We’re almost there, Allen! Thanks for your patience as I pace my way through this epically epic novel you’ve written. Loving it. Talk to you soon! – To me from my editor in an email Friday.
That doesn’t mean it will be published next week. He will send it back to me hopefully before the Christmas break. I, the slow reader, will reread it and consider all his notes and then begin the process of revisions.
No work again yesterday. So, I seized the moment.
I’m in the process of outlining my next book. The working title is “Out of Oblivion.” Themes, dialogue, clashes, escapes, love and betrayal is fragmented throughout a forest of notes that needs to be herded into my Scrivener – a word processing program for writers. The story is there and I know how it ends. Now begins the crafting of the physics of story structure, putting things in place that support reader interest.… Read more
Another week as passed and my editor has made lots of progress on Blood & Soul. Based on the conversations between us I’m glad I took this step. It’s been a valuable investment that I balked at initially. But, it’s been well worth the money. To think I almost decided to edit it myself! That’s performing surgery in yourself!
It’s been a grand experience having a professional go after it with a fine-toothed comb and give me his first, second and third impressions.… Read more
Blood & Soul downloaded to my editor Andrew Doty at Editwright ‘s computer about 29 days ago. He read the entire manuscript in 7 days. 160K words.
In the ensuing days it seemed I remembered every stupid sentence and silly turn. But, I had finally let it go. They say that’s what you gotta do.
He sent an email late that Friday night. I braced myself. He said it had all the typical problems. I slumped a bit then he told me my pacing was excellent, and even though it was one of the longest manuscripts he had ever read, everything that was in it needed to be there.… Read more
Author of upcoming epic heroic fantasy saga starting in early 2014 seeks hungry-for-success artist/illustrator to create images/art for a cohesive vision across multimedia; book cover, video promo/book trailer with text/image graphics (original epic music score provided) and website.
I will never write another book…that I don’t thoroughly outline first! The yet-to-be-fully-edited book I “finished” two years ago was my first venture into epic fantasy. I did everything wrong. I started out trying to write pretty sentences on the first page and had no idea where I was going.
With Blood & Soul (the first in what will be a series of standalone books called The Creed of Kings Saga) I settled down a lot and worked on the story first by outlining, but things still got way way too complicated as my imagination chased rabbits way off the trail.
Broke through the midpoint of Blood & Soul today, the first book in the epic Creed of Kings Saga! The inevitable showdown between the hero and the villain is heating up.I proofread and edited to page 331 of a 530 page manuscript today.
According to Larry Brooks’ book Story Engineering, there needs to be a twist/context shift at the midpoint of a good story. My story is much more than a revenge story, but that is a major motivation of my main character – similar to Maximus in Gladiator.
Today I finished the section with the major twist. My hero’s goal has not changed but if he can’t modify his approach he will lose everything.… Read more
It’s cliché but it fits. It’s a forest shrouded in mist when you set out to discover the story hidden in the fog. A year later you find your forehead buried in your palms as you hack at vines of story line tangled up in your imagination. “How’s the book going?” they ask. You dread telling them the truth, that you can’t see the forest for the trees and then you cringe at the overused phrase the masters warn you about.… Read more
It’s driving me crazy, but like a functional alcoholic, I’m a functional nut. I wish! oh I wish I wish I wish time was something I could manage. God gave me slightly more than half a brain. And you, reader, can vouch for how stupid this world is. Even highly educated people these days are often full of flapdoodle. I’m only slightly smarter than average stupid, which often makes me look like a genius but it bugs me more than blesses me.… Read more