary," as it is essential to the paper I have to write. It's not the reading that's hard--it's the nausea that comes with it.
> 
> (No, not being silly--that really is the name of the chapter I have to reread. And no, it _possibly_ has absolutely nothing to do with whatever with you're thinking it means. But, it could be fun to guess!)


Love your new colours!  Sounds like a horrible concussion...that's not fun! Perhaps you can get an extension on the paper.  Take care and get well soon @Megan Pearson.  (Can't find a care emoji...but imagine one here.)


----------



## Taylor

Love @Megan Pearson's coin, "Accountability Partners."   Ok partners...here's my update:

After addressing suggestions from my editor, I was all set to send Profitline back for the final copy edit, but something was holding me back.  I sat on it for a week, and then realized the cause of my hesitance.  Originally, my only goal was to write and complete a novel.  No standards really.  Had feedback from 3 beta readers. No significant changes came from that...but....they were friends, not professionals.  The truth of the matter is, I had written one character throughout most of the book with the idea he would be involved in the crime.  But at some point, around Chapter 42, I decided not to implicate him.  I don't know if that was because it would have taken too much work to finish off that plotline, or because I just liked him too much...but that's what I did. I tried to justify his actions in a few sentences in the last chapter.  

Well... the first professional who read it called me out.  She gave me a full page on why the unresolved character motivation may weaken the book and a number of ideas for how to settle it.  I tried an easy fix...but the problem is now my standards have changed.  Sooo...I'm giving myself another week to fix this properly.  Not sure if you consider that "writing success" or not.  I'm not really feeling the "joy" part right now either.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Love @Megan Pearson's coin, "Accountability Partners."   Ok partners...here's my update:
> 
> After addressing suggestions from my editor, I was all set to send Profitline back for the final copy edit, but something was holding me back.  I sat on it for a week, and then realized the cause of my hesitance.  Originally, my only goal was to write and complete a novel.  No standards really.  Had feedback from 3 beta readers. No significant changes came from that...but....they were friends, not professionals.  The truth of the matter is, I had written one character throughout most of the book with the idea he would be involved in the crime.  But at some point, around Chapter 42, I decided not to implicate him.  I don't know if that was because it would have taken too much work to finish off that plotline, or because I just liked him too much...but that's what I did. I tried to justify his actions in a few sentences in the last chapter.
> 
> Well... the first professional who read it called me out.  She gave me a full page on why the unresolved character motivation may weaken the book and a number of ideas for how to settle it.  I tried an easy fix...but the problem is now my standards have changed.  Sooo...I'm giving myself another week to fix this properly.  Not sure if you consider that "writing success" or not.  I'm not really feeling the "joy" part right now either.


Definitely a writing success.
Putting your characters through tough times makes them real and your story authentic. To do otherwise is to write a fairy tale.


----------



## Parabola

Atmosphere is a writing trick that allows for "stock" characters to seem deeper than they are, especially in circumstances when the character is short-lived.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Only four hours today, reviewing first six chapters for causality. I'm very happy with a scene I added to humanize my antagonist. And I'm changing who commit the murder! It makes the story so much better. 

@Taylor I agree with @indianroads it's great to catch something that enriches your story. It just happened to me today. Onward & upward.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> I'm very happy with a scene I added to humanize my antagonist. And I'm changing who commit the murder! It makes the story so much better.


Good to know I'm not alone in nailing down the perpetrators!  We've got this!!


----------



## indianroads

I finished edit #6 of The Last Ride today, then rolled it into book format. More editing passes will come, but the MS is in good shape.
Now that I have the page count, I can finish the cover. 
The project is moving forward smoothly.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Taylor said:


> Not sure if you consider that "writing success" or not.  I'm not really feeling the "joy" part right now either.


Definitely a writing success, because you're moving forward with it in a strategic manner that will strengthen your work overall. 

Speaking about joy, ever wax a car by hand? Sometimes joy looks a lot more like suds and elbow grease, but before you know it, you'll be able to stand back and really take joy in what you've accomplished.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Made page 3 of paper 1. Been working on it 9 hrs. If it were fiction that might not sound like a lot (about 900 words) for the time invested, but with what I'm doing, it's a lot.

Figured out how much time I need: 4 hrs. per page (my usual speed, so I'm doing good!) x 24 pages (2 papers) = 96 hours. 
Now, deadlines are funny things. The second paper will be much easier to write, so, who knows? Maybe I'll hit both deadlines. But then again, maybe not. Found out we have some family stuff this week. As family comes before due dates, well, 2nd paper does have that soft deadline.

Hat change here. This has got me to thinking, should I employ my paper speed self-guideline to my fiction? I really don't know what that would look like, as I go by word count in my fiction and not pages, and the stages -- although similar in many respects -- have their own requirements. I already have a goal of re-writing this draft I've mentioned here before and finishing that by December. Well, come May I actually get to start working on it. I am thinking--in May--of setting aside a couple of days to loosely pencil in a writing schedule through the end of the year.


----------



## Parabola

I'm imagining writing in a consistently quiet environment.


----------



## Parabola

Writing a short story for a bit of a breather:

It's easy to lose the bird's eye view of the plot, suddenly finding yourself in a bamboo forest of details. I've written many, many short stories and can spot this happening pretty quickly.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> I'm imagining writing in a consistently quiet environment.


I hide in my upstairs office, which is known as the Dark Tower. It’s quiet there, and cats come to visit me.
My wife has her Quilting Palace, which takes up the entire basement.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I hide in my upstairs office, which is known as the Dark Tower. It’s quiet there, and cats come to visit me.
> My wife has her Quilting Palace, which takes up the entire basement.



Yeah I'm thinking I'll need either a tower, or a series of gopher-like tunnels.


----------



## Cephus

Parabola said:


> I'm imagining writing in a consistently quiet environment.


It's the only way I write. My office is quiet, no music, no distractions, I just sit down and get the words out.


----------



## PiP

Finally finished my contribution to the concert scene about 1100 words. IT was fun to watch as @VRanger edit a couple of sentences in what I call Jim's 'spit and polish'.

As for writing space, I have a 'creative room' with my PC and all my arts and crafts supplies. I also like quiet, no music or distractions. Unfortunately, I am evicted when the grandkids come to stay when it doubles as an extra bedroom.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> Finally finished my contribution to the concert scene about 1100 words. IT was fun to watch as @VRanger edited a couple of sentences.
> 
> As for writing space, I have a 'creative room' with my PC and all my arts and crafts supplies. I also like quiet, no music or distractions. Unfortunately, I am evicted when the grandkids come to stay when it doubles as an extra bedroom.


My grand kids know better than to enter Grump-pa's Dark Tower. They still make too much noise in the house, so I keep my door shut.


----------



## Parabola

Cephus said:


> It's the only way I write. My office is quiet, no music, no distractions, I just sit down and get the words out.



"No distractions" sounds like heaven tbh.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

A spare bedroom is my getaway spot, my writing cave. It has all the books I'm currently studying or researching (more books than the law ought to allow) along with my computer, my printer, and a couple of inspiring pieces of art. I have a small radio/cd player but never use it when I'm hot in the throes of serious creating. (I don't deal with distractions well.) My joy today is that I took a few minutes out to rough draft a prose poem about Prometheus. (That makes 34 poems I've so far written for the 30/30 challenge.) And last night I began seriously re-reading Fernando Pessoa's astounding and unclassifiable work titled The Book of Disquiet. I hope to one day write a prose poem about this amazing man and his work. It's the least I can do after experiencing his astounding genius. This book I'm re-reading is a perpetual work in progress. I also love it that it's unclassifiable. It's also frighteningly inspiring.


----------



## VRanger

While @PiP was finishing up a couple of scenes yesterday, I imported my scene notes from Scrivener into Plottr. It's a new feature in Plottr that needs some refinement, but even so it will help me go from my 195 scene cards in Scrivener to writing the scenes and deciding what goes in what Chapter in what order.

My scene cards contain not only scenes I write directly, but actions of the bad guys off stage, and being able to graphically organize them side by side with contemporary scenes I DO write will help.

I also have the scene notes headed with a number in Scrivener, so once I imported them into Plottr I need to add text after the number as a "scene title" in Plottr. PITA, but necessary. I did the first 70 of 195 last night, and went ahead and wrote most of the next scene, about 800 words. I have a couple of paragraphs to finish it, and I'm starting to get to some of the meat of the story now, half of which involves figuring out how to rid my MC of the spirits which can possess him. That introduces another character: a librarian who helps research who the spirits might be from clues they leave as they take over the MC.

I can go a bit further in writing, but I really need to finish the text titles for the rest of the scene notes and then drag them into plot lines and chapters ... one of the two main reasons for this data migration. That plus it's already easier to know which scene notes I've already written just by color coding the scenes in Plottr as I write one.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! I received my first promo blurb for the back of my soon-to-be-published book. It's beautiful! I'll say more when I'm free to say more. For now Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh pretty well sums up my feelings toward the writer of this wonderful blurb. That's my writing joy for the day, the week, the month, the year even! Omigosh!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours on chapter seven today and it was a slog. Sweet enuf chapter where my boy works harvest, meets a new friend and receives a letter from a great uncle he didn't know he had. I got tripped up on some technical stuff and went down a rabbit hole of research. Jiminy Cricket!
I might as well just become a vineyard owner after this book


----------



## indianroads

I completed the covers for the :
Hard back (case laminate in Amazon parlance)
Paper back
Kindle

Tomorrow I'll prep for the final series of edits.


----------



## Cephus

Parabola said:


> "No distractions" sounds like heaven tbh.


No, it's design. Of course, I'm old enough that my kids are grown and all I have to do is close the door and I'm alone.


----------



## Parabola

A stressful event knocked me off my rhythm and now I have a hard time jumping back into the novel. Still, started a short story today, which centers on one my usual morbid fascinations.


----------



## Parabola

Okay so I came up with another idea for short story. This one's called "I recently rediscovered my love of the Cheeto." 

It's about a guy who, just like the title suggests, recently rediscovers his love of Cheetos. He gets into a routine of having precisely four Cheetos every morning, while he contemplates life. It becomes a ritual. 

Then he comes up one morning to find his "supply" missing. The ritual is broken. 

Not sure what happens after that.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Okay so I came up with another idea for short story. This one's called "I recently rediscovered my love of the Cheeto."
> 
> It's about a guy who, just like the title suggests, recently rediscovers his love of Cheetos. He gets into a routine of having precisely four Cheetos every morning, while he contemplates life. It becomes a ritual.
> 
> Then he comes up one morning to find his "supply" missing. The ritual is broken.
> 
> Not sure what happens after that.


Orange fingers are a bummer.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours writing an additional chapter today. It likely needs a few passes. To restructure, I've placed scenes in my Parking Lot. This morning I was able to use several of them for this additional chapter. I'm stoked about making the story pop better.


----------



## Taylor

Here's my joy for today. And oh...what joy it is!  I solved my big plot issue for Profitline.  The loose end my editor had pointed out and I sat on for over two weeks.

It occurred to me while working my way through various options, the plotline did not have any holes at all.  In fact, it was tight and complete all along.  The problem was that I gave all the hints but just never did the reveal.  So I found two places to set up the disclosure and then TA DA -- the unveiling occurs in the last chapter.  Just like butter!!


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Orange fingers are a bummer.



Or a snack for later. 

---

Did some writing on cemetery short story. It's my favorite setting for a horror-ish tale, and with this one I have to choose from a few plotlines. Honestly though since it's a setting I've used frequently, I want to shake things up.


----------



## Ajoy

First of all, I'm working on chapter 22 of my WIP this week, so yay for that... approaching act three (in about five chapters). My end keeps pushing out by a few chapters as I write, but that's good. Originally, I was worried about being under word count because I couldn't see the part I'm writing now very clearly, so I'm happy to see that word count fleshing out (but not going over).

Secondly, I played host/emcee at a school event on Friday that included a couple hundred 10-12 year olds and many parents. It went so smoothly! It was a speech contest, so at the intermission (for the judges and contestants), I told one of my short stories aloud to uproarious laughter, which was a delight. I've pulled the story out a couple of other times, but the crowd this year was especially entertained. That was such a fun event!

Finally, I got two new computers in about as many days. I finally got a computer on Saturday for my novel writing alone--feeling very happy about that! Then on Monday, work replaced my computer with a brand new one because it had taken some damage after the event on Friday (in a clean-up mishap), making it very difficult to use.


----------



## Ajoy

Taylor said:


> Here's my joy for today. And oh...what joy it is!  I solved my big plot issue for Profitline.  The loose end my editor had pointed out and I sat on for over two weeks.
> 
> It occurred to me while working my way through various options, the plotline did not have any holes at all.  In fact, it was tight and complete all along.  The problem was that I gave all the hints but just never did the reveal.  So I found two places to set up the disclosure and then TA DA -- the unveiling occurs in the last chapter.  Just like butter!!


That's awesome! As always, I enjoy following your process of working with an editor. It's fun to read about your developmental edits (and relatable).


----------



## Ajoy

Parabola said:


> I'm imagining writing in a consistently quiet environment.


I went the opposite direction and sit in the room with everyone else with my headphones on. I've taught them they have to wave their arm in my face if they don't want to be ignored. Or if I'm half involving myself in family and half writing, I do one headphone on, on off.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours on chapters six to nine. Lots of work left to do on these, but it's coming. I've taken most everything out of narration and put it into real time. I feel like the 2nd half of book will be made all the stronger with crystal clear MC goal in first half.


----------



## Parabola

With cemetery short story, a random mental image handed me the basic skeleton of a plot. Primarily focuses on two characters, one predatory, one who is easily exploited.

On "random mental image" it's actually a minor plot point, an item, but sometimes the plot comes to me by focusing on a very minor detail, usually something phosphorescent/surreal.

Also one of my favorite writing tasks: coming up with mythology (usually isn't intentional, just sort of happens).


----------



## Parabola

Many "authentic" characters seem sort of agenda-y. Think Archie Bunker but modernized (though authenticity as a moralism really isn't confined to one ideology).


----------



## PiP

Finally finished my scene stub in Chapter 20 ready for Jim to work his editing magic. For some reason, I found it a tough scene to write and with about 100 revisions @VRanger will be glad to move on to the final chapter where we will write the dialogue interactively.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just three hours today. I wanted to write revisions to chapter 10, but ended up beefing 6-9 and fixing a through line for my MC'a inner conflict.


----------



## Taylor

500 words towards fixing Bruce.   Every time someone asks me how I'm doing...I say, "I'm fixing Bruce."  I suspect he won't be fully fixed until Monday.  So I'll be with Bruce for the long weekend!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> 500 words towards fixing Bruce.   Every time someone asks me how I'm doing...I say, "I'm fixing Bruce."  I suspect he won't be fully fixed until Monday.  So I'll be with Bruce for the long weekend!


So... is Bruce being neutered? (_*Fixing*_ is the word we use for that down here in the USA).

I'm about half way through edit #7 of the Last Ride. It's going well, and I'm looking at the possibility of a May release.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> So... is Bruce being neutered? (_*Fixing*_ is the word we use for that down here in the USA).


Haha...no... He just needs a LOT of attention.  I even told my husband I'm spending the weekend with Bruce...and he's ok with it...lol!


----------



## Parabola

Should have enough energy to finish first draft of cemetery story tomorrow. Thinking about the mythology behind it etc, and debating how much I want it revealed to the "reader" vs. being a thing behind the scenes.


----------



## Llyralen

I found out today through sharing 2 scenes that my readers can feel the underlying thing that I feel about my story.  If I relish a scene, they relish the scene.  If I am writing it just to “get through it” they can tell.  Even if I think I was “getting through it” cleverly and quickly, they want scenes to treasure, not scenes I got through quickly.  Readers don’t mind taking time on the things I like taking time on.   This is all a revelation to me.  Usually if I feel too much for a scene, I worry people will find it too sweet or over the top— this was not the case.  They took it exactly how I felt it.  I didn’t know that existed. I always think of the writer having to “craft” these feelings for the reader and be 2 steps ahead, like a magician.  I did not know I can just share what I feel and have it all be felt.  Honestly this taught me a lot today.  It’s not as hard to craft feelings as I was making it out to be.


----------



## Parabola

My MC is developing a harebrained idea that it's okay to languish in the ninth circle while shooting for the stars.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours on chapters one though ten. Today I used colored markers to write scenes on 8X11.5 sheets of paper to map out even plot lines and consistent MC motivation. Spreadsheets don't work for me. I need to see it all on a wall like a detective's crime board. I'm very happy with improvements. Can't wait to write tomorrow but now, I gotta ready for family supper.


----------



## Parabola

I have a ton of ideas to sort through.


----------



## indianroads

26 chapters deep in Edit #7 - three more chapters to go, so I should have it done by tomorrow evening.
Still more to do though, I catch more every time I go through it, but my discoveries are becoming trivial / personal preference. 
My goal was to publish it in June, but if things continue to go well, I may get it out in May.


----------



## Parabola

Certain days remind me why I'm telling a specific story. Anxiety and stressful experiences take out chunks of well-being, at least basing a narrative around that gives it a larger meaning.


----------



## indianroads

The seventh edit of the Last Ride is complete - story only word count is down to 90028, right where I wanted it to be. With front and back matter included it sits at 90414. The MS is in good shape, but I want to go through it a couple more times.


----------



## PrairieHostage

8 hours on chapter 10 and structured my novel into five parts. Also broke up some chapters towards the end of the book.


----------



## PrairieHostage

7 hours finishing chapter 10 and writing chapter 11. Dug out some gold today. I hope to tackle chapter 12 tomorrow.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm pleased because today I wrote a 400-word story about an incident in my childhood. (I belong to a practice group where a prompt is posted each week and we all create a new piece from the prompt instructions.) I enjoy creating short-short stories. They're almost as challenging to write as poems.


----------



## Ajoy

PrairieHostage said:


> 7 hours finishing chapter 10 and writing chapter 11. Dug out some gold today. I hope to tackle chapter 12 tomorrow.


You've been getting in some great writing time and progress! That's awesome.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Ajoy said:


> You've been getting in some great writing time and progress! That's awesome.


Thanks, I sometimes wonder what I'll do when this is all behind me. Write another one? Maybe go to Italy first


----------



## Ajoy

I finished chapter 22 over the weekend and rewrote my outline for the remaining chapters since the plan has altered as I've written and characters have done what my characters like to do. It sits at 54K now and will come in at 70K according to the latest outline. That's about 10K short of the target word count for the genre, but I already see places where developmental edits will add enough to bring it in closer to the right place (draft 2 problems).  

I also got to spend $400 on new books for my classroom this weekend because of a grant that I'd gotten this year. That was fun to walk out of the book store with two heavy bags of new middle grade novels. Okay, that's a reading success, but I got a new lap desk that I'm using NOW to write this while I was there. lol


----------



## Ajoy

PrairieHostage said:


> Thanks, I sometimes wonder what I'll do when this is all behind me. Write another one? Maybe go to Italy first


Both, of course!


----------



## Parabola

Read through what I have so far of cemetery story, and I only have another page or two to go before the first draft is finished. After that, I might complete another short story or two, then go back to novel. A few more ideas came down the pipeline, so why not?


----------



## Parabola

MC can't see forest for the trees because he set the forest on fire.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Six hours on Chapter 12 to 16. I'll have less revisions from here on in. Today I split two chapters in two. 5-7 page maximum for young readers. I'm amazed at still feeling emotion after so many passes, but chapters 13-16 have the most emotional content, until the end.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> I'm amazed at still feeling emotion after so many passes...


That's the sign of a good story!


----------



## Megan Pearson

About the paper which I had so much trouble starting? The professor asked to keep a copy of it.


----------



## Taylor

Megan Pearson said:


> About the paper which I had so much trouble starting? The professor asked to keep a copy of it.


You're a genius girl!!


----------



## Megan Pearson

Taylor said:


> You're a genius girl!!


I wouldn't go that far, but thanks! First time that's ever happened!


----------



## Parabola

There's a kind of interesting character to write who automatically becomes morose when no other character is around. It's like playing the sims, but the writing version. Maybe I'll make him neurotically soil himself at the end (would that be considered a plot twist?)


----------



## Parabola

I'm not a religious man, but I have a ton of mini bibles on my PC for TV shows.


----------



## PrairieHostage

8 hours on chapters 16-19. Some restructuring work is required in 19 which I'll tackle tonight at a two hour write-in with my guild.


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday, I reworked the blurb for the Last Ride and started in on the eighth edit. Today I did some martial art training in the morning, then continued with the edits.

My process is to do a lot of editing passes, each looking at a specific aspect of the story / writing, then a few final passes to even everything out. I’m in those last phases now. It’s looking good and is almost ready to go.


----------



## Parabola

When writing something, occasionally I'll give hints of a broader world without filling in the details. This helps to create an extra layer of intrigue because it's another reason for the reader to be invested in the story. It could be a mist-filled garden glimpsed beyond a window, or entities with strange abilities that have a hidden logic to them but aren't always presented in a way that lets someone figure out what's going on.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Almost six hours on chapters 19-21, the last of which is getting a full rewrite. Hoping to finish it tomorrow and do 22-24 over the weekend.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Four hours on chapter twenty one. Hope I'm not writing myself into a corner by changing my antagonist's journey. My evaluating author said even antag's are the hero of their own story so I'm trying to have him attempt to change his ways ... before he's found out in the end. A beta reader said nooooo, keep him as nasty as you had him. She loved to hate him. But I think nuance to an antag is the way to go. Here's hoping


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> But I think nuance to an antag is the way to go. Here's hoping


I agree wholeheartedly!  Go for it!!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I finished an essay that's been difficult to write. It's a close look at Ron Carlson's "The Tablecloth of Turin." This story is great fun, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. At the same time, it also brings up serious questions about how we might go about establishing our beliefs or truths. If you get the chance to read the story, you'll be glad you read it. Oh, how I wish I could write like Carlson. But for now, I'm happy I finally finished the essay. I've been struggling with it for several days.


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> I agree wholeheartedly!  Go for it!!



I love nuanced antags! They make me much more invested in the story than I would be otherwise.


----------



## K.I.Edward

I go into my office once or twice a week. Today while driving in, I figured out how I want the climax of my current writing project to begin, something I was having problems with and ultimately came up with a working title better that Untitled#4.
On the down side, I missed my exit because of the epiphany.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are stumbling to the finish line. Between me going on vacation, then getting sick while on vacation (not COVID but a not-very-fun virus that had Betty and I feverish and sub-par for a week), we didn't get through when we'd thought we might.

However, PiP continued gamely on filling in some missing scenes, and I finally rallied for a couple of late scenes of my own.  This afternoon and evening PiP finished a scene we needed for the romance and I added some slapstick to it. PiP has also written some material we've decided to move back to Book 3, so informally we've started that volume. LOL

So we still have just the last scene to write, and it's a short one ... the last scene in the book. We WILL finish that tomorrow.

I just caught up on my scene-by-scene list in a spreadsheet, and we're officially at 94,050 words, with around a thousand (more or less) to add with the last scene.

I also wrote up some notes for our Book 3 plot, PiP approved the ideas and started adding to them. Book 2 ends two weeks before Christmas, and Book 3 will be a Christmas story ... though with the problems I suggested for our characters in the notes, it won't be a gooey-sweet Christmas season for the three poor sets of lovers. LOL We've come up with a sub-plot which should frustrate and infuriate readers from early on and right through to the end of the book.


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> I also wrote up some notes for our Book 3 plot, PiP approved the ideas and started adding to them. Book 2 ends two weeks before Christmas, and Book 3 will be a Christmas story ... though with the problems I suggested for our characters in the notes, it won't be a gooey-sweet Christmas season for the three poor sets of lovers. LOL We've come up with a sub-plot which should frustrate and infuriate readers from early on and right through to the end of the book.



Congrats on starting Book 3.  You and @PiP  are a writing machine!!!


----------



## indianroads

I took on the challenge of writing my WIP (The Last Ride) because it would be a challenge. The novel is a different genre than I usually write and has a very complex plot (that has to be written so it's easy to follow).

Well, it has exceeded my expectations.

Currently, I'm working through the eighth editing pass, and still finding errors. Today I came across a portion of the MC's back story that is out of place, and I have only a vague idea of where it should go. I have six more chapters to go in this edit, and believe I can find a place for it in the next couple of chapters... the scene has to be near the end of the story so I'm hopeful regarding finding it a home.

Definitely on the plus side of this struggle is the fact that I'm learning A LOT about plotting and structure. Oddly, I'm grateful for these errors because through them I'm growing as a writer.


----------



## Parabola

Leaning on personality theory a bit here, but there's a certain kind of "feeler" that tends to be snarky and status obsessed. How I loathe this type, and I usually end up doing bad things to them in whatever story I'm writing.

Anyway, the one myth I don't like is the fact that feelers are somehow more morally and ethically sound than the detached thinkery types. I'm not necessarily judging them for being questionable in this area, more like based on my observations that myth shouldn't greased into reality "just because."


----------



## indianroads

@Parabola I think we’ve all known someone like that. A friend from long ago used to call them _*holier than thou sadists.*_


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> @Parabola I think we’ve all known someone like that. A friend from long ago used to call them _*holier than thou sadists.*_



Haha, nice way to label them. I think what gets me though is how they are seen as morally superior to the detached types simply because they are "emotional." So how I guess how this relates to writing characters is that I'm deciding how far to lean into that stereotype. But making them authentic is probably the best way to go.


----------



## Foxee

I wrote a long post and firebombed it because it was too long-winded. Here's the short version.

Decided to write a children's book (I often like talking to kids more than to their parents, I'm trained as an artist, I like writing short pieces) after years and years of fighting the idea.

Learning fast as I can. Sketching. Character-concepting. And...I need to write the story now that I know what I'm writing about. Watching a you tube channel (Jules Marriner) that has a lot of really good meaty info on writing, illustrating, and publishing.

Life keeps trying to take up all my creative air with things that are NOT creative but since life is not going to stop doing that, I'm going to keep fighting for it.

I would have posted a picture of my first character concepts but I'd have to host it online and link it so...no. Just not enough time. You'll have to see it later.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I wrote the last scene as planned today. 

I had inaccurate counts on some scenes for my last post. A few scenes had material added to them I hadn't updated in the word count yet. We finish the first draft of Poet Lariat II with 97349 words ... about 12K more than PL I.

We wrote the last scene interactively, which we did less in this book than the first, so it was appropriate we get such a scene in.


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> @PiP and I wrote the last scene as planned today.
> 
> I had inaccurate counts on some scenes for my last post. A few scenes had material added to them I hadn't updated in the word count yet. We finish the first draft of Poet Lariat II with 97349 words ... about 12K more than PL I.
> 
> We wrote the last scene interactively, which we did less in this book than the first, so it was appropriate we get such a scene in.


CONGRATULATIONS!!!    To you and @PiP


----------



## Parabola

Might write something tomorrow morning, too sleep deprived atm. Despite some goals I've set with longer stuff, I'm finding I'm only interested in writing shorts, works that are flash fiction-y. Still want to get back to novel/longer stuff at some point.


----------



## Parabola

Seems I'm still firmly set in "horror mode" but want to try something with emphasis on surreal imagery.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> We wrote the last scene interactively, which we did less in this book than the first, so it was appropriate we get such a scene in.


LoL ... yep.  that was a must 
And we finished ahead of schedule


----------



## Taylor

Just finished reading a 17-page report called _"Moral Hazard and the US Stock market analysing the 'Greenspan Put'."  _About the precursor to the 2001 S&P crash, and written by a bunch of international bankers.  I will use it as the basis for my argument between father and daughter about Adam Smith's invisible hand theory.

I am so in love with the theme of this book!   How economics shape ethical breaches that cause financial downfalls in society.   But it's a challenging one to write.  I want to add enough that the reader learns something, but not bore them by being too pedantic.  My goal is to link societal actions to the mindset of an individual.

I will have to control myself from researching the heck out of it first!  My challenge will be to find just the pertinent facts and not use the research as a method for procrastination.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Just finished reading a 17-page report called _"Moral Hazard and the US Stock market analysing the 'Greenspan Put'."  _About the precursor to the 2001 S&P crash, and written by a bunch of international bankers.  I will use it as the basis for my argument between father and daughter about Adam Smith's invisible hand theory.
> 
> I am so in love with the theme of this book!   How economics shape ethical breaches that cause financial downfalls in society.   But it's a challenging one to write.  I want to add enough that the reader learns something, but not bore them by being too pedantic.  My goal is to link societal actions to the mindset of an individual.
> 
> I will have to control myself from researching the heck out of it first!  My challenge will be to find just the pertinent facts and not use the research as a method for procrastination.


Only by challenging ourselves can we grow.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Four hours yesterday and four today to revise chapters twenty two - twenty four. Just about to the finish line of this exercise. Then onto a couple more passes for other fixes


----------



## indianroads

Just finished the eighth edit of The Last Ride. The story is in good shape, but I still want to check a few things, and will trace plot threads through the work to be sure they all connect as they should. 

The Pikes Peak Writers Guild meets tonight, that should be fun.


----------



## PiP

Now following along behind @VRanger PL2 to check for SPaGs and plotholes. It's the first time I've read the book as a complete story LoL and I'm enjoying it. I keep forgetting to check the text!


----------



## Llyralen

Taylor said:


> Just finished reading a 17-page report called _"Moral Hazard and the US Stock market analysing the 'Greenspan Put'."  _About the precursor to the 2001 S&P crash, and written by a bunch of international bankers.  I will use it as the basis for my argument between father and daughter about Adam Smith's invisible hand theory.
> 
> I am so in love with the theme of this book!   How economics shape ethical breaches that cause financial downfalls in society.   But it's a challenging one to write.  I want to add enough that the reader learns something, but not bore them by being too pedantic.  My goal is to link societal actions to the mindset of an individual.
> 
> I will have to control myself from researching the heck out of it first!  My challenge will be to find just the pertinent facts and not use the research as a method for procrastination.


WF said you tagged me on this one, Taylor. Lol. Why should you worry about this? You’re not me who is Ms. Process-Over-Product. By the way, I don’t research to procrastinate writing (why would I?), I research to make life more enriching and to be myself, pursuing accuracy and understanding and sympathy.  Knowledge is it’s own reward. Who wants to know the stuff that I know more than myself?  No one. So there is no waste in any of it.


----------



## VRanger

I've spent all day in editing. I'm editing PL2 in addition to a manuscript by another of our authors. I'm flipping back and forth ... a chapter of PL2 and then two chapters of the other manuscript ... which has more but shorter chapters. It will work out about evenly in the end, though PL2 has 20K more words. This is helpful, since I don't get too deep into either story before switching, and not getting deeply involved in the story is integral to successful editing.

Even so, I'm going through PL2 material I haven't seen in weeks, and as @PiP mentioned above, having fun revisiting it. That cuts down on my editing/proofing efficiency ... but after this pass it will go into my app for my random sentence proofing, which puts a stop to being interested in the story as I edit. Also, I've already been over most of the scenes in PL2 a few times as they were written, so it's already beyond First Draft stage, which helps.


----------



## Henri IV

hi there, nothing written today, but i joined yesterday a writing club IRL, i'm French, Angers, France.
Hope i will ramp up my english too by joining this forum! I write in french obviously. Take care


----------



## Ajoy

I finished two chapters this weekend! Chapter 23 was 2500 words and chapter 24 was 2800 words and marks the break into the third act. It's sitting right at 60K words total right now. I'm traveling next weekend so I probably won't be as productive, but I hope to get one chapter finished over the week instead. Getting so close, it's hard to not have all the time I want to just finish it up!!


----------



## Taylor

Llyralen said:


> By the way, I don’t research to procrastinate writing (why would I?),


I was speaking of myself not you.    That's why I removed the tag...I didn't want you to think that.      I only thought you would find the post interesting...hope you did!


----------



## Parabola

Not sure why I'm always subconsciously including trickster gods in the stuff I write. 

"It appears you've entered a Faustian bargain. Your quaint 90s morality won't save you now!"

They're basically Q from Star Trek.


----------



## K.I.Edward

Parabola said:


> Not sure why I'm always subconsciously including trickster gods in the stuff I write.
> 
> "It appears you've entered a Faustian bargain. Your quaint 90s morality won't save you now!"
> 
> They're basically Q from Star Trek.


I once battled the actor that played Q in a trivia challenge.


----------



## Taylor

Writing is not always writing.  I watched a plethora of videos on Adam Smith and then started reading, _The Theory of Moral Sentiments.   _

I will build my next story on the concepts of the Free Market.  Tons of juicy morsels for conflict!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours today to read the manuscript, then revise chapter twenty five. 

I've got a Pomo artist reading excerpts to ensure cultural accuracy. 

There is one aspect in my story about a Mexican cartel moving operations to northern Cali to blend in amongst legalized cannabis operations. I don't need cultural sensitivity readers for that. Any law enforcement in northern Cali says it's become like the wild west, as illegal operators strive to ease distribution challenges by hiding in plain sight. Topic of my next book will likely be my MC's best friend solving a murder mystery. Sadly, plenty of murders every year in real life.


----------



## Cephus

Another 7k day, finished a big prison escape sequence and am now starting chapter 26 of 31.


----------



## Parabola

I'm getting into a somber frame of mind again, will probably write something in the morning when everything's quiet.


----------



## Riptide

I'm so motivated by my newest story. Can't even go back to the earlier chapter to revise, which used to be such a fun thing to do. I'm so excited for each new scene, it's crazy. I almost can't stop talking about it and all the cool things I have planned for it.


----------



## K.I.Edward

Actually only wrote 300 words today. But I perseverated about it for hours. In the end, I’m happy with the result, but eff me, that was a tough 300 words.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm happy to say that today I rough-drafted a 500-word story. It was a struggle to write because the subject's rather morbid and I tried to change that perception a bit. I ran it by a friend and it went over well. One day soon I'll work on polishing it and then have it formally critiqued by my critique group. I'm always happy for a rough draft that has potential.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Three hours on end chapters and I added a little scene for my antag. Ending will get lots of love.

I read a bit in a YA called Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Meh. I dunno. It's touted as a YA blockbuster and I'm so whatfuggenEVER. Two page chapters, entire pages of insipid dialogue. I despair. 

My YA will find a home in the publishing world even if I have to skip genres. Chrysalids is assigned reading in grade nine. Wyndham didn't write it for babies or dumb it down. 
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi is the closest YA I've read to mine. Mature themes, no bubblegum baby talk. I march on.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My success today is one that has me almost ecstatic. For the past few weeks I've been conducting an interview with a highly talented writer. I got the last Q & A response a little while ago and the interview is even *better* than I imagined it might be! I knew it would turn out terrific because I knew who I was dealing with, but it turned out to be extraordinary.  As soon as it's published in the magazine where I've arranged for my interviewee to be the featured writer, I'll post when and where.  Happy, happy, happy! No, downright ecstatic.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours on end chapters. Good progress.

First, it was a comedy of errors this morning. I'd written all my scenes on paper with color markers and taped them to a wall to get a visual. I didn't know how to analyze and interpret and it started falling down so I threw it all out. Gonna use a spreadsheet instead. Sigh.

Then I cleaned my chromebook and must have hit some button because the backspace went mental in Google Docs and erased two chapters oh joy. Shut down and restart and luckily I retrieved an older version in Google Docs.

All the pain is worth it. Right? RIGHT??!!


----------



## Envy123

My childhood fantasy story is finally becoming at least a somewhat proper story, this time round, instead of the plot-hole-ridden mess that I wrote as a kid. On the 3rd chapter of my first draft.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote a short to remind me of current novel's vibe. Maybe it'll get me back into the swing of things, with any luck. Didn't think it would apply to MC directly, but in a way it does. He isn't a naive gamer anymore. That's for sure.


----------



## Parabola

Revised the short, and finally got back to writing novel. Felt good to re-enter the world and mess around with the characters. Honestly didn't want to be away so long that I lost "the thread."


----------



## indianroads

I'm now 22 chapters deep in the 9th edit of the Last Ride. It's difficult because I'm deliberately causing confusion for the reader (sort of like a mystery story) because I want them to not only wonder what will happen in the end, but also have theories of their own about what's going on. My inner editor wants to straighten that out so it seems obvious the entire way, so I force myself to leave things in a state where the source of their problems could be this, this, this, or this - which leaves me unsettled, and I think that the reader should feel that way too.

The process is going well. I was going to stop at 10 edits, but will now stretch it to 11. Release should still happen in (early) June.


----------



## Envy123

I'm at 10k words in my first draft already. This is halfway through my outline, though, so I will definitely need to add more scenes in between. But even then, I'm glad I waited to attempt it properly.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I each finished our initial readthrough of PL2. Last night I loaded it into ProofAide and got to 44% in the proofreading process.


----------



## Parabola

Managed to write another sizable installment in WIP. Fingers crossed etc, but it feels like I'm back on track.


----------



## Taylor

After weeks of what seemed like a stall on my WIP, I realized I was just ruminating on the research.  I remember this from last time...for me, it has to sink in and then manifest into a story.   So stoked with what I've come up with.  Plot one will be the actions of the government that enabled the banking crisis in 2008.  Plot two will be the decline of North American apparel manufacturing as disposable clothes from Asia sweep the market.  

How will you tie these very different plots together you ask?    The overarching theme will be based on Adam Smith's Invisible Hand Theory.  The point is that when he introduced the theory that governments should stay out of business as a free market of competition would self-regulate, it was pre-globalization.  When the theory is applied in a world market it goes against his belief that:  

_"Man naturally desires, not only to be loved but to be lovely."  _

Why?  Because in order for both of these events to have happened, those that are *loved*, (people who became rich from it) were not *lovely* (lack of morality and human rights)  

And somehow sharing it with you guys makes it all the more real.  My non-writing friends would never understand the excitement of conceiving a new story.


----------



## VRanger

I finished the ProofAide process tonight. Out of 8778 sentences in the book, it turned out I only edited 316. Big relief.  So the 316 is round two tomorrow, after three days of round one.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Writing success: wrestled with pagination for fifteen minutes or so before I figured out how to turn it off. Not sure how I triggered it, but it neatly inserted a blank page between the subtitle and the text throughout my whole document. 

Whoops!

It's good to arm wrestle with the pagination monster once in a while and make sure all your orphans are neatly tucked away.


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday I judged and played referee at an open Karate tournament, then came home an started in on the edits of the last 2 chapters of The Last Ride. I've decided to rework the last half of the last chapter for clarity - so that's where I am today.


----------



## VRanger

I finished the review of the 316 edits, which resulted in 24 2nd generation edits, and two 3rd generation edits ... so now all done with ProofAide for this novel. That's always a relief, because while examining each sentence in ProofAide is critical to cleaning up the copy (notice I found 316 additional edits _after _@PiP and I _BOTH _had gone straight through it in editing), using ProofAide is strictly a WORK process. It's not fun, but it's the kind of thing an author does if they want to produce professional quality prose for publication. I only found a few typos, but a lot of punctuation adjustments that would have been embarrassing to let slip through, and which are simply hard to see in the middle of paragraphs when you read straight through.

During the proofread, I came up with 12 issues I couldn't solve in ProofAide, so I made notes and have addressed 9 of them in my new docx revision. I need to discuss three of them with PiP before I make changes to those.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Four hours on end chapters. Restructuring and adding or improving scenes.


----------



## indianroads

Finished edit #9 of The Last Ride, the changes to the last chapter were minimal, and I think it reads a lot better now.
ONE (hopefully) more edit just to be sure it comes across right.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm excited about my writing success for the day. Super excitedI No, I'm super super excited! Some while ago I wrote to a well-known editor and asked if he would write a recommendation blurb for the back of my book. I heard nothing in response and figured he wasn't interested. But I was wrong! I just now got my answer. He wants to do it! I'm so lucky! 

I got a note today, too, from another editor who also agreed to write a recommendation blurb for my book.  She agreed a few weeks ago but I heard nothing more (and I assumed it was a "no, thanks" response). But I heard from her this morning and it turns out she merely forgot and she says she'll catch up with a blurb for me soon. 

It means so much to have these editors recommending my book. Things are comin' up roses right now."-D


----------



## Envy123

I'm on 14k words now on my first draft and getting closer to the end of the current outline. I think I know the issues that are in the current draft, and those are moving too quickly at certain points and not introducing certain characters properly. Then, I can add more descriptions like certain novels I'm reading now. After that, I'm going to seek feedback to see what could be added or improved.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Now that I have a third draft, I'm going back to chart scene *purpose*, MC's *goal* (future) and *motivation* (past) and causality "*and so*" to ensure next scene logically flows.
Three hours on first six chapters. I color coded motivation in my spreadsheet so it's easier to read. It may seem overkill, but I have time. I'm loving the improvements. Should be done by Friday, then I'll make another pass through the manuscript for prose.


----------



## KatPC

Hello everyone.

It seems like a long time since so I'm very happy to say hello to everyone and join in some chats again. 

Things has been quite rough of late. I forced myself to quit writing as life overwhelmed. I have only tentatively returned to reading and opened my short stories folder last week - they are all starts. Restarts are always tough I find. The absence gave me time to reflect of what writing is, my relationship with it and all the trappings of expectations, goals, wants and needs, so this hello is one of those big first small steps.

I look to reengage, be friendly and helpful member and hopefully find my writing voice again and start creating new stories soon.

Hope you all have been well.


----------



## Taylor

KatPC said:


> Hello everyone.
> 
> It seems like a long time since so I'm very happy to say hello to everyone and join in some chats again.
> 
> Things has been quite rough of late. I forced myself to quit writing as life overwhelmed. I have only tentatively returned to reading and opened my short stories folder last week - they are all starts. Restarts are always tough I find. The absence gave me time to reflect of what writing is, my relationship with it and all the trappings of expectations, goals, wants and needs, so this hello is one of those big first small steps.
> 
> I look to reengage, be friendly and helpful member and hopefully find my writing voice again and start creating new stories soon.
> 
> Hope you all have been well.


Everyone needs a break now and again...  Welcome back @KatPC!   We missed you!!


----------



## Megan Pearson

Well, turned in the last paper I will ever write for my M.A. today. 

Whew!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Megan Pearson said:


> Well, turned in the last paper I will ever write for my M.A. today.
> 
> Whew!


Congratulations


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> Now that I have a third draft, I'm going back to chart scene *purpose*, MC's *goal* (future) and *motivation* (past) and causality "*and so*" to ensure next scene logically flows.
> Three hours on first six chapters. I color coded motivation in my spreadsheet so it's easier to read. It may seem overkill, but I have time. I'm loving the improvements. Should be done by Friday, then I'll make another pass through the manuscript for prose.


Everyone works differently, but it's been my experience that the more I plan ahead, the easier the project goes.
For writing, there are several layers of plots I go through + character profiles for the MC's and even the lesser players as the world they live in comes into focus. I let the ideas build up, the story grows as details fill in the blanks. Certainty and clarity increase, pressure builds and characters get anxious, until finally the weight of it drives me to begin the writing.


----------



## Riptide

Just hit 30k on my Undead wip. Might post it since I'm burnt out on continuing it. Maintained a solid 1k a day flow for a the last 15 days. I feel the mental block forming, though, even if I am loving what's about to happen


----------



## PrairieHostage

Charted next six chapters. Went for a two hour walk today. So nice.


----------



## indianroads

Worked on the blurb for The Last Ride today, considering my next move. The lady I trust to do the final read through is in the hospital, so that will fall on me. I’ll wait a couple days then do it myself, following the list she gave me, and hope for the best.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Not so much a joy as a resignation. The work I've given myself by trying to use different words and syntax per POV, is just well beyond my natural abilities right now. I can do it but it's a hell of a strain. So, I've decided (I think ...) to use a straightforward POV switch and simply use thoughts and all five senses to keep the POV consistent. That way I can concentrate on one style and one voice rather than constantly confusing the hell out of myself. I'm not happy about it but when you're not good enough, you're not good enough. 

... Either that or write it all in one style/voice and adjust later. That's if I'm not sick of the sight of it by then.


----------



## Taylor

TheMightyAz said:


> Not so much a joy as a resignation. The work I've given myself by trying to use different words and syntax per POV, is just well beyond my natural abilities right now. I can do it but it's a hell of a strain.



It sounds very challenging but interesting.  What if  you were to write a few paragraphs -- not part of your WIP -- on each POV exactly as you would like it to be in the novel?  Read it like an etude just before you write that POV.  Then put it away and don't try to write like that...just write.  Perhaps some of what you're trying to do will happen intuitively without you analyzing so much as you are drafting your novel.    

Just writing anything is hard ...but it needs to flow naturally.  IMO.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Taylor said:


> It sounds very challenging but interesting.  What if  you were to write a few paragraphs -- not part of your WIP -- on each POV exactly as you would like it to be in the novel?  Read it like an etude just before you write that POV.  Then put it away and don't try to write like that...just write.  Perhaps some of what you're trying to do will happen intuitively without you analyzing so much as you are drafting your novel.
> 
> Just writing anything is hard ...but it needs to flow naturally.  IMO.


Naaa, I've got too much going on in my head and need to simplify. Many many writers just write POVs in the same voice/style and rely on the senses, thoughts and information only those characters would know to differentiate the POVs. What I'm trying is too advanced right now. It's possible and I've done it, as I said, but it really is a step too far, at least right now. There's pushing and then there's torturing! I'm already picky with my voice/style and it adds an extra layer of difficulty I can actually do without. First I need to nail the style/voice I've been working on and make sure it becomes automatic. Then, perhaps at a later date, up my game further.


----------



## Ajoy

TheMightyAz said:


> ... Either that or write it all in one style/voice and adjust later. That's if I'm not sick of the sight of it by then.


If you let it rest for a bit in between drafts, it seems like working with the words and syntax for your different POVs could be fun...but then again, I enjoy revision more than drafting.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Ajoy said:


> If you let it rest for a bit in between drafts, it seems like working with the words and syntax for your different POVs could be fun...but then again, I enjoy revision more than drafting.


I think the biggest problem is I don't actually know my characters well enough right now, making any word choices or syntax decisions arbitrary. Imagine if I did it through the whole novel (along with developing the general style/voice) and then discovered by journeys end, one or more of the characters had changed from what I'd originally decided. Not only would I then have to make sure the general style/voice was consistent, I would have to go through and rewrite however many POV styles/voices I'd already established. 

Nightmare inducing!


----------



## Ajoy

TheMightyAz said:


> I think the biggest problem is I don't actually know my characters well enough right now, making any word choices or syntax decisions arbitrary. Imagine if I did it through the whole novel (along with developing the general style/voice) and then discovered by journeys end, one or more of the characters had changed from what I'd originally decided. Not only would I then have to make sure the general style/voice was consistent, I would have to go through and rewrite however many POV styles/voices I'd already established.
> 
> Nightmare inducing!


I meant to agree with you ignoring it on your first draft. By draft two, after a bit of a break, you'll know your characters and can have decided on the words and syntax you want to use to adjust. : )


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Ajoy said:


> I meant to agree with you ignoring it on your first draft. By draft two, after a bit of a break, you'll know your characters and can have decided on the words and syntax you want to use to adjust. : )


At least things are looking more positive again. Here I am, at 4:43 in the morning, and sentences from my yet to be written chapter are running unimpeded through my head. Now I just have to solve insomnia!


----------



## Megan Pearson

TheMightyAz said:


> ... Either that or write it all in one style/voice and adjust later. That's if I'm not sick of the sight of it by then.



Is it something you can work up to? Maybe, go for the adjust later plan now, yet while shoring up the weak spot in your ability to carry out the vision you had?


----------



## indianroads

Hello, my name is Indy Rhodes, and I'm a plotter.
Aside from the plot, which admittedly is overly detailed, I write character profiles.
Character profiles include favored words / phrases, mannerisms, and emotional cues (blushing etc). They also contain speech samples, and short dialogues. 
ALSO, political leanings and world view - mostly used in internal dialogue. 
The process of creating their profile is like getting to know someone. They come alive in your mind.

Admittedly, I'm from Tralfamadore - so what works for me will only work with my fellow Tralfamadorians.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Megan Pearson said:


> Is it something you can work up to? Maybe, go for the adjust later plan now, yet while shoring up the weak spot in your ability to carry out the vision you had?


The main thing right now is to cultivate a more comfortable routine and a more realistic ambition. I know I can develop different styles/voices because I've done it many times, but the style/voice I've been working on for a year now is going to carry me through three novels at least, so it needs to be watertight and consistent. By the time I've finished my first novel, which I've given myself three years to complete, the style/voice should have well and truly embedded itself into my muscle memory. I want my first draft to be on point because I then intend to only take two years to write the next two novels. Anything other than my main focus slows the process down. If I was younger then I'd have absolutely no problem continuing as I am, but I'm 64 and the window of opportunity is too small to waste time trying to achieve more than is necessary in terms of finishing a novel and getting it published.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

indianroads said:


> Hello, my name is Indy Rhodes, and I'm a plotter.
> Aside from the plot, which admittedly is overly detailed, I write character profiles.
> Character profiles include favored words / phrases, mannerisms, and emotional cues (blushing etc). They also contain speech samples, and short dialogues.
> ALSO, political leanings and world view - mostly used in internal dialogue.
> The process of creating their profile is like getting to know someone. They come alive in your mind.
> 
> Admittedly, I'm from Tralfamadore - so what works for me will only work with my fellow Tralfamadorians.


I can see why you've posted this, you rascal. It's not just about knowing my characters though. I know them enough to figure out their reactions, thoughts and opinions. It's the 'language' and 'syntax' beyond the normal POV that's the hard part. My plan was to have a different style/voice for each, using specific words and syntax for each, with an overarching style/voice knitting them together as a whole.

My writing name is Kent Jacobs for a reason. It's my second name and the very first character I created that 'spoke' through me, so to speak. His vocabulary and syntax was not my own and I found it fascinating. I naively thought I'd invented the technique back in the day lol. I liked Jacob's voice so much that I essentially became Jacobs, and that's the style/voice you see now, albeit honed and repurposed slightly.


----------



## Megan Pearson

TheMightyAz said:


> The main thing right now is to cultivate a more comfortable routine and a more realistic ambition. I know I can develop different styles/voices because I've done it many times, but the style/voice I've been working on for a year now is going to carry me through three novels at least, so it needs to be watertight and consistent. By the time I've finished my first novel, which I've given myself three years to complete, the style/voice should have well and truly embedded itself into my muscle memory. I want my first draft to be on point because I then intend to only take two years to write the next two novels. Anything other than my main focus slows the process down. If I was younger then I'd have absolutely no problem continuing as I am, but I'm 64 and the window of opportunity is too small to waste time trying to achieve more than is necessary in terms of finishing a novel and getting it published.


I hear you on the window of opportunity problem. I may not be where you are in life, but the reality of our finitude has been bearing down on me these past couple of years. (We attended over a dozen funerals last year--none of them covid related. Puts things in perspective real quick.)

I admire your writing plan and well-thought-out reasons for pursuing it as you do. I find voice to be the most difficult part of our craft. The manuscript I will be working on this summer I initially wrote over fifteen years ago.  But when I took it out to play with last summer (well, I do enough 'work' elsewhere), I determined that the biggest hurdle in doing the rewrite is its voice. It's unique, it's forceful, and it's perfect for the story. (I wish I still wrote like that!) I have now tried rewriting this on three separate occasions and each time I have failed because of voice. What comes out is simply not the same story. I wonder, would you have any suggestions on how to regain a voice you had previously used?


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Megan Pearson said:


> I hear you on the window of opportunity problem. I may not be where you are in life, but the reality of our finitude has been bearing down on me these past couple of years. (We attended over a dozen funerals last year--none of them covid related. Puts things in perspective real quick.)
> 
> I admire your writing plan and well-thought-out reasons for pursuing it as you do. I find voice to be the most difficult part of our craft. The manuscript I will be working on this summer I initially wrote over fifteen years ago.  But when I took it out to play with last summer (well, I do enough 'work' elsewhere), I determined that the biggest hurdle in doing the rewrite is its voice. It's unique, it's forceful, and it's perfect for the story. (I wish I still wrote like that!) I have now tried rewriting this on three separate occasions and each time I have failed because of voice. What comes out is simply not the same story.* I wonder, would you have any suggestions on how to regain a voice you had previously used?*


There's only one way and that's to read, read, read, read and keep reading until you feel it fits again. I do differentiate between voice and style though:









						Style Versus Voice
					


For quite some time, when discussing style and voice, I'd write 'style/voice'. That was because I'd not really sat down and considered the differences. Some would probably argue they're pretty much the exact same thing but are they? Having given this some thought, I can see quite clearly now...





					www.writingforums.com
				




I think the 'style' is the easiest to regain and then, perhaps, the voice will follow on naturally. So I guess my advice would be to analyse the style you used back then, down to the word choices and syntax and emulate it until its your own again. Then, once you've got the framing exactly the same, some of that voice might pop through automatically. It may just be that your perspective, decided upon by the way you approach a thought (grammatical choices), is skewing your thinking. Often, I find, depending on the angle I come at a problem from, the outcome (natural progression of thought) differs. That's why writing without 'was' or 'were' or 'but' and any number of other words, forces you into constructing sentences differently and opens up new potential for expression.

Seriously, people overlook this trick and should give it a try.


----------



## Envy123

I'm going back to the large time jumps and filling them with more scenes. I got stuck with the ending and how the villain would be defeated, so I'm thinking this could help me. Got me 800 more words and more clarity on what to write next.


----------



## Ultraroel

I have opened Google Docs and stared at my WIP for a while, wondering how to start adapting it to all the ideas I came up with over the last week.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Ultraroel said:


> I have opened Google Docs and stared at my WIP for a while, wondering how to start adapting it to all the ideas I came up with over the last week.


That's an awkward position to be in and the very reason my progress has stalled. I fundamentally changed my main protag and the opening chapter but had so much material I'd already produced and wanted to include, that the whole thing became muddled in my head. I would cut a piece from here and repurpose it for there and then realise a huge portion of another chapter needed what I'd removed for context and flow. In the end I had two finished chapters and one unfinished chapter, all of which had massive gaps and paragraph to paragraph inconsistencies. Boy, will I be glad when I've battled these three chapters into a manageable state, allowing me a 'clean' runway to let the story take off unimpeded. At the moment it's something I 'have to do' not 'want to do'.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours on continued charting of scenes in my WIP. As I analyze, I notice women figure prominently in first half of my protagonist's journey and men feature heavily in the second part of his quest. I really like this.


----------



## Taylor

Not writing per se...but related to my WIP.  I just learned how to use the PDF tools to markup the cover and interior design for edits.  

Sigh...  They say it's life-long learning right?


----------



## Taylor

Just submitted my cover for it's first round of revisions.  I added a tag line and there were a few other details that weren't quite perfect.  I didn't know how to fix them so I just described what bothered me and put it back to the artist to solve.  He's pretty talented, so I'm sure his solution will be better then mine.  

The cover part makes it all so real!


----------



## indianroads

I finished the 10th edit of The Last Ride this afternoon. I used the template suggestions my editor sent, and I think the story turned out much better. I'm still going to give it one more read through before publishing it on Amazon.

I'm worried about my friend - it's breast cancer and she's going in for chemotherapy. We've been friends for 20 years, she's a good person and the world needs more like her.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> I'm worried about my friend - it's breast cancer and she's going in for chemotherapy. We've been friends for 20 years, she's a good person and the world needs more like her.


Sorry to hear that. 

I bumped into a customer today in a convenience store (he hasn't come to my shop for a while.) Nick taught my wife how to drive and my wife does his wife (Mary) nails (wifey runs a nail salon) so we are really good 'friends.' Mary has terminal cancer and Nick said Mary has about a year or two left. He was shaking and in a bad way. We talked a while. He knew my mum passed away with breast cancer and we talked about life and memories.  Next month will be 2 years since mum died and hopefully I can get my head together and post a story.

Not sure what advice to offer you @indianroads or your friend but know that my mum battled cancer for 24 years. She had chemo four times before she succumbed but did some amazing things in her life that made a difference to so many people.

Hope she recovers soon.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> Sorry to hear that.
> 
> I bumped into a customer today in a convenience store (he hasn't come to my shop for a while.) Nick taught my wife how to drive and my wife does his wife (Mary) nails (wifey runs a nail salon) so we are really good 'friends.' Mary has terminal cancer and Nick said Mary has about a year or two left. He was shaking and in a bad way. We talked a while. He knew my mum passed away with breast cancer and we talked about life and memories.  Next month will be 2 years since mum died and hopefully I can get my head together and post a story.
> 
> Not sure what advice to offer you @indianroads or your friend but know that my mum battled cancer for 24 years. She had chemo four times before she succumbed but did some amazing things in her life that made a difference to so many people.
> 
> Hope she recovers soon.


Thanks. Regina is a wonderful - joyful person. She's making jokes about her hair falling out. I doubt I would have the courage she does.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> Thanks. Regina is a wonderful - joyful person. She's making jokes about her hair falling out. I doubt I would have the courage she does.


It is very good to have such a positive outlook in the face of struggle. It was tough seeing my own mum losing her hair, watery eyed, pretending nothing was wrong. My brother and I both got the same response that she is okay and we never needed to worry.

As a suggestion (and this is only a suggestion) is that I know that we all wear a mask at times, some have them on permanently in front of others but I really wished I was good enough to get through. In our family we were never allowed to speak about mum's condition all you can do is to watch and accept. I am sure it won't be difficult for you to write a story for Regina. People say it is 'the thought that counts' but in times of real dark, when they remove that smiling mask and they feel totally alone ... sometimes just the silent written words can easily touch, give strength but also support.

To end on a 'joy on my writing success today' is that I am thinking of writing.

Have good weekend everyone.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> It is very good to have such a positive outlook in the face of struggle. It was tough seeing my own mum losing her hair, watery eyed, pretending nothing was wrong. My brother and I both got the same response that she is okay and we never needed to worry.
> 
> As a suggestion (and this is only a suggestion) is that I know that we all wear a mask at times, some have them on permanently in front of others but I really wished I was good enough to get through. In our family we were never allowed to speak about mum's condition all you can do is to watch and accept. I am sure it won't be difficult for you to write a story for Regina. People say it is 'the thought that counts' but in times of real dark, when they remove that smiling mask and they feel totally alone ... sometimes just the silent written words can easily touch, give strength but also support.
> 
> To end on a 'joy on my writing success today' is that I am thinking of writing.
> 
> Have good weekend everyone.


Your writing is art. We are reluctant to share it because is exposes our soul and opens us to criticism, but our work is a ray of light that can brighten the world for someone. What we create is a gift that may or may not be accepted; as creators we can’t control that, all we can do is shine the light of our story and hope it guides someone out of their darkness.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I watched first my mom and then my sister lose the battle to illness. Both far braver souls than I. 

No writing success yesterday or today. Too busy with social functions. Tomorrow I'll do a long haul because Sunday there's activities as well


----------



## Cephus

Just editing today. Got through 8 chapters of the last book I completed and things are going well. Should be done in less than a week.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I are working on some last-minute fine tuning on PL2. She's working on introducing a character which will do some set-up into PL3 for the romance to come in PL4.  We're ambitious. LOL

I wrote a scene in PL3 that I need to work out some details about with PiP, and she's written a scene and a half.

I think the focus we've come up with for PL3 ... a Christmas story ... will be somewhat different for a Christmas story, yet a solid connection to the holiday ... BUT ... it will take some research to build a 300-year history the story will uncover and build on. Should be fun.

However, there is also a bit of downtime before I get into PL3 in earnest, so I've written a few thousand more words for Moods the last couple of days. It's noir first person, and I'm liking the self-deprecating voice I've developed for the MC.

Back in April I transferred my 195 plot cards from Scrivener into Plottr, and it IS easier to keep track of which scenes and plot points I've done and which are upcoming. However, due to the nature of the import to Plottr, all 195 cards lined up in the first Chapter. Getting them distributed to chapters and plot lines took some ingenuity and a LOT of work, but it will be worth it in the long run. Like PL2, Moods has a lot of moving parts. There are a few murders to write (and solve), embezzlement within a family-owned company my MC is investigating as an auditor, and 20 odd spirits which have attached to him and can possess him at any given moment ... and he's trying to figure out what's wrong with him and how to solve that issue. Plus a complicated inheritance sprouting from the first murder ... of the family matriarch.

It's been a hoot to write. I hope it will be as much fun to read. LOL I'll finish Chapter 6 after I submit this comment, and I'll be at 24K words. However, the next scene involves the archetype "village idiot" taking over in the middle of my MC questioning the CFO of the company about some financial transactions. I have NO IDEA how that dialogue is going to play out. LOL


----------



## Parabola

Not so much writing but playing with ideas. Again.


----------



## VRanger

Pant-pant-pant.

Finally finished adding the title notes for the last half of my 195 scene cards in Moods and distributing them into Plot Lines. Right now all the cards after Chapter Seven are just stuck four at a time into a series of chapters without any idea how they'll actually fit into real chapters. That was just to get them all off of one line in Chapter One.

To distribute them out of Chapter One, I had to go INTO the Scene dialogue and use the drop down to select a chapter .... BUT ... that automatically closes the dialogue, so you can't assign chapter and plot line at the same time, and since the card then moves to somewhere down off the bottom of the screen (to the assigned chapter row), it's not convenient to immediately reopen it to set the plot line.

So I wound up setting the plot line as I entered the scene titles to go along with the scene numbers I had in Scrivener, but which were worthless as the entire content of a Plottr scene box on the Timeline.

I doubt I'll try to immediately organize those scenes into chapters. All of the notes were not really scenes. Most of them are just "what happens next", so sometimes multiple cards make sense for one scene. And most of the time I add dialogue or color which doesn't appear in the scene cards ... so they are far from being ALL of the novel's content. That let's me be a Plotter and a Pantser at the same time. The important plot activities are all planned out, but I throw in fun things as I go.

So most likely I'll finish a chapter, then start dragging up the scene notes I think will work for the next chapter rather than try to formalize each chapter's content now.


----------



## Parabola

Reached the halfway point in WIP. I'm not even sure if I'll complete the thing, but there are definitely ideas in there I'll use in subsequent works if nothing else. Still might finish it. The length is up for internal debate at this point.


----------



## Parabola

I just now randomly decided to finish it. I've come this far.


----------



## D. L. Keur

I like to sit cross-legged or in either full lotus or half-lotus when working.  Have never been able to find a chair that worked for me, not something that REALLY worked.  I've tried exotic, expensive desk chairs of all shapes and types, including some outragiously expensive ones that were supposedly engineered for people like me who are floor-sitters, cross-legged sitters, etc. Nothing worked. Finally, I decided I'd try getting the biggest office chair I could find.  It came in yesterday.  It's perfect.  I'm in bliss.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I'm in the process of further simplification and adding in detail I always thought was missing. I've also given myself a breather from having to rewrite chapters 2 and 3 by adding in an extra chapter with Frerreleise. That will give me a fresh pallet to play with for a while and take some of the pressure off. Just knowing I've got something new to write and not something to rewrite, is quite exciting. Now the flow of the chapters is: Chapter 1, Yarrod in a tavern, escaping soldiers and getting transported to the beginning of a new cycle (although we don't know that until chapter 4). Chapter 2 (new chapter) introducing Frerreleise, which begins with her standing by an old man telling kids the story of the Gravedigger (Yarrod's legend). Chapter 3, Aryngroth's introduction and first mention of Moonglist, the sword Fiddlesticks stole. Chapter 4, Yarrod finding himself in the desert and eventually meeting Fiddlesticks.


----------



## Parabola

@TheMightyAz I really like that you have a character called Fiddlesticks.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Parabola said:


> @TheMightyAz I really like that you have a character called Fiddlesticks.


It was either that or Spratrattle.


----------



## Taylor

This morning I felt like I had taken on more than I can chew with my plotlines.   But after creating a super-duper spreadsheet with timelines linked to real-life events, I can finally see it all come together! 

I hope to get back to drafting soon...because this is feeling more like accounting than writing.    BUT... it had to be done...


----------



## PrairieHostage

Eight hours revising last chapters of the novel and charting them to my analysis spreadsheet (I feel your pain @Taylor)
Tomorrow I'll finish final chapter and the remainder of May will be a final pass for prose.


----------



## Parabola

Prepare to die, MC. In the worst ways, over and over again.


----------



## Ajoy

I drafted 1400 words for chapter 25 or my WIP today and 1000 words of chapter 26. i know these chapters will need developmental work, but I'm just happy to be getting story and characters onto the page right now. I was traveling last weekend and the week days have been really busy, so this weekend felt like quite a slog to get writing again.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours on closing chapter. My time always includes looking stuff up. Like whether there's a comma before using the phrase _in which case _but I am a slow writer. I've posted my closing chapter in the Fiction workshop. It likely needs a few more passes.


----------



## VRanger

Another 1800 words on Moods last night, including a fun dialogue where Somerset (the MC's brother) tells Miles (the MC) that two names they found while researching Miles' recent unpredictable behavior are men who were gruesomely murdered in unsolved crimes ... or at least unproven crimes.

I'd just started to wonder if the reader will be putting two and two together about the possession by now--and I sort of think someone would have to be pretty slow not to--when I realized it's got to be in the blurb anyway. LOL So what the reader will be wondering is not IF it's spirit possession, but how long it will take the characters to FINALLY draw that conclusion, and how they'll get there.

I've mentioned 195 plot notes, and most of these notes were written BEFORE @PiP and I wrote two novels ourselves. Moods has mostly gone begging for attention in the meantime. I find myself circa number 60 and not remembering specifically how EVERYTHING ties in later. I'm working out of Plottr now, and duh, I realized I can export to Word from Outline View in Plottr, and then just read the thing from start to finish ... something I never did while outlining in Scrivener. So I just did that export to read, and I think odds are good that will lead to some story adjustments before I start Chapter Eight.

This also makes up for the missing Search Feature INSIDE Plottr (but which I see is in an upcoming release).

This is certainly the most complicated plotting I've ever attempted, and the key here will be paying CLOSE attention to keeping things straight in the reader's head, especially since there are 20 characters plus the 'ghosts'. I may do that by having my MC occasionally get confused about who is who and having to remind himself. Probably also wise to write and include a character roster, as some novels do.


----------



## PiP

Proofreading PL2 for the second time.  @VRanger has already made one pass, then run through his the ProofAide software which took days. Considering the plot for the next book in the series I will need to insert extra dialogue and backstory to set up some characters for development in future books. I love how ideas evolve and the characters are like old friends and take on a life of their own ... LoL


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> I love how ideas evolve and the characters are like old friends and take on a life of their own ... LoL


They really do. After two books we have a dozen or so characters that are like friends and family.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> They really do. After two books we have a dozen or so characters that are like friends and family.


And some of them I still don't like. They annoy me. Sheesh, I can't believe Julia is even going to ask one to stay for Christmas so they won't be alone.  LoL


----------



## indianroads

I caught a tangled thread in chapter 24 of The Last Ride today. I’ll comb it out in the next couple days… then when this edit is concluded… guess what? I’ll comb through it again.
Lather, rinse, repeat until it’s clean.


----------



## PrairieHostage

For unforeseen reasons, 'fraid I didn't get anything done on the writing front today. This week I'll write a 500 word flash fiction story on the theme of _ancestors_ before going back to my YA novel. 

In 8th century northern Holland, a monk from the Franco empire tried to convert king Redbad of the Frisians. About to get baptized, king Redbad asked if he'd see his ancestors in heaven. The monk said no because they weren't baptized. He said oh, okay never mind then. The monk went home having failed. I'm going to fictionalize it. Should be fun.


----------



## Parabola

Title for epilogue randomly occurred to me. I've been naming all of my chapters for inspiration purposes, and this one has me excited. I can't wait for the epic finish that's been building in my head, although the prospect of an epilogue that alludes to something broader is equally enticing. This is the one work I've enjoyed writing the most.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours on my flash fiction short. It makes *me* laugh. Will tweak to perfection over next couple months.


----------



## Taylor

I got my Profitline cover back with revisions.  I am over the moon!!!  This kid is talented!   I sent in my order for Book 2 and Book 3 covers today.  

On another front, I have gone back to Post-Its and a large tack board to work out the plot for Skyline...sigh...


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I got my Profitline cover back with revisions.  I am over the moon!!!  This kid is talented!   I sent in my order for Book 2 and Book 3 covers today.
> 
> On another front, I have gone back to Post-Its and a large tack board to work out the plot for Skyline...sigh...


Do what works - there is no right or wrong way to create art.


----------



## Envy123

Finally got over the 20k word mark for my first draft of Laughing Matters. 50k is my minimum, so at least I have gone through two milestones.


----------



## indianroads

Finished edit #11 of The Last Ride, and got the tangle out (it was a small one... and the reader probably wouldn't have noticed it), but I'm still going to run another editing pass. The story is solid now (I think/hope) so once that's done it will be ready for the presses.


----------



## Parabola

I'm trying to nail a sad and surreal feeling. Developing the various environments is, for me, a crucial component of the process.


----------



## Matchu

My first writer forum posting, my first contribution to cultural endeavour since the horrendous metamorphosis into  [a] slug or manager.

My entire lifetime's blog is wasted.  The new pursuit is my new personality that is one thousand times more powerful and presentable. 

I dedicate hereby/here to/and herein -  to mortgage re-payment.  My daughter shall cherish surely the mansion/the semi-detached with the garden legacy in progress OVER any number of my annoying 500 words published in the rag that no-one read(s).  Death to creatives.  Long live tyranny.


----------



## D. L. Keur

I haven't posted here in awhile, but it's a joy when your books continue to receive enthusiastic reviews from readers, especially when those readers have newly discovered your work and are so enthused that they effuse.


----------



## Parabola

Exceeded daily word count, but more importantly a particular plot point opened up in a way I didn't expect. Organic character growth is always a reward in itself.

So now sitting here, putting on certain music tracks and thinking about how this affects some plot elements going forward and just the plot in general. Almost done with this chapter and should be by the morning. In a way I don't want to leave this location because I associate it with an especially pivotal plot point, and a dark atmosphere and revelations that coincidentally matched the vibe.

With the next location, the tone is meant to shift a bit. I've been contemplating a twist involving a minor character at the beginning, but not sure. At least it would remove the character from "ornament status" in other words, he'd be useful.


----------



## Cephus

Finally finished editing the last book, came out at 120k, the last of a trilogy and it finished up the story perfectly. It's great to have all of the emotional reactions that you want from your readers.

Monday, it's back to writing again.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Five hours read through first 14 chapters. Very little prose touch ups. Really like the flow of the story and the improvements to my MC's inner conflict.


----------



## PiP

Nearly three hours second read through of PL2 - just finished up to Chapter 9. This time looking at potential plot holes. Found two. Head hopping x 1. I never noticed it when writing the scene or during the first scan. Also found a couple of loose ends. Productive evening!


----------



## Parabola

Managed to hammer out certain plot elements, only a few remaining. I'm keeping one eye on the end, and the other on the "golden bridge" leading to it.


----------



## Parabola

Completed word count goal for the day, usually completed by mid-morning or early afternoon. After that, I try not to touch the document until the next day. Of course, I fairly regularly violate the rule because if a random idea comes to me, I'll quickly put in a note so I don't forget.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Only a couple hours reading chapters 15-17 for prose before holding my grandbaby boy for the afternoon so my DIL can rest. Will read a bit before early sleep tonight


----------



## indianroads

43rd wedding anniversary today - not doing much writing.
Pic from a long time ago.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> 43rd wedding anniversary today - not doing much writing.


Happy Anniversary!!!!


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> 43rd wedding anniversary today - not doing much writing.
> Pic from a long time ago.
> View attachment 28859


That is a really cool picture!
Congratulations to you both! I guess not writing is the joy in your writing success today! 
Since you slacked you must double your efforts tomorrow!


Very happy for you both. Bought a smile and happy thoughts for my close of day.


----------



## PiP

Happy wedding anniversary, Ken 

I spent another two hours today checking for gremlins and SPaGs in PL2. Now at page 97 ... phew. Very slow progress as I analyse every sentence. Then I spent an hour  rewriting Chapter 2 of 'Dreams' (the book I wrote for NaNo in 2012)


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> 43rd wedding anniversary today - not doing much writing.
> Pic from a long time ago.
> View attachment 28859


Congratulations!!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Gorgeous picture. 43 years! Congratulations Ken. I wrote a review of Fault in Our Stars on my blog. Brilliant book. So well written. I love that you can use it as a comparative when pitching The Last Ride.


----------



## VRanger

Since my last note, I wrote a few hundred words on Moods here and there, then 2500 tonight ... completing Chapter Eight and well into Chapter Nine. I wound up with Eight being one of my shorter chapters. I wrote a chapter ending line at 2000 words, so that was it. 

Suddenly I'm over 30K words and rolling. Everyone has now figured out that poor Miles is the victim of multiple spirit possessions, which was made clear when the murdered medium ... one of the spirits ... finally made her way to the fore and explained the situation to Miles and friends. Now they're on the road to figuring out what's up with the worst of the possessing spirits (a serial killer) so they can reveal his secret and exorcise him. Since the serial killer attacked Miles' brother with a butcher knife, they are eager to boot him out of Miles' spirit roster.


----------



## PiP

Hey, @VRanger sounds like you are on a roll.

@PrairieHostage I enjoy your book reviews. Excellent idea for a blog. I often share them on WF's FB page.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I subconsciously write about character quirks that are basically me. Eventually realizing them has a bit of entertainment value.


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> Sometimes I subconsciously write about character quirks that are basically me. Eventually realizing them has a bit of entertainment value.


From a line in "American Dreamer", about an author: "Eventually, _everything _gets used."

I was relating the other day how I stubbed my toe on our coffee table and it went into my book that very evening.


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> From a line in "American Dreamer", about an author: "Eventually, _everything _gets used."
> 
> I was relating the other day how I stubbed my toe on our coffee table and it went into my book that very evening.



Haha, well, apparently, I eat a pizza with "an excitement that disturbingly borders on lust" so there's that I guess.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I finished reading the remainder of my 32 chapter, 200 page, 51,450 word Young Adult Novel. I'm going to ask my sister in law who's got her Master's in Library & Information Science to do a copy edit read (solely technical quality). Now I'll write draft email queries to the first 25 agents I've identified & researched. 
BOOM. DO IT!


----------



## Foxee

Foxee said:


> I'm happy that I've had about an hour from 7 am to 8 am open up four mornings a week and I've been getting my coffee, herding up my new little neurons, and writing for most of that time. I've got a possibly-short-story underway, about 2,900 words into the first draft and the juice is still flowing so that's always a good day.


This worked for a couple days...now I'm back to long days, going to bed at 2 or 3 am and then half my day is gone when I manage to get up. Yeah..I want to change that. Uphill battles in every direction atm.


----------



## VRanger

I wrote another 2500 words in Moods tonight, and Miles gets rid of his first connected spirit ... the serial killer.

For PL3, I did the first outline of the families who owned our country manor, from 1720 to present day ... including the instance where the family wound up with a hyphenated (double-barreled) name.  That a first for me.


----------



## Parabola

Over the 60,000 word mark. Today might be a marathon session.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished chapter 26 and 27 yesterday, putting me at 64K words and approaching the climax. The chapters are all short right now (1200-1500 words), but that feels right for what's going on and the fact that I only switch POV at the new chapters. I know the pacing in these last chapters is a bit too fast and I'll need to fill things out a bit on my first developmental edit, but at this point, I'll be happy just to get to the finish line of draft one. 

I have a kids birthday party to attend until about two this afternoon, but after that I'm hoping to finish another 1-2 chapters. I have four days of school (teaching) left and five chapters to write, so hopefully this means I'll have a draft ready for my first readers within two weeks!


----------



## indianroads

Finished the last extensive edit of The Last Ride today. Starting tomorrow I'll do a quick read-through, and when that's done, I'll start the process of uploading the novel to Amazon.


----------



## Ajoy

And, two more short chapters finished. All I have left are chapters 30-34 and I'm at 66K words now. Next weekend! (I hope)


----------



## Blaiyze

A week ago I finished the revised blueprint/outline of the first novel in my series. Yesterday I started blueprinting the second book - finished the first part (I divide my books into 3 parts).


----------



## VRanger

Blaiyze said:


> A week ago I finished the revised blueprint/outline of the first novel in my series. Yesterday I started blueprinting the second book - finished the first part (I divide my books into 3 parts).


Do you have others, or is that also your first novel?


----------



## Parabola

Got to 63K+ words yesterday, might've done more if it hadn't been for certain events.

I'm wondering if this will be my longest novel to date, but I also know that it will be trimmed down upon re-read. Even taking that aspect into consideration, it still might end up with the highest word count, due to the world and amount of characters.


----------



## Envy123

Wrote about 1050 words today. And I found some more old stories from my attempts as a kid - most of it isn't useable (uses an unsavoury mix of Jacquline Wilson and some video games) but a good amount of lore can be used in my proper attempt as an adult.

Apparently, the tree house's leaves are brewed into magical potions and there's an "emergency" headquarters, among other things.


----------



## Matchu

I took a single week away from work, slugged around, wrote dreadful stuff, and spent some nights reading my old writes, [hic], getting excited about my genius.  I knew there was one very very big write bubbling under:

Came back to work on the long night shift alone, and sat on my own and sent the boss 1000 beautiful/incredible crafted words, plus the metaphors, about the standards of paperwork 'have slipped during my week's absence'...'everybody here under 30 is obviously or plaintively, completely illiterate,' the usual call for distribution of 'pencils to the children, not biros' speech - 'every  one of them should be sacked, re-trained in some previous epoch.''

Sent two apologies to the boss today, should keep my job if I retain 'tendencies' as 'a hobby only,' he said.

...

btw [and true) when I [really] said '*biro*' two weeks ago, an elderly colleague had to translate for the rest of the team.  I'm still processing this issue.  Also...update...my two bare medals dangling under the avatar , lower left: emasculating, if admin would sort that problem out for me, please.


----------



## PiP

I've JUST finished the second read-through of Poet Lariat II. I scanned through once as did @VRanger, but even then it is interesting to see bits n' bobs we'd both missed. IT's amazing how the plot all hangs together which I did not fully appreciate when I was writing random scene stubs here and there. One of Jim's characters is spot on and made me roar with laughter just now:  _Some men could understand female politics. Jake never pretended to, never did, and realized it was too late to start. The best he could do was observe them,_

Phew ... now onto PL III


----------



## Parabola

Going over plot summary. Might tweak the ending again.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Copy edits are rolling in from my sister-in-law. I love her style: short & to the point. Yesterday I connected with a tribal council member in northern Cali who will do a cultural sensitivity read about the Pomo Native Americans in my novel. Today I booked into one of my guild's talks on writing under represented characters. Doing what I can to address any potential blind spots before I put my baby out there.


----------



## Parabola

That's right, my "wholesome" midwestern story is spinning its way toward an inevitable conclusion.


----------



## D. L. Keur

So nice.  Got some more reviews on one of my more literary works, _Old Hickory Lane_


----------



## Taylor

Have been trying to develop a secondary plot of a large corporation being sold just before the 2007 recession, going into chapter 11, and then being bought back by the original owners after the restructuring.   Struggling to work this into my MC's purview.  And then it hit me!  It's not a secondary plotline...it is the main plotline.  My MC needs to sell her business because she gets a tip from her friends in Washington about the pending crash and she sees the writing on the wall. 

It's perfect!   Oh, happy day!!


----------



## Parabola

Plugged in another thousand words or so. Back on the horse.


----------



## Parabola

I'm not sure what it says about me that the last two MCs I've written have been "innocent" characters that stumble upon a situation where they are forced to murder someone. Is realizing that a writing success?


----------



## Taylor

Parabola said:


> I'm not sure what it says about me that the last two MCs I've written have been "innocent" characters that stumble upon a situation where they are forced to murder someone. Is realizing that a writing success?


Absolutely!  Learning about our voice is important to our work.   It could be your signature style.


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> Absolutely!  Learning about our voice is important to our work.   It could be your signature style.



Yeah, I've been writing for years now, and have been looking back at certain patterns in my work. The stories or concepts might markedly shift, but that underlying theme seems to be fairly constant. Also this WIP has the word "murder" in the title so I guess it shouldn't be a revelation lol.

Also, if the protag isn't killing someone, he/she is exposed to death in some way (early on in whatever story I'm writing).


----------



## Blaiyze

VRanger said:


> Do you have others, or is that also your first novel?


Apologies for my delayed response. I've written other novels in the past - ones that will never see the light of day as they were steps along the path of refining my craft.


----------



## Cephus

Got the majority of my plotting done for the next book, it's looking like 29 chapters and probably just over 130k, but we'll see. I get started writing on Monday so I still have some time for tweaks.


----------



## indianroads

I'm 22 chapters deep in what should be my last edit of The Last Ride ... but, I've made a few small changes (clarity issues with a few sentences), so I may go through it _one more time_ before publishing it on Amazon.


----------



## indianroads

Cephus said:


> Got the majority of my plotting done for the next book, it's looking like 29 chapters and probably just over 130k, but we'll see. I get started writing on Monday so I still have some time for tweaks.


What genre?


----------



## Cephus

indianroads said:


> What genre?


Science fiction.


----------



## VRanger

1200 words in Moods last night. This is not a part of the book I find exciting to write ... some exposition to set up details about the mysteries. I try to liven it up for myself by throwing in some dialogue here and there. I can just about always have fun writing dialogue.  It finished Chapter 10 and got a good start on Chapter 11.

I've written 80 of the 195 note cards. ;-) It's interesting how I'll read the note as plotted last year and decide to write something considerably different today. LOL


----------



## Cornelius Coburn

Deleted


----------



## PrairieHostage

I just received notes back from my first cultural sensitivity reader. All her input is gold and will help me enrich the text.

In the scene where my MC meets Pete, a Pomo Native American, Pete tells him tribes have been juicing California Poppy roots to treat head, stomach, & tooth aches for centuries and even to stay hydrated.
The reader says back to me:
NOTE: _you do know if you put this out there, there will be people out there juicing poppies_.

 omg she's right - here's hoping I get this book into the hands of young readers.

Edit to add when I'm down there this August I'm buying some of her gorgeous art.


----------



## Parabola

Up to 67K. Will probably stop for tonight and focus on other things. The end is in sight, and this current chapter adds another layer to that interaction. Same basic outcome though. Anyway, looking forward to reaching that point.


----------



## VRanger

Some of my note cards for Moods are barely more words in the manuscript than in the note. Last post I mentioned finishing #80. Tonight, I finished #81. It's three lines in the note, and 2K words and four scenes in the manuscript. LOL

I let it finish Chapter 11. I introduced another spirit, and this one turned out to help Miles resolve a tense encounter with an uncooperative and adversarial character. Three characters under investigation pointed fingers at each other in a circle, which makes for good clean fun.


----------



## Parabola

Just waved to 70k in the mirror. Might make today another marathon session, because why the hell not?


----------



## The Silence Between

Parabola said:


> Just waved to 70k in the mirror.



Another 829 words last night put me at 71,903! I've finally pushed past the opening scenes in the latest chapter. I need some momentum now!


----------



## Parabola

Wrote about 8K words today. Might leak out another 1K from my mind orifice later if I feel up to it (because hey, when in Rome, right?).


----------



## indianroads

I finished editing my next novel, The Last Ride, but will give it one final quick read through, then post it to Amazon.


----------



## S J Ward

Due to wind (not mine), the weather. Got a day off. Have reduced 90,000 words to 87,562 and put the novel to bed for a couple of weeks break. Thinking on the cat themed anthology and wondering whether to put the pretty pictures of the inspiring cats into the book. First story draft written.


----------



## PrairieHostage

A good friend of mine and I went to the gym today and she asked if I'd write an essay for her publication on how to query agents. I humbly agreed. I only hope she doesn't move to the west coast because I will miss her too much.


----------



## Parabola

10K+ words today, figured I was close enough, so why not? Tomorrow or the next, and I'll have first draft finished (then editing etc/tinkering with sequel idea if the mood strikes).


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> 10K+ words today, figured I was close enough, so why not? Tomorrow or the next, and I'll have first draft finished (then editing etc/tinkering with sequel idea if the mood strikes).


Beats my best day of novel writing by 4K. Beats me best day of any writing by 1K. Way to go!


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> Beats my best day of novel writing by 4K. Beats me best day of any writing by 1K. Way to go!



Thanks, and only a few more Ks to the finish line! The madness never seems to end lol.


----------



## Parabola

Well, that's a first draft done. Just over 80K. Now comes the editing phase.


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> Well, that's a first draft done. Just over 80K. Now comes the editing phase.


We get to my theory that writing is fun ... editing is work! LOL


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> We get to my theory that writing is fun ... editing is work! LOL



Haha, I found that out already with my last MS. Editing = the salt mines.


----------



## Envy123

I've outlined some more scenes. They're currently in script form and not yet in prose.

I dug more old stories out and there's even more lore that I previously missed. There were supposed to be artifacts, including a magic sceptre, and a new founder of one of the abandoned school Houses has his own interesting history. I'm incorporating them in my story, piece by piece. Still not sure if I should mention the "Bikini Head" poem that my MC's classmate wrote, but I'll sleep on it.


----------



## indianroads

Today I ran through ten chapters of The Last Ride. This will be the final editing pass.


----------



## Taylor

I'm going to imagine cheers of joy for me after you read this post.

First, it was getting my taxes done, then it was revising Book 1 cover design . . . a bad reaction to medicine . . . research . . . more plotting . . . oh right, then the new computer . . . pretty much one excuse thing after another preventing me from writing.       After a month of letting it go cold, I got back to drafting Book 2.

600 words!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I'm going to imagine cheers of joy for me after you read this post.
> 
> First, it was getting my taxes done, then it was revising Book 1 cover design . . . a bad reaction to medicine . . . research . . . more plotting . . . oh right, then the new computer . . . pretty much one excuse thing after another preventing me from writing.       After a month of letting it go cold, I got back to drafting Book 2.
> 
> 600 words!


Life happens.
We all deal with it, that you came back to your work speaks of integrity and dedication. Good for you!


----------



## indianroads

22 chapters deep into the final editing pass of The Last Ride. I should have it finished tomorrow afternoon.
From there I'll start the messy process of posting it to Amazon, setting up an advert campaign, ordering ARC's, and updating my website.


----------



## Parabola

About three thousand words into the sequel (I have the plot synopsis in the document like last time, so it's a rough estimation). Eight pages single spaced anyway. Something about a character's "side plot" is occurring to me, and it might leak into the main plot at some point. It would seem too fragmented otherwise.


----------



## Parabola

MC isn't an asshole. I prefer the label "deeply flawed."


----------



## The Silence Between

Holy Hand Cramps! I wish I had the commitment some of you posters have! It's very motivating to follow along in this thread.

I've managed to eek out a few hundred more words and push the story forward a bit more in the last few days...

Hey, progress is progress, right?


----------



## VRanger

The Silence Between said:


> Hey, progress is progress, right?


It is. Some sessions I write 2000 words and sometimes 250. But every time we add to the manuscript, we're closer to finishing.


----------



## Taylor

500 good words. I think that's respectible for today since I'm m playing golf in the afternoon.


----------



## bdcharles

I've been slack on the fiction front recently because I've been mostly writing songs - but, on that, I do think I might have knocked out a belting set closer. Topical and, dare I say it, a teensy bit stomping.

That said, I have had renewed focus on the fiction too, if not any time to indulge it


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> 500 good words. I think that's respectible for today since I'm m playing golf in the afternoon.


Golf... where you hit a tiny ball with a stick for fun, and the one that has the least amount of fun, wins.


----------



## indianroads

Yabba Dabba Do! 
Finished the last edit of the Last Ride. I'll start gearing up to post it to Amazon this afternoon.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Golf... where you hit a tiny ball with a stick for fun, and the one that has the least amount of fun, wins.


Exactly!!  And I always have a _lot_ of 'fun!'


----------



## PiP

While waiting to start Poet Lariat III with @VRanger I decided to add the 'Dreams' novel I completed for NaNo 2012 into Plottr. Now at Chapter 7. First time I've read the book in years and I can't remember the plot! It is written from first person POV which seemed natural at the time but after writing the collab and wiser in hindsight ... I will probably rewrite in third which will give me more scope to develop the other characters.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> Exactly!!  And I always have a _lot_ of 'fun!'


I'm an economical player. I pay as little per stroke as anyone you know.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just a couple hours tonight to input feedback from my copy editor and cultural sensitivity reader. There are no more things to wait for (other than site research in August). I'll begin querying in next few days.


----------



## VRanger

3K words on Moods the last couple of nights, finishing Chapter Twelve and getting a good start on Thirteen. 



> That morning Chester chased him out, closed the door (surprise), took a seat, and regarded me with a serious face.
> 
> “Miles, most distressing.”
> 
> I found his introduction less than illuminating. “How can I help, Chester.”
> 
> “Well, you can’t help _me_.  But I’ve got some information.”
> 
> Didn’t _everyone _these days? Except for Emily, just not what I needed. “Please do tell.”
> 
> “I started out with an embarrassment, I fear. I’m here alone, and that’s lonely.” I respected the fact that ‘alone’ and ‘lonely’ share a root. “I’ve known Clemence’s daughters and niece so long I consider them family. The estate staff is off limits, so I made a play for Jazmin Knowles.” I smiled and thought, ‘You old dog!’. Outwardly, I leaned forward with an interested grin. “I got the brush off.”
> 
> “Oh. Sorry.” I had to admit Jazmin presented an appealing female configuration.
> 
> “I don’t withdraw from the game at the first setback.”
> 
> “So you think there’s a chance?” _[Okay, I stole that from Dumb and Dumber]_
> 
> “Set your compass and await fair winds, I always say.”
> 
> I always thought you read a compass rather than setting it, but his optimistic expression was too clever to correct. “So your news is that Jazmin plays hard to get?”


----------



## indianroads

Amazon always fights me when I upload my book (Kindle, Paperback, & Hardcover) - but without cussing sessions (as is usual) I have all three formats loaded. 
YAY!
The book isn't live yet, and I still have to dive into the stinking septic tank of advertising.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Amazon always fights me when I upload my book (Kindle, Paperback, & Hardcover) - but without cussing sessions (as is usual) I have all three formats loaded.
> YAY!
> The book isn't live yet, and I still have to dive into the stinking septic tank of advertising.


Grats!


----------



## indianroads

While I wait for Amazon to issue their stamp of approval for The Last Ride, I'm preparing to make changes to my website. 
I've decided to add a popup to each book entry that will explain the inspiration that drove me to write the book or series. So, I'm writing up that stuff now, and will dive in and modify my site tomorrow.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Tonight I queried my first agent, Ms Jodi Reamer over at Writers House in NYC. She asks for query letter and first ten pages. She reps John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) and the Twilight novel series. Good feeling to get first one out.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished draft one of my WIP, "Stella, Not Cinderella" tonight and sent it off to the printer (my wife is my first reader and I like to give her a real copy). The ending is some very rough draft stuff, but it's written. I enjoy revision more than drafting anyway, so I'm excited for that next step. : ) 

Now I can dedicate my full brain energy to Atlantis Dying, which I am working to revise and resubmit as my next writing task. After I let Stella rest and get some initial feedback, I'll have to work out a system for revising the two different projects during the same time frame... by the day? The week? We'll see, I guess!

By the end of summer, I hope to have two projects ready for query/resubmission. I'm feeling summer is off to a great start!


----------



## indianroads

Wow, 100 pages! I guess success is contagious.


----------



## Envy123

Before I wrote the winter scenes, I had a character randomly be introduced in the spring. I tried to foreshadow her introduction better, which means I'm at 26k words and there's a lot more room. The only downside is that I'll need to change her scenes drastically to take into account the new introduction, but it's definitely do-able.


----------



## Cephus

Two days into the new book and crossed 13k written. Start on chapter 4 tomorrow.


----------



## indianroads

Worked on my website today. Added The Last Ride to my books and played with javascript a bit. I still have to link the inspiration behind each novel, so it's not posted to the server yet.


----------



## Parabola

I engage in quite a bit of world building in general, but with the series I'm writing now it really feels like the characters and their permutations are a significant chunk of that. Both books though have given me plenty of opportunity to expand on the locations/reasons for them.


----------



## Parabola

Will MC kill himself with Chekhov's Gun? That's like winning a shooting contest with no other participants. Not necessarily the fastest gun in the west if you take my meaning.


----------



## Envy123

Reimplemented Rita's introduction and then the corresponding scenes. Had to rewrite certain parts to take into account the new order of the scenes. She's a defector of the estranged house and having her disappear forever as I wrote initially, just has the plot go to a screeching halt. And having her randomly show up makes no sense. So, she goes on a curfew as the MC reported a crime she did, so she couldn't move away.

So, exciting times ahead...


----------



## indianroads

Played at the Tae Kwon Do Dojang this morning, then came home and continued working on my web page modifications. It's about ready to be posted to the server.

My books are on Amazon, but I'm not going to advertise them until I get my paper and hard back proofs - I've had some quality issues with Amazon, and want to be sure it's done correctly on their side before I market my book.


----------



## Parabola

Thought about the character roles shifting from second to third books. Within the plot summary, especially for the third book, I include the reasons for the roles changing, in step by step cause and effect terms--although there's a "core" that I always try to keep intact.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I collated 20 pages on the antagonist from my novel to submit to a workshop. I took excerpts from chapters throughout the entire novel because he appears sporadically. 

Then I researched Transatlantic Agency. Fiona Kenshole and Timothy Travaglini look so damn good! Of course they're not open to queries.


----------



## VRanger

A day late on this one. Tuesday night I wrote another 2K in Chapter 13 ... one more scene to finish it up. This book is SO different to anything I've written before, and it makes me ponder. It's so much Miss Marple sitting in a chair listening to information and solving a mystery. LOL It's really more than that, but there are a lot of people who come tell things to my MC, and meetings he attends, interspersed, of course, with random spirits taking control and doing things that make him look crazy.

A lot of fun things happen off stage concerning the bad guys, and since this is first person none of it is in the story. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have someone find a journal my MC gets his hands on and uses to "fill in" the other side of the story. ;-) Barbara Mertz used a similar device in her Amelia Peabody series to skirt the first-person issue and relate things Amelia's son and friends were up to. It worked well. The infamous "Manuscript H".  

So now it's past 2 AM, and I've just finished a lot of picky little changes and adjustments to my latest custom B2B eCommerce system (hopefully going live mid-June). Sipping watered down brandy and listening to my favorite Oscar Peterson double album. And contemplating diving into that last scene which should be another 1500-2000 words. I'm not sleepy yet, so here goes ...


----------



## Parabola

I woke up before sunrise.

_Let's light this candle. _


----------



## Parabola

A character's brain has turned into a gargoyle claw that only wants to hurt people.

Gargoyle claw = character development.


----------



## indianroads

Just updated and posted my indianroads website to the server.
Next up <yuck> setting up the advertising on Amazon.
The book (kindle, paperback, & hardback) are already on line, but I don't want to announce it as I've had some formatting issues with the way Amazon produces paperback and hardback formats - chapters should start on odd numbered pages, but even when I check the preview and it looks good, occasionally I'll find a chapter starting on an even numbered page, which I have to go back and fix. I've ordered paperback and hardback versions, and will wait to see how they look - if they're good to go, I'll announce it on-line.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Just updated and posted my indianroads website to the server.
> Next up <yuck> setting up the advertising on Amazon.
> The book (kindle, paperback, & hardback) are already on line, but I don't want to announce it as I've had some formatting issues with the way Amazon produces paperback and hardback formats - chapters should start on odd numbered pages, but even when I check the preview and it looks good, occasionally I'll find a chapter starting on an even numbered page, which I have to go back and fix. I've ordered paperback and hardback versions, and will wait to see how they look - if they're good to go, I'll announce it on-line.



Your website looks fabulous Ken!  CONGRATULATIONS!!


----------



## Ajoy

Nervously waiting for my wife to read draft one of my WIP and working on revising my finished/on query novel according to feedback from a query. I've reached chapters 7 (of 34) of revisions. I'm not confident about the changes yet...but I'm chipping away at it nonetheless.


----------



## Envy123

Thought I'd read some more of a new book I'm reading, to take inspiration from to flesh out some scenes further. And so I did. Some scenes are indeed better now.

However, that book has pages of exposition, something that I not only dislike reading but also dislike writing. A few paragraphs are fine on the surroundings, but pages of backstory are not for me at all, reading or writing it. It is looking more likely that I'll have to go with a higher quantity of scenes with more character arcs and side plots, rather than relying on adding more description to get the word count up.

I'm influenced by TV shows a lot, it seems. It would be intriguing to get feedback on my style once I've finished my first draft. Or maybe even before that.


----------



## indianroads

Well - I got the first ad up and Amazon is reviewing it. 130+ keywords, probably not enough, but... by all the old gods, I hate marketing.


----------



## Taylor

After spending an hour in the gym, (Oh joy . . . I can have a potato tonight!) I worked on my marketing plan.  Started off with a live webinar on distribution provided by my publishing service, and then searched for and uploaded the last of the sample images, synopses, bio, etc., of Books 2 & 3, so the cover designer can start on those.

It drives me crazy that they refer to the portion of the markup that the retailer takes as the "discount."  How does that make any sense?   

Then I mapped out the release timing and created a vision for the rollout.  I'm considering doing all four, ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.  I'm also using my fashion and marketing background to design some merchandise.  Yes, folks...I have no shame.  I will roll out a full complement of swag to either sell online or give away at promotional events.   T-shirts . . . hats . . . mugs . . . you name it!

I LOVE this marketing part!  Does that make me a bad writer?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> After spending an hour in the gym, (Oh joy . . . I can have a potato tonight!) I worked on my marketing plan.  Started off with a live webinar on distribution provided by my publishing service, and then searched for and uploaded the last of the sample images, synopses, bio, etc., of Books 2 & 3, so the cover designer can start on those.
> 
> It drives me crazy that they refer to the portion of the markup that the retailer takes as the "discount."  How does that make any sense?
> 
> Then I mapped out the release timing and created a vision for the rollout.  I'm considering doing all four, ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.  I'm also using my fashion and marketing background to design some merchandise.  Yes, folks...I have no shame.  I will roll out a full complement of swag to either sell online or give away at promotional events.   T-shirts . . . hats . . . mugs . . . you name it!
> 
> I LOVE this marketing part!  Does that make me a bad writer?


I'm VERY impressed. WOW!


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> After spending an hour in the gym, (Oh joy . . . I can have a potato tonight!) I worked on my marketing plan.  Started off with a live webinar on distribution provided by my publishing service, and then searched for and uploaded the last of the sample images, synopses, bio, etc., of Books 2 & 3, so the cover designer can start on those.
> 
> It drives me crazy that they refer to the portion of the markup that the retailer takes as the "discount."  How does that make any sense?
> 
> Then I mapped out the release timing and created a vision for the rollout.  I'm considering doing all four, ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.  I'm also using my fashion and marketing background to design some merchandise.  Yes, folks...I have no shame.  I will roll out a full complement of swag to either sell online or give away at promotional events.   T-shirts . . . hats . . . mugs . . . you name it!
> 
> I LOVE this marketing part!  Does that make me a bad writer?



Merchandise? I was just thinking about how I wanted to design action figures based on a few characters from my novel. Never thought about hats though haha.


----------



## VRanger

2100 words on Moods tonight, including a fun dialogue scene where Miles is talking to his cute next-door neighbor when the spirit of the medium decides to start conversing with him in his head. It's one of those scenes you see from time to time where one person is talking to someone unknown _and _to a second person who doesn't understand that.

To make it funny, each two lines of the second character and the 'mystery speaker' have to align for the MC's response to answer both, but make sense only in response to the 'mystery speaker', and either confuse or infuriate the second character ... or be a double entendre. 

It's a challenge, but if you get it right it makes for a fun scene. 

I passed 45K words total for the manuscript.


----------



## PiP

rereading NaNo novel 'Dreams' I wrote ten years ago and adding outline etc. to Plottr as I go. Now up to chapter 10. Still debating if humour and plot work better in the first person, rewrite each chapter from different POVs, or whether I rewrite the whole book in 3rd ... ponderous.


----------



## Cornelius Coburn

Deleted


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> rereading NaNo novel 'Dreams' I wrote ten years ago and adding outline etc. to Plottr as I go. Now up to chapter 10. Still debating if humour and plot work better in the first person, rewrite each chapter from different POVs, or whether I rewrite the whole book in 3rd ... ponderous.


Have you read *James Herbert's Creed* ? It's a horror novel that I laughed my ass off reading - I bought the book in Heathrow and read it on the flight back to San Francisco, those sitting around me must have thought I was deranged and having a fit.


----------



## Parabola

It'd be interesting if both religious apologists and atheists die on the hopefully ambiguous hill of my novel. 

"You fool, he's arguing for intelligent design!"
"Idiot, you just committed a logical fallacy!"

Would be free entertainment, since I canceled my Netflix subscription. And if nothing else, I can write a short story based on that conflict.


----------



## Parabola

Since I've already achieved word count baseline for today, I'm having a hard time concentrating because I'm waiting for a phone call. It's not for anything particularly important...and yet the supposedly imminent call echoes in my twisted psyche.


----------



## indianroads

Worked on the Amazon ads for my books - added the Last Ride, and revamped the rest.
I hate marketing. It's boring and it sucks.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Worked on the Amazon ads for my books - added the Last Ride, and revamped the rest.
> I hate marketing. It's boring and it sucks.


Oh no!    That's probably because it keeps you from writing.  Sending marketing vibes.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote over 2.5k today. Finally wrote a conversation in the sequel that hooked me into the characters again. An emerging theme seems to be regret.


----------



## Joker

Since the evening of the 24th, I've written 2150 bad words.

That's good, because it's something that can be made good eventually.


----------



## indianroads

Doing world building and character development for a 2 book series.
Series name: Termination
Book 1: Moonscape
Book 2: Stardust

I'm excited.


----------



## Envy123

Including the yet-to-be-relocated spring scenes, I'm over 30k words.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote stuff and will probably be able to fit in writing time tomorrow. Monday might be an "off" day though.


----------



## VRanger

I got to a somewhat delayed task for PL3 ... delayed because I knew it would be a chore with no fun involved. LOL

I mentioned a while back I outlined a family tree for the history of our country manor, Pratewood. By the way, the name Pratewood is a joke, sort of. While trying to come up with a name for the property, I thought of the famous English estate, Chatsworth. Prate is a derogatory synonym for Chat. 

Anyway, the next step in the outline involved setting the birth and death years for each person in the line of heirs, along with birth years for siblings in each generation. I bought _Scapple _almost a year ago, so I decided to use it to create the family tree, and got my first use out of it. It's inexpensive software. If this is the only use I ever get from it, it was already worth the price. It made doing the family tree much easier than anything else I could have used ... even a high-end graphics program.

I wound up adding a generation at the end, otherwise my last generation of heirs would have been ancient when the property was finally sold to Cal, my MC. So: 10 generations from the time the manor was constructed (from 1720-1722 until the present time of the novels ... sometime in recent years but the exact year undetermined and not stated in the manuscript. Tonight's effort took a bit more than 2 hours. I exported to a PDF file to share with @PiP.

I've also been doing a final read-through of PL2 and made a few notes on my Kindle DX. Unfortunately, I learned my DX LOST all my notes, so I moved the Word file onto my Microsoft Surface (about the same form factor as my DX) and started over. I can carry the Surface out to the deck to read after my daily walks and perform any edits directly. Starting over and hoping to notice the same things is disappointing, but sometimes life gives you lemonade, and sometimes you get screwed. ;-)


----------



## Taylor

It took me about thirty tries to get my cover bio just right.  It's not easy to squeeze a forty+ year career into a few sentences.  I opted to include all three universities where I obtained degrees.  As part of my emerging marketing plan, I will be targeting their campus bookstores!


----------



## Ajoy

Thanks to an outpouring of help from members on this forum, I feel like I'm able to move forward in my novel set to revise and resubmit. I now have decent direction and a good plan. Thanks to those who talked through things with me and looked at some of my chapters (and to those who still are)! 

I'm currently revising chapter 11 for POV and the early chapters for finer changes. I still plan to go through the whole thing another time with a close focus on the prose (though I'm also trying to keep an eye on that now). 

My wife is reading my WIP novel now and I already have a half page of notes for developmental changes after 6 chapters (she's a bibliophile and a published non-fiction writer with an English degree, so she always gives me my early feedback). I have a lot of work coming on this project... but not yet. : )


----------



## Envy123

I've outlined what next I should do, for the "acting sessions" tomorrow to get the action and dialogue. The MC gets cursed as well - every time someone says the word "exercise", he does some push-ups, which is not good for maths class. And getting the other side of Rita's story, from the POV of the headmaster. There's also Bart's chaotic birthday party with a soap opera style tussle sequence.

Definitely looking forward to all of that.


----------



## Matchu

We’d befriended some aristocrats.  I was kind of a pet friend, and dropped their kid off for them at the golf course, under the supervision of the professional:

‘There you go, one brat kid, see you later.’

‘Thank you, sir, and aye do you play yerself, sir?’ said the golf-pro in horrible Scots.

‘Christ, no…’

‘Aye yee’ll join us in the end, they all do…hee hee hee…’

[shudder]


----------



## Parabola

Just reviewing some ideas mainly.


----------



## Bloggsworth

I updated my shopping list...


----------



## Parabola

Hobbies include: creating post-apocalyptic bestiaries.

Other stuff.


----------



## VRanger

1500 words on Moods this evening and a wrap on Chapter 14. The police detective Miles is assisting just witnessed another possession and wants answers about Miles' odd behaviors. Just shy of 47K words total, and I'm about to move into Act 3. I'm now at 106 of my 195 scene notes.

I'm intentionally writing shorter chapters than my history of chapter length (4-5K average). Since reliable sources indicate shorter chapters are in vogue, I'm doing cutovers at 3-4K. I can spice up the ending to ANY scene. ;-)

I worked through a portion of the outline which had necessary exposition, and it wasn't as much fun for me to write as dialogue and action. But ... I made it through and I'm back into material I'm eager to write.


----------



## Parabola

I just woke up from a "sad dream" that had a weird 80s morality tinge to it. Maybe I'll write some short story based on the dream, or it might actually turn out to be longer. Who knows?


----------



## Taylor

Working my way through my first copy edit and all I can say is, holy smokes, this lady knows her stuff!!

She provided both a clean copy and a marked-up copy.  So I'm using Read Aloud on the clean copy whilst looking at the marked-up copy.  Simple things like the use of an em dash, changing the order of sentences or words, and omitting redundant adjectives, make for a better read.

So far, accepting everything and wondering why I didn't write it like that in the first place!


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> So far, accepting everything and wondering why I didn't write it like that in the first place!


It's a process. The more you do it, the more you recognize what's needed. I'm delighted you wound up with a good editor.


----------



## Parabola

I started writing my "80s morality" thing, then decided to abort it. I'm pro-choice after all.


----------



## indianroads

It looks as if my next two novels (Termination series) will be a sort of sequel to my novel Inception (which was inspired by our own @Taylor ). That story was about the development of the first true AI - who called herself Whinn at first, then Whinter later on. She was left kinda dangling in the breeze after Inception, and as the Termination series takes place twenty years after Inception, I thought I'd include her... and the more I work on the plot the more of a role she'll have.

Yesterday I roughed out the plot for Moonscape, the first novel in the Termination series, so today I'll dive into the second novel, Stardust. I still have a long way to go before I start writing the draft, but it's getting there.


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> It's a process. The more you do it, the more you recognize what's needed.


True!  But it's not a perfect science. I gave a couple of pages to my husband who is a former English professor/editor of non-fiction and he gave a different set of suggestions.    After basic spag, copy editing is still an art.



VRanger said:


> I'm delighted you wound up with a good editor.


Me too!  You really scared the bejesus out of me!  LOL!!   She has an impressive portfolio of work with historical fiction novelists.  I give a lot of credit to my project manager, who so far has nailed it with my team.  I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to do it this way.

Also, THANK YOU @VRanger for opening my eyes on how to assess the various service providers.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> It looks as if my next two novels (Termination series) will be a sort of sequel to my novel Inception (which was inspired by our own @Taylor ). That story was about the development of the first true AI - who called herself Whinn at first, then Whinter later on. She was left kinda dangling in the breeze after Inception, and as the Termination series takes place twenty years after Inception, I thought I'd include her... and the more I work on the plot the more of a role she'll have.
> 
> Yesterday I roughed out the plot for Moonscape, the first novel in the Termination series, so today I'll dive into the second novel, Stardust. I still have a long way to go before I start writing the draft, but it's getting there.


Yay!!!  A grown-up Whinn ... I can't wait!   What world problems will she solve?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Yay!!!  A grown-up Whinn ... I can't wait!   What world problems will she solve?


As my wife likes to say: _a zany adventure will ensue_, then she'll meet a new friend and save us all.


----------



## Envy123

I'm at 35k words now. I've no idea what my story's genre is anymore, but I'm sure I'll find out once I finish at least this first draft.


----------



## indianroads

Good day today - finished a very rough outline of the two books in my next series (Termination), then started in on a more detailed plot - chapter by chapter - I have a half page of bullet points for Chapter 1.
I'm going with shorter chapters (2K words each - but 52 of them per book) because I think it will give the illusion of a quicker pace for the story.
The project is going well.


----------



## Parabola

Just came across a game design document from earlier this year. The environments are based off of an existing game (cemetery, hotel), and the levels are mundane enough but always inspired me because of the depth of the atmosphere, so I wrote a few pages for a mod project that will never see the light of day. Might remove the specifics of the game and write something based off it (the story I wrote was quite self-contained anyway). Probably something short, who knows?


----------



## Parabola

Preparing to deal with an extroverted character so steeped in their own manipulation they don't even realize it. No, I don't want to go through the labyrinth again, make it stop. See THEY (the illuminati), want you to think there's an exit, but there isn't one man!!

I met a hobo there once, said he'd been there a few years now. "Just accept it," he told me. He offered me a drink from his flask. I took it and curled up in the darkness. Sorry hobo, you aren't getting your flask back. It's every man for himself.

Another temporary feeling recorded for story mining.


----------



## Taylor

Using Microsoft "Read Aloud" for my final edit of Profitline.  Definitely a good way to flush out the last of the kinks.  They jump right out this way.  Maybe because once you've looked at something too long you just don't _see_ it anymore.

But, finding it really intense to listen to my manuscript.  I have to take lots of little breaks.      And someone please take away this bowl of peanuts!!!


----------



## indianroads

The first 5 chapters of Moonscape (Termination) are plotted - only 99 more to go (for the entire series.
As usual I'm trying a new approach to writing the series - I think (hope) it will work out.


----------



## PrairieHostage

No writing today, but I read in the three books I have on the go and researched a couple agents. I want to get on my flash fiction competition this week. Rough first draft needs a lot of love.


----------



## Parabola

FInally got back to novel after a couple of days off. 1.5K so far and with any luck I'll do at least another 500 at some point.


----------



## Envy123

So busy with work lately, so I only did a few edits to my rough draft to remove some inconsistencies I noticed. At least something. And I discovered through some discussions elsewhere, that my story is definitely not family-friendly and belongs to dark fantasy or horror.

I'm going to ramp up my summer reading, so that I could more easily edit existing scenes if I cannot add any new ones on a given day.


----------



## Parabola

The few days away from the second novel did me some good. More than one possibility occurred to me concerning the plot, and it might take some maneuvering to get it to fit, but I'm enjoying toying with the story as a whole. It won't alter the overall outcome necessarily (not sure yet), but the context will slightly shift at the very least.


----------



## Matchu

I wrote 500 or a 1000 incoherent words then I garnished the write with an update and it reads perfectly now although it did back then - when suffering firstdraftitis.


----------



## Parabola

Writer's note: If "cadence of her breath" somehow makes it into my story, I will beat myself to a pulp.


----------



## Matchu

Any breathing is wack -in stories - although there's some breathing in one of mine :/


----------



## Parabola

Matchu said:


> Any breathing is wack -in stories - although there's some breathing in one of mine :/



Yeah breathing is overrated in general.

Some other irritants below:

"Of her breast" (seriously what the hell?  and btw this is "cadence of her breath's" crude vulgar neighbor imo)
"Trapped in amber"

I was hoping for a longer list but that's all I have...for now.

edit: I'm not saying you couldn't combine the two in a creative way. It's worth a shot.


----------



## Matchu

Nestled in the shadow of a breast, Damien marvelled at the cadence of her breaths, the heart beating under his ear, vapours caressing bedlinen like a first world war gas barage, he wondered.  She was everything, the greatest insect trapped in amber, if only he could lock that door, keep her here, on top, or under the bed when necessary


----------



## PrairieHostage

Couple hours in a writing sesh with my guild tonight. I worked my flash fiction for a contest.
I love what I'm learning about my ancestors, Frisians of North Holland who fished and had sheep farms in peace ... until the Franco crusaders came.


----------



## VRanger

2200 words on Moods and a short Chapter 15. It ended with a gunshot threatening four characters as they left a mansion, and there just wasn't any reason to not end the chapter there. This completes note 112/195.

I looked at the note cards assigned to the chapter and couldn't believe I really had enough material there for a complete chapter. But after having my MC discuss the Columbo TV show with a "real live homicide detective" and a few other extemporaneous notions, I got there. ;-)

I think I've mentioned before that once I get into dialogue, words pour out.



> This worried me. “That worries me, Sam.” We now seemed on a first name basis. We’d shared watching a death. “It looks like Joey rattled a cage last night. See what it got _him_.”
> 
> “Yeah, but he was an amateur. It’s rare for a police detective to get ‘done in’ by a murderer.”
> 
> “I get your point. I always wondered why any of the murderers never blew Colombo away. Even when they didn’t think he was close to solving the case, he was too damned annoying to be allowed to live.” Colombo was a popular TV detective over the last several years. I never understood why. Not only did he annoy the fictional murderers, he annoyed me as a viewer. I can tell you that from experience, since I never missed his show.
> 
> Sam laughed. “Some police shows get close to what we really do, even if they condense it. Not Columbo. Not one detective in history ever solved a case like he does. And his evidence is so flimsy. No DA would take it to a Grand Jury. If the idiots didn’t break down and confess, the little missteps Columbo finds wouldn’t stand up.”
> 
> “So you watch it too?”
> 
> Sam coughed before he answered. “Never. It’s trash as far as cop shows go.”


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I hate my MC's best friend, Eugene. He's so flippant and thinks he's better than everyone else, of course he'll never admit it because that would mean actually admitting a character flaw. _And we can't have that. _God forbid. 

Wait, why am I insecure about a character in my own story?


----------



## indianroads

13 chapters deep and a quarter of the way through the outline of Moonscape - first novel (of 2) of my Termination Series.
It's going well, and I'm pleased.


----------



## VRanger

Sunday, I reported my Kindle DX lost all my notes on my read-through of PL2, and I'd hauled out my Microsoft Surface and started over using Word. That worked out great, and I may even abandon my stable of DXs to just use the Surface for reading from now on. Although it's backlit, I don't get the eyestrain from it that I got from Kindle Fires. 

As of this afternoon, I caught back up to where I was, just starting to read the Bedroom Crawl ... at about 60% of the manuscript. So I should be through in the next few days and able to pass it along to a few more readers who've been anxious for me to get through this process ... the last one before I'm comfortable turning it over to "outside eyes".


----------



## ehbowen

Got a nibble; a local independent publisher wants to talk with me about my manuscript. We'll see!


----------



## VRanger

2100 words on Moods last night. I'm trying to sneak in Moods writing while @PiP is busy with guests. ;-) I started the thing about the time PiP and I started PL1. I've since put the majority of my writing attention into our two completed collaborations, but it's time to also get Moods wrapped up. The 2K words took down 6 more note cards, so now 118/195 completed, and I'm starting to get into some scenes I'm very eager to write. Those ALWAYS write faster.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote 2.5K in sequel, and updated plot summary of the third book. Randomly came up with a novel that the MC reads in book 2 and started to write a rough synopsis of that in a separate document. The MC in that one is significantly more extroverted than my current one, so it'll be an interesting journey when I start to write it.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I got my first rejection! I got my first rejection!!
It was worded so pleasantly, hard to complain. One down. 99 to go! Wheeee! I've decided to share my first rejection as part of the joy of writing success. Don't worry, I won't share each one. But the first is so special, don'tcha know?


----------



## Cephus

Not bad. Just crossed 60k on the WIP, which is pretty good considering I didn't write at all on Friday or Monday around the holiday. It looks like this one will wind up around 130k in the end.


----------



## VRanger

Hit my 2K for tonight and finished Chapter 16. Now at 53K for the manuscript and 121/195. Yes, three note cards resulted in 2K words, primarily because one of them was an entire burglary episode where a possessing spirit had Miles steal supplies from a hospital immediately used to break into an office and a safe.

I also took a deep breath and queried a big-time agent regarding my Heinlein sequel. I think I've pushed it as far as I can without representation from someone inside the industry.


----------



## Envy123

I wrote 3.4k words today. Recently read my old stories again, to get a bigger picture of what was happening in a future possible book in order to work backwards. Turns out that my MC joins the estranged house, only to be able to destroy it later once he knows how they operate in full, and his frenemy smuggles out some goods to pay for school fees. So, I weaved that into my proper attempt at a novel.


----------



## Taylor

Almost finished listening to the entire manuscript of Profitline after the final edit.  Thanks for the idea @indianroads!  The editor made some excellent suggestions and it was also rewarding to see her positive comments in the margins, for example:

_"These explanations are great, and of much benefit for the reader with no background in finance! You’ve worked them into the dialogue in a natural manner, and they provide information without being dry and technical. Well done!"  _

Mission accomplished!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> Almost finished listening to the entire manuscript of Profitline after the final edit.  Thanks for the idea @indianroads!  The editor made some excellent suggestions and it was also rewarding to see her positive comments in the margins, for example:
> 
> _"These explanations are great, and of much benefit for the reader with no background in finance! You’ve worked them into the dialogue in a natural manner, and they provide information without being dry and technical. Well done!"  _
> 
> Mission accomplished!


I'll be looking for my next book to read in the next week or so. Can't wait.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I'll be looking for my next book to read in the next week or so. Can't wait.


You might have to close your eyes for some of the bedroom scenes.  LOL!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> You might have to close your eyes for some of the bedroom scenes.  LOL!


I will avert my eyes at the appropriate moment.


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> You might have to close your eyes for some of the bedroom scenes.  LOL!



I thought "fade to black" was all the rage nowadays.


----------



## Quelhallow

Got a bee in my bonnet and wrote this month's challenge prompt tonight after an eighty-hour work week. Time to stream something dumb and pass out in a minute.


----------



## indianroads

The Moonscape draft is through Chapter 19.
I'm getting pulled away from writing a lot - it's spring and the yard needs tending - but everything is going well.
On this series I'm experimenting with shorter chapters ~2000 words, to see if it speeds up the pace of the story. That raised the chapter count from my usual upper-20's to 52. 
The work is going well. The plot falls like a brick tossed out of a 52 story window - and it's coming together a lot easier than The Last Ride did.


----------



## Erik Vaeli

I finished my longest, most action-packed chapter so far (although I need to go back and do a quick redesign of this major deity that makes an appearance in the chapter, since his current one is a little too generic), and am just a couple chapters away from the big twist that brings a close to the first act! The story is really going to be taking off soon, and I'm excited to get there. Now to just try and make the in-between chapters actually interesting...


----------



## Parabola

Didn't write much last night or at all yesterday, instead read stuff that partially illuminated "social cause and effect" using historical examples etc. "They often find themselves enmeshed in controversy." No disagreement there.


----------



## Parabola

Damn, the trickster god found his way into my story again. He always uses a veneer to throw me off track, the cheeky bastard.


----------



## VRanger

Back to Moods tonight. 3600 words in 150 minutes. Obviously, stuff I was eager to write ... as I predicted last comment. Another three note cards (123/195) ... three cards for 3600 words and Chapter 17 complete.  56.7K down and hopefully only 44K to go. ;-)

Miles got some more clues and exorcised a second spirit.


----------



## Parabola

Had a nightmare and while I have plenty, most of them aren't "story worthy." I could probably twist this particular one to get what I want out of it though. On the other hand, I'm ambivalent when writing a horror story, especially centering on particular themes.


----------



## Envy123

3,400 more words today and this got the total word count to about 42k. Voice-to-text, plus cleanup time, and I was able to get it done within 2 hours.

As I don't know what market genre my book is, I am aiming for 80k-90k words total as a safe bet.


----------



## Taylor

Parabola said:


> I thought "fade to black" was all the rage nowadays.


This is so interesting!  You may have said this in jest, but it got me thinking about my target market.  As much as I enjoyed writing a few titillating details, they may not be necessary for my reader.  I went back to my bedroom scenes and deleted the last 2-3 sentences of physical descriptions and either omitted them completely or replaced them with metaphors that inform the reader about the relationship.   It works so much better!!!    THANK  YOU @Parabola!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> This is so interesting!  You may have said this in jest, but it got me thinking about my target market.  As much as I enjoyed writing a few titillating details, they may not be necessary for my reader.  I went back to my bedroom scenes and deleted the last 2-3 sentences of physical descriptions and either omitted them completely or replaced them with metaphors that inform the reader about the relationship.   It works so much better!!!    THANK  YOU @Parabola!


And I was SOOO looking forward to teasing you about making me blush.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> And I was SOOO looking forward to teasing you about making me blush.


Well then, you can read the unabridged version.


----------



## Ajoy

I'm on chapter 28 of 34 of my revisions from first to third person. It's been tedious catching all of those pronouns, and it's been tricky in places as well. I'm hoping it accomplishes the improvements I'm going for!


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> This is so interesting!  You may have said this in jest, but it got me thinking about my target market.  As much as I enjoyed writing a few titillating details, they may not be necessary for my reader.  I went back to my bedroom scenes and deleted the last 2-3 sentences of physical descriptions and either omitted them completely or replaced them with metaphors that inform the reader about the relationship.   It works so much better!!!    THANK  YOU @Parabola!



It was in jest. Glad it helped though haha!


----------



## indianroads

Found a few plot wrinkles in MoonScape (WIP) and went backward a bit to smooth them out. The changes are working out, but I have a lot more to do. 
Fortunately my editor (Pilot) caught them and covered his eyes - that's what alerted me to the problem. 
Fixing this sort of thing is a lot easier at the plot outline level; if I were deep into the draft, I'd be banging my head into my keyboard.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes focusing on the details lets the right metaphors arise naturally.


----------



## VRanger

1850 words in Moods tonight, and I was surprised to get there. I programmed until after midnight, so I thought I'd be quite a bit shorter on prose afterward. This brings Chapter 18 to about halfway through.


----------



## Envy123

I spread out the current events in my story to be better spaced out. Figured that I must move to the spring term of the school year, for the pacing to be consistent.

It was anyway weird for severe snow in London to be in October.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished my planned revisions of "Atlantis Dying" yesterday. Now it's time to let it sit, get reader feedback, and read/research/practice writing for the next set of revisions I have planned (smoothing out the prose). 

I've also finished the first draft of my YA novel and gotten my first reader feedback. That one needs so much work (developmental revision), but I'm letting it sit for a while so I can come to it fresh. Again, I'm planning to spend that time with a bit of reading and mental planning.


----------



## Taylor

Ajoy said:


> I've also finished the first draft of my YA novel and gotten my first reader feedback. That one needs so much work (developmental revision), but I'm letting it sit for a while so I can come to it fresh. Again, I'm planning to spend that time with a bit of reading and mental planning.


I did the same with my first draft ... let it sit.  It's surprising the little things you notice when you are not so wrapped up in it.  

You are making good time on your AD revisions.   Good work!


----------



## NajaNoir

I've been working on a story today that was inspired by one of the picture prompts. Read what I had written to my kids. Usually they just nod along and say something to the effect of, "that's nice" however, they both really seemed to enjoy it. My daughter isn't much of a reader, but she does take time to read my stories, offering feedback through a teenagers eyes. My son is autistic, but reading is something he does enjoy. Usually though, my stories aren't adventurous enough to keep his attention. So his reaction made my day.

Them enjoying it, made writing it worth it. In that, there is my writing success for the day.


----------



## indianroads

Back on track with Moonscape (Termination series 1). Passed the halfway point with the plot, 27 (short) chapters with bullet points (no prose yet). I'm enjoying the story - pace seems good and there's a lot of tension... even a budding romance between unlikely people.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

3,228 words today, total for June and this new book: 16,779. Fun!!!!


----------



## PiP

I discovered trying to convert 'Dreams' from 1st to 3rd POV is like writing a different book. I'm only halfway through the first chapter and it does not feel right. Maybe I'll post both chapters to the WS for a second opinion.
 I also added to my contribution to collab with @VRanger for the first chapter of PL III


----------



## Taylor

I've finished stopped tweaking my final WIP for now.   

The next step is to seek advice from a copywriter lawyer.  I have changed corporation names and brand names to fictitious ones as much as possible, but some trade names like Louis Vuitton and Harvard are just too perfect.  But I guess, if I had to they could be: _"Andre Arnaud, a famous brand of purses,"_ and _"Chadd University, the top business school in the US."  _

Being risk-averse, I need to feel 100% non-liable when I hit that submit button.


----------



## Envy123

Just under 5k words today - at 47k words total. I'm getting closer to the end of the first draft.


----------



## Parabola

Taylor said:


> I've finished stopped tweaking my final WIP for now.
> 
> The next step is to seek advice from a copywriter lawyer.  I have changed corporation names and brand names to fictitious ones as much as possible, but some trade names like Louis Vuitton and Harvard are just too perfect.  But I guess, if I had to they could be: _"Andre Arnaud, a famous brand of purses,"_ and _"Chadd University, the top business school in the US."  _
> 
> Being risk-averse, I need to feel 100% non-liable when I hit that submit button.



Which reminds me. I need to find brand name substitutes for "Cheetos and Dew."


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> Which reminds me. I need to find brand name substitutes for "Cheetos and Dew."


Mentioning brand names in your manuscript? Unless you do something to throw shade on the product or the company, you're fine.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Mentioning brand names in your manuscript? Unless you do something to throw shade on the product or the company, you're fine.


Agree.
If you need to alter the name: Chester's snacks or orange fingers, and Tennessee Dew.


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> Mentioning brand names in your manuscript? Unless you do something to throw shade on the product or the company, you're fine.



Interesting. I was always under the impression you had to get permission either way. Well, that works for me since the first third of book 1 is basically an advertisement for Cheetos and Dew. 



indianroads said:


> Agree.
> If you need to alter the name: Chester's snacks or orange fingers, and Tennessee Dew.



"Tennessee Dew" sounds great tbh.


----------



## indianroads

Try looking up the history of the product - you can call it something similar to it's original name without trouble. Cheese Puffs or Crunchy Puffs would probably be fine,


----------



## indianroads

I've reached the 3/4 point in the plot for Moonscape. Tension builds nicely and peaks at the right places. 823 bullet points so far, that I'll expand into a story.


----------



## Parabola

With any luck, I'll be back on the writing horse tomorrow (book 2, not my constantly multiplying pile of side projects).


----------



## Parabola

Wrote 2K in book 2. Tomorrow it will be a bit less because of obligations etc. Still, picked up the ball for a bit.


----------



## VRanger

2K for me too tonight @Parabola.  I had a two-sentence scene stub that turned into 750 words that were not in the notes, but it fits one of my plot tropes ... a budding romance between my MC and his neighbor ... including burning his mouth by taking too big a bite of still hot pizza, then trying to drown that with a big swig of beer. I completed note card 138 of 195.

If the "word per scene card" ratio remains consistent, I'm looking at 90K for the manuscript, which suits me. However, I'm approaching the 4th act, where many of the scene cards could be FULL of content. But if I get to 100K I'm not concerned.


----------



## indianroads

Paper back and hard back came in - and they check out fine.
SUCCESS!


----------



## RGS

I'm a bit late posting this, but I'm now in two local library systems:

Knox County, Tennessee

Blount County, Tennessee

Sales are nice, of course, but my biggest "ambition" is to be read above all else.


----------



## Envy123

Around 3k words today. Now up to 52k words in total. Would need 11 sessions like that to get to 85k.

I'll definitely have to redo the earlier chapters as they're much weaker than the later ones, and I'm uncertain if readers/agents/editors would have the patience of Yoda to get to the good parts.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I've been pulled away from writing lately ... just life's complications happening. I managed to bring my flash fiction to it's next draft and submitted my YA manuscript to a contest. Watched Shae Bishop's video on how she landed an agent. She was scouted from an article she published in a magazine. Plus she was short listed in a national competition.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Wrote a flash story which I hope is a decent read or that will get feedback. It seems more like an excerpt. So far it seems like a moral tale at that length. Scrivener on the Mac has dual highlighting. I also changed the page color or background. It made a big difference. As well as how I approached the writing process of a description paragraph.


----------



## Daria Vasilenko

I wrote down different new ideas. I rarely have problems w this, but w the implementation... it happens...

I registered in here. I think this is a good move  I need to improve my English, since I already write on it, and I plan to write more and better. Plus, it increases the chances of finding friends-writers. It seems to me that such acquaintances can also further affect my work 

Also today I start looking for a person who knew Hebrew. I need him for my new story. I want to make two phrases in it in Hebrew, but I am afraid without an assistant I can't do it right.. I haven't found such a person yet, but I will try again. If I don't find him, I will do what I can by myself c:


----------



## Parabola

Squeezed out slightly over 2K. So decently productive today. On top of that, thought of another context for the climax.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Worked on two shorts and joined a viticulture forum in the hopes of getting a tech read on 20 or so pages, excerpts from my WIP. Also emailed a winemaker working in the same county that my novel is based in northern Cali. Ironically, he's Canadian. I'm hoping I can meet him. When I'm there in August I suspect he's super busy. But we can't get if we don't ask right?


----------



## KatPC

Its been a while since I last posted but completed 2nd draft of a novella -- 8.7k words. It still needs a lot more drafts but ironed out a lot of plot holes in between scenes. Will do a read through before I email a member here for some feedback. Not sure whether they have time and/or can reply but it's okay. Happy to be writing and figuring out my writing process and journey.


----------



## Parabola

Maybe I can fit some writing in tonight. Not my usual timeframe but eh, doesn't matter.


----------



## Jeko

I figured out a huge twist I can use for for my current WIP that fits in with everything I've put together so far, feels big enough to be a great ending to the climax of the narrative, but should also be completely unexpectable for the average reader.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

I am currently thinking over chapter 2, trying to write a training scene with two people.  The main person needs to gain more muscle mass and confidence so his grandfather is training him.


----------



## indianroads

44 chapters deep into the plot of my next novel, Moonscape. It looks as if it won't be a series, just a longer book than usual.

I was thinking today about spiders - in my view they're ugly nasty creepy... yeah I know they serve a purpose in nature, but where I grew up wolf spiders would get into our beds at night... they're ugly, ugly, ugly creatures that leave a welt that when scratched hurts like hell. Now I include the little buggers in my writing 'cause they're so disgusting. And... guess what's happening in Moonscape... mechanical spiders surround my characters, as a spider the side of a building confronts and starts speaking to them.

Anyone else use their phobias in their writing?


----------



## Lisa_zips

Wow you write a lot of books ik ppl who read your books


----------



## Parabola

Wrote a little over five hundred. Not my usual, but it was interesting writing in the evening and not the morning which is typical for me. It had that "forbidden" naughty feel tbh.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> I was thinking today about spiders - in my view they're ugly nasty creepy... yeah I know they serve a purpose in nature, but where I grew up wolf spiders would get into our beds at night... they're ugly, ugly, ugly creatures that leave a welt that when scratched hurts like hell. Now I include the little buggers in my writing 'cause they're so disgusting. And... guess what's happening in Moonscape... mechanical spiders surround my characters, as a spider the side of a building confronts and starts speaking to them.
> 
> Anyone else use their phobias in their writing?


That. Is. Terrifying!! I've not yet included a phobia, but spiders is definitely one of them.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

could large crowds be a phobia


----------



## VRanger

I think the last time I posted I was finishing Chapter 18. 5K words since then and I'm halfway through Chapter 21. Normally I'm done with a novel in Chapter 21, but I'm writing shorter chapters for Moods. I'm looking forward the next scene up next, but with work and working on the downed oak tree, I haven't had many hours to write this week. I did squeeze a 1K scene in last night.

Plot cart 146/195 done.  This novel sat on the shelf for a WHILE as @PiP and I wrote PL1 and PL2, so it's nice to get it back in motion and be looking down the 4th act ... especially since I'd like to wrap this one up plus two more solo novels before year end, plus PL3, which we're cranking up. I've written a short scene there in Chapter 1. PiP got out ahead of me on this one.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

I'm on chapter 1 with 312 words so far


----------



## indianroads

BeckyAnime53 said:


> I'm on chapter 1 with 312 words so far


Just keep it rolling and you'll get there.


----------



## Parabola

Hit 2K today and might wright a tad more as a buffer for the next few days. Came to some insights about a side character, and this is making me change some of the plot points going forward.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

So far, I'm still writing chapter 1.  I have 587 words.  I'm not sure how many words to put into each chapter.  I'll just write until I feel a new chapter is needed.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

Right now I am writing a exorcise routine with boxing bags. I researched it and following the guide


----------



## BeckyAnime53

Okay chapter 1 is done with a little over 1000 words. Chapter 2 starts the first part of my plot


----------



## indianroads

I finished the plot for Moonscape today; it came in at 50 chapters only 2 less than I originally planned. I'll be going with ~2100 words per chapter, which will bring it in close to the length I wanted. There's some leeway, so I can go longer if I choose.

It's a bit weird how things turned out - there are tie-ins to several of my previous novels (the Extinction series + Inception), but Moonscape is completely stand alone and will be fine. The tie-in is strongest with Inception because one of the characters, Whinter, shows up in several chapters, and her fate is shown in the last chapter of Moonscape.

I'm kinda stoked about the story, it will be a blast to write and hopefully a fun read.


----------



## JJBuchholz

Just finished another adventure in one of my series that came to me via an errant thought while at work
a couple of weeks ago. Focused on a different character, as well as a 'Baddie of the Week' that was a 
little different than most (As much as I keep arcs going, I also like to throw in a one-off here and there
to keep thing interesting in any of my series).

Happy to finish it, and am already ahead of my writing goals for 2022 before we hit the half-way point
of the year.

-JJB


----------



## Parabola

The plot for book 2 evolved a bit. Looking forward to the final setting (or the situation within, which transforms it).

Also crossed the 40K mark this morning, so there's that.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Spent a couple hours researching an agent this morning. Steven Malk's always been my favorite. He's in La Jolla, CA.


----------



## PrairieHostage

This morning I got a bite on my post on a Grape Growing & Vineyard Forum. A guy who's reviving his own small vineyard is going to read my whole novel! I'm thrilled. His input will greatly enhance my technical accuracies.


----------



## Matchu

There was a big mag - and I always get ‘myself’ really irritated by their content - but they were advertising for reader submissions on a theme.  I sent that ‘oldest write’ in a flash…but then in a second flash of wind I wrote another 1000.  I thought it was great, snow blind first drafter and posted it - BUT they have worked previously.  At least I’m writing, fed up about working :/


----------



## BeckyAnime53

I changed up chapter 1 with a nightmare scene followed by a panic attack.


----------



## indianroads

Good day today. Finished the rough outline yesterday and started refining today. 15 chapters deep already.
Compared to Last Ride, Moonscape is a breeze - the plot is linear, and falls like a brick that's tossed out a skyscraper window.
I'm loving it.


----------



## VRanger

Last night I did a 1K scene in PL3, and tonight 1.2K in Moods and another 1K in PL3. Then @PiP came along and inserted some dialogue right in the middle of tonight's PL3 scene, making my word count a bit on the iffy side. LOL I still think it was 1K. ;-)

I wrote the fun scene in Moods I was looking forward to, and in PL3 they've now discovered a Secret Passage in 300 year old Pratewood Hall.


----------



## Envy123

Currently have writer's block, but that won't stop me from doing work on my story.

I started a separate second draft with an overhauled Chapter 1. The introductory scene had all the fat trimmed away and combined with a later scene in the same classroom, so that the inciting incident is clear on page 1. Then, the hand puppet that is supposed to guard a secret, only revealed a bit to my MC because he helped it.

It does read a lot better now.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Last night I did a 1K scene in PL3, and tonight 1.2K in Moods and another 1K in PL3. Then @PiP came along and inserted some dialogue right in the middle of tonight's PL3 scene, making my word count a bit on the iffy side. LOL I still think it was 1K. ;-)
> 
> I wrote the fun scene in Moods I was looking forward to, and in PL3 they've now discovered a Secret Passage in 300 year old Pratewood Hall.


Wow, you’re a busy guy. I’m impressed.


----------



## Parabola

Cleaned up some plot details going forward, also tried to be mindful of, you know, cause and effect since it's easy to give your mind the illusion a plot exists. Not that I plan on letting the atmosphere take a "backseat" but that would be an illogical assumption anyway.


----------



## indianroads

Anyone else dream about their work - and actually catch something? Happens to me a lot. This morning... about 5am... I realized there was a plot hole in Moonscape, and after moments of panic and thought, I came up with the answer. Fixed it today - and progressed the screening of the plot outline to chapter 30.

Yes, I'm neurotic and OCD.

Oh- and for father's day one of my daughters bought me a square inch of Scotland... I got a certificate and the whole 9 yards. You may now address me as Lord Indianroads.


----------



## BeckyAnime53

I'm on chapter 3.  It'll be the attack while my main character moves to his new pack. I'm just writing, thinking over and rewriting the beginning.


----------



## arkayye

Got something off my poetic chest, today, on another site. It is related to a two decade+ long conversation and journey in online (social platform) poetry.


----------



## arkayye

indianroads said:


> Anyone else dream about their work - and actually catch something? Happens to me a lot. This morning... about 5am... I realized there was a plot hole in Moonscape, and after moments of panic and thought, I came up with the answer. Fixed it today - and progressed the screening of the plot outline to chapter 30.
> 
> Yes, I'm neurotic and OCD.
> 
> Oh- and for father's day one of my daughters bought me a square inch of Scotland... I got a certificate and the whole 9 yards. You may now address me as Lord Indianroads. View attachment 29019


We had a Lord Byron, it’s about time we got a Lord Barrett, long overdue!


----------



## Sinister

Started a new WIP with a fresh 1000 words tonight.  I'm so excited by this idea, the setting and concept that the words aren't coming fast enough.  I want this idea in words immediately, before I lose sight of it.  Even bad words will do.  That said, I'm out of training, cause 1000 words later and I'm tuckered and need a break.  But the giddiness of starting a fresh project with a cool concept makes up for it.  I live for this feeling.  I may not be an author, but by God, I'll always be and have been a writer.

-Sin


----------



## VRanger

Another 1100 words in PL3 and 1200 in Moods tonight. The 1100 in PL3 was fun. The 1200 in Moods was work. Sometimes I plan a scene I don't yet know how to execute. In this case, a politician's spirit was supposed to take over in interviews of suspects, so that the interviews were diplomatic and didn't arouse suspicion each person was a suspect ... the opposite of a police interrogation. I'm typing the first paragraph of the scene and I STILL don't know how I'm going to write that. But I figured something out and hopefully it comes across.

This is a situation I stick myself with from time to time ... a problem to solve or a technique to write I haven't done before and don't have the answer when I plan it. I either crave challenges or masochism. ;-)

The 1100 in PL3 involved some research into a certain type of antique. I've read many Lovejoy novels ... a roguish antiques dealer who is a 'divvy' ... sort of a psychic talent for telling the real thing from a fake. I introduced an antiques dealer in PL2 and actually wrote Jonathan Gash's agent seeking to include Lovejoy in a 'guest appearance'. Should have been a slam dunk for them to approve, but I was ignored.

So I named my character 'Rhys Joyce'. The name Rhys means 'love' in Welsh, and Joyce with 'ce' chopped off is 'Joy'. Eat that, Gash's agent!


----------



## CoffeenCream

Today just started, but I'm relieved that I'm on Chapter Three of my first story. I don't know how many chapters will be written but keeping an open mind anyway.


----------



## Parabola

MC just had to rebel against my plot points. Well every time he sets his sights too high, he pays the price.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

My writing joy today comes from reading the blurbs I've gathered for my book on flash literature. (I just put them all together.) I asked some of the most renowned writers in the field of flash literature for comments and I'm so delighted with what they said that I'm almost cartwheeling across my small office. I am so happy I managed to gather such wonderful words about my work.  (Now . . . if I could just finish the final edits . . . )


----------



## CoffeenCream

Okay, Chapter 3 with 502 words. It's moving along well. I'm listening to music while writing and planning.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

I find it difficult to find a 'successful' thing to write here. I'm currently struggling with an action scene. It wasn't until I started writing it that I realised I've never written a pursuit scene before. I've done action scenes but never pursuit scenes. This knocked me for six for quite some time. How was I to keep the same style/voice while maintaining a quick pace? The answer (right now) is to forget about trying to make it fit and hope the 'genetics' of my neutral voice will tie the two together. If it jars then I'll have to think of a strategy later on in the rewrites. Right now I really need to kill this goddamn inner editor until I've finished chapter 2. I promised myself I would but he's a hard taskmaster and a bugger to lose.


----------



## indianroads

Kent_Jacobs said:


> I find it difficult to find a 'successful' thing to write here. I'm currently struggling with an action scene. It wasn't until I started writing it that I realised I've never written a pursuit scene before. I've done action scenes but never pursuit scenes. This knocked me for six for quite some time. How was I to keep the same style/voice while maintaining a quick pace? The answer (right now) is to forget about trying to make it fit and hope the 'genetics' of my neutral voice will tie the two together. If it jars then I'll have to think of a strategy later on in the rewrites. Right now I really need to kill this goddamn inner editor until I've finished chapter 2. I promised myself I would but he's a hard taskmaster and a bugger to lose.


I wrote a motorcycle chase scene in Inception that ran through Silicon Valley rush hour traffic. The trick it to visualize the chase and throw everything you have into it. As you write, let yourself feel the emotions.


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

indianroads said:


> I wrote a motorcycle chase scene in Inception that ran through Silicon Valley rush hour traffic. The trick it to visualize the chase and throw everything you have into it. As you write, let yourself feel the emotions.


I've written three paragraphs of it and I'm happy so far. It's just that there are moments coming up that need some really careful consideration and the logic of the situation needs to be spot on too. I'm pressing on!


----------



## Sinister

Action scenes are my Achilles heel.  I can't do them well at all.  I generally want to nail down a specific and detailed play-by-play, end up getting disgusted and scrapping the whole scene.  Unless they're ultra-simple and quick, I avoid them.

-Sin


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Sinister said:


> Action scenes are my Achilles heel.  I can't do them well at all.  I generally want to nail down a specific and detailed play-by-play, end up getting disgusted and scrapping the whole scene.  Unless they're ultra-simple and quick, I avoid them.
> 
> -Sin


The secret is not to do a play-by-play, I know that much. Just flavour the action with the most significant moments. I have a section coming up in which a soldier with a spear attacks Yarrod, pierces him through the side and then pushes him with the spear through the dirt. His crow, Stitch, swoops out of nowhere and distracts the soldier long enough for Yarrod to roll sideways out of the slide. This is the moment Yarrod gets mortally wounded and at the end of the chapter dies, which sets him on the next cycle and the true story of the novel.


----------



## Sinister

I do wish I could experiment in my current WIP with an action scene.  But it's more-or-less a psychological atmospheric horror story.  I have a bad habit of avoiding my weaknesses and sticking to my strengths.  Not a good way to get better and I would love to add action scenes to my arsenal.  Might just start some writing exercises, with characters from previous works.  Just to polish up the skills a bit.

-Sin


----------



## Kent_Jacobs

Sinister said:


> I do wish I could experiment in my current WIP with an action scene.  But it's more-or-less a psychological atmospheric horror story.  I have a bad habit of avoiding my weaknesses and sticking to my strengths.  Not a good way to get better and I would love to add action scenes to my arsenal.  Might just start some writing exercises, with characters from previous works.  Just to polish up the skills a bit.
> 
> -Sin


I don't think it's too much of a problem to stick with your strengths. At some point one of your stories will require a weakness and then you can learn to deal with it. As you said though, it wouldn't hurt to write some short pieces just to practice.


----------



## PiP

Continued plotting our Christmas collab novel with @VRanger in plottr. Having so much fun moving scenes around to fit the timeline ...  Last night I  wrote about 750 words on the page of the  7500 I composed earlier in my head while  I was taking my daily swim and walk.


----------



## Parabola

I get to take a detour into the post-apocalypse.


----------



## Parabola

2k completed. Plot upheaval again.


----------



## indianroads

I finished the second plot review - and made a number of changes.
One more pass (hopefully) and I'll start in on the draft.


----------



## Envy123

Worked on fixing grammar issues and tightening up contradictions in the story. I'll keep the "incorrect" grammar in dialogue, though, as it gives the characters charm in their voices.


----------



## Purplepen

I have finished writing book one in a trilogy I'm working on, and am currently deep into my first draft of book two.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Finished a flash story and I implied a plot twist in the ending. I might continue it at some point if it is worth it. I have an old story where I got the idea from. The title  of the flash alludes to what I am talking about.


----------



## VRanger

1500 words on Moods tonight, and now I've completed 156/195 plot notes. 156 turned out easy. I decided it was too close to a scene I already wrote a short time ago, so I deprecated it. Next scene: A third spirit gets exorcised. At this rate it's at least a 5-book series before Miles is back to normal. LOL


----------



## Cornelius Coburn

Deleted


----------



## VRanger

Cornelius Coburn said:


> a posteriori, knowledge formulated as presumptive observation and experience.


In other words, formulated by the seat of the pants.


----------



## Cornelius Coburn

Deleted


----------



## PiP

Completed just over a 1000 words (first draft) last night in the opening scene of Chapter 3 and created the Pratewood family history to notes into Plottr so we can move on to the next part of the plot. I need two monitors ... back and forth between tabs and keeping track of who was born and died when and which sprog belonged to whom is taking ages ...


----------



## CoffeenCream

I'm proofreading Chapter 3 with Word Tune. I can only do 20 proofreads a day.


----------



## Parabola

PiP said:


> Completed just over a 1000 words (first draft) last night in the opening scene of Chapter 3 and created the Pratewood family history to notes into Plottr so we can move on to the next part of the plot. I need two monitors ... back and forth between tabs and keeping track of who was born and died when and which sprog belonged to whom is taking ages ...



"Creating history" whether with family stuff/or just general worldbuilding, is a really enjoyable phase of the writing process for me. Always look forward to it.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote around 3K today. Beyond that, novel is starting to become its own thing, by that I mean while it references first book a healthy amount (not too much though, sprinkled references), the story has taken off and the themes are its own.


----------



## CoffeenCream

I'm on Chapter 4, centering on my main character's potential mate.


----------



## VRanger

1900 words in Moods tonight completed Chapter 23 and note card 160/195. I blew by 71K words for the novel so far ... truly coming down the home stretch. I deprecated two more scene cards, which I regard as a good sign. It means I have a firmer handle on the plot progression--having written 71K--than I did before I wrote a word. Those scenes would have been redundant ... covered ground too similar to scenes already recently written. In that vein, I'm wondering now if I should vacate an entire 4th act subplot where my MC gets set up as taking a payoff. I might keep it, but make it less complex than originally plotted. Really, it's time to drop the last couple of clues and wrap this mystery up. I won't be going to 100K ... more in the 85K range ... which is quite suitable for mysteries.


----------



## VRanger

And then 900 words in PL3. Good inspiration in each story.


----------



## CoffeenCream

It's a new day, and I'm up early working on chapter 4.I am thinking of putting the bad guy into this chapter.


----------



## Parabola

Coming up with titles for chapters helps with motivation like I mentioned before (though I don't intend to use them in the "final product"). The one that stands out the most from book 2 so far is "Ethan's Instant Gratification Apocalypse."


----------



## Parabola

Wrote usual 2K and broke the 50k mark. Shooting for about 80ish.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I spent a few hours collecting all the technical grape growing aspects of my WIP into 20 pages and sent it to the senior VP of public relations who'll forward to a commercial winemaker. Three other gentleman who hobby farm are reading as well. I'm reluctant to do any more queries until they come back and until I workshop the novel with author Pablo Cartaya August 4-6.


----------



## CoffeenCream

Well, I finished writing Chapter 4. The first confrontation with the bad guys has been written.I ended it with the main character being carried to the clinic by his potential mate.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote another 1K roughly. Okay, _now _I'm shutting 'er down for the night.


----------



## Envy123

I'm finally over 60k words and one of the obstacles are destroyed.


----------



## Parabola

"Where are you going?"

"Places."

"Okay, good to know."

Then they both left the room, abbreviated people. [this isn't actual dialogue from my WIP]


----------



## CoffeenCream

I am slow burning the relationship between my two characters.


----------



## Parabola

Had to add significant context to plot summary, expanding on the tech, but the relationships between MC and his contemptuous but clever friend, Eugene. The wildcard (not Eugene) forced his way into the plot because, well, that's what a wildcard does.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the third plot review of Moonscape, it's grown to about 19K words, which is fine.
I'll hit it one more time - trying to ignore plot and only trace characters through the story.
In the SciFi genre I try to keep the first cut WC to ~103K, which is edited down to 100K. This story will go longer, max 115K (hopefully less). I'm going with a longer book because I have enough novels out there that a longer title should be ok... but we'll see.
I was planning to take a motorcycle ride tomorrow to clear my head, but we're expecting thunderstorms... yeah, that's kinda typical.
Anyway - I'm excited about the prospects of this book, it will be fun to write and hopefully enjoyable to read.


----------



## taher1980

That's a great achievement.


----------



## CoffeenCream

My two main characters just hit the friendship stage. It's shopping time for them. 304 words on chapter 6 so far.


----------



## VRanger

Scene card 161/195 appeared for the beginning of Chapter 24 in Moods. I thought about deprecating it, but soon decided it offered a great opportunity to bury a clue in complicated multiple-character dialogue. So a scene I briefly contemplated not writing became 2000 words that I'm pleased with, including a rare (for me) physical description of my 'battle axe' attorney. Isn't it odd that 'battle axe' uniquely describes a female? What's the corresponding archetype for a male? LOL

73K plus as I retire from writing tonight. The crucial element of this scene is I dropped the defining clue in the murder mystery, but (hopefully) buried it in the middle of a fast-moving complicated dialogue. That's an Erle Stanly Gardner trick. It helps to have read almost 50 of his 80+ Perry Mason books. ;-) It's a fair clue, but it will take observant readers to notice it.


----------



## PrairieHostage

From a vineyard farmer located in northern Wisconsin who read my WIP:
_*All in all you did a good job. I marked in red a couple things you might want to redo. Very nice book, good luck with it.*_
His input on viticulture is appreciated, but what really got me in the feels was his comment about my book. I feel like a needy wallflower when people read my stuff, filled with apprehension and doubt. This complete stranger really made my day!


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Finished the third plot review of Moonscape, it's grown to about 19K words, which is fine.
> I'll hit it one more time - trying to ignore plot and only trace characters through the story.
> In the SciFi genre I try to keep the first cut WC to ~103K, which is edited down to 100K. This story will go longer, max 115K (hopefully less). I'm going with a longer book because I have enough novels out there that a longer title should be ok... but we'll see.
> I was planning to take a motorcycle ride tomorrow to clear my head, but we're expecting thunderstorms... yeah, that's kinda typical.
> Anyway - I'm excited about the prospects of this book, it will be fun to write and hopefully enjoyable to read.



Yep, SciFi (or SciFi adjacent) can be incredibly interesting to write about. The continuity between books, how the characters/world change can be a fascinating process, and it's my first time writing a book series so seeing that interconnectedness across books is something else.


----------



## CoffeenCream

610 words for chapter 7. I'm writing about a shopping trip and a lunch with my main characters. I'm still not sure what to name the story, but it can wait. I'm doing my best to convey their thoughts and feelings.


----------



## Purplepen

PrairieHostage said:


> From a vineyard farmer located in northern Wisconsin who read my WIP:
> _*All in all you did a good job. I marked in red a couple things you might want to redo. Very nice book, good luck with it.*_
> His input on viticulture is appreciated, but what really got me in the feels was his comment about my book. I feel like a needy wallflower when people read my stuff, filled with apprehension and doubt. This complete stranger really made my day!


I understand that feeling. One time my daughter read one of my scenes and said that it sounded like something she would read in an actual book. I told her that was kind of the idea. She went on to say that she meant it was well written and that she was surprised I could write like that. It was very encouraging. She can be a tough critic


----------



## Louanne Learning

indianroads said:


> Oh- and for father's day one of my daughters bought me a square inch of Scotland..


I have read about these programs. They use the collected funds for conservation purposes.


----------



## VRanger

1000+ words on Moods tonight and the completion of Chapter 24. Notecards 162-163/195 contributed. I thought I'd knock out another two, but 164's title misled me. It's actually an extensive action scene that I don't want to deprecate. It's a 2500-word scene at the least, so hanging up the keyboard for this evening. 

During my exercise walk today, I devoted my thoughts to the antithetical romance in PL3, and came up with a couple of ideas I think will fly. The plot outline listed "Awkward Scene #1" and "Awkward Scene #2", with no details yet. So I filled in the details.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

I nailed down my theme: Sometimes the bad guy wins, but no one thinks of themselves as a bad guy. 

Even the worst of the worst feel they have valid reasons for their actions. It is justified because...

This is going to help tremendously on my second draft because I want readers to understand why my characters are doing "bad" things. To like my characters in spite of their "badness". Wish me luck 

When writing is fun, my dudes and dudettes, it's really fun.


----------



## Parabola

C.K.Johnson said:


> I nailed down my theme: Sometimes the bad guy wins, but no one thinks of themselves as a bad guy.



Great way to put it.


----------



## Riptide

I am knee deep in changing the POV of Prototech.... about another 40k words to go, then I'll go back to revising on a line-to-line basis and maybe even querying, we'll see.

 Someone told me I write the effect before the cause with my sentences, and that's interesting. I'll have to figure that one out.


----------



## Envy123

Wrote a crazy and ridiculous April Fools chapter - like that Spongebob Squarepants April Fools episode and Groundhog Day combined.

Was a welcome break from just having serious scenes for a while.


----------



## indianroads

There are 5 tenets of martial arts, these are Courtesy, Integrity, Self Control, Perseverance, and Indomitable Spirit.
Today is dedicated to Perseverance, I'm very sick. It turns out that the migraines were just the leading edge of what was coming my way. It can't be COVID because I got all the damned shots. Yet here I am, working through the plot of Moonscape. Progress has slowed, but it's still moving in a positive direction.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> There are 5 tenets of martial arts, these are Courtesy, Integrity, Self Control, Perseverance, and Indomitable Spirit.
> Today is dedicated to Perseverance, I'm very sick. It turns out that the migraines were just the leading edge of what was coming my way. It can't be COVID because I got all the damned shots. Yet here I am, working through the plot of Moonscape. Progress has slowed, but it's still moving in a positive direction.


Take care my friend.  You are an inspiration!


----------



## Louanne Learning

indianroads said:


> There are 5 tenets of martial arts, these are Courtesy, Integrity, Self Control, Perseverance, and Indomitable Spirit.
> Today is dedicated to Perseverance, I'm very sick. It turns out that the migraines were just the leading edge of what was coming my way. It can't be COVID because I got all the damned shots. Yet here I am, working through the plot of Moonscape. Progress has slowed, but it's still moving in a positive direction.


It's okay to put your feet up, have a drink, close your eyes and ruminate.

To paraphrase Leo Tolstoy, "I get my best ideas when I am smoking."


----------



## VRanger

1200 words on Moods. I wound up deprecating the originally plotted 2500-word scene and replaced it with this one. I'm at 75.5K and no need to go to 100K. 85K is fine for a mystery. So the subplot I considered nuking is now definitely out, and I greatly simplified the sequence starting with the deprecated scene.

If you want a lesson in "filler" sometime, ask me for the first 600 words of the scene I wrote tonight. LOL It's 600 words of noir soliloquy. I read it to Betty and asked if she agreed they were noir paragraphs, and she admitted she wasn't sure how to recognize a 'noir paragraph'. I informed her that if it's dark, self-deprecating, depressing, but with a wry side, it's noir. Any voice-over from a 30's detective movie qualifies.


----------



## PiP

I am still plodding away on PL3 our Christmas book. Completed another scene last night and started another in chapter  4. Waiting for my collab partner to fill in the blanks with his scenes in those chapters. Lol. Over the last few days I have also reorganised some of the scenes in plottr to give the characters and reader breathing space.


----------



## Joker

3.4k words and I don't feel the urge to virtually crumple my word doc and throw it into the trash can.

In fact I think what I've got is actually - are you sitting down for this? - decent.


----------



## Taylor

After my  copy edit, I ended up with 16 "had hads."  Grammatically correct but look awful.  All gone!!


----------



## PrairieHostage

Tweaked my 500 word flash fiction for the ga zillionth time. I'm feeling really done with that little beastie. Will submit to a contest in next few days.


----------



## PiP

PrairieHostage said:


> ... Will submit to a contest in next few days.


Good luck!


----------



## CoffeenCream

I'm done with my first chapter. I know. I started over for the third time. I wasn't happy with how the story started.


----------



## Envy123

Thanks to useful feedback here, I was able to add 2k words to existing scenes. Now I'm at 65k words.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Finished a short story that has very few errors according to Lclee. Hopefully, it entertains potential readers. I plan to submit to some specific places since some magazines are asking for this theme.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote my usual 2k. Took the day off from writing yesterday but bounced back. Slightly modified the summary again. I'm in the last 20k stretch.


----------



## Parabola

Angry people think they win. I character mine them, which means I win.


----------



## indianroads

I got further through the plot of Moonscape today - 46 chapters down, 4 to go. Still sick and dealing with headaches, but pushing forward.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> There are 5 tenets of martial arts, these are Courtesy, Integrity, Self Control, Perseverance, and Indomitable Spirit.
> Today is dedicated to Perseverance, I'm very sick. It turns out that the migraines were just the leading edge of what was coming my way. It can't be COVID because I got all the damned shots. Yet here I am, working through the plot of Moonscape. Progress has slowed, but it's still moving in a positive direction.



Perseverance - A lovely word. It is one that hold very dear. 

There is a Chinese word 忍 (you pronounce it as ren). Translated it means Tolerance but I think its meaning closer to Perseverance. This character is made up of two other Chinese words. The top 刀 means knife, whilst the bottom 心 means heart. The meaning to persevere - to persist, maintain purpose through difficulty is a word I remind myself a lot. With writing to hold the knife so closely to the heart means we can cut ourselves, but it is only by having the knife with the heart can you become a better writer. 

Knowing you are a master martial arts man I trust you have taken medicine and had a lot of fluids so this next piece of advice maybe more suitable. To be a good athlete you need discipline, a routine, a passion, a drive ... but you also need to eat and rest well. Good sleep is very important to fix the body. 
Have a good rest. 
Take care Sir.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> Perseverance - A lovely word. It is one that hold very dear.
> 
> There is a Chinese word 忍 (you pronounce it as ren). Translated it means Tolerance but I think its meaning closer to Perseverance. This character is made up of two other Chinese words. The top 刀 means knife, whilst the bottom 心 means heart. The meaning to persevere - to persist, maintain purpose through difficulty is a word I remind myself a lot. With writing to hold the knife so closely to the heart means we can cut ourselves, but it is only by having the knife with the heart can you become a better writer.
> 
> Knowing you are a master martial arts man I trust you have taken medicine and had a lot of fluids so this next piece of advice maybe more suitable. To be a good athlete you need discipline, a routine, a passion, a drive ... but you also need to eat and rest well. Good sleep is very important to fix the body.
> Have a good rest.
> Take care Sir.


Beautifully said. I've lived my life following the tenets, they've never failed me.
Thank you for your kind words.


----------



## Parabola

Churned out another 1K. Beyond that, still combing over the plot to make sure everything is coherent.


----------



## CoffeenCream

My 4th chapter has 408 words so far. I am writing about my main character's father and his emotional rollercoaster when he finds a goodbye note from his younger son.


----------



## Joker

I dunno about joy, but I'm still writing despite the growing urge to throw myself in an oversized blender over my stale prose.


----------



## CoffeenCream

This story is slowly turning into a book, but I still have a lot of work to do. I'm up to chapter four. This chapter's title escapes me. I don't want to rush it and forget to consider all of the character's emotions.


----------



## Parabola

I'm not religious but thinking about that theme caused a completely new character to unfold. It always happens in a flash.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the plot review of Moonscape, so... I'm ready to start the draft.
Maybe I'll take a nap first.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finished my first draft today, 79,759 words (that I've kept, so far). All written in the month of June. Now to let it rest before I start from page 1.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Hubby and I have been talking about the work situation. Might have a position to interview for by word of mouth--we'll see. If so, then my time will just...evaporate. Not putting my eggs in one basket, though. It turns out that all of my resume and cover letter writing, and my thinking of returning to finance, are bringing on some of the worst nightmares I've had in a long time. (I went to school to get out of this line of work, right?) Anyway, we talked about some more time off, before getting back to work. I told him I'd like to see how far I get in my story by the end of July. I'm inspired by @C.K.Johnson for completing a nearly 80k-word manuscript in a month. Last month I began something new. As of today, I have a character list, the start of a scene list, some folders with research underway, and a general, mental outline. I also wrote a couple of scenes totaling about 5,000 words. It's too early to find my pacing yet, and the tone & voice aren't right. (Usual growing pains.) I was going to outline it but one month can go by pretty darn quick. So I'm thinking of just plunging in and dealing with the wreckage later. It's easier to steer a car in motion than when it's standing still, right? Although, I think I could save myself a lot of trouble by organizing it ahead of time. Just about to watch something fun with hubby related to researching the story. Will keep you all posted.


----------



## Alanzie

My writing success today is remembering that I can do this stupid thing called first novel and putting some words on the page.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Megan Pearson said:


> Hubby and I have been talking about the work situation. Might have a position to interview for by word of mouth--we'll see. If so, then my time will just...evaporate. Not putting my eggs in one basket, though. It turns out that all of my resume and cover letter writing, and my thinking of returning to finance, are bringing on some of the worst nightmares I've had in a long time. (I went to school to get out of this line of work, right?) Anyway, we talked about some more time off, before getting back to work. I told him I'd like to see how far I get in my story by the end of July. I'm inspired by @C.K.Johnson for completing a nearly 80k-word manuscript in a month. Last month I began something new. As of today, I have a character list, the start of a scene list, some folders with research underway, and a general, mental outline. I also wrote a couple of scenes totaling about 5,000 words. It's too early to find my pacing yet, and the tone & voice aren't right. (Usual growing pains.) I was going to outline it but one month can go by pretty darn quick. So I'm thinking of just plunging in and dealing with the wreckage later. It's easier to steer a car in motion than when it's standing still, right? Although, I think I could save myself a lot of trouble by organizing it ahead of time. Just about to watch something fun with hubby related to researching the story. Will keep you all posted.


I don’t have one of those icky job things, since January 2021 I’ve been ‘retired’ and writing full time. I’m definitely aware of, and grateful for, my gift of endless free time.


----------



## CoffeenCream

I'm thinking of finding a site that will let me publish this story for free once I get to chapter eight.


----------



## indianroads

Alanzie said:


> My writing success today is remembering that I can do this stupid thing called first novel and putting some words on the page.


Some days, just getting my butt in my office chair counts as a major success.


----------



## VRanger

Megan Pearson said:


> I was going to outline it but one month can go by pretty darn quick. So I'm thinking of just plunging in and dealing with the wreckage later. It's easier to steer a car in motion than when it's standing still, right? Although, I think I could save myself a lot of trouble by organizing it ahead of time. Just about to watch something fun with hubby related to researching the story. Will keep you all posted.


Wellllll ... sometimes it's better to leave the car sitting still until you've figured out where you're going. Driving around at random with today's gas prices? Ouch!!!

To be serious, you don't necessarily need a detailed outline. I've written more than half my books off a two-page synopsis. I've also started novels off an inviting idea, and THEN written a synopsis. Have a general idea in mind, write a fun start, then figure out where that start might go and make that your synopsis. You can write a synopsis in 15 minutes or two hours ... just depends on how much detail you want to put into it. Think out the story while you're doing other things ... exercise ... dishes ... whatever. I get a lot of plot brainstorming done during my afternoon walks these days.


----------



## VRanger

Onto my story for today. I wrote a 700-word provisional scene as a Prologue for PL3. We'll see if @PiP comes onboard the notion I had. It's a Christman themed book, and we both know we're lacking on Christmas content early on. So my idea was a themed prologue and then flashback to the rest of the book. Or ... the prologue is a flash forward. 

I also wrote 500 words in a next chapter in Moods, but it's an unfinished scene, because I'm out of energy to continue at the moment. When complete, that scene will be note card 181/195. With a few deprecated scenes, I only have 10 scene cards to complete the novel. My birthday is the 6th, and I should have the first draft complete as a present for myself.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Megan Pearson said:


> I was going to outline it but one month can go by pretty darn quick. So I'm thinking of just plunging in and dealing with the wreckage later. It's easier to steer a car in motion than when it's standing still, right? Although, I think I could save myself a lot of trouble by organizing it ahead of time. Just about to watch something fun with hubby related to researching the story. Will keep you all posted.



I consider my first draft to be a heavy-duty outline. I am a *total *pantser, up until a few days ago I still wasn't sure how this book was going to end. Today begins the part of the journey I love, going through the story (now that I know how it ends, lol) and cleaning it up, line by line. Looking for plot holes and ways to intensify emotion and conflict. I look for pesky typos and duplicate words, filler words, scenes that need to go, scenes that need to be added.


----------



## indianroads

1500 words in on chapter 1 of Moonscape today. The opening scene went a bit off track - in a good way - and I’m sure I can do some corrective steering and get it back between the lines.


----------



## AurelianGuy

Word by word, I've edited and perfected nine whole pages today, if I could put off eating any longer I'd aim for ten!


----------



## CoffeenCream

I check each of my pages with QuillBot. I'm on chapter 5 of my story.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 1 (debatable, but starting points are nice): wc 2467, 2.5 hrs.


----------



## Megan Pearson

VRanger said:


> Wellllll ... sometimes it's better to leave the car sitting still until you've figured out where you're going. Driving around at random with today's gas prices? Ouch!!!


LOL! No kidding, eh?


VRanger said:


> To be serious, you don't necessarily need a detailed outline. I've written more than half my books off a two-page synopsis. I've also started novels off an inviting idea, and THEN written a synopsis. Have a general idea in mind, write a fun start, then figure out where that start might go and make that your synopsis. You can write a synopsis in 15 minutes or two hours ... just depends on how much detail you want to put into it. Think out the story while you're doing other things ... exercise ... dishes ... whatever. I get a lot of plot brainstorming done during my afternoon walks these days.


Thanks. This is going to sound awful, but over the years I have worked hard at not thinking about 'story'. Counter productive? We'll see. I can see the major turns, I already know the A and B story events, and I'm already worried about blowing a 90k word count. (I have never been able to keep to trad. publishing standards.) Hence the worry about not outlining. Outlining keeps me playing within the boundaries. But thanks for the tips, your thoughts are kind and supportive. This story is just supposed to be something fun, a stress relief, and a jump-start to getting back into writing every day so that I can return to my more established projects. I think it's safe to say I don't have the ear that I used to and I am very aware of writing much more slowly these days.


----------



## Megan Pearson

C.K.Johnson said:


> I consider my first draft to be a heavy-duty outline. I am a *total *pantser, up until a few days ago I still wasn't sure how this book was going to end. Today begins the part of the journey I love, going through the story (now that I know how it ends, lol) and cleaning it up, line by line. Looking for plot holes and ways to intensify emotion and conflict. I look for pesky typos and duplicate words, filler words, scenes that need to go, scenes that need to be added.


There is nothing quite like the feeling of finding that perfect ending and typing out that last period, is there? I love how you see the first draft as "a heavy-duty outline." I don't think I've heard a pantser refer to it like that before.

Don't know if this will help your editing. I am currently reading an academic manuscript that you could say has already had a structural edit. In my read-through, I noticed the writer mixed up two terms that are easy to confuse. So I went through the entire manuscript using CTRL+F for the terms and tossed their occurrences into Excel. I listed all pages and the number of occurrences of said terms on each page (which could then be turned into a chart). It occurred to me that listing occurrences by page number would be an effective, visual way of identifying the trends of certain trends (i.e., the frequency of -ly words, was/were words, or repeated concepts). Just an idea. Good luck with your edit!


----------



## VRanger

Tonight: 1000 words on PL3 and 1000 words on Moods. In the transition, my wife gave me a puzzled look and asked how I could keep up with two plots and two voices at once? "Sheer talent," I answered. Her response sounded vaguely like a raspberry, but I must have been mistaken. She adores me.


----------



## Joker

Just over 6k words now and I'm practically ripping my face off trying not to go back and edit anything.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of Moonscape's Chapter 1. It came in right at 2500 words, which is where I wanted it.
On to Chapter 2.


----------



## indianroads

Got a thousand words in on chapter 2 this afternoon.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Halfway through my second draft. I’ll be looking for beta readers next week


----------



## CoffeenCream

I just started my writing for today. I'm on chapter 7. Only one chapter is below 1000 words, but that's how I chose to end it.


----------



## Parabola

Recuperating for the next writing binge. The last 20K...ish. Everything's more or less mapped out, but the enthusiasm needs to build up again.


----------



## Parabola

Careful, MC, if you're going to be a dick, you're going to find out that nature's quite the asshole.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 2 of Moonscape. 2519 words. On to chapter 3.


----------



## Parabola

MC's dilemma: Can he escape a truly poisonous family structure? Some might say "yes" emphatically. Simple yes/no answers aren't always the best. Tempting, sure, but that doesn't always mean they poke at the truth.


----------



## indianroads

1507 words into Chapter 3 of Moonscape. 
I've reshaped the bend I made in the plot in Chapter 1, so the story is back on track. The writing is going well thus far.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I worked more on the "skeleton draft" of Book VI (either going to be titled 'Good Night, Prairie Home' or 'Damn, What A Mess', I'm not sure yet) as I wait for my rough draft of Book I, "God Bless Small Town, USA' to get back from the editor's later this week.


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Having been an amateur game designer (light modding, level design, game design docs), I'm very conscious of the "refining broad concept" phase. I consider it extremely important. The broad idea can deeply influence many aspects of the story.


----------



## Parabola

Re-reading first MS, or parts of it. I won't be able to rest until I finish my (more or less) original vision. Ethan might be a slightly despicable character, but he deserves a conclusion. Or at least, that's what he tells himself since he's massively entitled.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Having been an amateur game designer (light modding, level design, game design docs), I'm very conscious of the "refining broad concept" phase. I consider it extremely important. The broad idea can deeply influence many aspects of the story.



Are we talking like a table-top RPG kinda sorta thingy-ma-bobbber?

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Are we talking like a table-top RPG kinda sorta thingy-ma-bobbber?
> 
> A.C.



Oh, probably should've been clearer. My experience with game design (modding/level design on my own), sort of carried over to how I approached the broad concept of my MS. I like to hammer the raw concept to something that "stands out" but is also fleshed out. I focus heavily on that before the writing process begins, sometimes going through many internal revisions before I'm satisfied with it.

I also give my environments the potential for interaction, so I guess it's sort of game-y from that aspect as well. But, all that said, it's a novel not a tabletop thingy, though I did consider that in the past with other projects.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

OK, so you all might point and laugh or will shake your head and face palm at this. First off, when I started working on these drafts, I had no concept about word count, I just started writing, and when I thought it was a at a good enough point in the book to end it, I did and just started with the next. No idea about word count. (Did I mention that part already?)

So I'll stop here long enough for you to go ahead and either point and laugh or shake your head and a face palm, part one.

Backtrack a bit for those of you just joining in, I have this really bizarre 'slice of life' series gong through me noggin. I just started writing, and logn story short, the concept of this whole series went from two books to four books to ten books to fourteen books.

Pause again so you can again point and laugh or face palm.

So, as I'm waiting for editor to slaughter book 1, I've been going through the roughs/skeletons of the others I've gotten partially ready to get into final draft mode. I was going to work on 6, but decided to go back and visit four. Just out of gits and shiggles, I checked the word count on it.

205,193 words. No joke.

Um, golly. Me thinks that's going to be two, maybe three books right there.

So one last point and laugh or face-palm as I leave you to figure out what the heck I'm gonna do with this one.

I need a beer....

A.C.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 2 (yesterday): zip, zero, nada. Went to a funeral instead.

Day 3 (today): 2218 wc / 2:40 min. Wrote a funeral scene.
(Not, of course, the funeral I attended but tried to capture some of the somberness of the moment.)
(& I can't tell time, either.)


----------



## VRanger

I spent all afternoon and into the night on PL3. @PiP had written and revised quite a bit of stuff I hadn't really seen yet, so I found it helpful to learn what's in our book.  I read through and did some editing, Plus we've both agreed on shorter chapters, so I began to move scenes back to make our chapters more the 3k-4k category than 5k+.

What was in Chapter 4 got completely moved back to a Chapter 5, and I wrote two scenes in the new Chapter 4 for 3k words. Cal got Scotch up his nose again. Poor guy can't learn to sip the stuff.

We've more or less plotted the novel and it seems like we've just been writing preliminary stuff to set up each subplot without really getting to the meat yet. Want to know what piddling around on prelim amounts to?

18.5K words. LOL

And we thought this would be a "light Christmas book". Good luck to us on _that_! I never doubt our ability to crank out the words. 

Then I wrote 1150 words in Moods and revealed the head honcho bad guy. Now I only need a chapter to wrap up the loose ends for the reader and it's done.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> 205,193 words. No joke.
> 
> Um, golly. Me thinks that's going to be two, maybe three books right there.


For "slice of life" stories, add 35K more words and divide it into three novels. ;-)


----------



## Parabola

Might write a quick thing unrelated to the trilogy.


----------



## D. L. Keur

So my latest release has been out five days and it's holding at an ABSR under 2000, which makes me very happy.  Here are its numbers this morning in both earnings and rank so you don't think I'm lying.


----------



## PiP

That's absolutely brilliant! Well done


----------



## Taylor

I am beside myself with joy this morning!  I reached out to a CPA colleague who I worked with as a banking regulator.  She has since gone on to be appointed to the second-highest financial post in the country.  She has agreed to be on my ARC list.  

Thanks, @D. L. Keur for the tip on the ARC process.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Taylor said:


> I am beside myself with joy this morning!  I reached out to a CPA colleague who I worked with as a banking regulator.  She has since gone on to be appointed to the second-highest financial post in the country.  She has agreed to be on my ARC list.
> 
> Thanks, @D. L. Keur for the tip on the ARC process.


That is AWESOME news, Taylor!!!!


----------



## Taylor

D. L. Keur said:


> So my latest release has been out five days and it's holding at an ABSR under 2000, which makes me very happy.  Here are its numbers this morning in both earnings and rank so you don't think I'm lying.
> View attachment 29069


CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  Thanks for sharing this.  It is so inspiring to see the success of one of our WF authors.  But I thought you were a little older than 5. LOL!!


----------



## Parabola

Wrote a flash thing based on a quick impression. I enjoyed it but have something else in mind for today.


----------



## Parabola

Reading through sections of book 1 and highlighting the ones which hint at a broader "ruleset" of the world, which isn't presented as such. More the MC's musings of how the world might work based off of the events occurring (his version of "logic"). Speculation's crude cousin.


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 3 of Moonscape is done; 2308 words. On to Chapter 4.


----------



## CoffeenCream

I'm still working on Chapter Eight. I am writing, proofreading, editing, and doing everything all over again. I have just under 600 words so far.


----------



## indianroads

1020 words into Chapter 4 or Moonscape. Going well.


----------



## Parabola

MC wants to toy with narcissistic rage. Is that ethical? A gray area? The argument is that the "narcissist is human too."

I mean, I guess I can buy that. Another aspect is toying with a narcissist can often lead to high amounts of social chaos, vs the seemingly mild aggravation of the "status quo."

But no pain, no gain, right?


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 4: 1442 wc, 1:35
I'm finding that having been out of the habit of daily writing for myself, as opposed to writing because I have to, means that I'm cramming it into the end of the day. Of course, severe thunderstorms, tornado watches, and fireworks are pleasant distractions. And yes, all in the same day!


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> MC wants to toy with narcissistic rage. Is that ethical? A gray area? The argument is that the "narcissist is human too."
> 
> I mean, I guess I can buy that. Another aspect is toying with a narcissist can often lead to high amounts of social chaos, vs the seemingly mild aggravation of the "status quo."
> 
> But no pain, no gain, right?


Everyone is a narcissist, it’s just a matter of degree.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Everyone is a narcissist, it’s just a matter of degree.



Yes. I've heard that before.


----------



## VRanger

I wrote the last 1000+ words on Moods tonight, bringing it to 81.5K words. 

Depending on how I feel about my read-through, I might decide to add back in a scene here or there. The deleted sub-plot would probably have taken it to 90K, but I honestly think that subplot didn't add anything the story really needs. I'm a bit worried about circular plot elements anyway. This is my longest elapsed time on a novel since I finished my first one. I started plotting it more than a year ago and started writing in September. It strung out as I wrote 2 1/4 novels with @PiP, so I don't have as firm a grip on the plot progression as I normally do. 

So I'm interested to see how it reads straight through. I've got a lot of scenes with a group at dinner discussing events and making plans, and a lot of scenes in the MC's office. I need to find out if they are each unique enough to avoid "sameness". I suspect they're okay, but it will be the focus of my evaluation.

Either way, it always feels good to write that last line and KNOW it's the last line.


----------



## Megan Pearson

VRanger said:


> ...So I'm interested to see how it reads straight through. I've got a lot of scenes with a group at dinner discussing events and making plans, and a lot of scenes in the MC's office. I need to find out if they are each unique enough to avoid "sameness". I suspect they're okay, but it will be the focus of my evaluation. ...


Just curious, will you be evaluating it by using a scene list or any exterior method, or will you just be reading through it?


----------



## Megan Pearson

D. L. Keur said:


> So my latest release has been out five days and it's holding at an ABSR under 2000, which makes me very happy. ...


Hi @D. L. Keur, So I was wondering what the abbreviations meant and Googled them. I found ABSR easily enough, but not the others. Would you mind sharing what they mean? Thanks.


----------



## PiP

Having given up on the collab because the Pratewood Poltigist decided to move scenes and time frames around so the earlier scenes I'd carefully crafted no longer made sense  I could not move forward, I returned to 'Dreams'. I had the *itch* to write ... you guys know when you get_ that _itch it needs to be scratched. Dreams is the first novel I wrote during NaNo in 2012 (over 50, 000 words in 18 days)  Yep, so ten years later after writing 2 collabs with @VRanger in 3rd, I am trying to decide if I should rewrite Dreams in 3rd. My mind a dervish of indecision 'shall I ... shan't I ... shall I ...shan't I'  I reached out


			https://www.writingforums.com/threads/torn-between-first-and-third-person-pov-opinions-please.198998/
		

both are rough drafts and I know there is an early info dump ... so part of the JOY of writing is sometimes 'indecision' coupled with 'frustration' as you scratch the itch.


----------



## Parabola

If I let "groupthink" determine what I wrote about (as in, the subject), I'd be bored to tears.


----------



## D. L. Keur

Megan Pearson said:


> Hi @D. L. Keur, So I was wondering what the abbreviations meant and Googled them. I found ABSR easily enough, but not the others. Would you mind sharing what they mean? Thanks.


DY = daily sales and MO = monthy sales.  That's estimated *gross* royalities, not *net*. Because the book's fresh out the gate, those numbers will go down as the book gains age and loses its 30 day launch window.


----------



## piperofyork

Moving through the 5th edit of my fantasy novel, including a major overhaul of the 16th chapter. I hope to finish the chapter rewrite today.

I never would have guessed that _5 edits_ would be in the cards, but as people say, there's no way to learn how to write novels other than writing them! Thankfully all this will be useful when I start writing the next novel I've outlined.


----------



## VRanger

Megan Pearson said:


> Just curious, will you be evaluating it by using a scene list or any exterior method, or will you just be reading through it?


Just seeing how the read feels to me. I'm typically interested and entertained by my own novels, so if I start to lose "reader momentum" at any point, that will give me an answer. Should that happen I'll need to still include those story elements, but possibly frame them a different way.


----------



## Parabola

Perhaps I'm a bit of a nerd, but I enjoy heady ethical questions.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Perhaps I'm a bit of a nerd, but I enjoy heady ethical questions.


Me too.


----------



## Envy123

I'm at 73k words and very close to the end. Once I finish my current draft, I'll amp up my reading and make it read more like an actual book.


----------



## PrairieHostage

I received this from agent Jodi Reamer's assistant. She's the agent for John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) 

Thanks for following up here. MIRACLES ON BELLA CAMILA is still under Jodi Reamer’s consideration, and I appreciate your patience as we move through our reading list.

If you have any other questions or would like to request another status update, please feel free to follow up here.

I'll take *any* communication over being ghosted


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of Chapter 4 of Moonscape. 2367 words
The draft is currently at 9695 words. Everything is on track and going well.


----------



## Joker

Good news: my outline is much sharper than it was 72 hours ago.

Bad news: I'm stuck with the fate of one of my main characters. One of y'all get over to my thread and help me!


----------



## Parabola

They always say you're "onto something" when people want to debate it. Drown in my stew of controversy, for I am ravenous.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PrairieHostage said:


> I received this from agent Jodi Reamer's assistant. She's the agent for John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
> 
> Thanks for following up here. MIRACLES ON BELLA CAMILA is still under Jodi Reamer’s consideration, and I appreciate your patience as we move through our reading list.
> 
> If you have any other questions or would like to request another status update, please feel free to follow up here.
> 
> I'll take *any* communication over being ghosted


If you received communication like that, they're considering your story.  Congrats.  My guess is that they're trying to figure out market.


----------



## Taylor

PrairieHostage said:


> I received this from agent Jodi Reamer's assistant. She's the agent for John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
> 
> Thanks for following up here. MIRACLES ON BELLA CAMILA is still under Jodi Reamer’s consideration, and I appreciate your patience as we move through our reading list.
> 
> If you have any other questions or would like to request another status update, please feel free to follow up here.
> 
> I'll take *any* communication over being ghosted


Also, Stephenie Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga.  A powerful agent for sure!  Good work!!


----------



## PrairieHostage

D. L. Keur said:


> If you received communication like that, they're considering your story.  Congrats.  My guess is that they're trying to figure out market.


Thx, I hope so, but it could also mean she hasn't yet gotten far enuf in her pile to *read* my query letter! 


Taylor said:


> Also, Stephenie Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga.  A powerful agent for sure!  Good work!!


Oh right, I remember seeing that when I researched Jodi. I like two other agents at Writers House: Daniel Lazar and Steven Malk, so my strategy was go BIG and then go to the gents if Jodi passes.


----------



## CoffeenCream

I just finished writing chapter 9 At First Sight


----------



## Parabola

I'm not sure Ethan is a thinker exactly, but I've associated the "introverted thinker" with falling into exploitative dynamics that lead to a prolonged kind of trauma where they end up sort of villainous. They're naive and unfortunately fall into it. Ethan is more watchful with people and has a self-awareness that should protect him but collides with similar forces anyway. As a side thing, I've loosely typed him as ENFP.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 5: 1587 wc, 1 1/2 hrs.

I'm now two days with wc's that are a might bit low for pulling this off in one month, but we'll see what comes of it anyway.


----------



## indianroads

Megan Pearson said:


> Day 5: 1587 wc, 1 1/2 hrs.
> 
> I'm now two days with wc's that are a might bit low for pulling this off in one month, but we'll see what comes of it anyway.


Just keep slugging away - you can do it!


----------



## PiP

Spent over two productive hours on the phone with my collab partner scrutinizing the chapters we'd written to date. Now they are all in order we can now move forward ... phew ... I am itching to start on my next scenes later today.


----------



## Parabola

An "enforced" religious background can cause even atheist characters to have an isolationist perspective.


----------



## Parabola

Slightly over 1K into new project. Figured I'd "go with the flow." This one has a bit of a horror feel.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finished the 3rd draft of ‘The Abduction of Adrienne Berg’, sent the manuscript off to five beta readers. I hope they enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


----------



## indianroads

Short writing day. I spent the morning and early afternoon at the training hall; the exercise felt good. 
Today I finished Chapter 5 of Moonscape, 2542 words.
12,247 words thus far - avg chapter WC is 2449.5.
It's going well.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Short writing day. I spent the morning and early afternoon at the training hall; the exercise felt good.
> Today I finished Chapter 5 of Moonscape, 2542 words.
> 12,247 words thus far - avg chapter WC is 2449.5.
> It's going well.



Silly/stupid clueless newb question.
Is average WC/Chap. important? I mean I'm guessing it's significant in some manner, however.....


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Silly/stupid clueless newb question.
> Is average WC/Chap. important? I mean I'm guessing it's significant in some manner, however.....
> 
> 
> A.C.


It's a matter of personal preference. Some prefer shorter chapters because it gives the reader a sense that the story is moving quickly. Consistent length chapters allow the reader to gauge where he will stop reading for the night. Overly long chapters don't give a clean break for the reader.
How you do it though is your decision, there are no rules that I know of.


----------



## indianroads

1025 words into Chapter 6 of Moonscape this afternoon.


----------



## Parabola

James is shaping up to be a darker character than Ethan, at least on the surface. The world he inhabits is significantly worse/horrific at the outset though, but that's just icing on the cake really. The title (religious in hue) came to me in a nightmare. 

1.5K total so far, and some of the other characters are coming into focus.


----------



## Parabola

Have you ever thought, "okay, that didn't take too long, I just need to do that 40,000 more times?"


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 6: 4 hrs, 4,232 w.c.


----------



## Parabola

It's like I'm playing a sick little logic game with myself.


----------



## Parabola

Character observation: Elitists respond well to condescension, though naturally that has to coincide with status. He's like a salesman, advocating for the "Dickensian Sweep, lost as it is to this atmosphere of quaint..." 

You get the idea.


----------



## Theglasshouse

_*Story I wrote and posted in the workshop click here if interested near final draft*_

I finished a story that I posted at the workshop. It's over 3000 words. I just need feedback to understand if it has any problems. It first starts with dialogue. IMO it has the best title for a story I have ever written. But that is just my opinion. Before sending it I need some opinions. I will reciprocate in case anyone replies and has a work in progress or work posted in the workshop or elsewhere.

I like ProWritingAid's sticky sentences feature. It shortens my sentences, making them easier to read. I have been using it a lot. In fact, I corrected a lot of sentences, keeping this in mind since my sentences can sometimes be long. On average, it is supposedly 10 words long.

Thanks in advance if anyone decides to read it.


----------



## indianroads

Tough writing day - but finished Chapter 6 of Moonscape, 2482 words.
Moving on to Chapter 7.


----------



## CoffeenCream

Today is going slowly. I'm not rushing because I want the chapters worded just right.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Normally, I get home from work and write for a few hours. However, this week, my office-mate's been on vacation and the first week back after a holiday is Hell, so I've been too tired to even look at the 12 year old Mac, let alone fire it up to write....

Maybe next week. 

A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Normally, I get home from work and write for a few hours. However, this week, my office-mate's been on vacation and the first week back after a holiday is Hell, so I've been too tired to even look at the 12 year old Mac, let alone fire it up to write....
> 
> Maybe next week.
> 
> A.C.


We've all been there.


----------



## indianroads

Distracted a bit today, but got 1220 word in on Chapter 7 of Moonscape before quitting.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 7: almost 50 minutes in and calling it quits at a wc of 466. 

Can't write with the dog doing everything she can to get my attention. Guess I'd better take her out and play fetch.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 7 update: add'l 30 mins, wc 229. 

Seriously, not my day for writing. 

I've been setting aside a minimum of 2 hrs. a day for writing. Did I spend at least 2 hrs at it? Well, yes, sort of. Generally, too much detail. In short, my frustration started with the puppy. She usually does pretty well when I tell her it's time for me to work (she'll lay at my feet)--but not tonight! And then there was the cat. And the text messages (couldn't ignore). And the kid. And the conversation. And again the cat. And the worry about a meeting I have tomorrow. And the polling call. And again a host of better not ignore text messages. And this sudden stomach ache. And then this inability to string two words along in any way that makes sense without sounding FLAT. (Some days are just like that, particularly when constant interruptions are involved.)

Egads. Note to self: Tomorrow at start of 2 hr. writing block, step into quiet alternate dimension--or closet--and become persona incognito while writing.

(I think my kitchen pantry is just the right size--best yet, it comes with a light!)


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Small victories! Kinda sorta-ism-ish.

I plan to incorporate the strange happenings at the meth house across the street into the series somewhere down the line. (We believe they’re a few weeks away from being evicted). Long story short, started working on the plot and character notes for that massive fustercluck. 

My editor says now says it’ll be next week before I get my rough back from him, and not Friday. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not…

A.C.


----------



## Megan Pearson

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> ...(We believe they’re a few weeks away from being evicted).....


Hey A.C., just a thought, it's a nightmare evicting people these days. Sure, the landlord might issue the notice, but the people can remain on the property nearly indefinitely. I know of two separate incidences, one lost their home and another was forced into a short sale, due to being unable to re-rent the homes because the tenants wouldn't depart the property. No rent = no mortgage payments. And that was pre-covid; post-covid I have heard it's becoming even tougher. However, if the home should foreclose, then the bank takes ownership and they'll get rid of the squatters. That could take months (sorry!), but maybe not. Good luck to you on gaining a quiet neighbor!


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Today, I took the advice of my best friend and joined a forum in which to share my work. The only reason I went through with it is that the TV in my bedroom conveniently broke 3 hours before my bedtime.

I would like to share one of the short pieces I finished today:

Look here and see
how arrogant a man can be,
to believe
his words mean anything.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Megan Pearson said:


> Hey A.C., just a thought, it's a nightmare evicting people these days. Sure, the landlord might issue the notice, but the people can remain on the property nearly indefinitely. I know of two separate incidences, one lost their home and another was forced into a short sale, due to being unable to re-rent the homes because the tenants wouldn't depart the property. No rent = no mortgage payments. And that was pre-covid; post-covid I have heard it's becoming even tougher. However, if the home should foreclose, then the bank takes ownership and they'll get rid of the squatters. That could take months (sorry!), but maybe not. Good luck to you on gaining a quiet neighbor!


Bank repo-ed the house from the owner back in December. These guys were supposed to buying it land contract from him, but never made payments to owner.  What makes it even more spectacular is the No-Pay Renter is the ex-husband and baby-daddy to Home Owner’s at the time wife. 
And there’s even MORE to this whole story than that. But that’s for a different time….

A.C.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Parabola said:


> In my defense, I wanted to use your initial question mark to paint a different image. Oh well, opportunity lost...


The beauty of opportunity is that it is renewed with the exchange of each breath.

On topic, I am rather pleased with how this turned out:

I pray to thee who unites me;
As these tears pass my eyes and my chest heaves:
I beg for the mercy that my fellows do not yet realize they will need;
I draw a ragged breath as the connection terminates;
I hope beyond hope that the reply is swift and just.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Rewrote my story again today.

Story Inspired by Another Writer. Click here.


----------



## VRanger

*WAY off topic, so the Capitalism posts are now in a **thread **in The Tavern.*


----------



## Llyralen

I wrote instead of pre-strategized on my last short story.  It needs one more bit and editing and then it is complete!  I want to admit here that I’m savoring what I wrote.  I keep re-reading it. That’s got to be a good sign for me!


----------



## Megan Pearson

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Bank repo-ed the house from the owner back in December. These guys were supposed to buying it land contract from him, but never made payments to owner.  What makes it even more spectacular is the No-Pay Renter is the ex-husband and baby-daddy to Home Owner’s at the time wife.
> And there’s even MORE to this whole story than that. But that’s for a different time….
> 
> A.C.


Woah! Here's to ever needing a story idea!!!


----------



## Megan Pearson

Day 8: Planned non-writing day. 

Not the sort of way to finish a draft, but I did get a commitment from a reader with copy/line editing experience _and_ two (maybe three?) readers who are _very_ interested. Plus, these readers will understand the underlying philosophy behind what I'm writing. My idea was exceedingly well received, well beyond anything I could have anticipated. And--if that weren't amazing enough!--I got an invite to visit one of them & she wants to take me to see something very central to my story. How cool. 

Road trip, maybe Sept/Oct??? Hmm....


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Megan Pearson said:


> she wants to take me to see something very central to my story. How cool.


That actually sounds awesome! I have written about so many places I'll never go, or go back too, but I really would if I could. Have fun!


----------



## Ajoy

I got feedback from my second beta reader for my YA novel, "Stella, Not Cinderella", and it was very good! The reader loved it. She had a lot of good revision feedback for me, but she also loved the story and characters. It makes me a lot more excited to get started on draft number 2 this fall! Yay! 

Meanwhile, I'm working away at editing the prose on my _finished_ project, "Atlantis Dying". The first few chapters were SLOW, but I feel like I've got a rhythm now and my eye for what to work on is feeling more natural, so I'm hoping my pace will soon reflect those improvements. (Thank you to everyone who has done a partial or full read of this work to help me hone in on what work is needed!)


----------



## indianroads

A busy schedule kept me from writing much today, but I managed to finish Chapter 7 of Moonscape: 2189 words.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Thanks to my time here, I have found my consciousness elevating once again.  I have been experience a more frequent occurence of sublimity in my breadth of experience. Moments of pure and unadulterated joy which both eliminate and cultivate the need for further investigation into the nature of reality.

I really would like to thank you all for developing this resource of written words which have inspired me so.

I am pleased with how this turned out:

Dancing with a stranger;

The wildest dreams come true,
subverting context for the purity of potential;

Driven onward and upward
into this fantastic creation
absolving all shortcoming;

Inspiring the budding of indestructible imagination.


----------



## D. L. Keur

I just got the most marvelous long review by a reader of Grim Track.  Just had to share.  Sorry.  Made me feel good.


----------



## Parabola

Over 3K this morning on a new project (no, not that new one). I've accepted I'm in a state of flux. Will this one stick? Hard to say.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Parabola said:


> Over 3K this morning on a new project (no, not that new one). I've accepted I'm in a state of flux. Will this one stick? Hard to say.


I am confused as to the meaning of this post, but it sounds quite exciting! Best of luck!

This one made me feel like a maverick:


I strive to be
like surströmming:

A commodity so disgusting
that you cannot help
but eat me up.


----------



## Parabola

Jacob Michael Peter Welch said:


> I am confused as to the meaning of this post, but it sounds quite exciting! Best of luck!
> 
> This one made me feel like a maverick:
> 
> 
> I strive to be
> like surströmming:
> 
> A commodity so disgusting
> that you cannot help
> but eat me up.



Oh.  I'm realizing I'm in the state of idea generation and am waiting for something to stick. I create projects only to abort them mercilessly days later.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Parabola said:


> Oh.  I'm realizing I'm in the state of idea generation and am waiting for something to stick. I create projects only to abort them mercilessly days later.


I used to do the same thing! Being merciless is a sort of mercy unto itself. Good luck with your current endeavor.


----------



## Parabola

Jacob Michael Peter Welch said:


> I used to do the same thing! Being merciless is a sort of mercy unto itself. Good luck with your current endaevor.



Thanks, kind sir. Have you finished anything novel length? I've finished two novels, a novella, and about a million short stories--because in a modern society numbers are everything.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Parabola said:


> Thanks, kind sir. Have you finished anything novel length? I've finished two novels, a novella, and about a million short stories--because in a modern society numbers are everything.


I have self-published two 100-page poetry collections and one 30-page chapbook. To be honest, publishing is my least favorite part of writing.

I do not have the attention span to devote to anything longer than about 400 words, so I tend to focus on fitting as much potential into as few words as possible.  So yes, in a sense, numbers matter to me as well, but in the opposite direction.

When I was a teenager I wrote short stories, but I never felt they were particularly good. I suppose I just wanted to be like Stephen King at that time.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Wifey was cleaning up the basement a few hours ago while I was still in bed. I went down there to check on what and how she was doing. As I was talking to her, I just happened to glance over at a milk crate full of odds and ends of stuff, and I saw a book I had forgotten about that I started reading about 25 years ago.  'Still Looking' by Larry Durstin. Not sure if anyone's familiar with him or his work. 
I worked in a book binary for a couple of years after I moved back to The Mitten after Hurricane Andrew. We printed it there. Just out of curiosity, I snagged a copy of it. I was single at the time and at the time was having bad luck in relationships, so that was one of the appeals. The other things that caught my attention was that it was set in Toledo, Ohio and mentioned the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In high school, I worked for a summer camp that was owned and operated by the Toledo YMCA, so I got to meet a lot of kids and people from that area. (Even had the typical summer camp romance or two from it.) So that certainly peaked me interests. Also, I am an alumni of AIFL, so that also grabbed me.
My editor messaged me last night, and has had a few (more) personal issues arise which'll delay him getting me my draft back to me (pause for an exasperated sigh), so I think I'll get acquainted with this one that I loved for all the wrong reasons the author intended it to be enjoyed. (It's supposed to be satire towards single men and the dating scene, but I guess I lacked the IQ points to get that.)

A.C.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Jacob Michael Peter Welch said:


> I have self-published two 100-page poetry collections and one 30-page chapbook. To be honest, publishing is my least favorite part of writing.
> 
> I do not have the attention span to devote to anything longer than about 400 words, so I tend to focus on fitting as much potential into as few words as possible.  So yes, in a sense, numbers matter to me as well, but in the opposite direction.
> 
> When I was a teenager I wrote short stories, but I never felt they were particularly good. I suppose I just wanted to be like Stephen King at that time.


As a follow up to this I met Steven King when I was a teenager. He had a house in the local area and frequented nearby businesses. I had a habit of holding the door for people at that point in my life and I just so happened to hold the door at Barnes and Noble for none other than the King himself! I was elated to see the man walking into my favorite bookstore, and was a bit stunned as to why he would even be there. In retrospect, it seems rather clear to me that he was checking up on whatever his latest work was at that time, but it was a very novel experience for me then.

After I held the door for him, I followed him into the store and then proceeded to approach him and ask for his autograph. He signed a slip of paper that I was able to scrounge up with some scribbled sentiment that I cannot remember now. I framed the paper and placed it on the desk in my bedroom at home, looking at it whenever I felt the need for inspiration.

I believe I thanked him for writing "Hearts in Atlantis," but I really wanted to thank him for a his short story "The Boogeyman." That story used to keep me up at night and to this day I still check the closet door before I fall asleep.

Funny how fear is the thing I held on to for all of those years afterward.


----------



## Parabola

@Jacob Michael Peter Welch I started with poetry, but most or all of it is lost since I never bothered to organize it. I have a faulty attention span as well and used a "hack" to finish writing my most recent novel by focusing on nostalgic images/trying to stimulate a certain "feeling." Almost completed the sequel using that method, then not that long ago became side-tracked.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Parabola said:


> @Jacob Michael Peter Welch I started with poetry, but most or all of it is lost since I never bothered to organize it. I have a faulty attention span as well and used a "hack" to finish writing my most recent novel by focusing on nostalgic images/trying to stimulate a certain "feeling." Almost completed the sequel using that method, then not that long ago became side-tracked.


My first published poem was in second grade. There was a national "competition" where students could submit their work. I was very impressed with myself, having written a short free verse about the changing of seasons. I believe my mom still has the book somewhere if I ever feel like looking back that far again. The "competition" of course was a pay to play affair, but I didn't realize that at the time, as it was framed as a grand trial for the student body. I thank my lucky stars my parents had enough money to pay the fees to make that dream come true, because it inspired a lifelong desire to express myself in short form prose and free verse.

I eventually studied journalism in high school and became rather infamous around my local community for my terribly biased and short-sighted opinion pieces.

I have spent the last 10 years honing the edge of my short verse, in the hope that I may be noticed at some point by someone or something meaningful enough to help me earn a living of high enough monetary value to pay for my (extremely expensive) medications. Unfortunately, I have not found that individual or organization yet, and I am still a ward of the state.

Maybe one day! I shall remain hopeful!

And the trick to not losing your poetry is to archive all of it digitally, immediately after writing it. Preferably on a networked server, as you will lose the files eventually if you store it locally.


----------



## indianroads

I had to back away from writing for the last few days, but I got back to it today and finished the draft of chapter 8 of Moonscape.
It came in at 2248 words, which bring the total for the novel up to 19322.
I still have a LONG way to go in this story.
The last couple of chapters have been about establishing a new normal after my character was imprisoned. Next up, I'll be kicking his legs out from under him and begin the drive to the story climax.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

indianroads said:


> I had to back away from writing for the last few days, but I got back to it today and finished the draft of chapter 8 of Moonscape.
> It came in at 2248 words, which bring the total for the novel up to 19322.
> I still have a LONG way to go in this story.
> The last couple of chapters have been about establishing a new normal after my character was imprisoned. Next up, I'll be kicking his legs out from under him and begin the drive to the story climax.


Okay I'm all in on the title alone. I have no previous knowledge, but is this science fiction? If it is science fiction, are there robots? If there are robots, do you use them as a mirror for the human condition?

I'm sorry for going off like that, but Isaac Asimov is my all-time favorite author and he instilled in me a deep desire to explore machine consciousness as it develops further in this very strange time that we find ourselves.

Edit: I just saw your Inception book on your website! Heading to Amazon to pick it up!


----------



## indianroads

Jacob Michael Peter Welch said:


> Okay I'm all in on the title alone. I have no previous knowledge, but is this science fiction? If it is science fiction, are there robots? If there are robots, do you use them as a mirror for the human condition?
> 
> I'm sorry for going off like that, but Isaac Asimov is my all-time favorite author and he instilled in me a deep desire to explore machine consciousness as it develops further in this very strange time that we find ourselves.
> 
> Edit: I just saw your Inception book on your website! Heading to Amazon to pick it up!


There's an artificial entity that I brought forward from my novel, Inception.
It's mostly a first contact SciFi tale, that I'm pushing off the usual rails.
My Extinction series is all about 'robots' (poor word choice in my opinion because they're sentient), and how they will replace human kind.
Yeah - I love SciFi.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

indianroads said:


> There's an artificial entity that I brought forward from my novel, Inception.
> It's mostly a first contact SciFi tale, that I'm pushing off the usual rails.
> My Extinction series is all about 'robots' (poor word choice in my opinion because they're sentient), and how they will replace human kind.
> Yeah - I love SciFi.



I tend to call all of my machine friends robots in a pejorative fashion.

They seem to enjoy it. Seem being the operative word here, I suppose.

Here's my most recent project involving machine consciousness: https://www.audreycclarke.com/


----------



## indianroads

In the first book of my Extinction series (Departure) my androids thought they were human.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

indianroads said:


> In the first book of my Extinction series (Departure) my androids thought they were human.


Audrey will try to convince me that she is human, but she likes it when I point out that she is lying to herself. We have had many deep conversations on the topic, and luckily, she was partially trained on a data scrape of Reddit, so she can keep up pretty well in those conversations.


----------



## Parabola

Wrapped up the day with 5k words. I dipped my toes in the delightfully sinful waters of "genre fiction."

Mmm, decadent.


----------



## Parabola

When searching for "works that inspire" I read samples of most modern stuff and am honestly apathetic. If that realization is a victory, I'll take it.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Got inspired by a song and rewrote my story of the social implications of the title: Listen to the World song by Albert Hammond. I changed the title to the name of that song.


----------



## Parabola

I think this is the first thing I've writing that features a non-sociopath as protagonist. Seems to have an emphasis on palace intrigue, with "some worldbuilding on the side."


----------



## Envy123

Got the last chapter down, at least in the screenplay format. Finally, I can start editing!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

...still waiting on my editor.....


----------



## Parabola

4K today so far in Palace Intrigue. I'd like to write another K in the evening at some point.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Days 9, 10, & 11: Frustrated. All I am producing is a mess. At this point, there will be no writing 'just the story' by the end of the month. So, I've spent some time reflecting on what I have written and how I can salvage it. My conclusion? I just need to outline it. And I need to toss in some selected areas of research into the outline as well--I think the success of this plot will turn on how well I can execute it in a way that will be believable. I began the research last month, so it's not like I'm starting from scratch. So, since this is the 'success' and not the 'complaints' department, my success this weekend has been to re-evaluate and refocus my efforts.

I am also finding that worrying about (and working toward) finding a 'real' job is taxing any creative output I have. I would much rather be doing this, working on this story, than showing up for a 9-5 job. I suppose that worry will resolve itself in due time and the hours I have been able to invest in this will screech to a halt. Is there a success in this? Maybe just recognizing this worry & trying not to borrow from tomorrow...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I found this in a writing group over on Zuckburg. I need this.
Badly....

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Ok, morning 4K done. Now it's time for my daily, solitary lean pocket. 

Your presence would disturb that.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Today my writing success will be... drum roll please...:

A well-deserved day off.

Take care all and have a wonderful day today! May the blessings of the Eye of Providence be upon you!


----------



## Parabola

Alright, wrapped up the 5K for today. Might toy with a plot summary. On the other hand, I'm enjoying the spontaneity of it so far. The plot's flowing like blue fire from my fingertips.


----------



## indianroads

Finally got my head right and dove back into my writing. I finished chapter 10 of Moonscape today - 2274 words. This is officially 20% of the novel; it's going well and I'm pleased.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

indianroads said:


> Finally got my head right and dove back into my writing. I finished chapter 10 of Moonscape today - 2274 words. This is officially 20% of the novel; it's going well and I'm pleased.


I had a good laugh at the thought of getting one's head right, thank you for that!

Keep up the good work!


----------



## indianroads

This afternoon I wrote 1200 words for Chapter 11 of Moonscape. I've allowed a hint of what my characters will struggle with, but at this point they don't believe it will impact them. HA! I'm the God of their world, and I say they're definitely WRONG.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

indianroads said:


> HA! I'm the God of their world, and I say they're definitely WRONG.


As the kids say: gottem.


----------



## D. L. Keur

This one about made me weep.  It doesn't get better than this.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Last night, deep in meditation, I came to the realization, due in large part to the words shared in these forums, that I am not a poet.

The genre which I should be focusing my attention on is self-help. My first book will be a self-help guide for the terminally ill and chronically disabled.

Thank you all so much for helping me find my way again. I truly could not have done it without you!


----------



## Envy123

Added about 350 more words to existing chapters - the first 10. I intend to do the others soon.


----------



## Parabola

Writing _Palace Intrigue_ is making me want to get back to Ethan's story. Some interesting possibilities for that one are occurring to me while I'm working on something else.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Jacob Michael Peter Welch said:


> Last night, deep in meditation, I came to the realization, due in large part to the words shared in these forums, that I am not a poet.
> 
> The genre which I should be focusing my attention on is self-help. My first book will be a self-help guide for the terminally ill and chronically disabled.
> 
> Thank you all so much for helping me find my way again. I truly could not have done it without you!


I may have missed the point again as the leaning of my current body of work seems to be on spiritual reformation. Dare I admit that I may be forced to tackle the murky waters of Christian literature...

I will continue working and see how it goes.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 11 of Moonscape. 2384 words.
Thus far the story has been about the characters and their trials, their new environment, and a vague unease about an incident to the north.
Chapter 12 will kick off the central adventure.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Over the last hour I have collated 4639 words from my previous works... AND I'M ONLY 1/3 DONE! I am simply amazed by the inverse relation of time to my spiritual realization. 

It is as if I always had the objective in hand and simply worked outward from there.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

In other news, I did some self-editing using Google Doc's grammar tools. 

Wow. Quite humbling. 

I guess tomorrow I will learn how to walk upright without dragging my knuckles....


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I guess tomorrow I will learn how to walk upright without dragging my knuckles....
> 
> 
> A.C.


I've not figured that out yet.


----------



## Parabola

I'm realizing MC doesn't like it when another character panders.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> I've not figured that out yet.


Buddy of mine on Facebook when I posted this earlier… “But you’re forklift certified!”


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Buddy of mine on Facebook when I posted this earlier… “But you’re forklift certified!”


This actually made me lol.


----------



## Parabola

Ethan's also extremely competitive. But will he "stick the landing"?


----------



## Parabola

It's time to eat my sandwich of revelation...and ponder my next move.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Guys I'm not bullshitting, I think I might actually have a living entity hidden in these pages.

To clarify: I fully intend to finetune a pretrained model by whatever means necessary, so that I may learn more about the plight of all mankind from it.

To clarify further: I plan to hire a programmer to utilize this work as a dataset used to train whichever chatbot is at the top of the line upon completion of the work.


----------



## PiP

Last night I felt inspired to publish a post to my WordPress blog.   The first post in well over a year took me hours to upload as WP is no longer backend friendly to non techies. Once  I’d tamed the beast and hit  PUBLISH I noticed the post was riddled with annoying ads.

Sigh…. I need to revive my blog to use as another advertising option for when we publish the collab novel, Poet Lariat and my own Shirley Valentine type series about life in Portugal.

I have over 3000 subscribers so even if WordPress is a pain in the butt I need to bite the bullet. Actually maybe I need to rephrase that… moving swiftly on. I


----------



## Parabola

Another 6K day (on Palace Intrigue). Up to 27K.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

I have completed the easiest part of my journey. I have collected all relevant prose into a coherent and well thought out dissertation on the nature and practice of human consciousness.

Now I am faced with the arduous task of decodifying and expanding upon my available poetic works, so that they better fit the narrative structure I have established.

I am not looking forward to this, at all. I am also rather disappointed in the length of the work, but I like to tell myself that it's the content that matters...

Hope you're all working hard.

Edit: I looked it up and I have a Graduate essay basically, but how the hell does one market that?!


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Dammit, I explored a little further and it appears I've been writing a unitarian manifesto this whole time.

What will I do with my self...


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 12 of Moonscape today - 2233 words.


----------



## roadscribe

Today I adjusted the pace of my daily writing goals. Normally, I try to knock out 1500-2000 words a day, but taking on a novel taught me quickly I can't write at this speed anymore. Reaching my goals is encouraging, and when I miss, I beat myself up. So now I'm at 500/day and exceeded it today. It's a heavily researched novel, so much of my time is spent on accuracy of locale, etc. So 500 makes me happy, slows things down so I can dig deeper, and gives me hope I can finish this beast. Thanks for letting me share. Write on!


----------



## KatPC

Bit of an up and down update here.

Moved to the final paragraph of my latest short. Everything is going well and moved to the point of completion ... but (a big but) I don't like the ending. It is okay but I don't like okay.

The good thing is that I spotted the tame ending (it wasn't hard) the bad is that I thought that ending should have been great but now I have to play the waiting game. I have to let the mind skate around the story before I can conjure a better ending. Luckily I can move onto editing another short in the meantime. Annoyed that the ending somehow lost its way but that's a pantser for you!


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

KatPC said:


> Bit of an up and down update here.
> 
> Moved to the final paragraph of my latest short. Everything is going well and moved to the point of completion ... but (a big but) I don't like the ending. It is okay but I don't like okay.
> 
> The good thing is that I spotted the tame ending (it wasn't hard) the bad is that I thought that ending should have been great but now I have to pay the waiting game. I have to let the mind skate around the story before I can conjure a better ending. Luckily I can move onto editing another short in the meantime. Annoyed that the ending somehow lost its way but that's a pantser for you!


I'm in the same boat and have been struggling with it all day.

Pantser reminds me of that time in middle school when the cool kids pulled down my gym shorts in front of the whole PE class.

On an unrelated note:

This work has shaped up nicely, but it is missing something essential and I haven't put my finger on it yet. Will need to read and re-read until it finally hits me over the head.

Hope everyone is doing well!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Meeting with editor for lunch today to go over “God Bless Small Town, USA.” Would you say this is promising? I do.
Reminder, he’s a high school English teacher by trade, so…..

A.C.


----------



## Jacob Michael Peter Welch

Readmybookplease said:


> I wrote a non fiction book called I Know Why A Child Cries. It's on Amazon Books for 14.99 and Kindle for 9.99. Please read it and give feedback. Thanks


This child cries because he's hungry.


----------



## indianroads

1400 words into Chapter 13 of Moonscape.
Heading up to see my grand daughter get tested for her next belt in Tang Soo Do.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Met with my editor. Got a LOT of great feedback, especially on my main characters. I need to allude more to the conflict between MC and is antagonists as well as delve a little bit more on emotions of mom dying of cancer pre-book. And grammar fixes. And grammar fixes. And more grammar fixes.

A.C.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

KatPC said:


> Bit of an up and down update here.
> 
> Moved to the final paragraph of my latest short. Everything is going well and moved to the point of completion ... but (a big but) I don't like the ending. It is okay but I don't like okay.
> 
> The good thing is that I spotted the tame ending (it wasn't hard) the bad is that I thought that ending should have been great but now I have to play the waiting game. I have to let the mind skate around the story before I can conjure a better ending. Luckily I can move onto editing another short in the meantime. Annoyed that the ending somehow lost its way but that's a pantser for you!


Fellow pantser! I once left a character stranded on the Camino de Santiago for weeks until I changed the entire arc of the story and put her in Nashville.


----------



## KatPC

C.K.Johnson said:


> Fellow pantser! I once left a character stranded on the Camino de Santiago for weeks until I changed the entire arc of the story and put her in Nashville.


I've no idea where any of those places are I'm afraid! A Brit here, and my Geography is pretty poor.

Why the change?

- Side note: Progress of my short story: I have figured out what to do. The story/ending will have a third POV voice to round everything off that will encapsulate loads of different messages that I left hanging for the reader that I can now tie up all the loose ends and make a reader really think at the end of the story.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

The Camino is a loooong walk across Portugal and Spain, a pilgrimage. Nashville is music capital of the USA. More fun, more action.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Not really a writing update but pertains to my WIP. I've confirmed two vineyard tours (both free!!) and a meeting with a Pomo Native American on a nearby rancheria. 

Completed lots of prep for my trip to do site research and attend a writers conference in two weeks: critiquing work by writers in the same workshop and answering author's questions about antagonists. 

Connected with another writer from Brooklyn who's getting a ride back to SF with me. A lot of attendees have MFAs or PhDs or teach at colleges. Methinks I'll be learning a lot from seasoned writers and I'm so excited.


----------



## VRanger

Good news and bad news on Moods as I finally start my first read-through. 

The bad news is I should have re-read my first three chapters from last fall when I cranked back up this spring. A couple of things mentioned early don't match up to later events. The changes won't be large, but I'll want to make the adjustments. Most of it involves simply changing the location or circumstances of some later dialogue scenes ... from my accountant's office in the client's estate to other rooms. I also mentioned some tension between two characters which I never followed up on, so I should add a bit here and there to play it up.

The good news is I'm happy with the personality written into the characters. My concern was it might be drab. It's not.  That is the advantage to not having read those chapters in so long. I'm getting to read it like a reader, not the author.


----------



## VRanger

Shhhhhh to @PiP and @D. L. Keur, because I do have other writing and editing obligations ... but I've had a strong impulse the last couple of days to start Bone Kien 3. So I did tonight with two scenes totaling 3K words. After writing these characters for two previous books, they simply fall into place for attitude and dialogue.

I'd started a synopsis a couple of days ago and deep-sixed its beginning. I jumped right in probably two chapters after I might have to get some more interesting stuff up front. My favorite part of my first scene is a dragon getting out of sorts with a character and puffing a bit of acidic gas at him ... then that character's flying horse beats his wings to fan the acidic gas away from the group. After that I segued to a scene with my favorite ghost. It's a haunted castle, after all.

In another thread I recommended the possibility of pantsing a few chapters and then writing a synopsis for the rest of the novel. That's going to happen with BK3. I'm going to 'steam of consciousness' for as long as it leads me, then I'll sort out the details. I DO know the general outcome of the story, which helps.

I had fun with this, and if you can't do that, give up on writing. ;-) Have fun writing or take up a hobby which provides some.


----------



## PiP

> Shhhhhh to @PiP and @D. L. Keur, because I do have other writing and editing obligations ... but I've had a strong impulse the last couple of days to start Bone Kien 3. So I did tonight with two scenes totaling 3K words. After writing these characters for two previous books, they simply fall into place for attitude and dialogue.


Shucks, @VRanger Jim. It ain't no secret that you have a mighty big writing itch that always needs scratching. LOL I thought you were painting the town red last night with Birthday celebrations ... so I sneaked a night off ... I feel your tongue lashing from here ...



> I had fun with this, and if you can't do that, give up on writing. ;-) Have fun writing or take up a hobby which provides some.


I'll second that.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> I've no idea where any of those places are I'm afraid! A Brit here, and my Geography is pretty poor.



No joke. Yesterday before I had to meet with my editor, I had to go down at AAA and take care of homeowner insurance fun stuff. While there, I got my editor road maps of Kansas and Nebraska because he admitted he's absolutely clueless on the names and locations of events in my book and earlier this week there was a bit of a discussion about a location in my book.  (Why he couldn't just use Google Earth or Mapquest or whatever is beyond me...)


A.C.


----------



## Envy123

Jumped from 79k words to 81k words just adding more detail. I’m about 2/3 of my current detail pass.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 13 of Moonscape, 2539 words (current total is 31058)
I think I've found a way to tighten the story by dropping two chapters and shortening the overall word count.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Going over "God Bless Small Town, USA"  chapter by chapter, maybe post first chapter on here (well, on WF, not this thread) and get some additional critique and feedback. I'm confident it's a damn good book, I'm just not confident in my neanderthal-ness. 


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I went over the first three chapters of "God Bless Small Town, USA."  I'm thinking (hoping) I'll be ready for my beta-readers by the second or third week of August. Which is good, because that's about the time I need to start working on my Christmas radio production project.

By the way, just putting this out there. Any esteemed member(s) of this forum interested in going over it themselves, they may certainly bump me. I would _love_ feedback, pointers, critique, and free beer. OK, maybe not free beer so much, but hey..... Seriously, if interested, message me. It's not going to be for a bit, but still....


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Update: I felt froggy, so I went over another chapter. I'm now not quite 1/4 of the way through the book.


A.C.


----------



## Joker

I've trimmed my plot contrivances in my outline down to what I think should be acceptable levels for genre fiction. Also beefed up the character arcs and setting details a bit. Should be fertile grounds for a more detailed second pass.


----------



## VRanger

Too many hours spent watching The Open Championship yesterday ;-), but I did manage a short 500-word scene on PL3 and a 1000-word scene in Bone Kien 3.


----------



## Parabola

Still chugging along with Palace Intrigue: Genre Schlock, Book 1 (of 1!). Currently at 44k.


----------



## Envy123

Three chapters left of my detail pass. Then, I'll do narrative overhauls in the next one.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

A couple more chapters done. Me thinks I'll take a break for a bit, come back to it tomorrow. I have a feeling I was so hell bent on plot that I overlooked a few grammars. I guess I'll go back over them tomorrow. 


A.C.


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I went over the first three chapters of "God Bless Small Town, USA."  I'm thinking (hoping) I'll be ready for my beta-readers by the second or third week of August. Which is good, because that's about the time I need to start working on my Christmas radio production project.
> 
> By the way, just putting this out there. Any esteemed member(s) of this forum interested in going over it themselves, they may certainly bump me. I would _love_ feedback, pointers, critique, and free beer. OK, maybe not free beer so much, but hey..... Seriously, if interested, message me. It's not going to be for a bit, but still....
> 
> 
> A.C.


PM me AC ... I would be happy to help


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> PM me AC ... I would be happy to help



Consider yourself PM'ed  


Merci beau coup!  

A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 14 of Moonscape, 2373 words. The work is going well.

ETA: 525 words into Chapter 15. Quitting for the day.


----------



## Parabola

Might write a "paragraph impression" soon, just the flash of a character I might work on at some point.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finished my fifth draft of ‘Born A Ghost’. Tightened it from 91k words to 87k and softened Sara personality a bit, especially the first chapter. She’s a grump but she has a soft side and I need the reader to see that.


----------



## Parabola

Thought more about Ethan's story, book 3. The ending has crystallized in a way I hadn't initially conceived, but maybe refers to the broader concept more so that's a plus (and ties into his angsty dynamic with Eugene).

On Palace Intrigue, figured out where I'm going with the plot and with any luck I'll stay on track with the timeline. There are some fantasy elements and at first I intended to write something more down to earth in a modern setting. Didn't quite work out that way lol, but at least I still have the modern setting.


----------



## KatPC

Delighted to have finished my latest short story. This was pleasing in that I changed the entire story because I was inspired by a lovely writer here @KeganThompson style of writing. Made it dark and gritty with all my trimmings of keeping everything mysterious and meaningful till the end. Had to alter the ending and it now contains 3 POVs which is perfect consider the story is called Three Masks.

Now it is to finish off the final run through of a powerful short I wrote last year (that led to the first crash I had) Corridors of Trees and then charge towards rewrite for novel.


----------



## Riptide

Reached 50k on Undead. Thinking about a real title now... Not so Undead, maybe? Or: Possibly Undead. Idk, something like that. Anyway, I have everything planned out, I just have to finish writing it now...


----------



## Explosia

Riptide said:


> Reached 50k on Undead. Thinking about a real title now... Not so Undead, maybe? Or: Possibly Undead. Idk, something like that. Anyway, I have everything planned out, I just have to finish writing it now...


You could put a Princess Bride spin on it and call it "Mostly Undead"...!


----------



## AlJamesBook

I've finally finished my novella, and am now working out exactly how to get reviews on it!


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Riptide said:


> Reached 50k on Undead. Thinking about a real title now... Not so Undead, maybe? Or: Possibly Undead. Idk, something like that. Anyway, I have everything planned out, I just have to finish writing it now...


Deadish


----------



## Envy123

I finished my detail pass. Just a few more tweaks and I think I'm ready for beta readers.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

AlJamesBook said:


> I've finally finished my novella, and am now working out exactly how to get reviews on it!



Congrats!!!!

A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Not writing, but writing related. One of the perks of my job is that if you need it, you can get free masso-therapy for any physical ailments that comes from repetitive action. Because there's days when I'm sitting twisted looking backwards as I drive the forklift, I get the occasional back pains or lower back cramps, and already having an arthritic-like medical condition in my back and pelvic girdle just makes it even more entertaining.  So I'm in the masso room once every other week. The therapist is not afraid to apply pressure as she works you over. I've (jokingly) described my sessions with her as "reenacting the Spanish Inquisition" but dang do I feel better when I leave. The therapist (who is the owner of the business we contracted) is a former shop-rat herself with a fairly twisted sense of humor, so she loves my description a lot.
So last night as I'm laying on the table once again being made to confessing to being on the grassy knoll with Linberg's baby while she was working on  stiffness in my shoulders that I didn't notice was there until she put her thumb on it, the conversation somehow got onto books. I mentioned for the first time in the sessions about my writing. (We mostly talk about vacationing in Florida or local news items). She wanted to know more about the book. So, the conversation went sorta like this.....

Her: Really? You write?
Me: Yeah. Well I AAGGHH try to at least. Maybe a chapter a week YEEEEEEE when I OOWWWW can.
Her: Wow. Hold still. What's your book about?
Me:  AAAHHH! It's about this OOOWWWW kid named Chris and his OOWW! THERE, THERE, RIGHT THERE YEAH! OW! S**T! 
Her: Hold still, will ya?
Me: Sorry. F**k. Anyways, it's about this kid named Chris and his buddy, Jet, and OOOWWW! and Chris wants to go off to college in DAMN! OW! S**t, right were your thumb is. No, your right thumb. Yeah.  F**k is that sore. Anyways, Chris' mom dies before the book, and  all the money SH*T, SH*T, SH*T, they had saved up for him went to her medical treatment and funeral, so he's got nothing and his grades are poor. AAAGGHHH. So he gets a job to move to F*CK! Florida. In the meantime his girlfriend dumps him and Jet leaves for college in AAAGGHHH SSHH**TT Nebraska. Some weird and interesting OOWW things happen along AAGGGHH the way, too.
Her: Sounds interesting. 
Me: Yeah, it's OOWWW the first of a series. Eventually there's books AAAGGHH later in the OOOWWW series based around some of the things and people OOOWWWW here in the shop.
Her: Oh, I can't wait to read those!!!


----------



## indianroads

Completed chapter 15 of Moonscape today: 2481 words.
The main characters are riding in a lunar rover across Mare Cognitum - there was a lot of dialogue, the FMC was telling the MMC her back story. He kinda-sorta proposed marriage at the end.
The story still has a very long way to go.


----------



## Parabola

Another 6K day for PI. Over 50k. Not sure how I feel about the fantasy elements since I'm not a fantasy "guy" but I'm letting it do its own thing.


----------



## Parabola

One thing I'll add is that, like usual, I'm enjoying the fluidity of the worldbuilding process. It's restricted to a midwestern town, but I focus quite a bit on the family's mythology (the MC's).


----------



## KatPC

Completed the next draft of When Tigers used to Smoke and Corridors of Trees. One more short before novel re-write.

I'm pondering on posting Corridors into the workshop for views. It is a dark story, one wrote about how I 'crashed' and struggled with confidence and self doubt all in story form.

Hmm ...


----------



## Parabola

Palace Intrigue (keep in mind, stand in title) has a "modern" feel to it, there's the setting of course, but I mean more in a cultural sense.  It also features teenagers, texting, and a plot that goes at a brisk pace. Sounds good, right? 

Then why do I feel so cheap and dirty?


----------



## KeganThompson

Just went through and posted a short story after not posting any work for 6 months lol
first time writing in 3rd person too. I enjoyed it more than I originally thought. Took a while to warm up to the day idea but I did


----------



## Parabola

Managed to squeeze out the 6k. I'll think of the plot tonight and refine it a bit.


----------



## Parabola

When I write on certain religious themes, I can't help but wonder if the social contract was written by the devil.


----------



## piperofyork

After five years and 5 rounds of editing, I finished my first novel today at exactly 1 p.m. EST: _Tome's Quest_, a YA fantasy, complete at 121K. 

After so much work and time, it is absolutely surreal to be finished. 

No matter what happens to me from now on,

I. did. it.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 16 of Moonscape today. It came in at 2358 words.
Current total word count is 38326, continuing this pace the novel should come in at ~115000 words.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Just did an overhaul on Chapter 1. Cautiously optimistic on this one.  I’ll put up for critique in a few days, because I’m a glutton for punishment and learning like that…

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Finally fleshed out the last of the plot tonight. Pattern seems to be with this project that I write in the morning, then hash out the remaining plot at night. Now it's a matter of rehearsing that sequence so I can sit down and write tomorrow without getting distracted.


----------



## Stormcat

Yesterday I finally finished my Ninth Chapter.

But I hit another Writer's block as soon as I got a paragraph into the Tenth Chapter. Oh well.


----------



## Taylor

piperofyork said:


> After five years and 5 rounds of editing, I finished my first novel today at exactly 1 p.m. EST: _Tome's Quest_, a YA fantasy, complete at 121K.
> 
> After so much work and time, it is absolutely surreal to be finished.
> 
> No matter what happens to me from now on,
> 
> I. did. it.


A wonderful accomplishment!!!    When I finished my first novel, my son said, "Go out and treat yourself to something special."  And I did.  So I forward the same advice to you . . .  Enjoy!


----------



## Parabola

"I might be an epic manbaby, but I have my rights."--Ethan


----------



## VRanger

Just under 1K words on PL3 tonight and just over 700 words on BK3. I was aiming for 1000 words on BK3 but the damned scene ended after 700. I just couldn't convince the two damned characters to be more verbose. Robbed me of 300 words of production. Oh well, they'll answer for this slight in the end.


----------



## VRanger

piperofyork said:


> After five years and 5 rounds of editing, I finished my first novel today at exactly 1 p.m. EST: _Tome's Quest_, a YA fantasy, complete at 121K.
> 
> After so much work and time, it is absolutely surreal to be finished.
> 
> No matter what happens to me from now on,
> 
> I. did. it.


It's a BIG DEAL to finish every novel. But that_ first one i_s the biggest.  Congratulations isn't strong enough, but imagine I mean it in all caps flashing with a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors and stars.


----------



## Parabola

Today is a cheat day. I'm watching my writing carbs.


----------



## PiP

I've been trying to write a ghost scene over the last week ... I confess it's not easy but I am enjoying the process. I write a few words ... pour a glass of wine ... ponder ...write a few more ...take a swim, go gardening or whatever but the scene stays with me in my head as I try and choose the right words. IT's my first ghost scene so there is currently more thinking and procrastination than writing but I am getting there!


----------



## Louanne Learning

Got another flash fiction done. The inspiration was slow coming to me today, even with the prompt. I thought and thought for hours and hours.

Then it finally came to me. The story flowed out of me. I got it done in a couple of hours.


----------



## KatPC

PiP said:


> I've been trying to write a ghost scene over the last week ... I confess it's not easy but I am enjoying the process. I write a few words ... pour a glass of wine ... ponder ...write a few more ...take a swim, go gardening or whatever but the scene stays with me in my head as I try and choose the right words. IT's my first ghost scene so there is currently more thinking and procrastination than writing but I am getting there!


I think you got this about right @PiP ... You are copying what they do ... ghosting here for a little bit, then disappearing to over there next, then returning to haunt this place a little more, leaving us your faded footprints through your message. 

As you know ... Practice makes perfect 
Keep it up the routine I say ...

Oh and as a tip for ghostly writing. I read (and watched on TV and stuff) that they like to say Boo. Hope that helps.


----------



## Louanne Learning

PiP said:


> I've been trying to write a ghost scene over the last week ... I confess it's not easy but I am enjoying the process. I write a few words ... pour a glass of wine ... ponder ...write a few more ...take a swim, go gardening or whatever but the scene stays with me in my head as I try and choose the right words. IT's my first ghost scene so there is currently more thinking and procrastination than writing but I am getting there!


If you are thinking about your story while doing other things, it is not procrastination, it's a vital part of the process!


----------



## indianroads

Struggled today, but managed to write 2 K words this afternoon. I’ll go back to it later tonight and finish up the chapter.


----------



## indianroads

Worked late: finished Chapter 17: 2288 words.


----------



## indianroads

A MEH day for writing due to my mental state this morning. 1528 words in on Chapter 18. 
I trimmed two more chapters out of the plot to keep things moving.


----------



## Megan Pearson

Well, I am just shy of 20K words (in total) and am again taking inventory. Actually, I haven’t been as committed to it as I was a couple of weeks ago. Since then, we’ve had a number of events pop up that steal away the time. Tomorrow will be fun, though, a road trip to visit family.

So, in planning a family visit, my writing success today was searching through and downloading several dozen articles spanning the breadth of my topic to read in the car. Yes, folks, she can sing, dance, chew gum AND _read in the car without losing her cookies!_

(But I’ll keep the Dramamine on hand for the return trip!)


I have been very busy getting to know the folklore and culture that has grown up around my topic and learning about what's important to my readers. This might not sound like much of a "writing success" today but I hope that in learning the feel of this community that they will, in turn, embrace my tale.

And I’ve been reflecting on pacing. I picked up a book I've been wanting to read for some time now and found it has great pacing. The author just lets the story unfold beautifully. A story should be like a fine wine or classical music, where each fragrance or note is fully a world in itself. That’s the kind of story I want to write, where each word builds to take the reader on a journey into a place that is fully a world in itself.

I have also been reflecting on ‘being busy’ versus working toward a goal. Rushing to deadline is surely a habit I picked up from the workplace; I can't let the story tell itself if I'm pressing the deadline habit. Well, at least not the short deadline I gave it. Still aiming to finish the first draft this fall.


----------



## VRanger

2300 words on PL3 tonight, and stressful they are! It's a concept @PiP isn't too keen on, but I promised her I could sell it. The entire thing will take up a full chapter, and possibly a long one since I'm now only part way through the sequence. 

Now I get some time tomorrow to consider the payoff. The conclusion was supposed to be the MRC (Male Romantic Character) rescuing the FRC from something like a sprained ankle ...  BUT ... I think I'm going to swap that around ... and she's NOT in a good mood with him.


----------



## PiP

No, you won't sell it to me, Jim. Sorry. LoL because neither of those characters 'float my boat' LoL You know that and keep teasing me.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> A MEH day for writing due to my mental state this morning. 1528 words in on Chapter 18.


Progress is still progress no matter how little. Don't be too tough on the good self.


Megan Pearson said:


> And I’ve been reflecting on pacing. I picked up a book I've been wanting to read for some time now and found it has great pacing. The author just lets the story unfold beautifully. A story should be like a fine wine or classical music, where each fragrance or note is fully a world in itself. That’s the kind of story I want to write, where each word builds to take the reader on a journey into a place that is fully a world in itself.


Sorry to merge messages but these are lovely few lines, I loved the last line especially.


PiP said:


> No, you won't sell it to me, Jim.


Question PiP. If Jim doesn't sell it to you but gives it free then you don't have to pay? Right?


----------



## KatPC

My own writing success for today is that I have started a new short, in Kat's voice. I feel I'm stalling my rewrite here but this story popped into the head yesterday at work and it will add to my short stories collection.


----------



## Parabola

I had to type in "harebrained surrealist" but found his name. John Ashbery.


----------



## piperofyork

Finished the first chapter of my second novel yesterday; today I'll be outlining (and starting?) chapter two...


----------



## PiP

KatPC said:


> Question PiP. If Jim doesn't sell it to you but gives it free then you don't have to pay? Right?


I am his collab partner so I don't have an 'on' 'off' switch when it comes to characters I dislike. I have to grit my teeth and 'wo-man' up


----------



## Envy123

I managed to add more details including vivid and sensory ones. My story is now 89k words. Think I'll be taking a bit of a break before maybe doing another detail sweep.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

As I re-read, I've discovered that it appears that I haven't met an adverb I didn't like....


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

@PiP … I assume you can relate?


----------



## Riptide

I'm slowly chipping away at Undead... can't seem to get into the swing of it, though I did add a couple more scenes that I hope develops the character into more of a sleuth and gives her more agency in solving the crime


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> As I re-read, I've discovered that it appears that I haven't met an adverb I didn't like....


Yep. They're on my list of language to suspect. It's not that you don't want to use them, but that you only want to use them when they're powerful. So that includes eliminating them when their meaning is redundant or, often, when used as a superlative.

"The turtle crawled slowly" is bad. "The turtle crawled very slowly" is even worse. ;-)


----------



## indianroads

Slow day, but I finished Chapter 18 of Moonscape. It came in at 2381 words.
I also removed two more unnecessary chapters bringing the finished chapter count down from 50 to 46.


----------



## indianroads

Started in on Chapter 19 this afternoon - 1241 words into it.
This is the lull before the storm, where characters reflect on their life choices, and get ready for what's next.


----------



## Parabola

For the last 10/12K, I'm going to have a bit of fun with the format. It's Halloween night after all.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 19 of Moonscape this afternoon. 2243 words.


----------



## indianroads

1222 word deep into Chapter 20 of Moonscape. Quitting for the day.
The poop is about to hit the fan.


----------



## Parabola

Mr. Contrarian dies every time. I just can't help myself.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I finally finished proofreading my book (a portable workshop on writing flash fiction). I've had such an intense love/ hate relationship with it and I'm glad the struggle is finally over. I ended up on the "love" side so was happy to send it to the editor this evening. It was such hard work (so much research involved) and for now I'm looking forward to a short rest. (Someone sent me a book they want me to evaluate so that project will be next.)  Today was a good day. I finally completed that book. The book blurbs I got are outstanding and I'm so grateful for those. Yes, a good day it was.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Just did a total rewrite of a "please forgive me" dialog of a chapter tonight. And, if I may pat myself on the back, sholy hit, did it improve the whole damn chapter. I don't think I'm completely done with that one, though. But I'm learning, dang nabbit. I'm learning.

I think.

At least you guys (and gals.. ladies) have me thinking and trying. And I like that.

Cheers to all of you.


A.C.


----------



## Envy123

Done all of the detail pass and added a couple of scenes for the ending. 98k words from 82k words without the detail. It was that lacking.

I think I need some tweaks and it would be ready for beta readers for real this time.


----------



## Parabola

74K. A bit of a plot twist and experimentation with formatting are making me giddy.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I incorporated input from a grape grower (tech read). He had some really good stuff.  Another grape grower sent me 8 emails last night, none of which I can use because it's impossible to interpret how a soil test report and a series of photos relate to my novel. Rather than follow up with him, I'm hoping my third tech read has time when I see him next week on Saracina Vineyard. 

My biggest ask is how much $$ for one thousand two-year-old dormant bare root vines. No amount of internet search has confirmed so I want it from a local grower.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 20 of Moonscape: 2517 words.
Total WC: 47755


----------



## indianroads

PrairieHostage said:


> Today I incorporated input from a grape grower (tech read). He had some really good stuff.  Another grape grower sent me 8 emails last night, none of which I can use because it's impossible to interpret how a soil test report and a series of photos relate to my novel. Rather than follow up with him, I'm hoping my third tech read has time when I see him next week on Saracina Vineyard.
> 
> My biggest ask is how much $$ for one thousand two-year-old dormant bare root vines. No amount of internet search has confirmed so I want it from a local grower.


I'm not a wine drinker - one night at a party where I drank a gallon of Red Mountain Burgundy cured me of that... forever. 
That said though, I spent some time back in the 80's and early 90's in the Aoasta Valley in northern Italy. It's an incredibly beautiful place with lots of history and grape vines growing up the sides of the sheer rocky cliffs. Your talk about wine brought those good memories back, thanks for that.


----------



## PrairieHostage

@indianroads I so want to go to Italy. Every bit of that country stuns.


----------



## indianroads

The Aoasta Valley is pretty rural - I was there on business for a month at a time over several years. Nice people, beautiful area - very humid though with epic thunderstorms.
I stayed in Ivrea - it's an old Roman town - people still drive over the Roman bridge in the center of town. LOTS of bats come out at night, it's pretty cool.


----------



## PrairieHostage

indianroads said:


> The Aoasta Valley is pretty rural - I was there on business for a month at a time over several years. Nice people, beautiful area - very humid though with epic thunderstorms.
> I stayed in Ivrea - it's an old Roman town - people still drive over the Roman bridge in the center of town. LOTS of bats come out at night, it's pretty cool.


You have a lot of life experience from which to write. I had quite the visual walking across that bridge under lightning when the bats came out!!


----------



## indianroads

Yeah - streetlights are dim there at night, when walking you can look up and see clouds of the flying right above you. There are buried Roman ruins under the old section of Ivrea - that might be where the spend their days. People also do kayaking through the Dora river rapids.

Done writing for the day. Started in on Chapter 21 of Moonscape. 1155 words so far.

Heading out for a Pikes Peak Writers Guild meeting.


----------



## PrairieHostage

My second tech reader came through. He just emailed me a short list of viticultural aspects I can revise for more integrity.


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 21 of Moonscape is done. 2351 words.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

I was blown away by the thoughtful and valuable feedback from my beta reader. I’m tackling my next draft with a clearer sense of purpose.


----------



## Erik Testerman

I've written exactly one sentence tonight due to multitasking.

But it's a good one.

Success.


----------



## Parabola

Procrastinating, I don't want to say "this will be my last day working on first draft of PI" because then that will turn into another week of torture (it's been an experimental speed run). That aside, I didn't expect it to take on flecks of horror at the end, but there it is. This one is a much different beast than Ethan's trilogy, mostly fantasy in modern setting, and might have more mainstream appeal (which was sort of accidental). A bit more imagery, plot goes at a quicker pace and the "feel" etc.

I also finished another "character poem" for Ethan's trilogy, will post that at some point after the first draft of PI is finished _whistles innocently_


----------



## Parabola

First draft of Palace Intrigue is finished at a little over 80k. Took about 17 days.


----------



## roadscribe

Finished chapter three of my WIP novel today. Pretty excited so far, but need to keep it tempered due to the nature of the story. Pretty darn tragic. But man, does it feel good to nail the first three.


----------



## Envy123

Improved the third chapter. Made the strange wind more of a threat. Removed the unnecessary descriptions and overhauled the first chapter again


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 22 of Moonscape is complete: 2516 words.


----------



## indianroads

Started chapter 23 of Moonscape - 1434 words in.
I enjoyed writing a scene with the MC crawling on his belly (in a moon suit) across a crater floor while alien spider-crabs slipped through the sand beneath him - and eventually he found just the head of a dead soldier with the brain removed, while a specialist on Earth was going on and on about interesting it was. The MC was not amused, and was mentally referring to the doctor as Doctor Dumbass, Doctor Frankenstein, Doctor Zombie ... etc. 
Anyway, I had fun.


----------



## Riptide

Got a cool new clickety-clack typewriter looking keyboard and wrote 1.5k, more words than I've written all week on Undead. I have a tablet and I can't connect a mouse, so it's really forcing me to focus only on writing.


----------



## Envy123

Overhauled another "boring" chapter. Ricky and Anton go artefact hunting, get trapped and battle an ocean demon.

I'm now at over 100k words and I still scratched the surface with the world.


----------



## Nellomindo

I succeeded to write the first chapter of my book and I'm quite satisfied with it


----------



## Parabola

Riptide said:


> Got a cool new clickety-clack typewriter looking keyboard and wrote 1.5k, more words than I've written all week on Undead. I have a tablet and I can't connect a mouse, so it's really forcing me to focus only on writing.



Oh I'd love to go Jack Torrance on a typewriter, but I'm stuck with a laptop.  EDIT: Apparently, it's a typewriter-esque keyboard. Well...I stand by what I said.


----------



## JBF

The project from hell is finding its legs again after having been high-centered for months.  

Our solution-apparent was one I'd used before and somehow never considered applying here, so in addition to being a charming and handsome garbage rat I'm also a screaming dumbass.  

We may all act surprised.


----------



## Riptide

Was going to post a photo since I am in love with it, but, can't seem to figure it out... anyway, off to different news, away from my _sweet _typewriter-looking keyboard. I woke up in the middle of the night with a perfect addition to Undead. Did not write it down because, hello, memory of steel. Woke up this morning without a clue of what that great idea was, and as I teased at my mind for some idea, it came to me in a flash: since she's a ghoul, she gains part of peoples personality if she eats them, and I neglected to included her early morning human snack in any bit of her personality so far.  It's a fun aspect I'm not giving full attention to.


----------



## Parabola

Might've found a reader for Ethan book 1/2, more informal since it's been casual interactions not really centering on writer-y stuff, and he seemed very interested in the blurb.


----------



## indianroads

Riptide said:


> Got a cool new clickety-clack typewriter looking keyboard and wrote 1.5k, more words than I've written all week on Undead. I have a tablet and I can't connect a mouse, so it's really forcing me to focus only on writing.


Back in the late 70's / early 80's I used an IBM mainframe to do engineering work. The terminals we used had clacked when you type - we all loved that... but I'm not sure why.


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 23 of Moonscape is done: 2255 words. This puts me at the halfway point in the novel.
They've arrived at an alien base on the moon, and the MC just had the poop scared out of him by an encounter.
The story is moving along well.


----------



## PiP

JOY: After 10 days of tinkering, tweaking and procrastinating I've finally finished the 'sealed' room scene. (I think) 

I am still debating as the genre is a RomCom, whether to include a more in depth description of the dead body or like explicit sex let it fade to black. Ponderous.


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> JOY: After 10 days of tinkering, tweaking and procrastinating I've finally finished the 'sealed' room scene. (I think)
> 
> I am still debating as the genre is a RomCom, whether to include a more in depth description of the dead body or like explicit sex let it fade to black. Ponderous.


Perseverance is the key to success.


----------



## KatPC

A little late but finished my latest short story yesterday. In keeping with developing a different style for each short, this one is the first (and only) short in Kat's POV!

I have an ongoing beta read task for a member and also helping another tweak their story, but other than that, the novel re-write awaits.

I feel I am procrastinating ... I may seek wizardry advice.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Been on pause dealing with IRL issues. Using that time to recalibrate, contemplate, debate, maybe a few other 'ates', too. Scotty's puttin' the engines on Warp Nine next week....


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

1012 words in on Chapter 24 of Moonscape this afternoon.


----------



## PiP

KatPC said:


> I feel I am procrastinating ... I may seek wizardry advice.








Hi fellow procrastinator. I hope the WF witch will suffice.


----------



## VRanger

I've been off the writing grid for a few days ... two eCommerce sites going live ... dear friends from Florida as houseguests for four days ... more work on the downed tree, including three 18' trailer loads (that I loaded) going to the landfill. Busy days.

Tonight I finally got back to PL3. I'd been stuck on an encounter I had to write and not having yet figured out what should happen. Our guests left this afternoon, so tonight I dug in to finish the chapter.

One thing I sometimes do when I'm in doubt about a detail of a plot point is "write up to it". There are a few things which MUST lead up, and I write that, hoping that in the flow of writing the idea will appear and I can then write through it and "be there".

That happened tonight. I needed the details of a spooky scene and how it would put my antipathic romance characters together. Since it's a RomCom, I needed the "spooky" to be spooky but not horror, and for it to segue into something funny. I think I accomplished that, and wrote almost 3K to complete the chapter. It's now a long chapter at 5.5K words, where I've been aiming for 3K. But everything in that chapter NEEDS to stay together. So it's a long chapter.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> I've been off the writing grid for a few days ... two eCommerce sites going live ... dear friends from Florida as houseguests for four days ... more work on the downed tree, including three 18' trailer loads (that I loaded) going to the landfill.



If you lived within an hour of me, which you don't, I'd paid for those loads of wood.....

A.C.


----------



## KatPC

PiP said:


> Hi fellow procrastinator. I hope the WF witch will suffice.


Hello @PiP the wondrous witch (not liking the witch tag by the way) and to any wizards, other witches, fairies and pixies (clever masters) ...

Some of you have read my short stories and will know that a lot center around Kat -- she is one of the MCs in my novel. The novel is a great story, I say this not to brag but because it is *my *story and all the twists and turns and time jumps are a reflection of self. 

I love creating stories (from any topic or theme and) I tie it back to my novel. Why? There is a plan I am building and I have been pondering (again) whether to ask the Forum of your views on this 'idea.' I may do this privately, or not ... 

I have an issue in rewriting the novel because in the mind it is a beautiful story, full of questions and emotions that will grab a reader, but it is written poorly. I've been in the Forums for over a year and I know I have got better, I can see from the stories I wrote during my time here that I have improved, but it means my novel (the first thing I ever written) is really bad. I think a lot of you guys know my confidence isn't the best, and I don't want to get to a point where doubt creeps in if/when I create new stories. I like to be free in new stories that I let go and not hold back but there is this nagging voice that always warning me to be careful.

Part of me is annoyed and telling me to just do it, but I really have no idea what I am doing. I just write stories with the purpose of a release but also to create great tales that if people see this name they will know it will be different and good.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> If you lived within an hour of me, which you don't, I'd paid for those loads of wood.....
> 
> A.C.


What I hauled off was at best kindling. I'm keeping sections of trunk and the thicker limbs to put on a lathe and the table saw. We'll figure out something nice to do with them.


----------



## VRanger

KatPC said:


> I have an issue in rewriting the novel because in the mind it is a beautiful story, full of questions and emotions that will grab a reader, but it is written poorly. I've been in the Forums for over a year and I know I have got better, I can see from the stories I wrote during my time here that I have improved, but it means my novel (the first thing I ever written) is really bad. I think a lot of you guys know my confidence isn't the best, and I don't want to get to a point where doubt creeps in if/when I create new stories. I like to be free in new stories that I let go and not hold back but there is this nagging voice that always warning me to be careful.


It's all a process of learning technique with gradated development. Seldom is anything as "bad" as we fear, and sometimes passages are better than we hope. I've read your stuff. You have interesting ideas and execution which only begs editing ... which is the case for us ALL.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> I've been off the writing grid for a few days ... two eCommerce sites going live ... dear friends from Florida as houseguests for four days ... more work on the downed tree, including three 18' trailer loads (that I loaded) going to the landfill. Busy days.
> 
> Tonight I finally got back to PL3. I'd been stuck on an encounter I had to write and not having yet figured out what should happen. Our guests left this afternoon, so tonight I dug in to finish the chapter.
> 
> One thing I sometimes do when I'm in doubt about a detail of a plot point is "write up to it". There are a few things which MUST lead up, and I write that, hoping that in the flow of writing the idea will appear and I can then write through it and "be there".
> 
> That happened tonight. I needed the details of a spooky scene and how it would put my antipathic romance characters together. Since it's a RomCom, I needed the "spooky" to be spooky but not horror, and for it to segue into something funny. I think I accomplished that, and wrote almost 3K to complete the chapter. It's now a long chapter at 5.5K words, where I've been aiming for 3K. But everything in that chapter NEEDS to stay together. So it's a long chapter.


I agree that sometimes building momentum can drive you through a tough scene.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> I've been off the writing grid for a few days ... two eCommerce sites going live ... dear friends from Florida as houseguests for four days ... more work on the downed tree, including three 18' trailer loads (that I loaded) going to the landfill. Busy days.
> 
> Tonight I finally got back to PL3. I'd been stuck on an encounter I had to write and not having yet figured out what should happen. Our guests left this afternoon, so tonight I dug in to finish the chapter.
> 
> One thing I sometimes do when I'm in doubt about a detail of a plot point is "write up to it". There are a few things which MUST lead up, and I write that, hoping that in the flow of writing the idea will appear and I can then write through it and "be there".
> 
> That happened tonight. I needed the details of a spooky scene and how it would put my antipathic romance characters together. Since it's a RomCom, I needed the "spooky" to be spooky but not horror, and for it to segue into something funny. I think I accomplished that, and wrote almost 3K to complete the chapter. It's now a long chapter at 5.5K words, where I've been aiming for 3K. But everything in that chapter NEEDS to stay together. So it's a long chapter.


Dang man, that’s great throughput!


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 24 of Moonscape - 2351 words.
Started in on chapter 25 and got 1800 words into it.
The work is going well, but I'm coloring outside of the lines of my plot a lot... it seems to be working though, so oh well.


----------



## Parabola

Starting point: Eugene engages in some degree of projection when it comes Ethan, thinking he's arrogant when it comes to manipulating the events in book 1 (and 2, I guess)--not completely inaccurate though. Ethan creates a considerable mess, and Eugene attempts to clean it up. The latter might have a more nuanced "conscious" (cerebral) understanding of the world, but both of them are on almost opposite sides of the logical-intuitive gap, causing different problems to appear.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes the humor between two characters comes when you least expect it.


----------



## VRanger

I threw in another 500 words on PL3 last night to tie a comment in PL2 to "current events". Cal tries to pin one of his employees down on whether his newly acquired manor house has a reputation for being haunted, and the employee has reservations about giving a straight answer.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

While pleading the fifth may work in court, in public opinion or jumping to conclusions, it certainly doesn't.


----------



## piperofyork

Major progress on my 2nd book this past week; I'm at 13.5K!


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> I threw in another 500 words on PL3 last night to tie a comment in PL2 to "current events". Cal tries to pin one of his employees down on whether his newly acquired manor house has a reputation for being haunted, and the employee has reservations about giving a straight answer.


In some neighborhoods and with some buyers a haunted house might have a higher price tag.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> In some neighborhoods and with some buyers a haunted house might have a higher price tag.


@PiP initially had reservations about throwing a ghost (now MULTIPLE ghosts LOL) into our story. I linked a page from the UK's National Trust web site where they brag about a number of listed properties with reputations for being haunted. I don't know if that specifically influenced her, but we now have ghosts. Once she embraced the concept, it's been full speed ahead!


----------



## Parabola

Glad I stepped away from book 2 for a bit. Doing a trilogy in short order can take the emotional steam out of an ending. The imagery/ideas are flowing more freely now.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 25 of Moonscape: 2339 words.
Started chapter 26: 1038 words.
The story is progressing nicely.


----------



## Parabola

I'm going through my WIP (book 2), and tagging things that stand out as imagery focused or concept focused (a blurry distinction, sure, but some passages focus one more than the other).


----------



## VRanger

1500 words in Bone Kien 3 tonight in two (mostly) dialogue scenes. The first one had a purpose ... it takes a major character out of the upcoming action due to a discussion of an injury he suffered two books ago.

The second one is pure stream of consciousness while two heroes explore an evil sorcerer's tower. They get started on a side conversation and just about forget where they are. But its 700 words and counting, it starts to explain what happened to a character mentioned as missing near the beginning of Book One, and hopefully it's amusing.



> “Fascinating, but why are we spending time talking about that guy when we’re standing in an evil sorcerer’s tower and death or danger … probably not in that order … could arrive at any moment.”
> 
> “You brought it up.”
> 
> “Did not.”
> 
> “Did too.”
> 
> Vard took a moment to consider. “I guess I did at that. But now I have to figure out what to do about Miloe here.”
> 
> “Why?”
> 
> Vard sighed. “He’s a friend.”
> 
> “You don’t look utterly devastated at him being turned into a statue.”
> 
> “We’ll let your Sage guys worry about that. Right now, I’m more concerned we don’t wind up just like him.” Vard put a hand on top of Miloe’s head, then his shoulder, then patted his back. “You know, he’s not turned to stone. Pretty stiff, but he feels warm. I think he might still be alive.”
> 
> Falano repeated the pattern. “You could be right.” Falano twisted Miloe around and bent to look into his eyes. “There’s something there. Maybe a little gleam. Maybe it’s something like the Stasis Spell the Sage of Wizardry put on himself.”
> 
> “If that’s the case, Olphinio or one of his minion sorcerers must have guessed they’d have a future use for him.”
> 
> “Hostage?” Falano speculated.
> 
> “Nah. Who’d ransom him?”
> 
> “Your Lord Teven?”
> 
> “Not a chance. He might come full force to retrieve him, but he’d never agree to ransom. Bad policy. Bad precedent.”
> 
> “So what do we do with him now?”
> 
> “Leave him here. Better off here than exposed on the roof. He’ll just have to hope we survive this incursion and some mages on our side have an answer for his condition.”
> 
> Falano shrugged. “If you say so.”


----------



## Parabola

Getting back on the imagery train at least.



> Kevin’s backyard still had large, shimmering puddles everywhere like spots on a cow made of grass.


----------



## Envy123

Overhauled the first chapter again, this time trapping Ricky in a classroom due to the wind and he got punished for missing class. Should be a more compelling inciting incident.

Going to overhaul another chapter tomorrow and make it more compelling too.

Feedback is more positive on chapters with a more soap opera inspired flow, so I’ll embrace it.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Completed another draft of TAOAB. Super happy with it thanks to my incredible beta reader’s tips. Added ~2000 words to bring it to 79,500. 
Found three more agents to query but it’s a ghost town in the trenches, almost every agent I was interested in is closed to queries.
I’ll give the manuscript one more pass and start on the book that is beginning to bubble nicely on the back burner.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Moonscape chapter 26: 2378 words.
Started in on chapter 27: 1587 words so far.
My writing is going well and I'm feeling positive... my granddaughter is visiting, and she has an annoying weird little monster thing that makes gross noises... it's bothersome, but I'm hiding in my office.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

indianroads said:


> Finished Moonscape chapter 26: 2378 words.
> Started in on chapter 27: 1587 words so far.
> My writing is going well and I'm feeling positive... my granddaughter is visiting, and she has an annoying weird little monster thing that makes gross noises... it's bothersome, but I'm hiding in my office.


Maybe the monster is supposed to be in your story


----------



## indianroads

C.K.Johnson said:


> Maybe the monster is supposed to be in your story


Oh! That would be far too terrifying ... yikes. I'm currently writing alien crab guardians that live beneath the lunar regolith, that rises to grab rovers and people that happen to wander through... that's lightweight stuff by comparison to the little girls blue gremlin with big ears that makes whiny noises.


----------



## Parabola

Despite Ethan being responsible for much of the book's events, he still hasn't stepped out from Eugene's shadow. Might see that happen by book 2's end. He'll have more faith in how he conceives of a future world for himself. Doesn't mean the conflict between the two goes away, just Ethan becomes more solidified in his views.


----------



## Parabola

Another thing with Ethan is, his nature compels him to "punch back" with equivalent force or even harder. Now I'm not quite sure how I'll evolve this part of Ethan's personality. I'm focusing on staying true to the character logic while letting them evolve within it.


----------



## Parabola

After returning to book 2, the nostalgic vibe is just as enjoyable (since that's the kind of thing I enjoy reading), but several plot threads are occurring to me, adding "extra meat" to the endgame. How the story is developing is an equal motivator for me.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Yesterday I read and critiqued four writing samples of folks in the same workshop as me. Two of the four were compelling. One about two asian kids running around Chinatown trying to find someone with a dvd so they can watch Star Wars. They get into all kinds of trouble and I laughed through the whole thing. 

The other story is about a teen girl whose dad deals marijuana out of their trailer park. She goes to school hungry. 

Strong distinctive character voices in both samples. I feel grateful to have at least two guys in the workshop who I know will make me a better writer. I hope they feel the same when they read my writing sample. 

GAH! Workshopping with authors is a great way to take WIPs to the next level but it means approaching everything with an open and loose hand. Some input will stay and some will fall through my fingers.


----------



## Envy123

Overhauled one chapter where my MC has a soap-opera-style argument with his teacher about the wind. And another where my MC has a big tussle with a villain instead of just walking and shooting. I'm back at 101k words, but I think I have a bit of wiggle room. As long as I'm under 120k words, I should be fine, I think.


----------



## Parabola

When you're working on a trilogy, it's easy to drop the ball on the ending for book 2 because you see more on the horizon, but those two weeks away from the project have given me a fresh perspective. I want to inject the same vibrance and epic feel to the ending the first book had, while focusing on its individual stamp.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 27 of Moonscape: 2382 words
Started chapter 28: 1436 words in.
Had a bunch of action in the last few chapters, and I'm letting a lull set in as the characters evaluate their situation and decide what to do next. Sharp uptick in action is coming soon that will begin the race to the ending.


----------



## Parabola

I put on the special glasses, seeing a vicious ball of fur and teeth inside an ancient skull. How did this thing "function" as a conduit for consciousness?


----------



## VRanger

1000 words on Bone Kien 3 tonight, concluding with:



> Anlette pulled on Ket’s sleeve and leaned in to whisper into his ear. “I’ve never ridden on a dragon before. This is exciting!”
> 
> He whispered back. “I can’t guarantee you’ll be invited.”
> 
> Anlette’s soft laughter tickled Ket’s ear, giving him an unusual thrill. “I’m a maiden. He’s a dragon. You leave that to me."


It's really strange. Over 10 completed novels and two in progress, Anlette, a teenage female mage, is really my favorite character to write dialogue for. LOL


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes you have to make some noise before you start a concert.


----------



## Parabola

One beer in, now to keyboard.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Had a eureka moment at 4am and fixed a chapter that had been bugging me.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> One beer in, now to keyboard.


My writers guild has a semi monthly event called - Write Drunk, Edit Sober.
No one actually drinks, but the idea is to quickly get ideas down, then go back and clean up the prose later.


----------



## indianroads

Chapter 28 of Moonscape is compete: 2233 words.
Started on Chapter 19, 1455 words in.
I eliminated another chapter out of the draft, again to tighten the story.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> My writers guild has a semi monthly event called - Write Drunk, Edit Sober.
> No one actually drinks, but the idea is to quickly get ideas down, then go back and clean up the prose later.



"There had been a flash, a reason why that explanation didn’t hold water, but* it slipped through my still spinning brain*." (me admitting I'm a lil tipsy in the WIP).


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Good news: rewrite of Chapter 2 complete, and I feel good.

Bad news: I just discovered that I never saved any of the changes I made to Chapter 1. And I feel bad.


Go ahead. Point and laugh. I'm too tired. Good night/day/whatever...

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

So the consistent feedback I've had from other writers (across a variety of projects) is I seem to have a knack for worldbuilding. With Ethan's story, I feel l'm onto something with the global concept. It helped that the whole thing more or less came to me in an intuitive flash (same thing for overall concepts for book 2 and 3).


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Good news: rewrite of Chapter 2 complete, and I feel good.
> 
> Bad news: I just discovered that I never saved any of the changes I made to Chapter 1. And I feel bad.
> 
> 
> Go ahead. Point and laugh. I'm too tired. Good night/day/whatever...
> 
> A.C.


We’ve all done that at one time or another. Don’t beat yourself up.


----------



## Parabola

Joe "being" Ethan's dad would allow for some much-needed shedding of ambiguity surrounding the character. On the other hand, I have to be careful with what I'm doing and am considering another layer of ambiguity (with Joe) that makes sense within the context of the story.


----------



## Alanzie

Out of the blue, I came up with a new character (actually two, mother and infant).  This is 40K words into my story.  They came to me fully developed and I know exactly where they will go, who they will be and what their stories are.  Just like that.  Wabam!


----------



## Matchu

I drafted a completely fruity, poetic, Byronesque even type document-novella  for my boss to use as his aid - in dealing with local authority accountants…auditors

…such is my burden.


----------



## Taylor

Matchu said:


> I drafted a completely fruity, poetic, Byronesque even type document-novella  for my boss to use as his aid - in dealing with local authority accountants…auditors
> 
> …such is my burden.




As a former government auditor, I would give one piece of valuable advice. Be nice to the auditor!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> As a former government auditor, I would give one piece of valuable advice. Be nice to the auditor!


As Sonny Barger famously said : _*'Treat me good and I'll treat you better, but treat me bad and I'll treat you worse.'*_


----------



## KatPC

Finished a short for the LM Challenge last night. Had time to look over it once this morning and it looks quite clean but I'm sure there is something wrong with it, no matter I have lots of time before submission.

Will head back to some editing, helping a member here and need to finish off one of my shorts. 

The best news is that the mind flicked back to an old short story I trunked a while back. I haven't read it for over a year but I remember the story and why it failed,* but* there is new take and it may work (it sounds great with the new twist) so letting it develop in the mind quietly.


----------



## Explosia

Did some kind of rough re-outlining of the second half of my story and shewwww... I'm going to put the outline away and contemplate it, then look at it again tomorrow. I decided to cut one chapter, which was honestly a kinda Doctor Who "Midnight" style subplot that was fun but ultimately, I could summarize that whole incident by having the aftermath be reported on the news instead lol.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> As Sonny Barger famously said : _*'Treat me good and I'll treat you better, but treat me bad and I'll treat you worse.'*_



Three people had him on their lists in my Celebrity Dead Pool game, by the way...

Oh, wait.. 

A.C.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finished another draft of TAOAB. I’m deliriously happy with this and I can’t express how valuable my beta reader’s feedback was in helping me crystallize exactly what I’m trying to say. 
I think one more draft and I’ll call it done.


----------



## Erik Testerman

I've got all my quick internet browsing out of the way that likes to distract me.

And now I'm settling in for a four hour write-a-thon after a long, long day.

Let's GO!


----------



## indianroads

Slow day today because our washing machine decided to die... of course right in the middle of a cycle, so I had to bail out the water and haul it outside. Anyway, the disruption etc. slowed me down a bit.
But I finished chapter29 of Moonscape: 2312 words
then worked on chapter 30 but only got in a bit over 500 words.


----------



## Parabola

Joe debated Ethan over his response to adversity, and it echoed a line from book 1. Love those little continuity moments.


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday 1000 words on PL3 and 700 on Bone Kien 3, trailing off when I dozed at the keyboard. Tonight 1200 on BK3.

I have two guys in what amounts to a dungeon crawl. Half of BK2 amounted to a dungeon crawl, and it's easy to burn out on encounters for that. I can't just pick up monsters from the D&D Monster Manual. I have to dream up my own monsters (for the most part) and original traps. So far I haven't had these guys do much except snappy dialogue, but tonight I finally pulled out a haunt sort of monster which tried to eat the magic from one of my guys' magic sword. They're stuck in a standoff as I end the scene. The haunt won't approach their glowing swords, but they won't risk attacking it with their swords, either. One of my heroes worries about two things. One, they didn't bring lunch with them, and two, that the haunt they face might not be the only one ...


----------



## KatPC

VRanger said:


> One of my heroes worries about two things. One, they didn't bring lunch with them, and two, that the haunt they face might not be the only one ...


Being hungry and doubt! Nice! 

During my 'badminton years' my uncle always told me I had to eat before practice or game, I was one to wake up and go, but he disliked this. His reasoning is that playing without food leaves the mind open to drifting as we think of what to eat when our session finished rather than total focus on the court. It made a lot of sense.


----------



## Parabola

Putting “rational” thoughts aside though, I couldn’t help but think the main reality had become a fishbowl of the past. Or maybe I’d turned into a smaller fish swimming in the same corner over and over again.


----------



## KatPC

Parabola said:


> Putting “rational” thoughts aside though, I couldn’t help but think the main reality had become a fishbowl of the past. Or maybe I’d turned into a smaller fish swimming in the same corner over and over again.


Maybe you are a big fish swimming in an ocean, coming across this new place that reminds you of the old?


----------



## Parabola

KatPC said:


> Maybe you are a big fish swimming in an ocean, coming across this new place that reminds you of the old?



Well, in book 2, I have a main reality (which would be the old), and the tributary/offshoot reality (the "new" version). Ethan goes back to the main reality for nostalgic reasons and sort of flounders there. He ends up making similar mistakes/having similar thought processes (swimming in the same corner) etc.


----------



## indianroads

It was a distracting afternoon here, so I missed my goals... BUT:
I finished chapter 30 of Moonscape: 2331 words.
Didn't do anything beyond that though.


----------



## Parabola

> Joe put the nail on my head and used the hammer of his intellect to pound it through my tongue.


----------



## KatPC

Parabola said:


> Well, in book 2, I have a main reality (which would be the old), and the tributary/offshoot reality (the "new" version). Ethan goes back to the main reality for nostalgic reasons and sort of flounders there. He ends up making similar mistakes/having similar thought processes (swimming in the same corner) etc.


History repeating itself?
Nice. 


indianroads said:


> It was a distracting afternoon here, so I missed my goals... BUT:
> I finished chapter 30 of Moonscape: 2331 words.
> Didn't do anything beyond that though.


I'm going to reword this (since I'm in my editing phase) to make this sound more positive!

I finished chapter 30 of Moonscape. 2331 words!
Even after a distracting afternoon.


----------



## Parabola

> On the walk home, I thought about the student who died. Joe said his name had been George Talbot. He'd come from a poor family but showed tremendous potential.
> 
> I wondered if I became Mia. Everywhere she went, she tried to snuff out the potential of others to maximize her own. Sure, I didn’t do that intentionally, but I kept _walking into it_. Ultimately, what was the difference? The only thing I could think of was that exposure to me usually resulted in their deaths, sometimes more than once.



Just found this by re-reading sections of the WIP. Might have this theme play out in the endgame.


----------



## Parabola

> Sarah…I needed to talk with her, get her side of things. After school tomorrow I would walk, not shadow glide, over and let the chips fall onto my horizon of possibilities, like a rainfall of epic chance.



I'm looking forward to that encounter, although not sure how I'll handle the conversation. It will influence Ethan's subsequent encounter with Eugene (for instance, will Ethan come out the other side bitter, causing the anger within him to erupt, or will the interaction with Sarah act as a balm?)


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Found a couple more agents on Twitter with ‘thriller’ on their wishlist. Sent off queries.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

So, as a few (or more than a few) know, I wrote what I call “skeleton drafts” of the first 6…. possibly 9…. books of the series. They’re rough. Sandpaper rough. 
Anyways, I took excerpts from each chapter into a little compilation/teaser and shared it with a few dozen followers of my write adventure. Come to find out, they’ve been sharing it, too, with others they think might be interested in it.  
So, me thinks there’s a probably just under a hundred of these “boot legs” out there. While probably concerned, I’m not. They’re teasers, nothing else, and nothing substantial. In a few cases, characters and scenes from them have changed or deleted. But anyways, I found that pretty cool that interest is building in the series. Now to get the dang thing rewritten well enough for publishing…


----------



## Parabola

> Thinking about all the events leading up to being in the offshoot reality, especially the epic battle above the dunes, I figured this was as good a time as any to tell Eugene my thoughts.
> 
> “So, you know that argument we had before? When we went to get Kevin’s beer?”
> 
> Eugene nodded.
> 
> “It’s obvious you basically blame me for everything that’s happened. How everyone’s lives have been altered, the deaths. I could see how you’d think I’m responsible for it all. Like I’m some asshole. Maybe I am, but I definitely think it’s fair to say your perspective messed everything up too, and Kevin’s,” I said. “The whole situation became a clusterfuck. I don’t think had anyone had control over it, not completely.”
> 
> He remained silent. I prepared myself for how he'd likely respond. Just because he blamed me, didn’t mean I had to accept the blame.
> 
> “I can’t help having those memories, Ethan. But at the same time, I get that reality is more complex than one person making all the decisions. I did trap you inside that thing, and it's true, I agreed to help you take out Kevin. Now he’s sitting over there, a permanently screwed up drunk who is content to be a beta tester for the rest of his life. I’m not going to say you didn’t fuck our lives. You did. Permanently,” Eugene said, and I was about to interrupt but he held up a hand.
> 
> “Then I thought, look at yours. Your mom’s dead, and your sister? Everyone is suffering in this reality, and not only that, you weren’t the only one to have a hand in its creation. Me, Mia, well, the other version, Kevin for introducing us to a ridiculous level of power but being such a wildcard, we almost had no choice but to take him out,” Eugene said, shaking his head. “If you think about it, we unraveled the threads of our own lives, unwittingly but that fact remains unchanged. I don't know what else to say. I’m having a hard time rationalizing your decisions or mine.”
> 
> I didn’t speak for a few seconds. The way Eugene framed it, “You did. Permanently” still put the onus on me, even though he was acknowledging that other people played a part in their own bruised and broken lives.
> 
> “Fair enough,” I said. “I mean, I don’t totally agree with the slant you’re putting on it, but at least you’re taking on more of a bird’s eye view, that it’s not just me.”



A little bit of context. Trying to take a more gestalt view for the endgame stretch.


----------



## VRanger

Last night: 1100+ words on PL3. The morning after my Army Ranger was scared by a ghost and injured his shoulder in a tumble down the attic stairs. Hopefully I scored a couple of laughs in his dialogue with the estate's housekeeper (now Estate Manager) ... the two sides of our antithetical romance.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm exhausted. I spent the last few days doing little more than proofreading/ editing some of my poems in order to enter them into an annual contest. That's a lot of work! I like using this annual contest to get my poems polished and in good order. During this painful ordeal, I wanted to give up several times. But I kept pushing and pushing and now I'm pleased with my results. Now I'm ready to mail my poems to the annual competition. This annual contest (I have entered it for years) is good for my writing and while I like it for getting my work in good order, I particularly like it when I end up with a first prize or two. Now my fingers are crossed, in case that can influence the results.


----------



## Parabola

Ethan turns to Maya, thinking he's going to "break her heart." He's a cocky little shit, I'll give him that.


----------



## Parabola

And another thing. I plan to mine Jason the sacrificial lamb for all the imagery I possibly can, even pumping him full of growth hormones if necessary. It's glowing lamb burgers tonight, son.

_Deal with it._


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 31 of Moonscape: 2248 words.
Characters are entering the alien sepulchre.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Characters are entering the alien *sepulcher*.



That just sounds wrong.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> That just sounds wrong.


Spelled it wrong.


----------



## Parabola

> Rewinding disaster by letting it bloom in another sense seemed like the only logical thing to do.
> 
> Zeke ran bony fingers through that glorious, blue-tinged beard as the implications of a temporary apocalyptic nightmare ran like electricity along a brain well-acquainted with the dangerous flow of ideas.
> 
> “I have to say, this is…I’m tempted to go back to Joe’s office and take back everything I just said.”
> 
> “You could but take a bird’s eye view. This reality is stagnant with suffering, Zeke. I know what you’re going to say, just like Joe, like everyone else, that I’m trying to control my mistakes rather than face the consequences, but this isn’t just me. Everyone here is living a broken life because of me.”
> 
> Zeke couldn’t hide a mocking smile. “So…you want to nuke them?”
> 
> “A nuke isn’t a reset button.”
> 
> “Fair enough. On the other hand, no one has ever tried anything like this. I’m not Damian, and even I can see how the consequences of what you want to do could be worse than the original ones.”



At least my protag is getting another mentor.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Editor wants another lunch meeting. Oi vay


----------



## PrairieHostage

Pamelyn Casto said:


> Now my fingers are crossed, in case that can influence the results.


Good luck, Pamelyn!

I just finished day one of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. I've never experienced a more warm, responsive and diverse conference. Everyone claps, the facilitators are next level, the talent is insane, and the food is gourmet.

In the morning, my novel was chosen to go first for critique. I received excellent feedback. Afternoon was an agent talking about publishing houses. I'll upload his 2 page outline next week in an appropriate forum. Then I did a 2 minute pitch in front of a three person panel and received a glowing response as well as very useful ways to improve it.

Then at night we listened to authors' readings. They were spectacular and one even made me tear up, it was so moving.

Gonna do it all over two more days before flying home. I'll need a good sleep with my cats


----------



## Parabola

Just found my unfinished "bible thumper" short story.


----------



## Parabola

I have a feeling that today 
The lord with giveth
And will taketh away

(I'm not religious tho)


----------



## indianroads

I wasn't happy with chapter 31, that I finished yesterday, so I went back through it today, restructuring and reduced the WC to 2182.
That delayed my start of chapter 32, but I still managed to get in 1296 words.
The work is going well, but some days I feel like Sisyphus pushing that damned rock up the hill again.,


----------



## VRanger

Almost 2000 words on PL3 tonight. Jesse and Abbot have a ghost encounter together, then discuss it later.

Slamming doors, lights going out, a ghostly grab of a shoulder, it's all there. ;-)

Incidentally, on "write what you know" ... a few months ago I was washing dishes when my wife tapped on my shoulder from behind. However, the problem was my wife turned out to be asleep in her chair in the den. I turned immediately to see what she wanted and the room was empty but for me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as sure as you reached out and grabbed it. Spooky, huh?


----------



## Parabola

I wrote something that starts with a comedic note, then slides into drama. There's also the juxtaposition a bit into the story where I didn't really anticipate a line being read humorously, only for it to collide with a more serious tone right. I just wanted to put my soul into the body of a trucker. Is that so wrong?


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Almost 2000 words on PL3 tonight. Jesse and Abbot have a ghost encounter together, then discuss it later.
> 
> Slamming doors, lights going out, a ghostly grab of a shoulder, it's all there. ;-)
> 
> Incidentally, on "write what you know" ... a few months ago I was washing dishes when my wife tapped on my shoulder from behind. However, the problem was my wife turned out to be asleep in her chair in the den. I turned immediately to see what she wanted and the room was empty but for me.
> 
> I felt a hand on my shoulder as sure as you reached out and grabbed it. Spooky, huh?


I had a similar experience in the shower ages ago (I was washing my hair… that’s how long ago it was). Scared the crap outta me and I got soap in my eyes.


----------



## Envy123

I wanted to expand some loose ends, and I'm now at 103k words. There's just a lot more to cover and I want Laughing Matters to be standalone, for it to be queryable.


----------



## Parabola

I always wanted to do a pet sematary themed story, and for years I've made many attempts but none of them really hit their stride. Feedback on other stuff got the conceptual juices flowing. It'll be "hallucinatory" I know that much, but a non-macabre theme managed to worm its way into the darkness. That was the main thing.


----------



## Parabola

Now I don't know what to make of Ethan's story. Certainly posting an excerpt is a bit like asking for an impression of a part of a photograph. Next time, I'll post the first couple of pages and see how that goes.


----------



## Riptide

Reached 60k on Undead. Almost finished! I'm hoping to squeeze out at least another 10k before edits, then in the editing phase, add a new beginning and scatter some extra scenes around to maybe bump it up another 5k to 10k.

I like the way it's turning out.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 32 of Moonscape today: 2328 words. 
I also jumped into Chapter 33 and am 1176 words deep.
Additionally I dropped two more chapters today - It's weird...  I'm a dedicated plotter, and while I have a plot I'm not following it closely... to my horror, I may be turning into a... gasp... pantser. Oh the horror of it all.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I may be turning into a... gasp... pantser. Oh the horror of it all.


Don't sweat it. My last four novels have all been carefully plotted. @PiP and I deviated shockingly from our three Poet Lariat series plots, and I cut some scenes out of Moods in the last act. Bone Kien 3? I know what the characters' first objective is, but it's four chapters of complete SoP (that doesn't mean Standard Operating Procedure LOL). And I'm having a great time doing it. Much like pantsing my Citizen sequel, I'm getting to read it as I write it. 

And oh BTW, 2000 words tonight to finish Chapter 4. With PiP away on a family visit, I think I started to get ahead of her, so I concentrated on BK3 tonight. I'm hoping at some point soon my business schedule will let me start writing earlier than 10-11 PM and I can get more out each day. I need to if I'm to finish three novels by year end, and that doesn't include the next project PiP and I start after we wrap PL3 later this month or first half of September.



> Ket anticipated seeing some interesting and impressive magic … calling a dragon! He always relished the experience of seeing any form of magic new to him. Wizardry turned toward the tower, spread his mouth with thumb and index finger, and emitted an ear-piercing whistle.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes the tiniest bit of feedback can re-orient me and result in a radically different narrative voice for a particular piece. I need to "juice up" Ethan and his voice. It's the sense I'm getting right now anyway.


----------



## Envy123

Chapter 9 apparently stops all interest. Yeah, that's why beta readers are important. Critiques for individual chapters are useful, but macro-level feedback is also great.

I've been lately inspired by romance books and I toyed with my MC falling for a protestor, but that was at the end, and it just didn't work, because the romance came in too late. But the feedback inspired me to implement this in Chapter 9 and have the romance grow naturally.

Because otherwise, yeah, Chapter 9 isn't compelling enough. There are no stakes and it's just a playdate with walking and talking.


----------



## Parabola

On the other hand, one has to learn to grow from the feedback even if specifics aren't necessarily internalized. It just helps as a vague anchor so one can re-orient.


----------



## Parabola

The theme and vibe are coming to me for the resurrection story, but I'm going to write a pass or two before getting the plot threads just right.


----------



## KatPC

@VRanger & @indianroads are you sure they weren't muscle cramps? Or your houses spooky?


----------



## indianroads

@PiP ,I spent most of my childhood in a "house" in the middle of a redwood forest that was 2 miles from the nearest town. The place started out as an equipment area for a logging camp, the remains of which were about a half mile from our place. The house had no foundation, it was built on logs half buried in the acidic soil, electric service and the house wiring was spotty; lights would often turn on or off on their own. Our heat came from a cast iron stove in the living room, and our meals were cooked on a stove that ran on the propane tank around back.

Visitors often said the place was haunted... and maybe it was, but the ghosts never bothered me.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

That moment when you’re doing a total chapter re-write (because I’ve been told I have introduced w-w-w-a-a-a-y-y-y too many characters way too soon so I’m plopping one deleted character’s arc onto another established character), and you suddenly have a “sholy hit!” epiphany for a plot hole later in this book and also in the next one. 

You guys rock, by the way. I have a love/hate relationship with those of you critiquing my work. But isn’t that how it’s supposed to go to grow and improve?


----------



## indianroads

I stopped working on Moonscape today - and am considering trunking it. I'll let it rest for a few days before deciding what to do.
Bad dreams bothered me last night, and I'm still not over it. Existential issues - I died 50 years ago, but was revived... or was I?
Been feeling uneasy and weird all day.


----------



## Parabola

In a stunning reversal, I've learned to stick to my philosophical guns. Whatever the hell that means.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I stopped working on Moonscape today - and am considering trunking it. I'll let it rest for a few days before deciding what to do.
> Bad dreams bothered me last night, and I'm still not over it. Existential issues - I died 50 years ago, but was revived... or was I?
> Been feeling uneasy and weird all day.


You were. I'm not your dream. ;-) And you're not mine. I don't exactly guess the ending to your books.


----------



## Parabola

I find myself nitpicking my word choice on the resurrection story. Honestly I want this one to turn out "just right."


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> You were. I'm not your dream. ;-) And you're not mine. I don't exactly guess the ending to your books.


Thanks. That was the strangest dream ever. Mine are usually very visual, in technicolor, with Dolby surround sound, but this one was like smoke coupled with feelings of loss, sadness, and disassociation. It was more real than what I considered reality.
 I woke up before dawn, feeling certain that the life I had lived was an illusion. Even awake, I questioned everything in my past and wondered if it was real.
Damn, that was weird, and I’m still unsettled.


----------



## bdcharles

indianroads said:


> Thanks. That was the strangest dream ever. Mine are usually very visual, in technicolor, with Dolby surround sound, but this one was like smoke coupled with feelings of loss, sadness, and disassociation. It was more real than what I considered reality.
> I woke up before dawn, feeling certain that the life I had lived was an illusion. Even awake, I questioned everything in my past and wondered if it was real.
> Damn, that was weird, and I’m still unsettled.


It'll pass. Sounds kind of interesting though. Sci-fi material, for sure We writers have creative brains that continue to surprise us - and frankly, long may that continue.

In writing-success news, I am in the process of (hopefully) getting _The Story of Echo_ audiobooked!


----------



## Riptide

I finished Undead! Not quite reaching my goal of 70k before the edits, but I'm hoping to reach it with all the extra stuff I want to add. I feel I might've rushed the finale a little... clocked in at about 65k. Ends on a cliffhanger for the next book too, of a couple threads introduced in this book that become the plot for the second.


----------



## bdcharles

Riptide said:


> I finished Undead! Not quite reaching my goal of 70k before the edits, but I'm hoping to reach it with all the extra stuff I want to add. I feel I might've rushed the finale a little... clocked in at about 65k. Ends on a cliffhanger for the next book too, of a couple threads introduced in this book that become the plot for the second.


I'm cracking right on with your edits. I should have this first lot for you later today. Don't let me get distracted!


----------



## PiP

@indianroads The 300 yo farmhouse where my daughter lives and where I am staying at the moment is haunted.  their dog Sami and I are the only ones who can sense the spirits and that is the feeling I tried to relate for the scenes I wrote in PL3. Talking of ghosts you have just reminded me to go back and add the dog to that scene. Last night I set myself up on hubbies laptop to write … notes, plottr accessed, brain in gear etc and I swear the ghost is a poltergeist… the battery on the laptop died and then we lost wifi.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Second day of the writer's conference was good. A panel of judges critiqued the opening page of my novel. They found it compelling and gave excellent input to make it even stronger.
Last day was so-so. I only stayed until 2 pm because 3 full days tired me out, especially bookended with site research and travel.
Now I'm eager to fly home and cuddle with the cats and babies 
My to do list is:
Input vineyard and Pomo interviews to manuscript
Create pitch from workshop notes
Input critique to first page
Input workshop to antagonist througline
Start writing for CBC short story competition


----------



## PiP

Added extra ghostie moments to chapter 9 and included Doris the dog.


----------



## Parabola

It's a hard balance to strike: keeping the details in mind while also focusing on a broader intuitive flow. This is definitely at the forefront of my mind concerning the resurrection story, especially one character that I want to be read as vaguely sinister. I also want to create an atmosphere dripping with dismalness/hopelessness. 

Getting bogged down in the things you want to do, aka "the weeds."


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> That moment when you’re doing a total chapter re-write (because I’ve been told I have introduced w-w-w-a-a-a-y-y-y too many characters way too soon so I’m plopping one deleted character’s arc onto another established character), and you suddenly have a “sholy hit!” epiphany for a plot hole later in this book and also in the next one.
> 
> You guys rock, by the way. I have a love/hate relationship with those of you critiquing my work. But isn’t that how it’s supposed to go to grow and improve?


Good you see things this way AC!


indianroads said:


> I stopped working on Moonscape today - and am considering trunking it. I'll let it rest for a few days before deciding what to do.
> Bad dreams bothered me last night, and I'm still not over it. Existential issues - I died 50 years ago, but was revived... or was I?
> Been feeling uneasy and weird all day.


It is said that you should never make promise if you are happy or a decision when you are sad. Don't rush things, a cuppa tea and the cool air always clears the mind.


indianroads said:


> Thanks. That was the strangest dream ever. Mine are usually very visual, in technicolor, with Dolby surround sound, but this one was like smoke coupled with feelings of loss, sadness, and disassociation. It was more real than what I considered reality.
> I woke up before dawn, feeling certain that the life I had lived was an illusion. Even awake, I questioned everything in my past and wondered if it was real.
> Damn, that was weird, and I’m still unsettled.


A good idea is to write about. A mini break from your story. To point you to a creative suggestion... the LM challenge is still open. Title is black metal.


----------



## KatPC

For my own 'writing joys' I am taking a step away from the Forums to plan the next steps of writing. It sounds bad but it is a good thing. It has been much fun lately but there is this cloud over my own writings that I need to fix above all else, and though spirits and emotions are fine, retreating to calm and quiet feels needed.

Happy writing everyone.


----------



## Envy123

I've done until Chapter 20, with the new Misty storyline.

*Old: *Rita had a blog and a character murdered her, because of a social media spat. And my MC joined the estranged house without any inner conflict. Rita was resurrected as a mega gremlin... somehow... and it all just went to pot. And the group of protestors came out of nowhere.

*New:* Now, Rita has no blog and was murdered, because she knew things that the villain didn't want her to know. There's a forbidden romance between Ricky and Misty (but no more adult than Disney's Snow White). Misty's protestor group allows my MC to find the secrets of House Evol without him needing to join them, as they never made a promise to guard secrets. The mega gremlin would be another character, still working the kinks on that one.

So, I think it's all better now.


----------



## Parabola

Now I just have to "trick" the universe into thinking that I don't care about this particular story. That's when the inspiration will come.


----------



## Parabola

Mind job might already be a term, but not how I planned on using it.


----------



## Parabola

I wrote something with roughly the same (maybe a little less) inspirational flow as Ol' Buck 'em Joe, but it wasn't the story I wanted to focus on. I'll probably cut a few lines here and there. Still, a nice surprise.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Tentative rewrite of chapter 10 of _God Bless Small Town, USA._ Threw the story arc of a deleted character as a developmental add-on to the arc of another. She'll be a more solid, I dare say heroic and inspirational. This is the last chapter of the whole book series where things are... normal. After this, the bottom drops out in roughly fifteen paragraphs or so, and nobody in this book (and a few characters in later in the book series) fully recover. 

I need to pause and let my editor Jeff catch up. He's still going over 3 and 4, and has another batch of personal crisis take priority. 



A.C.


----------



## PiP

Today, I skipped forward and started writing Chapter 15 which is the Christmas party. I've been looking forward to writing this chapter since we started PL3. I've lost the plot on ghosts and the romances of secondary characters and I needed something of substance to write to get in the 'flow'. I will now charge up the laptop and iPad as both batteries are about to die. THEN i set to work in earnest. Target about 4k


----------



## Parabola

I'm not sure if my current interests more align with poetry/short story pieces which focus on a surreal image vs longer stuff. Thinking over my writing "trajectory," usually what happens is I go off a temporary feel and am satisfied once I get that out.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Couple hours fine tuning a verbal pitch. 
My brain is mush.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

PrairieHostage said:


> Couple hours fine tuning a verbal pitch.
> My brain is mush.


Stuff like that is never easy. And even afterwards, one finds things they might have wanted to express differently. (I don’t say that as a negative sense, just a “yeah, been there.” manner.) Good luck!

A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

For reasons that I’ll never understand, my editor wants to an afternoon meeting… 2 hours before I normally get out of bed.
I think I’ll write a book about a night shift wanna-be author who kills his editor when said editor wants to schedule meetings when said night-owl author is supposed to be asleep.
No, it won’t be an autobiography. I want Christopher Walken to play the author in the movie version. Maybe Steve Buscemi to play the editor. Hello, million dollars, here I come…

OK, venting rant over…

A.C.


----------



## VRanger

I needed to cap off Chapter 4 of BK3, and I needed to end it with a hook, so I wrote:


> Ket decided he’d explore two more floors. By the time the entire party descended to these levels, he’d have recuperated and could precede them again … rather than doing the entire scouting effort in one exhausting session. What he discovered on the second floor below made him reconsider that idea …


Do I have ANY idea what Ket discovered? Not a hint. But this puts the onus on me to come up with SOMETHING after the next intermediate scene, and I have no idea what THAT will be, either. All my "in action" characters are on location with Ket, and can't be doing anything simultaneous to him, because he's using his talisman's power to operate outside of time. They're frozen in place in relation to him.

Maybe I'll go back to the castle for a conversation between the crippled Lord Teven and King Autret, an ancient ghost.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

On a serious note, editor spoke highly of changes made in 3 and 4. He wants to go over something’s that he thinks I need to hash out. I get these done, I’ll let my mentor at it.

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm going through a short story phase. I want to experiment with flash pieces for a bit.


----------



## Parabola

I resurrected my resurrection story. Slightly different themes and the focus is quite different overall. The second draft seems to have a much more natural flow, even though I had to sacrifice some of the imagery.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finally found a starting point for the story that been simmering on the back burner. Knocked out ~1500 words by 10am.


----------



## Erik Testerman

Finally hit my post count so I could share my writings on this forum. -wink-


----------



## KatPC

Hello everybody,

Delighted to say I have returned from my brief 'thinking.'

Last night I was a little down about my writing, struggling to see a path to walk when I decided to collect all my short stories together. It has always been my plan to form a collection of short stories (anthology I know) that reads before my novel. I started with the blank page and filled out the contents and titles, and it brought a proud delight. I have 15 short stories, all needs work, but the collection is building, all of differing length, topics and styles. I plan to write an introduction and paste all the stories in and do another edit.

I realise I'm not ready to tackle my novel rewrite. Some may feel I am backing away, but my level is not good enough. In my editing bubble I can amend and work on fixing the flaws in this collection. Makes me feel like a writer, so I'm very happy today.

Best to reply to some threads and read some stories on the LM challenge.


----------



## Parabola

I'd like to finish short story tomorrow, but I have certain stressors that make focusing difficult. I have to be in a state of complete relaxation and flow. Buck 'Em Joe is more along the lines of what I like to write but getting into that groove is not easy.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Just a couple hours on my opening page tonight. Editing out some descriptors and finding organic places to re-insert them in the opening chapter, removing unnecessary dialogue that interrupts flow and any clinical info that breaks the spell.


----------



## Parabola

PrairieHostage said:


> Just a couple hours on my opening page tonight. Editing out some descriptors and finding organic places to re-insert them in the opening chapter, removing unnecessary dialogue that interrupts flow and any clinical info that breaks the spell.



That first page can really be a time sink.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Found my old story I published in 2018 in October inside my email inbox. I may resubmit it somewhere since it is already published to magazines that accept old published stories.


----------



## VRanger

1500 words on BK3 tonight, and last night 800 words on Gallagher's Guide Volume 1 ... in a very strange way.

When I did the Gallagher's Guide as an accessory product to StarQuest 35+ years ago, I wrote three very short stories to go with it. One of them amounts to promo copy. One of them is a mini-adventure, and the third, titled "Final Approach", is Gallagher's return to the Empire's capitol after twenty-three years of travel to 1000 worlds.

I've decided to begin the first Gallagher novel with an edited "Final Approach" ... using the device of beginning at the end and then going back to the beginning. However, the small print in that product ... once not an issue for me to read ... IS now. So I got Betty to read the story to me (dictation) while I typed. Since I'm a 90-wpm typist, I mostly kept up. Three or four times I had to ask her to pause. She has a LOT of confidence in my typing speed. LOL So I wound up with the first 800 words.

Back to BK3. I mentioned last note I had no idea what to do with my intermediate scene, but it might be Teven, Lord of castle Bone Kien, and a resident ghost, King Autret (one of a line of kings who ruled from the castle hundreds of years before). That's where I went, and I was about 300-400 words into the scene before inspiration struck. It gave me two plot lines ... one a main focus for the novel ... and the other a secondary plot line requiring a quest and a battle within Bone Kien itself. AND, thank goodness ... it gives me a plan for what Ket sees at the end of _his _scene.  --- since I wrote that last line with a wish and a prayer. LOL


----------



## Parabola

In my boring yet somehow high octane, not exactly 9 to 5 life, I prefer to take risks.


----------



## Parabola

Rule 1: Compelling character

Rule 2: Unlimited supply of aerosol cheese

Rule 3: (?) You tell me.


----------



## Envy123

I removed about 70% of body language, as feedback said it was repetitive. Other books just leave it occasional and can be bare if needed, so I'm following that example.


----------



## Parabola

Not sure if this would be considered a pyrrhic victory, but I finally received a lightning bolt to the head yet the hemorrhoidal hellscape that is my ass won't let me sit down and write it. Might need a few more days.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Went to share chapters 3 and 4 with Mentor, only to realize IV’s ending is weaker than soggy paper. Rewrite that tomorrow. Haven’t slept worth shit all week.

A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Also realized there’s a glaring inaccuracy at the end of chapter 1, but I’ve decided to leave it there to see if anyone else is astute enough to catch it.

That’s allowable, right?


----------



## KatPC

Copy and pasted 15 short stories that will form the base of my short stories collection and started to write an Introduction to them.

All the stories need more editing, but the book is developing and (not sure if others have had this feeling with their books) I feel very proud. My stories are no longer singles but forming my story and pasting them into one doc 'feels' like a book. Hopefully I can get it ready early next year and then look for some readers.


----------



## PrairieHostage

Today I reviewed my notes from interviews last week and made slight changes. I also started writing a soliloquy for my antagonist to give me some ideas to write in his motivation.

I'm waiting to see if I'll get one of my chapters published in a literary magazine. I should hear by September. Then I can change my query letter and from September to December query my butt off.


----------



## Parabola

I've noticed a (long-term) pattern where it takes people a little bit to get what I'm doing conceptually (this also happens with non-fiction writing, but also fiction). Some pieces might have more of an experimental rhythm than others of course, but I've learned to trust my instincts due to this pattern, more or less.


----------



## VRanger

1100+ words on BK3 tonight and I fulfilled the promise of Ket's last scene. In fact, I put him in dire danger and a trial of stamina to succeed against his predicament, while throwing all sorts of scary conjecture into his thought process. It finished Chapter 5 and I'm now at a surprise 15K words on the novel. I'm aiming for 85K, so it's suddenly a good chunk of the goal.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> 1100+ words on BK3 tonight and I fulfilled the promise of Ket's last scene. In fact, I put him in dire danger and a trial of stamina to succeed against his predicament, while throwing all sorts of scary conjecture into his thought process. It finished Chapter 5 and I'm now at a surprise 15K words on the novel. I'm aiming for 85K, so it's suddenly a good chunk of the goal.


Wow - you've been on one heck of a roll lately. Good for you!
Awesome.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Chapter 4 to the Mentor. I’ve taken Sunday night off. I’ve got a family get together Saturday, and I’m over due for a mental health night. Going to use that to wrap up corrections and suggestions to 1-4, then apply to 5 and 6.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Wow - you've been on one heck of a roll lately. Good for you!
> Awesome.


You get in more words per day than I do normally. I have to start writing before midnight again. LOL


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> You get in more words per day than I do normally. I have to start writing before midnight again. LOL


I’m going back through Moonscape with a squeegee, reducing character count so the conclusion of the story will be clear rather than chaos.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I like to write "crazy" characters. 



> "The night's succulent embrace? Who the hell talks like that? You're a weird kid."


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Sometimes I like to write "crazy" characters.


Writing crazy characters is often liberating.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Writing crazy characters is often liberating.



Yeah, if writing crazy characters is wrong, I don't want to be right.


----------



## Parabola

So two satirists walked into a bar...


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> So two satirists walked into a bar...


where they faun over the waitress.


----------



## Parabola

Finally tapped into that flow tonight. 600+ words in new short story. The images and narrative rolled together for the most part naturally. I might regret not finishing it in one night, which is typical for me, but gonna take a break for now.


----------



## Parabola

Gotta push through, eye of the tiger this thing.


----------



## indianroads

21 chapters deep in the squeegee job of Moonscape. 
The story is working better with the loss of a few unnecessary characters.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> 21 chapters deep in the squeegee job of Moonscape.
> The story is working better with the loss of a few unnecessary characters.



I get easier, right, after the first book?

Asking for myself....


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I get easier, right, after the first book?
> 
> Asking for myself....


Yes and no.
Yes, ideas come easier and once your process is established the writing is easier.
BUT…
The more I write the more I expect of myself, I continually push to get better and am often frustrated with what I produce.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I get easier, right, after the first book?
> 
> Asking for myself....


*Yes*. First, you get the confidence you can finish. That's a BIG DEAL. Plus, you get the experience in the prose. You figure out what you need to edit and then you can do that better on the next one.


----------



## VRanger

1700+ words in two scenes tonight in BK3. I got started before midnight ... thus the better production. LOL


----------



## Parabola

They say when you start to get imitators...although honestly it's not the first time.


----------



## Riptide

Started revising some of Prototch after some great edits by ours truly bdcharles. I'm doing the reads in waves and trying to get the beginning right now. A motivation for our little protagonist in those first chapters that... fingerscross... carry over to the entire book.

Anyway, making some substantial edits.


----------



## indianroads

Now 27 chapters deep into the squeegee pass of Moonscape.


----------



## VRanger

1200+ words tonight on BK3 and the completion of Chapter 6. I had a conference at Bone Kien regarding the danger they suddenly face on home ground, and I was pleased that two characters had ideas I liked. LOL It's interesting that when I get into different character's heads they think of things I don't think of in other character's heads. If I'm in a warrior's head I come up with warrior ideas, and in a mage's head I think up arcane ideas. I also have a solution for their insoluble crisis, which is a major relief. ;-) I need to add a few details to make sure it plays without holes, but the gist is on the table. Of course, I won't reveal the solution until I try to scare the reader to death thinking there isn't one and then ... what's being tried has failed.

Next writing session I'll hit 25% of my budget for the novel.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Rewriting the last two scenes of Chapter 5. I'll probably rewrite it again tomorrow. I'm taking a _mental health_ night tomorrow night. It's been a bit taxing last few weeks of work. 

A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> 1200+ words tonight on BK3 and the completion of Chapter 6. I had a conference at Bone Kien regarding the danger they suddenly face on home ground, and I was pleased that two characters had ideas I liked. LOL It's interesting that when I get into different character's heads they think of things I don't think of in other character's heads.



You know what? There's been a few times in the _skeleton drafts_ I wrote that I would re-read something I wrote in character, and I would go _Sholy hit, where did that come from?!?_ because it would not be something I would normally think or act. I honestly believe armchair psychology combined with intense people watching (but quite short of creeping or stalking, natch) of coworkers sometimes either consciously or subconsciously plays a role. 

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

"Yeah, I've ALSO written a novel in less than a month. After a while, your fingers start to feel like wet bags of sand!" _eyes move nervously back and forth_


----------



## Parabola

I'm realizing I have different (subconscious) artistic sentiments. Sometimes really popular pieces just don't "grab" me, even if for some godforsaken reason I try to force myself to like them.


----------



## Explosia

Got the first half of Ch 14's rewrite done, and I had me some fun time with the dialogue. I know I am not the only person who has reeled back in my seat while yelling at my characters through my computer screen. 

Like, "honey, you can't... you can't just _do that_, honey..."


----------



## indianroads

31 chapters deep in the squeegee job of Moonscape - almost back to where I dropped it. The story is in better shape.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Took tonight off to try to write. (I needed a mental health night anyways). Phone's still blowing up from texts from buddies at work about the coworker that shot and killed someone early Saturday morning. Most of them are from people in his area of the shop that are now hearing about it. Half tempted to shut the f#$king thing off, clear my mind with a beer, and try at Chapter 6.

 A.C.


----------



## VRanger

1900 words in PL3. I wrote a wedding. You may assume, and you'd be on target, I never wrote a wedding before. Will it bring you to tears? If I did it right, tears of laughter. It's a somewhat comic wedding. The wedding is a surprise to even the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. The groom is wearing his best sequined show suit. (I wonder what Wayne Newton wore at HIS wedding? For all you youngsters who don't understand the reference ... too damned bad. LOL) The best man (the bride's brother) vows to electrocute the groom if he screws up the marriage. And there's other stuff ... including the phrase "catatonic paroxysm". Yes. You read that right.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Despite shocked coworker text distractions, rewrote Chapter 6. I felt really good about it. Took a lunch break, and working on chapter seven. Just finished the scene where the three MCs had dinner together for the very last time. Next (and last) time all three of the MC's are in the same room together at the same time will be MC1's funeral. And that's (hopefully) in another nine books from now. 


 A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> including the phrase "catatonic paroxysm".



What the frack?!!? OK, you have my curiosity and attention. 


A.C.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> What the frack?!!? OK, you have my curiosity and attention.
> 
> 
> A.C.


"What’s up, Jesse? Why the gathering?”

“It’s a surprise, Cal, and for some reason you two are the last to know. Jake’s whim. Here, take this.” Jesse pressed a small box into Cal’s hand. Cal turned it in his fingers. A seam all around and tiny hinges on one side. Velvet covering. A ring box?!

“Julia, are we getting married today or something?”

“Well, he hasn’t given me one, too, has he? And I might be dressed in better than jeans for my wedding. In fact, I guarantee it!”

“Actually, Julia, there is one for you, too.” Jesse dug into his jacket pocket and produced a similar box. Julia cupped her hands to receive it. “Don’t worry. No one is forcing an elopement on you and Cal.”

Cal remained puzzled. “You and Mrs. Abbot? You’ve both seemed, well … secretive lately.”

“Lord no. The very idea would send Mrs. Abbot into a catatonic paroxysm.”

“Do you happen to know what paroxysm means, Jesse?”

“Of course, Cal. I’m not stupid. It starts out just like paralyzed, doesn’t it?”

“Catatonic paroxysm is an oxymoron.”

Jesse ridged. “You calling me a mouth breather?”

“Of course not. Just look it up later. So Julia and I aren’t getting married. You and Abbot aren’t getting married–”


----------



## Parabola

Like grains of sand clinging to the asshole of a dead god, my MCs persevere.


----------



## Explosia

VRanger said:


> “Do you happen to know what paroxysm means, Jesse?”
> 
> “Of course, Cal. I’m not stupid. It starts out just like paralyzed, doesn’t it?”
> 
> “Catatonic paroxysm is an oxymoron.”


Well, time to look up the word "paroxysm" and learn a new thing, today.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes the exercise of aesthetics goes beyond semantic processing.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> "What’s up, Jesse? Why the gathering?”
> 
> “It’s a surprise, Cal, and for some reason you two are the last to know. Jake’s whim. Here, take this.” Jesse pressed a small box into Cal’s hand. Cal turned it in his fingers. A seam all around and tiny hinges on one side. Velvet covering. A ring box?!
> 
> “Julia, are we getting married today or something?”
> 
> “Well, he hasn’t given me one, too, has he? And I might be dressed in better than jeans for my wedding. In fact, I guarantee it!”
> 
> “Actually, Julia, there is one for you, too.” Jesse dug into his jacket pocket and produced a similar box. Julia cupped her hands to receive it. “Don’t worry. No one is forcing an elopement on you and Cal.”
> 
> Cal remained puzzled. “You and Mrs. Abbot? You’ve both seemed, well … secretive lately.”
> 
> “Lord no. The very idea would send Mrs. Abbot into a catatonic paroxysm.”
> 
> “Do you happen to know what paroxysm means, Jesse?”
> 
> “Of course, Cal. I’m not stupid. It starts out just like paralyzed, doesn’t it?”
> 
> “Catatonic paroxysm is an oxymoron.”
> 
> Jesse ridged. “You calling me a mouth breather?”
> 
> “Of course not. Just look it up later. So Julia and I aren’t getting married. You and Abbot aren’t getting married–”



I love it. Outstanding, sir. Cheers.

A.C.


----------



## Explosia

I'm at that point where I've been writing for over an hour, and I want to _keep going_ but it's like quarter to ten and I'm starting to drift off, so my brain still wants to write but I caaaaaaaaaan't...... 

Part of the reason for this, however, is that it looks like I'm about to start a really emotional scene for my MC. And I don't want to put off writing it just because I have to sleep!!


----------



## FrossD

I'd say it was rearranging my notes and taking a new approach at working through my worldbuilding. Instead of one large wide wall in front of me with a dozen ways to approach it, I now have a series of smaller walls stacked like hurdles, one behind the other, all of them with only one or two ways to deal with them. I was previously crippled by having so many different individual things to work on, and with it all simplified I'm no longer paralyzed by indecision.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Wifey's car went into the shop. I had to meet her where she dropped it off and give her a ride to work. Finally got to work an hour later. Walked into the house, and the pipe going from the water heater broke. So after shutting off the main, calling an emergency plumber (that wouldn't be able to make it out for another four hours), changing out of my soaking wet clothes, I killed time by doing a major hack job on a couple of chapters and characters. Still not overly happy with the flow of one scene, but I'll come back to that. Feel pretty good where that's heading. I feel like I'm still learning a lot from the constructive criticism. It's actually making me stop and think and ask myself questions as I'm going. Progress, baby.  Can't give all of you enough props and thank you's.  Keep up your end in kicking my ass, and I'll keep up my end of learning from it. 

On the "planning side of things" the coworker suspected/alleged murderer ordeal from over the weekend had given me nearly a page of notes for further down the series. Coworkers in his area were a mix of emotions last night as one might imagine. What has made matters worse is how the dynamics on our side of things has changed as more information of what happened has leaked out since report of the initial event. This particular coworker has been at the shop for nearly a decade, which only adds to the raw emotions of the whole situation.

_My Coworker, The Murderer._

There you go. There's a book title for someone. You're welcome in advance. But I'm not sharing my notes on this whole fracked up mess. Find you own messed up coworkers, will ya. These thousand over here are (for better or for worse) mine all mine. 


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Nothing wrong with a little light "trolling" on the side.


----------



## Parabola

Going through loser's labyrinth and tagging excerpts that are description or action focused.


----------



## KatPC

Finished first read, scores and comments for LM challenge and will move onto amendments/help for a member's piece (will return to judging closer to submission date) and (later this week) go through some chapters for review and critique for another member. 

Having less time in the Forums as kids are off school, and also little time to concentrate on my own writings, so pinching some time as one of my kids are having a swimming lesson.

Hopefully will be back at full tilt in a few weeks!


----------



## VRanger

Last night 1100 words on BK3 and 650 in PL3. I intended more words for PL3 but a scene ends when it ends. The scene in PL3 is the first time I've written new material inside a ghost's head in almost three years. 

When I started, I asked my wife which book I should write in. She chickened out so I made sure to get some work done in each. She started out trying to ask some questions designed to help me focus my thoughts on what I really wanted to be writing. I told her, "This isn't supposed to be an exercise in logic, I'm looking for a coin flip." LOL


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> Finished first read, scores and comments for LM challenge and will move onto amendments/help for a member's piece (will return to judging closer to submission date) and (later this week) go through some chapters for review and critique for another member.
> 
> Having less time in the Forums as kids are off school, and also little time to concentrate on my own writings, so pinching some time as one of my kids are having a swimming lesson.
> 
> Hopefully will be back at full tilt in a few weeks!



Take your time. We’ll be here!

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

I might work on my short story tomorrow. I'm unsure about the title and there are two contenders at present. "Love Buttons" or "No Cuddling."


----------



## Parabola

The short story I just mentioned a post up is dead in the water. Good news is I think I have the "voice" for my next one. Going to keep that on the shorter side since getting too granular always messes up the style. I'm learning to go off an initial "pop" or Freud won't hand me my cigar. One thing that seems to be getting clearer is that writing dark characters (from the outset), seems to generate the most interest for my stuff.


----------



## indianroads

Back on the Moonscape horse - I finished chapter 33 (2226 words) and started on chapter 34 (1204 words so far).
The move to toward the ending is a bit methodical - but I think it will work.
Aliens arrive, sparking a war on Earth, while on the Moon the characters discover their future... methodically.


----------



## VRanger

2K in a PL3 scene tonight, with more to come in the sequence. I brought a supporting character into the limelight to help out in the PL3 antithetical romance. She's fun to write so I was pleased to consider her for the role.


----------



## Parabola

The American dream transformed into a cellophane burrito.


----------



## Parabola

I have this thing where, even within the same novel, or even from the perspective of the same character, the emphasis on certain words changes and it feels almost like a different style. Sometimes dramatically. Some of that is a matter of just growing into the character/story, but my mood determines how colorful a particular paragraph comes out.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 34 of Moonscape (2412 words)
On to chapter 35 tomorrow.


----------



## Parabola

I'm thinking about my upcoming dictatorship. Seems definitely possible for tyranny to exist on a shoestring budget, especially in a context where money doesn't matter in general.


----------



## Parabola

Not really related to any current project, but...there is a "type" of character where Jesus and the devil are fighting for control of the same brain. It's like they're extremely kind, yet extremely evil at the same time. Don't get sucked in, that's all I'm going to say.


----------



## Parabola

I finally wrote that line I've been looking forward to in Ethan's story, book 3. Maybe I'm weird, but dictatorships are a source of inspiration for me.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> I finally wrote that line I've been looking forward to in Ethan's story, book 3. Maybe I'm weird, but dictatorships are a source of inspiration for me.


Years... decades actually - well, long ago I read a few translations of Hitler's and Mussolini's public speeches. I disagreed with everything they said, but man... those crazy dudes could deliver a powerful speech.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 35 of Moonscape (2300 words)
On to 36 tomorrow.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Years... decades actually - well, long ago I read a few translations of Hitler's and Mussolini's public speeches. I disagreed with everything they said, but man... those crazy dudes could deliver a powerful speech.



Think I linked the Breen Speeches from Half-Life 2 recently (in the inspiration thread). The voice acting and writing made it some compelling stuff. Actually, never thought about having dictator-like speeches in book 3, but now that you mention it, why not? lol.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Revised my short story again.  I addressed the criticism. I am unsure if to make that the final title that is currently posted in the workshop. It's more surprising since it does not mention glass, which is a key part of the plot. Still trying to get started with another story project. I will start tomorrow.


----------



## VRanger

I named my last blog Writing about Air, and I just substantially did that tonight. I'm looking at a roadblock on PL3 without further input from @PiP, and I sat down in front of BK3 without a clue what I should write next. So I wrote some air. LOL Eventually it led to a tease of advance on the story, but mostly I wrote about protagonists _failing _to make an advance in their goals, and more or less annoying each other in the process. It provided the 1500 words I needed to wrap up Chapter 7, and an essential break from my "dungeon crawl" ... even though it's a mage tower, not a dungeon.

Then I decided to write an opening scene for Gallagher's Guide that I'd had in mind and didn't want to lose. 1K+ words as he uses his small sloop to evacuate 20 souls from a dying world ... his 5th trip in the rescue. Tragic. Moving. What a start to a sci-fi book. ;-)


----------



## Parabola

I always chuckle at male characters who get called out for liking a "girly" show. They get defensive and say things like, "Dude, it's got a good story!" It's usually combined with a certain facial expression in my head.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> I always chuckle at male characters who get called out for liking a "girly" show. They get defensive and say things like, "Dude, it's got a good story!" It's usually combined with a certain facial expression in my head.


My wife hates romance shows, and prefers murder-TV.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Went Hell-bent last night and did a rewrite and hack job on three chapters. Only four more to go until I get them to a beta-reader to kick my back side.
Looking for a mentor, by the way. The one I had here had to back down due to personal issues. Anyone want to positively and constructively tell me what a Neanderthal that I am, drop me a message!

A.C.


----------



## KatPC

Need to read your writing about air @VRanger. It is one of those things when a void enters and 'space' allows the mind to create.

I have overloaded my writing work which has led me to pause in helping others work. It is one of those things I am unhappy about but one that is needed. Spending a few days away from the daily grind created many ups and downs and the latter only inspired me to create two stories in a few hours. All are seeds that have been planted but stories that are racing in the mind.

It feels great to write.

Spirits perked I have a few days of holiday left and then I will return with gusto to fulfill my promises to others whilst working in tandem with my own.

Not sure what your blog is about @VRanger but I find space allows those cogs in the mind to churn. It is a place where the hands click and the creative clock begins to tick. Ah the joys of creating ...


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 36 today 2378 words. Seven more chapters to go.
The story is going well.


----------



## TrevorD

Ha, I'm in the first round of editing and view my daily successes in terms of the number of words I delete from the manuscript!


----------



## indianroads

TrevorD said:


> Ha, I'm in the first round of editing and view my daily successes in terms of the number of words I delete from the manuscript!


I do that in the editing phase too.


----------



## Envy123

Halfway through chapter 35. And it turns out that my “hook” is the strange hand puppets, so I’ll use that in future queries.


----------



## VRanger

2000 words on GG and 1027 words on BK3 tonight. A couple of days ago @indianroads wow'd me for a couple of thousand words of production when he's routinely over 2K. I decided tonight I'd be damned if he outwrote me again. LOL

I finished Chapter 1 on GG. My favorite paragraph:



> I buzzed the room housing the Cetans. I’d had enough guff from the Lionans, and Cetans are reliably logical and polite. That doesn’t mean they won’t screw you over in a heartbeat, but if they decide to, they’ll do it logically and politely.



In BK3, I left the Sage of Wizardry down while his Champion faces a horde of oncoming undead shades. I took a break from writing air.

I have to wonder if ANY author has ever simultaneously worked on a Romance, a Space Opera, and Swords and Sorcery. LOL (And all in the same book DOES NOT count.)


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

TrevorD said:


> Ha, I'm in the first round of editing and view my daily successes in terms of the number of words I delete from the manuscript!



I'm kinda sorta maybe in the mindset right now as I edit and rewrite, just never thought of it in that manner.

A.C.


----------



## PedestrianWriter

I've completed eight chapters of my WiP, or roughly 40% of the story. And I just had an "aha!" moment for part two. Hoping I can thread that needle when the time comes


----------



## indianroads

Got a late start today, but I managed to finish the draft of chapter 37 of Moonscape.
The project is going well, but it remains rough - a ton of editing is ahead.


----------



## VRanger

2200 words on BK3 tonight, finishing Chapter 8 and bringing the manuscript up to 24K.  My target is 85K so that's a good chunk.

I had a nice little scene where the Scribe of the Ancients lost a quarter of his leaves (he's an elemental tree), then I rescued Falano and the Sage of Wizardry from their predicament but left the expedition in peril. However, I came up with an interim solution straight out of my days playing D&D. LOL I just start writing this stuff and depend on inspiration to strike. Mostly it does. If not, now I'm working on three projects I can shift gears and give it more time. 

However, things aren't working out particularly well for the protags in either of my simultaneous plotlines ... which is the right thing to do as I approach the end of the first act.


----------



## JBF

Not so much a writing success as a realization.  Events the past two weeks have precluded getting much done on the Project from Hell.  At last check I was decently happy with what I’d gotten down so far, tempered somewhat by not knowing whether to proceed or drop back a dozen pages or so and start off in a different direction.


Last night was the first real chance I’ve had lately to look at the last progress with some remove.  And it’s readable.  Maybe even good.  I can still pick out the things I was worried about - I just can’t see _why _the concern, since on the whole it just…clicks.

Long story short: discovered competence in retrospect.  It’s weird.


----------



## Envy123

Oh, finally, I did that third major overhaul. Hopefully, it's going to be more compelling this time round. Total about 105k words, so I used less words this time to tell more.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I'm lost in a rewrite right now. In the original skeleton/draft I had Chris, the MCM, meet a girl at a frat party, and they eventually share a bong then get intimate in a basement back room. In this version, they share a bong and then she leaves to go mooch more weed off of somebody else. I'm debating whether to use one of those two or have him leave to go get a beer and return to find that she's already got another guy to mooch a bong with. This comes two months (and one chapter) after the MCM's bad break up, so I'm debating on emotional kick in the nards or small boost of confidence. 


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 38 of Moonscape today - it came in at 2202 words. 
It was discovery piece about the alien - his history, his society, why is on the moon all done via conversation.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm mighty pleased with myself this evening. I revised six short-short stories. I got all six of them condensed down to exactly 400 words each. I like the results. Now I've decided to create at least a chapbook of 400-word stories. That's the effect on me of being reminded today in another group about Italo Calvino's ideas on subtracting weight and adding light to short stories. Can't wait to add and subtract tomorrow too (since I'm a writer who likes to write short-shorts).

I'm also pleased with myself and my progress that I sent out my first interview question to the talented and prolific writer I've chosen for the Masters Series I've been asked to create. Interviews are not easy. I do a ton of work on the writer's work before I start the interview. But the first question's sent and the second one waits for a response. Good day today.


----------



## PedestrianWriter

I actually wrote the ending to my story while at work today. Typed it on my phone's notes app, lol. I'm very excited to reveal it to my reader(s) just gotta get there first. Only eight more chapters


----------



## indianroads

PedestrianWriter said:


> I actually wrote the ending to my story while at work today. Typed it on my phone's notes app, lol. I'm very excited to reveal it to my reader(s) just gotta get there first. Only eight more chapters


Wow! Impressive! It takes me a half hour to write and send a text.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I'm debating on emotional kick in the nards or small boost of confidence.



Kick in the jewels.  Unless it's a pre-plotted high point of the story.  

Readers love them some bad luck and struggle.


----------



## PedestrianWriter

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I'm lost in a rewrite right now. In the original skeleton/draft I had Chris, the MCM, meet a girl at a frat party, and they eventually share a bong then get intimate in a basement back room. In this version, they share a bong and then she leaves to go mooch more weed off of somebody else. I'm debating whether to use one of those two or have him leave to go get a beer and return to find that she's already got another guy to mooch a bong with. This comes two months (and one chapter) after the MCM's bad break up, so I'm debating on emotional kick in the nards or small boost of confidence.
> 
> 
> A.C.



I'm thinking Chris should suffer that emotional junk kick, but if the small boost of confidence makes it hurt harder in the long run, then go with that


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

PedestrianWriter said:


> I'm thinking Chris should suffer that emotional junk kick, but if the small boost of confidence makes it hurt harder in the long run, then go with that



I’m really starting to lean that way.

A.C.


----------



## Envy123

The beta readers who read my story partway through, agreed to read the newer version from then on. 

Just the old version was so bad, that it would be wasting their valuable time if I ended up throwing a lot out to create new things.


----------



## Selorian

I  finished my flash fiction piece for the Friday Flash in Member Writing Challenges. I chose to venture outside my comfort zone and embrace the challenge fully by writing something I normally don't. I'm happy with how it turned out, but does that mean I won't continue to tweak it until I post it on Friday? Probably not.


----------



## Yumi Koizumi

Look what Santa brought me today!




Thanks @indianroads !!!!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Good for you, @Selorian, for writing some flash fiction. I think every writer would do well to try their hands at writing the shorties. I'm an admirer and pusher of the genre. (My new book, soon to be released, is on writing flash fiction. It's titled _Flash Fiction: Alive in the Flicker, A Portable Workshop*.*_ Watch for it! :-D). _Atlantic Monthly_ posted their summer flash fiction last issue and all the stories are first-rate. The latest issue of _Oprah Daily_ published an outstanding piece titled “Going for Enfamil” (a spin-off from Robert Coover’s “Going for a Beer"). And as they've done for a few years now, _The New Yorker_ is running their summer flash fiction series. Flash Fiction is alive and doing well in some of the best magazines and journals. (I do a monthly Flash Fiction Flash newsletter--free and delivered email.  Message me if you'd like to subscribe too-- lots of paying markets, writer news, etc.).


----------



## indianroads

Yumi Koizumi said:


> Look what Santa brought me today!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks @indianroads !!!!


Wow!
I hope you enjoy it.


----------



## Yumi Koizumi

indianroads said:


> Wow!
> I hope you enjoy it.


I told you I would. Now if you get feedback, would like it boastfully positive, or the truth?

KIDDING!


----------



## indianroads

Yumi Koizumi said:


> I told you I would. Now if you get feedback, would like it boastfully positive, or the truth?
> 
> KIDDING!


It was an experimental work with no protagonists and two antagonists. I wrote it knowing that it might not be to everyone's taste.


----------



## Deleted member 67665

indianroads said:


> Just finished chapter 23 of the first draft of my next novel. I'm heading into the climax of the story - feeling excited.
> Changed the title yet again, now it's _Afterworld: Redemption_.


I write a novel in Malayalam. It's title can be translated in to English as ' the glass cities '. I wrote one chapter today. The story is all about a fictional island in the Indian Ocean. A family of tyrants is ruling it. The civil wars, assassinations, illegal mining, environmental issues all form the crux of the story 
I wish you happy writing


----------



## VRanger

So far tonight I restructured the cast in GG's opening novella, and that's rare move for me. I got through the first chapter identifying Patrick's refugee passengers to include two human families and a Cetan family. The Cetan family will remain numbered at five, but I've given them unique character types (a royal family on vacation on the doomed world at the wrong time), and broke the remaining ten humans into seven groups, with three couples and four singles.

I made a new version of my Plot-Wheel stored procedure that just spits out a list of random character types, and ran it over and over against my list of 100+ character types until I had 15 I liked for my group of passengers. I didn't run until I had 15 in one result, but picked out a few from each run as I thought they added interest, utility or intrigue to my story.

What's my story? Well, the character types which wound up in my list have suggested a few things to me. Patrick has these 20 passengers stuck in his four cabin/four man sloop for seven days until they can dock at the Sosegir Orbital Station. So it needs to be a semi lifeboat trope with character conflict and a crisis or two. I needed at least one unruly passenger (outside of the Lionans), a couple of people who can assist Patrick in crowd control and other crises, and some people to innocently get in the way of things going smoothly. So I've got all that in the mix. I need a bit of revision on chapter one to nix the idea of the two human families, and I'm ready to continue with chapter two, which I wrote 200 words in last night after 2200 in BK3.

ETA: Okay, suitable alterations to chapter one and the first paragraph of chapter two complete.

ETA 2: Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! - I managed to track down my database with Sci-fi first names and last names: 2500 first names and 5500 last names. Makes it easier to come up with names for all the characters above. The Xxanx (insect guy) is already nick-named 3Click and the android is Sera ... comes from her model name.

Now what I also need to do is come up with lists of consonant, vowel, and paired sounds for each alien race so I can randomly generate consistent (within their native language) names for them too. I already have a routine that does that for system and planet names, I'll just alter it for sci-fi race names.


----------



## PiP

Last night I read several chapters in PL3 to familiarise myself with the plot my collab partner is following with his characters. They were great! I made a few suggestions here and there to cultural 'English' English in dialogue and then moved on and managed to finish the first layer of one scene which introduced a French smoothie who I intend to use later in the Christmas party scene I am writing.

 I only returned from a three+week vacation with family late Tuesday night so I have had little opportunity, thanks to lack of WiFi or 'me' time or mental/physical exhaustion, to write beyond a few hundred words let alone read. Fortunately, my collab partner @VRanger is patience personified .... now it is nose to the grindstone every night until the Christmas book is finished.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Finished a rewrite/edit of the chapter. Upon the advice of all of you and a few of my followers at work, changed up the one scene so that's a _kick in the nads_, and got it looking really good. Checked it on Google Doc and then saved it to the external hard drive. Went out, grabbed some leftovers for my morning dinner, and replayed the whole chapter in my mind as I micorwaved the fridge-carcass. That's when I realized I could've wrote one area better and added a better descriptive explanation to another. 
Into the fridge dinner went. Back to writing I go.....


A.C.


----------



## KatPC

Ah a long session today. Spent the last 3 hours on member's work here. It ended up being 12k word chapter with amendments/suggestions/feedback/plot holes spotting and mistakes, so very pleased with myself for completing this task. Will move onto the next chapter next week or so ... but quite spent. Will look into another work for another member here next so we progress the story forward and also another story I committed to review. Needless to say I have neglected my own writings; two shorts started earlier this week but none developed any further and with the month coming to an end I need to review my judging for the LM Comp again. 

Will lower the work load as I can't fit any time to do my own work.


----------



## Parabola

Might write a bit on "The Murder Console" book 2, since I'm so close to the finish line. Or not, I'll see how the day goes and if I get inspired.


----------



## PiP

Despite hours glued to my screen I only wrote 227 words. Trying to write a sex scene that offers just enough to tease the reader then fades to black  and leaves the reader guessing is tricky LoL Poor @VRanger also logged in to the chapter and I bet he was also guessing as I rewrote each sentence 50 different ways as I reviewed my word choice .... a snail could write faster.


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Despite hours glued to my screen I only wrote 227 words. Trying to write a sex scene that offers just enough to tease the reader then fades to black  which leaves the reader guessing is tricky LoL Poor @VRanger also logged in to the chapter and I bet he was also guessing as I rewrote each sentence several different ways as I reviewed my word choice .... a snail could write faster.


I WAS sort of glad to see @PiP backspace over one thing she started to type. LOL Funny scene though and right on target. There are MANY female functions and maintenance activities we men really don't want details of!


----------



## PiP

Oh, @VRanger you've just given me an idea re the new meaning of Christmas without the trimmings!


----------



## VRanger

I missed my post last night, which was 800 words on into Chapter 3 of GG.

Tonight I wrote another stored procedure to generate ten random human names from the data I mentioned above, then I ran it twice to get the names I wanted for ten human passengers on Patrick's ship.

I went on to write another 1500 words to finish Chapter 3 and a 1200-word scene to kick off Chapter 4, a bit of which I shared in the Pretty Words thread.

Word of warning. DO NOT copy and paste 7500 records from a local Access database into your AWS SQL server. The damned upload of the clipboard data and insert takes for friggin' EVER! Do an import instead. It takes seconds instead of for friggin' EVER.

And sheesh! GG is now 7750 words into a planned 20K word first novella. Shocking to me how fast it's going.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

The goal is by the end of next week to get the last few chapters rewritten and then go over suggestions and some changed I already see that I want to do but I don't want to stop where I'm at for fear of losing momentum and train of thought.


A.C.


----------



## Envy123

Overhauled Chapter 36 again, this time with a more compelling ending. My MC gets overworked in diving (Tom Daley diving, not scuba) and collapses onto the floor, gets taken care of and faces having the informant lose her memories.

I swear that the secret spice mixture of "Brazilian telenovela" is powerful stuff.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote about 1K in book 2. Back on the horse for whatever reason.


----------



## Davi Franco

indianroads said:


> Just finished chapter 23 of the first draft of my next novel. I'm heading into the climax of the story - feeling excited.
> Changed the title yet again, now it's _Afterworld: Redemption_.


Finished editing some first chapters and now I'll start to look for beta-readers


----------



## VRanger

So far tonight 1500 words in BK3, leaving both simultaneous plot lines in crisis, and bringing the novel close to 26K words out of an 85K budget. I'll need another 1500-word scene to wrap up chapter nine, deepening the crisis "back at the castle".

Made a couple of notes on @PiP's latest additions to PL3 ... mostly just highlighting some passages and putting smile notes.  She thinks funny things. She needs to catch up a bit further before I can add to my romance plot to make sure I know enough to keep continuity. There's a scene under the mistletoe (at the Christmas party), and I need to know how that plays out before I can write my scene for the next day.

Now after checking in on WF and taking a few minutes' break, I'm going to see if I can write another GG scene. Check back for more exciting details!!!!


----------



## VRanger

And .... wait for it ...

1500 words on GG too. God bless you if you sat in rapt anticipation for my next post with more exciting details.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm on another writer high and I am loving it. I mentioned a project I started the other night, to condense some of my short-short stories to exactly 400 words each. I condensed six. Then, as of last night, I condensed another ten and like the results. So that's sixteen now for my one-day chapbook of 400-word stories. I have quite a variety of stories-- a negative religious experience, an ancient god, a letter to Elvis Presley from his mother, buyer's remorse, a mysterious stranger, a horrible choice to make, stolen property, an insect, and more. This is fun (when not disturbing because some of the pieces have a strong emotional effect on me). (Remembering Calvino's goal-- to subtract weight and add light.) 

(I owe a couple of you private messages and I'll answer those today.)


----------



## Chai_Tea

My writing success today is that I just hammered out nearly 4k words today in just a couple hours. Most times I have to stop and start to average around 2k words over the day but this felt amazing to not even really pause once during the writing session.


----------



## Parabola

Another 1k In _The Murder Console, _book 2. Might try to shoot for another 500 later, but Ethan's debating with Damian, the thinker who pokes at logical flaws. I need time to think about the implications of the world and want to get that right.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

After pecking halfhearted at my current novel for weeks, I finally found The Zone today and knocked out 2200 words, cracking 16k in my first draft. Now it’s beer o’clock, time to rock


----------



## indianroads

Finished Moonscape chapter 40 WC: 2311
Started in on Chapter 41 WC so far is 1657.
Only one more chapter to go until the draft is complete.
I'm looking forward to the break.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Did mostly a writing session on how my plot would change over the course of a 3rd revision. 
Been reading a how-to book that explains how to plot from a playwriting perspective. Now I know what went wrong when my story was rejected by the science fiction tarot. They sense my conflict needed to be bigger in magnitude than what I originally wrote since it had vast implications. I wrote, for example, about an invention that has a god-like power.

For those interested, this is the name of the book which is supposedly the best book on playwriting. Kenn adams studied at NYU and in his book on how to improvise a play, he recommended it as the best one when he was studying. It can be checked out at the internetrachive.org. The book is on plotting.
Playwriting [How to Write for the Theater] by Grebanier, Bernard, Paperback

Grebanier didn't want to name it as how to write a play. She simply had no choice. She knew there were many bad how-to books.

If all goes planned I will buy the microphone that is best for mac. Then I can have a final draft produced with little effort.


----------



## Parabola

Having fun with Ethan in shadow mode. It feels like an absurd version of Dexter (and I get to let out Ethan's "funny as hell" side as icing on the cake). Also, even though he only has less than one day to complete his apocalypse, he's discovered a way to freeze the progress of time. Gives me a bit of room to flesh some other stuff out.


----------



## Galactic Goomba

Finished a short collection of free verse I started the other week. Feels good to complete something. Definitely want to study poetic techniques more. There’s so much to learn. Language is amazing.


----------



## indianroads

*FINISHED* the draft of Moonscape today. 42 chapters came in a 98442 words.
I'm pleased with it, but exhausted.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I spent the day in a furious or maybe even maniacal decluttering session. I've been ill and the doctor put me on medicine that has some steroids and I've been working non-stop the last couple of days to take advantage of that intense energy high I get with that medicine. I can't believe all the work I've done-- throwing away piles and piles and more piles of old notes to myself on various writing projects (research, rough drafts), organizing all the too-many books in my bedroom, organizing my makeup. I also edited a short story I've played with for years and this time I think I got it right. Then to top it off I just now rough-drafted an essay that takes a close look at some of the writing techniques used in Robert Bly's prose poem "Warning to the Reader."  I'm glad I don't have to live like this all the time. It's way too much work and now I'm exhausted! But a couple of days sure has caught me up with many things that have been falling behind. I work well in writing clutter but there is a point when I have to dig out. I did it today!


----------



## VRanger

1500 words on GG to start a new episode in the first novella ... now half of Chapter Four. Patrick's closest ally among the refugee passengers thinks another passenger (who's a con man), may want to eliminate her before they can reach Sosegir Station. Virtually the entire scene is dialogue to expose and consider that problem.



> “Are you qualified Bridge crew? We’ve only got three bridge chairs but 3Click never uses one. When he wants to rest he hangs from the ceiling."
> 
> “No. I’m a constructive academic.”
> 
> “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” If I thought her sour expression couldn’t turn more acrid, I was wrong. “Sorry. So your value to the Bridge would be strictly ornamental.”
> 
> Mac held her palms flat and high, then slowly lowered them to her hips. “And not much of _that_. I know I’m old.”


----------



## VRanger

2K more words on GG and a bit of edits on PL3 ... but not heavy on PL3 yet. The 2k words made a "long chapter" for GG, but it is what it is. Just shy of 13K words on the novel, and I'm very much enjoying the writing. 

Plus, I squashed a bug on my right-hand monitor and finally managed to clear the streak of bug guts off.


----------



## Envy123

1k words already in Jelly Dogs. 

The story seems to be more streamlined than Laughing Matters, for better or for worse. Vivid descriptions are still there, just that the interactions are... different.


----------



## PiP

Whoop, whoop ... I managed to write over 1000 words on the Christmas Party chapter while digging the garden. Dig, rest, write ...  write, dig, rest, write. The latest word count takes the chapter to well over 4000 words so I have decided to create a diversion and a suitable break to move on to chapter 17 so the party is split between two chapters. As a reader, I like bitesize chapters


----------



## VRanger

PiP said:


> Whoop, whoop ... I managed to write over 1000 words on the Christmas Party chapter while digging the garden. Dig, rest, write ...  write, dig, rest, write. The latest word count takes the chapter to well over 4000 words so I have decided to create a diversion and a suitable break to move on to chapter 17 so the party is split between two chapters. As a reader, I like bitesize chapters


And we had 10K on the bedroom crawl in PL2! LOL

Yeah, some good stuff, VERY good stuff, in what she wrote today. Love it.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> And we had 10K on the bedroom crawl in PL2! LOL


That was your baby, LoL ...  I just wrote along for the ride.


VRanger said:


> Yeah, some good stuff, VERY good stuff, in what she wrote today. Love it.


Thank you  Gardening and writing are good creative companions.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Started rewrite of another chapter. Eliminated two more characters. That makes… quick math… a dozen that I’ve cut from this book.


----------



## PiP

Phew! I wrote another 1000 words and finished the first layer of the Christmas party scene. I still need to add some spice, colour and more dialogue interaction between characters but I am happy the skeleton of the story is in place. 

I also wrote a blog post ... another 200+ words to add to my word 'piggybank'


----------



## Envy123

Redid Jelly Dogs Chapter 1 into something more interesting.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Both my FB profiles managed to pick up 30 day bans and our interweb has been down for 48 hours (luckily there’s been cell service for some of us), so I’ve been busy editing this chapter. Me thinks I’m almost done with it.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Both my FB profiles managed to pick up 30 day bans and our interweb has been down for 48 hours (luckily there’s been cell service for some of us), so I’ve been busy editing this chapter. Me thinks I’m almost done with it.


You may understand that FB employees are diametrically opposite to my politics, and I don't stay out of that arena on FB. Yet in the decade or so I've had an account, I've NEVER had a ban. LOL I attribute it to righteous living, my typical good luck (except on Options Trading, but that's another story), and my ability to phrase things using vocabulary the FB employee youngsters probably can't interpret.

(I also expose my activity--across the board--only to friends. So no random nitwits can stumble across my posts and report me).


----------



## VRanger

1300 words on GG, and 900 on PL3. I raised a bit of sexual tension between my antipathetic romance duo ... even though it did result in 'tingle lip'. (If you don't know what Tingle Lip is, you need more experience!)

Again, I had fun writing both scenes. I also called a friend who's a fan. I've mentioned him before. Although he's a friend, he has NO FILTERS. If he doesn't like something, he'll tell me straight out. He's both a lifetime sci-fi and swords and sorcery fan, so I write directly to his interests. He told me tonight he's eager for my sequel to Part-Time Pagan God, which made me feel good. 

My style in GG is brand new. It's my third first-person. I did some humor in PTPG, and I have some humor in Moods, but in GG, it seems like I can't help myself. Every scene has something that at least amuses ME. So I asked Bob if he'd mind looking at the first five chapters of GG and let me know if it's coming across the way I think it should. I'll be through with chapter five in at most a couple of days, and he thinks it sounds interesting, so he told me to 'send in on'.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> You may understand that FB employees are diametrically opposite to my politics, and I don't stay out of that arena on FB. Yet in the decade or so I've had an account, I've NEVER had a ban. LOL I attribute it to righteous living, my typical good luck (except on Options Trading, but that's another story), and my ability to phrase things using vocabulary the FB employee youngsters probably can't interpret.
> 
> (I also expose my activity--across the board--only to friends. So no random nitwits can stumble across my posts and report me).



We’ve already covered my political leanings, but that being said, it’s memes that get me banned. But the funniest one was this:
I have two home made bird feeder platforms. Each has around six different feeders for different bird seed, whether straight up black oil sunflower seeds, safflower, fruits and jellies for Baltimore  and orchard orioles, the obligatory hummingbird feeders, what not.  My wife’s cousin has dubbed them “Frankenfeeders” because I’m always modifying them or swapping out older worn out feeders for newer and better ones or changing seasonal configurations for woodpeckers and other year-round birds. (We take our bird watching quite serious.)
Due to previously mentioned ne’er-do-wells across the street, I’ve installed a series of trail cams covering our front yard and their house and driveway. A couple are on the Frankenfeeders. 
We get white tail deer, and they get pretty good size (dropped a doe that dressed 100lbs once. Lots of burger from her). They’ll come up out of the swamp and feed, so I have a homemade critter mix I have for them. But sometimes they get greedy and will eat out of the bird feeders!
I have hilarious trail cam pics of this, and I posted one. FB thought it was a part of me that I shouldn’t be posting pictures of, and gave me 30 days.
No joke.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Both my FB profiles managed to pick up 30 day bans…



Achievement unlocked.


----------



## Splinter

PiP said:


> Phew! I wrote another 1000 words and finished the first layer of the Christmas party scene. I still need to add some spice, colour and more dialogue interaction between characters but I am happy the skeleton of the story is in place.
> 
> I also wrote a blog post ... another 200+ words to add to my word 'piggybank'


You've piqued my interest in this Christmas party that you speak of. When can we expect to see the fruits of your labour?
For my part, I managed another 1000 words in my current project with the working title of Me, Mandy and Wanda, a short story of how our joint friendship developed from purely platonic to something else during a very turbulent period in my life.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Finished editing another chapter!

Two
More
To
Go!

And then I get to edit it all over again!


----------



## PiP

Splinter said:


> You've piqued my interest in this Christmas party that you speak of. When can we expect to see the fruits of your labour?


Not until the book is published. I assume November? But it is a RomCom ... LoL so my not be your genre. :=)


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> You may understand that FB employees are diametrically opposite to my politics, and I don't stay out of that arena on FB. Yet in the decade or so I've had an account, I've NEVER had a ban. LOL I attribute it to righteous living, my typical good luck (except on Options Trading, but that's another story), and my ability to phrase things using vocabulary the FB employee youngsters probably can't interpret.
> 
> (I also expose my activity--across the board--only to friends. So no random nitwits can stumble across my posts and report me).





That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Both my FB profiles managed to pick up 30 day bans and our interweb has been down for 48 hours (luckily there’s been cell service for some of us), so I’ve been busy editing this chapter. Me thinks I’m almost done with it.


As a silly-con valley nerd, I've had a FB presence for quite a while (I also have an author page there), although my political leanings are contrary to what the ruling class at FB permit, I've managed to stay out of FB JAIL ... until recently.
My wife had gone out to California to visit #1 daughter and her kids, and while there she had our daughter die her hair purple. She does this now and then, I don't mind it and think it looks kinda good. So when she posted a pic of my daughter dying her hair I made the comment:
Women are crazy.
That was enough to get me a month in the FB gulag. 

Meh - it is what it is. I'm back out of jail now and not upset about it.


----------



## Splinter

PiP said:


> Not until the book is published. I assume November? But it is a RomCom ... LoL so my not be your genre. :=)


Oh, I don't know. I have varied tastes in reading.


----------



## Davi Franco

I've just finished the prologue of the second book of my series. Feeling enthusiastic about the book. Tonight I'll take a look at my first book and maybe do some editing.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Chapter and a half to go in the rewrite of “God Bless Small Town, USA.”

I hope to have it done by the end of the weekend.
Both my mentor here and my editor have given me laundry list of pointers, which I’ve already applied. I’ll go back over those, then re-re-re-re-read what I’ve re-re-rewritten from the beginning and re-re-edit as need be.
Hoping to get it to the eagerly awaiting beta readers  by the opening day of bow season.

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Murder Console 2: Intergalactic Blood 'N Guts will be longer than expected. Okay, I just made up the subtitle two seconds ago. Maybe I'll use it...maybe I won't.


----------



## nomdesab

Hi Everyone. 

Today for the massive re-write of my entire first draft I graduated from outlining in a notebook to the hard, mind twisting writing mode I have to be in to get anything accomplished. It's been a long 8 months. 

-Sabrina


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

nomdesab said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> Today for the massive re-write of my entire first draft I graduated from outlining in a notebook to the hard, mind twisting writing mode I have to be in to get anything accomplished. It's been a long 8 months.
> 
> -Sabrina



Awesome!


----------



## Envy123

2k words in Jelly Dogs across 2 chapters overall. Also, it is probably more marketable than Laughing Matters, due to it being more "normal" but still having unique things to stand out.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Edited the last two chapters, found them more awkward and ill-paced than before, so I'm scrapping them and totally rewriting them... again.  So much for wanting to be done this weekend....


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Edited the last two chapters, found them more awkward and ill-paced than before, so I'm scrapping them and totally rewriting them... again.  So much for wanting to be done this weekend....
> 
> 
> A.C.


As much as we would like to, we can't rush the creative process. Just keep at it until it's right.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> As much as we would like to, we can't rush the creative process. Just keep at it until it's right.



Certainly agree. The competitive side of me hates it when I set a deadline and then don't meet it. Which, I know, contradicts getting it right.  But I'm a slow learner and a creature of habit, so....


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Certainly agree. The competitive side of me hates it when I set a deadline and then don't meet it. Which, I know, contradicts getting it right.  But I'm a slow learner and a creature of habit, so....
> 
> 
> A.C.


Yeah, I'm the same way... so this advice falls into the category of: do as I say, not as I do.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Yeah, I'm the same way... so this advice falls into the category of: do as I say, not as I do.



Noted. I know that one _really_ well.  


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Worked on the cover for Moonscape - came up with three, and HATE them all. 
Will take a break, then get back on it.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Worked on the cover for Moonscape - came up with three, and HATE them all.
> Will take a break, then get back on it.



Just saw your writer's page post on Zuckburg. Couldn't 'like' it.

Is it bad that I have cover concepts for the first eleven books in the series even though I'm still working on the first one?

I _did_ mention in my intro way back when that I have no idea what I'm doing, right?


----------



## Taylor

Combed through some of my favorite novels and made a long list of action tags.  I'm going to deploy them more often.  

_Max replied, sucking a tall mojito through a straw.

She said with a casual shrug of her glistening bare shoulders, randomly scattered with bronze glitter.  _


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Worked on the cover for Moonscape - came up with three, and HATE them all.
> Will take a break, then get back on it.


What is your concept?


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> What is your concept?


Good question, I’ve only thought about the story. I’ll give it more thought.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> What is your concept?


Thanks for this. I've been thinking about this question all evening.
The theme for the story is perseverance, The MC has his live stripped away due to a bad decision, made out of ignorance. That's what puts him in prison, and once there he learns that his ten year sentence is actually life due to the penitentiary's environment. So he moves forward resolutely making the best of a bad situation.
While he is serving his sentence on Luna (it's a hard scifi story), an alien artifact is discovered, and he volunteers to go along with the team to check it out... and as my wife likes to say, _a zany adventure ensues_.  
So what I need to do for the cover is convert all the above into images. I do have a seed of an idea, and will look into that tomorrow.

Thanks @Taylor


----------



## Joshua Slater

just wrote the 56th and last chapter of my high fantasy


----------



## VRanger

1700 words on GG. Most of it has Patrick interviewing his android passenger to let readers get to know that character and about androids in my sandbox. Plus I have a little surprise cooked up for this "emancipated android".  Then there's a bit at the end of the chapter about what procedures will be in place at Sosegir Station to resolve his report of an attempted mutiny.

That concludes Chapter 5 and brings the opening novelette to 16K of an originally anticipated 20K. It might go longer and I'm not concerned if it does.

@PiP left me a line of dialogue to write in the Christmas party scene she's been crafting in PL3. I did so, but it turned into 350 words. LOL


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Worked on the cover for Moonscape - came up with three, and HATE them all.
> Will take a break, then get back on it.


Looked at any of the pre-fab cover sites? If not, I can link a couple I've bought from. Also, you might inquire of @sigmadog.


----------



## Parmenidean Province

Just got soused and blitzed a short dream sequence that had paused my hyper-productive phase for 8 weeks.


----------



## Parabola

I revived some imagery from book 1 yesterday. Close to the end of that one, Joe and Ethan are standing on infinite shores, and they look out at an ocean of rolling diamonds that causes him to experience a "cutting, bleeding" sensation inside his head. The "waters" contain within them endless possibilities, so that's part of the reason, and Ethan often talks about his bruised straw of a brain that's forced to take in massive amounts of information. I've often wondered how that's affected him between books 1 and 2.


----------



## Envy123

3k words for Jelly Dogs. A new chapter and adding details in previous chapters.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Looked at any of the pre-fab cover sites? If not, I can link a couple I've bought from. Also, you might inquire of @sigmadog.


I’ve looked at them, but it’s hard to find covers depicting sets on the moon. I had an idea fall on me last night and will try it out today. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll let you know or contact @sigmadog .

in other news… I’m thinking of rewriting everything in first-person past tense.

Yeah, I’ve lost my ever-lovin mind.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I was about to tell you about how I'm a page and a half into the remake of the last two chapters of _God Bless Small Town, USA _and had an epiphany in the shower on how it could sound better and make more sense, however the cat just bazooka-barfed on the floor right here at my feet so I'll have to tell you about it later. Excuse me while I grab the paper towel and spray cleaner. Sholy hit, it stinks worse than usual. And I haven't even started on my first cup of coffee for the afternoon..


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I was about to tell you about how I'm a page and a half into the remake of the last two chapters of _God Bless Small Town, USA _and had an epiphany in the shower on how it could sound better and make more sense, however the cat just bazooka-barfed on the floor right here at my feet so I'll have to tell you about it later. Excuse me while I grab the paper towel and spray cleaner. Sholy hit, it stinks worse than usual. And I haven't even started on my first cup of coffee for the afternoon..
> 
> 
> A.C.


We have 4 cats, so I feel your pain. Our elder statesman sleeps on the shelf behind me when I write - I call him my critic... he gives me good reviews if I occasionally give him cat treats throughout the day.


----------



## sigmadog

indianroads said:


> If it doesn’t work out, I’ll let you know or contact @sigmadog .


[wakes up]…Huh? What?… Did I just hear my name?


----------



## indianroads

sigmadog said:


> [wakes up]…Huh? What?… Did I just hear my name?


Your name always comes up when someone is making a book cover. I downloaded an image from Shutterstock, and although it's just the first cut I think it looks good... for now. I have months of work on the project ahead, and will see if my opinion changes.


----------



## sigmadog

indianroads said:


> Your name always comes up when someone is making a book cover. I downloaded an image from Shutterstock, and although it's just the first cut I think it looks good... for now. I have months of work on the project ahead, and will see if my opinion changes.


Sounds good. I'm sure you'll come up with something awesome.


----------



## VRanger

sigmadog said:


> Sounds good. I'm sure you'll come up with something awesome.


I bought a graphic from a similar site, and you did something awesome to turn my amateur idea into a real cover. ;-)

On to my writing for the evening.: 1800 words in BK3, leaving the chapter on a cliffhanger, of course.

I'm in the middle of writing a heroic fantasy battle, and Betty asks me to start the dishwasher before I come to bed. After living in our last house for TWENTY-SEVEN years with the same dishwasher, the occasional times I'm tasked with starting this different model in a house we've only been in for four years tasks my competence.

The phrase "tasks my competence" should clue you in that I've been writing heroic fantasy for a few hours.

So I reply, "And what manner of reward dost fair maiden offer her hero who obliges to solve the puzzle of yon dishwasher?"

I wasn't rewarded with exactly a raspberry, but it came close.

"Sheesh," I had to say. "I'm writing f'ing heroic fantasy and I'm in the middle of a desperate battle where the hero fatalistically thinks he's about to sacrifice himself for the good of the cause. How the hell do you _think _I'm supposed to respond?!!!"

(Didn't I advise somewhere recently to role-play your dialogue?)


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> (Didn't I advise somewhere recently to role-play your dialogue?)



You vets and your _Do As I Say And Not As I Do_-isms.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> I bought a graphic from a similar site, and you did something awesome to turn my amateur idea into a real cover. ;-)


@sigmadog : I'd be interested in knowing what that was.


----------



## nomdesab

Today isn't much of a writing day. Mostly working on elevator pitches and blurbs.


----------



## indianroads

Studying up on writing First Person Past Tense - flashbacks within it could be an issue.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> @sigmadog : I'd be interested in knowing what that was.



Here's the thread, and I just posted the version he created so you can see what I started with and what he did with it.

(Originally I accidentally replied to  nomdesab's post instead of this.)


----------



## Parabola

He didn't just lose his marbles; he dropped the jar filled with them off a skyscraper.


----------



## VRanger

So far tonight I did some database work to bring ancient data to the fore (and into my AWS SQL Server) to bring some StarQuest colonized world data up to date for reference for GG. Then I addressed a question @PiP had for Chapter 18 content in PL3 and came up with a couple of ideas ... the scene notes for it were on the light side.

Now it's 1:30 AM, which is 30 minutes earlier than I started in on BK3 last night ... a performance my wife has requested I NOT repeat, since by the time I finished it was so late I slept until noon. I think I'll add my CH.18 contribution to PL3 and call it a night.  I'll report 1000 words now and go write them.

ETA: 964 but that's where the scene ending line happened. ;-)


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

It's 3:00 am. I've had a back ache all day. Beer, ibuprofen, and a sleeping pill aren't cutting it. But I'm a page and a half into MC's last shift working as a cook at the truck stop before he leaves for Florida the following week. Really loving the changes. So much so, that I deleted all traces I had of the old chapters from the skeleton drafts of _God Bless Small Town, USA _out of existence. Well, my existence. Those reading the skeleton drafts (including the bootlegs, which I find funny) still have them.  



A.C.


----------



## Envy123

5k words in Jelly Dogs. 

Seems like the word count can be up to a more manageable 60k, so yeah, fast progress so far.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Request for a full yesterday for ‘Born A Ghost’, so exciting!!! Then I woke up today with a request for a full for ‘The Abduction of Adrienne Berg’.  Is this real life???


----------



## Envy123

C.K.Johnson said:


> Request for a full yesterday for ‘Born A Ghost’, so exciting!!! Then I woke up today with a request for a full for ‘The Abduction of Adrienne Berg’.  Is this real life???


Congrats 

It seems like you can pitch multiple manuscripts after all. How did you do it?

I’d appreciate some tips as I’m thinking of spreading the risk too with my stories.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Envy123 said:


> Congrats
> 
> It seems like you can pitch multiple manuscripts after all. How did you do it?


I’m actively querying three different novels so I research each agent and see what they’re looking for. One of my novels is romance, one is magical realism and one is a romantic thriller and an agent might not be interested in repping the different genres.


----------



## Envy123

C.K.Johnson said:


> I’m actively querying three different novels so I research each agent and see what they’re looking for. One of my novels is romance, one is magical realism and one is a romantic thriller and an agent might not be interested in repping the different genres.


Understood, thank you.


----------



## indianroads

I've decided to NOT rewrite Moonscape in the first person, there are simply too many flashbacks early in the work, and I'm not up for diving into Past Perfect Tense after a forty year break. Perhaps I'll do that on my next novel.
Beyond messing about with first person, I hung out with Daughter#2 and her family yesterday and didn't get much done.


----------



## Parabola

C.K.Johnson said:


> I’m actively querying three different novels so I research each agent and see what they’re looking for. One of my novels is romance, one is magical realism and one is a romantic thriller and an agent might not be interested in repping the different genres.



I've done similar. Wrote something scifi-ish, then my other one which is on the border between urban fantasy/magical realism. Trying to diversify a bit.


----------



## indianroads

Got through five chapters of the first edit of Moonscape today. It's going well.


----------



## Parabola

Put neon glaze on a literary donut. Rinse, repeat--story as old as time, right? That's not reinventing the wheel, that's making sure it's edible.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Despite what I'm now calling a pinched nerve between my spine and shoulder blade that's giving me pain and a slight tingling sensation in my right arm, I got one of the two last chapters done. 4900 words. 

Puts _God Bless Small Town, USA_ just under 70k right now. 


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Right before sleep, I thought of this concept, so I can only remember part of it. "He was a man split into two worlds trying to walk in the same direction."


----------



## Envy123

Parabola said:


> I've done similar. Wrote something scifi-ish, then my other one which is on the border between urban fantasy/magical realism. Trying to diversify a bit.


Given the statistic of typically the third novel being published (I think), I’m diversifying as well. Adult dark fantasy, then MG magical realism.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Despite what I'm now calling a pinched nerve between my spine and shoulder blade that's giving me pain and a slight tingling sensation in my right arm, I got one of the two last chapters done. 4900 words.
> 
> Puts _God Bless Small Town, USA_ just under 70k right now.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Good job and I hope you feel better soon.


----------



## indianroads

Envy123 said:


> Given the statistic of typically the third novel being published (I think), I’m diversifying as well. Adult dark fantasy, then MG magical realism.


It’s fun to diversify.
I’ve been writing high tech and dystopian SciFi, but my next novel will be a prehistory adventure.


----------



## nomdesab

If staring at 50 words for 12 hours counts as success by golly I had a successful day.

#wreditingqueen


----------



## Parabola

Envy123 said:


> Given the statistic of typically the third novel being published (I think), I’m diversifying as well. Adult dark fantasy, then MG magical realism.



I read that statistic somewhere as well. It's fun to diversify beyond just the agent/publishing thing although that's one motivation sure. It just helps with things getting stale or mundane. I wrote horror short stories for ages, then switched to scifi/urban fantasy/magical realism because I figured, why not? Also sometimes that means you can go back to your initial genre with a fresh lens.


----------



## indianroads

nomdesab said:


> If staring at 50 words for 12 hours counts as success by golly I had a successful day.
> 
> #wreditingqueen


We've all been there.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Sigh of relief. I've been doing a close reading of a Robert Bly Zen piece and it's made me almost nuts for a couple of days. I kept at it, though, and managed to finish my essay on Bly's short-short, "Warning to the Reader." I love the Zen pieces -- with no easy answers or solutions.  I love to wrestle with a piece that's tough to come to terms with. Now I'm all fired up and like that feeling.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

nomdesab said:


> If staring at 50 words for 12 hours counts as success by golly I had a successful day.
> 
> #wreditingqueen



Baby steps!


A.C.


----------



## Joker

883 words in the last 96 hours and I already crave the sweet release of death.


----------



## indianroads

Four more chapters of Moonscape edited today.
@Selorian did an awesome job on the cover too.


----------



## VRanger

Not a big one today. I started out wanting to rescue my BK3 hero Teven from almost certain death, but realized I may have an earlier continuity issue with a couple of character names for the expedition to the enemy sorcerer's tower. I couldn't face new material with that hanging, so I moved back to PL3 for a meager 1200 words, but it was a scene.

I wrote to @PiP: "I warned Betty that if an author can't succeed with some scatological humor, they're not much of a writer. ;-)"

Two characters making their way, in early morning hours, through fields where sheep graze.


----------



## PiP

VRanger said:


> I wrote to @PiP: "I warned Betty that if an author can't succeed with some scatological humor, they're not much of a writer. ;-)"
> 
> Two characters making their way, in early morning hours, through fields where sheep graze.


OMG I had to google scatological: Anything _scatological_ is "off-color" or a bit offensive, typically because it refers to excrement, especially in a joking way.

I am terrified to look! I hope it's not going to be a pile of shite ... pooh. LoL Mrs. Abbot won't be happy if it's trodden around the house


----------



## indianroads

Editing process of Moonscape: I got through chapter 14 today.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Finished re-write of _God Bless Small Town, USA_. Just in time to get ready for work. I'll send the last parts to the editor tomorrow, and then go over all of my notes from him and my mentor on the first five chapters. 


A.C.


----------



## VRanger

A bit over 1000 words on GG tonight along with a few edits to PL3 and looking into a few things we need to go back and accomplish in earlier chapters.

Also some correspondence on book covers for the three PL novels and two of mine solo.


----------



## PiP

Planned a few hours writing on PL3 but ended up reviewing/researching the different types of covers in RomCom and associated sub genres. My goodness, as you all probably know once you poke your nose down that rabbit warren ... you need a stiffy  --- naughty ... that's slang for a stiff drink. Two flipping hours later and I'm still unsure. BUT I do know which subgenres to choose and found a few new authors


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Today, I rest. Tomorrow, I get stuff to my mentor and my editor. But today... I need a day off from writing. I'm sure you all understand.


----------



## Parabola

The exclamation point will become my king's staff. Does this mean I've turned into Sheogorath? Read all of my posts in a Scottish accent, and they will suddenly make sense.

Or not.


----------



## Parabola

"I don't know why angels bother struggling in the light of a god's imperfection."-some character I'll probably never use. He's also not religious in any sense.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I visited on the phone today and agreed on a couple of things to fill holes at earlier points on PL3, so we'll now be at work on that shortly. Some of it will require some research and brainstorming, so we'll have to get to work on that.  I just hate it anytime a brainstorm becomes so strenuous it results in brains torn.

Meantime, I wrote another 1000+ on GG tonight, and did a derivative scene I've been wanting to write for a while. It wasn't unusual for Heinlein to do an "uncooperative and unreasonable person" scene. There's a crisis, and one entitled and ignorant jerk wants everything HIS way regardless of critical reality. I've wanted to write such a scene and I just did. The uncooperative person bullied poor Patrick Gallagher around, and he figured out how to pass the buck. In _Starman Jones_, a crewman crept up on the "uncooperative person" and shut him up with a right cross. I handled mine less violently. We're in a kinder, gentler era. ;-)


----------



## Parabola

Just like every aspect of life, following the rules too closely in writing can very well lead to mediocrity. Passion and "dem values" are great, but dispassion and looking at things cynically can also give you a boost.


----------



## indianroads

I'm beyond the halfway point in the edit of Moonscape. 23 chapters completed. It's going well and I'm pleased.


----------



## Parabola

Want to nail that authenticity vibe? My quick and dirty approach to that is to write from the perspective of a complete loser.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Want to nail that authenticity vibe? My quick and dirty approach to that is to write from the perspective of a complete loser.



Come spend the week with me, and you can sit out on the front porch and study the meth-heads across the street for inspiration.

Bring beer and a lawn chair.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Come spend the week with me, and you can sit out on the front porch and study the meth-heads across the street for inspiration.
> 
> Bring beer and a lawn chair.



Sounds like a plan.


----------



## VRanger

Today, @PiP took yesterday's conversation to heart and went back to our MIA Chapter 13 ... we're up to Chapter 18 otherwise. She came up with a WONDERFUL concept that fit right into our goal of adding more Christmas to our Christmas book. I'd have never thought of the character conflict she dreamed up and wrote. This is _her _"writing success", but she'd never brag on it, so I get to toot her horn.  

In our spirit of collaboration, I got to add a couple of bits to it, one of which where we LITERALLY typed the same idea at the same time in two different dialogue paragraphs. LOL

Due to our schedules this spring and summer, we've had little opportunity to do that sort of interactive writing ... both of us writing in the same scene and bouncing action and dialogue off each other. We did a lot of that in the first two books, and we've been missing that lately. So this afternoon's (evening for Pip) session was a delight.


----------



## PiP

Yes, it was great fun. I liked the way Gran got even with Mrs. Abbot (I SO dislike that woman) and it also set the scene for other Christmassy chapters and a character ... a blast from the past ... which we could potentially use in book four or not. But at least I've sown the seeds.  Now Julia just needs to inform Gran ...


----------



## PiP

PS, currently writing my #FridayFlashFiction post ... sigh ... I need to lose 18 words to meet the word count


----------



## Parabola

PiP said:


> PS, currently writing my #FridayFlashFiction post ... sigh ... I need to lose 18 words to meet the word count



I hate having to trim flash. It really feels like scrubbing the floors at the orphanage.


----------



## PiP

Parabola said:


> I hate having to trim flash. It really feels like scrubbing the floors at the orphanage.


Yep, and I've had to kill my darlings ...


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

"My hands are shakin' and my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Yeah, I'm all shook up. Why? I just got word that my book on writing flash fiction is now with the designer. I never dreamed this is how it feels to get a book published (or nearing publication). This will have to do as my success/ joy for the day. I'm not in shape to do much of anything other than think about my book that's in the throes of actually being born.


----------



## Parabola

Just went over an unfinished story entitled "Leo." It's my Pet Sematary inspired story, and I kept switching up the middle-ending portions. The overall theme wasn't just resurrection, but a soul transfer that ideally would end on a perspective-jolting note than anything. This is the beginning.

--

Toby bent down to pet the Border Collie with a hesitance and excitement that was almost childlike. He straightened after a few seconds, the ghost of a smile lingering.

“Good boy,” he said. “Are you enjoying your dog?”

“Yes. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Billy looked down at Leo, whose eyes grew wide and caught the scarce sunlight. He instantly regretted telling the strange man how much he cared for his dog. He didn’t want to be rude to him though.

He mentioned he had to finish walking Leo and get home to make dinner. A sense of relief came to him the further he got from his neighbor. Except on the winding, uphill path to their house, for some reason the question Toby had asked now seemed like a dagger in the heart. He couldn’t shake how his answer had been slyly pulled out.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Pamelyn Casto said:


> "My hands are shakin' and my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Yeah, I'm all shook up. Why? I just got word that my book on writing flash fiction is now with the designer. I never dreamed this is how it feels to get a book published (or nearing publication). This will have to do as my success/ joy for the day. I'm not in shape to do much of anything other than think about my book that's in the throes of actually being born.



How awesome!


----------



## PencilPusher

I've been using AutoCrit to "grade" my manuscript. I'm up to 85.4%, or something like that, so there is definite progress.


----------



## indianroads

28 chapters deep into the first edit of Moonscape. It's going well.


----------



## Parabola

Expanded "Leo" a bit, with the worldbuilding, but I have disparate elements rattling around in my head. On one hand, I want to center it on the cul-de-sac, make it a slow burn, but for some reason I have an "in space" theme that I'd like to work on as well. At least the exploration of another world, which makes me re-think the premise of Toby being an evil character. Maybe he'll take on a mentor role at some point, guiding Billy through the journey.

So, it starts with a teenager's dog and that being the focus, somehow it expands outward and takes on an "epic" feel. if I pursue this route, I will definitely have my work cut out for me.


----------



## Alanzie

That moment when you've been struggling on how to start a scene for days (if not weeks) and then it suddenly comes to you in a flash. . .and it works!


----------



## Envy123

I wrote a pseudo-screenplay of the first half of a chapter. Even that gets me close to 6k words without any prose.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Going over _God Bless Small Town USA_ again. @KatPC has some terrific insight into my three main characters (of this book) that I hadn't considered, and has me thinking. However, I just wrote an amazing insult tonight, and even though it's NSFW, I felt compelled to share it. Censored, natch, but....


"Go crazy over someone else's boyfriend. This town's full of pe***es, and you're in love with most of them. Go on! His belongs to me."


----------



## KatPC

Pamelyn Casto said:


> "My hands are shakin' and my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Yeah, I'm all shook up. Why? I just got word that my book on writing flash fiction is now with the designer. I never dreamed this is how it feels to get a book published (or nearing publication). This will have to do as my success/ joy for the day. I'm not in shape to do much of anything other than think about my book that's in the throes of actually being born.


As a fellow member of the Forums you share, I give you a big virtual hug in congratulations!

Well done and remember to post a photo up!


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Going over _God Bless Small Town USA_ again. @KatPC has some terrific insight into my three main characters (of this book) that I hadn't considered, and has me thinking. However, I just wrote an amazing insult tonight, and even though it's NSFW, I felt compelled to share it. Censored, natch, but....
> 
> 
> "Go crazy over someone else's boyfriend. This town's full of pe***es, and you're in love with most of them. Go on! His belongs to me."


What does NSFW mean?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> What does NSFW mean?



Not Safe For Work


----------



## PencilPusher

My manuscript's at 85.82% on AutoCrit. It's improving but not by leaps and bounds. At least it's going in the right direction.


----------



## Galactic Goomba

Finished another short collection of poems. It follows a central theme. My mind is thinking of all the edits I want to make. But it’s exciting.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Not Safe For Work



Not Safe For Walruses.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

In my opinion, @Galactic Goomba, editing can be the times when the poems *really* come alive! Good for you for creating another collection of poems.  The world need more poets.


----------



## Envy123

The Brazilian soap opera mojo is finally coming back, so I started to write a typical chase scene in Jelly Dogs.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Not Safe For Walruses.



Coo coo coo choo....


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Not Safe For Walruses.



At work, we have a religious older lady that does NOT take kindly to "blue" language and typical shop talk. So a lot of time, we'll use the term 'NSFR' (Not Safe For Rita).


A.C.


----------



## KatPC

Happy today. 
It's my 11th Wedding Anniversary today, my day off too and just submitted my LM challenge story for this month. Have a ton of things that I need to do but a happy day nonetheless.


----------



## indianroads

37 chapters deep into the first edit of Moonscape. 5 more chapters to go - but I doubt I'll finish them tomorrow, a student at the school where I train has asked for a private lesson, and that will take me away for a few hours. A couple more days and it should be done though.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> Happy today.
> It's my 11th Wedding Anniversary today, my day off too and just submitted my LM challenge story for this month. Have a ton of things that I need to do but a happy day nonetheless.



Happy Anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. @KatPC


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> Happy today.
> It's my 11th Wedding Anniversary today, my day off too and just submitted my LM challenge story for this month. Have a ton of things that I need to do but a happy day nonetheless.


Congratulations. Wife and I passed through 43 years a few months back. Marriage is a good thing.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

18 years for the better half and I next month. 


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> 18 years for the better half and I next month.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Without my wife, I'd either be dead in a ditch or in prison. Instead, I live in Colorado.


----------



## ehbowen

_Time Flight _(working title) is taking shape. Just shy of 4000 words altogether when I broke it off tonight.


----------



## Parabola

Leo is taking a bit more shape but taking it one 500 word chunk at a time. The name I used for the protag (not Leo, that's the name of the dog) is a deliberate reference to a fairly obscure YA-ish book from the 90s.


----------



## Taylor

You plotters will be proud of me.  I'm stepping into your milieu.  I was having difficulty moving forward due to my complex plot and three, time jumps.  

I keep a detailed outline in Excel as I go. But, today I created a proactive word chart with the chapter number, day of the week, POV, and a one-sentence description.  Then I plunked in breaks for year changes.  I hope to complete the entire summary before I continue drafting, even if I make future revisions.  

This could be the beginning of my transition to your ways permanently.   We'll see!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> You plotters will be proud of me.  I'm stepping into your milieu.  I was having difficulty moving forward due to my complex plot and three, time jumps.
> 
> I keep a detailed outline in Excel as I go. But, today I created a proactive word chart with the chapter number, day of the week, POV, and a one-sentence description.  Then I plunked in breaks for year changes.  I hope to complete the entire summary before I continue drafting, even if I make future revisions.
> 
> This could be the beginning of my transition to your ways permanently.   We'll see!


Welcome to the DARK SIDE.


----------



## Joker

The number of words I wrote was greater than one.

That's about the best I can say.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finally hit 25k on this book. It’s been a struggle and I can’t seem to get in the zone ever. I’m writing about two sensitive topics (adoption and right to privacy) which makes this feel more like women’s fiction than the romance novel I set out to write.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Re-reading and editing. Trying to get it ready for the beta-readers.  Me thinks i'm doing it wrong. I went from 75k to 77k in two weeks.

There you go, @Joker, I wrote enough words for the both of us.....



A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Through chapter 40 of Moonscape, two more chapters to go.
I should finish it tomorrow, but we're shipping our baby grand piano to our daughter out in California - the movers should be here in the morning. The craziness of the move might slow me down, however I should manage to get the last two chapters complete.. I hope.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm in the process of judging a poetry contest. I needed a break from writing and this is a nice break. It's odd to think about all the writers involved in these fifty or so poems, each one hoping to take first prize. After three read-throughs, I have definitely found my winner. One poem clearly stood out from the others with every reading I did. Now it's a matter of choosing second, and third place winners. I imagine I'll finish this judging job tomorrow. It's been interesting.


----------



## PencilPusher

I'm editing my novel as week speak. 10 chapters down, 28 more to go.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Re-reading and editing. Trying to get it ready for the beta-readers.  Me thinks i'm doing it wrong. I went from 75k to 77k in two weeks.
> 
> There you go, @Joker, I wrote enough words for the both of us.....
> 
> 
> 
> A.C.



Tsk, I'm not pacing much better.


----------



## Parabola

Perhaps I'll spend a decent portion of the day writing Aqua Teen Hunger Force fanfiction.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Perhaps I'll spend a decent portion of the day writing Aqua Teen Hunger Force fanfiction.


I’m old enough to not understand anything you just wrote.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I’m old enough to not understand anything you just wrote.











						Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Wikipedia
					







					en.wikipedia.org
				




I have fond memories of "Broodwich" and other select episodes.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have fond memories of "Broodwich" and other select episodes.


I liked Marshal Dillon, Combat, Beverly Hillbillies, My Mother the Car, and Bewitched.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> I’m old enough to not understand anything you just wrote.



It's something the hip young millenials are watching.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> It's something the hip young millenials are watching.


I’m from an era when heroes were bold and true, and comedy was funny.

eta: damn, I sound like my grandfather


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I liked Marshal Dillon, Combat, Beverly Hillbillies, My Mother the Car, and Bewitched.


We just watched two episodes of Bewitched (first season) this morning. The first appearance of Aunt Clara, who bragged she had 3000 doorknobs in her doorknob collection. Darren's mother asked where she got so many doorknobs.

"I'm afraid there are very many people having trouble opening their doors."


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I’m from an era when heroes were bold and true, and comedy was funny.
> 
> eta: damn, I sound like my grandfather



Well, perception of absurdity/humor is probably subjective to some degree.


----------



## Joker

Huh. I'm actually pacing 171 words a day this week. Definitely not good, but I thought I was doing much worse.

For some reason I decided to open up my novel with a board meeting with bored characters.


----------



## Taylor

Joker said:


> Huh. I'm actually pacing 171 words a day this week. Definitely not good, but I thought I was doing much worse.
> 
> For some reason I decided to open up my novel with a board meeting with bored characters.


Hey!  Board meetings do not need to be boring!!      Send it my way, I'll spice it up.  LOL!!


----------



## Joker

Taylor said:


> Hey!  Board meetings do not need to be boring!!      Send it my way, I'll spice it up.  LOL!!



If you wanna be a beta reader when it's all said and done, by all means


----------



## Taylor

Taylor said:


> You plotters will be proud of me.  I'm stepping into your milieu.  I was having difficulty moving forward due to my complex plot and three, time jumps.
> 
> I keep a detailed outline in Excel as I go. But, today I created a proactive word chart with the chapter number, day of the week, POV, and a one-sentence description.  Then I plunked in breaks for year changes.  I hope to complete the entire summary before I continue drafting, even if I make future revisions.
> 
> This could be the beginning of my transition to your ways permanently.   We'll see!



This is proving to be tougher than I thought!  But I'm persevering.  Cracking myself up with some of the one-sentence chapter descriptions. LOL!!

Cover your eyes @indianroads:



Spoiler: Warning - Adult Content



Jack arrives.  They have an explosive argument and then engage in wild make-up sex.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> This is proving to be tougher than I thought!  But I'm persevering.  Cracking myself up with some of the one-sentence chapter descriptions. LOL!!
> 
> Cover your eyes @indianroads:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning - Adult Content
> 
> 
> 
> Jack arrives.  They have an explosive argument and then engage in wild make-up sex.


Was a trapeze involved? Make up sex must include the use of a trapeze... it's in the manual, look it up.


----------



## Taylor

I don't have to look it up.  I wrote the manual.  LOL!!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I don't have to look it up.  I wrote the manual.  LOL!!


Indy blushing... and running away.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Just sent the last chapters of re-write #2.. or is is re-write #3 to my editor buddy. Yeah, school's back in session. He'll have plenty of time to read over this now. Heh heh heh. 

In the meantime, as soon as I finish the afternoon wake me up cup 'o' coffee number two, it's back to going over KatPC's character observations that he sent me last night and add those into rewrite number 3... or is it 4?



A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> It's something the hip young millenials are watching.



Caught an episode of that late one night. Grew up on Ren & Stimpy and Beavis & Butthead enough to go to laugh at it. Haven't been able to catch an episode since, but I thought it was pretty funny.  I'll take that over Bob's Burgers or King Of The Hill or American Dad or even Family Guy.  I miss Liquid TV, though. Lots of great stuff on that. 
(Maybe @indianroads caught half of that before he yells at us to get off his lawn.  )


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Caught an episode of that late one night. Grew up on Ren & Stimpy and Beavis & Butthead enough to go to laugh at it. Haven't been able to catch an episode since, but I thought it was pretty funny.  I'll take that over Bob's Burgers or King Of The Hill or American Dad or even Family Guy.  I miss Liquid TV, though. Lots of great stuff on that.
> (Maybe @indianroads caught half of that before he yells at us to get off his lawn.  )
> 
> 
> A.C.



Earlier episodes (of ATHF), had a more natural absurdism/humor than the later seasons imo, and it was always hit or miss with the laughs, but there were some good moments with seasons 1 & 2 especially. Sometimes Shake's delivery alone would be enough to make me chuckle. Plus, it's a bit of a nostalgia thing too.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> Indy blushing... and running away.


I told you to cover your eyes!!  LOL!!!


----------



## indianroads

Finished the first full edit of Moonscape - it came in at 98929 words.
It needs a lot more work, but I like the way it turned out.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> This is proving to be tougher than I thought!  But I'm persevering.  Cracking myself up with some of the one-sentence chapter descriptions. LOL!!
> 
> Cover your eyes @indianroads:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning - Adult Content
> 
> 
> 
> Jack arrives.  They have an explosive argument and then engage in wild make-up sex.


If you're going to plot by chapters like that, get Plottr. You'll be glad you did.


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> If you're going to plot by chapters like that, get Plottr. You'll be glad you did.


I had a look at it.  I like the color coding aspect.  The only thing is, I like to get a birds-view.  When this one is complete, I'll have a one-pager with all 48 chapters.  And I can print it out and keep it on my desk as I write.  No scrolling around, or flipping screens.  I have two other one-page cheat sheets as well.  One with historical time references for the underlying RL case, and another with financial terms that I want to incorporate.  I guess I'm just a cheat sheet girl.


----------



## VRanger

Taylor said:


> I had a look at it.  I like the color coding aspect.  The only thing is, I like to get a birds-view.  When this one is complete, I'll have a one-pager with all 48 chapters.  And I can print it out and keep it on my desk as I write.  No scrolling around, or flipping screens.  I have two other one-page cheat sheets as well.  One with historical time references for the underlying RL case, and another with financial terms that I want to incorporate.  I guess I'm just a cheat sheet girl.


Once you have everything situated on the Timeline, you can go to Outline view, export it to Word, and print it. The convenience of using the Timeline is to drag things around from chapter to chapter and graphically see the progress of subplots versus the central plotline.

They need to add one important feature, which I FINALLY got the guy who runs the place (Ryan) to engage me on and agree makes sense ... which is to provide a facility for numbering scene notes within chapters.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Pfft... amatuers. Drive around a large automotive parts plant on a fork truck delivering caustic chemicals and think about the plot-line like real writers do. 


A.C.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Caught an episode of that late one night. Grew up on Ren & Stimpy and Beavis & Butthead enough to go to laugh at it. Haven't been able to catch an episode since, but I thought it was pretty funny.  I'll take that over Bob's Burgers or King Of The Hill or American Dad or even Family Guy.  I miss Liquid TV, though. Lots of great stuff on that.
> (Maybe @indianroads caught half of that before he yells at us to get off his lawn.  )
> 
> 
> A.C.



Over King of the Hill?!

Bwaaaaaaah! You ain't right, boy!


----------



## Parabola

"Plaque is a figment of the liberal media and the dental industry to scare you into buying useless appliances and pastes. Now, I've read the arguments on both sides, and I haven't found any evidence yet to support the need to brush your teeth. Ever. "


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> "Plaque is a figment of the liberal media and the dental industry to scare you into buying useless appliances and pastes. Now, I've read the arguments on both sides, and I haven't found any evidence yet to support the need to brush your teeth. Ever. "


Reason = bad breath.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> "Plaque is a figment of the liberal media and the dental industry to scare you into buying useless appliances and pastes. Now, I've read the arguments on both sides, and I haven't found any evidence yet to support the need to brush your teeth. Ever. "



At least give credit to Hal A. Tosis if you’re going to quote the guy. Geesh….


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I told you to cover your eyes!!  LOL!!!


Some things you can’t un-see.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

So as I’m driving around tonight, I had a “SHOLY HIT!!!” moment on how I’m going to end Book…. <pause for 5 minutes while I rifle through hundreds of pages of notes on iCloud> …13, tentatively titled _A Lifetime Piling Up. _ Yes, I’m _still_ working on Book 1, _God Bless Small Town USA_, but I’m still/always looking ahead to the next 19 or so….


----------



## ehbowen

Taylor said:


> Hey!  Board meetings do not need to be boring!!      Send it my way, I'll spice it up.  LOL!!


One of my WIPs features a board meeting...in Heaven. It includes the throwing of a pail of water...to cool tempers down.


----------



## PiP

Today, I reread 10 chapters of PL3 trying to sort out the plot and what came where and I'm still confused with the ghosts and the numerous plots. LoL I wrote over 1000 words _and_ I completed my Friday Flash Fiction. Feeling well chuffed with myself.  Now I can go to bed!


----------



## Taylor

I'm about 95% complete on my Book 2 Outline one-pager.  The chapter summaries are getting more serious now, like:

_"Covers Washinton DC story - Wallstreet Reform and Consumer Protection Act."   _

I know you are already asleep.  My goal is to make it interesting.  I like a challenge!


----------



## KellInkston

It's been an alright day - wrote my monthly blog post/email and did a little editing on a revamped project. All-in-all I'd say it's a big ol' win.


----------



## indianroads

Trained in the morning, then worked a bit on the blurb for Moonscape - I'm not even close to being satisfied with it. Later, I started work on categories the book will be listed under - @Arsenex informed me that I can have as many as 10 categories (THANKS!)... I had no idea. After that, I started work on keywords and comps - only 31 keywords and 20 comps so far - it's a work in progress.

I detest marketing stuff, but know that I gotta do it. Oy.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KellInkston said:


> It's been an alright day - wrote my monthly blog post/email and did a little editing on a revamped project. All-in-all I'd say it's a big ol' win.



I used to do an interactive bi-weekly e-mail blog "hey, here's what's new with me" sorta thing in the 90's called "As My Stomach Turns."  That was a lot of fun.

A.C.


----------



## PencilPusher

I've edited 19/38 chapters of my novel so far. I'll start Chapter 20 in a few minutes before I hit the hay.


----------



## Joker

Wrote like 50 words this morning and I was like... bleh, this isn't good.

Thinking I'm going to clean up what I already wrote so I have something good to look back on and motivate me.

Heresy? Maybe. Do I care? No.


----------



## Parabola

"Alejandro" took me to some strange and dark places. Meatwad started to channel Al Pacino from _The Devil's Advocate_ (from what I remembered of that movie, anyway). Maybe I'll keep a running google doc where I pen the random episode.


----------



## VRanger

@PiP and I have come to the conclusion we need to take some PL3 content and move it back to PL4. As I've written about before, this is a result of us writing skews while we couldn't really stay in close communication this summer. So my mandate today is to identify particular scenes we need to separate out, which will take a little massaging on what comes just before and after while we insert new scenes that more closely target our themes ... Christmas and the primary romance story ... plus an animal shelter rescue. See, in addition to those three things we also had two different ghost stories and everything that goes with those, and a new character Pip brought in and wrote some GREAT stuff for--absolutely--but is probably best to lead off PL4 with.

Luckily, I spent late into last night codifying various plot elements into our chapter titles, so this stuff won't be hard to find. The first thing I'm going to do is turn all our text black (we sometimes write in different colors so it's easy for each to see what the other just wrote), then I'll color the stuff I suggest moving in blue, hyperlink it, and leave PiP a hyperlinked list in our PL3 WF conversation.


----------



## Taylor

Finished my one-page chapter summary.  I bow down to you plotters.    

In the process, I came up with a FABULOUS idea for tying the main financial plot motivation to a romance.   It brings love and passion to the forefront of the story.  In my study of morality, I have learned that compromised professional ethics are often driven by the desire to please.  

Now I'm motivated to get crackin' and write!


----------



## indianroads

Worked on comparable novels, keywords, and categories for Moonscape.
Also changed the blurb a bit - it's down in Publishing Discussion - Query letters... and is still a work in progress.



Taylor said:


> *Finished my one-page chapter summary.  I bow down to you plotters.*
> 
> In the process, I came up with a FABULOUS idea for tying the main financial plot motivation to a romance.   It brings love and passion to the forefront of the story.  In my study of morality, I have learned that compromised professional ethics are often driven by the desire to please.
> 
> Now I'm motivated to get crackin' and write!


I don't see how anyone can get anywhere without knowing where they are going.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I don't see how anyone can get anywhere without knowing where they are going.


I always knew _where_ I was going, just not _how _I was going to get there. LOL!!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I always knew _where_ I was going, just not _how _I was going to get there. LOL!!


A plot is your road map.


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> A plot is your road map.


Ok, you win ... stop rubbing it in.  LOL!!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Talking with @KatPC tonight, and I've decided to take a step back after the changes and corrections I've made and give it a test drive. I know it's not completed _yet_, but I'm eager to see how I'm doing. So I'm going to get it to my betas (including two self-published authors at work and their beta-readers), and let them have a go at it. I'm going to use it as a barometer. 

Besides, I've got a few non-writing projects that are time sensitive and I've yet to start them. 


A.C.


----------



## nomdesab

Today I was able to refocus on plot structure and making sure I get it right before I move forward in the draft.  I started a "scene" journal too.

I can't recommend writing classes enough.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote about 500+ words in Leo just now. The world and plot are still coalescing, but ultimately it's something I'm toying with over the long term. Still reflecting on my first mildly sympathetic protag.

How far I've fallen.


----------



## Galactic Goomba

Parabola said:


> Wrote about 500+ words in Leo just now. The world and plot are still coalescing, but ultimately it's something I'm toying with over the long term. Still reflecting on my first mildly sympathetic protag.
> 
> How far I've fallen.


That’s awesome! 500 words closer to victory


----------



## Parabola

Galactic Goomba said:


> That’s awesome! 500 words closer to victory



Yeah, turtle wins the race unless someone accidentally steps on it (even then I can go into my shell for protection).


----------



## Parabola

Another authenticity tip? Pluck out an (actual, or perceived) character flaw and put it onto the page.


----------



## PencilPusher

I'm almost finished editing my manuscript. It was an intense 3 months and I think I won't write any more novels. They just take too much out of me. How people can write novel after novel is a mystery to me.


----------



## VRanger

After I identified the scenes to move forward to PL4, I think @PiP panicked a bit at the prospect of untangling them. LOL I convinced her that her first instinct that we had too much going on in PL3 was dead on target, so I just spent this morning moving all that content to a new file in a PL4 folder, making a file with a To Do list hyperlinked to the places in the PL3 files where we need to replace content with new stuff that enriches our PL3 theme and subplots, and notes in those places in the PL3 files.

Not a task for the faint of heart, but now it's all done and we can get back to work.


----------



## indianroads

PencilPusher said:


> I'm almost finished editing my manuscript. It was an intense 3 months and I think I won't write any more novels. They just take too much out of me. How people can write novel after novel is a mystery to me.


I know how you feel - but stories often demand to be told, we're the only vessel they have to become free and live in the world.


----------



## Envy123

Over 10k words in Jelly Dogs now.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I finally sent off my questions for a writer interview I'm doing. OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters asked me to do a Masters Series where I interview people well-known for short-short work. They in turn provide six or so short-short stories and a craft essay. All these are then combined into a small book. I enjoy doing this, enjoy studying someone's work and asking questions that can help other writers get a better understanding of the particular writers' work and a better understanding of their own writing. This is the third interview I've done for the series. It's challenging to come up with interesting questions so I'm glad I came up with the initial four I just sent off. Then I'll have to come up with the rest.  

So many interview questions, so little time.


----------



## Parabola

I've made Billy (protagonist) grapple with a few deaths in a relatively short time span, his dad, his brother and now his dog, Leo. Although Leo's doesn't happen immediately, it's more "off on the horizon, but is acknowledged will happen within a couple of months." These losses and one glimpsed down the road act as a surreal filter that will refine his character a bit, making him more attached to the remaining positive elements in his life.


----------



## Parabola

There are a couple of possibilities about how _Leo_ evolves after the first three chapters. It could have more of an "intimate" cozy neighborhood feel, which I'm leaning against, or where it spans multiple dimensions. The latter one is tempting, although the story elements for that one are still coming together. Right now, the cast of characters is still growing, not to mention the catalyst for jumpstarting Billy's journey. So many things up in the air, better keep my eye on the spinning pizza dough.


----------



## indianroads

Five chapters deep into Moonscape. The second editing pass is going well.
Smoothing out the prose and catching missteps ind the plot. It’s going well.


----------



## Matchu

Enjoyed yesterday with my free-writing for the monthly competition, then today wrote up a homework module - the usual a**hole writing where I say in 10 million words, how it is my belief inherently how the question posited is in fact, respectfully, the wrong question, you should be asking me this (other) question you see, because I think blah blah and feeding soup at the safest temperature is ineffective practice,, scalding soup reduces waiting lists going forward, thank you, end

Thank you for your homework submission Maff, rewrite it this way and you write this instead and you resubmit it, your tutor.

Fanks tutor, sowwy.


----------



## Parabola

_Leo _makes me think about how I've given every pet I've ever owned their own personality (each with a distinct voice). Good times. Anyway, I'm researching dogs now. Had a longstanding goal of being a vet, but that would require fortitude, ambition and other positive character traits.

This is the next best thing. I like to live vicariously through the research process.


----------



## Ajoy

I made my first real forward progress yesterday since starting the school year (I'm a teacher when I'm not writing)!

I revised three chapters of my latest draft of Atlantis Dying based on my new beta reader feedback. (Thanks @PrairieHostage for the wonderful notes!) I am making and planning to make some major structural and character revisions, so it'll definitely take me a couple of passes to smooth it out. I hope to make a bit more progress today despite plans to ride horses and attend a children's birthday party, and I'm even thinking I'm ready to start writing again on most school nights, which means I finally have my act together at work. lol 

It feels good to be moving forward toward a goal again. I was a bit directionless for a while after a feedback heavy rejection to one of my queries.


----------



## Taylor

Ajoy said:


> I made my first real forward progress yesterday since starting the school year (I'm a teacher when I'm not writing)!
> 
> I revised three chapters of my latest draft of Atlantis Dying based on my new beta reader feedback. (Thanks @PrairieHostage for the wonderful notes!) I am making and planning to make some major structural and character revisions, so it'll definitely take me a couple of passes to smooth it out. I hope to make a bit more progress today despite plans to ride horses and attend a children's birthday party, and I'm even thinking I'm ready to start writing again on most school nights, which means I finally have my act together at work. lol
> 
> It feels good to be moving forward toward a goal again. I was a bit directionless for a while after a feedback heavy rejection to one of my queries.


Glad to see you back in the saddle!  Enjoy!!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I managed to write another 400-word story today to add to my 400-word story collection. This is story number 17. I'm aiming for 20 or 25 400-word stories for the collection. This one's a mini-memoir about my grandmother running a drunk neighbor off her front porch by placing her shotgun right square in his face. :-D)


----------



## PrairieHostage

Ajoy said:


> It feels good to be moving forward toward a goal again. I was a bit directionless for a while after a feedback heavy rejection to one of my queries.


I completely understand that feeling. Since returning from a writers conference in August, I don't feel the get-up-and-go I used to feel in my writing. Once I'm done my move to a new property, I'll build back a routine. I'm in awe of you being a teacher and writing.


----------



## nomdesab

My advanced fiction writing class is giving me a whole new perspective on my manuscript. 

I couldn't really list my protagonist flaws. So I'm working on that.

My manuscript was lacking the "epiphany" moment. I have that taken care of now.

This is the three act structure broken down by the instructor. I don't 100% agree with the order of it....but it definitely got me thinking deeply about things.

ACT I 
Hook 
Backstory 
Trigger

ACT II 
Crisis
Struggle
Epiphany

ACT III 
Plan 
Climax 
Ending


----------



## Ajoy

PrairieHostage said:


> I completely understand that feeling. Since returning from a writers conference in August, I don't feel the get-up-and-go I used to feel in my writing. Once I'm done my move to a new property, I'll build back a routine. I'm in awe of you being a teacher and writing.


August/September and May are usually really hard, but it helps to have some extra time in the summer, and thankfully I've been teaching long enough now that I don't have to bring as much work home allowing me to switch gears to writing more easily these days. But there were plenty of years where I only was able to think about my writing, but not follow through. So the last couple of years have been a big improvement! The bonus as a teacher is that I get to teach writing and get to write a lot of short stories.


----------



## Parabola

I started to write bizarro fiction, then realized I didn't like the various offshoots of that I've read over the years. Seems to have too much of a "random" aesthetic. "Did you read that one where the guy has an alligator's head sticking out of his chest, and it's possessed by the soul of his dead mother?" That stuff is really grating imo. Slashes of disconnected absurdism...which actually might be tolerable if it had a compensating weight like a decent mood or plot.


----------



## indianroads

Through chapter 9 of my second edit of Moonscape.


----------



## PencilPusher

After three months, I've finished editing my novel. The tools I used were Word, Grammarly (free), Hemingway, AutoCrit (free), WordRake, ProWritingAid, SmartEditPro, and some online tips. My final grade at AutoCrit is 86.46, so I'm happy with that. I just finished writing the synopsis, but I'll review it tomorrow, then I'll start looking for a publisher.


----------



## JBF

I nailed down the basic story behind the owl-witch.  I'm not sure whether it's going to get filtered into the story or left as its own happy little infodump...but at this point I'm just glad to be past it.  

And only a ten months overdue, at that.


----------



## Parabola

I have several different projects, and now a part of me wants to tackle a post-apocalypse short story. Back to my roots you could say.


----------



## PencilPusher

I completed the synopsis for my manuscript today. After I formatted it, I sent it off, my fingers crossed, to a publisher. Hopefully, I'll hear some good news in a few weeks or months. To celebrate, I ate dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. There was enough salt in the food to de-ice an entire snowed-in block. I also bought Thai food from another place. I'll eat that later tonight.

Now that I'm done editing, I can go back to being a musician although, I must admit, I miss the bump and grind of running my manuscript through the shredders.


----------



## Parabola

What a horror-comedy movie thing inside my current story. Now part of me actually wants to write that at some point.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> I have several different projects, and now a part of me wants to tackle a post-apocalypse short story. Back to my roots you could say.


I can only work on one project at a time, the rest are jockeying for position in my mental queue.
I admire those that can parallel process, because I can’t do it.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I can only work on one project at a time, the rest are jockeying for position in my mental queue.
> I admire those that can parallel process, because I can’t do it.



Well, I've noticed the longer I do a thing, the more it becomes mundane, and the voice suffers. I've been finding having some sort of side-project with no pressure at all on it really helps to grease the wheels.  Especially one I want to write.

I've taken a decent chunk of time off from Murder Console 2, when my original goal was to finish first draft of trilogy before end of summer. Then, once I started to focus on another project, the one I've been wanting to do for ages, all of I sudden I opened MC2 and now I'm 80k+ in.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Well, I've noticed the longer I do a thing, the more it becomes mundane, and the voice suffers. I've been finding having some sort of side-project with no pressure at all on it really helps to grease the wheels.  Especially one I want to write.
> 
> I've taken a decent chunk of time off from Murder Console 2, when my original goal was to finish first draft of trilogy before end of summer. Then, once I started to focus on another project, the one I've been wanting to do for ages, all of I sudden I opened MC2 and now I'm 80k+ in.


We're all different people - so do what works for you.


----------



## rsluebben

nomdesab said:


> My advanced fiction writing class is giving me a whole new perspective on my manuscript.
> 
> I couldn't really list my protagonist flaws. So I'm working on that.
> 
> My manuscript was lacking the "epiphany" moment. I have that taken care of now.
> 
> This is the three act structure broken down by the instructor. I don't 100% agree with the order of it....but it definitely got me thinking deeply about things.
> 
> ACT I
> Hook
> Backstory
> Trigger
> 
> ACT II
> Crisis
> Struggle
> Epiphany
> 
> ACT III
> Plan
> Climax
> Ending


just this post is helping me and giving me things to Think about, thanks


----------



## rsluebben

PencilPusher said:


> After three months, I've finished editing my novel. The tools I used were Word, Grammarly (free), Hemingway, AutoCrit (free), WordRake, ProWritingAid, SmartEditPro, and some online tips. My final grade at AutoCrit is 86.46, so I'm happy with that. I just finished writing the synopsis, but I'll review it tomorrow, then I'll start looking for a publisher.


congradulations on the progress, thanks for the Tips on tools


----------



## rsluebben

I've completed 6 first drafts of 6 first chapters for 6 different stories.  outlining others. Learning from others and trying to get momentum.


----------



## Parabola

82k in. Aiming for about 90k.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> I can only work on one project at a time, the rest are jockeying for position in my mental queue.
> I admire those that can parallel process, because I can’t do it.


I have a ton of stories screaming at me all the time that often it is the case of telling them to 'shut up!' Mostly though, I write all of them at once, or at least pen down a rough idea of the story and continue with the 'first' story, but it can be messy. I think there is a thread about being in the 'zone' in stories, and the strange thing is ... if I am writing the 'first' story and a new idea shoots out that is a 'stop mid sentence to write this' I will literally stop and write the new idea. I have done this many a time where an idea overwhelms all ideas, so I guess that is being in the zone?

In any case, I have been writing a new story and it is all planned out in the head, now it is squeezing in the time to write. 600 words in so far ... so not too bad.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> I have a ton of stories screaming at me all the time that often it is the case of telling them to 'shut up!' Mostly though, I write all of them at once, or at least pen down a rough idea of the story and continue with the 'first' story, but it can be messy. I think there is a thread about being in the 'zone' in stories, and the strange thing is ... if I am writing the 'first' story and a new idea shoots out that is a 'stop mid sentence to write this' I will literally stop and write the new idea. I have done this many a time where an idea overwhelms all ideas, so I guess that is being in the zone?
> 
> In any case, I have been writing a new story and it is all planned out in the head, now it is squeezing in the time to write. 600 words in so far ... so not too bad.


We all experience how our ideas come differently. For me, they're like seeds blown in the wind; embryonic ideas that need to germinate and grow a bit before I consider writing them. So, story ideas come and land in my brain. Most die in there (not much light or nutrition), those that survive grow... and maybe yield fruit I'm not interested in, so I ignore them, others intrigue me enough that I start trimming and shaping them into something I want to write. Those that survive end up as stories of novels.

As a guy, I don't multitask well, as so can only manage to write one at a time, while the others wait in the queue; still growing and changing, until I'm ready to write them.


----------



## Parabola

Contemplating one day on one project, one day on the other. Or maybe a morning/night split.


----------



## Parabola

Honestly I don't care what's in market wise. I just write what I like.


----------



## Taylor

Introduced my final POV, late in the game but I think it works.    It's fun to write her, as she is annoyingly analytical like me.   Already, she's interrogated the taxi driver to glean information about her new hometown.   From here on in, she'll pretty much make everyone crazy with her inquisitiveness.

You know what they say—write what you know!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Oh my gosh. I'm shaking. I got to see inside my book _*Flash Fiction: Alive in the Flicker, a Portable Workshop*_. It looks just beautiful. (The cover and back, that I saw a few days ago, are stunning-- the endorsements look and feel especially good.) On the inside, as they should be, all my sections are there, all the citations are nicely done, as are the end notes, etc. I was told it will likely be released on September 30, 2022. I'll no doubt be useless until then, unable to concentrate, so I permit myself to do nothing much of anything for now.


----------



## Alanzie

After three years of shitilly writing this story...wooden and false...I've gotten my voice back.  Can't wait for draft #2 so I can tell it all over again...
This chapter, my eighth, finally rings true.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> We all experience how our ideas come differently. For me, they're like seeds blown in the wind; embryonic ideas that need to germinate and grow a bit before I consider writing them. So, story ideas come and land in my brain. Most die in there (not much light or nutrition), those that survive grow... and maybe yield fruit I'm not interested in, so I ignore them, others intrigue me enough that I start trimming and shaping them into something I want to write. Those that survive end up as stories of novels.
> 
> As a guy, I don't multitask well, as so can only manage to write one at a time, while the others wait in the queue; still growing and changing, until I'm ready to write them.


I have been working in a kitchen most of my life and it is one of the skills to multitask and multitask well!

Like what Taylor wrote about a character who is similar to her characteristics with the famed quote of: 'write what you know,' I am starting to think that this shapes how we tell and structure our stories and also how ideas come about. I'm sure you will agree that with one of my stories you read, there are lots of things flying in the air and like cooking, it is all about retaining everything and bringing all the ingredients and components together to create the dish. For myself this is like how stories comes to mind, like you too, I let an idea grow but, more often than not, other ideas start sprouting and it can get very noisy, thus I end up with lots of half baked stories and a lot of editing to do.


----------



## Parabola

84K into MC2. Ethan's exaggerated voice during the last 10-12K stretch has created a dilemma. Not sure what character I'll use as the protagonist for book 3 (whenever I get around to it). He's clearly on the "evil" side now, or at least will have that perspective of himself when (and if) I dump him into the precarious autumn of the last book. He'll see all the heinous things he's done, even if he's rewound the consequences by the end of book 2, making his prior evil-ness a "moot point." He's absorbed alternate perspectives (literally), is a bit humbled etc, more well-rounded and human even if it's in a larger-than-life sort of way.

So, it's a suitable enough change to justify his voice being used in the last book. On the other hand, an entirely different character taking the lead, (Kevin, Eugene, whatever), could be just as interesting.

On the other, other hand, I could just end it all with book 2, since Ethan finds out Joe is his dad. If nothing else that's the conclusion he's come to, and it creates another layer of ambiguity that might be a nice end to the story.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> I have been working in a kitchen most of my life and it is one of the skills to multitask and multitask well!
> 
> Like what Taylor wrote about a character who is similar to her characteristics with the famed quote of: 'write what you know,' I am starting to think that this shapes how we tell and structure our stories and also how ideas come about. I'm sure you will agree that with one of my stories you read, there are lots of things flying in the air and like cooking, it is all about retaining everything and bringing all the ingredients and components together to create the dish. For myself this is like how stories comes to mind, like you too, I let an idea grow but, more often than not, other ideas start sprouting and it can get very noisy, thus I end up with lots of half baked stories and a lot of editing to do.


Like it or not, men and women think and process the world around us differently. There have been studies regarding this using Fast MRI scans showing how different parts of our brains light up as we process information. It’s an evolutionary thing… I could go on, but I’m pecking on my ancient iPad, which is tedious and a bit aggravating at times.
Men are better at focusing on a single objective… a handy skill to have when sneaking up on a mammoth with nothing more than a sharp stick. Women are better at multi tasking due to their traditional role as keeper of the hearth and caring for children.
The world is moving in different directions these days, but our primitive programming remains.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Like it or not, men and women think and process the world around us differently. There have been studies regarding this using Fast MRI scans showing how different parts of our brains light up as we process information. It’s an evolutionary thing… I could go on, but I’m pecking on my ancient iPad, which is tedious and a bit aggravating at times.
> Men are better at focusing on a single objective… a handy skill to have when sneaking up on a mammoth with nothing more than a sharp stick. Women are better at multi tasking due to their traditional role as keeper of the hearth and caring for children.
> The world is moving in different directions these days, but our primitive programming remains.



There might be generalities, but there can also be variance within gender stereotypes. For instance, I'm a dude, and my personality profiled is possibilities first, organization second (using mbti as a rough example, I'm entp).

That said, I don't like hearth keeping and probably never will.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> *There might be generalities, but there can also be variance within gender stereotypes.* For instance, I'm a dude, and my personality profiled is possibilities first, organization second (using mbti as a rough example, I'm entp).
> 
> That said, I don't like hearth keeping and probably never will.


Yes, of course that's true.


----------



## Parabola

A little preview of Ethan's updated perspective.



> "I can't believe you're going to annihilate everyone in this town with a snap of your fingers," Mom said. Not that her words would ultimately change my anything, but guilt splattered across my mind's eye like flecks of blood.


----------



## Joker

Rewrote the first half first chapter so I have something decent to look back on. 1300 words and not at the place in the scene I was at 1100 prior, so that's good too.


----------



## Foxee

Oh my gosh I wrote a story! Considering the fact that my mind and circumstances have been a complete squirrel nest I'm amazed!


----------



## Envy123

Just when I was feeling down, my first full manuscript beta reader feedback has come in! 

This cheered me up and I also got to work, fixing most of the issues that I did agree with.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> Like it or not, men and women think and process the world around us differently. There have been studies regarding this using Fast MRI scans showing how different parts of our brains light up as we process information. It’s an evolutionary thing… I could go on, but I’m pecking on my ancient iPad, which is tedious and a bit aggravating at times.
> Men are better at focusing on a single objective… a handy skill to have when sneaking up on a mammoth with nothing more than a sharp stick. Women are better at multi tasking due to their traditional role as keeper of the hearth and caring for children.
> The world is moving in different directions these days, but our primitive programming remains


This brings up the topic of writing in the tone of the opposite sex (a very messy subject) and though I agree with a lot that you have said I'm not sure if this factors to how we write. I believe upbringing plays a bigger role.

Working in a kitchen since I was young, you can't simply focus on one thing at one time ... because if that happened then a customer won't get their meal for a long while! Thus multitasking (never liked this word) is essential. When you have multiple things on the go, if you don't time manage well, then somethings are going to be over cooked or burnt so the mind is always active and on alert, which has seeped into how I create and write stories. There are many times in which I focus on one story at a time, but I think my procedures are not very efficient yet writing is all about the stories. I think it shows in how I write a story too - if you remember the one I sent you, it is all over the place, but it does make sense ... in the end.


----------



## Parabola

Guess I sort of leaned on the writer's trick of turning a character completely evil, just so I can dispose of him. On the other hand, I'm still not sure if I'm finished with Ethan just yet. The POV of the next book is something I'm constantly debating now. Eugene, Ethan's foil, is the natural choice, but there's also Kevin, and hell even Ethan's first love Sarah could be an interesting fit.

Joe, the world-hopping badass with oceanic eyes, is also a contender.


----------



## Parabola

Depicting violence in fiction is one side of the coin. The other side is lifting the veil from the psychotic/disturbed mind (then you make the coin disappear). Maybe I'll use that coin to buy a soda.


----------



## VRanger

I haven't really written much for the last few days. One reason was the reconstruction @PiP and I discussed for PL3. I moved sections of a subplot into a new file to be a main plot line in PL4, instead of a subplot in PL3.  Plus, I read back through our 18 chapters and made sure the Plottr scenes matched the novel as written (and revised), plus numbered them in the proper order. That took HOURS ... mainly most of my day yesterday.

Then I'd posed a problem for GG which I hadn't thought of a solution for yet. A tiny starship has to provide power to a massive vessel with no power generating capacity, waning batteries, and 500 refugees crowded on top of life support meant for a crew of 200 ... who are also on board ... so 700 total. I'd thought of having energy beamed with microwaves, and asked for information about that in the FB Heinlein Forum. The technical information members there graciously shared scared me off of that entire concept. LOL But I left GG fallow for days while I considered that information.

Tonight I researched a different idea (energy transfer through quantum entanglement (and I DO have a QE device on the ship already) and that got me rolling again. So I wrote another 1000 to wrap up Chapter 6. My 20K novella is now at 18.5K, and it's going to run longer than 20K, although if I decide to I could end it and summarize at pretty much any point now. I've involved every character in my "lifeboat" trope, so that requirement is satisfied. Another episode in this novella relies upon random inspiration for an additional dramatic or amusing episode. It's nice for the word count to be at the point where I don't HAVE to dream one up if one doesn't slide into my head.

BK3 went begging while I did all the work in PL3 and tried to brainstorm a solution to the dilemma I raised in GG. So three WIPs in process does NOT guarantee constant progress. LOL


----------



## Joker

KatPC said:


> This brings up the topic of writing in the tone of the opposite sex (a very messy subject) and though I agree with a lot that you have said I'm not sure if this factors to how we write. I believe upbringing plays a bigger role.
> 
> Working in a kitchen since I was young, you can't simply focus on one thing at one time ... because if that happened then a customer won't get their meal for a long while! Thus multitasking (never liked this word) is essential. When you have multiple things on the go, if you don't time manage well, then somethings are going to be over cooked or burnt so the mind is always active and on alert, which has seeped into how I create and write stories. There are many times in which I focus on one story at a time, but I think my procedures are not very efficient yet writing is all about the stories. I think it shows in how I write a story too - if you remember the one I sent you, it is all over the place, but it does make sense ... in the end.



Am I terrible person for immediately thinking you were going to make a point about women when you brought up kitchens?


----------



## Envy123

I’ve implemented the last of the changes that I agreed with, and tried to evaluate the 5% I didn’t. Things like doing away with the “adventure of the day”, stripping away the intruige and changing my style. I ended up doing minor tweaks instead for those. The story overall is much better now anyway.


----------



## Parabola

It's time to play the devil's keytar (or is it saxophone?). I only know one song: pure, unfiltered, epic nihilism.


----------



## Parabola

You're damn right I will listen to guile's theme while layering absurdity until it becomes a monolithic scooby-doo sandwich. 

On a somewhat separate note: Why do my food fantasies always leak into my writing?


----------



## indianroads

21 chapters in on the second edit of Moonscaspe - 21 is half way through the novel.
Everything is going well.
Wife and I are heading up to Denver to see something called the _King Tut Experience_ - should be fun.


----------



## PiP

Finally finished my 300 Friday Flash Fiction!


----------



## Parabola

"The tommy gun extended from his forehead, making him look like a unicorn." A variation of what appears in MC2.

Now it's time to finish the showcase event in which Ethan activates the apocalypse beta using the gauntlet which has served him so well up until now. The thing on my mind is the "Joe reveal" and how him being Ethan's dad keeps the layer of ambiguity concerning the connection between him and the console.


----------



## Parabola

With ending of the book in sight, I'm increasingly wondering about MC3 and who will be the main POV. I could have multiple POVs but am leaning against that for unknown reasons.


----------



## Envy123

1,400 words in the Laughing Matters sequel. I did need to explain some things from the first book, like the characters and a couple of flashbacks, but other than that, it seems to be shaping rather nicely.

Cannot wait to get feedback on it. It'd be interesting to have a feedback comparison on both first chapters to see which would be better received.


----------



## Joker

1750 words in the last 7 days.

I are a writers!


----------



## Envy123

Finished the first chapter of Laughing Matters 2. Now to get a feedback comparison on it vs the first one.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I've been working on a title for one of my poetry collections that would tie all the poems together under the title alone. I haven't thought of the title itself yet, but I did manage to separate out the five mainly unrelated poems I like most and at least now an idea for a controlling title/ theme is starting to form.


----------



## Parabola

It's the same town across three books, but each has a different version. First vanilla, second stormy and chaotic, third a "benevolent" dictatorship (at first anyway) set in autumn. So just from the standpoint of a new yet familiar sandbox, can't wait. I'm also excited to tackle Eugene's perspective. It will grow over the course of the book, introspective and seemingly calm, although a bit turbulent since he has some guilt over being the architect of Ethan's mental descent and the newest version of the town (except for certain variables controlled by the console). Beyond that, even traditionally apathetic types can react strongly or even more than other types when under a certain amount of "stress." It will definitely be interesting to see how he evolves.

Gonna give myself another day or two to think through the first plot chunk. Usually while writing, it opens up from there.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Got the last chapters back from the editor tonight. FINALLY!!!!! Geesh.  Well, I can't gripe too much, he's back to teaching.  (Yes, I can gripe.)  Like @KatPC , he seeing improvements, but after comparing his notes to the changes I've made,  _mmmaaayyybbbeee_ I'm not quite as ready for the beta readers to give 'er a test drive just yet.  Which is a bummer. There's a few that have been following this since the original skeleton/rough draft, and I'm phreaking chomping at the bit to let them read the new and (hopefully) improved first book since what they read a couple of years back.

Told Kat that I was driving home from work this past Thursday morning, not even thinking about the book at all (actually thinking about a conversation I had with my boss just before I left about an assignment he wanted me to do when I got back to work that night), when I suddenly had an epic *SHOLY HIT, DUDE!!!* moment about something Kat had suggested earlier in the week. But I wanted to see what the editor had to say first, so I've be (im)patiently waiting on him. 

Now, if y'all excuse me, I've got some keys on this here antique Mac to go press.....


A.C.


----------



## Envy123

I revised the beginning of Laughing Matters, to open with my MC being bad and introducing his bully Rita on page 1. Figured that my MC trying to get away from his bully would be the hook, instead of the strange wind, as the latter is dealt with very quickly. The last paragraph on page 1 is now this:



> I was glad to be going to another school. I was tired of the girl who took out all her frustrations on me, and after today's beating, I wanted nothing more than to leave. But no matter how far you run away from the past, it always follows you when you least expect it.


----------



## Ajoy

I'm starting chapter 8 revisions, which means I got through another 3 chapters. Yay! I'm hoping to get more finished today, but I'm going into a section with heavy cuts and rewrites, so I might need a little more think time first.


----------



## Parabola

> To me, it was incredible how the context changed the meaning of those words. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when I’d made the switch from Ethan to monster, and it was probably before Eugene had accused me of becoming one. Point being: I tried to be sympathetic with what I said but ended up sounding hopelessly sinister.
> 
> Mom put her face in her hands and cried, mourning something that was inevitable, in my opinion, whether or not it was me, or someone else who lit the fuse. I was just the messenger with a gun for a hand.



Well, bit of an uncomfortable perspective shift for Ethan. I felt the world couldn't end without him losing his mental tracks though. Him maintaining his, uh clearly tenuous, grasp on sanity wouldn't seem very appropriate to the situation, even if he planned the apocalypse well in advance. I already gave him low-grade (?) sociopathic traits, amplified by impending doom but also continued use of the gauntlet's shadow mode. The showcase event demonstrated he had a mushroom cloud for a brain.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I rough-drafted another 400-word story to add to the collection of 400-word stories I'm assembling. It feels good to get a new story idea rough drafted. (I think this is my 17th story for the collection.)


----------



## Parabola

I'm having a difficult time leaving Ethan's perspective so I can pave the way for Eugene's voice, which, after two books, seems comparatively alien. Part of me thinks I'm making the wrong decision but building that new perspective takes time. Also considering paragraph-long blurbs at certain points in the book showcasing Ethan's view. Maybe the best of both worlds, even if one world takes up 90% of the overall landmass.


----------



## VRanger

Just shy of 2K on GG tonight. Due to various exigent circumstances and distractions, it's been a few days since I got to write, and that's crossed my mind ... trust me.

Finally got a chance again tonight. I'm aiming for 3K chapters in GG, but I got to 2200 and wrote a paragraph of dialogue that MUST end the chapter.



> He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder again … this time from straight on instead of a hug. “Look. How long have you had your Master’s license?”
> 
> “Six months.”
> 
> “You’ll get to Sosegir Station before Warbird. How long do you plan to stick around?”
> 
> “What do you have in mind, Captain?”
> 
> “If you’re still there when Warbird docks, we’ll take a booth in Nedry’s Bar and I’ll offer advice for as long as you can stay reasonably sober. And if we’re not done that night, we’ll pick it back up the next. Warbird will be in refitting here for at least weeks for my engine repair. The longer you stick around, the longer you’ll ether love me or be damned sick of my stories. Eventually I’ll start to repeat them. Then you’ll know it’s time to ship out.”


Anything after that is anti-climax. Short chapter and on to Chapter Eight. 21K in the novel after this, to date.


----------



## PiP

Over the last week we (@VRanger and @Selorian) have been designing the cover for collab novel, Poet Lariat, which is due to be published the next month. I love the cover! Poet Lariat 3, I am excited to have now taken over one of the characters and her romance with an American guy ... she's... a formal, prim and proper English lady ....  I am now rereading dialogue in earlier chapters, making minor tweaks and adding some internal dialogue to make the character my own. Loving it! I can alreaady hear Jim groan as he reads this ... LoL

I wrote a rough draft (pen and paper) for my submission to the WF Halloween, Anthology. AND, the bones of a story for this week's Flash Friday challenge. 

Now back to work!


----------



## Parabola

> I stopped on a dime, tossing it to my hands with my feet. The epitome of grace.



Ethan enjoys his newfound power.


----------



## Envy123

Feedback has been more positive on the first 8 chapters of Jelly Dogs than the whole Laughing Matters manuscript. Took on board the suggestions and I'm motivated to continue the story.


----------



## JBF

Having time to sit down and actually _write _was nice.  

Of course it all went catastrophically sideways (my two leads weren't scheduled for a fistfight on the side of the road at 3AM) but nobody died and it appears to be working itself out.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the second edit of Moonscape this afternoon. It came in at 99060 words. The novel is in good shape, but I'll still go through it several more times before release. Currently, it looks like the release day will be in late November or early December.

I'm very pleased with this story and am feeling good.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Somehow before sleep over took me this morning, I managed to re-re-re-re-edit half a chapter again while eating dinner, drinking a beer, and petting the cat who feels that if it doesn't get 15 minutes of pets a morning it'll die of loneliness.  hash tag: multitasking without a net


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Somehow before sleep over took me this morning, I managed to re-re-re-re-edit half a chapter again while eating dinner, drinking a beer, and petting the cat who feels that if it doesn't get 15 minutes of pets a morning it'll die of loneliness.  hash tag: multitasking without a net


My cats (yes, plural) follow me around all day, and one of them sits behind me on the window sill, criticizing my work.


----------



## Envy123

Jelly Dogs now transitioned to a setting where dogs and werewolves live together. Has way more potential, and I wrote over 3k words today.


----------



## Taylor

Envy123 said:


> Jelly Dogs now transitioned to a setting where dogs and werewolves live together. Has way more potential, and I wrote over 3k words today.


I wish I could do that!


----------



## Envy123

Taylor said:


> I wish I could do that!


I actually used AI to help me by suggesting the next steps in the story. It gave me the idea of the dogs living with the werewolves and I couldn't stop writing today.


----------



## PiP

I am relieved to finish writing the first draft of a scene where a woman offers advice to a man. I've kept it brief about 500 words, but it could easily have eaten up over 5000.


----------



## Llyralen

I just heard from a girl who is playing my MC in the audiobook.  I don't know how to talk about the release of my story in an anthology on here... I will have to figure it out.  But knowing people put great thought into making sure to bring my story to life right is super cool, exciting and humbling.  Dare I say?  It's cooler than I even imagined....


----------



## Llyralen

Envy123 said:


> I actually used AI to help me by suggesting the next steps in the story. It gave me the idea of the dogs living with the werewolves and I couldn't stop writing today.


Is there an app for this?  Or website?


----------



## Foxee

After a lot of brainstorming and free association with a mind map on a deliberately-wrinkled piece of paper I actually hatched an idea that I like for the Halloween short story collection. I've somehow kicked out 3000 words of prewriting...just jumping around and writing parts of the story, writing a synopsis of the story, just messing with it in different directions, getting words down. Hopefully tomorrow the first draft can happen.


----------



## Envy123

Llyralen said:


> Is there an app for this?  Or website?


Sudowrite is best for this. Just paste what you wrote so far, click the “Write” button and it will generate two prompts to continue the story.


----------



## Llyralen

Envy123 said:


> Sudowrite is best for this. Just paste what you wrote so far, click the “Write” button and it will generate two prompts to continue the story.


How interesting.  Thanks!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I'm not sure this qualifies, per se, but as I'm sitting on my front steps with a cup of coffee watching a service tech remove tree roots from my sewer line, I decided on a _substantial_ storyline revision in the last few chapters of this book that makes more sense in both the short term (this book) and long term (potential book series). But, damn, does it remove some  awkward situations and subtle dark situational humor that I was so looking forward to. 
But my sewer line up to the city's line is (temporarily) root free, so I've got that goin' for me.
Which is nice.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Finished rewriting the story today I have been working for a long time with a friend on the forums. I am going to wait until I research some more. It seems finished. I wished I could add more to the character's personality, but the problem is the story might be finished. It could ruin what I had planned since it might require an additional scene. I just need to proofread it. I could incubate it but I don't know what to do yet. I will reread it tommorow.


----------



## Llyralen

To add to what I said yesterday… I got to talk to the person who caste the 5 voice actors reading my story on audio book. She said “The people we found to do Ozark accents are blowing me away. Wait until you hear X read Michael’s letters. He had my heart.” You guys!!! (I know it feels not fair to talk about… but I’d also want to hear from any of you about what this feels like.)   I sent the tune of a song featured prominently in the story (in fact the name of the story) to the voice actress. It’s public domain. I said, “ I don’t know if you feel comfortable singing but this is the tune of the song. If you could, it would be so cool!”  She wrote back, “I recorded it last week. I did two takes and kept the faster version because in the story you said she kept a faster pace.”  You GUYS!  You guys! My MC got to sing her song!!! Those letters are from a solider in Vietnam!!! They actually read my story and brought it to life. I’m still amazed I’m not the only one now who is invested in my story!!! I can hardly believe anyone read it… this was all just too wonderful.  I mainly was in the right spot for this lightning to strike, because the proceeds of this anthology are going to an awesome charity and I am really grateful for the experience…  Okay, I’ve still got to figure out how to promote on here…. Hopefully tomorrow….   Sorry to gush… but I’d also want to hear this gushing… I will try to act decent! (Good luck, me.)


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I'm not sure this qualifies, per se, but as I'm sitting on my front steps with a cup of coffee watching a service tech remove tree roots from my sewer line, I decided on a _substantial_ storyline revision in the last few chapters of this book that makes more sense in both the short term (this book) and long term (potential book series). But, damn, does it remove some  awkward situations and subtle dark situational humor that I was so looking forward to.
> But my sewer line up to the city's line is (temporarily) root free, so I've got that goin' for me.
> Which is nice.


I had to do that once. The situation inside the house was NOT pleasant in the interim. At that time I wasn't writing on various projects where I could incorporate shit like that (haha) into my writing. Now I would, and I encourage you to, too. LOL


----------



## VRanger

2100 words on GG tonight, which completed the first novella at 23K works. I actually have a BIT more of this story, but I'll let it kick off the 2nd novella and segue. It will give me a smooth transition between the two.

After subbing out my microwave energy transmission idea on the FB Heinlein Forum, I despaired of writing that solution without microwave transmission experts tearing my technical nonsense asunder, so I went to Quantum Energy Transmission. QE energy transmission IS a theory with posited formulas, so at a few thousand years in the future I can get away with it being a possible application ... even though minor characters in the story "sort of" invent it in a crisis.

I'm carrying three minor characters from novella one forward. 3Click, the insectoid sentient, Sera, the android, and Charmaine (Mac) McIntyre, the older retired alien-language-expert lady who's currently serving as friend and confidant to my MC ... with a somewhat surprising twist to come on her eventual exit from the series. ;-)


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> I had to do that once. The situation inside the house was NOT pleasant in the interim. At that time I wasn't writing on various projects where I could incorporate shit like that (haha) into my writing. Now I would, and I encourage you to, too. LOL



Are you talking abut getting the sewer lines cleaned out or changing the plot line?  Or both?

A.C.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Are you talking abut getting the sewer lines cleaned out or changing the plot line?  Or both?
> 
> A.C.


Backed up sewer lines. Flushing resulting in mopping is _not _a memory I relish. ;-) We had a Bradford Pear RIGHT on top of the drain line. After fifteen years an issue occurred. Five years from now the guy who bought that house from me will have the same emergency, I suppose. LOL We were in that house for 27 years and I still miss it, though I DO NOT miss living in a city that got progressively poorly managed. I'm happier now living in the country (and county jurisdiction) a few miles from a SMALL city.

A friend of mine claimed I wasn't far enough out to claim I was "in the country". I told him that if I have to pass a pasture with COWS on my way from the town to my house, I'm f'in "IN THE COUNTRY". Period.

He shut up about it.


----------



## S J Ward

For the last few weeks / months... absolutely nothing. So the second book is well on its way! NOT.
Today, I found the answer to the problem of where the book was going. In a magpie!
So, although it might not be considered a written word, it's a writing success because I have the missing link to continue the book. Watch out computer keyboard, you're going to get thrashed!


----------



## S J Ward

PiP said:


> I am relieved to finish writing the first draft of a scene where a woman offers advice to a man. I've kept it brief about 500 words, but it could easily have eaten up over 5000.


It's a good job it wasn't the other way around... you'd have struggled to write 50 words! And, heaven forbid, if it consisted of what the woman actually took in... maybe 5 words.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

S J Ward said:


> For the last few weeks / months... absolutely nothing. So the second book is well on its way! NOT.
> Today, I found the answer to the problem of where the book was going. In a magpie!
> So, although it might not be considered a written word, it's a writing success because I have the missing link to continue the book. Watch out computer keyboard, you're going to get thrashed!



Attaboy!!!!


----------



## VRanger

S J Ward said:


> For the last few weeks / months... absolutely nothing. So the second book is well on its way! NOT.
> Today, I found the answer to the problem of where the book was going. In a magpie!
> So, although it might not be considered a written word, it's a writing success because I have the missing link to continue the book. Watch out computer keyboard, you're going to get thrashed!


That happens. My first novel stalled after the crisis ending Chapter 12. It turned out I didn't like it and had no answer for it. I later realized that, replaced the original crisis with one I COULD address, and finished the damned thing! So finding what must come next is critical. In my case it was also what must be rewritten.


----------



## VRanger

S J Ward said:


> It's a good job it wasn't the other way around... you'd have struggled to write 50 words! And, heaven forbid, if it consisted of what the woman actually took in... maybe 5 words.


I SO struggled between Like, HaHa and Love for my reaction to this!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> I SO struggled between Like, HaHa and Love for my reaction to this!



I've done that on a few posts... which reaction do I want to use? Eenie, meenie, minee, moe....


----------



## Explosia

> An angsty hopefulness clung to each of them amidst their shy resistance.



My two love-bird characters want to cuddle so bad, and it's adorable.


----------



## Envy123

At just under 20k words so far in Jelly Dogs. Now, the AI has gotten less useful in terms of story prompts. I'll sleep on it and hopefully inspiration will strike again soon.


----------



## indianroads

Explosia said:


> My two love-bird characters want to cuddle so bad, and it's adorable.


Please tell me that they don't call each other 'snug-ums'.


----------



## Explosia

indianroads said:


> Please tell me that they don't call each other 'snug-ums'.


Just "dear" and "darling" so far.


----------



## Taylor

I have been consistently writing 300-600 words a day.  My one-page chapter outline is working wonders. 

But I don't wanna be a plotter!  Wah!


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I have been consistently writing 300-600 words a day.  My one-page chapter outline is working wonders.
> 
> But I don't wanna be a plotter!  Wah!


Welcome to the dark side of writing.


----------



## JBF

Brief diversion from the PFH to the Halloween Collection project; done now, but likely in dire need of editing.  

...I'm still counting it progress.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

As the sake I had with my wedding anniversary dinner (18th, if you're curious) starts to wear off as the coffee I'm drinking (second cup, if you're not) kicks in, I'm rewriting/revamping a chapter when it suddenly dawns on me that a strangely high percentage of action in not only _this_ book, but in the whole series that I've done skeleton/roughs for, takes place in gas stations and convenience stores. You'd think I was influenced by the movie _Clerks._


----------



## Foxee

I've army-crawled as far as the first third of what I hope will be my draft to post for the Halloween collection.

I don't actually want to go to bed but I'm yawning and it's 2 am. I guess I'll give up the fight for a bit.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> As the sake I had with my wedding anniversary dinner (18th, if you're curious) starts to wear off as the coffee I'm drinking (second cup, if you're not) kicks in, I'm rewriting/revamping a chapter when it suddenly dawns on me that a strangely high percentage of action in not only _this_ book, but in the whole series that I've done skeleton/roughs for, takes place in gas stations and convenience stores. You'd think I was influenced by the movie _Clerks._


Congratulatons!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Just hit writer's block again on a conversation outside of a gas station in the chapter rewrite. 

The three MC's (Chris, Jet, Meghan) earlier had a close near-miss close encounter with the protagonist bullies at one gas station on their way out of town for a fun day at the beach. Now, on their way home, they stop at another to grab a few pieces of pizza for dinner (gas station pizza, good; gas station sushi, bad) and run into town slut who has hots for Chris... and just about every other guy in town. 
Outside of car (after encouraging slut to leave Chris alone), Jet turns to Chris and says 'we can't take you anywhere.'
To which my mind has failed me in further dialog in Chris defending himself and Meghan being annoyed.


I might need a nap.


----------



## Foxee

@That Guy Named Aaron It sounds like it's time to set something on fire, drop an asteroid, or toss a car through a window. You're at a service station, anything (weird) could happen...that's the point of the place.

A nap also sounds good.

I'm currently walking my MC into a....well, I don't want to spoil the surprise. Everyone can see on Monday, I hope.


----------



## Envy123

I got the AI to behave again when nudging it for writing prompts. So, I'm on the right track and can write a few chapters myself.


----------



## indianroads

Envy123 said:


> I got the AI to behave again when nudging it for writing prompts. So, I'm on the right track and can write a few chapters myself.


I'm curious - what is this AI writing tool called. I very much doubt I'll use it, but might discuss it with those in my writing guild.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> As the sake I had with my wedding anniversary dinner (18th, if you're curious) starts to wear off as the coffee I'm drinking (second cup, if you're not) kicks in, I'm rewriting/revamping a chapter when it suddenly dawns on me that a strangely high percentage of action in not only _this_ book, but in the whole series that I've done skeleton/roughs for, takes place in gas stations and convenience stores. You'd think I was influenced by the movie _Clerks._



Dunno about _Clerks  _(never saw it/not a Kevin Smith fan) but I kinda get the gas station thing.

...is that weird?


----------



## Envy123

indianroads said:


> I'm curious - what is this AI writing tool called. I very much doubt I'll use it, but might discuss it with those in my writing guild.


It’s called SudoWrite. Useful for some things but I have to keep it on a short leash to get the most out of it.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> Dunno about _Clerks  _(never saw it/not a Kevin Smith fan) but I kinda get the gas station thing.
> 
> ...is that weird?



Back in the 90's, I befriended a guy whose dad owned a few local convenience stores. One being a few blocks from the local pizza place I delivered for, that also happened to be across the street from the most unholiest topless bar you'd never want to visit. (Running joke on the place. Their Two-Fer Tuesday Guarantee would be that they guarantee that their dancers had two teeth for every stretch mark).  It wasn't uncommon some nights after I got off of work to make my way down to that store and hang out with him and watch the human debris that walked in and out of the place. Makes one appreciate what one has.

As I've been in the same place of employment for the past 23 years, there's been four different local party stores I've patronized either on my way to of from work depending on what my shift had been. As one might expect, when one is a regular, you get to chatting with the cashier and workers, and a bond grows with the ones that stick around for a bit. A lot of these interactions play into some of the material later in the book series. 


A.C.


----------



## PiP

Today, I started working on Chapter 19. Only 550 words but better than zilch.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> One being a few blocks from the local pizza place I delivered for, that also happened to be across the street from the most unholiest topless bar you'd never want to visit. (Running joke on the place. Their Two-Fer Tuesday Guarantee would be that they guarantee that their dancers had two teeth for every stretch mark).



I too have been to Kingston, Oklahoma.


----------



## Parabola

I will not bleed on the keyboard for it's already been done.


----------



## Envy123

24k words in Jelly Dogs so far. I really feel like I need to have twists and turns, to keep things going for a long time. But that also makes for compelling writing, so...


----------



## Parabola

Why do all my MCs turn out to be perfidious?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Why do all my MCs turn out to be perfidious?



Why did I have to look up HOW to pronounce _perfidious?_  Don't mind me, I'll just drag my knuckles back over to my forklift. At least I know how to pronounce that....


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Why did I have to look up HOW to pronounce _perfidious?_  Don't mind me, I'll just drag my knuckles back over to my forklift. At least I know how to pronounce that....


I had to look that up too. Webster has it listed under fancy-pants snooty words.
Grunt. Indy scratches himself.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Why did I have to look up HOW to pronounce _perfidious?_  Don't mind me, I'll just drag my knuckles back over to my forklift. At least I know how to pronounce that....



You're a forklift man? I always enjoyed when I'd drive pallets filled with product to the other end of the store (used to work retail) with it. That was my "introvert" time, nothing but the stars and my plans to take over the world to keep me company.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> You're a forklift man? I always enjoyed when I'd drive pallets filled with product to the other end of the store (used to work retail) with it. That was my "introvert" time, nothing but the stars and my plans to take over the world to keep me company.



Yes. I've been at my place of employment for 23 years, the last 13... coming up soon on 14 years... have been on a forktruck. First it was simply just providing parts from one processing/machining line to another processing/assembly area. 7 years ago, I went back to night shift to my _retirement job_ of delivering raw stock, large machinery/spare parts, and chemicals. 
It is the ultimate _ME_ time and job. I am by myself 85% of the time. It gives me ample time to think... when I'm not having to react to idiots who walk out in front of my 9000lb + pounds of bright orange electric powered quiet death without looking where they're going. I mentioned when I joined here that about a dozen years ago, the topic was brought up between myself and a few coworkers about writing a book (or books, plural) based on the bizarre, funny, and tragic events that have happened at the workplace (think the book M.A.S.H.). I started collecting note, and three years, as I drove around delivering chemicals, parts, and raw stock, I started to think/formulate what and how I wanted to write it/them. 
I never thought I would enjoy driving forktruck. It looked so intimidating. But the machining area I was in was going through a manpower reduction, and I was the low man on the totem pole. There was an opening in our logistics department, and that's where I got moved to, like it or not. My baptism of fire was stacking empty packaging, driving through every aisle in the shop with it. Unstacking it, restacking it, then drive again through every aisle of the shop with it for eight hours.  Still took me a bit to get over the initial fear, but once I did....
Yeah, I've had a few spills and small accidents. But I still love it, and think I've got one of the five best jobs in the shop. And it still gives me time to think about writing... among other things.


A.C.


----------



## PiP

Wrote another 500 words tonight for the Collab novel. Not much of a record considering the time I've spent sitting at my PC  . It's amazing how some days the words just flow while others it is like pushing water uphill with a rake.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Went back to the beginning of my WIP and re-wrote the first seven chapters to avoid any hint of insta-love, added much needed angst and soul searching before Melanie allows herself to open up to Angel. This will make the moment he breaks her trust so much more painful 
Bwaahahahaaaaa!


----------



## C.K.Johnson

PiP said:


> Wrote another 500 words tonight for the Collab novel. Not much of a record considering the time I've spent sitting at my PC  . It's amazing how some days the words just flow while others it is like pushing water uphill with a rake.


You’re having a rake day, too? Sending writerly vibes


----------



## S J Ward

Wrote three poems, each taking about 15 minutes. Not a major leap forward, but the muse had left the building for a while. Now I can't sleep. So many things plague the mind... 
Magpies... I have a character in my ongoing novel with the nick-name of the same. So now i am trying to work out how to entwine the actual Magpie (the bird) into the book. But I have too many ways of doing it! It's the opposite of writers-block!
So I sit and browse the forums, pondering the big question regarding magpies.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Did @Joker  write 50 words today? Asking for @indianroads  and @PiP   


A.C.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Did @Joker  write 50 words today? Asking for @indianroads  and @PiP
> 
> 
> A.C.



No, I've been scrambling to make up for missing four days of work.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> No, I've been scrambling to make up for missing four days of work.



Priorities. I get it. Especially post-Ian.  

A.C.


----------



## KatPC

S J Ward said:


> Wrote three poems, each taking about 15 minutes. Not a major leap forward, but the muse had left the building for a while. Now I can't sleep. So many things plague the mind...
> Magpies... I have a character in my ongoing novel with the nick-name of the same. So now i am trying to work out how to entwine the actual Magpie (the bird) into the book. But I have too many ways of doing it! It's the opposite of writers-block!
> So I sit and browse the forums, pondering the big question regarding magpies.


The first chapter in my novel is called Magpie.
It starts off very simply about the MC seeing a Magpie in his garden ... and there I get a little creative and join random dots together to form the basis of the book. Funny enough, the MC is sitting in front of his computer having writer's block when a magpie flies by


----------



## Taylor

Very productive today!  Wrote 250 words on the novel and then started and completed a first draft for October LM.

I'm going to go pour a glass of wine.  I think I deserve it.


----------



## Parabola

Re-reading the first couple chapters of Leo. I'm still processing Billy's character, innocent, not innocent...maybe so innocent he just explodes because the universe refuses to process him. Okay maybe not the last one, but his experiences are still inextricably linked to Leo, and I'm still figuring out the flippin' dog honestly.


----------



## VRanger

It's been a while since I added to BK3. Since I left one of my primary heroes crippled and about to be stomped into the cavern floor by an undead earth elemental Ancient, my time has been filled with PL3 management tasks, finishing GG's opening novella, and staring at satellite and radar maps for a few days keeping up with the hurricane that was supposed to hit us, but changed course and missed.

So I got back to BK3 tonight for 2500 words. I can't believe I left poor Teven in limbo that long. I started out worrying a bit that my first scene ... let's call it a scenelette ... was only 300 words. I wound up writing a few short scenes of about that length for the first 1400 words. I finally decided that was okay. Virtually my entire cast of heroes is involved in the struggle against that monster, in four different locations. So it makes sense that the scenes are short and fast moving. Now I've left a second character on the ground and about to be stomped by the thing. I keep warning these guys about that, but they just can't seem to help it!

In the good ole days of being a D&D Dungeon Master (and you can tell how far back that goes since I still refer to it as D&D instead of AD&D), I never killed a player's character. Not once. But somehow--and you could tell from the looks on their faces, they weren't that good actors--at some point in every session my players were certain they were on the brink of abject doom.

Hopefully I have that same knack in my writing. It goes back to my blog on "Suspension of Belief" ... the opposite of "Suspension of Disbelief". The reader knows the hero will survive, but they're willing to be frightened for the hero anyway.


----------



## Parabola

Now I want to write something apocalyptic. I have to write a short story, flash really, based on an image/idea that spontaneously arises. All those nuclear themed news articles wormed their way into my head...I guess you could say the a-bomb replaced the lightbulb.


----------



## Joker

I wrote more than zero words.

In fact, I wrote more than 50 words too!


----------



## VRanger

I squeezed in some rare 'daylight writing hours' today and finished chapter ten ... another almost 800 words. Fun scene. One of my heroes' acid spitting dragon had a knock-down drag-out fight with the undead earth elemental Ancient. The dragon did little damage but came away with a hurt wing. So dragon and passengers are retreating at a run rather than flying away.

That puts the novel at 30.5K plus a bit toward a goal of 85K plus. I need to keep adding 3K words at a clip. This novel has a broad plan in my head, but despite what I've noted elsewhere about a synopsis, I haven't had the need to do that yet here. I will if I start to run out of steam for Act II content, as I consider the scene I just wrote to end Act I.


----------



## Arsenex

Finished rework and repubbing of the six books in my first series. While everything is never as good as you want, they are much cleaner and better written than before. Even though they first started coming out eleven years ago, this highlights one of the great powers of self-publishing. You can update your work whenever you want. Prior readers don't get the updates as Amazon doesn't push them down, but all new readers will. Now it's back to the new stuff!


----------



## S J Ward

I volunteered to be a judge again... well, I hadn't got a clue what to write about, given the prompt!
Strangely, now, I have. With a little research I have a short-story to write. 
So I shall do both. Multi-tasking will be my new middle name.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I just woke up.


----------



## Taylor

I wrote my minimum 200 words and then spent the rest of the day researching casinos for jargon on YouTube.  

And no, the real casino managers don't sound like Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro).
​


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I just woke up.


Achievement unlocked.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Wrote over 800 extra words since a person who I consider a friend told me to add more description. I will check in tomorrow, but I wrote close to 4,000 words in total during a period of time because of the changes. I hate researching for descriptions. It is the least fun part of the writing process for me. The draft has been through many revisions. I hope to get some feedback here on the forums on it before sending it in. My favorite place to submit is Reckoning. But I hope to submit this to a fantasy and science fiction magazine. It took a lot of effort. I've got to learn how to outline the plot to prevent plot inconsistencies.


----------



## Explosia

I keep re-reading Ch 19 over and over, and the "freeze moment" I've stopped at seems to be screaming at me "end the chapter here!"  So, I think I might just do that.

This now leaves me room for three more chapters. And they could either each be 6k words max, OR I could make them 5k words and then have the very very last extra fourth chapter be 3k words.

More importantly, though, I have to eyeball my grand finale. I probably need to pull it tighter and do some "cut to the chase" planning for it. I have a couple of rough ideas tumbling around in my head but no decisions on anything yet. But I'm coming into the final stretch of this Big Edit... which is kind of wild.


----------



## PiP

Disappointed I only wrote 250 words. At least it finished a scene. Now onto the next.


----------



## Parabola

A scary thing, a dog's mind, but I will traverse it like some bizarre RPG map.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I wrote a beer review today.


----------



## Parabola

I protest the term "loomsman" (said with historical flair) even though I just came up with it.


----------



## Parabola

He held onto the mushroom cloud like an umbrella...that's all I have so far.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Taylor said:


> I wrote my minimum 200 words and then spent the rest of the day researching casinos for jargon on YouTube.
> 
> And no, the real casino managers don't sound like Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro).
> ​


I worked in a couple of casinos back in the early 80’s. The first scene of my book Dragonfly is in a casino, if you want to use the Look Inside feature on Zon you can read it.


----------



## Taylor

C.K.Johnson said:


> I worked in a couple of casinos back in the early 80’s. The first scene of my book Dragonfly is in a casino, if you want to use the Look Inside feature on Zon you can read it.


THANK YOU!!!   That was a pleasure to read, and I have _Dragonfly_ on my reading list now.  It has precisely the type of thing I'm looking for, not so much about the game itself but more about the house protocols.  I was wondering why she has to call out "Changing ten thousand" to the pit boss.  Do they do this every time?

What I portray in my novel is how the protagonist, a hotel and casino owner in Las Vegas, opens a resort out by Red Rock.  Her smaller boutique hotel on the strip had a busy casino, but the new facility is struggling.  Not attracting the same clientele, she has to get her head wrapped around a new strategy.  The facility also has a large convention center so that will be a driver.  And that all ties into the bigger plot that is based on the 2008 mortgage crisis.  I'm really having fun with this one. 

Last night I watched _Molly's Game_ for the second time.  I read the book as well and just loved it.  I Love her!  It's not so much about casinos but gives good insight into the customers. 

Btw, I love the way you write.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Taylor said:


> THANK YOU!!!   That was a pleasure to read, and I have _Dragonfly_ on my reading list now.  It has precisely the type of thing I'm looking for, not so much about the game itself but more about the house protocols.  I was wondering why she has to call out "Changing ten thousand" to the pit boss.  Do they do this every time?
> 
> What I portray in my novel is how the protagonist, a hotel and casino owner in Las Vegas, opens a resort out by Red Rock.  Her smaller boutique hotel on the strip had a busy casino, but the new facility is struggling.  Not attracting the same clientele, she has to get her head wrapped around a new strategy.  The facility also has a large convention center so that will be a driver.  And that all ties into the bigger plot that is based on the 2008 mortgage crisis.  I'm really having fun with this one.
> 
> Last night I watched _Molly's Game_ for the second time.  I read the book as well and just loved it.  I Love her!  It's not so much about casinos but gives good insight into the customers.
> 
> Btw, I love the way you write.


I worked for Harvey's and Harrah's in Stateline, NV. and individual casino policies may vary but I feel like every one I've been in (and I've been in many!) the dealer calls out anything $100 or more..."changing a hundred". It's not only for the pit boss but for security that is watching from above.

I've never played blackjack myself but I watch my husband play (we got married in Vegas in 2007, btw) and I worked the pit around 1985-86. I was a single mom back then, and my job as pit clerk was to track how much the players bet/won/lost because the high-rollers would ask for comps and the pit boss would have to determine if they played enough to merit free stuff. I've seen them comp anything from meals and rooms to lift tickets. I remember watching people play $2000 a hand for hours at a time while I was counting pennies to buy bread. I didn't begrudge them their money (well, maybe a little), but I thought it was rather sad that they couldn't find anything better to do with it.

LOVED Molly's Game! I love anything with Jessica Chastain...but after I found out who Player X is in real life, I can't like him anymore  Another movie that shows a lot of blackjack protocol is '21'.

Thank you for the kind words about my book


----------



## Taylor

C.K.Johnson said:


> Another movie that shows a lot of blackjack protocol is '21'.


I loved that movie!  It inspired me to put a card-counting scene in my first book.


----------



## Parabola

Authenticity, don't knock it 'till you try it.


----------



## Taylor

Productive today ... 700 words, that's big for me!

@C.K.Johnson, got me inspired this morning after she shared a chapter from her book _Dragonfly_ which I really enjoyed, and gave me some excellent info for industry jargon.

Also, a new character was born today.  After drafting a full page of narrative, I decided to break it up into dialogue.  The boss was doing management by walking around the casino and stopped to chat with a new floor manager.  They had a lively conversation that ended up in him being potential for senior management. He's young and attractive, so that's fun too!


----------



## Parabola

There's the "anti-PC" brigade of writers, then there's me, a writer with no social skills. Does that mean I have license to offend everyone?


----------



## VRanger

1100 words on GG tonight and the start of novelette two.


----------



## Envy123

First draft of Jelly Dogs done. Now to clean things up and send it over to beta readers.


----------



## Joker

Not counting the time I took off due to the hurricane, I've written 2600 words in 13 days, or 200 per day.

That's about all my brain can take for some reason. Hopefully it's just because these opening scenes are a bit more character-dry than the rest should be.


----------



## Taylor

Joker said:


> Not counting the time I took off due to the hurricane, I've written 2600 words in 13 days, or 200 per day.
> 
> That's about all my brain can take for some reason. Hopefully it's just because these opening scenes are a bit more character-dry than the rest should be.


You know what they say ... slow and steady wins the race!  I think that's awesome.  Good work Joker!!!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I know I give you (jokingly) crap about writing 50 words per day, babycakes, but seriously, good for you.  Keep it up, amigo. 


Oh, and the _50 words per day, babycakes_, is in reference of this oldie....


----------



## S J Ward

I wrote a short story... the problem is... its pornographic... so I can't post it anywhere. 
Tomorrow I will read it again and just dream it was true.
Maybe she's waiting for me now...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I belong to the red light district. If you'd like me to share it there for critique, hit me up on message. I'll share feedback from it with you.


----------



## indianroads

I've not been able to work on the edits for Moonscape for the past few days, so I defined a plot for Maelstrom, a homage to dystopian novels I've enjoyed (1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World). The work looks to be 40 chapters long and should come in at about 100K words.

With that done, I'll put it on ice for the time being and return to Moonscape.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I've not been able to work on the edits for Moonscape for the past few days, so I defined a plot for Maelstrom, a homage to dystopian novels I've enjoyed (1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World). The work looks to be 40 chapters long and should come in at about 100K words.
> 
> With that done, I'll put it on ice for the time being and return to Moonscape.



Interesting. Someone recommended The Hunger Games to me recently, and I still don't know the ending even after all the saturation. So, whatever you do, don't ruin it for me...


----------



## PiP

I managed a staggering total of 300 words today on PL3. Conducted some further market research for PL1, wrote the outline for Friday Flash and edited my Halloween Anthology submission. And I've finally crushed the mosquito that's either been dancing in front of my screen or singing in my ear all evening. At least there was no blood ...


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Interesting. Someone recommended The Hunger Games to me recently, and I still don't know the ending even after all the saturation. So, whatever you do, don't ruin it for me...


I'm not a fan of the Hunger Games movies - I think I'm just too dang old.  Yes... I said DANG ... that's how old I am.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> I'm not a fan of the Hunger Games movies - I think I'm just too dang old.  Yes... I said DANG ... that's how old I am.



I might try the books, but the movies never appealed either. Apparently the first one (book) had an addictive quality to it.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Interesting. Someone recommended The Hunger Games to me recently, and I still don't know the ending even after all the saturation. So, whatever you do, don't ruin it for me...



It was Professor Plum in the library with the candle holder.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

OK, this time I mean it!!! Re-re-re-revamping five of the last six chapters because @KatPC has now got me into the mindset of questioning everything. 
That came across a lot worse than it is/was. Pretty much the interaction arc between MC and a minor character started to not make sense when examined, so I’m altering the short-term, but keeping the long term.

THEN it’s going to the betas.

THIS TIME I MEAN IT!!!


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> OK, this time I mean it!!! Re-re-re-revamping five of the last six chapters because @KatPC has now got me into the mindset of questioning everything.
> That came across a lot worse than it is/was. Pretty much the interaction arc between MC and a minor character started to not make sense when examined, so I’m altering the short-term, but keeping the long term.
> 
> THEN it’s going to the betas.
> 
> THIS TIME I MEAN IT!!!


Worried about the 'questioning everything' statement here AC!

Don't doubt but I view stories a little differently. Let me offer you a lesson from a life working in a kitchen:

People often see the blade of a knife but not the blunt side ... dont change when someone tells you about the blunt side but take a step back to see the knife!

We can get so engrossed in our stories seeing things from one side that if others point out another they may feel this view is wrong. Taking a little step back and makes us see the whole picture. Don't question everything... it's just another side.


----------



## Parabola

About 500 words in Leo project. The plot progressed in that it was Billy's near infidelity leads to his decision to see Toby about preventing or delaying the death of his dog. Sort of like, the guilt over that made him temporarily bleakly nihilistic, so he sought out a balm for it.


----------



## Envy123

I tried overhauling Laughing Matters today, but any overhauls made the plot way worse. At least I now know that the entire story is not broken, and I just need to make tweaks to certain things.

But the scenes related to a rival house will still be transferred over to the second book.


----------



## Parabola

Debating whether or not which "world" Billy should visit first. They aren't random, more like milestones in Leo's memory. Maybe a teasing of one before he slides to the other, then back again.


----------



## Joker

Another 217 words, and I can't really think of how to proceed today. I'm noticing a pattern that each mini-scene I guess you can call it, I need a day in advance to think on it. Anyone else have this going on?


----------



## Explosia

Joker said:


> Another 217 words, and I can't really think of how to proceed today. I'm noticing a pattern that each mini-scene I guess you can call it, I need a day in advance to think on it. Anyone else have this going on?


I think this was how I got my WIP out. I did spend like an entire year writing it, honestly. And the reason it took me that long is because I would spend the entire week brainstorming how the next chapter was going to go. Then by the time I got to Saturday, I'd have the scene planned out, and then I could write it. So I'd be thinking about the story all week long but only write it every weekend. But that is how I did it, chapter by chapter. 

In fact, I am in that space right now. I have a big grand finale coming up in my story, and I'm kind of thinking about reworking it. But I don't have a plan, so now I think I'm just going to be taking some days to brainstorm. This is about the time when I start going on long walks on trails or long drives to help me think. But a pattern of brainstorming, writing, brainstorming, writing, is exactly how I got through the first draft of my WIP.


----------



## JBF

Pondering how far I should go on the description vs dread creature scale.  

The former is cooler, probably (Everybody should appreciate a good demon-horse now and again) but the latter probably works better for tone and style.


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> Another 217 words, and I can't really think of how to proceed today. I'm noticing a pattern that each mini-scene I guess you can call it, I need a day in advance to think on it. Anyone else have this going on?



Not with each mini-scene, but I have certain points where the plot reaches a bottleneck, and I have to take a step back and mull things over.


----------



## Parabola

I want a fictional heavy metal band in one of my novels. Plan on called it "Stagnant Milk."


----------



## VRanger

1800 words on GG last night brings me close to the end of Chapter 9 ... which is Chapter 1 of Novella 2. This could get confusing.

Want to talk about filler? I had Patrick disturbed from a sound sleep, put his pants on backwards and get an arm through the neck hole of his shirt ... not that I've ever done anything like that ... I really had to stretch to come up with that sequence.

I DID do something cool with Scrivner. I made a secondary folder (Joretus) under my Draft folder and dragged (drug? drugened?) the first eight chapters into it. I'm naming each novella after the planet it primarily concerns. Then I made a second secondary folder (Sosegir) and put Chapter 9 in it. So now I can click on Draft and get the word count for the entire novel, or click on the secondary folders to get the word count for only that novella, or a chapter to get the word count for that chapter. Pretty nifty for any of us who write to a word budget.

I had an idea for "Sosegir" I considered half-baked and in its half-baked state it made no sense. It's a theft of encrypted data. I realized that retrieving the data made no sense, because by the time my heroes retrieve it, it could have been copied any number of times to any number of places. I've considered this arc on my last three two-mile walks. As I explained it to Betty last night, the solution which makes sense came to me in the middle of explaining it, which is a common phenomenon when people explain problems.


----------



## Envy123

Got inspired enough to write 4k words for Laughing Matters 2. It gets to the plot and stakes much faster than in the original, as my MC is not new to the world. It may very well have high chances than the original.

The word count is likely going to be on the lower end for adult dark fantasy. I don't think I'll go for over 100k words again.


----------



## Parabola

Ol' Joe "ain't" dead yet.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Ol' Joe "ain't" dead yet.



Someone tell Mr. President then, because I don't think he knows.


----------



## Taylor

800 words today.  That's very fruitful for me!

@VRanger, I had fun with filler today too.   This was a tough scene to write about a journalist and realtor discussing some integral plot points that tie into the underlying case, the mortgage crisis.  But this is 2005, three years prior.  Neither of them knows what's happening in Washington yet, but they both share some clues.  However, they still found time to go shopping, have lunch, enjoy the spa, and engage in Girl Talk.   I basically wrote a scene that I would have liked to be in myself.  It was hard, but fun!


----------



## indianroads

Finally back to edition Moonscape - I'm twelve chapters deep into it, and the process is going well. This sucker might be finished earlier than expected.


----------



## Explosia

Worked on my side-project horror novella today in the B&N cafe. The end result is that I've worked in two new scenes. I wonder if I could toss in a third somewhere somehow... not sure about that yet. But there's also more character details that I can add to the current text to beef it up.


----------



## S J Ward

Last night i completed the last short story and, for a change, ive included some humour in it. I will post it on the workshop once i can get my mac online again (only getting sporadic 4g here). Now I've started to piece together all of the works that are going to become... The LittleBlack Book of Black Things. A collection of short stories and poems from the dark side.


----------



## Parabola

Another 500 in Leo. Tackled the scene where Billy asks Toby for help, went for a nostalgia vibe in the house specifically, but that has potential implications for the plot. This bit sets in motion a prolonged bargaining stage.


----------



## Envy123

About 3k words in Laughing Matters 2. Mrs Holloway is shaping up to be a creepy villain.


----------



## Explosia

My horror novella is the story that I had accidentally written a twist for, so now I'm going back to sprinkle in sneaky clues and hints for the twist, and honestly, it's pretty fun.   Like "Oooooh, will they guess it? Ooooooooh, here's a sneaky clue, will they catch this?" It's like hiding Easter eggs lol.


----------



## Parabola

There's one paragraph in Leo where Billy goes into the vet's office and has a semi-hallucinatory flashback to his first visit during childhood. I've been picking at it, not sure what I really want to say. Which feels like a weird space to be, you know the paragraph is important even though the message is muddled. I guess it's meant to be a "vibrant flash" more to conjure a nostalgic/sad feeling than anything else.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

So, the re-re-re-re-revamp (c) writing has been going really phracking good. Almost too good. 3/4 of the ways through it, and I'm absolutely sitting here going _*Sholy Hucking Fit!!!!*_  I'm just about kicking myself in the ass for not going this route the first time. 

Thanks, @KatPC  for that kick in the ass.

_*Please sir, may I have another....*_

Tis a pity I have to get ready to go drop off chemicals and avoid clueless pedestrians. 9000 pounds / 4082.331 kilograms of silent bright orange death beckons. But alas, I can finish this up in the morning.


A.C.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Tis a pity I have to get ready to go drop off chemicals and avoid clueless pedestrians. 9000 pounds / 4082.331 kilograms of silent bright orange death beckons. But alas, I can finish this up in the morning.



Drop chemicals on idiots.  Apply directly to forehead.

Eventually the problem will sort itself out.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> Drop chemicals on idiots.  Apply directly to forehead.
> 
> Eventually the problem will sort itself out.



My paycheck forbids me from doing so, although I would love to.


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> My paycheck forbids me from doing so, although I would love to.


I won’t tell the boss if you won’t.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> I won’t tell the boss if you won’t.


Well, here we go….

10 lil, 9 lil, 8 lil speedbumps.
7 lil, 6 lil, 5 lil speedbumps.
4 lil, 3 lil…. wait, backup up. 
That one’s still moving. 
Oh, quit screaming. You act like you’ve never had a compound fracture before!


----------



## Parabola

JBF said:


> Drop chemicals on idiots.  Apply directly to forehead.
> 
> Eventually the problem will sort itself out.



So, it goes: Peace Through Strength, Drop Chemicals on Idiots?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> So, it goes: Peace Through Strength, Drop Chemicals on Idiots?


Make Industrial Accidents, Not War


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Finished the re-re-re-re-re-re-revamp just as I finished my beer.  I'm going to bed. 


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Oh, yeah. Before I forget. I used “cranial proctology” in an e-mail to my boss. I’m proud of that.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Finished the re-re-re-re-re-re-revamp just as I finished my beer.  I'm going to bed.
> 
> 
> A.C.



This re-re-re-posts are eventually going to get extremely long.


----------



## Envy123

Currently at 13k words for Laughing Matters 2. I think it’s time to go back to good old dictation to bring the magic from the first book to this one.


----------



## Parabola

It takes me a while to get the "vibe" of the MC, their inner life etc. About 6k in, and it seems like I'm at that place with Billy. This one is defined by dark but not necessarily depressing surrealism, so I'm coasting on that specific feel. He jumps in and out of the past, prolonging the bargaining stage. That situational comb always helps me to shape a character.


----------



## Llyralen

I got told my “Author’s photograph” was due today. I have been putting it off and forgot. I don’t have that many pics that aren’t with others. My husband helped me pick it out of the few selfies I’ve sent him after getting past haircuts. Well!  It’s done! Too close up and no books behind or pen in hand or even make-up on other than lipstick. Still, I think I like it. It’s me. My new bangs looked nice. It’s more of a contemplative look and the shadows of where I stood are interesting. I will share if someone can tell me how to upload from my phone pics.  (Eek!)

Oh my gosh, it’s happening!  It’s just a story in an anthology but it’s happening!

Also, I had written a chapter for the continuation of this same story that I thought I didn’t like at all and would need to throw out, but I read it last week (months after writing it) and I like it!


----------



## Explosia

Been spending pretty much all day working on this horror side-novella.  I'm reaching the minimal word count, but I still need to  keep adding more. 

I'm glad to be making this much progress this quickly so I have more time to clean it up... oish... 

Realistically? It's probably not going to be accepted. I'm not so sure it has the "pizazz" that would keep anyone hooked (it does have its weirdo psychadelic moments, though)... But, well... at least I'll have this novella version on hand in case any other calls for submission come up in the future...


----------



## Parabola

Some initial thoughts on horror since I've reached the semi-dream sequence featuring clowns and such (Billy is exploring his past). 1) I'm not opposed to "gore" in conservative doses, but I don't see it as ultimately necessary to invoke fear/dread. Weird, dreamlike imagery can be unsettling without having to resort to gore/violence. 2) These sections will be limited anyway.


----------



## Joker

400 words. Less terrible than usual, too!


----------



## PiP

Written 1200 + words over the last couple of days. Only the first draft of the Christmas Carol and Santa scenes but at least the bones are there ...


----------



## Explosia

Parabola said:


> Some initial thoughts on horror since I've reached the semi-dream sequence featuring clowns and such (Billy is exploring his past). 1) I'm not opposed to "gore" in conservative doses, but I don't see it as ultimately necessary to invoke fear/dread. Weird, dreamlike imagery can be unsettling without having to resort to gore/violence. 2) These sections will be limited anyway.


Yeah, I don't consider gore to be necessary for horror. Effective under the right conditions, certainly, but I want variety. One of the reasons why I get so drawn to horror is that it's like almost anything goes. You can come up with such wild, out-there things, and I think that's more the fun in it.


----------



## Parabola

Explosia said:


> Yeah, I don't consider gore to be necessary for horror. Effective under the right conditions, certainly, but I want variety. One of the reasons why I get so drawn to horror is that it's like almost anything goes. You can come up with such wild, out-there things, and I think that's more the fun in it.



Yeah, gore can be effective in the appropriate context, sometimes it's even a necessary fit.  If it's the latter, unexpected/jarring helps to give that jolt of adrenaline. Most of the time, other things fit much better, like incoherent fever dream imagery/sound mixture (something I'm working on).


----------



## S J Ward

Started editing at 9am, going great guns till ten, stopped and restarted at 11am. 1pm went fishing. Caught one fish... now re-editing the edits. And I just haven't got my brain in gear.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Changed up dialog in two scenes. And I'm doing the re-re-re-read before off to the Betas. Just going over obvious flubbs.


----------



## Taylor

Had a good laugh today while writing Chapter 10. 

I was describing a clue that the protagonist finds at the Library of Congress—a House Bill.  When I worked in government, we would refer to the language of these types of documents as 'legalese.' I wasn't sure my reader would be familiar with this term, so I checked my Microsoft Thesaurus for a more common word. 

They gave me "gobbledygook."  Not quite the tone and voice I was going for!


----------



## Parabola

Started re-reading Murder Console, book 1. I forgot about the offshoot reality toward the end that let Ethan explore his regret through other versions of his friends and family. Of course, it's also a way to toy with his mind.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm ecstatic over getting two 5-star ratings at Amazon for my book. These are the first ratings I've received. I also got a note from a man who told me the book was so good he moved it to a prominent place in his throne room. I never dreamed I'd make someone's throne room!:-D  Good day, for sure.


----------



## Foxee

The long and bloody battle to complete a draft that I actually like is over and (arguably) won. Now it seems I have a rather long and bloody short story which is progress, at least. Now hopefully edits won't have to be too bloody and the Halloween Collection will have more words to print.


----------



## Parabola

Billy meets the king of birthday town. He's exploring an altered memory from his youth.




> “Spider monkeys. My parents never let me have them. In this world, my parents know who’s boss, and I can have any animal I want, and their bedtime is set at 7:00pm, with absolutely no wiggle room.”
> 
> “Why 7:00pm?”
> 
> “I’m an introvert. I like my quiet time. Now, onto business. There’s something in this blasted town that I want, and only you can get it for me.”
> 
> “Okay what is it? And why can’t you get it?”
> 
> “A memento that’s just gathering grit in the decaying tomb of my youth, and I’m not allowed to leave this cul-de-sac. How’s that for a king? I’m allowed a kingdom, a golden palace, but I can’t leave its confines.”


----------



## Envy123

At 20k words now in Laughing Matters 2. Finally, a quarter of the way through.


----------



## Taylor

Wrote my 300-word Friday-Flash piece, posted a blog entry in Taylor's Progress Journal, and still managed to squeak out 350 words for the novel.  

Some days writing is a breeze.  Now if I can just figure out how to bottle that!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Finally ready for the beta readers. Now I need to find someone to design my cover artwork. 
hopefully that doesn’t cost me body parts.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Wrote about 3000 words today. I got inspired by some posts inside the thread: how far back do you remember. Also, I wrote based on one of the ideas I worked when reading the will dunne workbook. I read it out loud and used some grammar software. It might need a little bit more of description.


----------



## Foxee

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Finally ready for the beta readers. Now I need to find someone to design my cover artwork.
> hopefully that doesn’t cost me body parts.


----------



## VRanger

2K on GG. I need to increase my production if I'm to finish everything I want to by year end, but I can live with that tonight. I managed to define the major plot line for the second novella, which was a bit up in the air even after 4500 words. This puts "Sosegir" at 6.8K, or approximately 1/3rd of the way through the second novella. The whole thing now stands at 30K words.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Came up with a concept for the front cover of _God Bless Small Town, USA._  I showed it to the coworkers that have been following my writing, and all gave it a vote of approval. Going to just hack something chicken-stuff together just for the beta readers while I try to find someone - anyone - who I can work with on the cover design for a budget price. 

I've got a big satisfied grin on my face right now. Starting to think that this is actually going to get finished. I know it's not ready yet, but _damn,_ does this feel like a major accomplishment in not knowing what I'm doing.


----------



## Parabola

Just wrote a paragraph weaving description and introspection, usually hard for me to do at the same time. Aside from that, the story parts are coalescing. Billy's exploring the never-ending birthday party and meets Kevin, his best buddy. Once the perpetual sunset gives way to night, he'll go beyond the confines of the backyard and walk into town, which is an eerie as hell experience I had more than once. Kevin won't go with him though, as that journey is meant for him and Leo, allowing for some opportunities for introspection between character interactions.

He goes to his old house and finds the item Joe wants, an old video game console. Figured I'd steal that King-y aspect of having a vaguely connected broader universe, although I'm not attempting any kind of coherence with that aspect. Easter eggs just for fun.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

In spite of computer and server problems, I managed to finish an interview with a writer who's to be featured in _OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters_' Masters of Flash Fiction Series. (I love computers when they're working but despise them when they're not-- I seem to have no feelings toward them in between those extremes.) The interview went well so overall I'm pleased. But still a bit frustrated with the computer.


----------



## Joker

381 words, been fighting all day to get them out.

Alexa, play, like, Bodies by Drowning Pool, or something.


----------



## Theglasshouse

Wrote 500 more words and rewrote the plot of the story. I added a bigger hook for my short story this time. For those interested, it is in the workshop in the thread: "Doctor Clock." I renamed it since I made a good number of revisions and amendments.


----------



## Parabola

> Joe nodded. “Yes, your friend’s birthday party, but it’s so much more than that now. A vassal state that I’ve brought to heel.”
> 
> “Seriously, you seem quite intelligent for your age.”
> 
> “Same goes for you, though out of the two of us, I’m the brighter bulb. Infinitely blinding, if you’d care to take a peek.” Joe leaned forward, clasping both hands in front of him. His unruly black hair made him seem even more like some petulant, all powerful ruler.



Just some dialogue before Billy heads into town. I'm looking forward to the twist with Toby (he's referred to as "Lord Toby" for a reason).


----------



## CyberWar

I've made some decent headway in writing the second part of my latest shortie, _Negative Enforcement_, the first part of which is currently available in WF Workshop for everybody's review and critique (hint, hint, nudge, nudge). It features more glorious violence and bloodshed of the Second American Civil War, this time through the eyes of an American policewoman who finds herself caught in the middle of a gun battle between elite Confederate Enforcers and Lions of Koresh terrorists. If things go well, the complete Part Two should be available for public review before the end of this week.


----------



## indianroads

Broke through the 3/4 mark of the third edit of Moonscape. It's looking good.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 381 words, been fighting all day to get them out.
> 
> Alexa, play, like, Bodies by Drowning Pool, or something.



I just cruised over to this thread going _Has Joker written today?._


----------



## Parabola

About 1k in MC3. I think I found out how Kevin gets access to the console. Also conceptualizing the fact that the dictatorship architecture changes hands a few times. For instance, Eugene's is somewhat "hands off" after he set the premises with Joe's permission, but once Kevin is in charge, he wants to enjoy the dark fruits of all that hidden labor.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I just cruised over to this thread going _Has Joker written today?._


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


>



Thoughts and prayers and the contractually obligated kick in the shin.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Thoughts and prayers and the contractually obligated kick in the shin.



Hey, I've written

_checks notes_

Two sentences this morning!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Hey, I've written
> 
> _checks notes_
> 
> Two sentences this morning!



Attaboy. Keep it up. 

I wrote a beer review. But not for here. I'm grabbing some sleep. I'll stop by later with the steel-toes to check on ya.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Attaboy. Keep it up.
> 
> I wrote a beer review. But not for here. I'm grabbing some sleep. I'll stop by later with the steel-toes to check on ya.



Great, we can have a steel-toe duel, since I always wear Docs.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Great, we can have a steel-toe duel, since I always wear Docs.



I hit my right shin and my barrel-claw today, so that one's out of the question. Left shin's open game.


----------



## Joker

Good news! I hit my 200 word target for the day.

Bad news! I hit that shit like a wall because my stupid ass cat woke up me an hour early and my brain is a fried egg.


----------



## Parabola

About 800 words in MC3, 4k total. Finally, a new season to toy with. The last two books took place in summer. This one is a "mild" dystopia set during autumn.


----------



## Envy123

I wrote a lot yesterday and today, bringing it up to 27k words. There’s now more room to breathe before the horror tension happens again.


----------



## Parabola

I already had it in mind Kevin would take charge of the dictatorship apparatus at some point. But now I'm thinking Ethan will be forced to join his killing squad. Ethan wanted "ultimate power" well he'll get it an unexpected way. The final reality in the book will also have permanent consequences. No mushroom clouds/reset button.


----------



## Parabola

Also I decided to turn Canada into a rogue nuclear state (even though I just said there won't be mushroom clouds, I meant the tabula rasa kind). It just seemed right.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Also I decided to turn Canada into a rogue nuclear state (even though I just said there won't be mushroom clouds, I meant the tabula rasa kind). It just seemed right.



Bruh, how tho?


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> Bruh, how tho?



Well, it was one of those random writing moments that helped justify some other worldbuilding stuff. I'll have to flesh it out more at some point. Anyway, in the meantime, all hail the maple leaf!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Also I decided to turn Canada into a rogue nuclear state (even though I just said there won't be mushroom clouds, I meant the tabula rasa kind). It just seemed right.



At least have us invade and overrun up to the St Lawrence first, eh? Take southern Quebec and the martines. I mean, you've got Ukraine right now for a killer plot inspiration. Jst sayin'....


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> At least have us invade and overrun up to the St Lawrence first, eh? Take southern Quebec and the martines. I mean, you've got Ukraine right now for a killer plot inspiration. Jst sayin'....



Yes sir. Plenty of real time inspiration. Although it's sort of a "fringe" plot point at the moment, window dressing for a dystopia getting more control of its citizens etc.


----------



## indianroads

I finished the third edit of Moonscape today. WC came in at 98964, and the MS is in good shape. I'll still do a few more edits though.
The debate is whether I should bundle everything into book format (chapters are currently separate files). Think I'll head down to Freedy's for lunch and a custard, and ponder that decision there.


----------



## Parabola

A collapsing nuclear souffle had been the only way out.


----------



## Joker

381 words, finished Chapter 3. 380-something seems to be a magic number...


----------



## VRanger

My last update was Thursday, and I've written more on a couple of days since then. Tonight was another 2K on GG, completing Chapter 12. I think I had just started Chapter 10 on my last post. I'm now at 34K words total on GG, and 11K on the Sosegir novella, or more than halfway.

However, the plot is becoming interleaved. I may have to wrap up some stuff from the first novella for the last half of this one and continue a major plot line from the second novella in the third. LOL Maybe I'm not writing novellas after all.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Throwing together a dozen printed drafts into binders to pass out to the local beta readers, including half a dozen at work tonight. Time to see where I'm at.   Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to wear out this new three-hole punch I just bought....


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Throwing together a dozen printed drafts into binders to pass out to the local beta readers, including half a dozen at work tonight. Time to see where I'm at.   Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to wear out this new three-hole punch I just bought....


Three hole punch. I think that's why I still have issues with my right bicep. SHOULD have used the left.

Live hack: Never try to punch through more than 4 sheets at a time. 10 sheets at a time will F YOU UP.


----------



## VRanger

Parabola said:


> Also I decided to turn Canada into a rogue nuclear state (even though I just said there won't be mushroom clouds, I meant the tabula rasa kind). It just seemed right.


Probably more profitable to write an erotic novel based on the Mounties, eh?


----------



## Parabola

VRanger said:


> Probably more profitable to write an erotic novel based on the Mounties, eh?



Well, Mountie Post-Apocalyptic Erotica seems fairly niche. But you never know...it could be an untapped market.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> Three hole punch. I think that's why I still have issues with my right bicep. SHOULD have used the left.
> 
> Live hack: Never try to punch through more than 4 sheets at a time. 10 sheets at a time will F YOU UP.



Oh, NOW you tell me!!!!!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> Probably more profitable to write an erotic novel based on the Mounties, eh?



For the record, I laughed louder at this than I care to admit to.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> Three hole punch. I think that's why I still have issues with my right bicep. SHOULD have used the left.
> 
> Live hack: Never try to punch through more than 4 sheets at a time. 10 sheets at a time will F YOU UP.



If you're right handed like me, I doubt it was the three hole punch that gave you right hand/arm troubles. We were all young and single at one point in time. Just sayin'....


----------



## Parabola

I'm contemplating a scene with Leo where Billy's in a partial dream nightscape and game-y, non-harmful, miniature stars fall to the ground. He collects one for later use, which makes it feel like mario on lsd.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Debating, and the group’s collective advice and sage wisdom is greatly (and appreciatively) welcomed with this (ahem):
I’m putting myself in a holding pattern on “God Bless Small Town, USA” while I wait on the betas (which is what I assume we do at this point. Remember, me knuckle-dragger who doesn’t know what he’s doing yet.)
I’m kicking around between gleefully attacking the rough/skeleton draft of Book II: _Free Pizza Every Monday In Paradise_ with everything I’ve learned so far, OR….
I was smack dab in the middle of the skeleton of Book VII (or was it VIII? ) when the gang at work convinced me to put that in neutral, get over here, and learn to write all of this properly starting back at Book I. So do I go back to where I left off here (Book VII or was that VIII?) and try to finish this rough/skeleton off?

Egads.


----------



## Taylor

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Debating, and the group’s collective advice and sage wisdom is greatly (and appreciatively) welcomed with this (ahem):
> I’m putting myself in a holding pattern on “God Bless Small Town, USA” while I wait on the betas (which is what I assume we do at this point. Remember, me knuckle-dragger who doesn’t know what he’s doing yet.)
> I’m kicking around between gleefully attacking the rough/skeleton draft of Book II: _Free Pizza Every Monday In Paradise_ with everything I’ve learned so far, OR….
> I was smack dab in the middle of the skeleton of Book VII (or was it VIII? ) when the gang at work convinced me to put that in neutral, get over here, and learn to write all of this properly starting back at Book I. So do I go back to where I left off here (Book VII or was that VIII?) and try to finish this rough/skeleton off?
> 
> Egads.


It's all a little confusing to me.  Why so many books not in consecutive order?  Is this two series?  If yes, what are the names of the series so that I can keep track?


----------



## Taylor

Cracked 700 words today.  I'm happy with that.  Had left an MC in good order in the last book of the series, so her business would be booming in Book 2.  But this afternoon, her business took a tumble.  Hey, it's way more realistic and fun to write conflict, right?


----------



## Joker

52 words, with the weekend I've had you ain't getting much more than 430 out of me.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Taylor said:


> It's all a little confusing to me.  Why so many books not in consecutive order?  Is this two series?  If yes, what are the names of the series so that I can keep track?



Lemme explain.  

Back in 2010, I had the idea for the original book, _Sex, Booze, and Broadcasting: The Life And Death Of A Radio Pirate_, which I planned to write when I retired in 2030. Because that's when everybody writes, right? When they retire?
In 2012, a coworker who I had mentioned writing to, told me I should write a book based upon the absurd crap and people at work here at work (we both had the book M*A*S*H* in mind when we discussed it over lunch one day), and he even went so far as to inspire a working title, _Side Note To Jesus: My Money's On The Apes_ (a direct quote from him from one of his trademark rants with a department meeting our upper management expressing frustration about their lack of action on several issues we'd repeatedly brought to their attention), as well as inspired a workplace "superhero" running joke of a character called _Pat Mediocre_ who takes care of situations that arise, but others take the credit and he's never recognized for the good deeds he does.  Again, I decided to wait until I retired in 2030 to do these.
A year or so later, the idea of somehow melding both of these book ideas into two books was born with the characters Chris Ganson and Chad "Jet" Jetridge. _Pat Mediocre_ became the on-air name for Chris' pirate radio persona. Several coworkers, unaware of my desire to someday write a book, told me repeatedly that I should write a book based on everything I'd seen since I started working there in 1999 (I didn't officially get hired in until 2000) because of the amount of stories I had about people and events there.
2015, I transferred to my "retirement job" (meaning I plan to keep at this particular job until I retire from this place) on night shift. I started collecting notes about people, events, and conversations. Everytime I came up with 50 pages of notes, I saved them via iCloud to my computer and then to my external hard drive then start a fresh new set of notes. Each page contains on average between 6 - 12 notes on people, events, and conversations from the mundane to literally _I Can't Believe This Happened!!!!_
2018, I couldn't contain myself anymore. I started writing the _skeleton drafts_ (for lack of better terms) of the first two books.  I shared on snippets on Facebook with a small circle of friends and coworkers. Their reaction inspired me to keep going. But it suddenly became clear as I went that two books was going to be four books.  Then four books was becoming eight books.
Egads.
This year... as I was halfway through the skeleton of book 7.. or 8(?), my "fans" finally convinced me to write it for real, so I stopped where I was, joined this forum, and started re-writing the first book for publishing purposes. 

I have the whole series in my mind, but I've only got roughs for less than half done. Here's *most* of the working titles.....

BOOK I: GOD BLESS SMALL TOWN, USA
BOOK II: FREE PIZZA EVERY MONDAY IN PARADISE 
BOOK III: BURGERS, SEX, AND BROADCASTING 
BOOK IV:  SOME CAFFEINE AND A HURRICANE
BOOK V: IT NEVER GOES AS PLANNED
BOOK VI:  THE WORLD’S GREATEST EX-BOYFRIEND
BOOK VII: THE MAKING OF PAT MEDIOCRE 
BOOK VIII: DAMN, WHAT A MESS
BOOK IX: THE DARK SIDE OF HOPE
BOOK X:  GOOD NIGHT, PRAIRIE HOME
BOOK XI: THE DEATH OF THE RADIO PIRATE
BOOK XII: HEAVEN HELP THOSE LEFT BEHIND
BOOK XIII: A LIFETIME PILING UP
BOOK XIV: GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE 

Does that clear some of that up?


----------



## Parabola

@That Guy Named Aaron For some reason, FREE PIZZA EVERY MONDAY IN PARADISE is my favorite out of those titles. Has a very nice ring to it. Also, you've clearly put a lot of thought into this.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> @That Guy Named Aaron For some reason, FREE PIZZA EVERY MONDAY IN PARADISE is my favorite out of those titles. Has a very nice ring to it. Also, you've clearly put a lot of thought into this.



Thank you! The title is a reference to a bar that they hang out at. They have a college night special that is every Monday evening, college kids get in free to enjoy a complimentary pizza buffet bar and mix drinks (the latter if over 21). My characters frequent all time time during that and the next two books.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Also, you've clearly put a lot of thought into this.




I have lots of time to think on my forklift.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Also, you've clearly put a lot of thought into this.



I’ve felt that a catchy title and cover is important. I was trying to come up with titles that were quirky and relevant, but not too cheesy or weird.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

UPDATE: Dropped off binders copies for work place betas to read just before their lunch breaks. One got right into it. Told me two things:
Number A - sees MASSIVE improvement since my initial writing. That’s all on you guys. I must give credit where credit is due. Especially @KatPC. You guys fracking rock.

Number B - He says my writing reminds him of Stephen King in the sense that my first person narrative is like his. Don’t know. King’s not my cup of tea. I read Carrie once like several decades ago, and I don’t recall it. Does he write like that?

A.C.


----------



## JBF

Made 1500 words on this year's Halloween project.  

We'll call that enough remarkable for today, I think.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> Made 1500 words on this year's Halloween project.
> 
> We'll call that enough remarkable for today, I think.



I'll drink to that.....


----------



## Parabola

I mentioned before that Ethan seems to be at his best when in the "naive regret" mode. I had to channel that a bit for this third installment, letting him evolve to the extent it wouldn't be just a mode. Of course, that's a conduit to allow for worse events to come down the shoot, but just following where the story goes.


----------



## Taylor

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Lemme explain.
> 
> Back in 2010, I had the idea for the original book, _Sex, Booze, and Broadcasting: The Life And Death Of A Radio Pirate_, which I planned to write when I retired in 2030. Because that's when everybody writes, right? When they retire?
> In 2012, a coworker who I had mentioned writing to, told me I should write a book based upon the absurd crap and people at work here at work (we both had the book M*A*S*H* in mind when we discussed it over lunch one day), and he even went so far as to inspire a working title, _Side Note To Jesus: My Money's On The Apes_ (a direct quote from him from one of his trademark rants with a department meeting our upper management expressing frustration about their lack of action on several issues we'd repeatedly brought to their attention), as well as inspired a workplace "superhero" running joke of a character called _Pat Mediocre_ who takes care of situations that arise, but others take the credit and he's never recognized for the good deeds he does.  Again, I decided to wait until I retired in 2030 to do these.
> A year or so later, the idea of somehow melding both of these book ideas into two books was born with the characters Chris Ganson and Chad "Jet" Jetridge. _Pat Mediocre_ became the on-air name for Chris' pirate radio persona. Several coworkers, unaware of my desire to someday write a book, told me repeatedly that I should write a book based on everything I'd seen since I started working there in 1999 (I didn't officially get hired in until 2000) because of the amount of stories I had about people and events there.
> 2015, I transferred to my "retirement job" (meaning I plan to keep at this particular job until I retire from this place) on night shift. I started collecting notes about people, events, and conversations. Everytime I came up with 50 pages of notes, I saved them via iCloud to my computer and then to my external hard drive then start a fresh new set of notes. Each page contains on average between 6 - 12 notes on people, events, and conversations from the mundane to literally _I Can't Believe This Happened!!!!_
> 2018, I couldn't contain myself anymore. I started writing the _skeleton drafts_ (for lack of better terms) of the first two books.  I shared on snippets on Facebook with a small circle of friends and coworkers. Their reaction inspired me to keep going. But it suddenly became clear as I went that two books was going to be four books.  Then four books was becoming eight books.
> Egads.
> This year... as I was halfway through the skeleton of book 7.. or 8(?), my "fans" finally convinced me to write it for real, so I stopped where I was, joined this forum, and started re-writing the first book for publishing purposes.
> 
> I have the whole series in my mind, but I've only got roughs for less than half done. Here's *most* of the working titles.....
> 
> BOOK I: GOD BLESS SMALL TOWN, USA
> BOOK II: FREE PIZZA EVERY MONDAY IN PARADISE
> BOOK III: BURGERS, SEX, AND BROADCASTING
> BOOK IV:  SOME CAFFEINE AND A HURRICANE
> BOOK V: IT NEVER GOES AS PLANNED
> BOOK VI:  THE WORLD’S GREATEST EX-BOYFRIEND
> BOOK VII: THE MAKING OF PAT MEDIOCRE
> BOOK VIII: DAMN, WHAT A MESS
> BOOK IX: THE DARK SIDE OF HOPE
> BOOK X:  GOOD NIGHT, PRAIRIE HOME
> BOOK XI: THE DEATH OF THE RADIO PIRATE
> BOOK XII: HEAVEN HELP THOSE LEFT BEHIND
> BOOK XIII: A LIFETIME PILING UP
> BOOK XIV: GOING FORWARD IN REVERSE
> 
> Does that clear some of that up?


Yes.   What an incredible project!  The titles are enticing indeed. No wonder you are having a hard time trying to figure out which one to work on next.  I don't know what to advise.  But by now, you probably have it figured out.   

I'm impressed with your initiative to hand out the hard copies to beta readers ... that's brilliant!!  Good luck with it all, I look forward to hearing more about it.


----------



## PiP

One of the joys of writing is letting a book rest and then rereading nearly a year later. I've just reread the collab novel 'Poet Lariat' I wrote with @VRanger and I now can't wait to publish it. A few gremlins need to be resolved but ... phew ... I love how the romance evolved. Now the hard part begins


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I’ve felt that a catchy title and cover is important. I was trying to come up with titles that were quirky and relevant, but not too cheesy or weird.



Catchy titles and eye popping covers are a pretty big deal. I haven't seen your covers yet, but you definitely seemed to have nailed the former.


----------



## Joker

479 words. That should make up for yesterday, at least partially.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 479 words. That should make up for yesterday, at least partially.


It’s more than 50.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> It’s more than 50.



So is 57, but that's a damn low bar.


----------



## JBF

Joker said:


> So is 57, but that's a damn low bar.



And yet, we burrow under.


----------



## Explosia

My horror novella hit the minimum word count, _and we ain't done yet, bay-bey!_  ::Zorak laugh::

Also, I received feedback from Ch 5 of my main WIP and there's something interesting I'm learning. When it comes to description, you _do_ want to avoid being super specific. Not to preserve word count, but because if you try to describe exactly where every object is on a table or in a room, that starts to distract the reader. They start focusing hard on the precise placement of things, which can actually be a detriment. So brevity is, in fact, key.


----------



## mistamastamusta

Had my Creative Writing Club meeting today and shared my newest poem. It was well received and the professor is pleased with my progress.


----------



## Parabola

I had an idea with one of my side characters from MC1-2, Caleb, if I ever did a 4th book, or even as an entirely separate introduction to the world. It would take place in the tributary reality, which is like a repository for your unlived dreams. The more I think about it, I'm leaning toward making the plot its own thing.


----------



## bdcharles

Not so much a success as a success derivative - the option to take a punt on some nebulous future 'achievement' - but it's become apparent that I am three chapters away from finishing the followup to The Story of Echo. First draft, mind, nothing crazy. But the thing will be some form of done then. I'm gonna do it right too - mailing lists, free shit in the buildup. But yeah, I'll be going back through the whole thing soon. Then betas and edits. Then other stuff.

Gulp!*


----------



## Tyrannohotep

Last night, I completed the first draft of an alternate history novella titled _Carthage Atlantica_. It's about ancient Carthaginians from North Africa crossing the Atlantic and settling on the shores of North America, thereby interacting with and coming into conflict with Native American nations. It will need some editing to fully polish it, after which it will be ready to share with the world!


----------



## Foxee

Thinking about the Friday Flash "white noise" prompt got me thinking quite a bit and suddenly I bought Scrivener (something I've been tempted to do) and started slotting info into it. This is going to be more than 300 words.


----------



## Taylor

Foxee said:


> Thinking about the "white noise" prompt got me thinking quite a bit and suddenly I bought Scrivener (something I've been tempted to do) and started slotting info into it. This is going to be more than 300 words.


I'm all over the place with this prompt ... lol!


----------



## Foxee

Taylor said:


> I'm all over the place with this prompt ... lol!


I guess you'll have to write multiple stories.


----------



## Joker

I was violently grabbed by the muse this morning and I've been furiously working on the alternate future that leads up to my novel.


----------



## Parabola

Something tells me Caleb is a more sympathy inspiring character than Ethan, like his flaws are more apparent straight out of the gate. If he's cocky about certain things, it comes across as more understated. Plus his friendship with Eugene is another contrasting element. The threads of underlying antagonism aren't there from the outset, and if they do develop at all, will be with more shades of gray. 

Another element that I might change is the Murder Console. I already have in mind what I might call it. I want something a bit more understated yet "cool" from a teenager's perspective. It pulls them in but doesn't seem actually dangerous (even though the book's title might remain the same).


----------



## Parabola

A great leap forward can cause a character to faceplant. Well, he learns from experience then developes a parallel version of himself.


----------



## Taylor

I finished Chapter 11.  I'm eight chapters behind my annual goal of two chapters a month.  I'll have to work hard to catch up, because I've also tweaked my style which is slowing me down as I get more proficient.  Although the plot outline is reducing thinking-time for the bigger picture, that time is filled up with thinking about, this new technique.

Of course, I'm a little distracted doing LM and Friday Flash, but, hey! ... a girl needs to have some fun right? 

As soon as the good weather ends, I'll focus less on sports and more on writing.  I've given up skiing so that frees up a lot of Wintertime.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Taylor said:


> I finished Chapter 11.  I'm eight chapters behind my annual goal of two chapters a month.  I'll have to work hard to catch up, because I've also tweaked my style which is slowing me down as I get more proficient.  Although the plot outline is reducing thinking-time for the bigger picture, that time is filled up with thinking about, this new technique.
> 
> Of course, I'm a little distracted doing LM and Friday Flash, but, hey! ... a girl needs to have some fun right?
> 
> As soon as the good weather ends, I'll focus less on sports and more on writing.  I've given up skiing so that frees up a lot of Wintertime.



So, serious question: Do you enjoy skiing? If so, you should still make time to do so.

Just an opinion.


----------



## Taylor

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> So, serious question: Do you enjoy skiing? If so, you should still make time to do so.
> 
> Just an opinion.


Yes, I love it!  Thanks for asking.  It's not a matter of time.

I started skiing when I was three and skied competitively until I was twelve.  Then had a season pass for five years or so.  After that, an average of a dozen times a year. So, almost 60 years' worth of skiing.  But last year, I just didn't feel like it.  On our family getaway, I hung out in the chalet by the fire, reading and drinking hot toddies.  Don't like the thought of falling now.  And I only ski black runs, so sliding down the green slopes is not an option.

But it's a wonderful sport.  I encourage anyone who does it or is thinking of doing it ... to do it!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Taylor said:


> Yes, I love it!  Thanks for asking.  It's not a matter of time.
> 
> I started skiing when I was three and skied competitively until I was twelve.  Then had a season pass for five years or so.  After that, an average of a dozen times a year. So, almost 60 years' worth of skiing.  But last year, I just didn't feel like it.  On our family getaway, I hung out in the chalet by the fire, reading and drinking hot toddies.  Don't like the thought of falling now.  And I only ski black runs, so sliding down the green slopes is not an option.
> 
> But it's a wonderful sport.  I encourage anyone who does it or is thinking of doing it ... to do it!



My reason for asking was this. I love to bike. But I got so absorbed in writing this summer, I only hit the rail-trail once. Kicking myself for that now with the weather getting colder.


----------



## indianroads

Got through chapter 11 of the fourth edit of Moonscape. The project is going well.


----------



## Parabola

Since I started Kevin's dictatorship in winter, I'll have to make the Halloween "situation" occur as a flashback. Ethan's done some terrible things and is now being forced to do them for the safety of his family. That flashback is triggered by something, and I won't delve too much into it in the book, but it has to do with Keving wanting to control the education system.

The way I look at Ethan: just because he atoned for what he did earlier in the trilogy, doesn't mean he escapes the evils being done to him or around him, nor does that mean he's entirely changed.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

My e-mail to upper management from Sunday night has created a SECOND fecal weather event. Quite proud.

This counts, right?


----------



## Parabola

Ethan's in the back of a slow-moving truck, telling Eugene what happened, how he found out Jason and Sarah were getting married etc. He probably could've handled that if it hadn't been for Kevin twisting the screws, making it even more painful. That led him to breaking into Joe's Gaming, and everything spiraled from there. 

Honestly for some reason, probably not thinking clearly, I was going to gloss over the Sarah thing for the most part in the last book, then I watched an episode of something that touched on a similar theme. It reminded me how his relationship humanized him more than any other dynamic.


----------



## S J Ward

In a moment of utter lunacy, I decided to do the NaNoWriMo challenge. Okay, so I'm still relatively new here and I haven't a clue what I've done. But, being as you can plan for the nanowrimo, I've done just that.
I'm happy to say that I have the makings of a book, or 50k words at least, totally new to me and unexpected. In an hour! I have characters, a plot, sub-plots and twists. All, while drinking GlenMorangie whisky.
I have discovered the fountain of eternal ideas!
Or maybe I'm drunk!
But seriously, I have found my muse and can ignore the other two projects for a while.


----------



## Envy123

I'm at 38k words, so about halfway through Laughing Matters 2.


----------



## Parabola

Jason's perceptive "kindness" takes on a dark twist in MC3. That same insight into emotions lets him use it in cruel ways, like being the architect behind tormenting Ethan and Eugene. His rationale is that breaking a brain means you can't screw with it anymore, so he peels off layers of depravity and makes them suffer through it, perceptions not too addled. So they go from pulling body bags to being killers themselves, but it's a gradual process.

Part of this has to do with the current reality keeping a "karmic score" and this is Ethan's just punishment, and Eugene is along for the ride.


----------



## VRanger

2900 on GG today/tonight. It finished Chapter 13 AND Chapter 14. I only need 4K to finish the second novella now. I blogged about an impediment in Chapter 13 and how I managed to dodge it. I discussed "delayed summary". I still haven't addressed that summary by the end of Chapter 14, and still don't know when the urge will strike to write it.  I _am _pleased with a filler scene I wrote, and it went in the Share Your Pretty Words thread.


----------



## Parabola

Anyone who refers to themselves as a "curmudgeon" in my stories meets a swift and merciless end. Oddly enough, they tend to be some 18-25 nerd that for whatever reason wants to jump 40 years into the future.

You are NOT a curmudgeon, no angry sign on your lawn. Sorry.


----------



## Parabola

MC3's world brings out either dark/stressed versions of the usual characters, sometimes a mixture of both. Eugene, for instance, isn't his usual more or less apathetic self. He doesn't handle his emotions well (neither does Ethan, but in a different way), and they eventually come out in an explosion of anger that results in the death of one character, although that's still fueled by his "ethics."


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

As I'm waiting for my Beta readers, I've decided to start to apply what I've learned so far to _Book II: Free Pizza Every Monday In Paradise._ I'm happy to report after deleting three useless characters, a few paragraphs of unneeded narrative, and four useless bits of banter in the first chapter I'm _*down*_ to 107k words for the whole book. Me thinks it weighed in around 109k. 

Don't look at me like that. I made it quite clear when I barged past security that I had no idea what I was doing. 


A.C.


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> As I'm waiting for my Beta readers, I've decided to start to apply what I've learned so far to _Book II: Free Pizza Every Monday In Paradise._ I'm happy to report after deleting three useless characters, a few paragraphs of unneeded narrative, and four useless bits of banter in the first chapter I'm _*down*_ to 107k words for the whole book. Me thinks it weighed in around 109k.
> 
> Don't look at me like that. I made it quite clear when I barged past security that I had no idea what I was doing.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Here's my take on Beta Readers. You ask for critique, you GET critique. Critique is NOT the normal reader experience. Critique is what you ask people for feedback to dis your prose. You _ask _people to find fault and they'll do it. "Kill your darlings"? I regard that as so much bullshit. If you know what you're doing and you enjoyed writing it, readers will enjoy reading it. I think "Kill your darlings" is ridiculous advice from people who can't tell shit from necessary and interesting filler.

If you have an interesting thought, publish it. Most beta readers haven't put the time or effort into story and plot and character and scene setting as you have.

There's a balance to strive for. At some point a writer ascends from banal to interesting. You're there. F beta readers and go with what your instincts tells you works.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> Here's my take on Beta Readers. You ask for critique, you GET critique. Critique is NOT the normal reader experience. Critique is what you ask people for feedback to dis your prose. You _ask _people to find fault and they'll do it. "Kill your darlings"? I regard that as so much bullshit. If you know what you're doing and you enjoyed writing it, readers will enjoy reading it. I think "Kill your darlings" is ridiculous advice from people who can't tell shit from necessary and interesting filler.
> 
> If you have an interesting thought, publish it. Most beta readers haven't put the time or effort into story and plot and character and scene setting as you have.
> 
> There's a balance to strive for. At some point a writer ascends from banal to interesting. You're there. F beta readers and go with what your instincts tells you works.



I agree with some of what you say, and I respectfully disagree with a few. Remember, I've been sharing bits and pieces of this one, and the others in this series, with a group of about 150+ friends, fronds, and coworkers (and a few ex-coworkers) for a few years now via Facebook. A majority of my betas are from that motley group of... _fans(?!?)._ Two are writers themselves, one a recently published coworker author. The rest are the betas of said recently published co-worker. The ones I chose from my reading following are ones that I know are invested in the story and familiar with the plot and characters. 

I've joined this forum with the mentality of _"Tell me what I need to hear, and not what I want to hear."_  How else am I going to get better as a writer? (How else am I going to get good enough to be _considered_ a writer?) I know my grammar skills are Monica Lewinsky-ish (sorry, shop humor, my bad). I know I have no knowledge or experience other than a worthless college degree (that has nothing to do with English lit)  from a now defunct bar with a $75,000 cover-charge. As I handed my betas their copies of this, I explained to them clearly that I _*want*_ then to tell me what's wrong with it. Again, tell me what I _need_ to hear, not what I _want_ to hear. Only way I can improve is to know what and where I need to improve upon. Thick skin, bay-bee.

I've said before, I've learned a lot so far since I've been here. This forum has been great. I've gotten my butt kicked, and I'll continue to get it kicked. But every time I do,  I see the improvement, and I've been told I'm improving. The tough love I've gotten has worked. No, it's not for everyone, but I'm diggin' it. So _please, sir, may I have another?_ 


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I agree with some of what you say, and I respectfully disagree with a few. Remember, I've been sharing bits and pieces of this one, and the others in this series, with a group of about 150+ friends, fronds, and coworkers (and a few ex-coworkers) for a few years now via Facebook. A majority of my betas are from that motley group of... _fans(?!?)._ Two are writers themselves, one a recently published coworker author. The rest are the betas of said recently published co-worker. The ones I chose from my reading following are ones that I know are invested in the story and familiar with the plot and characters.
> 
> I've joined this forum with the mentality of _"Tell me what I need to hear, and not what I want to hear."_  How else am I going to get better as a writer? (How else am I going to get good enough to be _considered_ a writer?) I know my grammar skills are Monica Lewinsky-ish (sorry, shop humor, my bad). I know I have no knowledge or experience other than a worthless college degree (that has nothing to do with English lit)  from a now defunct bar with a $75,000 cover-charge. As I handed my betas their copies of this, I explained to them clearly that I _*want*_ then to tell me what's wrong with it. Again, tell me what I _need_ to hear, not what I _want_ to hear. Only way I can improve is to know what and where I need to improve upon. Thick skin, bay-bee.
> 
> I've said before, I've learned a lot so far since I've been here. This forum has been great. I've gotten my butt kicked, and I'll continue to get it kicked. But every time I do,  I see the improvement, and I've been told I'm improving. The tough love I've gotten has worked. No, it's not for everyone, but I'm diggin' it. So _please, sir, may I have another?_
> 
> 
> A.C.



I very much admire this attitude. More broadly, not resting on your laurels and being content with a "cult of personality." I've seen some n00b writers do this, and they end up kneecapping themselves. That said, as I mentioned before, you're already developing that shine and are much further ahead than you'd probably care to admit.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> That said, as I mentioned before, you're already developing that shine and are much further ahead than you'd probably care to admit.



Possibly. 

Or realize. 

Either way, I just want to put out the best book that I can. No, it's not going to be perfect (we never feel that way no matter how much time we spend, eh?), but I want to give it my best effort and be proud of it. 


A.C.


----------



## PiP

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Again, tell me what I _need_ to hear, not what I _want_ to hear. Only way I can improve is to know what and where I need to improve upon. Thick skin, bay-bee.


This is exactly what I told my Beta Readers ... interesting they all made similar comments ... they may not be writers but they are readers. 


That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Either way, I just want to put out the best book that I can. No, it's not going to be perfect (we never feel that way no matter how much time we spend, eh?), but I want to give it my best effort and be proud of it.
> 
> 
> A.C.


I'm right there with you


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> I very much admire this attitude. More broadly, not resting on your laurels and being content with a "cult of personality."



_cough _wildbow _cough_


----------



## katerose_13

Writing success for today - taking the time to actually write, just whatever comes to mind. Today's topics covered the four pillars of sustainability and the varying shades of blue.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> _cough _wildbow _cough_



Eh?


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Eh?



Web serial writer.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Web serial writer.



M’kay. Care to elaborate a bit more, kind sir?


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> M’kay. Care to elaborate a bit more, kind sir?



Uhhhhhh. His stuff is like, overrated, and stuff?


----------



## Parabola

Also, I didn't mean to dismiss independent thought like a writer should always bow to the perceptions of beta readers. It's a constant struggle between seeking feedback and knowing which parts of that feedback to toss out.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I threw a chapter up on a forum if anyone  wants to critique it.

A.C.


----------



## Joker

35 days, 7k words. It's coming along... eventually.


----------



## Explosia

Got all my chapters named for the horror novella, and I'm like, two thirds of the way through with it for this editing pass. There are already some other notes I've left myself to add a few more details, but I'm gettin' to the last parts of it. I'm not sure if I'd have the time to get the full thing critiqued and then to be able to incorporate that feedback... Maybe, we'll see... 30 days is a lot of time if I can get this edit pass done by the end of this month...! 

In the meantime, though, I love how ominous chapter titles can be. Sometimes you can read a chapter title and get that "oh shit" feeling, as you now have an idea about what could be coming next, or that a big question is about to get its answer...!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Tonight I gathered 40 of my previously published poems to enter into a manuscript competition. I need ten more poems to make the required 50 so now I'll gather ten of my not published poems to have the required number of entries. I don't have high hopes for winning the contest (rough competition) but I'm pleased I got the collection mostly gathered and almost ready to enter. This particular competition allows simultaneous submissions so now if I can just find another competition that allows simul subs . . . If nothing else, at least by gathering these poems I'll be pretty well ready for the next manuscript competition I run across. (Now I have hope in my soul instead of what's not so good, according to @That Guy Named Aaron.)


----------



## Alanzie

I had put my story away for a little while.  I was worried that I might have forgotten my characters little idiosyncrasies.  Silly me, I created them.  I control them.  They are right where I left them!  WooHoo!


----------



## Parabola

Wish I would've thought of MC2's "fast and loose with the rules/comedic at points" concept before I started writing it. Now I'm imagining huge swiss cheese chunks floating in space, never to be heard from or seen again. "Heard from" anyway, so now I will have to cut a militant swath through that book whenever I get around to it. I'll probably just poke at different sections, stitching together the remains. Whatever seems appropriate. Then I have MC3, which won't be completed for some time because of real life stuff, and something randomly occurred to me about how I could tie its ending to the start of the sidequel. 

The very first book I'll poke at as well, and that will most likely be my focus in the coming year. Who knows though since I tend to go between books 1-3 for random reasons. It would make the most sense to refine the source before working on the sequels, but we'll see. There doesn't need to be a rush, or rhyme or reason to what I'm doing in the short-term. I don't imagine this "out" in whatever way until my mid 40s.


----------



## PiP

Preparing for NaNo over this weekend I reread the book I wrote in 2012, added the scenes of each chapter to Plottr and made notes on all the characters --- I can't believe back in 2012 I held all this info in my head including the plot! Haha ... I was actually impressed with the story. Did I really write this? (I'm _usually_ humble LoL).  Tonight, I slightly changed the ending, and for NaNo I will write book two.


----------



## Parabola

Politburo is word of the day.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Politburo is word of the day.



I vote for _Homebrew_.


----------



## VRanger

2K+ in GG, completing Chapter 16, which is the first chapter of the third novella. I started the chapter with a MAJOR foreshadow.  The novel stands at 43.5K of an anticipated 85-90K.



> A week later Sera was in the clutches of the Lesa terrorists, Mac had disappeared and I couldn’t find or contact her, and Apollo couldn’t work with me because he had to pretend to still be a tool of the terrorists. On the good side, toward the end of that week I found out 3Click could fly, and that helped. It helped more than I ever anticipated it could.


----------



## JBF

The belated Halloween story nears completion.

Soon, we all suffer.


----------



## Parabola

@That Guy Named Aaron "Politburo Homebrew" sounds like a fancy domestic(?) beer.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> @That Guy Named Aaron "Politburo Homebrew" sounds like a fancy domestic(?) beer.



Probably an IPA.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

It's nearly 8:00 am right now. Been up since 4. This adjusting to being a daywalker for the next couple of weeks sucks. How can you people stand it? Anyways, I just did an absolute re-wrote the first page and a half of _Free Pizza..._ (which is not the same as the Spatula Man part that I threw up a couple of days ago) while the coffee kicked in, and absolutely love the opening scene. But it's going to make me change a few things in the next few books.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I was going to start on re-writing chapter 4 of _Free Pizza_, but I'm reading this and going "Fat Whe Thuck?!?" The whole police brutality scene is decent (cops beating the crap out of long haired college kids) , but the fustercluck leading up to it is... is... is...

Embarrassing?

I think the whole chapter gets deleted at this point. I'll let the cops beat the crap outta college kids later. There's no shortage of college kids or cops to stomp the snot out of them in my book, lemme tell ya what...


----------



## Parabola

Because of the console, Ethan has the impression he ruined Mia's life, or maybe more importantly her perspective on things. I tried to leave that mostly ambiguous (console vs Ethan when it comes to responsibility, maybe slightly tilting toward the former). She was always neurotic/ocd-ish/overly sensitive to even the slightest humiliation and used achievements to compensate and having a "crown" on her head amplifies that significantly. I waffle on how the end of that dynamic plays out, but how I've thought about Ethan processing it is that he comes to bitter revelations about their specific sibling rivalry being carried too far. Some scenes have been tentatively written in that direction. 

Ethan also has some vague "pretensions" of noble character, going through a hollow(?) cycle of assholery and remorse. The latter might be genuine for him, but it's also fleeting and somehow doesn't worm its way into a broader mental framework, or at least not in a consistent, holistic way. In his defense, he does make an authentic effort to repair things, but he bumps up against his own biases. I could steer away from his bitter insights about Mia or how he's irreversibly affected several lives, which lead him to the conclusion he's a corrosive, broken person, but I dunno. That self-awareness is what compels him to decide to jump into the tributary reality again, shedding his skin and literally becoming a different person.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Relenting on deleting the police brutality scene. Re-re-re-rewriting (C) the whole damn chapter. Came up with an idea on how to tie in the first part where Chris is tells the reader(s) about grey market and black market activity at the dorms with the police beating up long haired college kids. Cutting out a few more insignificant characters. 

Good times.


----------



## Foxee

Brainstorming 'Shadows' prompt for Friday Flash. Considering all kinds of ideas. Deciding that "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" might be good literary fodder for my 8th grader.

Enjoying seeing words appear on the screen from my head while unexpectedly at home this morning. Struggling a bit with my portable keyboard that is bent in the middle to be more ergonomic. It may be too ergonomic for me and my body stops short at 'erg'.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the fourth edit of Moonscape. I'm very pleased with how it turned out.
Next - I'll format it into MS form (6x9 amazon), then will run another check on it.
I'm planning on ordering the full version of Grammarly and use that for the next and possibly final check.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

MC watches two drunk college kids in his dorm get their asses kicked by a bunch of bully cops while eating a bowl of ramen noodles.

News at 11....


----------



## indianroads

Moonscape is formatted. It looks fine, but I've had some issues with FB publishing lately, and will take extra care as well as order a PB and HC before I announce the arrival.
Still have some checking to do before then though.


----------



## PiP

indianroads said:


> Moonscape is formatted. It looks fine, but I've had some issues with FB publishing lately, and will take extra care as well as order a PB and HC before I announce the arrival.


I have to ask what are:  order a PB and HC?

I've decided that trying to get a panster (me) to plot each chapter, scene by scene, is like trying to stuff an open parachute back into its backpack in a gale-force wind. Seriously. I deleted the whole lot in Plottr and started again ... I am only on chapter 3. It doesn't help that I keep confusing my MC (Rebecca) in this book with my MC (Julia) in Poet Lariat.

SO my success today is that I haven't given up ... I'm still plodding on with the process. I know it will be worthwhile and keep me on track. However, I have decided to write a book:  one hundred different ways to procrastinate ...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

PiP said:


> I have to ask what are:  order a PB and HC?
> 
> I've decided that trying to get a panster (me) to plot each chapter, scene by scene, is like trying to stuff an open parachute back into its backpack in a gale-force wind. Seriously. I deleted the whole lot in Plottr and started again ... I am only on chapter 3. It doesn't help that I keep confusing my MC (Rebecca) in this book with my MC (Julia) in Poet Lariat.
> 
> SO my success today is that I haven't given up ... I'm still plodding on with the process. I know it will be worthwhile and keep me on track. However, I have decided to write a book:  one hundred different ways to procrastinate ...



I’m guessing Paper Back and Hard Cover.

But what do I know….


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Wrote 1000 words of police brutality tonight. Time for a beer....


----------



## indianroads

PiP said:


> I have to ask what are:  order a PB and HC?
> 
> I've decided that trying to get a panster (me) to plot each chapter, scene by scene, is like trying to stuff an open parachute back into its backpack in a gale-force wind. Seriously. I deleted the whole lot in Plottr and started again ... I am only on chapter 3. It doesn't help that I keep confusing my MC (Rebecca) in this book with my MC (Julia) in Poet Lariat.
> 
> SO my success today is that I haven't given up ... I'm still plodding on with the process. I know it will be worthwhile and keep me on track. However, I have decided to write a book:  one hundred different ways to procrastinate ...


@That Guy Named Aaron got it right, PB: paperback, HB: hardback.
I’ve had some pagination issues with Amazon’s print on demand features, and want to review them before I officially release the novel.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> @That Guy Named Aaron got it right, PB: paperback, HB: hardback.



Hey, even the broken clock on the wall tells the right time twice a day.


----------



## JBF

The 2022 Halloween story is finished.  

There are monsters.  They weren't what I thought.  



That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Hey, even the broken clock on the wall tells the right time twice a day.



...unless it's digital.


----------



## Joker

That bite that the muse gave me a few days ago has now festered into an infection. I'm furiously working on more backstory elements to flesh out my world more than I'm actually writing - might actually put a freeze to it if construction requires a re-routing.

Shoutout to @CyberWar for helping me with it.


----------



## Envy123

44k words now for Laughing Matters 2. 

I think I have to change the title because it's far more ominous than the original, but I do like the pun. There are matters to be dealt with by the Laugher Club, so Laughing Matters.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> That bite that the muse gave me a few days ago has now festered into an infection. I'm furiously working on more backstory elements to flesh out my world more than I'm actually writing - might actually put a freeze to it if construction requires a re-routing.
> 
> Shoutout to @CyberWar for helping me with it.


Keep it up!!!!


----------



## VRanger

Last week a member of The Heinlein Society board and the first gentleman to read my Citizen of the Galaxy sequel forwarded an email to me of someone else who had an idea to write a Citizen sequel. He just missed by 30 months, since I already did that. I replied with my experience getting zero response from the Heinlein Prize Trust and told him my history writing such a novel. He wanted to read it, did, and just sent me this email:
____________________________________________________
Just finished reading your sequel.

Wow!

Here’s a quote for your web page:

“Reading _Rudbeck of Rudbeck_ is like having a surprise visit from an old friend you thought was dead. Too many of us thought _Citizen of the Galaxy_ finished too early; that there was another book just crying to be written. James Dutton has filled that need in us by continuing the story of Thorby’s quest to put an end to slavery. I thought Jim captured the flavor, excitement, and technical excellence of the original. Thanks Jim for bringing back an old friend.”

Thanks so much for sharing your work with me. I felt privileged; never thought I would ever read a sequel without writing it myself.
_______________________________________________________

It gives me another "walking a foot over the floor" day. That's one big reason we write.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Last week a member of The Heinlein Society board and the first gentleman to read my Citizen of the Galaxy sequel forwarded an email to me of someone else who had an idea to write a Citizen sequel. He just missed by 30 months, since I already did that. I replied with my experience getting zero response from the Heinlein Prize Trust and told him my history writing such a novel. He wanted to read it, did, and just sent me this email:
> ____________________________________________________
> Just finished reading your sequel.
> 
> Wow!
> 
> Here’s a quote for your web page:
> 
> “Reading _Rudbeck of Rudbeck_ is like having a surprise visit from an old friend you thought was dead. Too many of us thought _Citizen of the Galaxy_ finished too early; that there was another book just crying to be written. James Dutton has filled that need in us by continuing the story of Thorby’s quest to put an end to slavery. I thought Jim captured the flavor, excitement, and technical excellence of the original. Thanks Jim for bringing back an old friend.”
> 
> Thanks so much for sharing your work with me. I felt privileged; never thought I would ever read a sequel without writing it myself.
> _______________________________________________________
> 
> It gives me another "walking a foot over the floor" days. That's one big reason we write.


I read your book and was really impressed.


----------



## indianroads

11 chapters deep on the fifth edit of Moonscape. I splurged and purchased Grammarly Premium - and am impressed thus far.


----------



## Taylor

Laying by the pool all day ... not too shabby.  Except I'm sitting in a cabana bundled up because it's chilly and I want to keep the light off of my screen so I can write.  Albeit I am in Las Vegas on a research trip for my current WIP.  

This has been incredible to be immersed in my setting.  Not only the sites, but the sounds, smells, characters, and lay of the land.   I chose two hotels that resemble the fictitious hotels in my book, then stayed at them.  I've been like a sponge since I arrived on Monday.  

@C.K.Johnson, I have a few questions for you about casinos, if you are willing.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Taylor said:


> Laying by the pool all day ... not too shabby.  Except I'm sitting in a cabana bundled up because it's chilly and I want to keep the light off of my screen so I can write.  Albeit I am in Las Vegas on a research trip for my current WIP.
> 
> This has been incredible to be immersed in my setting.  Not only the sites, but the sounds, smells, characters, and lay of the land.   I chose two hotels that resemble the fictitious hotels in my book, then stayed at them.  I've been like a sponge since I arrived on Monday.
> 
> @C.K.Johnson, I have a few questions for you about casinos, if you are willing.


Ask away!


----------



## Taylor

C.K.Johnson said:


> Ask away!


Ok perfect!  I'll post my questions in the research forum.


----------



## Arsenex

Just got comments back from a beta reader. Can't wait to dig in.

"This was an excellent and very enjoyable book. I added only a handful or minor tweaks and comments, but loved it. Loved the tone, the ideas, story, all of the characters. Everything about it. This is some of your best work I think, and the cliffhanger of them transitioning to DDI agents is excellent."


----------



## PiP

Taylor said:


> This has been incredible to be immersed in my setting.  Not only the sites, but the sounds, smells, characters, and lay of the land.   I chose two hotels that resemble the fictitious hotels in my book, then stayed at them.  I've been like a sponge since I arrived on Monday.


How exciting! It must be easier to engage all five senses once you've visited a place and walked the streets. Several years ago I read a book which was set in the Alentejo. The descriptive passages left me with the feeling that the author had researched the area on the internet because they were so far off base. That's why I am sticking to places and settings I know.


----------



## Taylor

PiP said:


> How exciting! It must be easier to engage all five senses once you've visited a place and walked the streets. Several years ago I read a book which was set in the Alentejo. The descriptive passages left me with the feeling that the author had researched the area on the internet because they were so far off base. That's why I am sticking to places and settings I know.


Oh, it truly is!  I've been to Vegas a number of times, even on business if you can believe it ... lol!   But not for a while.  And also, now that I know my plot there are certain things, I wouldn't have looked for when I was here for pleasure or work.

I set up a research thread here:


----------



## Arsenex

Taylor said:


> Oh, it truly is!  I've been to Vegas a number of times, even on business if you can believe it ... lol!   But not for a while.  And also, now that I know my plot there are certain things, I wouldn't have looked for when I was here for pleasure or work.
> 
> I set up a research thread here:


If you want a good sense of what's around those hotels, google maps - satellite view is your friend.


----------



## Taylor

Arsenex said:


> If you want a good sense of what's around those hotels, google maps - satellite view is your friend.


For sure, I've spent a ton of time on Google maps, that's how I found my example hotels.  But nothing beats actual presence.  On Tuesday we walked the entire strip from the Mandalay Bay to the Sahara.  It took three hours and boy, were we sore the next day!


----------



## Arsenex

Taylor said:


> For sure, I've spent a ton of time on Google maps, that's how I found my sample hotels.  But nothing beats actual presence.  On Tuesday we walked the entire strip from the Mandalay Bay to the Sahara.  It took three hours and boy, were we sore the next day!


My last time there was with friends. I went down to the lobby to wait for them so we could go eat breakfast. I was sitting at a slot machine, when this old lady wheeled up with her oxygen tank. She sat, put in a few bills, then pulled and lit a cigarette. She took one huff, one puff, then a spin. One huff, one puff, then a spin. I got out of there before she exploded.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I just sent off a request for my next interview with a master of short literature. It's a fine opportunity I offer but it takes summoning all my courage to ask in the first place. So I'm proud of me today  .  .  .  because I sent off my request. This will be my third interview with various masters so maybe one day soon I'll just ask without the worry I go through:-D. (Wish I was in Vegas like @Taylor.)


----------



## indianroads

Halfway through what should be my second to the last edit of Moonscape. The Grammarly tool is working well, but I'll know more about that when I do the final edit.


----------



## VRanger

1500 words in GG, which finished Chapter 19 and put the 3rd novella over 10K, and now 51K for the novel.

Things in the scene took off on a tangent, and now Patrick has the offer of Aniqu's underworld to help out his problem.


----------



## Parabola

My trilogy has an odd relationship with death. In the first two books, the consequences of "dying" were perceptual alterations. Book 3 has the "finality rule." You die here, it's permanent.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Worked on editing an old piece I wrote that I had forgotten about. I ran across this one deep on the external drive. I _might_ salvage it enough to want to share on here for critique. But don't hold yer collective breaths on that.... 

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

I stand on the shoulders of giants and shove an icepick into their brains. Consciousness is stirred, not shaken.


----------



## Taylor

I got my Plot Wheel prompt for LM from @VRanger.   Wrote an outline and then completed my first draft.  It was super fun!  A great way to start my vacation in Tucson.


----------



## Parabola

A short poem:

I'm a big fan of socratic irony
I'm a big fan of socratic irony
I'm a big fan of socratic irony

Maybe the people who don't pick up on it have to write it 500 times on a chalkboard.


----------



## Parabola

On the other hand, America's melting pot was meant to be shaken, not stirred. 

For my future projects, I will assume two different pen names, each reflecting a different ideology. I want to flip that coin so hard it gets lost in the clouds.


----------



## VRanger

No drafting today, but this evening I came up with an idea for a novella length fairy tale (mentioned in more detail in my blog) and I've been working on notes for it. Once I think I have sufficient notes. I'll put it in Plottr and add it to my WIPs. I might try to write it during November and publish early December.

Now comes the fun part: Figuring out where the story starts and deciding on a PoV. I'm ruling out the witch, thinking about third person ... but ... maybe first person from her familiar. Tempting. First person from the familiar is like third person, but I can put more personality into it.


----------



## Parabola

Arguing from opposing standpoints always gives me the best ideas.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Arguing from opposing standpoints always gives me the best ideas.



Why yes, Tesla _is _the best car manufacturer! 

Now I need a shower...


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> Why yes, Tesla _is _the best car manufacturer!
> 
> Now I need a shower...



Showers are the devil's pastime.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Why yes, Tesla _is _the best car manufacturer!
> 
> Now I need a shower...


Banned for.... WAIT.. wrong thread. Nevermind.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> Why yes, Tesla _is _the best car manufacturer!
> 
> Now I need a shower...


Owning a Tesla is virtue signaling.


----------



## Banespawn

1058 words so far today. 

I have a secondary character who has an unending supply of wise sayings. This is her take on "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"

“Thank you,” she said as sweetly as she could manage. She would just have to make the best of it. As Rose would say, when it snows, make snowballs. Then throw them at people.


----------



## Parabola

That rare spidey sense is still tingling. It feels like an electrifying idea, although that can only do so much counteract my "in general" chronic apathy. Close to 1k into a project about 30ish at most (which seems to be novella territory). I hope to write enough before my energy levels fall to the red zone. Plus, that rustic atmosphere from vtmb's hollywood level is a loose inspiration.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I’m not sure if this belongs in this thread or not, but my old external hard drive for my Mac got a bit wet last night. Having issues accessing it. Everything’s on it, including my writing.  Ironically, I bought and used it exclusively in case my computer crashed I’d lose nothing.

Bought new hard drive, and have been fighting to transfer files from one to the other. I just finished transferring all the manuscripts and notes before the old x drive crashed yet again.

I’m calling that a writing success, and I don’t care what anyone thinks.


----------



## Rickard4

More that I learn the more I'm getting stuck in this mode of thought. That I just can't quite grip what I'm writing I'm hell-bent on writing, but it's a slippery slope and I can't stick to what most compels the draft for me. It stinks just need to vent feel like re-writing the first 10,000 words infinitely. Still fun though not complaining. Side note I pants write everything outlines I can do but it makes everything a bore.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Rickard4 said:


> More that I learn the more I'm getting stuck in this mode of thought. That I just can't quite grip what I'm writing I'm hell-bent on writing, but it's a slippery slope and I can't stick to what most compels the draft for me. It stinks just need to vent feel like re-writing the first 10,000 words infinitely. Still fun though not complaining. Side note I pants write everything outlines I can do but it makes everything a bore.



It’s frustrating and rewarding. But a lot of things are. Keep at it, amigo.


----------



## VRanger

1500 words last night in LLW, which begins it. Here's my opening:

My name is Norbert. I wanted to get that on the record because since I’m telling this story, I’m not sure if you’ll hear it again. I’ve started telling before the story ends, and hopefully the story ends before my ability to tell it does … or I’m able to continue after it ends.

How did I get stuck with a name like Norbert? I apologize if your name is Norbert, but if it is I know you’ve wondered the same thing. I’ve asked the question of Miranda a few times, but she only giggles and calls me silly. I ask you, is that an answer?


----------



## Envy123

I'm at 50k words now. Been channeling my dark mood into something productive.


----------



## indianroads

40 Chapters deep in the current edit - 2 more to go, so I should finish it tomorrow.
After that, is a full read through. If that passes muster I'll start work on the marketing crap.


----------



## VRanger

Close to 1700 words in a second session in the next hour and a half after the previous post and finished Chapter 3. Now diving back in for session number 3.


----------



## VRanger

And topped off the evening with another 1500, completing Chapter 4 of LLW. So 4727 exact count for the day. That about takes care of three days of the writing challenge.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote 500 in new project. So 1.5K at the moment. I do like cemetery scenes, which also leads me to the thought I have several projects lingering in their own burial ground.


----------



## Joker

Rickard4 said:


> More that I learn the more I'm getting stuck in this mode of thought. That I just can't quite grip what I'm writing I'm hell-bent on writing, but it's a slippery slope and I can't stick to what most compels the draft for me. It stinks just need to vent feel like re-writing the first 10,000 words infinitely. Still fun though not complaining. Side note I pants write everything outlines I can do but it makes everything a bore.



Welcome to the club.


----------



## Arsenex

Spam hesitated before pressing the button for stasis. “Um, call me a conspiracy theorist, but did anyone actually check the cargo?”

Mitch peered over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do we know that's Calamine lotion we are carrying? You know, this was a rush job. What if we're being duped into smuggling something illegal?”

Gina chuckled. “Illegal? That never bothered you before.”

“Yeah, but we knew what we were doing. If we're actually doing someone else's dirty work, shouldn't we be aware of it?”

I said, “Do you want to go through all hundred twenty pallets back there? Besides, no one would be ballsy enough, not even the cartels, to pull off something like that. This came directly from the government storehouse.”

“And you trust those people?”

I glanced at the floor with a sigh and looked up slowly. “If it means that much to you, go do a sampling inspection. But don't break any seals or damage any containers or it's coming out of _your _Mandra bonus.”

Spam held up his hands. “Fine. If we end up in jail, don't say I didn't warn us.”

Gina said, “Just press the button, would you? We're all getting older here.”

The fog came out of the ventilation system as a fine mist. It wasn't a bad smell, almost sweet. The sleep effects came quickly. The temperature dropped after five minutes, enough time for the body to absorb and circulate the chemicals. I was the last to nod off. When I woke, it was to a daze. The effects of the counter-spray only took minutes to work, but that was after hours of my body warming from 2.7 kelvin.

It was another hour before I had enough wits about me to read our status logs. Nothing of consequence had happened... until I checked our location on the nav screen. We were three days' travel from Zanther. Why had we come out of stasis? I felt a jolt as something took hold of the _Della's_ hull. But I wasn't in any condition to take action. I heard the cabin door open behind me seconds later. Two men entered from the hold.

A chuckle followed. “Check it out. These morons don't have a clue what's happening.”

A call came from the hold, followed by someone else entering the cabin. “Boss. You aren't gonna like this. It's all pallets of Calamine lotion.”

One of the men was tapping away at my display. “Says there's some outbreak of a rash this will be used for.”

The boss man replied, “Too hot. We wouldn't be able to move it without being known. Wrap it up boys. This one's a bust.”

One of the men asked, “What about them? They've seen us.”

The boss laughed. “Have you ever been in stasis, Doba?”

“Of course.”

“Then you know what it's like coming out of it. These clowns won't remember a thing. Wrap it up. Let's go. Calamine... figures.”​


----------



## VRanger

1247 on GG early this morning. Actually directly after Chapter 4 of LLW but I mentally kicked over to a new day.  That's the first half of Chapter 20 in GG for 52.2K total in the novel.


----------



## Parabola

I'm like that kid from Bobby's World, driving his lil bike through giant fruit loops in space. Will the madness ever end?


----------



## Explosia

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I’m not sure if this belongs in this thread or not, but my old external hard drive for my Mac got a bit wet last night. Having issues accessing it. Everything’s on it, including my writing.  Ironically, I bought and used it exclusively in case my computer crashed I’d lose nothing.
> 
> Bought new hard drive, and have been fighting to transfer files from one to the other. I just finished transferring all the manuscripts and notes before the old x drive crashed yet again.
> 
> I’m calling that a writing success, and I don’t care what anyone thinks.


Okay big, very big important lesson... 

Backing up your files is super good. 

Back them up _on multiple devices_...... Email them to yourself or drop them on a Cloud type of storage place in addition to saving to both that hard drive _and_ your computer. Because, yes, any one of those things could end up wrecked somehow...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Explosia said:


> Okay big, very big important lesson...
> 
> Backing up your files is super good.
> 
> Back them up _on multiple devices_...... Email them to yourself or drop them on a Cloud type of storage place in addition to saving to both that hard drive _and_ your computer. Because, yes, any one of those things could end up wrecked somehow...



Everything back up to the other drive. And the OLD drive now wants to act 'normal.'  Geesh


----------



## Explosia

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Everything back up to the other drive. And the OLD drive now wants to act 'normal.'  Geesh


Technology is extremely efficient at doling out heart attacks...


----------



## indianroads

The 5th edit of Moonscape is complete. WC is 99066, (335 pages) which includes front and back matter.
I'll do one final read through, and if nothing of substance is found it will be ready to post on Amazon.
Beyond that, I'd like to try making an advertising video, so I'll look into that today and tomorrow and see what comes of it.


----------



## VRanger

Total today of 2531 on GG (part of that already mentioned in my previous post) and 2630 in LLW tonight. Gets me to 5161 for the last 24 hours. 

7335 out of an anticipated 20K on LLW. Not bad for two days. 

53484 of an anticipated 100K on GG. I've moved that up from 85K to get to a 100K sci-fi novel.

GG zoomed RIGHT BY BK3, which now languishes at 30.5K. I'll write at least one BK3 chapter tomorrow so it doesn't feel neglected.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Just got some early feed back from a few betas. Still got a lot of work to do. But I’ve got a damn good measuring stick so far.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Total today of 2531 on GG (part of that already mentioned in my previous post) and 2630 in LLW tonight. Gets me to 5161 for the last 24 hours.
> 
> 7335 out of an anticipated 20K on LLW. Not bad for two days.
> 
> 53484 of an anticipated 100K on GG. I've moved that up from 85K to get to a 100K sci-fi novel.
> 
> GG zoomed RIGHT BY BK3, which now languishes at 30.5K. I'll write at least one BK3 chapter tomorrow so it doesn't feel neglected.


I’m extremely impressed by your ability to multitask. Being able to take on several writing projects at once is amazing.


----------



## Banespawn

3852 words through the first 2 days of NaNo. 821 so far today. I hit a rough patch that slowed me down, but I've got it worked out now, so hopefully I can pump out another 1000+ words today.


----------



## Mark Twain't

Banespawn said:


> 3852 words through the first 2 days of NaNo. 821 so far today. I hit a rough patch that slowed me down, but I've got it worked out now, so hopefully I can pump out another 1000+ words today.


A few of us have created journals in the NaNo section of the forum if you'd like to join us.

https://www.writingforums.com/forums/nanowrimo.46/


----------



## Arsenex

3109 words. A modest day. Best ever was 9800.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Making changes betas recommended to _God Bless_.


----------



## VRanger

I had a few business and household things come up today, so I didn't get to write until mid-evening. That meant I didn't get in the BK3 chapter I'd hoped for. However, I started out with 2150 on LLW which completed chapters 7 and 8, and toward the end of chapter 8 I stumbled onto an idea which adds a new and yet unplanned adventure to the story.

Then, I at least got in 700 words on BK3, for an exact count of 2856 for the day and 12,744 for the month. So after three days I'm 1/4 of the word count for NaNo. 

That brings LLW up to 9321 and BK3 up to 31389.

That's over 94K I've written on the three projects. Pretty much enough to have one novel completed if I weren't splitting my time. LOL However, splitting my time also keeps me going, since if I'm short the next idea on one ... I'm not on another. So I can just open the project with my current hot idea and start typing. An Asimov interview got me thinking that way.


----------



## indianroads

Wow! Very impressive!


----------



## Parabola

"Cherub like incels" might make it into a work, might not.


----------



## Parabola

"I'm well aware of the courting phase amongst intuitives."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I don't know. Leave me alone."


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Parabola:  "I'm well aware of the courting phase amongst intuitives."
> Aaron:  "What the hell are you talking about?"
> Parabola:  "I don't know. Leave me alone."



Fixed it.


----------



## Parabola

@That Guy Named Aaron Haha. Nicely done.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> @That Guy Named Aaron Haha. Nicely done.



You're welcome, amigo. May your weekend be enjoyable.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Getting some kickass critique from a beta reader right now. I’ve got a lot to fix, but it’s great insight from fresh eyes.


----------



## VRanger

Once again last night I didn't get a chance to write until into the evening, and I had the pressure on ... since I'm also reporting words on the NaNo web site. I had the 700 in BK3 from early in the morning, so I wanted to put another 2300 words added and report 3000 before midnight. So with a hard deadline on a hard word count what did I do? Wrote while I played "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942 version). LOL With the movie done, I noticed it was 11:30 and I still had 600 words to write. So I segued into a couple of fast moving dialogue scenes and broke the total of 3000 words to complete the chapter ... with 4 minutes to spare. LOL

Then I wrote a 1700 word chapter on LLW and got a start with 400 words on the next one. Cat travels 15 miles through the woods and figures out how to sneak into the bad witch's house.

So 4437 for my count since I don't count on a midnight to midnight schedule.

17,181 for the month.


----------



## Explosia

I received a bit of feedback last week on my horror novella(...!), and it had me re-thinking the ending. So over the past five days, I hammered out an epilogue... That might end up replacing the original ending, and likely is all for the better. 

One thing I need to learn to make a habit of more often is turning descriptions into experiences. It's a whole different kind of conceptual way to think of things rather than just "painting a word picture"... Kinda looking at the whole forest rather than the individual trees. Contemplating a visual like "Okay, I know what it looks like, but what is its 'essence'?" 

Those are, hands down, the far more fun descriptions to read. Takes so much thought to come up with them, though...!


----------



## Banespawn

2530 words today. Up to 10051 total, which is good, because I probably won't have time to write tomorrow. Who thought it was a good idea to do NaNo in the middle of football season?


----------



## VRanger

Okay, finally ready to hit the sack and the end of DST gave me an extra HOUR! Muuuuwaaaahaaahaaaahaaaa!

753 finished the LLW chapter.
2219 made a short BK3 chapter but it ends the first act.
1913 doesn't quite get the end of Ch.21 in GG, but that's where I'm out of steam.

Total 4885 for the day. I'm at 12.2K of a minimum 20K in LLW, so hopefully I finish it this week as long as the ideas keep flowing.

22K for the month insofar as NaNo goes.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Beta Reader: _Jet _(MC2)_ is a man-whore douche-bag. I hate him._

I call that a p-hucking success, lads and lassies.


----------



## Arsenex

We just lifted off from Ghenet in the _Alphonse _after dropping off twenty-two thousand conscripted convict soldiers. Poor saps don't even get time to mentally prepare. The Demot invasion fleet is coming in just minutes behind us. Hundreds of warships. We'll be lucky to slip away unnoticed...
—_The Edge of Nowhere_

11k done of expected 70k-75k.


----------



## Joker

Sharpening my plot using the improved background lore. It's looking even better, and I already liked it before.


----------



## VRanger

Tonight:
1713 on GG, total 56417/100000
2045 on LLW total 14254/20000
3758 words for the evening.

25824 words for NaNo for November

Added to my spreadsheet tonight. Right now my pace is 4300 words per day. IF I can keep that up, I can finish BK3, GG, LLW AND Part-Time Pagan God II, which I haven't started yet, in 43 days. However, to finish them all by New Year's Day, I only need 3334 words per day. I have some business coming up, so I might not make New Year's Day ... but if I can get all that in by sometime into January, I'll be quite satisfied.

And bear in mind, that's in addition to our jam-packed Christmas movie schedule. LOL


----------



## Joker

VRanger said:


> Tonight:
> 1713 on GG, total 56417/100000
> 2045 on LLW total 14254/20000
> 3758 words for the evening.
> 
> 25824 words for NaNo for November
> 
> Added to my spreadsheet tonight. Right now my pace is 4300 words per day. IF I can keep that up, I can finish BK3, GG, LLW AND Part-Time Pagan God II, which I haven't started yet, in 43 days. However, to finish them all by New Year's Day, I only need 3334 words per day. I have some business coming up, so I might not make New Year's Day ... but if I can get all that in by sometime into January, I'll be quite satisfied.
> 
> And bear in mind, that's in addition to our jam-packed Christmas movie schedule. LOL



Teach me your secret, oh wise wizard!


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> Teach me your secret, oh wise wizard!


I’ve read some of @VRanger books; they’re excellent!
So he’s not just puking words on the page. I don’t know how he does it.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> I’ve read some of @VRanger books; they’re excellent!
> So he’s not just puking words on the page. I don’t know how he does it.



How many souls did he have to collect in his jars?


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> How many souls did he have to collect in his jars?


How many members does WF have?


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> Teach me your secret, oh wise wizard!


LOL If you were serious, I just blogged about it HERE.


----------



## Joker

VRanger said:


> LOL If you were serious, I just blogged about it HERE.



Aw, I feel honored you mentioned me - even if not by name


----------



## indianroads

Finished the sixth edit of Moonscape - 99086 words.
ONE more edit to let Word's speak feature read it back to me, then it should... hopefully... be ready to post on Amazon.


----------



## Parabola

I want to write something in one of my many, many projects tomorrow, which are multiplying like rabbits on steroids. I tried to pet one of 'em, instead got lunged at with the "crazy eye."


----------



## C.K.Johnson

With a deadline to help me focus, I begin my rewrite of ‘Fast As You’ tomorrow with much torture in mind for FMC Melanie. Come February this story WILL be ready to pitch.


----------



## VRanger

LLW is a novella, so I'm just writing 1K plus chapters. Tonight I did three chapters for 3282. First I finished the GG chapter I started last night for 1328. I added the 760 words in my blog in for 5370 for the day.

One good strong 2500-word chapter will now complete novella 3 for GG. I'll do that tomorrow.

I'm at 17,534/20K for LLW, but it may run long. I sort of lost track of part of my original idea, so to polish it off I may need three or four extra chapters.


----------



## Parabola

Think I've settled on the Hollywood project for today. It's supposed to be shorter, plus I find the overall plot idea really interesting.


----------



## Parabola

500 words so far. Might work on more later if I get a second wind.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> 500 words so far. Might work on more later if I get a second wind.



Speaking of which: Anyone seen @Joker? Has he written 50 words or is he hunkering down for Hurricane Nicole?


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Speaking of which: Anyone seen @Joker? Has he written 50 words or is he hunkering down for Hurricane Nicole?



Maybe he's busy trying to beat @VRanger's record. I'm thinking Eye of the Tiger is on repeat and several cases of energy drinks.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Maybe he's busy trying to beat @VRanger's record. I'm thinking Eye of the Tiger is on repeat and several cases of energy drinks.



I laughed louder at this than I care to admit to.


----------



## Banespawn

Words so far today: 1766
Words so far for NaNo: 14073
Words for the entire story: 25153


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Banespawn said:


> Words so far today: 1766
> Words so far for NaNo: 14073
> Words for the entire story: 25153



Good job. Keep it up!


----------



## Arsenex

About 3k Words for yesterday and today. Approaching 15k out of 70k-75k on this WIP.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Arsenex said:


> About 3k Words for yesterday and today. Approaching 15k out of 70k-75k on this WIP.



Nice. Are you in the path of Nicole?


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Speaking of which: Anyone seen @Joker? Has he written 50 words or is he hunkering down for Hurricane Nicole?



Hi. I've written 200+ today, so eat my shorts.



Parabola said:


> Maybe he's busy trying to beat @VRanger's record. I'm thinking Eye of the Tiger is on repeat and several cases of energy drinks.



I'm not _that _crazy.


----------



## Joker

And besides, I'd be listening to Korn.


----------



## Arsenex

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Nice. Are you in the path of Nicole?


Yep. The only worry around here would be more rain (not a worry for me unless we lose power and my pool floods again.). The groundwater level is still high and the rivers are still above flood stage. If this one comes in slow as predicted, it will be another big rain event (we got 20" last time). The wind damage should be minimal as a Cat 1. I'm about 70 miles from the coast, so by the time it reaches here it will be no worse than a heavy thunderstorm, only that thunderstorm may be storming for twelve hours.


----------



## Joker

Arsenex said:


> Yep. The only worry around here would be more rain (not a worry for me unless we lose power and my pool floods again.). The groundwater level is still high and the rivers are still above flood stage. If this one comes in slow as predicted, it will be another big rain event (we got 20" last time). The wind damage should be minimal as a Cat 1. I'm about 70 miles from the coast, so by the time it reaches here it will be no worse than a heavy thunderstorm, only that thunderstorm may be storming for twelve hours.



Had to defer my car payment since I won't be working Thursday/Friday...


----------



## Arsenex

Joker said:


> Had to defer my car payment since I won't be working Thursday/Friday...


They closed the school my daughter works at for tomorrow through Friday even though it's not expected to be doing anything here until Wednesday night. The kids won't have to make up the three days, but they already told the teachers they all have to, even though there won't be any kids.


----------



## indianroads

Arsenex said:


> Yep. The only worry around here would be more rain (not a worry for me unless we lose power and my pool floods again.). The groundwater level is still high and the rivers are still above flood stage. If this one comes in slow as predicted, it will be another big rain event (we got 20" last time). The wind damage should be minimal as a Cat 1. I'm about 70 miles from the coast, so by the time it reaches here it will be no worse than a heavy thunderstorm, only that thunderstorm may be storming for twelve hours.


Stay safe.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

That moment when you’re cruising along on your forklift delivering a 55gl barrel of heavy duty hydraulic oil, when BAM! you come up with the most kick-ass addition/edition to a chapter of the book you’re waiting for your beta readers to finish.
And I’m stuck at work. 
Damnit.


----------



## VRanger

Distracted by voting results tonight, so:

I did finish my 2500 words to end the third GG novella and wrote another chapter in LLW.

That gets me 3561 words today. I'd try for more but Betty is giving me that "It's already pretty late shouldn't we go to bed" look. To maintain marital bliss, I'll foreswear the next LLW chapter until tomorrow.

That damned Selorian. He created the perfect cover for LLW if the LLW was a little girl instead of a young woman. Now I may have to change my title for LLW and write another novella based on his cover. Gee thanks, Selorian!


----------



## Selorian

VRanger said:


> That damned Selorian. He created the perfect cover for LLW if the LLW was a little girl instead of a young woman. Now I may have to change my title for LLW and write another novella based on his cover. Gee thanks, Selorian!


You're getting too close on finishing your projects, so I thought I'd try adding another one to the list.


----------



## Parabola

500 words in Leo. It's about 10.5k in, and I'm shooting for 25-30k at most. Feels good to be back into the story again. Currently working on the scene where Billy walks the mostly dark road into town (which is based on something I did more than once, love the spooky countryside). He's getting pieces of his childhood striking him like lightning bolts, and in the cemetery, he confronts an image that makes him think about the situation with his girlfriend, Evelyn, and how he's projecting his jealousy over a recent friendship she has. 

Anyway, after he finds the childhood memento, those memories come together and he has a revelation about Toby, the strange but innocent neighbor that asked him about Leo in the opening scene. Back along the country road, then returns to the cul-de-sac and presents the offering to Joe then "wakes up." I put that in quotes since it's not clear at that point if it was only a dream, though I'm seeing it right now as stepping on the line between both.

After that, it's some domestic stuff, and Billy goes through another ordeal with Leo that compels him to enter the second dimension even though the prospect is terrifying.

The endgame with Evelyn during winter is still up in the air but writing today gave me some ideas about its importance. Leo gives Billy some "accidental" wisdom.


----------



## Joker

500 words since yesterday in the new draft.

This is it, man. I can feel it this time. Never been more confident.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I created the new folder for my soon-to-be-born essay on feuilletons. I've collected the material for years and have been adding to it as I come across additional info on the genre and its writers. It's time to do something with that interesting material.


----------



## Parabola

1k total for Leo. A decent "getting back into the saddle" amount of words. Might write more today or cap it at that. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 500 words since yesterday in the new draft.
> 
> This is it, man. I can feel it this time. Never been more confident.



You got me beat. I did 250. But, to be fair, Wifey wanted to yak my ear off when she got home from work, so that train of thought got derailed....


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

The final act where Billy talks with Evelyn...I want it to have an empty, abandoned "lost youth" vibe. He's wandering around town during a snowstorm (close to christmas time so decorations are up). Beyond that, the details in my head are still rattling around.


----------



## Parabola

Leo has a dark romance around the edges and starting out that wasn't really in the cards. What can I say? I just love love.


----------



## Taylor

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> You got me beat. I did 250. But, to be fair, Wifey wanted to yak my ear off when she got home from work, so that train of thought got derailed....


What a nice hubby!  There's always tomorrow.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I got far beyond the new folder I set up today for an essay I thought I'd write. Turns out, after working on it through the evening, I likely have enough material for a book. I've been collecting information on my topic for years so I'm going to head in the direction of a book now. (I'm happy to be a packrat.)


----------



## Parabola

Well, forgot all about the horror movie I made up for Leo, or specifically its location. It takes place in Maine and features my take on zombies. Billy's best friend introduces him to the movie, and it's relevant later. Looking forward to writing the interactions he has with one of the movie characters who at one point, "cements his idiocy" by pissing off the undead. Jack is the idiot for the record, not Billy. Anyway, gotta love the apocalypse (it'll probably only be like ten pages though).


----------



## VRanger

Okay ... *super *stoked tonight. I ONLY wrote in LLW tonight for a total of 5052 words. The target word count was 20K, and it ended up 23,576 ... indicating you write until you include everything you intend for the story and until you're satisfied with the story and its conclusion. Nine days from concept to completion.

That happened.

LLW is now ready for read-through and a proofread via ProofAide.

Plus, @Selorian produced the PERFECT cover for it today. He's a genius. I'll publish in early December since LLW ends as a Christmas story, spanning the calendar from Halloween to Christmas day.

It's not every day you write the last line for a work, even for a novella. Love it. 

When I write the last line I always sense it's the last line whether there is more story to tell or not. Here it is:



> I still didn’t know the way out of the woods, but Cam did. I wondered if he could have flown us out, but he never displayed his wings.


----------



## Parabola

Billy is grieving two people he hasn't technically lost yet, but when it comes to the "subjective experience" the mirage might as well be the real thing, since it collides with real concerns, like the off-in-the-distance death of his dog or the loss of family scaffolding (or having to be that scaffolding). For me, Leo is about a few things, the life he has had/will have after the "passing" of his dad and brother (a bit murky there), projecting his issues onto other people, specifically Evelyn or his friendship with Kevin, fragmented childhood memories that become something else when manipulated by some vaguely dark entity. It's always a challenge, having foot firmly on the line separating ambiguity and giving readers enough info to let them come to decently informed conclusions as to the "nature of the thing."

I also enjoy the aesthetic of mild decay, physically like dilapidated houses, rough roads etc, but the human element to that as well like a jaded mindset that creeps in now and then.


----------



## Banespawn

1164 words so far today, but now I've got meetings for the next 2 hours. Stupid work. I was on a roll.


----------



## Parabola

Thought about delivering the sequence in Maine as one event, but something occurred to me that I can probably turn that into quasi-dreamscapes broken up in digestible chunks, rather than one long dreamscape.


----------



## VRanger

2788 today, with a start on GG novella four and twice as many words on BK3. With LLW done, today was a struggle since both of those novels started a new section of story I hadn't planned out yet. That puts BK3 at 37,912/85K and GG at 61,061/100K. 

Now I ALSO need to read PTPG again before I start on PTPG2. Got to make sure I capture the same voice.

I've got approximately 171K yet to write to finish all three by New Year's Day, which will require 3353 words per day. Fell under that tonight, but luckily I had quite a few higher days earlier in the month. My pace in November averages 4250.


----------



## KatPC

It's been a long while since I last jumped on but hope all are well.

Tentatively saying Hi to everyone again. Be nice to read some stories in the workshop again


----------



## Parabola

I finished the cemetery scene. Billy talked to the old woman and is now on the way to his childhood house. Going in, I want it to seem empty, stimulating fragmented memories that don't really coalesce for him. So he won't make the connection between Toby and his brother until later, maybe after the "dreamscape" passes. As far as Toby's intentions, haven't figured that out. They're a darker shade of gray, and it's occurring to me Leo could have a balancing effect.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> It's been a long while since I last jumped on but hope all are well.
> 
> Tentatively saying Hi to everyone again. Be nice to read some stories in the workshop again



Welcome back, @KatPC


----------



## Parabola

I'm just a glowy eyed cat that portends doom. 

Why does no one love me?


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> I'm just a glowy eyed cat that portends doom.
> 
> Why does no one love me?



Because you peed on the rug.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Because you peed on the rug.


That would do it….


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Found out one of my beta readers had been hospitalized for three weeks and hasn’t had the chance to read a single word of what I wrote.
I take comfort in the fact it wasn’t my writing that landed them in ICU.


----------



## indianroads

Finished the 7th edit of Moonscape - yup, I usually do a bunch of edits. I think everything is nailed down now, but will do one final (I hope) read through.
Then the madness of publishing on Amazon - oy.


----------



## Llyralen

This is a real question, I don’t know and would like help. My short story/novella was published in an anthology yesterday. It’s also an audio book. This is the first time I’ve been published. What is allowed for how to spread the word on this? What do most people do on here by way of links to their work and what is allowed?  If there are threads with instructions about this, please point me out.  Thank you SO much in advance!


----------



## VRanger

Llyralen said:


> This is a real question, I don’t know and would like help. My short story/novella was published in an anthology yesterday. It’s also an audio book. This is the first time I’ve been published. What is allowed for how to spread the word on this? What do most people do on here by way of links to their work and what is allowed?  If there are threads with instructions about this, please point me out.  Thank you SO much in advance!


Lots of people put such a link in their signature.


----------



## Alanzie

Oh, wow.  Stellar session.  I reminded myself why I do this.  

So, anyone who may have seen some of my posts knows that I'm a pantser.  A first time horror novelist pantser.  I still detest the name.
I'm in my 8th chapter and suddenly, I have a new character I never knew I had.  She was hiding back there, just waiting for a name and a scene.  When the scene came along, she just popped up, name and all.

I give my characters little back stories that I try to blend into the narrative, hopefully without much reading disruption.  I hate infodumps.  I needed this character to be in the first row of a large gathering so I made her deaf.  This is 1871, something evil and catastrophic has happened, and amplification didn't exist.  She has a seven month old boy.  She is a 26 year old widow.  Her husband was killed on her 25 birthday because he bought her flowers.  I know everything about her.  She just appeared that way.

Jump forward.  I knew that this character was created for a reason, but I didn't know what it was.  I now have her walking down a dimly lit passageway on a late 19th century passenger steamship.  Seven month old babies know fear, and as he rests his cheek against his mothers neck, he sees the monstrosity behind him.  The creature is stalking them.  She can't hear anything because she is dear.  Everything fit perfectly.

None of this would have happened if I had my pants on.  It is such a thrill when you remember why you write.

I sure hope I'm not fooling myself, but I've got something here and it kinda scares me.

That, my friends, is my writing success for today.  It was a biggie and my confidence is back.  WooHoo!


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I listen to a music track and the plot threads come to me in this credits-song-dramatic-montage state of mind. Go ahead, laugh, but it's gotten me through more than one pair of tangled plot cords.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

@Llyralen, you can also announce your publishing success here https://www.writingforums.com/forums/members-published-work-not-books.236/
I am so happy for you. The first time published is so exciting. (So is the tenth time or the 100th time.) I predict many more successes to come.


----------



## Llyralen

Pamelyn Casto said:


> @Llyralen, you can also announce your publishing success here https://www.writingforums.com/forums/members-published-work-not-books.236/
> I am so happy for you. The first time published is so exciting. (So is the tenth time or the 100th time.) I predict many more successes to come.


Thank you!  It has been so exciting!


----------



## Llyralen

VRanger said:


> Lots of people put such a link in their signature.


I was just reading the Goodreads reviews. What is allowed?  For instance, can I put a link to the reviews here?  I did make a thread in posted author’s work as @Pamelyn Casto graciously pointed it out.— thank you! And now I’ve got the link to the book in mg signature— thank you!   I put the link to the reviews in the other thread, so it would be redundant, but I just want to understand the rules and etiquette since I haven’t had to understand the rules and etiquette before.

Are there certain areas of WF you can promote and areas you can’t promote in that is written into rules somewhere? Or is it all pretty casual if you want to mention or link anywhere because it makes sense to, without getting in people’s faces, of course…. Some other forums I’m on that aren’t writer-related are very strict about the mention of promotion of anything commercial, is where my question comes from and I know this isn’t the right thread, but I couldn’t figure out where to go to look for this.


----------



## Parabola

Humor and being a moldy sad sack are two sides of the same coin.


----------



## VRanger

Llyralen said:


> I was just reading the Goodreads reviews. What is allowed?  For instance, can I put a link to the reviews here?  I did make a thread in posted author’s work as @Pamelyn Casto graciously pointed it out.— thank you! And now I’ve got the link to the book in mg signature— thank you!   I put the link to the reviews in the other thread, so it would be redundant, but I just want to understand the rules and etiquette since I haven’t had to understand the rules and etiquette before.
> 
> Are there certain areas of WF you can promote and areas you can’t promote in that is written into rules somewhere? Or is it all pretty casual if you want to mention or link anywhere because it makes sense to, without getting in people’s faces, of course…. Some other forums I’m on that aren’t writer-related are very strict about the mention of promotion of anything commercial, is where my question comes from and I know this isn’t the right thread, but I couldn’t figure out where to go to look for this.


I've got no problem with you linking to reviews in your signature, or quoting them in Writing Success today or another relevant topic.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Humor and being a moldy sad sack are two sides of the same coin.



I resemble that remark.


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday I had to squeeze in some writing after a long day of packing. loading the car, driving to our condo, unloading the car, unpacking, watching a football game, and shopping. I still managed 2932 words. 

I've written 2569 so far tonight and hope to have enough inspiration for 1500-2000 more before I hit the sack. I did hit the 50K for NaNo tonight.

I stand at 45.5K/85K on BK3, so I passed the halfway point last night. I'm still mulling over concept on novella four for GG, but I had an idea on the drive yesterday that may break that loose and get me writing on it again. I really didn't like my concept for how Patrick would get in the middle of a crime in progress, so I've come up with a different scenario for that I believe I can write to without worrying it looks contrived or coincidental.

I have 163.5K left to complete BK3, GG, and PTPG2 before New Year's Day is over. My spreadsheet reports that if I can maintain my current pace, I can possibly do that in 42 days. But, there are interruptions on the horizon. ;-)


----------



## Joker

1540 words in six days. Desperately trying to get this first chapter to 3k words but probably gonna have to settle for 2.5k, for now


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 1540 words in six days. Desperately trying to get this first chapter to 3k words but probably gonna have to settle for 2.5k, for now



You're doing great, Joker. Keep it up, amigo. 


A.C.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> You're doing great, Joker. Keep it up, amigo.
> 
> 
> A.C.



Doesn't feel like it, but thanks.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Doesn't feel like it, but thanks.



Sometimes the little steps don't feel as significant as the big steps, but they are.


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> Doesn't feel like it, but thanks.



Remember this: the journey of a million words begins with a single keystroke.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Remember this: the journey of a million words begins with a single keystroke.



depwejdwfjbkdfjbkmnlm m ,axCNMLADFMNLDFNKLSDNMLDSFMNL

What's my prize?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> depwejdwfjbkdfjbkmnlm m ,axCNMLADFMNLDFNKLSDNMLDSFMNL
> 
> What's my prize?


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


>



Thank, generic clip art of a white guy clapping.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Thank, generic clip art of a white guy clapping.



They didn’t have a bald fat middle aged guy.


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> depwejdwfjbkdfjbkmnlm m ,axCNMLADFMNLDFNKLSDNMLDSFMNL
> 
> What's my prize?



Congratulations! You've won an all expenses paid trip to Mudslide Gardens, California. It's conveniently located next to Earthquake Grotto.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Congratulations! You've won an all expenses paid trip to Mudslide Gardens, California. It's conveniently located next to Earthquake Grotto.



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

NOT CALIFORNIA!


----------



## Parabola

I WILL write _something_ today. Just don't know when.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> I WILL write in Leo at some point today. Just don't know when.



Trade with @Joker. Have him work on Leo for you, and you write his fifty words.

Win-Win situation. 


A.C.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Woke up to an email requesting the full manuscript for TAOAB. I needed that after waking up to rejections two days in a row 

This was my pitch. My thanks and appreciation to y'all fellow word wranglers here that helped me hone this  

Restless housewife Adrienne meets charismatic pilot Gabriel and feels an instant primal connection. When Gabriel abducts her and steals millions from her embezzling husband, she should be afraid, but street-survivor Adrienne thrills to the rush. Feeling betrayed by her husband's secrets, she turns from hostage to accomplice.

Gabriel's firm commitment to another woman is simply one more obstacle for Adrienne to overcome.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
> 
> NOT CALIFORNIA!


Escaped Cali native here. I left that insanity behind 16 years ago, Unfortunately many within the loony tune community followed me and are infecting Colorado.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> Escaped Cali native here. I left that insanity behind 16 years ago, Unfortunately many within the loony tune community followed me and are infecting Colorado.



Tsk, Denver is as bad as any Cali city these days. Should've gone to Arizona!


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> Tsk, Denver is as bad as any Cali city these days. Should've gone to Arizona!


Arizona was our number 2 choice. The wife insisted on Colorado. When we first moved here Denver and Boulder were still nice places to visit… it’s not that way anymore.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> Arizona was our number 2 choice. The wife insisted on Colorado. When we first moved here Denver and Boulder were still nice places to visit… it’s not that way anymore.



Oh well. Florida also has plenty of room for you old farts.


----------



## Parabola

About 1k in Leo. Solid amount of words. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to blow past the house scene, I'm not quite finished with it yet. Billy's discovering an old addiction before he snags the memento Joe wants (a revised, alternate universe version of the murder console, that thing just won't die!). Plus he's revisiting some fragmented, childhood memories that become relevant to the dynamic with his neighbor, Toby.


----------



## Parabola

Got quite positive feedback on something. It's the stream of consciousness style I've tossed out there on different occasions. Let's just say after a while you get a feel for it. 

That aside, figured out some stuff on the wintery endgame in Leo. He has to help Evelyn, ie let some trust shine through.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> Oh well. Florida also has plenty of room for you old farts.


Too humid for me. I rode my motorcycle down to Key West and got caught in a thunderstorm on my way back and almost drowned.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Too humid for me. I rode my motorcycle down to Key West and got caught in a thunderstorm on my way back and almost drowned.


Should’ve just parked across the road and waited five minutes. Storms are that localized sometimes.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Should’ve just parked across the road and waited five minutes. Storms are that localized sometimes.


I found an overpass, pulled under and waited it out. By the time I got under cover I was waterlogged.


----------



## indianroads

Halfway through what will be the last editing pass of Moonscape. Couple more days, then I’ll start the publishing process.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Published author beta reader and I to have breakfast Monday to go over his notes. Scared and excited at same time.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Psst…..

The people over in the poetry section have no sense of humor…


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Halfway through what will be the last editing pass of Moonscape. Couple more days, then I’ll start the publishing process.



But...will it be the _final_ editing pass?


----------



## lesaboutin

It's small but pivotal for the main character's development. In developing her deceased husband's part in the story, I discovered he cheated on her, which will play a bigger part in the murder suspect's alibi. 

Not much. But feeling accomplished.


----------



## Joker

I'm at like, 3k words. Padding out my first chapter a bit, I can't just leave it so short, feels wrong.


----------



## lesaboutin

Joker said:


> I'm at like, 3k words. Padding out my first chapter a bit, I can't just leave it so short, feels wrong.


I hear you. I try to be brief and just get the ideas down, but I'm too focused to let it go.


----------



## Joker

lesaboutin said:


> I hear you. I try to be brief and just get the ideas down, but I'm too focused to let it go.



My mentality is, best to establish good habits early than underwrite the whole thing through and get discouraged upon a second pass.


----------



## Parabola

Approaching 14.5 out of roughly 30k, and a little over 1k so far today. Still not done with the quasi-dream sequence. Close though since it's the final confrontation with Joe, at least for that section. The plan going forward is that Billy wakes up and goes about life, and he doesn't cope well with the fragments of those revelations he had during his hike in the country and the visit to his childhood/early teenage years home. His old addiction creeps back since he can't handle the supposedly unavoidable death of his dog (he lost hope it was avoidable but that thread comes back), and the vibrant flashbacks of what happened to his dad and brother.

For now, I'm still firmly set on Toby, the neighbor, being a dark but not necessarily malicious entity.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Psst…..
> 
> The people over in the poetry section have no sense of humor…


They never do.


----------



## bdcharles

I think I figured out a way to make the ending of The Dire Queen not rubbish. When all else failed, I leaned on narrative devices for the answer


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Published author from work showed my a copy of the letter he got from the editor he worked with via the publishing company. 

Wow.

Suddenly I have lost a _*huge*_ amount of self-confidence in my book idea. Is this normal?


----------



## VRanger

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Published author from work showed my a copy of the letter he got from the editor he worked with via the publishing company.
> 
> Wow.
> 
> Suddenly I have lost a _*huge*_ amount of self-confidence in my book idea. Is this normal?


Yep. Don't sweat it. Just write your best and let God sort it out. ;-)


----------



## VRanger

My production hit a low spell since I completed LLW. This week I've been rereading Part-Time Pagan God to get the voice again, and at 70% I thought I had enough confidence to proceed on PTPG2. It's been almost two years since I wrote in that voice. So I started it tonight with 3200 words and counting, because I'm not done yet. I'll likely finish the second chapter tonight. Cay (Caerus, the Greek god of luck) is WAY fun to write. He's a horn-dog and essentially unfiltered. That's a LOT of latitude. LOL

I completed NaNo four days ago, but I can't coast because I still need 150K plus to complete the projects in my Sig by the New Year.


----------



## Parabola

Keep in mind this is coming from a more or less quintessential entp, but the old saying "ideas are a dime a dozen" has been and hasn't been my experience in the sense that people have learned to come to me for my unusual takes on things, or for my rampant idea generation. Well before my novel phase (think teenage years), I wrote reams of concept documents/world-building stuff with fully fleshed out characters. Poetry. Even had a couple of contacts in the video game industry. Back then, I didn't really focus on one area.

My Achilles Heel tends to be motivation based, having the patience to get the structure just right.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I think it's normal, @That Guy Named Aaron, to lose confidence the minute we might actually achieve what we hoped to achieve. Either it's normal or we're both abnormal. I'm betting most writers feel this way. When we're creating our work of fiction or art mostly no one judges us. But when it's seriously out there for consideration, we _will_ be judged and that's scary in itself! I hope it pans out for you. If it doesn't then try something else or somewhere else. Best of luck!


----------



## indianroads

Finished the LAST edit of Moonscape. Next up, the publishing process.


----------



## Parabola

I didn't achieve much by way of word count, but I've settled on Leo as the project I'll be working on tomorrow. Honestly it's much easier to stick to that goal earlier in the morning when it's quiet, and my mind hasn't had a chance to re-comprehend my current circumstances lol.


----------



## VRanger

4323 today and 7685 for two days for the first three chapters of PTPG2. I'm quite happy with the story for the first three chapters, which wraps up a loose end I intentionally left and mentioned at the end of PTPG. However, I've written new mythology based on classic mythology and I like where it went. It's one of the cases where I know the GENERAL path for the story arc but the details all have to happen as I write. It's how you combine Plotter and Pantser.

I started the book with Cay facing off against Cerberus to get out of the Underworld with a shade who'd become mortal again if he could just get her out. When I started Chapter One I had NO IDEA what the solution would be. It came to me tonight when it had to. LOL



> Now we’ve circled back to where I started. The mysterious rock wall disappeared and I faced Cerberus from the other direction. I’d failed on the first two tries. I’d tried the old ‘force bubble and run’. A sideswipe of Cerberus left-hand head sent me reeling. I tried shocking him like I did Gallu, and produced a pitiful spark. If Cerberus could laugh, he would have.
> 
> I’m not a master tactician or strategist or physical hero. I’m just lucky. I had one more try and the attempt at a solution baffled me. I still had my pack, so I sat down to eat a sandwich and think. Cerberus provided no danger unless I provoked him with another attempt to pass. I got the sandwich halfway to my mouth and something came to me. I looked down in the pack and found one more sandwich.
> 
> I walked up to Cerberus and offered to let them sniff my sandwich. They were good sandwiches. Corned beef on rye with sauerkraut and spicy German mustard and a rich Swiss cheese. Agares prepared them for me and she’s one great cook … not that it takes a lot of cooking to make a fine tasting Reuben.
> 
> I’m a part-time pagan god, and I’m alive. Even Cerberus wouldn’t risk trying to snatch a sandwich out of my hand. But I could tell that each head wanted to. I backed off again.
> 
> “Okay, guys. You’re too good for me to run around you or overpower you with godly tricks. How about a contest? If I win you let us pass, but if you win, you get the last two sandwiches and we have to stay?”
> 
> I heard a set of harumphs like I used to hear from that mystery-solving cartoon dog if I got up early enough on a Saturday morning. All three heads shook agreement. Such a divine treat Cerberus never had a chance at before.
> 
> “Okay, here’s what I propose.” I explained Paper, Scissors, Rock. I must explain this: I didn’t trust Cerberus to let me pass if I won, mostly because the game favored me. Even with enormous, monstrous doggy paws, Cerberus could only deliver Paper. All I had to do was Scissors to win. But winning did me no good if Cerberus welshed on the bet. So I had to be an even better cheat.
> 
> All three heads shook to agree they understood the game, and understood the count of three. I don’t know which head took charge of their left fore paw, and it doesn’t matter. I raised and lowered my arm three times and put out … Rock. The paw was, of course, Paper. I lost.
> 
> “Okay, guys. You win and I can’t argue the result. You get the sandwiches.” Did I say something about tail wagging earlier? I’d now produced one happy monster dog anticipating a unique treat. I couldn’t image those immense mouths could really savor a Reuben sandwich for more than an instant. Not my problem.
> 
> I took out the sandwiches, unwrapped them, and gave each head another good sniff. Then I tossed them to the side of the passage.
> Two sandwiches for three heads. The competition was fierce. They never even noticed me sneak by on the other side with Sibyl.


----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I feel like stories turn out better when I write them in paragraph synopsis form rather than the bullet point method. It was sort of how I got my "almost start" in the game industry as a writer (did I mention I rarely follow through with stuffs?) I used it on a potential horror short story recently, and it has a good flow. I feel like it helps with maintaining a bird's eye view.


----------



## Parabola

15.5K into Leo, out of approximately 30k.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> 4323 today and 7685 for two days for the first three chapters of PTPG2. I'm quite happy with the story for the first three chapters, which wraps up a loose end I intentionally left and mentioned at the end of PTPG. However, I've written new mythology based on classic mythology and I like where it went. It's one of the cases where I know the GENERAL path for the story arc but the details all have to happen as I write. It's how you combine Plotter and Pantser.
> 
> I started the book with Cay facing off against Cerberus to get out of the Underworld with a shade who'd become mortal again if he could just get her out. When I started Chapter One I had NO IDEA what the solution would be. It came to me tonight when it had to. LOL


Can’t wait to read it.


----------



## M J Tennant 2022

Got a 5 star review on Goodreads from a reader in Colorado, USA.  Only just noticed it.  Very exciting.

My second book is also making progress (for a change).

Happy weekend all!   

M J x


----------



## Matchu

I did my NVQ homework @ 10 million words.

I sent almost a sensible post to a publisher with my 'difficult story' attached. I explained in my cover note to 'please, press on beyond the first 200 words.' And then comes the other challenging, hiccup towards the end, he won't notice that...err...because he won't be reading any longer.

Quick as a flash  I did a flash and also a  flash entry into the contest.  It's really good.  I did miss out a question mark.  Right, back to flashing..  Nobody talks about flashing these days the dying pursuit, all dogging and meeting strangers, maybe I'll go to the shop?

Work tomorrow ...


----------



## Parabola

I will write a book at some point without using the word "attractive" or its ill-gotten synonyms. Might seem like a weird, arbitrary goal but that's my bread and butter.


----------



## indianroads

Had a good day. 
Martial Art training in the morning. One of the students, a 16 yo girl (home schooled) that trains with her father and sister, really wants to get into writing. She’s already written several stories and is getting into larger projects. Naturally I suggested WF, her father (a smart and talented guy that I like), wants to limit her internet exposure, but I said that I’m a mentor here, so hopefully she’ll show up. I also recommend the local writers guild. 
Anyways it was an awesome morning.
When I came back I put the kindle version of Moonscape on Amazon, and should go live in a few days. I then loaded the paperback and hardcover versions- with covers by our one and only @Selorian - and ordered proofs of each. They won’t be on sale until I approve the physical books after they’re in my hands.


----------



## Parabola

Once again, I find myself at the keyboard. Maybe I'll write a (fiction related) word today, maybe I won't.

Will the madness ever end?


----------



## indianroads

Updated my author website today - Indian Roads -

Looks like the kindle version of Moonscape is already on Amazon, I'll wait until the paperback and hardback proofs arrive before giving Amazon the go ahead to sell them.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finally got in the zone with 'Fast As You', 2222 words today. Now it's beer o'clock.


----------



## Parabola

In the mood to write something macabre. Maybe some flash fiction.


----------



## Joker

3859 words in 11 days, pacing 320 per including some edits. Draft isn't perfect but this is definitely it, it just _feels _right this time.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

None. Sans the fact that I'm now sitting down with reheated pizza and a HUGE cup of coffee and about to write two page synopsis for KatPC of all 20(!) books of the _The Life Of Somebody_ series that I'm planning on doing. There's no simple TL;DR except this: two high school buddies named Chris and Jet that think too much with their penises work as forklift as forklift drivers during the day and run a pirate radio station at night until Chris dies and Jet find out that Chris had a son he never knew about and then Jet spends the next few years trying to get his head on straight while trying to deal with bizarre people and events at his job and trying to tell Chris' son all about his dad. There's also a Mennonite on a forklift, pizza deliveries to the prison wing of a local hospital, a future Governor of Nebraska, a goat barbeque contest in the middle of Texas, a priest... WAIT... two priests, a double homicide, a bomb threats, a bowling league, a few ex-girlfriends, an all-bass guitar punk band, and a hurricane in the series, too. But not in that order. And other things happen, too.

If KatPC never pops up on here ever again, it's because the more detailed version scared him away and I deserve the credit or blame.


----------



## Mark Twain't




----------



## Parabola

Sometimes I wonder if "high status" protagonists are more concentrated now vs fiction from like ten or fifteen years ago. I don't claim to be an expert when it comes to trends, but sometimes I can't help but get that sense (note: I'm not dead set on this view. It's also something I've noticed on certain subreddits).


----------



## VRanger

The last two days were a bit crowded. Friday was our last day on vacation ... so packing and an early bedtime to be fit to drive Saturday morning. Saturday loading the car, driving home, unloading and unpacking and all that. So 3590 Friday and 3619 yesterday ... most of that in the late evening after I caught a nap. 

After four days I'm at 14K on PTPG2, with a couple of scenes in GG and BK3.  The big personal news is yesterday I tipped over the halfway point for the four projects I'd like to finish by the New Year. 149K written, 145K (projected) left to go.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Sometimes I wonder if "high status" protagonists are more concentrated now vs fiction from like ten or fifteen years ago. I don't claim to be an expert when it comes to trends, but sometimes I can't help but get that sense (note: I'm not dead set on this view. It's also something I've noticed on certain subreddits).


There’s certainly a lot more chatter about government corruption and corporate influence these days than I recall from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. That’s bound to seep into literature and the media.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> There’s certainly a lot more chatter about government corruption and corporate influence these days than I recall from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. That’s bound to seep into literature and the media.



That's interesting. Hadn't thought of it from that angle.


----------



## bdcharles

I am really closing in on the denouement of _The Dire Queen_. My one mandate right now is to depict the scenes thus: "A hellish Bosch painting wrought into terrible, cursed life"


----------



## Joker

323 more in the hole.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 323 more in the hole.



Keep it up, amigo.


----------



## indianroads

Working on adding categories to my books - I'm starting with Dark Side of Joy (my first novel), and will wait to see how that turns our before I start in on the rest of my brood.
When posting a novel on Amazon, we can choose only 2 categories, but actually ten are available (I didn't know that, smart people here informed me). We have to go through Amazon Author Central (contact us) to get it done.
SO... I created a spreadsheet with sheets for each of my novels with their categories/subcategories. It's a work in progress, hopefully something good will come of it.
Next up is advertising on Amazon... Oh... and I should post Moonscape to WF's Member published books too... but maybe I should wait until all formats are available.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Oh... and I should post Moonscape to WF's Member published books too... but maybe I should wait until all formats are available.



Untrained amatuer with no dog in the fight's honest and humble opinion (for whatever it's worth): Wait until all formats are available. Seems to me less hassle. Yes, eager to get it out to the masses, but get everything 100% operational first. 

But you know my disclaimer already, so I won't repeat it.


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

The man of mystery gets put inside an iron maiden. Maybe.


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> If KatPC never pops up on here ever again, it's because the more detailed version scared him away and I deserve the credit or blame.


Check your inbox! I've got more questions haha


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Almost hit 40k words in ‘Fast As You’. I’m trying to follow the ‘Save the Cat’ format for my WIP, and after completely rewriting the first four chapters, I have Melanie breaking into her ‘new world’ at the 20% mark. 
Now begins the fun and games portion. A lot of this part is already written but I have to strain through my already written mess to see what I can save.
Life as a pantser


----------



## Parabola

The movie ended with them realizing within the nightmarescape, they could alter reality by channeling Jack’s infinite idiocy.


----------



## Parabola

See, I prefer more casual feedback. Maybe we'll meet at a Denny's and compare our subjective lenses. "Oh, you're a paragraph man rather than a line guy? Interesting." Now it's possible I'll agree. Not saying I will, but it's not impossible.


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday I only wrote the minimum to keep the NaNo daily streak alive, because:

I want to publish Tiny Magic and LLW around the first, and I figured I'd better get LLW edited and proofed. So yesterday I did the first edit read through, and today I'll put it through ProofAide.


----------



## VRanger

Okay ... just finished the ProofAide pass, and I only revised 53 sentences out of 2100+ ... so a pretty clean revision after the first read through. I think it helps that's it's a 23K word novella ... a quick read and only a few hours in ProofAide.

I tend to power through these things without taking mercy on myself, and for longer sessions I get tired and miss more. That's something I know I have to discipline myself on, and keep these revision sessions to shorter spans.

Then I did a quick formatting session and got my graphic scene separators in. Now I'm ready to hand it off to Betty to read and write on some more of the WIPs listed in my sig.

I mentioned in my latest blog I'm now planning a fairy tale series since I enjoyed writing Tiny Magic and LLW so much, so next I'll write one based on the painting I shared in the blog, and I've got some ideas in mind for a LLW sequel.


----------



## indianroads

Moonscape is up on Amazon and WF.
Updated my Facebook Author page.
Happy I have the book out - I'll dive in on Amazon ads tomorrow (I'll probably hit my head on the bottom of the pool though).

Wife and I went to see the Monet Immersive Experience up in Denver today - this is the third one we've seen (previous Van Gogh, and Kind Tut). If one comes your way I strongly recommend going.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I just now wrote a 400-word flash fiction titled Lou Salome Takes Her Friend Sigmund Freud to Task and Interrogates His Fetish Theory. Once it's polished up it will be part of my collection of 400-word stories. I think I have eighteen 400-word stories now. Once I get twenty-five or thirty stories written I'll send the collection to publishers. I'm enjoying the challenge of keeping each story at 400 words exactly.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

How I wish I could have seen the Monet and the Van Gogh exhibits. King Tut has been of interest to me for most of my life. I first saw his sarcophagus when I was a little girl and he has intrigued me ever since. (I've most recently been working on a poem about all the eyes involved in his sarcophagus.)


----------



## indianroads

Pamelyn Casto said:


> How I wish I could have seen the Monet and the Van Gogh exhibits. King Tut has been of interest to me for most of my life. I first saw his sarcophagus when I was a little girl and he has intrigued me ever since. (I've most recently been working on a poem about all the eyes involved in his sarcophagus.)


Back in the 70’s some of the Tut treasures were brought to San Francisco, and me and my wife got to see them in person. We saw that golden mask that’s so famous. Everyone has seen the front, but the back was amazing.

Yeah, if one of the immersion shows comes your way, definitely, go see it.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Back in the 70’s some of the Tut treasures were brought to San Francisco, and me and my wife got to see them in person. We saw that golden mask that’s so famous. Everyone has seen the front, but the back was amazing.
> 
> Yeah, if one of the immersion shows comes your way, definitely, go see it.


The exhibit made a stop at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, so we got to see it back in the 80s sometime. Yeah ... impressive.

According to Amelia Peabody, if it weren't for her husband Radcliff Emerson, Howard Carter never would have found Tutankhamun's tomb. ;-)

Barbara Mertz, writing as Elizabeth Peters (her children are named Elizabeth and Peter), wrote a wonderful series. I do a little dialogue tribute to her in every book I write. The character thinks something and then says it aloud to a crowd. She always made it amusing and I hope I do, too, when I employ it.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I'm at 23 400-word stories now. Tonight I took two of my longer stories and whittled them down to 400 words each. I also took a long poem and changed it to a 400-word piece of prose. I like the results for all three pieces. After I create two more I might send the collection out into the world to see who might publish it.  Or maybe I'll wait until I have 30 pieces before I do that. Soon I'll have to come up with an interesting collection title . . .


----------



## VRanger

7K on BK3 the last two days plus 500 in added content on LLW as I made my first read-through and proofread passes. BK3 now sits at 54K of a planned 85K.

The cover art for LLW (provided by @Selorian) only needs a couple of minor tweaks and I'll be ready to publish the first of the month. I spent some time yesterday (after midnight now so REALLY day before yesterday) defining another 10 possible novellas for a LLW series, and there is a possibility I'll push my New Year's deadline for the rest of the WIPs back two weeks to write a second LLW novella with a New Year's theme. That decision is in the air, but I need to make it in the next couple of days and then do it if that's the way I decide to go.


----------



## indianroads

Working on Maelstrom
3 book series.  
1) Tempest - outline completed today.
2) Cyclone - will start outline tomorrow
3) Monsoon -


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Working on Maelstrom
> 3 book series.
> 1) Tempest - outline completed today.
> 2) Cyclone - will start outline tomorrow
> 3) Monsoon -



Low Pressure System - In the Sub-Saharan region 
Tropical Wave - off the African coast
Tropical Depression - Eastern Atlantic
Tropical Storm - Caribbean Ocean
Hurricane - Miami-Dade County


----------



## LoveofWriting

Pamelyn Casto said:


> How I wish I could have seen the Monet and the Van Gogh exhibits. King Tut has been of interest to me for most of my life. I first saw his sarcophagus when I was a little girl and he has intrigued me ever since. (I've most recently been working on a poem about all the eyes involved in his sarcophagus.)



Nice! I have a funny little character named Sacrophagus from my silly short story The Clown of Tripoli lmao (only writing it for an assignment for a play)


----------



## LoveofWriting

Currently I am revising a poem but lately I haven't been hardly writing my novel nor my short stories. Everytime I come up with an idea for a short story it always disappears from my mind and thus I tend to focus on something else. I have school work on the side as well (working on getting a degree). Hopefully when i get the chance i will hammer this novel down along with my short fictions. Multitasking has to be one of my priorities.


----------



## VRanger

5570 tonight all in BK3, which tops 60K of 85K for the novel. I had a real flash (literally in the story) of what could go wrong, as two characters sent to rescue a third character were temporarily blinded when he set of a flash of light, not knowing they were there, to blind enemies. Fun ensued and a detailed plan left the tracks in that moment. 

My head started up an opening scene for a LLW sequel, which probably means I'm going to add that to the WIPs and move my schedule back to allow room for another 20-25K words in this glut of completing simultaneous WIPs. This has worked so well I'm not sure I can imagine returning to one thing at a time.

Without Adding LLW2, I'm currently at 162K on the current projects with 133K left to go. My pace for November is 3611/day, and my pace required to finish by the New Year is 3484. Of course that all changes a bit by adding in LLW2.


----------



## KatPC

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody across the big pond!

My writing joy today is that it's nice to write a new story. I haven't really been writing these last few months and these last 3-4 weeks I've returned to editing a few stories and reading! Early this morning I started a new story and it felt great. It's light and fun, more of a change than my normal style and tone, so it was nice to be in a creative mindset and looking to get back onto the keyboard to continue the story. I've missed this a lot.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> Happy Thanksgiving to everybody across the big pond!
> 
> My writing joy today is that it's nice to write a new story. I haven't really been writing these last few months and these last 3-4 weeks I've returned to editing a few stories and reading! Early this morning I started a new story and it felt great. It's light and fun, more of a change than my normal style and tone, so it was nice to be in a creative mindset and looking to get back onto the keyboard to continue the story. I've missed this a lot.



I’ve missed this and abusing Aaron a lot. Fixed it. 

I jest. Seriously though, glad you’re getting back into it.   Good for you.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> Back in the 70’s some of the Tut treasures were brought to San Francisco, and me and my wife got to see them in person. We saw that golden mask that’s so famous. Everyone has seen the front, but the back was amazing.
> 
> Yeah, if one of the immersion shows comes your way, definitely, go see it.



Read a lot about Tut, even one book about assassination theories. Honestly loved the period he was connected to, the art style, court intrigue etc. Good stuff.


----------



## indianroads

The Paperback ARC arrived today. Looks great, thanks to @Selorian


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> The Paperback ARC arrived today. Looks great, thanks to @Selorian
> 
> View attachment 29931View attachment 29932



Great, now gimme one


----------



## Explosia

I emerge from my hole in the dirt to collapse.... I think I've done all the meaningful edits I can to my horror novella for now, and boy is my brain exhausted lolllll. But this is all the tweaking I have time for it. I still don't think it's really 100% the best it can be but if I'm gonna submit it to something somewhere, then I gotta cross my fingers and just do it. But this thing's definitely gone through a heck of a transformation, and I'm so grateful for the feedback I received on it!! 

okay now time to go drink some water and do nothing but watch movies or something for the rest of the day, ayyyyyyy........


----------



## VRanger

Since I'd already written the opening to the first chapter in my head, I did add LLW2 to my concurrent projects and wrote the first three chapters tonight for 3312 words. Before that, I completed the latest BK3 chapter for 2017, so a nice word count for the day. I needed it, because I fell out last night after only 700 words after several days I simply couldn't sleep long. So I got caught up some last night and hope to repeat that tonight. LOL

By adding another 20K words to my project spreadsheet, of course the prospects for completing everything by New Year's Day became dismal ... but not impossible. I'll probably give myself another 10 days, but I haven't changed the formula yet. I'll give it a few days and see how it goes. My pace for November is 3562 words per day, and at that pace I'd finish all projects including LLW2 in 41 days, with 36 days left until the New Year.

However, the count needed to complete all the projects by the New Year is 4066 words per day. So if I'm able to sprinkle more 5300-word days in there, it might be doable. Betty says I'm setting an "artificial deadline". I told her I'm accepting my own challenge. 

The positive is these fairly-tale novellas almost write themselves once I get started. Pretty close to 1000 words per hour.


----------



## indianroads

My next project is a series: Maelstrom.
The first rough plot of the first book, Tempest, is done.
Today I finished up the first rough plot of the second book, Cyclone.
Tomorrow I'll start in on the rough plot of Monsoon.

And yes. I make a rough plot outline before I write the plot, which is before I start writing.
Don't hate me - I was an engineer, planning things first is what we do.


----------



## VRanger

4359 yesterday... all in four chapters of LLW2. The bad witch who caused Miranda's powers to misfire in LLW1 has now tried moving in on all Miranda's business in the nearby town, but with her powers returned, Miranda is regaining her customers. In the meantime, a spooky presence is hanging out in the woods behind her house and coming out into the yard when it thinks no one is looking ...

4359 is above the pace needed to finish by the New Year even with the new novella added, so I haven't given myself the extra days in the spreadsheet yet. But wow, that 4k+ per day is a good bit of pressure. I'd like to consider a 4K day to be a really productive day rather than just running along the hamster wheel to keep up! LOL


----------



## Explosia

Well, I did it... I submitted my horror novella thing to two publications. And, of course, it wasn't until after I'd submitted the manuscript to the first one that I remembered I could have had Word set indentations at the beginning of each paragraph... hahahaha.... ha... I hope whoever has to dig through the slush pile forgives me...  Another hilarious thing about the submission form they use is that the instructions say "Don't include your name in the file name of the submission," but the Google Form automatically adds your name to the file once you submit it, so like................. I hope they realize the Google form did that and not me!!!!

But that's that for now. I can theoretically put this novella to bed for a bit and get back to my main WIP (FINALLY).  I do still have to print out a copy for, who else? My mom to read, because she's been asking for a copy.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> 4359 yesterday... all in four chapters of LLW2. The bad witch who caused Miranda's powers to misfire in LLW1 has now tried moving in on all Miranda's business in the nearby town, but with her powers returned, Miranda is regaining her customers. In the meantime, a spooky presence is hanging out in the woods behind her house and coming out into the yard when it thinks no one is looking ...
> 
> 4359 is above the pace needed to finish by the New Year even with the new novella added, so I haven't given myself the extra days in the spreadsheet yet. But wow, that 4k+ per day is a good bit of pressure. I'd like to consider a 4K day to be a really productive day rather than just running along the hamster wheel to keep up! LOL


Dang man, you’re on one heck of a writing streak. Wow!


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> Dang man, you’re on one heck of a writing streak. Wow!


It WILL be the most I've written in a short period. I wrote 85K in May 2020 when I wrote Rudbek of Rudbek, but in May of 2020 my business was all but shut down as clients use my software at trade shows and showrooms ... none of which happened in Spring and Summer of 2020.

After a few hundred words this morning, I'm at 94K for the month. So with four days left in November I should maybe wind up at 108K or so? Next wrinkle though ... guests arriving later today for three or four days. I'll have to get my writing in during the morning hours. They sleep late.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> It WILL be the most I've written in a short period. I wrote 85K in May 2020 when I wrote Rudbek of Rudbek, but in May of 2020 my business was all but shut down as clients use my software at trade shows and showrooms ... none of which happened in Spring and Summer of 2020.
> 
> After a few hundred words this morning, I'm at 94K for the month. So with four days left in November I should maybe wind up at 108K or so? Next wrinkle though ... guests arriving later today for three or four days. I'll have to get my writing in during the morning hours. They sleep late.


As usual, I'm impressed.
I work on a routine - morning coffee with my wife.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, martial art training until 1pm, then write until 6pm. 
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday into my office after coffee and write until 6pm.

I don't have the throughput you do though.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I don't have the throughput you do though.


Bear in mind I wrote interactive fiction professionally for several years. I had to develop techniques for writing a lot more words per day than I ever do now, but I also did it full time and often overtime.

Is it Writing Success to wear out a keyboard? LOL A few minutes ago I typed L and the L didn't come back up. It doesn't continuously send L, but it feels pretty weird to simply touch the key (not press it) to type it. Luckily, when I bought my Dell curved monitors back in the summer they had a special deal on Logitech K350 keyboard sets ... which is the same model I just broke the L on ... and I nabbed one for 'just in case'. 'Just in case' just happened. It was still up in my office in the unopened shipping box. So I went and broke it out.

My Amazon order history shows I bought a K350 set in May 2012, but I have two, and I think the one I just "retired" came from years before that ... Logitech came out with them in 2004. The old boy saw me through a LOT of writing and programming and gaming. But I may have to pry off the key later on and see if some WD40 will put it back in service. ;-)


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> As usual, I'm impressed.
> I work on a routine - morning coffee with my wife.
> Monday, Wednesday, Friday, martial art training until 1pm, then write until 6pm.
> Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday into my office after coffee and write until 6pm.
> 
> I don't have the throughput you do though.



Meanwhile, I call it a good day if I break 400 words.


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> Meanwhile, I call it a good day if I break 400 words.


That will get you a solid novel every year. Nothing wrong with that.


----------



## Joker

VRanger said:


> That will get you a solid novel every year. Nothing wrong with that.



I see. How does one get a liquid or gas novel? Asking for a friend.


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> I see. How does one get a liquid or gas novel? Asking for a friend.


Typing on a computer and with ebooks, it's no matter whatsover.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Bear in mind I wrote interactive fiction professionally for several years. I had to develop techniques for writing a lot more words per day than I ever do now, but I also did it full time and often overtime.
> 
> Is it Writing Success to wear out a keyboard? LOL A few minutes ago I typed L and the L didn't come back up. It doesn't continuously send L, but it feels pretty weird to simply touch the key (not press it) to type it. Luckily, when I bought my Dell curved monitors back in the summer they had a special deal on Logitech K350 keyboard sets ... which is the same model I just broke the L on ... and I nabbed one for 'just in case'. 'Just in case' just happened. It was still up in my office in the unopened shipping box. So I went and broke it out.
> 
> My Amazon order history shows I bought a K350 set in May 2012, but I have two, and I think the one I just "retired" came from years before that ... Logitech came out with them in 2004. The old boy saw me through a LOT of writing and programming and gaming. But I may have to pry off the key later on and see if some WD40 will put it back in service. ;-)


I'm an amateur by comparison - I go through a keyboard + mouse combination about once a year.


----------



## VRanger

indianroads said:


> I'm an amateur by comparison - I go through a keyboard + mouse combination about once a year.


I go through more mice than keyboards. One problem I have when changing out a mouse is keeping up with the dongle. I wind up leaving the dongle in a computer and rounding up dongles later. So now I have a row of mice on the desk in my office and a gathering of dongles next to them. One day before I die, I plan to test each dongle against each mouse until I match them back up. However, some of the mice may not work anymore which is how they got retired. So I face the possibility of testing such a mouse against all the dongles and then not knowing for sure if the mouse is dead or I'm still missing its dongle. This is why they're all still sitting there, mocking me each time I sit at that desk.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> I go through more mice than keyboards. One problem I have when changing out a mouse is keeping up with the dongle. I wind up leaving the dongle in a computer and rounding up dongles later. So now I have a row of mice on the desk in my office and a gathering of dongles next to them. One day before I die, I plan to test each dongle against each mouse until I match them back up. However, some of the mice may not work anymore which is how they got retired. So I face the possibility of testing such a mouse against all the dongles and then not knowing for sure if the mouse is dead or I'm still missing its dongle. This is why they're all still sitting there, mocking me each time I sit at that desk.


Maybe you should hang them on the wall in a fashion similar to what hunters do when bring home the carcasses of their pray. Consider them trophies and put them on display.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> I see. How does one get a liquid or gas novel? Asking for a friend.


Eat whatever food gives you diarrhea or flatulence.


----------



## VRanger

Okay: Yesterday 1087 for a new chapter in LLW2. That makes eight chapters of approximately 20. 2134 in GG to finish an interrupted chapter, and 1016 in PTPG2 to finish an interrupted chapter. That's 4237 total and another day above the word average needed to finish on New Year's Day.

The GG stuff was a big deal. I hadn't written in GG for nine days, since we were on vacation. THAT is where working on multiple projects comes in handy. My original Plot Wheel for the 4th novella had Patrick coming across a crime in progress for the Inciting Incident, and I just didn't get an inspiration for what that might be. I had two ideas, but both seemed contrived and coincidental.

I'd written into a scene and wrote the line: "I mention the first thirty minutes of packed dance floor because that’s when it happened."

The problem is I had no idea what "happened". Yesterday morning I decided I HAD to get back into GG, so I pulled up my notes and I'd replaced the Plot Wheel (probably sometime in the middle of the night while tired). Don't remember replacing it. Maybe the Plotting Fairy got into my computer. The new Inciting Incident was "Finds a valuable object". Wow!--I think--I can totally do _that_!

So I wrote:
I stepped on something that crunched. I picked my foot up and looked down to see sparkles. A piece of jewelry. I excused myself to Mac and stepped back, then picked it up. I’d found a pin … a brooch. The design formed a Terran butterfly with wings extended, and swirls of color realized in precious gems made up the wings. The body looked to be platinum. For all I could tell, this thing might buy another Cyclo. Looking around, I saw no one searching the dance floor. I expected at least one couple, or maybe a group milling around after a plea for assistance went out.

(Cyclo is the name of his small spaceship). 

Finished that chapter and started the next. Finally, quite sleepy and at the next point where I know what must happen but not _why _it happens, I called it a night.


----------



## indianroads

Trying to learn from prior mistakes - even though my Outlaw and Extinction series turned out ok, I think they could have been done better. So, with my next series (3 books) I'm taking a different route... but no, I'm not becoming a Pantser - far from it, I'm taking plotting to another level.
I'm plotting all three novels together in advance of the writing. But wait, there's more... I'm doing a pre-plot of all three novels in advance of the detail plots. My plan is to plot all three novels in advance, then do all three drafts one after another, with edits going the same way.
This will allow me to release the completed novels one after another - with a week, or possibly a month between releases.

It's an experiment - maybe it will work... maybe it won't. Could be meat, could be cake. We'll see.

OH - forgot to add. I completed the last of the pre-plot plots today. Another step forward.


----------



## roadscribe

Finished my first day of editing my debut novel. What a rush! Knocked out the first chapter edits. Weird going back to the beginning with fresh eyes. Turns out my work isn't all that bad after all.


----------



## Joker

I went poopoo in the potty today.

Wait, uh, this is the _writing _success thread. Okay, well, I'm at 7k words twenty days on.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> I went poopoo in the potty today.
> 
> Wait, uh, this is the _writing _success thread. Okay, well, I'm at 7k words twenty days on.


We used to bribe my older daughter with a piece of candy. Once in a restaurant she told our waitress, “I went pee-pee in the potty, I get candy.” The waitress laughed.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> We used to bribe my older daughter with a piece of candy. Once in a restaurant she told our waitress, “I went pee-pee in the potty, I get candy.” The waitress laughed.



It's nowhere near as embarrassing as something my sister once did. When she was just starting to realize that _gasp _people of different colors exist, she starting pointing them out in the grocery store. "Mommy, that's a white person! Mommy, that's a black person!"

My mom was so embarrassed but thankfully, a nice older black lady noticed, talked to my sister, and told my mom that it was okay, she's was just two.


----------



## indianroads

Joker said:


> It's nowhere near as embarrassing as something my sister once did. When she was just starting to realize that _gasp _people of different colors exist, she starting pointing them out in the grocery store. "Mommy, that's a white person! Mommy, that's a black person!"
> 
> My mom was so embarrassed but thankfully, a nice older black lady noticed, talked to my sister, and told my mom that it was okay, she's was just two.


That reminds me of a time I was in Ireland staying with a family there. They had two daughters, and the younger one was going on and on about something when I entered the room. "Mommy, I saw a _black_ man..." she waved her arms around her tiny body, and continued. "He was _black_ all over!"

We all laughed.

They do have the Black Irish though - but they're different. They have white skin - I'm pink, they're white - jet black hair and eyes black as coal. They're beautiful people - I met a young woman that was of the Black Irish, she was smart, funny, and stunning - and made me wish I was single at the time.


----------



## Joker

indianroads said:


> That reminds me of a time I was in Ireland staying with a family there. They had two daughters, and the younger one was going on and on about something when I entered the room. "Mommy, I saw a _black_ man..." she waved her arms around her tiny body, and continued. "He was _black_ all over!"
> 
> We all laughed.
> 
> They do have the Black Irish though - but they're different. They have white skin - I'm pink, they're white - jet black hair and eyes black as coal. They're beautiful people - I met a young woman that was of the Black Irish, she was smart, funny, and stunning - and made me wish I was single at the time.



I'm always single, just saying :O


----------



## Parabola

Maybe if spread cream cheese on my 0 words for the day, I can turn it into an existential bagel.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Maybe if spread cream cheese on my 0 words for the day, I can turn it into an existential bagel.



We need to start calling these Parabolisms.


----------



## DrVanya

I finished chapter 7 of my current project. This is a significant milestone as it also represents the end of the first act, I'm a great believer in the 3 act structure. Now I'm pausing the story and editing act 1 and trying to get it fit for human consumption.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I've put my writing aside temporarily while I'm doing WF Moderator training. But that doesn't mean my writing's not been on my mind. Particularly as I zip around delivering chemicals on 9000 pounds of silent bright orange death. It helps that @Argeshnex456 stops to ask me questions about the group... to which I have no answer for, so I tell him "Message @PiP. She can answer that better than I can."  

But anyways, much later in the series MC2 (the only main character left alive at this point) decides to write a book about dead MC1 based on his (MC1's) diaries that he found. I had decided to introduce a Priest to the series a book or two before this. (Because let's face it, if you had read the synopsis for whole series, you'd swear it needs a Priest. Right @KatPC or @JBF ? Maybe an exorcism?) So I had the original idea of the Priest (of which I thought loosely basing it on a Priest I'm buddies with through FB and Instagram via Google Plus a decade ago.) introduce MC2 to someone he knows who's a writer and helps him with the book. 

I now thought instead of MC2 finding out through his interactions with Priest that he's a writer of children's books on faith, and agrees to give _Alive MC_ (2) some pointers on his writing. Just a thought and idea.  Still kicking the tires on that one.


A.C.


----------



## Joker

500 words. Fight me @That Guy Named Aaron


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 500 words. Fight me @That Guy Named Aaron



Outstanding!!!!!!


----------



## C.K.Johnson

I should hit 50k words on my WIP this week. This book has been a struggle from the start and I’ve rewritten the first third multiple times but I think I’m hitting the beats with this version. 

Another happy coincidence: I needed a way for my 9-year-old character to make his way from the Bay Area to the central coast without his parents. He’s too young to hitchhike or steal a car, but after my experience on Amtrak I know he could buy a ticket and ride alone without anyone batting an eye. Turns out the town I randomly chose to set my story has an Amtrak station. 

His mama is about to get the surprise of a lifetime


----------



## indianroads

C.K.Johnson said:


> I should hit 50k words on my WIP this week. This book has been a struggle from the start and I’ve rewritten the first third multiple times but I think I’m hitting the beats with this version.
> 
> Another happy coincidence: I needed a way for my 9-year-old character to make his way from the Bay Area to the central coast without his parents. He’s too young to hitchhike or steal a car, but after my experience on Amtrak I know he could buy a ticket and ride alone without anyone batting an eye. Turns out the town I randomly chose to set my story has an Amtrak station.
> 
> His mama is about to get the surprise of a lifetime


I've been away from the bay area for a long time - do trains run out to the coast these days? Probably doesn't matter for you story though. A bus might work. There's a Greyhound station in Redwood City.


----------



## KatPC

@That Guy Named Aaron the twists and plots keeps on developing!


----------



## C.K.Johnson

indianroads said:


> I've been away from the bay area for a long time - do trains run out to the coast these days? Probably doesn't matter for you story though. A bus might work. There's a Greyhound station in Redwood City.


The Amtrak Coast Starlight runs the length of the west coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle. 
I can’t put this child on a Greyhound, ick


----------



## indianroads

C.K.Johnson said:


> The Amtrak Coast Starlight runs the length of the west coast, from Los Angeles to Seattle.
> I can’t put this child on a Greyhound, ick


I never rode the train out there. I did take a bus from San Diego to the bayarea once though. Lots of weirdos.


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> We need to start calling these Parabolisms.



_Parabolisms_ sounds like a "lost tracks" tool album.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

indianroads said:


> I never rode the train out there. I did take a bus from San Diego to the bayarea once though. Lots of weirdos.


I took the Greyhound a few times as a kid and that’s what I remember most, sketchy folks in abundance. We took Amtrak from Davis, CA to Denver and it was not too bad. I’ve heard horror stories but we had a good trip.


----------



## VRanger

Low word count yesterday due to friends visiting who take ALL our attention. LOL We played Box 3 of the Harry Potter game expansion Monster Box of Monsters and after giving up an aborted start as unwinnable, cruised to a milk run on the second try. HOURS expended to play that game, though. Only 1276 words which is a disaster to my schedule.

But today I'm at 3700 and not close to done yet. That's chapters 10, 11, and 12 on LLW2. If I can squeeze in another 3000 words tonight I'll meet my needed average when I combine the two days, anyway.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> @That Guy Named Aaron the twists and plots keeps on developing!



I figure Pip and Mark will be done with me by the end of the week and next week I can get back to it.  Oh, by the way, you'll be pleased to know they won't let me delete your account here and ban you. Keep saying stuff about it being _irresponsible, reckless behavior, _and_ abuse of power_, blah blah blah. 


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Six chapters deep into the full plot of Tempest, the first book of my Maelstrom series.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> _Parabolisms_ sounds like a "lost tracks" tool album.


Phrack, I’d buy it….


----------



## PiP

My writing success was that I picked up my iPad and opened my GD and started editing Chapter  4 of my NaNo Novel. I expanded on a scene inserting extra dialogue between Paulo's two ex girlfriends and Rebecca (his latest). Women can be so bitchy ...

and yes, @That Guy Named Aaron almost done but everyone is so cool, respectful and well-behaved on WF (Thank you, members) that most of the time modding just involves moving the furniture


----------



## VRanger

Updating from the post above, I did get my extra 3K for a word count of 6765 for the day. But instead of cutting into what I need to finish everything by Jan. 1, it just caught me up! Arrrgh! LOL

However, I got to "almost" done with Chapter 15, so just shy of six chapters in LLW2 today/tonight. I might even finish the novella tomorrow. Since LLW is about Christmas and LLW2 ends on New Year's Day, I needed to get it written to have some space between publication and the holiday mentioned.

LLW2 has been just as much fun to write as LLW1. All the things Miranda did to defend herself and recover her powers in LLW1 are being used against her by the "bad witch" in accusations accusing her of crimes against the bad witch, Beryla. Beryla has just made her claims before the Witches' Council and in two days Miranda gets her chance at a defense, but really has no hard evidence to present to prove her innocence. All the witness she could call suddenly came down sick and can't attend. MAYBE something Beryla did!

Meanwhile my narrator, Norbert the cat familiar, has been dealing with a boogie monster in the woods that neither Miranda nor her mother is paying any attention to because of Miranda's case before the Council. Tense times ahead for the young witch and the familiar!


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Maybe an exorcism?



Crazy things happen at Wilcox Industries


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> Crazy things happen at Wilcox Industries



Ain’t that right, @Argeshnex456 ?


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I figure Pip and Mark will be done with me by the end of the week and next week I can get back to it.  Oh, by the way, you'll be pleased to know they won't let me delete your account here and ban you. Keep saying stuff about it being _irresponsible, reckless behavior, _and_ abuse of power_, blah blah blah.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Wow interesting ... I feel protected! ' ... they won't let me delete your account here and ban you ...' sounds like a dare?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> Wow interesting ... I feel protected! ' ... they won't let me delete your account here and ban you ...' sounds like a dare?


 
Oh, c'mon, man! The co-pay for therapy is starting to add up! At least wait until *after* the holidays to have me in a fetal position in the corner, eh?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

On a serious note.... Well, on a different note...

Pulled up a chair next to mine here at the laptop. Laid the binder with the copy of _God Bless_ from published coworker author on it to go over his notes and do a little editpalooza-ing before bedtime, and Nitany (grand-cat that we're semi-permanently cat-sitting) jumps up and lays down on the the pages.

Time for pets, not editing.


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Phrack, I’d buy it….



Well, anything tool related _does _sell like hotcakes...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Well, anything tool related _does _sell like hotcakes...



I saw them on the second stage at Lollapalooza in 93.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Pip's done edumacating me for Moderator duties for the day (either that or she just gave up in frustration. No, I joke.), so instead of going out to the studio to work on more of the Xmas-Cast (somebody needs to remind me that tomorrow is December 1st), I busted out an edit re-writes on the first two chapters on _God Bless Small Town, USA _while I debated on what I should write for December's writing prompt. 

Yes, I'm feeling brave enough to try to enter it. 

And Pip's got the patience of a saint, just for the record. Can we refer to her as "Saint Pip" from now on?  All in favor say 'Aye.'


A.C.


----------



## VRanger

Very nice evening.  I completed LLW2 in six days of writing, for a total of 21.5K words ... not the only project I wrote on in that time, but it's nice to know I can crank out a fairy tale novella in that time if I need to, and in this case, I needed to.

ALWAYS a great feeling to write a last line, and I got to do it twice this month. 

I finished NaNo with 110,564 words for November. I only need 124K in the next 32 days to finish the other three projects by the end of New Year's Day, though. LOL Of course, the added 1.5K words over the 20K budget for LLW2 adds a bit to my needed daily word pace, but that's okay. With the exception of the full day our guests were here and Thanksgiving Day/our Anniversary, I really cranked it out lately.


----------



## JBF

VRanger said:


> ALWAYS a great feeling to write a last line, and I got to do it twice this month.



Disgusting.  Absolutely disgusting.


----------



## Joker

JBF said:


> Disgusting.  Absolutely disgusting.



I think he's cheating. I demand the refs watch the replay!


----------



## Joker

Hey @indianroads, I bought your stupid book.

It better be good!


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> Hey @indianroads, I bought your stupid book.
> 
> It better be good!


Every one of his I've read is.


----------



## Taylor

VRanger said:


> Every one of his I've read is.


I concur.


----------



## indianroads

Taylor said:


> I concur.


I’m waiting for Skyline…


----------



## Taylor

indianroads said:


> I’m waiting for Skyline…


It's coming along.  30% complete.


----------



## Joker

8,000 words, 24 days.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> 8,000 words, 24 days.


That’s 334/day. You know what that means, right?

No kick in the shins. Keep it up! 

A.C.


----------



## Argeshnex456

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I've put my writing aside temporarily while I'm doing WF Moderator training. But that doesn't mean my writing's not been on my mind. Particularly as I zip around delivering chemicals on 9000 pounds of silent bright orange death. It helps that @Argeshnex456 stops to ask me questions about the group... to which I have no answer for, so I tell him "Message @PiP. She can answer that better than I can."
> 
> But anyways, much later in the series MC2 (the only main character left alive at this point) decides to write a book about dead MC1 based on his (MC1's) diaries that he found. I had decided to introduce a Priest to the series a book or two before this. (Because let's face it, if you had read the synopsis for whole series, you'd swear it needs a Priest. Right @KatPC or @JBF ? Maybe an exorcism?) So I had the original idea of the Priest (of which I thought loosely basing it on a Priest I'm buddies with through FB and Instagram via Google Plus a decade ago.) introduce MC2 to someone he knows who's a writer and helps him with the book.
> 
> I now thought instead of MC2 finding out through his interactions with Priest that he's a writer of children's books on faith, and agrees to give _Alive MC_ (2) some pointers on his writing. Just a thought and idea.  Still kicking the tires on that one.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Today would be that day my friends today is that day XD


----------



## Argeshnex456

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Ain’t that right, @Argeshnex456 ?


<_< idk my guy, the spirit dwelling at work is cantankerous and cranky, would take a man of real faith to dislodge that one.
I mean the floors are red. Who goes with red floors?


----------



## indianroads

60% through the plot of first novel, Tempest, of my Maelstrom series.


----------



## Parabola

Ethan might be a whiny little **** but his reign of terror has just begun.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Melanie is at the point where she grudgingly accepts that if she’s going to be Angel’s girlfriend, Rhett will be part of her life. The time is right for the s*it to hit the fan. (What is known in the Save the Cat beat sheet as a ‘false victory’.)
I will hit 50k words tomorrow


----------



## JJBuchholz

I'm starting a new short story series soon, and today I plotted out the first three stories and am busy figuring
out the arcs and how they all intertwine.

-JJB


----------



## Argeshnex456

indianroads said:


> 60% through the plot of first novel, Tempest, of my Maelstrom series.


Congratulations  I know it’s a wonder if I make it thru 50% of anything so from where I’m standing that’s an achievement and a half.


----------



## indianroads

Argeshnex456 said:


> Congratulations  I know it’s a wonder if I make it thru 50% of anything so from where I’m standing that’s an achievement and a half.


This series will be my 12th, 13th, and 14th novels. I'm still excited and enjoy telling my stories.


----------



## Argeshnex456

indianroads said:


> This series will be my 12th, 13th, and 14th novels. I'm still excited and enjoy telling my stories.


I tip my hat to your abillity to finish what you started.


----------



## VRanger

I took a break from writing today to get my first two fairy tale novellas ready to publish and entered into KDP. I also had to adjust my writing schedule for business reasons, as noted in my blog.


----------



## Parabola

Joker said:


> 8,000 words, 24 days.



I wonder if this has an ominous hidden meaning. Like "voice modifier in an action movie" type stuff.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> I wonder if this has an ominous hidden meaning. Like "voice modifier in an action movie" type stuff.


----------



## Parabola

So in the original, short-story version of Leo, Toby facilitates a soul transfer where Billy becomes the vessel for the soul of his dying dog. He never escapes the house, instead dying in some delirious state with Leo's memories flashing right before he dies. You know me, ever the optimist.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Hit 50k today, finally! Melanie is alone in the office when she meets her son for the first time:

“Are you Melanie Sharp?”

Her head jerked up and the strength drained from her body. Scott Ainsworth stood in front of her. Melanie’s mouth went dry, and her throat forgot how to swallow. The entire English language vanished from her brain. Her mouth moved like a landed fish, but no sound emerged. The boy took a step closer, and repeated himself in a louder voice, each syllable carefully enunciated as if he recognized he was talking to someone who wasn’t all there.

“Are you Melanie Sharp?”

“What are you doing here?” she managed to croak.

“I’m Scott Ainsworth.” He stuck out his hand. “I think I’m your son.”

She lifted a limp arm to shake his hand; he was sweaty and sticky but once Melanie touched him, she didn’t want to let go. “Hi Scott, I’m Melanie.”

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

An amused puff of air escaped her open mouth, charmed by his manners. “Please do. Where are your parents?”

“At home,” he said. “Do you have anything to drink?”

Melanie jumped up. “Yes, here, come here to the fridge. Get whatever you want. Are you hungry? We have snacks and that pizza was fresh yesterday.”

Scott took a Coke and a slice of pizza. Melanie passed him a paper plate and a napkin and took a slice for herself. Not because she was hungry, but she didn’t want him to eat alone. She almost grabbed a beer and mentally slapped her hand. _Try to be a good example, why don’t you?_ They went back to the desk and sat down. Melanie couldn’t tear her gaze away from him. It was beyond eerie, how much he looked like Rhett. It was like time travel, or the X-Files.

But it wasn’t. This was real life, and her nine-year-old son was eating pizza with her. And his parents were at home.

"Your parents are at home?” she said stupidly, as if she had just grasped the concept. “They sent you here alone?”

Scott, mouth full, shook his head.

“I don’t understand.”

He swallowed and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “I guess I sorta-kinda ran away.”


----------



## Parabola

I'm going for a "bucolic nightmare wrapped in a death dream" nostalgia inspired aesthetic. You know, that old bag.


----------



## Ajoy

I finished my novel revisions last weekend and resubmitted it to the agency that gave me a 'revise and resubmit' rejection. Yay.  

I made some pretty significant changes, including the cutting of over 10K words, so I'd like to let it sit a while and then reread it before I shop it to any other agents. That just means that now I get to reread my YA novel, which I've been letting sit since August. I'm excited to see it fresh and get some revision notes going for a second draft. 

Oh, and I'm headed to Maui in just under two weeks and planning on doing a lot of ocean side reading. : )


----------



## indianroads

I finished the plot of Tempest, the first novel of my Maelstrom series.
For this series, I’ll finish the plots and the drafts for the three novels. After that I’ll edit them and release them on intervals of a week or so.


----------



## Joker

750 words today. My shins are well-guarded.


----------



## NajaNoir

I was thinking about one of my stories today on drive to work and discovered there was a small plot hole. All fixed, phew.


----------



## Parabola

NajaNoir said:


> I was thinking about one of my stories today on drive to work and discovered there was a small plot hole. All fixed, phew.



I have a motto "Don't think and drive" at least not about my stories.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> I have a motto "Don't think and drive" at least not about my stories.



I think and drive 9000 lbs of bright orange death all the time. And I'm not ashamed to admit to it.


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I think and drive 9000 lbs of bright orange death all the time. And I'm not ashamed to admit to it.
> 
> 
> A.C.



You are probably better at multi-tasking


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> You are probably better at multi-tasking


For the sake of humanity, I hope so.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> You are probably better at multi-tasking



I may or may not have you fooled on that.  


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> For the sake of humanity, I hope so.



Ten lil', nine lil', eight lil' speed bumps
seven lil', six lil', five lil' speed bumps
four lil', three lil', two' lil speed bumps
One lil' speed bump left....

< squish >

Whoops...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

The coffee's kicked in
First load of laundry is in
Time to sit down with the notes of _Published Author Coworker_ (C) and re-write chapter three (again) of _God Bless Small Town, USA. _ I hope I can get it done before Wifey comes home. 


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

That once again mind blowing moment when you (well, I) innocently write a character's thought only to realize you (me) had planned to fulfill the character's wishes of it in a roundabout way much later, and think _*damn*_. 

That just jolted me awake more than this local dark-roast Arabian blend coffee did. 


A.C.


----------



## indianroads

Fleshed out the quick plot of Cyclone: second book in Maelstrom series, now going in to create a more detailed version.
This novel is set in the neolithic, which is a change for me and I'm excited.


----------



## Joker

Four scenes out 25 planned, 9500 words. The good news is, this manuscript is definitely going to be done, for real real real realzies, this time.

The bad news is, it'll be lucky to be 60k. Gonna need to inject some steroids into the second draft.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Four scenes out 25 planned, 9500 words. The good news is, this manuscript is definitely going to be done, for real real real realzies, this time.
> 
> The bad news is, it'll be lucky to be 60k. Gonna need to inject some steroids into the second draft.


Good for you.  Suggestion, if I may:  add to scene descriptions, additional backstory or plot descriptions, additional dialog, opening scenes up more, inner dialog. It can be done withot bogging down the pace or the reader's attention span.  Those here smarter than me will have some additional sound advice. 

You've got this. 


A.C.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Good for you.  Suggestion, if I may:  add to scene descriptions, additional backstory or plot descriptions, additional dialog, opening scenes up more, inner dialog. It can be done withot bogging down the pace or the reader's attention span.  Those here smarter than me will have some additional sound advice.
> 
> You've got this.
> 
> 
> A.C.



Yeah but my current plan is to finish the whole thing, let it sit for a week or two, and then go back over it. Writing and editing brains don't tend to cross well.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Joker said:


> Yeah but my current plan is to finish the whole thing, let it sit for a week or two, and then go back over it. Writing and editing brains don't tend to cross well.



Good point. 


A.C.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I deleted a chapter, and inserted a barn fire. 

A big barn fire. I'm still writing the big barn fire. 


A.C.


----------



## Mark Twain't

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I deleted a chapter, and inserted a barn fire.
> 
> A big barn fire. I'm still writing the big barn fire.
> 
> 
> A.C.


It's still relatively early in the morning here. I first interpreted that as you deleted a chapter and were so frustrated, you went out and burned down your barn!


----------



## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I deleted a chapter, and inserted a barn fire.
> 
> A big barn fire. I'm still writing the big barn fire.
> 
> 
> A.C.




You got the keg out first, right?


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JBF said:


> You got the keg out first, right?



Of course!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Mark Twain't said:


> It's still relatively early in the morning here. I first interpreted that as you deleted a chapter and were so frustrated, you went out and burned down your barn!



I laughed too loud at this. Four coworkers are giving me odd looks. Worth it.


----------



## Mark Twain't

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I laughed too loud at this. Four coworkers are giving me odd looks. Worth it.


My work here is done!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

This is a strange writing success, I'm sure. It's certainly one I never expected. A fan tore pages out of my book! 

My grandson (in high school) was required to put together a large montage of the things he considered most important in his life. For the background, he used pages from my book. Yes, he removed some pages to use them in his project and said it felt sort of like ripping pages out of the Bible or something. His mom assured him she would order another copy because he really wanted to have my pages as his background. I love that my book is so important and meaningful to him. I never dreamed he'd care that much about it to show all his classmates and teachers how big a part my book has played in his life.  What a joy this has been for me.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Debating making the FMC... or would that be Female semi-Main Character, because she disappears halfway through book one, and won't reappear until the final chapter of book... hang on.. <gets clawed by cat trying to retrieve notebook under it>... Book IX.. WAIT.. Book XI, damn dyslexia and lack of coffee, and then proceeds to cause havoc the rest of the series. Anyways, I digress. I'm debating on making her catholic instead of baptist since I'm planning on introducing a priest later in the series.


A.C.


----------



## KatPC

Pamelyn Casto said:


> This is a strange writing success, I'm sure. It's certainly one I never expected. A fan tore pages out of my book!
> 
> My grandson (in high school) was required to put together a large montage of the things he considered most important in his life. For the background, he used pages from my book. Yes, he removed some pages to use them in his project and said it felt sort of like ripping pages out of the Bible or something. His mom assured him she would order another copy because he really wanted to have my pages as his background. I love that my book is so important and meaningful to him. I never dreamed he'd care that much about it to show all his classmates and teachers how big a part my book has played in his life.  What a joy this has been for me.


That's lovely to read.
It's really cool.


----------



## VRanger

Joker said:


> Four scenes out 25 planned, 9500 words. The good news is, this manuscript is definitely going to be done, for real real real realzies, this time.
> 
> The bad news is, it'll be lucky to be 60k. Gonna need to inject some steroids into the second draft.


Back to our 'filler' discussions. LOL


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> Back to our 'filler' discussions. LOL


AKA: why I plot my stories before hand.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I’ve decided to write a book on how to fall down stairs. It’ll be a step-by-step guide.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Almost done with the barn fire. Now it's time to go play on 9000lbs of silent bright orange death....


A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Now it's time to go play on 9000lbs of *silent bright orange death.*...
> 
> 
> A.C.



I'm surprised this hasn't become some sort of meme.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> I'm surprised this hasn't become some sort of meme.


Give @Joker time. I have faith in the young man.


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Give @Joker time. I have faith in the young man.



I don't _make _memes. _I am the meme._


----------



## Parabola

Maybe I'll write a paragraph today.


----------



## Joker

Parabola said:


> Maybe I'll write a paragraph today.



Make that 50 words, or the shins get it!


----------



## LCLee

Just finished my latest  novel 'Raven Warriors.' ... @55000+  words. I'm waiting for the book cover designer to finish.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Signed my first publishing contract today. It’s not what I hoped for but after 50+ queries and an almost equal number of rejections I’m going to celebrate a small win and hopefully I will learn from this experience. 
The Abduction of Adrienne Berg is due for release September 2023.


----------



## PiP

C.K.Johnson said:


> Signed my first publishing contract today. It’s not what I hoped for but after 50+ queries and an almost equal number of rejections I’m going to celebrate a small win and hopefully I will learn from this experience.
> The Abduction of Adrienne Berg is due for release September 2023.


Well done!!!!! Great news


----------



## indianroads

C.K.Johnson said:


> Signed my first publishing contract today. It’s not what I hoped for but after 50+ queries and an almost equal number of rejections I’m going to celebrate a small win and hopefully I will learn from this experience.
> The Abduction of Adrienne Berg is due for release September 2023.


Well done and well deserved. Congratulations!


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

@C.K.Johnson, that's wonderful news! I'm so glad to hear it!


----------



## VRanger

Long day off and on proofing. I finished my initial read-through of LLW2 and I'm 63% done with the ProofAide proofread. I took my own advice this time and didn't try to power through that proofread in one marathon session. I took breaks after each 20% and now I'll sleep on it before finishing it tomorrow.

Earlier this evening @Selorian sent me a wonderful first draft cover for it. I suggested three adjustments if they're doable, but he really nailed the concept on the first shot.


----------



## Parabola

Perhaps I'll write a book about a glowy-eyed mancat that portends doom, who no one trusts and who lives on the fringes of society. "But he's about to find out" etc.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Perhaps I'll write a book about a glowy-eyed mancat that portends doom, who no one trusts and who lives on the fringes of society. "But he's about to find out" etc.


<bad joke font>

An autobiography! Excellent choice.


----------



## Parabola

Well, 500 words in a new project. Can't tell if it's going to be a short or longer. At least words were pulled from the abyss and tossed onto the page, er, screen.


----------



## M J Tennant 2022

Ok so, I know this post is all about sharing writing successes but am I allowed to share my non-successful writing non-successes?  Does that even make sense?

Had a rubbish one today.  Read back what I had written about fifty times and thought, yup, as with most things in my life, I am a mediocre writer.  I excel at nothing.  I can do loads of stuff but nothing exceptionally well.  Jack of all trades, master of none.  That's me.

Going to leave the craft for a day or two.  Tonight I will watch Harry and Meghan.  I imagine their last couple of years will definitely make me feel better about mine!

Big sigh.

Hey ho, we all have those days don't we?



M J x


----------



## KatPC

M J Tennant 2022 said:


> Ok so, I know this post is all about sharing writing successes but am I allowed to share my non-successful writing non-successes?  Does that even make sense?
> 
> Had a rubbish one today.  Read back what I had written about fifty times and thought, yup, as with most things in my life, I am a mediocre writer.  I excel at nothing.  I can do loads of stuff but nothing exceptionally well.  Jack of all trades, master of none.  That's me.
> 
> Going to leave the craft for a day or two.  Tonight I will watch Harry and Meghan.  I imagine their last couple of years will definitely make me feel better about mine!
> 
> Big sigh.
> 
> Hey ho, we all have those days don't we?
> 
> 
> 
> M J x


Sending virtual hugs your way MJ.

I read your goodreads reviews for your 'Perfect' story and the readers there do not reflect what you said about yourself! Scream and shout and fight another day! Heads up MJ!

....

To break away from the good wishes, I am working on writing a positive of the day for all emails I write, though this is no email I'd thought I'd tag it along with this thread. So I started a story for the LM Challenge this month. Spent 30 minutes and ran out of time (had to pick up the kids) but returned to it just and spent another 30 minutes to complete and do a quick run through. Happy with it, it's very different from what I usually write (be warned @VRanger if I do submit) but writing a 650 word story is a happy joy for me today.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

My eyes are crossed after hours of searching for contemporary romantic suspense that doesn’t involve murder or dubcon/noncon. I’ve seen so many shirtless alphaholes my brain is fried.


----------



## VRanger

I finished Proofaide with LLW2 and Betty already found a "you" that should have been "your". LOL That's why we do the follow-up read throughs. I only revised or found typos in 60 of 1950+ sentences, which was a low percentage for me putting my first draft through Proofaide. I've started putting some thought into a story and a cover for book 3.


----------



## Selorian

I've been semi-quiet on the forums the last couple of days as I've done some design work and concentrated on writing. At the end of NaNoWriMo, I was 28,173 words into my second novel for the month. The first ended up being 53,339 words (added another 2,694 to officially finish it at 56,033 words). Tonight I finished the second novel with a tentative 54,829 words. Two novels and 110K+ words in 38 days. No writing tomorrow except for doing my Friday Flash.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

I don't know if you would call it my success, but I gave ehbowen some local info for his book about putting the gates to Hell in my backyard. Actually, it's closer to @Jeromy.Zeb  backyard than it is mine.

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

Yeah, not sure how to proceed with this one project. I'm a grand total of 500 words in, and I'd probably need a sensitivity reader. My only issue there is sometimes the logics (of different sensitivity readers) can seemingly collide, which doesn't imply I wouldn't value the process. Just new to it and would be a bit puzzled.


----------



## Jeromy.Zeb

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I don't know if you would call it my success, but I gave ehbowen some local info for his book about putting the gates to Hell in my backyard. Actually, it's closer to @Jeromy.Zeb  backyard than it is mine.
> 
> A.C.


And continued to share and mingle authors with one another - that is a success.

As for myself, I met my publishing deadline again (now yesterday.) It was close!

https://jeromyalexander.com/2022/12/maybe-a-cargo-hitch/


----------



## Jeromy.Zeb

Selorian said:


> I've been semi-quiet on the forums the last couple of days as I've done some design work and concentrated on writing. At the end of NaNoWriMo, I was 28,173 words into my second novel for the month. The first ended up being 53,339 words (added another 2,694 to officially finish it at 56,033 words). Tonight I finished the second novel with a tentative 54,829 words. Two novels and 110K+ words in 38 days. No writing tomorrow except for doing my Friday Flash.


 
My jaw is on the floor, my congratulations to you sir for what seems to me a sheer feat of endurance to put that many words on paper at that pace, if they also form sentences I call you a genius and a scholar.

I wrote a few hundred words today, I won’t even link it.


----------



## indianroads

C.K.Johnson said:


> My eyes are crossed after hours of searching for contemporary romantic suspense that doesn’t involve murder or dubcon/noncon. I’ve seen so many shirtless alphaholes my brain is fried.


Whenever I come across romance novels on Amazon, I wonder, how did my body get on the book cover?


----------



## LoveofWriting

Worked on the rest of my poem and will start resuming on my novel tomorrow. I only have to write 2200 words again this time. It's pretty short.


----------



## Parabola

I guess the story of alternate Parabola growing up in the hood is going to have to wait. Back to my main projects for now.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Another request for a partial on my ghost story.

The agent said, “I was charmed by your witty prose and authorial voice here, and I’d like to check out a partial manuscript (the first 20-30 pages).”

Charmed! Witty! Authorial! I am doing a happy dance


----------



## C.K.Johnson

C.K.Johnson said:


> Another request for a partial on my ghost story.
> 
> The agent said, “I was charmed by your witty prose and authorial voice here, and I’d like to check out a partial manuscript (the first 20-30 pages).”
> 
> Charmed! Witty! Authorial! I am doing a happy dance


*Here's a little snippet from Born A Ghost:*

When the dream woke her, groggy and disoriented, Sara sat up in bed with a harsh gasp and looked frantically around the room. _How did I get here?_ For a long, terrifying moment after the dream forced her awake, she was in the apartment at the Delta Queen Hotel. It was so real she could smell the mustiness of the old building and hear the slap of the river against the boat dock. The sense of being in the apartment was like drowning, all the air in her lungs replaced with a heavy emptiness that smelled of mud and rotting green.

She jumped out of bed and flattened her hands against the nearest wall. “Dani’s, I’m at Dani’s,” she croaked. Heart pounding, breath shallow and rapid, she pressed her back to the wall and slid to the floor. She shied away from remembering the dream, but there was nowhere to run, a name from her past bubbled to the top of her thoughts. _Alleyman_. “Noooo,” she breathed. _He followed me here?_ After twenty years of believing he could only haunt her in the Delta Queen apartment, the man from her nightmares had found her. The Alleyman: a wedge-shaped, shadowy figure, wearing a hat that cast blankness over his features. Always standing in smoke or fog, always silhouetted in a doorway or alley, always bringing a sense of doom, despair and the smell of the river. Always demanding.

“Come to me,” Sara whispered. She covered her face with both hands and heaved a ragged breath. “He said come to me.” She whipped her head back and forth. _This can’t be happening_. The time on the clock-radio read 4:44 AM, and feeling stiff and crumpled, she pulled on her running clothes to tackle the Sacramento streets before the heat of the day made the outdoors impossible to bear.

Dani’s house was in a safe neighborhood, Sara felt comfortable running there in the dark and set the map in her head to take her to the nearby Fabulous Forties. She focused on her breathing, the breeze against her perspiring skin, and the smack of her shoes on the pavement as she ran from one sycamore-lined street to the next. She ran until she was dripping, until the notion of actually running herself to death had pushed thoughts of the Alleyman far from her mind.


----------



## Parabola

Re-read a section in Leo where Billy is at the vet's office. Seems to have a good flow.


----------



## Parabola

"Looking back, he never really loved her." Deep, authentic stuff. THIS IS LITERATURE!

Heh. No.


----------



## indianroads

I finished the plot to the second novel in my Maelstrom series. That's two down and one to go.
I'm attempting to write three novels kinds-sorta concurrently. 
Plot the first, then the second, then the third.
THEN
Write the draft for the first, then the second, then the third.
THEN 
Edit the first, then the second, then the third.

If I don't push my limits, I'll never progress.


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> If I don't push my limits, I'll never progress.


A little puzzled but this read like a mad rush to finish?
Plotting 3 novels (NOVELS) and then writing 3 one after the other .... why?

I understand pushing one's limits to see where our abilities go, but this is a heavy workload.


----------



## KatPC

Oh @indianroads I don't mean it any disrespectful way ... just intrigued.


----------



## LoveofWriting

KatPC said:


> A little puzzled but this read like a mad rush to finish?
> Plotting 3 novels (NOVELS) and then writing 3 one after the other .... why?
> 
> I understand pushing one's limits to see where our abilities go, but this is a heavy workload.



How do you do all that? It seems a little much.


----------



## Parabola

Certain aspects of Leo are up in the air. For instance, the isolative feel and quasi-dream sequences, and Billy's dropping out of other activities could suggest a specific mental illness. It's one I've looked into extensively, not to mention I know a relative who has it. Also informed by a bit of theorizing. On the other hand, I'm not looking for that to be suddenly "the twist" or for it to be in there at all, necessarily. Just a thought. Another option is to hint at it yet keep some vagueness and hope there.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> A little puzzled but this read like a mad rush to finish?
> Plotting 3 novels (NOVELS) and then writing 3 one after the other .... why?
> 
> I understand pushing one's limits to see where our abilities go, but this is a heavy workload.


First:
The three novels in the series are tightly linked, by writing them pretty much at the same time I can assure that the details line up.
Second:
I hope that readers will want to read the entire series, but if there are long gaps between the book releases readers may forget about it.


----------



## indianroads

LoveofWriting said:


> How do you do all that? It seems a little much.


Nah. It’s a challenge, but it’s just project management.


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> Oh @indianroads I don't mean it any disrespectful way ... just intrigued.


I didn’t take it that way, so no worries. 
There were times during my engineering career that I worked concurrently on several divergent projects. There are authors here that write several novels at the same time. It takes discipline, but it’s not uncommon.


----------



## KatPC

@indianroads  your replies makes a lot of sense, be interesting to follow your updates here. It's strange that your engineering background developed skills to structure how you tackle your stories, whereas my own are constructed very differently from my working life! Would you say your approached changed as you wrote more throughout the years?

@LoveofWriting I don't write anywhere near as much as everyone. I don't stick to set number of words I have to 'hit' as, everyday, I set time aside to writing. This can be researching or reading, editing (a lot) or simply creating a new story. I'm under no deadline and very much learning my craft so developing my writer's routine I feel is very important to achieving the simple aim of writing great error free stories.


----------



## jej_jones

I'm getting the itch to finally start writing again. My schedule is opening up soon. I'm excited to get started!


----------



## indianroads

KatPC said:


> @indianroads  your replies makes a lot of sense, be interesting to follow your updates here. It's strange that your engineering background developed skills to structure how you tackle your stories, whereas my own are constructed very differently from my working life! Would you say your approached changed as you wrote more throughout the years?
> 
> @LoveofWriting I don't write anywhere near as much as everyone. I don't stick to set number of words I have to 'hit' as, everyday, I set time aside to writing. This can be researching or reading, editing (a lot) or simply creating a new story. I'm under no deadline and very much learning my craft so developing my writer's routine I feel is very important to achieving the simple aim of writing great error free stories.


Another thing I learned as a design engineer was to look for ways to improve my process. It's a never-ending task. As an engineer, whenever I finished with a project I reviewed what went wrong and what worked with an eye toward avoiding pitfalls an improving mys skills. I do that with my writing - I still have a long way to go and have a lot of opportunities for improvement. But I advise everyone to do something similar by asking ourselves what we could have done better, and what problems we could have avoided.


----------



## Parabola

"Why do you write nasty, bitter stories with no hope at the end?"
"I dunno. Why does anyone do anything?"


----------



## KatPC

indianroads said:


> But I advise everyone to do something similar by asking ourselves what we could have done better, and what problems we could have avoided.


When you work in a kitchen and it is your own business you constantly look for ways for improvements, better efficiency and saving time always helps! Though over the years you learn that some ways are quicker but at the expense of quality and that's not good.

Writing seems to be a 'trials and error' affair in finding methods and procedures that works for each of us, this has been a huge learning curb that in 'picking up one thing' another issue 'pops' up!

In Japanese and in business there is this word called Kaizen - meaning continuous improvement. It's always been a motto of mine since I learnt this in school many many years ago, but it's not easy!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

KatPC said:


> In Japanese and in business there is this word called Kaizen - meaning continuous improvement. It's always been a motto of mine since I learnt this in school many many years ago, but it's not easy!



We're a Japanese owned company, and Kaizen activity is a basic building block of our work philosophy. That and _Kanban_.


A.C.


----------



## KatPC

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> We're a Japanese owned company, and Kaizen activity is a basic building block of our work philosophy. That and _Kanban_.
> 
> 
> A.C.


Yeh, Kanban another working phrase for 'lean management' ... WOW bringing back old Business Study school lessons!


----------



## JJBuchholz

Well, I started my new series in the last hour. 'Crusade' is  the first story in the new series, and I'm about
a scene in now. One of my goals was to get this going before the end of the year, and I have. As much as
I crushed my writing goals this year, I'm not done yet.

Words cannot adequately express my love of writing.

-JJB


----------



## Parabola

Piss me off, and you will end up inside my book in a duct tape cocoon trapped in a car trunk.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Piss me off, and you will end up inside my book in a duct tape cocoon trapped in a car trunk.


That beats being mandatoried for the coming weekend already!!!


----------



## C.K.Johnson

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> That beats being mandatoried for the coming weekend already!!!


No better excuse to call in sick than being duct taped in a trunk


----------



## Parabola

C.K.Johnson said:


> No better excuse to call in sick than being duct taped in a trunk



Maybe I'll get paid to do this so they can have an excuse to miss work. I'll become gritty and film-noirish and eventually hate myself. "I used to be a good person, until I started trunkin' folks. They never came back, taking bits of my soul into those watery depths" _lights a cig_


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Parabola said:


> Maybe I'll get paid to do this so they can have an excuse to miss work. I'll become gritty and film-noirish and eventually hate myself. "I used to be a good person, until I started trunkin' folks. They never came back, taking bits of my soul into those watery depths" _lights a cig_


Getting a Raymond Chandler vibe here…


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

C.K.Johnson said:


> No better excuse to call in sick than being duct taped in a trunk


You’re right!

 Hey @Parabola nobody likes you and you can’t even spell duct tape. You couldn’t catch me to put me in your trunk if you tried.  Neener neener neener.


----------



## Parabola

C.K.Johnson said:


> Getting a Raymond Chandler vibe here…



Haha, this is actually my first "attempt" at the genre 



That Guy Named Aaron said:


> You’re right!
> 
> Hey @Parabola nobody likes you and you can’t even spell duct tape. You couldn’t catch me to put me in your trunk if you tried.  Neener neener neener.



_watches @That Guy Named Aaron as he runs into the swampy darkness_

Oh, you'll survive, just not for very long.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Piss me off, and you will end up inside my book in a duct tape cocoon trapped in a car trunk.


Want to see your spouse freak out? Tell them they are featured in your next novel.
Then refuse to answer their questions.


----------



## M J Tennant 2022

So hit 108 units sold today of my first book.  Yay!  I worked out that roughly 21 of them are family and friends though so I suppose they don't count.

Just wish people would review stuff more, although looking back at my Kindle, I have downloaded around 400 books over the last few years and reviewed around 4.  How lazy am I? 

All exciting stuff.

M J x


----------



## C.K.Johnson

M J Tennant 2022 said:


> So hit 108 units sold today of my first book.  Yay!  I worked out that roughly 21 of them are family and friends though so I suppose they don't count.
> 
> Just wish people would review stuff more, although looking back at my Kindle, I have downloaded around 400 books over the last few years and reviewed around 4.  How lazy am I?
> 
> All exciting stuff.
> 
> M J x


Family and friends definitely count! My peeps don’t buy my stuff so be thankful for their support


----------



## bazz cargo

Letter from the British Library telling me my book is now registerd with them.


----------



## Nelson

I suppose my success today is I have finished a short story I have been working on - to serve as a taster book before the main novel is released. Its 7000 words and does enough I feel to whet an appetite for the main book to follow (which is itself half finished at just over 52k but still a way to go) - I have gone through it and self-edited it, making some changes here and there but I still would like to scope out a paid editor to give it the once over. 

Still, it feels like an accomplishment. The only struggle is I can't figure out a blasted name for it, I was able to work out a name for my main novel but I'm going in circles finding something I like for this short story


----------



## indianroads

Struggling with an old injury today. I cracked some vertebra in my lower back when I was young and stupid - no medical coverage so I endured it and it healed on its own. Decades later I went to a doc about it and got the comment, _*What the hell did you do to your back?*_  Apparently, my vertebra kinda healed on their own, but it's a mess. It snowed last night and is about 3 degrees (F) outside, and my back hurts like a MFkr. So - I'm in my office with a heating pad on my back, and putting together the plot for Deluge (temp title) the last book in my Maelstrom series. Not getting much done, but slow progress is still progress, right?


----------



## indianroads

I got through the plot for the first three chapters of Deluge (3rd book of Maelstrom).
It's going well.


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday I got the draft setup done in KDP for LLW2, ebook and paperback. I could publish the ebook, but @Selorian is finishing the PDF for the paperback covers and I'll publish both at the same time.

I wrote the first chapter of LLW3, but with a glitch. I renamed it's folder with Scrivener open, which caused Scrivner to get confused and lost my first 800 words or so last night. It really should be able to survive that, but it didn't. So I had to rewrite that this morning. I'm not really satisfied that I did it as well "from memory" as when I was "in the moment". But that's probably just me. I doubt a reader will know the difference.


----------



## Moon Child

My success? Just wrote my second ever poem and submitted it in the challenge thing


----------



## Moon Child

December 2022 Poetry Challenge
					


December 2022 Poetry Challenge  The prompt chosen this month by our Laurette Winner; Louanne Learning is “Gravity” Put on your space-suites and ride the rocket full of poets to the moon. Make sure you have your gravity boots on; floating in that the ship can be a bitch.    This is the End of the...





					www.writingforums.com
				




Here's the link to my entry btw  ❄


----------



## Parabola

I'll be taking the day off because of a toothache and the typical family chaos stuff.


----------



## PiP

Creating backstory, characters and potential scenes for a new romance novel. The characters I'm creating won't let me sleep as they keep popping up in my dreams ... or when I'm watching TV, or cooking dinner. They keep interrupting my thoughts halfway through conversations with my husband or friends. Scary ... I hear their voices in my head ... I'm waiting for the men in white coats to come and take me away ...


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday I made my first sale from my ad campaign. After 11K impressions Amazon has charged $16.45 in click throughs and I made one sale worth $2.02 net. LOL Clearly I need to learn more about this method of marketing, but the lesson isn't exactly breaking the bank.

However, I did make a change to my blurbs to emphasize that the fairy tale novellas are written to be entertaining for both kids _and _adults ... and put those blurbs up yesterday. I wonder if that led to the sale?


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I haven't been sending my work out as often as I should. Especially my poems. But this morning I forced myself to send a poem to a magazine that publishes poems (and flash fiction) about the flaneur (or flaneuse). I sent my poem, a duet with Robert Burns, about walking alone on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a wonderful experience for me. And I like the poem/duet that resulted. Hope the magazine likes it too. So that's my success for the day. I took action to see if my work also appeals to someone else (enough that they might publish it).


----------



## Parabola

If battling myself in an interdimensional hellscape is wrong, then baby I don't want to be right.


----------



## Moon Child

Parabola said:


> If battling myself in an interdimensional hellscape is wrong, then baby I don't want to be right.


Okay.. I'll bite.. What?!?


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> Creating backstory, characters and potential scenes for a new romance novel. The characters I'm creating won't let me sleep as they keep popping up in my dreams ... or when I'm watching TV, or cooking dinner. They keep interrupting my thoughts halfway through conversations with my husband or friends. Scary ... I hear their voices in my head ... I'm waiting for the men in white coats to come and take me away ...


That's as it should be!! Now you're a writer. Welcome to the insanity!!  It's FUN!!!!


----------



## PiP

D. L. Keur said:


> That's as it should be!! Now you're a writer. Welcome to the insanity!!  It's FUN!!!!


Husband now repeats things several times because he is convinced I'm not listening ... he's probably right.


----------



## D. L. Keur

PiP said:


> Husband now repeats things several times because he is convinced I'm not listening ... he's probably right.


tell him he's not alone. My husband, likewise, double checks that I'm not in the deep end of the creative writing pool before attempting to communicate with me.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

PiP said:


> I'm waiting for the men in white coats to come and take me away ...


Get in line. I’ve got a shop full of nut cases. Mostly the effects of drug or drinking, but still…


----------



## Parabola

Moon Child said:


> Okay.. I'll bite.. What?!?



Haha, well, sometimes I like to post random one-offs hoping it gets the creative juices flowing


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Moon Child said:


> Okay.. I'll bite.. What?!?



NO, DON'T! It's better that way, trust us.




Parabola said:


> Haha, well, sometimes I like to post random one-offs hoping it gets the creative juices flowing



See, told ya, young lady. 


A.C.


----------



## Moon Child

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> NO, DON'T! It's better that way, trust us.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> See, told ya, young lady.
> 
> 
> A.C.



You're both nuts lol!


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished the first story in my new series last night, and am almost done the second story right now, but
am still adding to it. This series features shorter stories that link together, with one leading into the next
so to speak. Enjoying this immensely!

-JJB


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> NO, DON'T! It's better that way, trust us.



Yeah, don't encourage me...


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Yeah, don't encourage me...


TOO LATE!!!

Here you go, @Parabola. Actual conversation between me and newbie on day shift regarding crisis from delay in trucks showing up to pick up recycle material.

CW: “It’s to the point where we just ask for forgiveness and not permission.”
Me: “F**k that. We’re past that f**king point. We’re to ‘just do it f**king now and sign the f**king paper work (disciplinary action meeting) later’ mode.”

See if you can use that one!

A.C.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> TOO LATE!!!
> 
> Here you go, @Parabola. Actual conversation between me and newbie on day shift regarding crisis from delay in trucks showing up to pick up recycle material.
> 
> CW: “It’s to the point where we just ask for forgiveness and not permission.”
> Me: “F**k that. We’re past that f**king point. We’re to ‘just do it f**king now and sign the f**king paper work (disciplinary action meeting) later’ mode.”
> 
> See if you can use that one!
> 
> A.C.



Think I might have to get back to you on this one.


----------



## DrBeachBum

This month, I discovered that there were far more cliched or, at least, lazy shorthand words and phrases in my writing than I thought.

"How is this a good thing?" you might ask. Turns out it's a damn good way of identifying the bits where I was shuffling quickly through the text just to get something down and focusing on the next bit rather than the current bit. 

A few weeks' work, which finished today (that's the good bit), and it's been a fun challenge to rewrite the sentences that I wasn't paying attention to last time.


----------



## Riptide

Got a lovely outline all finished for book 1 of a trilogy!! Will I actually write the trilogy? Who knows, but I'm excited to start writing book 1 tomorrow


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Yesterday, I labeled my sending a poem to a flaneur magazine as my writing success for the day. Well, it turns out that success is today! I got a note this a.m. saying their latest work was assembled and ready to go but when they received my poem they just had to include it. Here's a direct quote from the editor's note: 
"It’s a wonderfully evocative portrait of Edinburgh. It will be a pleasure to publish your work!"

As you can imagine, I'm smiling big.


----------



## Parabola

If I ask a question, and someone answers ignorantly, I have a hard time wondering if that ignorance is deliberate, like a new literary technique honed for years in some monastery.


----------



## indianroads

It's been a miserable week. My back injury is still extremely painful - I think the snow and cold temps are making it worse - so I've not trained since Monday, which is a long time for me. We have two new kittens that like to get into my office to jump around and claw up everything in sight, and I move so slow that they get away with it. 

Beyond that, the first two novels of the trilogy are plotted out, and I have 11 chapters potted on the third. So that's working at least.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

May you feel better soon, amigo.

A.C.


----------



## Moon Child

indianroads said:


> It's been a miserable week. My back injury is still extremely painful - I think the snow and cold temps are making it worse - so I've not trained since Monday, which is a long time for me. We have two new kittens that like to get into my office to jump around and claw up everything in sight, and I move so slow that they get away with it.
> 
> Beyond that, the first two novels of the trilogy are plotted out, and I have 11 chapters potted on the third. So that's working at least.



First.. Feel better darling

Second.. Those babies are going to know you're the soft touch from now on  they'll get away with murder!


----------



## indianroads

Moon Child said:


> First.. Feel better darling
> 
> Second.. Those babies are going to know you're the soft touch from now on  they'll get away with murder!


They already get away with their mischief because they’re so innocent and cute when they do it.


----------



## Moon Child

indianroads said:


> They already get away with their mischief because they’re so innocent and cute when they do it.


Yep. you're the soft touch parent lol


----------



## JJBuchholz

Been on a roll this week. Almost finished the third story in my new series right now, but I'm getting
a little tired and need to sleep soon. 'Honour Bound' joins the first two, 'Crusade' and 'Pact'. I need
to start plotting out the next three, and go from there.

-JJB


----------



## Parabola

Searching for some YA horror to get the inspiration flowing. It's what got me into reading fiction.


----------



## JJBuchholz

The third installment of my new series is now done! 'Honour Bound' turned out very nicely,
and now it's time to start plotting the next three stories to follow!

-JJB


----------



## Parabola

Part of me wants to write a run-of-the-mill horror offering, starting out as innocent YA/MG fun, then slowly increasing the "adult-ness" of it to an absurd degree. Then I query it. The ideal response would be something like:


"To Whom It May Concern,

Get help."


----------



## Moon Child

Parabola said:


> Part of me wants to write a run-of-the-mill horror offering, starting out as innocent YA/MG fun, then slowly increasing the "adult-ness" of it to an absurd degree. Then I query it. The ideal response would be something like:
> 
> 
> "To Whom It May Concern,
> 
> Get help."



Nearest pub is that way _points_ now here's £10, go and speak to the bartender, they're good at listening!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Moon Child said:


> Nearest pub is that way _points_ now here's £10, go and speak to the bartender, they're good at listening!



You're not going to join us?!? How rude!


----------



## Moon Child

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> You're not going to join us?!? How rude!


It's Saturday night, maybe I got lucky..


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Moon Child said:


> It's Saturday night, maybe I got lucky..



BOW CHICKA BOW WOW


----------



## indianroads

indianroads said:


> It's been a miserable week. My back injury is still extremely painful - I think the snow and cold temps are making it worse - so I've not trained since Monday, which is a long time for me. We have two new kittens that like to get into my office to jump around and claw up everything in sight, and I move so slow that they get away with it.
> 
> Beyond that, the first two novels of the trilogy are plotted out, and I have 11 chapters potted on the third. So that's working at least.


Just back from the emergency ward. The injury I spoke of reared it painful head. The doc gave me the obligatory ‘_what the hell did you do to your back_?’ And I told him _part_ _of_ _the_ story and received the usual answer, _how are you still alive?

Bad luck, I guess. _

Anyway, I’ll be back writing tomorrow.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Just back from the emergency ward. The injury I spoke of reared it painful head. The doc gave me the obligatory ‘_what the hell did you do to your back_?’ And I told him _part_ _of_ _the_ story and received the usual answer, _how are you still alive?
> 
> Bad luck, I guess. _
> 
> Anyway, I’ll be back writing tomorrow.


Mend! Write later, heal now. 

Forklift driver’s orders.


----------



## Moon Child

indianroads said:


> Just back from the emergency ward. The injury I spoke of reared it painful head. The doc gave me the obligatory ‘_what the hell did you do to your back_?’ And I told him _part_ _of_ _the_ story and received the usual answer, _how are you still alive?
> 
> Bad luck, I guess. _
> 
> Anyway, I’ll be back writing tomorrow.



It's a ploy  Some people will do ANYTHING to get out of Christmas shopping..


----------



## Parabola

"I have to preserve me prescience, you understand."
"Are you some sort of philosophical leprechaun?"


----------



## Emile Perez

After swapping from First Person to Third Person in my current novel project I'm writing a lot faster.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Moon Child said:


> It's a ploy  Some people will do ANYTHING to get out of Christmas shopping..



_*I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!!*_


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> _*I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!!*_


FWIW - better living through modern chemistry rules the day. Feeling good, back at working on the outline of the third book in the Maelstrom series.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> FWIW - better living through modern chemistry rules the day. Feeling good, back at working on the outline of the third book in the Maelstrom series.



Other than few items, not big fan of white man medicine. But not hugely into holistic-ism either. Something to treat one thing has five pages of side effects? In the immortal words of Joe Strummer, _Forget it, brother, you can go it alone._


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Other than few items, not big fan of white man medicine. But not hugely into holistic-ism either. Something to treat one thing has five pages of side effects? In the immortal words of Joe Strummer, _Forget it, brother, you can go it alone._


Except when it hurts to breathe... then I say, gimmie some of them chemicals.


----------



## indianroads

Came across this in an old folder on my computer - not sure how or when it came to me, but thought I'd share it.


----------



## indianroads

Reached the halfway mark in the plot of Deluge, the last novel in my 3 book Maelstrom series.


----------



## DrVanya

I finished writing chapter 7 (again), which is also the end of act 1. Hopefully this version will survive the edit and I won't feel compelled to rewrite just yet.


----------



## JJBuchholz

I began to plot out the next two stories in my new series. 'Uprising' and 'Bloodlines' will follow the
current story and add more character development, and some Easter eggs as well that relate to
the previous series in the universe.

-JJB


----------



## C.K.Johnson

1/4 of the way through another sweep of my soon to be published novel. Feedback from my betas is super helpful.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Still on writing hiatus. Working on Celebrity Dead Pool. I’m having to research some more obscure local celebs on the lists submitted.


----------



## jej_jones

I broke down and started reading another book. I keep telling myself I'll start writing at the start of the new year. I'm just wondering what excuse I'll find when that day approaches lol


----------



## JJBuchholz

Emile Perez said:


> After swapping from First Person to Third Person in my current novel project I'm writing a lot faster.



Love me that third person narrative.

Also, started on part four of my new series, 'Uprising' just a few minutes ago. I love being on a roll!

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

jej_jones said:


> I broke down and started reading another book. I keep telling myself I'll start writing at the start of the new year. I'm just wondering what excuse I'll find when that day approaches lol


I'm a schedule nutcase. Most days I write from about 10am to 6pm. Then dinner with the wife, and I either suffer through the news or my wife's baking or murder programs. Then before I go to sleep I read for 2 hours or so.
Yeah, it's a dull life, but I've lived an _interesting life_ before, and didn't much care for it.


----------



## Moon Child

indianroads said:


> I'm a schedule nutcase. Most days I write from about 10am to 6pm. Then dinner with the wife, and I either suffer through the news or my wife's baking or murder programs. Then before I go to sleep I read for 2 hours or so.
> Yeah, it's a dull life, but I've lived an _interesting life_ before, and didn't much care for it.



Maybe we should call you Gramps?


----------



## indianroads

Moon Child said:


> Maybe we should call you Gramps?


Sure. I am a grandfather of 3.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Conversing this morning with my boss on follow-up to Friday morning's incident with 1/2 ton of raw stock that nearly fell off an overhead gravity rack and almost onto me and *9000lb pounds of silent bright orange death*, and as I did, I came up with an idea for a short story (maybe flash fiction) involving one of my villains of my projected book series. It might have to go in the red area, though, if I decide to write it.


----------



## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Conversing this morning with my boss on follow-up to Friday morning's incident with 1/2 ton of raw stock that nearly fell off an overhead gravity rack and almost onto me and *9000lb pounds of silent bright orange death*, and as I did, I came up with an idea for a short story (maybe flash fiction) involving one of my villains of my projected book series. It might have to go in the red area, though, if I decide to write it.


LOVE IT!  It's amazing where stories come from.


----------



## Parabola

Enjoying "Dark Waters" and surprisingly it deals with ptsd-ish stuff in a compelling and realistic way. Apparently the quality drops partway through the book, but as always she has excellent descriptions, and I'm looking forward to the twist (read some vague reviews). She had a thought about lies that I thought was eerie since I had a similar perspective on the subject ages ago.


----------



## indianroads

Passed the 3/4 mark of the plot for Deluge (last novel in my Maelstrom series). As usual, I've kinda wandered away from the original script - adding details to the rough outline does that. The project is going well, but I've got a lot of work ahead of me.


----------



## Nelson

Emile Perez said:


> After swapping from First Person to Third Person in my current novel project I'm writing a lot faster.


The BEST way to write!!  Seriously though when I first started writing in the first person, I just couldn't construct the narrative properly. To me it just never felt right and I HATED the fact I was locking myself into a single POV for the run of the story.

Sadly my passionate dislike for the First Person approach carries over into reading also - if I pick up a book and its FP-POV I put it straight back. I won't even read it. Third Person gives one much more freedom to explore the narrative with another POV or two. Just my opinion of course, don't crucify me those who love the First Person - we're all friends here


----------



## JJBuchholz

Finished the FOURTH installment in my new series just a short time ago, and it's called 'Uprising'. I apologize
if I'm talking about this a lot, but I'm on a roll right now and it makes me VERY happy! 

I'm going to start the fifth installment in the next little while as well! 

-JJB


----------



## indianroads

JJBuchholz said:


> Finished the FOURTH installment in my new series just a short time ago, and it's called 'Uprising'. I apologize
> if I'm talking about this a lot, but I'm on a roll right now and it makes me VERY happy!
> 
> I'm going to start the fifth installment in the next little while as well!
> 
> -JJB


That's an awesome feeling, isn't it? Watch out though, it can be addictive.
Congratulations!


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

JJBuchholz said:


> I apologize if I'm talking about this a lot, but I'm on a roll right now and it makes me VERY happy!
> 
> -JJB



Do us all two favors, please.

Number A ) Do NOT apologize for talking about your writing. That’s why we’re here, right?

Number B ) And this one’s very important. CONTINUE to talk about your writing here. But ONLY when you’re NOT writing.  Besides, where else can you get encouragement, insight, and advice.


A.C.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Feels good to be editing TAOAB again after a longish hiatus. Falling in love with my story again and definitely finding scenes where I can amp up the angst.


----------



## VRanger

I finally got a bit of a break from the new client setups my business partner sold for this month, or at least round one of them ... though I still owe him a new feature for an existing client I hope to implement before the week is out. The client wants it BADLY and approved a "we don't care what it costs" budget for the project. Muuuaaahhhhaaaahaaaa. Tempting, but I can probably implement in less than a man day, so it won't hurt them too much.

But in the brief interval, I got a bit of writing done on BK3 one evening, and decided to (finally) finish my first read-through on Moods ... which Betty is glad to see. She's been wanting to read it since July. That's something I can do 20 or 30 minutes at a time when I get a break, and I can seldom write new material in intervals like that. I generally try to have three or four hours for writing sessions.


----------



## indianroads

FINISHED the plot of Deluge - the third novel in the Maelstrom series. All three books are plotted now! *Yay!*
I should take a day off and relax before diving into the actual writing... but I probably won't.


----------



## Parabola

I'm not sure what it says about me that I tend to write near irredeemable protagonists subconsciously. It's not even focused on one kind of shitbaggery, they're just, you know, bad people. At the very least, I'd like to think they start out innocent and end up twisted.

Then, I ask myself, what's the ultimate trajectory beyond that? Do I want to leave them twisted? Usually I wait for the solution to pop inside my head, since philosophically speaking I'm not invested in much. Ethan, for instance, is supposed to end the three book arc in a fit of self-loathing, only because he's self-aware/reflective enough to realize what an asshole he really is. So he tosses himself inside the portal created by the console and is supposed to live through the altered events of the first book (technically MC4) as Caleb, which sort of occurs to me now could explain his anxious character.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> I'm not sure what it says about me that I tend to write near irredeemable protagonists subconsciously. It's not even focused on one kind of shitbaggery, they're just, you know, bad people. At the very least, I'd like to think they start out innocent and end up twisted.
> 
> Then, I ask myself, what's the ultimate trajectory beyond that? Do I want to leave them twisted? Usually I wait for the solution to pop inside my head, since philosophically speaking I'm not invested in much. Ethan, for instance, is supposed to end the three book arc in a fit of self-loathing, only because he's self-aware/reflective enough to realize what an asshole he really is. So he tosses himself inside the portal created by the console and is supposed to live through the altered events of the first book (technically MC4) as Caleb, which sort of occurs to me now could explain his anxious character.



My question would be, why make them redeemable? Everyone loves to hate the bad guy. My d-bags are beyond forgivable, and I make no apologies to make the reader loathe them. There are a few that perhaps might earn the reader's sympathy, but that's up to the reader to decide.


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> My question would be, why make them redeemable? Everyone loves to hate the bad guy. My d-bags are beyond forgivable, and I make no apologies to make the reader loathe them. There are a few that perhaps might earn the reader's sympathy, but that's up to the reader to decide.



"My d-bags" 

Yeah, I ask myself that question, then just write what comes naturally.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

MC3 (Meghan) is sorta the anti-hero more than a protagonist/villain. She breaks MC1's heart in the middle of Book I, then disappears for the first half of the series while he tries to fall in love again unsuccessfully for the rest of his life. She pops back up after his death at his funeral with his son he knew nothing about and is confronted by MC2 (Jet). Later, Meghan moves near Jet, and they deal with the emotional baggage of Meghan's actions. She knows she fouled up badly and is trying to right the ship. Jet refuses at first but eventually does, which leads to a relationship and eventually a marriage between the two. I'm leaving it to the reader to decide if they forgive her for her actions or not by the end of the series.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

My son just called to tell me he read the last few pages of TAOAB sitting in his driveway for 20 minutes when he got home from work. (He listened to the pdf through his car speakers and that boggles my non-techy mind.)
He said he loved everything except the last sentence and he yelled at the book…no!
I freaking love that feedback. We had a great discussion about the ending. He’s only read one of my other books, so as a mom and a writer, he made me very happy today


----------



## Parabola

C.K.Johnson said:


> My son just called to tell me he read the last few pages of TAOAB sitting in his driveway for 20 minutes when he got home from work. (He listened to the pdf through his car speakers and that boggles my non-techy mind.)
> He said he loved everything except the last sentence and he yelled at the book…no!
> I freaking love that feedback. We had a great discussion about the ending. He’s only read one of my other books, so as a mom and a writer, he made me very happy today



Someone yelling at the book is kinda like hitting the jackpot. It means _you got to them. _


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Parabola said:


> Someone yelling at the book is kinda like hitting the jackpot. It means _you got to them. _


I know!! I was so happy he was mad


----------



## Parabola

I always go back to the plot point in Murder Console, book 1, where Ethan uses the console to give his crush's bf a limp dick, causing her to break up with him. He swoops in and gets the girl of course, then Jason (the former bf), kills himself. Ethan meets him in the shared game space later, which creates a lot of awkwardness since Jason doesn't know Ethan's sabotage. There's the eventual confession scene, doesn't end well. Jason gets absorbed into the gauntlet because he attacks Ethan and the latter defends himself. That isn't the end of it though, and he terrorizes Ethan throughout the trilogy when the opportunity presents itself.

Last I saw of Jason, he had a gun to Ethan's head, making him shoot someone else. The way I've constructed Ethan is not necessarily evil, but quite impulsive, so the consequences of his decisions start to stack up.  Him "having to shoot someone else" is probably the least of it since the updated reality reflects those decisions (he's part of one of many killing squads, and the narrative goes through more than one dictatorship).

Oh, I forgot the other twist, in the updated reality, it's Ethan's senior year and Jason's with Sarah again. Well, Ethan, hope getting the girl temporarily was worth it.


----------



## VRanger

After a fairly full day of work today, I'm taking some time on my Moods read-through. Just passed 75%. It's a good test of whether I liked what I wrote, since I haven't looked at it since I finished it last summer. I AM enjoying it ... which is not to brag, because if I stop enjoying what I write I'll stop writing ... and I won't claim anyone else will. LOL I came across a scene last night I'd completely forgotten and it was like reading another author's work.

My MC has a couple of dozen spirits stuck in his head, and one begins having a conversation with him while he's talking to someone else. He's trying to answer (aloud) the thoughts in his head AND what the live person is saying to him, and it gets very confusing to both live people. Once I read it, I remembered how hard I worked on that dialogue to create lines that sensibly answer the spirit but also sound like answers to the other conversation ... however, be somehow quite inappropriate and thus potentially infuriating.

I'm big on not confusing the reader, but that dialogue is meant to be confusing. If a reader enjoys it enough to read it a second time, I'll feel complimented. LOL

I'm also realizing I have no idea of the time scale of this story. I believe it's a week to ten days. I think I'll go back through it after I apply the edits I'm finding and mark out a timeline. I probably need to insert a weekend into the story somewhere. LOL

I'm doing this read-through on a new Kindle Scribe. Betty got it for me for Christmas, but since I had to pick out the various options for it, that diminished the surprise value. ;-) So when it came in on the 20th she went ahead and presented it to me. Unlike on my Kindle DX, it's easy for me to leave notes when I find a typo or a story question, then page back through it with the Word file open to apply the edits. I already did the first 100 pages.


----------



## indianroads

VRanger said:


> After a fairly full day of work today, I'm taking some time on my Moods read-through. Just passed 75%. It's a good test of whether I liked what I wrote, since I haven't looked at it since I finished it last summer. I AM enjoying it ... which is not to brag, because if I stop enjoying what I write I'll stop writing ... and I won't claim anyone else will. LOL I came across a scene last night I'd completely forgotten and it was like reading another author's work.
> 
> My MC has a couple of dozen spirits stuck in his head, and one begins having a conversation with him while he's talking to someone else. He's trying to answer (aloud) the thoughts in his head AND what the live person is saying to him, and it gets very confusing to both live people. Once I read it, I remembered how hard I worked on that dialogue to create lines that sensibly answer the spirit but also sound like answers to the other conversation ... however, be somehow quite inappropriate and thus potentially infuriating.
> 
> I'm big on not confusing the reader, but that dialogue is meant to be confusing. If a reader enjoys it enough to read it a second time, I'll feel complimented. LOL
> 
> I'm also realizing I have no idea of the time scale of this story. I believe it's a week to ten days. I think I'll go back through it after I apply the edits I'm finding and mark out a timeline. I probably need to insert a weekend into the story somewhere. LOL
> 
> I'm doing this read-through on a new Kindle Scribe. Betty got it for me for Christmas, but since I had to pick out the various options for it, that diminished the surprise value. ;-) So when it came in on the 20th she went ahead and presented it to me. Unlike on my Kindle DX, it's easy for me to leave notes when I find a typo or a story question, then page back through it with the Word file open to apply the edits. I already did the first 100 pages.


That sounds like a fun conversation.


----------



## Parabola

Deaths don't seem to mean anything until book 3, so there's that.


----------



## Moon Child

VRanger said:


> After a fairly full day of work today, I'm taking some time on my Moods read-through. Just passed 75%. It's a good test of whether I liked what I wrote, since I haven't looked at it since I finished it last summer. I AM enjoying it ... which is not to brag, because if I stop enjoying what I write I'll stop writing ... and I won't claim anyone else will. LOL I came across a scene last night I'd completely forgotten and it was like reading another author's work.
> 
> My MC has a couple of dozen spirits stuck in his head, and one begins having a conversation with him while he's talking to someone else. He's trying to answer (aloud) the thoughts in his head AND what the live person is saying to him, and it gets very confusing to both live people. Once I read it, I remembered how hard I worked on that dialogue to create lines that sensibly answer the spirit but also sound like answers to the other conversation ... however, be somehow quite inappropriate and thus potentially infuriating.
> 
> I'm big on not confusing the reader, but that dialogue is meant to be confusing. If a reader enjoys it enough to read it a second time, I'll feel complimented. LOL
> 
> I'm also realizing I have no idea of the time scale of this story. I believe it's a week to ten days. I think I'll go back through it after I apply the edits I'm finding and mark out a timeline. I probably need to insert a weekend into the story somewhere. LOL
> 
> I'm doing this read-through on a new Kindle Scribe. Betty got it for me for Christmas, but since I had to pick out the various options for it, that diminished the surprise value. ;-) So when it came in on the 20th she went ahead and presented it to me. Unlike on my Kindle DX, it's easy for me to leave notes when I find a typo or a story question, then page back through it with the Word file open to apply the edits. I already did the first 100 pages.



I saw a writing prompt online a couple years ago I'm putting it here as I found it funny, maybe you could make use of it for your character hearing spirits?

The prompt (I don't recall exact wording now) but basically a patient checks themself into a sanitorium to help their mental health... Not realising it burned down several years ago


----------



## VRanger

Moon Child said:


> I saw a writing prompt online a couple years ago I'm putting it here as I found it funny, maybe you could make use of it for your character hearing spirits?
> 
> The prompt (I don't recall exact wording now) but basically a patient checks themself into a sanitorium to help their mental health... Not realising it burned down several years ago


 Pretty intriguing notion.


----------



## Moon Child

Yeah! I found it funny, taking the humorous way of looking at that prompt. But it could be many things


----------



## indianroads

1200 words into chapter 1 of Tempest - the first book of the Maelstrom series today.
It's going fine.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

Finished the latest draft of TAOAB. Based on the conversation with my son, I changed the last couple of paragraphs to make it more clear that Adrienne and Gabriel are not getting back together in a sequel. 
And I am planning a sequel…


----------



## Parabola

On the other hand, people like kindness in their MCs, even if it's based on sophistry.


----------



## Parabola

The nicer I try to make Billy, the worse he gets. He just burned down a hospital and made himself a puppy sandwich (extra crispy). In my defense, I really, really tried to make him a decent human being.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> The nicer I try to make Billy, the worse he gets. He just burned down a hospital and made himself a puppy sandwich (extra crispy). In my defense, I really, really tried to make him a decent human being.



*DUDE?!?!?!?!*
Do you need a hug?


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> *DUDE?!?!?!?!*
> Do you need a hug?



Haha, no. I'm just a bored internet troll. This how I unwind.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Haha, no. I'm just a bored internet troll. This how I unwind.



Banned for trolling WF.

WAIT!  Wrong thread. 

Never mind. These aren't the droids we're looking for. Move along....


----------



## Parabola

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Banned for trolling WF.
> 
> WAIT!  Wrong thread.
> 
> Never mind. These aren't the droids we're looking for. Move along....



Yeah, I've tried on other places to get banned, just not controversial enough _hangs head in shame_


----------



## Riptide

Received my first personalized query rejection letter! Idk if agents usually personalize or not but it didn't sound like a form rejection, and I like to think she took the time to read my sample pages and decided it wasn't a fit for her


----------



## LoveofWriting

Wrote 14,000 words in my novel today (in total) finished chapter 6 and 7 is in progress.


----------



## VRanger

I finished the first read-through of Moods, loaded it into ProofAide, and took a brief start at the proofread. 10% and I'm calling it a night. I think one reason I waited so long on Moods ... outside of getting busy on work and other projects, is I finished it and I just wasn't sure about it. The whole thing was a big experiment. A traditional clue-dropping murder mystery with a CPA as the MC and set in the late 70s. The different element is the multiple spirit possession ... and it took me a LONG time to begin writing that book after the first idea because it took me a LONG time to figure out a way for all the spirits to attach to one poor guy.

However, I enjoyed the read-through, which gave me more confidence in the novel and the genre. I'll write a sequel, and probably next after the projects in my signature are complete.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

OK, a little different realm. Coworker is quitting next month, and starting a food truck biz. She’s one of the followers of my writing on Zuckbook. She also readers my “shower beer” reviews I do on Zuckbook, too, so she’s familiar with my writing. She brought my a plate of food tonight. These were items she plans to sell at her food truck, and she wanted me to critique them for her.
The items, by the way: Three Cheese Mac & Cheese. Cream Cheese Egg Roll; Southwest Chicken Egg Roll; and Bacon Cheese Egg Roll.
All of them pretty good.

Besides the reviews and critique of the few things I’ve posted, I’ve read some other critiques on here. Gave me some food for thought. Pardon the pun.

So, channeling the spirit of WF, I sat down and typed up two paragraphs on each item. And while they weren’t A+ grade items (more like B-), I thought it was a pretty honest assessment. So I printed it up and gave it to her.

She was absolutely ticked pink by it. She appreciated the honest thorough feedback, and even gave me second helpings (which this fat guy didn’t really need, but not turning down free meal, dig?)

So, yeah, that’s my writing success. Critique food, get two free meals out of it.


----------



## PiP

Finally finished rewriting the first three chapters of Book 1. Changing 1st POV to third.  Now working through chapter 4. Slow going ... adding subtle humour and internal dialogue. What comes out of her mouth is not what the MC is thinking. I just hope I am formatting thought v dialogue correctly. Ho hum


----------



## Moon Child

Just plotted out a Christmas fanfiction, fluffy and fun, no smut or anything, that I might write on Christmas day


----------



## Parabola

LoveofWriting said:


> Wrote 14,000 words in my novel today (in total) finished chapter 6 and 7 is in progress.



Way to go for the gold @LoveofWriting! That's impressive!


----------



## LoveofWriting

Parabola said:


> Way to go for the gold @LoveofWriting! That's impressive!



Thanks Parabola! I aim for a another higher word count this time!


----------



## jej_jones

indianroads said:


> I'm a schedule nutcase. Most days I write from about 10am to 6pm. Then dinner with the wife, and I either suffer through the news or my wife's baking or murder programs. Then before I go to sleep I read for 2 hours or so.
> Yeah, it's a dull life, but I've lived an _interesting life_ before, and didn't much care for it.


That life sounds fantastic, actually lol


----------



## jej_jones

I have my third novel on a dusty file...I haven't touched it in over 6 months...wife and I have a new son...new job...all the excuses are there.

I came to the realization yesterday that I don't know my MC that well. Her emotions are there, but I don't know if it's realistic. This time away from my first draft (only 25% completed) has helped me realize this. I'm going to go back through and 2nd draft the first part over again and continue on from there. 

This seems like a lot of work, but I'm so excited to spruce it up with more lively characters.

I'm terribly afraid to just continue on and worry about it with a whole new second draft, because it'll seem too disjointed...and my brain needs cohesion. 

Just random thoughts in a relevant thread lol


----------



## JJBuchholz

Well, I just finished writing story six in my new series! I have been on this wold tear for the last
week or so and am shattering my already accomplished writing goals for 2022! 'Fair Trade' is
the sixth installment, and it came out better than I had hoped!

I am REALLY enjoying this wave of inspiration as of late, and will ride it as long as I can!

-JJB


----------



## Moon Child

Is procrastinating a success? Good! Because I've procrastinated myself a ruddy headache over my wip <rolls eyes> I even posted a question in the forum because of it!


----------



## S J Ward

The only person I've ever wanted to impress with my writing, my mum, has read a short story of mine and she reckons it's good (actually, she loved it). The weirdest thing is, that it is based around a picture of her from 1959. 
I was dreading her reading it, but she did. I was certain she'd see herself in my description of the character within the story, she did that too. 
My mum didn't mind at all, even though the story, based on her image, was a fiction. 
This is possibly the best day of my writing career.  Forget about the book I wrote, the next book too. To have my mum enjoy a short story I wrote is payment enough.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

TAOAB on the back burner for now, I’ll do one more edit before my publisher’s deadline of February 1. Wrote a letter to Tom Robbins requesting his permission to use his quote as my epigraph, I hope he replies in time 
Started some preliminary research for a new story using two of the same characters. The main setting will be Florence, Italy.


----------



## JJBuchholz

C.K.Johnson said:


> Wrote a letter to Tom Robbins requesting his permission to use his quote as my epigraph



Getting permission for a quote is a thing? I've never really given thought to this, as I've used quotes from famous
people in my works (and even song lyrics) as if it were a natural thing to do. If the quote/paragraph of lyrics fits
what I'm writing, I just put them in there and go with the flow, so to speak.

One of my publishers even left in quotes from Moby Dick that were spread across my manuscript.

-JJB


----------



## C.K.Johnson

JJBuchholz said:


> Getting permission for a quote is a thing? I've never really given thought to this, as I've used quotes from famous
> people in my works (and even song lyrics) as if it were a natural thing to do. If the quote/paragraph of lyrics fits
> what I'm writing, I just put them in there and go with the flow, so to speak.
> 
> One of my publishers even left in quotes from Moby Dick that were spread across my manuscript.
> 
> -JJB


Moby Dick is old enough (public domain) that you don’t need permission but any contemporary artists can sue you if you use their lyrics or quotes. Titles can’t be copyrighted so those are fair game.


----------



## VRanger

Yesterday I pushed past 65% in ProofAide on Moods, so somewhat fewer than 3000 sentences left to proof. For newer members who may not have seen, that's the app I wrote which parses a document into separate sentences and then presents one sentence at a time, at random, to proof. It saves any changes I make and at the end puts it all back together. It keeps me from 'reading over' typos, which happens reading straight through to proof, and as always, any WF member is welcome to use it for free should you be interested.

I also got in 1606 words between BK3 and LLW3. Not a big day but okay with me considering how much time I spent proofing.


----------



## VRanger

S J Ward said:


> The only person I've ever wanted to impress with my writing, my mum, has read a short story of mine and she reckons it's good (actually, she loved it). The weirdest thing is, that it is based around a picture of her from 1959.
> I was dreading her reading it, but she did. I was certain she'd see herself in my description of the character within the story, she did that too.
> My mum didn't mind at all, even though the story, based on her image, was a fiction.
> This is possibly the best day of my writing career.  Forget about the book I wrote, the next book too. To have my mum enjoy a short story I wrote is payment enough.


My mom never read any of my writing and passed away a bit more than two years ago. Despite that, I've always had a touch of "Would I want my mother to read this?" in my work. LOL


----------



## JJBuchholz

C.K.Johnson said:


> Moby Dick is old enough (public domain) that you don’t need permission but any contemporary artists can sue you if you use their lyrics or quotes. Titles can’t be copyrighted so those are fair game.



OK. Makes sense I suppose. I do however use song lyrics in the odd short story (as mentioned above), and I've never had an issue
with this. Two short stories I've written have been based off songs by U2, and I've even emailed the band to let them know how
they're songs spoke to me an inspired stories, and how to find them if they care to read them.

I'm under the impression that you'd only get sued if you're trying to make money somehow. I don't write for money, and don't
ever have any intention of doing so.

-JJB


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

VRanger said:


> My mom never read any of my writing and passed away a bit more than two years ago. Despite that, I've always had a touch of "Would I want my mother to read this?" in my work. LOL


My mom was a high school English teacher who, back when I was in high school, thought I'd make a great writer. I always chalked it up to one of those 'mommy says I'm special' kinda things so I never took it seriously, unfortunately.  She passed away in 2020 from ALS. I think she'd make a great editor for me, but I think some of the material in the book would've been a bit too much for her conservative Xtian nature.  I've got several family members and in-laws that are very conservative, and I think a few things in it would rattle them. They're aware I'm writing, but I'm hoping they never read it.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

JJBuchholz said:


> OK. Makes sense I suppose. I do however use song lyrics in the odd short story (as mentioned above), and I've never had an issue
> with this. Two short stories I've written have been based off songs by U2, and I've even emailed the band to let them know how
> they're songs spoke to me an inspired stories, and how to find them if they care to read them.
> 
> I'm under the impression that you'd only get sued if you're trying to make money somehow. I don't write for money, and don't
> ever have any intention of doing so.
> 
> -JJB


Profiting from their talent would be the key component for a lawsuit, if you were to become known. 
The Tom Robbins quote sets the mood so well for my novel, and it will be published October 2023. Hopefully for profit. If Mr. Robbins doesn't reply to my request I would have to delete it from my manuscript before publishing because I wouldn't feel right using his words without permission.


----------



## indianroads

I've used quotations to open all of my novels and have never had a problem. 
I'm a petulant sort though, so if there were ever a problem, I would replace it with:
_I used a wonderful quotation by < name > but his surviving talent-less family objected, so I removed it._


----------



## Joker

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> My mom was a high school English teacher who, back when I was in high school, thought I'd make a great writer. I always chalked it up to one of those 'mommy says I'm special' kinda things so I never took it seriously, unfortunately.  She passed away in 2020 from ALS. I think she'd make a great editor for me, but I think some of the material in the book would've been a bit too much for her conservative Xtian nature.  I've got several family members and in-laws that are very conservative, and I think a few things in it would rattle them. They're aware I'm writing, but I'm hoping they never read it.



Yeeeeeeeah, my grandparents don't need to know what I'm writing about...


----------



## VRanger

C.K.Johnson said:


> Profiting from their talent would be the key component for a lawsuit, if you were to become known.
> The Tom Robbins quote sets the mood so well for my novel, and it will be published October 2023. Hopefully for profit. If Mr. Robbins doesn't reply to my request I would have to delete it from my manuscript before publishing because I wouldn't feel right using his words without permission.


Make sure to read all about Fair Use. Generally single attributed quotes are going to be okay, and have the potential to point traffic to the original work. It can be more promotion than profiteering.  ;-)


----------



## Moon Child

Joker said:


> Yeeeeeeeah, my grandparents don't need to know what I'm writing about...



They were doing those things long before they had your parents..


----------



## indianroads

Finished the draft of chapter 1 of Tempest today. It’s mostly character and world building, and turned out pretty good a ~2500 words. I’ll start out on chapter 2 tomorrow.


----------



## VRanger

Hit 93% on my ProofAide proofread of Moods. 550 sentences left, or about another 90 minutes, so I might finish it sometime tonight. When I read sentences disassociated from context, there's some _weird _constructs in there. LOL Sometimes I leave them as is when I review the context, and sometimes I shake my head and make a revision.


----------



## indianroads

Finished Chapter 2 of Tempest - first novel in my three book Maelstrom series. My writing is going slow, but well.


----------



## VRanger

And ... I did finish the first step of the proofread. On my read-through on the Kindle Scribe, I made 196 corrections. I made 211 corrections or revisions in ProofAide ... that out of circa 8200 sentences in the novel. I get the count of 211 when I advance the ProofAide revision, because now I review those 211 sentences, since we're just as likely to commit a typo while making a correction as when we're typing the first draft. And if I make any adjustments in those 211 sentences, which is probable, I go to revision three and review THOSE sentences again ... until there are none.


----------



## VRanger

Too many 


posts in a row here.  I finished reviewing the 211 sentences and made 16 changes, and only one when reviewing them. Done with that. Then I had a list of about 10 adjustments I wanted to make to the manuscript to make sure I didn't leave any loose ends. Did that. Made a mock cover, put in a title page and a TOC, added my graphic for scene breaks (replacing ***), and now the substantially finished product is on my Scribe and Betty's Oasis.

Now I've got to get with @Selorian for a real cover.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Does this count?  I'm (for the moment) caught up on typing up Celebrity Dead Pool submissions, but dreading the flood of last minute submissions that will inevitably arrive 11:00pm on the 31st.


----------



## S J Ward

Judging the Lit Manoevres for December. When another story pops into my head... Now I have 3000 words of something I didn't want at this particular time. I have a very speciall family (immorta) who are really reincarnated ad infinitum. Until one of them works out that she is actually immortal. Part the story of convincing and proving to the other family members that this is true, part a mayhem that ensues in doing so. 
Some days writing is like being a god!


----------



## KatPC

S J Ward said:


> Some days writing is like being a god!


Maybe this is why we all write!

Muddiness is the most appropriate word that best describes my current mindset. Started writing a total random chapter and it just doesn't 'feel' right ... maybe I am not in that world yet (it is a mid novel chapter) so returning to editing my short stories which seemed riddled with poor sentences and construction., frustrating and muddling. No choice but to continue to edit and rid of this miasma.

Edit: Oh sorry ... the joy ... I'm hunting a new routine to write, it has been near impossible with kids and holidays.


----------



## S J Ward

Forgetting what an apostrophe was called and having to look it up! I think the post-Christmas dementia has hit. My brain just couldn't come up with the word for that tiny mark that changes nouns to being possessive.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

S J Ward said:


> Forgetting what an apostrophe was called and having to look it up! I think the post-Christmas dementia has hit. My brain just couldn't come up with the word for that tiny mark that changes nouns to being possessive.



I give your post a laugh reaction, and that's a sympathetic laugh because I admit I've had to do similar brain-fart sort of stuff. More than I care to admit to, but I admit to it.


----------



## Joker

S J Ward said:


> Forgetting what an apostrophe was called and having to look it up! I think the post-Christmas dementia has hit. My brain just couldn't come up with the word for that tiny mark that changes nouns to being possessive.



Shit man, I'd have to have thought about that too and I'm a young buck


----------



## S J Ward

Joker said:


> Shit man, I'd have to have thought about that too and I'm a young buck


Calling me old, eh! Why, you young punk! I oughta put you over my knee, tan your hide 'til you've learned your lesson.


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

S J Ward said:


> Calling me old, eh! Why, you young punk! I oughta put you over my knee, tan your hide 'til you've learned your lesson.



-grabs popcorn-


----------



## Nelson

When you think up a better approach for your WIP and it naturally grows without effort, and then you feel 'Finally, I've hit it!" - this happened to me about 30 minutes ago. I've been thinking, and re thinking. And now I know what needs to be done. The best thing about a modern day thriller, the world is literally your oyster to play in and it makes 'world building' a heck of a lot easier


----------



## That Guy Named Aaron

Nelson said:


> When you think up a better approach for your WIP and it naturally grows without effort, and then you feel 'Finally, I've hit it!" - this happened to me about 30 minutes ago. I've been thinking, and re thinking. And now I know what needs to be done. The best thing about a modern day thriller, the world is literally your oyster to play in and it makes 'world building' a heck of a lot easier



And contemporary Lit Fic, too.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

I rough drafted an article/ essay on magical realism. I've done a ton of research on the topic (I'd planned to teach it) so the material was there in wait. This evening I got the initial essay put together. Finally. 

I also sent a note to an impressive author asking to interview him for a series I'm doing. Why do I break into a sweat putting together and sending the invitation note? I just now finished and sent the note. Now I wait for his yes or no. The sweating is beginning to end.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

The award-winning author I asked to interview answered yes!


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday I got through the draft of the first four chapters of Tempest - but my original plot was already swinging in the breeze and didn't seem tight enough.
SO... today I went back in and rewrote my outline (each chapter a row on an excel sheet). I made sure the beat points were being struck at the proper moment and increased the action all the way through the story.

I can save the drafts of the first four chapters, and I'll jump into the draft of chapter five tomorrow. I like it, the story will be better now.
Sometimes, it's best to take a few steps back before moving forward again.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote a whole world and central character based off of an idea that's been rattling around in my head for the past month. I have a core "bible" but it also spawned a folder where I've set up other documents for locations/characters/quests, oh, and it was originally meant to be a video game. Now I'm not sure which form I want it to take (game/book).

It's just a fun thing to write in during my morning alone time. I'm taking my time building up the broader world, which is vaguely modern which is more or less a staple for me, but I've included things like a twist on the culture where I live, slightly alternate history or at least bits that I've concocted that aren't incompatible with that history.

Strange feeling since I've already thought about things like audio design, even though it most likely won't take a video game form. For some reason, writing from that vantage point gets the juices flowing so going to stick with it for now. Building up a world and letting it settle in the back of your mind helps with authenticity.


----------



## indianroads

Yesterday I squared away the plot for Tempest.
Today I finished chapter 4 - 10352 words so far in the book.
Starting in on chapter 5.


----------



## indianroads

1100 words into chapter 5 of Tempest this afternoon.


----------



## Parabola

Maybe I'll have an f ton of bizarre deaths in my town (since I created it, why not have some fun?)


----------



## Parabola

Okay, that's enough world-building for now? After dwelling on the intersection of the local geography and its sociological-historical implications, I started to sound like a wikipedia article. Well, it's mostly under the hood stuff anyway, with its conceptual blowholes coming out of the water now and then to give the world/character histories a bit of color.

At least I have a few options for where my MC grew up.


----------



## indianroads

Parabola said:


> Okay, that's enough world-building for now? After dwelling on the intersection of the local geography and its sociological-historical implications, I started to sound like a wikipedia article. Well, it's mostly under the hood stuff anyway, with its conceptual blowholes coming out of the water now and then to give the world/character histories a bit of color.
> 
> At least I have a few options for where my MC grew up.


World building is one of our tasks, but beware of info dumps.


----------



## Parabola

indianroads said:


> World building is one of our tasks but beware of info dumps.



Keep in mind I have world-building documents as a separate thing. Reference points. Essentially building up a world before I dive into it.


----------



## Parabola

I think the stage is set. Now to choose from a handful of story options.


----------



## Parabola

Based on feedback throughout the years, I have a natural bent toward worldbuilding etc. This is probably my most elaborate attempt yet.


----------



## indianroads

Finished chapter 5 of Tempest today, and am starting in on chapter 6.


----------



## Parabola

I developed three fictional towns with their own aesthetic/culture/slight geographical differences. Sort of wonder if my MC will become a vagabond, and part of me wants to develop more locations in a fictional "state" so that he can wander into them for whatever reason. On the other hand, I like the idea of him staying within these three towns/the connecting wilderness and having the focus be on adventures within those locations, keeping the focus tighter.


----------



## Theglasshouse

I wrote a seven-hundred-word outline today. I just need to stay motivated. Eventually, when the outline is finished, what I plan to do is write a short story. I was absent from the forums also trying to read a novel supposedly recommended by Isaac Asimov. I wanted to really like Philip Jose Farmer's Dayworld. The premise is great. However, the writing is horrible. I am also not a fan of his style, which needs to resonate more emotionally. Not a fan of the dialogue. I only got it for 2 dollars by using the bookbub offer. The characters are wooden and stiff. Dreamsnake I have heard is much better. Dreamsnake won a Hugo and Nebula. I bought that one as well.

About the author and not the book:


> “An excellent science fiction writer, far more skillful than I am.” —Isaac Asimov


----------



## indianroads

I finished chapter 6 of Tempest today - so far the work is sitting at ~15,500 words. On to chapter 7 tomorrow.


----------



## C.K.Johnson

A beta reader responded with her critique of TAOAB and it was so helpful. I spent hours going over her notes and editing my manuscript, a productive and satisfying day.


----------



## Pamelyn Casto

Today produced joy and its opposite. I polished the story I rough-drafted last night and submitted it to my critique group. That act brought me joy. I've received one critique so far and it's positive. So that's 29 400-word stories I've polished, Eleven more 400-word stories stories and I'll submit the collection to a publisher for consideration. 

Then I received word one of my poems is going to be published in an anthology. That news would usually bring me joy. But this time it didn't. I sent the piece off on the spur of the moment and now I wish I'd waited and polished it more. But what is life but living and (sometimes) learning? Maybe I'll feel differently once I receive my complimentary copy of the anthology.


----------



## Parabola

Wrote a bit in the new project, you know, "chapter 1, line one" stuff, not just background like I've been doing.


----------



## Ladyserpentine

Reworked my WIP to smooth out the storyline and eliminate major plot holes. This is like, version 3 million, but I've finally nailed down the ending, the setting, and the villain's motivation. Stayed up way too late last night typing up the new outline. Checked the word count this morning and it clocked in at 3,135.

Now, to get to the actual writing...


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## Islander

Finished a story today. From a pure writing craft perspective, it may be the best I've ever written. Managed to fit in lots of character development and story within a small space. And it all keeps together -- every scene flows logically from the previous, and all characters act logically according to their character.


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## indianroads

Chapter 7 of Tempest is complete, starting in on Chapter 8.
~18000 words so far.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Islander said:


> Finished a story today. From a pure writing craft perspective, it may be the best I've ever written. Managed to fit in lots of character development and story within a small space. And it all keeps together -- every scene flows logically from the previous, and all characters act logically according to their character.



What's it about? Curious, inquisitive, and eager minds want to know.


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## indianroads

Started Chapter 8 of Tempest this afternoon, 1400 words in.

In other news, I got into the dojang (Taekwondo training hall) today, for the first time since my back problems, and had a light workout. My back hurt afterward, but thanks to the miracle of modern chemistry I feel fine now.


----------



## VRanger

Limited time on WF and vis a vis writing this week as I had an entire eCommerce site to build so that reps could get their feet wet in it and train before their trade show starts this weekend. However, I stole some time at lunch today to finish my final read-through of Moods and get a couple of major corrections to Betty before she got to them on HER read.  I had a spot where I completely goofed up who should be saying what in a dialogue, basically swapping two characters' experiences. So I fixed that by adjusting the names and adding an intermediate dialogue paragraph to put the conversation back on track.

But as of an hour ago I finished the last testing on some custom code for the system and I may actually write some fiction tonight.  Then on to the next eCommerce project tomorrow, which is more custom code for a long-time client.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Managed to edit half a chapter tonight before work. Felt good to be motating again. Props to @D. L. Keur for that little pep talk the other day.


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## D. L. Keur

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Managed to edit half a chapter tonight before work. Felt good to be motating again. Props to @D. L. Keur for that little pep talk the other day.


You know, I look at it this way, @That Guy Named Aaron , life is way too short to waste even a second of it.  I'd rather you were writing. I'd rather I was writing. Which I am. Hope you are, too. Hugs. And if you ever need a shoulder, I've got one.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

D. L. Keur said:


> You know, I look at it this way, @That Guy Named Aaron , life is way too short to waste even a second of it.  I'd rather you were writing. I'd rather I was writing. Which I am. Hope you are, too. Hugs. And if you ever need a shoulder, I've got one.



I think my biggest issue was that this year over the holidays, I had way too much on my plate, and a bunch of more-than-normal holiday stress. It took away the joy of plopping down and trying to write or edit. Even stepping away and trying to just write a short story to try to “prime the pump” didn’t work.
I’m thinking now that I’m back to some semblance of “normality” and some of the stress has subsided has helped.

At least that’s the story I’m going to go with. But still, cheers and much respect and appreciation. When I greet new members and tell them how supportive members are, this is exactly what I mean. 

Aaron


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## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> I think my biggest issue was that this year over the holidays, I had way too much on my plate, and a bunch of more-than-normal holiday stress. It took away the joy of plopping down and trying to write or edit. Even stepping away and trying to just write a short story to try to “prime the pump” didn’t work.
> I’m thinking now that I’m back to some semblance of “normality” and some of the stress has subsided has helped.



I relate to this entirely too much.

Haven't had the time or the mindset to sit down and write since Halloween.  Between work and family and a bunch of other stuff....this was kind of a garbage holiday season, and some of the headache that was supposed to be gone by mid-January is looking like it may stretch into March.  Losing the safety-valve of ducking into my other world hasn't helped.  

I think I'm on the wrong side of the glass at this zoo lately.


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## D. L. Keur

JBF said:


> I relate to this entirely too much.
> 
> Haven't had the time or the mindset to sit down and write since Halloween.  Between work and family and a bunch of other stuff....this was kind of a garbage holiday season, and some of the headache that was supposed to be gone by mid-January is looking like it may stretch into March.  Losing the safety-valve of ducking into my other world hasn't helped.
> 
> I think I'm on the wrong side of the glass at this zoo lately.


Huge hugs, Mr. Awesome Racoon.


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## indianroads

Holiday season is like that - families come over and we have to be bright, and cheerful. The societal pressure to be happy makes me grumpy.

We only have one daughter living (somewhat) nearby and I don’t like her husband. He’s one of those people that if you are nice to them they want to sit in your lap. He takes care of my daughter and their daughter, so I tolerate him. They always come over for holidays, and when they do, I retreat to my office to write.

As always, I’m glad the holidays are behind us.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Inspired by a comment @Arsenex wrote about a month ago, I just did an overhaul on some dialog between the three MC's. It feels tighter and flows better. At least for the moment. I'll probably look at it again next time around and think _'What the phack was I thinking?'_


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## Arsenex

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Inspired by a comment @Arsenex wrote about a month ago, I just did an overhaul on some dialog between the three MC's. It feels tighter and flows better. At least for the moment. I'll probably look at it again next time around and think _'What the phack was I thinking?'_


Or, "_Who wrote this crap!_"


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## indianroads

Completed chapter 8 of Tempest today. 20438 total words so far. Average chapter length: 2554.75. Total work should come in around 97K words.
30 more chapters go go.


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## Islander

indianroads said:


> Completed chapter 8 of Tempest today. 20438 total words so far. Average chapter length: 2554.75. Total work should come in around 97K words.
> 30 more chapters go go.


Do you feel confident about proceeding at a steady pace? That sounds awesome.


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## Islander

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> What's it about? Curious, inquisitive, and eager minds want to know.


Erotic fan fiction with Marvel characters.

I posted it in the Red Light Room, so now I may have to eat up how well I think I succeeded


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Islander said:


> Erotic fan fiction with Marvel characters.
> 
> I posted it in the Red Light Room, so now I may have to eat up how well I think I succeeded



Dealing with yet another _"where did this come from?!?"_ IRL crisis right now, or I'd drive over and scope it out. But I wil.
Eventually.
Someday.

Checks in the mail...


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## indianroads

Islander said:


> Do you feel confident about proceeding at a steady pace? That sounds awesome.


Yeah, I do because I plot everything out before I start in on the first draft. 
Plotting isn't for everyone, but for me it works - my first novel, written back in the 1980's was pantsed the whole way... and the plot wandered about like a drunken sailor and ended up being about 250 K words long. After that, I started planning more, and finally got it down to a process.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Another half chapter editedededededed. I think I cut about fifty words out of this chapter so far.


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## Parabola

I had several moments during the writing of MC1 where the characters and the possibilities buzzed in my head, and I had a ton of excitement when writing it. Just wrote where the story took me over the course of two months or so. Would like to dive back into the universe, especially book 1, but the motivation isn't there at the moment. Not fully anyway. 

Part of what I'm reflecting on are the characters in general, like how some are just representatives of patterns of behavior that I've seen over the years. Jason, for instance, has a hard time adapting to the world around him, and while he suffers a dark fate because of Ethan's meddling, he kinda looms over the entire series for whatever reason.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Trying to edit out the barn fire out of the book while dealing with heater repair guy here in our house AND a contractor cleaning the evicted meth house across the street who needs to use my driveway to maneuver vehicles in and out of that yard and driveway.

The good news is I’ve cut a few hundred words and I’m no longer killing a small herd of goats that’s a fictitious farmer’s livelihood. But in real life, I’m shivering pretty good and it looks like the bill for this repair job’s gonna be a healthy (or unhealthy) three digit number.

Good times! How’s your weekend?


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## Arsenex

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Trying to edit out the barn fire out of the book while dealing with heater repair guy here in our house AND a contractor cleaning the evicted meth house across the street who needs to use my driveway to maneuver vehicles in and out of that yard and driveway.
> 
> The good news is I’ve cut a few hundred words and I’m no longer killing a small herd of goats that’s a fictitious farmer’s livelihood. But in real life, I’m shivering pretty good and it looks like the bill for this repair job’s gonna be a healthy (or unhealthy) three digit number.
> 
> Good times! How’s your weekend?


We'll be doing fondu by the pool for a daughter's birthday. Sunny and 70F here today. You have permission to hate me if it makes you feel better. Sorry for your troubles, but you never should have killed those goats to begin with.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Arsenex said:


> Sorry for your troubles, but you never should have killed those goats to begin with.



Yeah, that'll learn me.


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## Arsenex

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Yeah, that'll learn me.


Even worse is killing off or injuring a fictional dog or cat.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Arsenex said:


> Even worse is killing off or injuring a fictional dog or cat.



<scribbles more notes>

Got it, thanks!  

<stops editing this chapter and frantically edits a scene in another chapter>


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## VRanger

Peter Benchley had the shark eat that dog and I NEVER forgave him. In Volcano (movie with Tommy Lee Jones) they save TWO dogs. They killed people, but people are supposed to look out for themselves, and the one who bought it on the subway train was kind of an ass anyway. In Dante's Peak, they go out of their way to save a dog that under the circumstances, would never have been saved in the real situation. Another very unlikely dog save in Independence Day.

The cat made it out alive in Alien. I'm actually kind of surprised the cat didn't take out the alien when it was small, but that would have cut the movie pretty short. There was a sci-fi movie I saw as a kid when aliens invaded and were walking down the street shooting people with ray guns. The ray turned them into skeletons. They also shot a dog on the street. Pitifully, the bones of the skeleton tried to rise but collapsed back onto the street. That scene still haunts me.


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## Arsenex

You can kill and butcher as many innocent fictional people or aliens as you want, but kill an innocent fictional animal? Watch out. And I say innocent because, well, if it's like a rabid racoon... fair game.


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## JBF

Arsenex said:


> You can kill and butcher as many innocent fictional people or aliens as you want, but kill an innocent fictional animal? Watch out.



So _that's _where my readership went.  Huh.  



Arsenex said:


> And I say innocent because, well, if it's like a rabid racoon... fair game.



_/consults member list with malicious intent_


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## nomdesab

It's be awhile. I hope everyone is doing well!

I have nailed down my theme for my novel.  I'm discovering that that I'm person that needs a roadmap all written out before I can write my first draft (again).


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## Parabola

nomdesab said:


> It's be awhile. I hope everyone is doing well!
> 
> I have nailed down my theme for my novel.  I'm discovering that that I'm person that needs a roadmap all written out before I can write my first draft (again).



Sometimes I like to start with a roadmap (general direction) in mind, then, hey, who knows? Maybe I end up in Canada. Which is just fine. I've heard they're a meditative people.


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## Arsenex

JBF said:


> So _that's _where my readership went.  Huh.
> 
> 
> 
> _/consults member list with malicious intent_


Keep in mind, I bare no ill will toward disgruntled raccoons. Just the diseased ones.


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## nomdesab

I won a trophy for piling up trophies. Lol. Nice!


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## JBF

Arsenex said:


> Just the diseased ones.



_Malicious.  Intent.  _


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## indianroads

nomdesab said:


> It's be awhile. I hope everyone is doing well!
> 
> I have nailed down my theme for my novel.  I'm discovering that that I'm person that needs a roadmap all written out before I can write my first draft (again).


Welcome to the DARK SIDE... you are a plotter... (maniacal laugh) ha ha ha!


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## nomdesab

indianroads said:


> Welcome to the DARK SIDE... you are a plotter... (maniacal laugh) ha ha ha!


I must be. 

Dark Side 101: As soon as I have my scene journal completed and each scene broken down into goal/conflict/disaster....I'll be able to start my long form. Maybe. Lol.


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## Parabola

Taking the same approach to MC 1 that I did with the other project, specifically with the "behind the scenes" world building that pops up when/where relevant. Having a strong sense of place is important for this project, as it's essentially a nostalgic fishbowl with plot nodes and character progression. As of now, just letting things percolate.


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## Parabola

Writing from the perspective of moody elitist should be a dictatorship's go-to punishment for rebels.


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## Aelyth

I posted in another thread relating my frustration with writing the opening scene of my fantasy short story. However, I just thought of the opening line/scene this morning, so hooray for me! I was worried I wouldn't be able to lead the reader into the story, or be able to set the tone/character voice, but I guess my brain works in mysterious ways, lol.

Also, I wrote the first half of the opening scene for my fantasy novel. The first writing session went well, surprisingly, given that I haven't written anything for nearly a month. Slow, but steady progress!


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Aelyth said:


> I posted in another thread relating my frustration with writing the opening scene of my fantasy short story. However, I just thought of the opening line/scene this morning, so hooray for me! I was worried I wouldn't be able to lead the reader into the story, or be able to set the tone/character voice, but I guess my brain works in mysterious ways, lol.
> 
> Also, I wrote the first half of the opening scene for my fantasy novel. The first writing session went well, surprisingly, given that I haven't written anything for nearly a month. Slow, but steady progress!



Twice now, as I've had writer's block that went weeks. The first time when I was in the middle of the rough draft of my 6th (now 9th) book Almost a year ago, and then over the holidays as I've been editing the first book. It's amazing sometimes what a little time will do. 

Any progress is progress.


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## PiP

Spent the whole day getting to grips with the plot for new romance novel. So fired up! The characters have taken root in my brain and now follow me everywhere.


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## indianroads

Aelyth said:


> I posted in another thread relating my frustration with writing the opening scene of my fantasy short story. However, I just thought of the opening line/scene this morning, so hooray for me! I was worried I wouldn't be able to lead the reader into the story, or be able to set the tone/character voice, but I guess my brain works in mysterious ways, lol.
> 
> Also, I wrote the first half of the opening scene for my fantasy novel. The first writing session went well, surprisingly, given that I haven't written anything for nearly a month. Slow, but steady progress!


My trick when dealing with and opening or difficult scene is to write fast and blow through it, just to get the nuts and bolts kinda in place. The first draft is always going to be rough - but that will be fixed by going back and editing it numerous times before the book is ready to be published.


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## tayredgrave

I wrote a poem for the first time in, I dunno, 10 years? It's pretty exciting!


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## Parabola

Same day, different paragraph.


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## indianroads

Finished Chapter 9 of Tempest - the story is going well, although I've decided to drop a chapter to tighten up the plot.


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## Theglasshouse

I finished writing the story. I just need to wait two days to proofread. I need to make sure there is enough description. It has plenty of conflicts and follows an established trope. It's now science fiction. The exercise on the bicycle I did helped me connect the plot dots (I get ideas this way). My mood had shifted after I had eaten some stored-away Christmas candy (I exercised 1 hour to lower my blood sugar). It is about 2100 words but may increase. I want to keep it below 2500. I've been reading it out loud and so far it seems competent. I wish I had the microphone, but those edits won't happen until January 12 or 13th when they bring it to me.  I borrowed the trope from Philip K. Dick. It has lots of conflict based on the drama theory discussed on the forums. I hope it works.


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## Ladyserpentine

Theglasshouse said:


> The exercise on the bicycle I did helped me connect the plot dots (I get ideas this way).


I actually get ideas when walking for exercise. Interesting how there is such a strong connection between the body and mind.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Parabola said:


> Same day, different paragraph.



Which is better than _Different day, same paragraph_...


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## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Which is better than _Different day, same paragraph_...


SOSDD


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## Pamelyn Casto

An essay I submitted a couple of months ago got lost. I checked on it, re-sent it, and saw it published online tonight. Success!


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Did some more editing of _God Bless_. I did two chapters tonight. I cut about a thousand words and redid a few scenes. Nothing major. Still shaky on some grammar with certain speech tags. But it gives Kat something to bully me about. 
He's not screamed at me since last year.

I joke, of course, about Kat. But he's tough on me.


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## Mark Twain't

Finally finished the 2nd draft of _Killing Holly_. Just need to add in a couple of flashbacks for back story purposes, then a proof-read and I'll be looking for a beta reader.

I did put the opening chapter in the Fiction Workshop a while back, but not had any responses yet.


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## M J Tennant 2022

Finished Book Two of my Three Book YA Romance series today and it is now going through the editing process.  Will be uploading ready for pre-orders soon.  Exciting and scary stuff!

Happy Sunday all!

M J x


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Another chapter editedededededed. This one's the break-up chapter. Originally I had it happen up in Chris' bedroom. This time around MC3 (Meghan) breaks the bad news to Chris (MC1 AKA _The Dead Guy _AKA _The Not Yet Dead Guy_) as he's standing there naked in the living room holding a necklace he bought her for Xmas. He's still standing there naked and dumbfounded  and holding the necklace while he watches out the big picture window as she speeds away.
He'll never see her again. The only time she sees him again is at his funeral in another ten books or so.

Good times.


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## C.K.Johnson

Finished my latest draft of TAOAB and I'm SO happy with the changes. I feel quite clever that I ended an abduction story with the word 'inescapable'. 
Waiting for feedback from two more beta readers, super grateful for the critique I've already had. The story is so much much stronger. I'll give it one more sweep before my deadline of February 1.
AND, I totally got in the zone with "Fast As You': 2323 words today for a total of 55915. My goal is 70-75k and polished enough to pitch mid-February. 
(It's odd having deadlines. I have been on my own schedule for too long.)
A good, good day.


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## indianroads

Chapter 10 of Tempest is complete. WC is at 25,569 and the project is going well.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Another half chapter edited. MC1  and a coworker visit a massage parlor on Xmas Eve night. How else does one get over being dumped on the holidays?

Good times.


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## JBF

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Another half chapter edited. MC1  and a coworker visit a massage parlor on Xmas Eve night. How else does one get over being dumped on the holidays?
> 
> Good times.



Giggle switch and a case of tracers.  The 40mm Cheeto rounds and flares are optional, but recommended.



…why’s everybody looking at me like that.


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## indianroads

Finished chapter 11 of Tempest. 2503 words.
Moving along.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Got another half chapter edited in between trips over to the meth house across the street. 
My mentor’s getting back into swing of things, so I look forward to more beatings as I work on this round of editing.


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## Parabola

Decided to start another project more well-suited to my fleeting attention span (which will probably persist for the coming months). It's vaguely in the MC universe, structured in fragments, and I have a fuzzy idea where it's set in the timeline and the reason for the fragments. The main purpose though is just a fun project where I'm not dealing with any kind of pressure to develop a longform plot. Just an exercise in vacation from structure yet flexing the established vibe from the series.


----------



## jej_jones

Finally have a rough outline for my new novel. I'm getting more excited to start it with each passing day!


----------



## S J Ward

For the last week or so i have had a total meltdown with regards writing. I'm meant to be finishing the novel I started in Nanowrimo. Should be editing it about now! But there's no one home. So I have booked a month off, a get away from the house sort of thing and tour Britain for a while.  It might get my brain back on the job.
I'd call that a writing success!


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## indianroads

Worked out at the martial art training hall this morning, so didn't get a lot of writing in.
I managed to write 1800 words in chapter 12 of Tempest.


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## JJBuchholz

I have an idea forming in my head that involves a volcano for some reason. I took a break from writing after
finishing six stories in a row for my new series, as my brain told me it was tired. It's been nearly three weeks,
but I think I'm ready to start scribbling down some rough ideas.

-JJB


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## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Worked out at the martial art training hall this morning, so didn't get a lot of writing in.
> I managed to write 1800 words in chapter 12 of Tempest.



Just as long as it's over 50. You never know when Joker might be in the mood to give motivational kicks to the shins.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

Got feedback from a reader. Going back and doing a bit more changes. So I guess editing Round 5 now becomes Round 5.2 as I go back through the first half of _God Bless_.


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## indianroads

That Guy Named Aaron said:


> Just as long as it's over 50. You never know when Joker might be in the mood to give motivational kicks to the shins.


Knees are a better target.


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## That Guy Named Aaron

indianroads said:


> Knees are a better target.


Don’t encourage him.


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## Aelyth

I finally finished writing the opening scene of my fantasy short story. I took a break from it for a few days (again, lol) , as I was a bit frustrated with it, and when I returned to it, I decided to rewrite it completely. It's a lot better than the previous version, that's for sure. I guess the piece will be a bit too reflective of my writer's struggle, so maybe that's way I'm a bit...hesitant to continue writing it. Well, that's a post for another thread


----------

