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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

Back To You, Brian

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on 01 Sep 2012| 2 Comments »

Beneath a Wounded Sky is now in the hands of First Reader.

First Reader is and always has been my best sounding board for what I call “macro” edits. First Reader is a constant reader of a broad spectrum of works, from fiction to non-fiction, classics to contemporary. First Reader is smart, intuitive, and unafraid to tell me when something pretty basic just plain doesn’t work. First Reader also, because of the aforementioned reading habits, is able to tell me when the Big Things need work, can tell me when I’ve done something someone else has already done, and can comment knowledgeably on the allusions I might draw, be it to Classical Greek or Modern Geek. (more…)

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Trimming the Fat

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 31 Aug 2012| 4 Comments »

I thought I’d share some of the things I’m finding in this edit.

I can definitely tell which chapters came out of my pen wholly formed and which I struggled with. I think most writers find this; some chapters are the lynchpins that keep the wheels of my story from falling off the axle. Other chapters are less clear; perhaps they’re transitional or just utility chapters, that I’ve sketched in my mind, but don’t know the details ahead of time. And then there are the places where I assumed I’d be doing “X” in Chapter 20, but ended up doing “Y” when I got there, so now I have to go back and fix the earlier reference.

Other things I have been stumbling across: (more…)

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Liebster Award

Posted in Culture, Writing, tagged , , , on 30 Aug 2012| 6 Comments »

Obey the Kitty!Yesterday, Paige Nolley nominated this blog for a Liebster Award (Thanks, Paige!) The award is really sort of a vox populi way of shining a light on newer blogs (those with followers < 200), which means I most certainly qualify.

The procedure for award nominees is:

  1. Thank and link back to the giver.
  2. Answer the giver’s questions.
  3. ‘Nominate’ five other blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
  4. Ask five questions for one’s nominees to answer.
  5. Post it all on one’s blog!

(more…)

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Postnovel Depression

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on 29 Aug 2012| 2 Comments »

“You’ve just finished your novel! What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to Disneyland!”

This, unfortunately, is not the case for me. I’ve been rather blue since writing “Fin” on the last page. A lot of the messages that came my way in the past couple of days congratulated me on the “birth” of my latest novel, so it’s rather fitting that, when I look up the symptoms listed for postpartum depression, I find that I am experiencing a lot of them.

Why isn’t this a happy time? Why am I not ecstatic over having completed a major opus?

There are lots of reasons, many having to do with the sense of loss that comes from any major separation, but there are other factors that I know are weighing on me.

  • Starting a new novel is always a daunting prospect, and I’m facing that whenever I think about my next novel.
  • My writing “career” is in transition, so all the business side decisions are anything but straightforward.
    • I want to move from genre fiction to more mainstream storylines, so any agent I find today may not want me tomorrow.
    • This book just completed is Book V in a five-book series, but the original publisher dropped me after Book IV, so finding a publisher for a lonely fifth-of-five is going to be tough.
  • And the fact that I’ve been ill and not sleeping hasn’t helped, either.

Maybe it’ll rain today. I’m always happier when it rains.

k

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Okay, NOW You Can Edit

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 Aug 2012| 2 Comments »

Kurt R.A. GiambastianiYou’ve heard it before; my big deal when I’m writing is to “Write, don’t edit.” You know…don’t put off ’til tomorrow what you can put off for months, right?  Well, now that I’ve finished the writing bit, I can’t put it off any longer. I have to sit down and do what I’ve successfully avoided.

Editing is hard; everyone knows that, but why? I mean, why edit at all? Just run that puppy through the spell-checker and send it out, right? Wrong. Seriously wrong. (more…)

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And….We’re Out

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , on 24 Aug 2012| Leave a Comment »

Main production on Beneath a Wounded Sky is now complete!

That’s right. The last swoosh from my fountain pen is on the pad, and the first draft is officially done. This weekend will be busy, as I transcribe the last few chapters from longhand to disk, and start working on all those <?> items scattered in there.

And then begins the painful process of editing.

(more…)

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The End is Nigh

Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 Aug 2012| 2 Comments »

Kurt R.A. GiambastianiThe end of any writing project is an emotional time for me, and the level of that emotion marches in lockstep with the amount of time I’ve invested. Be it poem, short story, or novel, there is a point at which it’s time to say “goodbye.”

With novels, it can be a tough period to get through. As a kid, I was always labeled as “too sensitive.” I was the easy target for gibes and teasing. I’ve grown a tougher hide in recent years, but it’s just a façade. I still feel things deeply, and goodbyes are never easy. (more…)

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