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I have been eyeing some of my short stories lately. Once I get to the end of the first draft of this novel I need to get some of them out the door again. All in due time I suppose.
Happy writing.
This is one of the interesting parts about writing this story--I enjoy the research just as much as the writing. I could spend weeks digging through websites and old mythological sources. At some point--which in this case ended up being Saturday evening at about 11 pm--you just have to stop and get on with the story. I have enough background material to continue, it just takes a act of will to set the sources aside and get back to the story.
If I had the money, I'd fly to all the locations that I read about and see them firsthand. Alas, my imagination reaches much farther than my wallet.
Such is life.
Anyway, if you want to check out a different writing place and help to make it grow into something bigger--check it out. I think you need to apply for membership to get in but you can tell her that Fred sent you.
http://novelcritter.proboards19.com/inde
You can also find it on my links page on the right as the Claw and Quill.
I just finished chapter 24 of Heart of Odin and getting close to the end of 25. You can find my first chapter posted at Claw and Quill if you're interested in a sample of the story.
My son had his soccer tournament on Saturday and Sunday. His team made it to the finals but ended up in second place. They made it that far on individual talent alone. He's also in high school, and at that level all too many of the coaches just let the players do what they want instead of actually coaching them. I can't complain too much--I coached his team for several years in the past and know how hard it is to get people to volunteer. Still it's hard sitting on the sidelines knowing what they should be doing and watching them not do it. But I made a conscious decision to sit it out so that my son could experience other coaches.
On the writing front: I finished chapters 22 and 23 of Heart of Odin. The story is beginning to wind down, now I'm looking for the right spot to break it off. It is the first in a series of books--a trilogy at least--and I want to make sure this is a stand alone story, but still have a spot where I can continue the story into the next novel. I still have a couple of chapters to go. I'm zeroing at on 60,000 words (according to Word).
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I finished Chapter 21 of Heart of Odin. The story is moving along nicely, but it is getting ready to wind down. I'm still keeping the progress going--hopefully I'll have the first draft finished by the end of next week. Now I've got a couple of critiques to do for some friends (Ruth) and then hopefully I'll still have some time for chapter 22 before I poop out for the night.
Happy writing.
The writing train is still chugging forward. I completed chapter 20 of Heart of Odin and have started on 21. I feel like I have regained my love of novel writing with this story. I started out writing novels, but a couple of years ago I decided to concentrate on short stories because it seemed a good way to break into the field. I think that different writers are more comfortable in different mediums. Novels seem more natural to me than short stories. I wouldn't say the years spent concentrating on short stories hurt me at all, but I am definitely happier now that I'm back on the novel track. I hope you all find your own niche.
Being the parent of a pair of teens I often worry about their generation. Most don't seem too motivated, and being in the cool crowd sometimes seems the only value system they hold dear. And then I go to a show like this and say, "Wow! These kids got it going on."
The cast of high school students was awesome. Of course I was a bit biased with my daughter in the show. She played Mabel, the love interest of the main character. She's been singing for several years, and while I listen to her sing about the house almost daily and have attended various choir events, I was totally blown away by the show. I don't know where she gets it from. Neither my wive nor I can carry a tune in a bucket.
I was also happy to see a decent crowd at the event. Typically we don't see much support for the arts at our school. It was nice to see the turnout. Remember your local schools when you are looking for an evening out.
On the writing front: I finished chapter 18 of Heart of Odin yesterday. The story is flowing pretty well, so I'm trying to let it run its course. I hoping to get another chapter behind me this weekend. Of course I have plans to attend the show again tonight, because you know, some things do take precedence over writing.
Finished chapter 16 or Heart of Odin and started chapter 17. I'm at around 40,000 words--about half-way there. The quest is moving forward, picked up another member--a dead viking warrior brought back by Odin to act as a guide--and travelled into Niflheim in search of Hel's abode. Hey what else do you need but a dead viking warrior, a land of ice, and Death Gate waiting at the end of the journey?
I'm on the lookout for a new local writer's group. I actually started one in my home town a few years back but they have degenerated into a group who wants to talk about writing more than they actually want to write. And when I say local I really mean one within an hour's drive. I live in a pretty small town but Raleigh, NC, and Richmond, VA, are both about an hour away. If I could find the right group I may be willing to drive there once a month for the meetings. I like online groups okay but it is more impersonal and you can't practice your reading skills. There's something to be said for getting to practice reading your stories in front of others.
So this is what I've come up with. On weeknights, where I don't typically have uninterrupted writing time, I try to do my research. This includes researching background material for my stories and researching markets for my short stories. If I have an evening where I know I will have a couple of hours to work then I'll work on the novel. One the weekend I plan a couple of hours where I can just sit down and write. The progess is not as quick as I would like, but it is progress.
By the way, I finished chapter 15 of Heart of Odin over the weekend and, luckily for me, I should have some uninterrupted writing time this evening to start on chapter 16.
Most writers in my field know of the biggy -- Writers of the Future. I have been entering that one for a couple of years now. I've had about a 50% success rate in the honorable mentions/quarter finalists category. I'm hoping I'll hit a little higher target one of these times. I also routinely send an entry to the PARSEC annual short story contest. http://parsec-sff.org/contest.html This is put on by a writing organization out of Pittsburgh. I placed 3rd in 2005 and am hoping to hit it again this year. Anyway, I just sent my entry on Monday--the deadline was Tuesday--and am keeping my fingers crossed. Anyone know of any other free contests out there?
I realized, as I sat at the dining room table for the last few days and tried to type on my laptop, that I am a creature of habit. A set of french doors sit just behind the table and I couldn't help but look over my shoulder as I typed. It felt as though I had a critic stalking me from the darkness at my back. Now I am back in my comfortable nook and the only thing at my back is a familiar wall.
Even with the dining room distractions I did manage to finish chapter 14 of Heart of Odin. Now I'm off to tackle chapter 15.
Tonight I finished chapter 13 of Heart of Odin. This chapter reveals the major character issue from the historical backstory that affects the the current storyline. I know that sounds convoluted, but it makes sense to me. The story is at 29,000 words and I expect it's about a third of the way complete. I'm planning for the total wordcount to fall between 80,000 to 100,000 words. This seems to be a typical wordcount that publishers are looking for in this type of novel. It's basically a quest story with a few twists thrown in to keep it interesting.
On the writing side: I finished the final draft on the story I'm submitting to WOTF, which is good since I need to send it off tomorrow.
On the reading side: I've got a few writing books on the shelf that I haven't looked at for awhile so I decided to break them out for a refresher. I just finished reading Writing for Dollars: 75 Tips for a Freelance Writer by John McCollister. It is a bit dated but was a good reminder that the publishing industry doesn't change very much. I'm currently reading Judith Appelbaum's How to Get Happily Published which is similar to McCollister's book but interesting just the same. Waiting in the wings is the next Marcus Didius Falco Mystery by Lindsey Davis -- Shadows of Bronze.
Happy Reading.
Recently I have discovered extension classes at the local community college. They offer classes in anything from "how to start an internet business" to "how to publish your book." Well, I know they have these two because I went to check them out. Hey, I'm not complaining about the price I paid to go, but then again I am. The classes were free, which means that the college used government funds to pay for the instructors. So in essence I still paid for the classes.
The thing that bothers me is that anyone who can print out a flyer and have a web site can claim to be an expert in their field. Then they just have to make sure the colleges, and any other rubes they can find, get a copy of their literature. I'm not saying that the presenters of these classes were totally clueless, but they weren't experts either. It reminds me of some of the people you see at writers conventions who sit in front of the audience with their single self-published book and proceed to tell everyone about how the writing industry works. Not that I'm an expert either mind you, but please, people, enough with the self-promotional--I'm an expert so pay me--line of crap. There are more honest ways of making a living. Oh yeah, and enthusiasm does not make up for lack of knowledge.
On the writing front: I made good progress on Heart of Odin this weekend. Finally got through the research and finished a couple of historical chapters and now I'm back on the modern story arc. I really need to spend the next few days on my WOTF story. I need to complete my revisions and get the story out the door.
I've also gotten more involved with critiques again. I have not done many lately, but I'm becoming more active on a couple of my favorite sites.
I'm still working on chapter 12 of Heart of Odin. This is another historical "flashback" chapter and I have been spending some time researching the lay of the land near Anglesey Island where the chapter takes place. Sometimes I enjoy the research more than the writing, but I think I have what I need now to continue on with the story.
I picked up Jim Butcher's White Knight yesterday. So now I'm off to immerse myself into his world.
I was trying to think up an excuse for why I haven't posted recently and then I realized that this is supposed to be a journal. A journal is about being truthful, right? Anyway, I haven't spent much time on the computer at the house mostly because I need a break from the cotton-picking thing every once in a while. When I say a break, I mean spending less than the couple of hours a night that is typical for me. I have been active on a couple of writing sites and I have been doing research for my novel.
One of the problems I was having in my research is trying to figure out the terraine in various parts of the UK. When the setting is on this world, it is good to get the landscape right. It would be bad if my character is travelling through meadows when the terrain for that region is mountains. Luckily a friend of mine introduced me to google maps. Wow! If you haven't tried this--go check it out.
I received a rejection yesterday from Strange Horizons for me story "Fortuna." Time to look for another magazine for this story.
I have been in a rut for a couple of days. It was not that I was too busy to write, it just didn't seem to matter. I think everyone who writes goes through days like that. Where you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not accomplishing anything. Every time I sat down at the computer I just stared and the screen and then got up and walked away. I rarely watch TV, and I found myself lying on the couch and watching programs that I had seen a dozen times. I admit that I let the writing demons take over for a couple of days--doubt, envy, and basic self pity. It was before church this morning, as I sat down at my computer waiting for my wife to finish getting ready, that I pinpointed the source. I realized the rewrite comments I received a few days ago on my story Max had dragged me down that road. Don't get me wrong, a rewrite request is good, but one of the reader's comments really got under my skin. Typically such things don't bother me much, but I think because the snarky comment was attached to a rewrite request it hit a nerve. I think it really bothered me because the comment was directed at the writer (me) and not the story. Sometimes you just have to figure out the source of your mood to overcome it.
Okay, I feel even better now that I got that out.
Happy writing!
