One of the things I always wondered about when I first made this site was how often I'd actually keep up with it. I did well for a while, and then it kind of fell by the wayside thanks to the loads of other stuff I've been doing. Well, I doubt that's going to get better any time soon, but I did at least do a few updates to reflect my release schedule for the rest of 2019 and 2020, and the current projects I'm working on. Here's a few more details.
First, it's NaNoWriMo, which means I'm buckling down on a project for that. I'm doing a sequel to DAMNATION TRAIL, tentatively called SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN. If things work out, I'll end up self-pubbing this at some point, just like I did with DT.
Second, I've been picking up some freelance formatting jobs, which has taken up some time, but brings some extra money in, always a good thing.
Third, I'm also working on my arachnophobia novel, INFESTED. I paused for NaNoWriMo, and plan to get back and finish it next month.
I'm also doing a collaboration with Armand Rosamilia called THE PRICE. I've got it at the moment, and will send it back to him as soon as I do my chapter. Still a ways off from being done, but it is a lot of fun.
On the release front, there's a lot going on.
First up, on December 10, 2019, HIDDEN HEARTS comes out through Silver Shamrock Publications. It's been retitled THE CORRUPTION OF ALSTON HOUSE, and details are on the Bookshelf page.
Then, on January 24, 2020, CONSEQUENCES gets a facelift, a foreword from Bryan Smith himself, and a full-scale re-release through Poltergeist Press. The old version goes out of print on December 1, 2019, so watch for information on the new one in paperback, eBook, and--for the first time--HARDBACK(!!!) very, very soon.
Later in 2020, I have two more novels coming out. SAVAGE MOUNTAIN will likely be first, from Grindhouse Press, followed just before Scares That Care Charity Weekend, VA by the second Cochran Investigations novel, ONE LAST DANCE. There are a couple of other things in the fire, but nothing ready for discussion yet, so let's leave it there.
As you can see, I've been busy. Hopefully I get better at updating this site, but don't hold your breath.
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Monday, February 12, 2018
On the Horizon
It's been a busy week for me, and one where I haven't managed to get a lot of actual writing done. That always leaves me feeling out-of-sorts, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. I have made some progress on both SATYR and WARLOCK, as well as knocking out the prologue of my modern-day fairy-tale that will be up after one of those is done. Also, since my brain never seems to shut off, I've been tinkering with other ideas. So, in the interest of helping myself keep things straight, here's what's coming down the pipeline for me in the next few months.
First, I have made arrangements to do some behind the scenes work on books for other folks as well. I won't be going into detail on that because I'm honestly not sure how much I'm allowed to say about it, but once I can announce more, I will.
Second, if you're expecting signed books from me, they ARE coming, I promise. It's been rough finance-wise the last few weeks, and I just had a vehicular emergency to deal with, but I'll be getting those in the mail VERY soon. I am sorry for the delay, but some things just can't be avoided.
Next, as I mentioned, I'm working on two books at once again. This time around, it's easier than the last time I attempted it. I think because it's helping to keep things fresher for me, more fun. I get stuck on one, I switch to the other, and vice-versa. No more trying to hammer my way through when the story's not showing me what's next fast enough. I'm even planning a third project, so all of those should be getting progress updates in the very near future.
Finally, I'm tinkering with an idea. It was originally going to be a feature on this site, but that may be changing to something else. I'll announce it once I have more of an idea what format it's going to take, and exactly how it's going to work.
Also, I have something planned for late spring that I'll be announcing sometime next month, and have a new novel coming from Bloodshot Books near the end of this year or start of next year, so keep an eye out for announcements regarding that as summer crosses into fall. I'm also working on some other things that I hope to have announcements for in the very near future. I may not be very vocal about what I'm doing, but rest assured there is A LOT going on. I just have to wait until there's something to talk about before doing so.
That said, you can make sure to check out my latest appearance on Armand Rosamilia's Arm Cast Podcast by clicking here. He even does a brief review of MUDCAT on the air, which I had no idea was coming when I recorded the interview. It's looking like everyone so far has enjoyed reading that one as much as I enjoyed writing it, so that is an immeasurable relief!
Anyway, back to the grind stone, and keep your eyes peeled for more announcements soon!
First, I have made arrangements to do some behind the scenes work on books for other folks as well. I won't be going into detail on that because I'm honestly not sure how much I'm allowed to say about it, but once I can announce more, I will.
Second, if you're expecting signed books from me, they ARE coming, I promise. It's been rough finance-wise the last few weeks, and I just had a vehicular emergency to deal with, but I'll be getting those in the mail VERY soon. I am sorry for the delay, but some things just can't be avoided.
Next, as I mentioned, I'm working on two books at once again. This time around, it's easier than the last time I attempted it. I think because it's helping to keep things fresher for me, more fun. I get stuck on one, I switch to the other, and vice-versa. No more trying to hammer my way through when the story's not showing me what's next fast enough. I'm even planning a third project, so all of those should be getting progress updates in the very near future.
Finally, I'm tinkering with an idea. It was originally going to be a feature on this site, but that may be changing to something else. I'll announce it once I have more of an idea what format it's going to take, and exactly how it's going to work.
Also, I have something planned for late spring that I'll be announcing sometime next month, and have a new novel coming from Bloodshot Books near the end of this year or start of next year, so keep an eye out for announcements regarding that as summer crosses into fall. I'm also working on some other things that I hope to have announcements for in the very near future. I may not be very vocal about what I'm doing, but rest assured there is A LOT going on. I just have to wait until there's something to talk about before doing so.
That said, you can make sure to check out my latest appearance on Armand Rosamilia's Arm Cast Podcast by clicking here. He even does a brief review of MUDCAT on the air, which I had no idea was coming when I recorded the interview. It's looking like everyone so far has enjoyed reading that one as much as I enjoyed writing it, so that is an immeasurable relief!
Anyway, back to the grind stone, and keep your eyes peeled for more announcements soon!
Sunday, November 26, 2017
MUDCAT: Release, Pre-Order, and Promotion
The time is coming fast, now: MUDCAT is about to escape into the world.
The date is set: December 5, 2017, and you can pre-order it now using the link on the right side of this page! Digital edition will be $3.99, the paperback is TBA (but yes, there will be both)! Stay tuned for updates regarding the promotional tour stops online as they are announced by JEA Press.
Make sure to also keep tabs on their page at http://www.jellingtonashton.com/ for more information as well!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Cover Reveal: MUDCAT
You know what? I love this so much, I'm not even going to build it up first. Without further ado, here's the full print cover for MUDCAT!
Click the image to make it bigger, so you can enjoy it at full size!
Thanks go out to the appropriately named Michael "Fish" Fisher for his incredible work on this one, and for elevating my "B-Movie" theme into an "A" cover.
Look for it to escape very, very soon!
#MudcatLives
Friday, November 11, 2016
Arm Cast Podcast Appearance
For those who are interested, you can catch me on Armand Rosamilla's Arm Cast Podcast today along with fellow horror author Frank Edler; you can check it out here, or just listen to the embed below!
Monday, September 19, 2016
Random Musings: A General Update
It's strange to look at the posts I've made on here the last month or so and see mostly reviews for other folks, and notices on the Summer of Consequences Publicity Tour, and little else. Don't get me wrong, neither of those are a bad thing at all; it's just a little surprising considering what I expected this blog to be when I first started out with it. So if you'll indulge me a little selfishness, here's a snapshot of what all's going on with me right now.
First, I want to explain why all the reviews. It's simple, really. Since I published Consequences, I've discovered how supportive the horror community is. Doing all these reviews is my way of paying that back somewhat; no more, no less. Plus, I read a lot, so why not toot the horn for some of the great books I've had the privelidge of enjoying the last little while? To that end, there's another one coming later this week, and I'm sure there will be many more in the future.
On the publishing front, Consequences has been getting rave reviews, which still blows me away. I never expected this kind of reception when I put it out there, but I am eternally grateful that it's done as well as it has. To think that I managed to break the stereotype of self-published books being poorly written, poorly edited, and therefore poorly received is a relief. And there's more on the horizon! The Journal of Jeremy Todd is currently expected to be released by Sinister Grin on June 1, 2017 (though that can change, in either direction). My short story "In the Moonlit Forest Glade" will be coming out in Full Moon Slaughter, edited by Toneye Eyenot, from JEA Press probably in October. And, to top it all off, I'm working on something now that has me kind of excited. I'll say more when I know more, but keep your eyes peeled for an announcement pretty soon.
I've also been writing like crazy. The killer catfish tale that started as a joke is now finished, as you've seen if you monitor my progress bar. Mudcat ended up being much different from what I expected, hopefully in a good way. Time will tell. It's currently simmering while I work on other things, awaiting the time I start in for the second draft. Alone in Babylon, my post-Apocalyptic tale, is nearing its end as well, and I'm a little sad by that. I really connected with my main character here, and am not looking forward to letting him go. Unfortunately, that's how it works. I've reached the point where I know how the story ends, which means it won't be long now before I type "The End" and move on to whatever's next. I'm thinking something a little lighter in tone for the next one, and have a couple of ideas, so we'll see what pans out.
My self-edits have taken a bit of a back seat as other things play out, like the secret project, and changes at the day job, but as things begin to settle back down, I'll be getting back to them more consistently. I'm currently working on the second draft of Off the Beaten Path, with a long-overdue edit to the third Cochran book, Blood Games, to follow.
Speaking of the Cochran series, Demon at the Window is still making its rounds through submissions, so hopefully I'll have some news on it soon.
And that's pretty much where I'm at right now. Lots going on, but it's all behind-the-scenes stuff that translates to a waiting game. I do have some more meaty posts rattling around in my head that I just need to sit down and write once I have the time. Until then, thanks for stopping by, and keep checking back for more as it comes!
First, I want to explain why all the reviews. It's simple, really. Since I published Consequences, I've discovered how supportive the horror community is. Doing all these reviews is my way of paying that back somewhat; no more, no less. Plus, I read a lot, so why not toot the horn for some of the great books I've had the privelidge of enjoying the last little while? To that end, there's another one coming later this week, and I'm sure there will be many more in the future.
On the publishing front, Consequences has been getting rave reviews, which still blows me away. I never expected this kind of reception when I put it out there, but I am eternally grateful that it's done as well as it has. To think that I managed to break the stereotype of self-published books being poorly written, poorly edited, and therefore poorly received is a relief. And there's more on the horizon! The Journal of Jeremy Todd is currently expected to be released by Sinister Grin on June 1, 2017 (though that can change, in either direction). My short story "In the Moonlit Forest Glade" will be coming out in Full Moon Slaughter, edited by Toneye Eyenot, from JEA Press probably in October. And, to top it all off, I'm working on something now that has me kind of excited. I'll say more when I know more, but keep your eyes peeled for an announcement pretty soon.
I've also been writing like crazy. The killer catfish tale that started as a joke is now finished, as you've seen if you monitor my progress bar. Mudcat ended up being much different from what I expected, hopefully in a good way. Time will tell. It's currently simmering while I work on other things, awaiting the time I start in for the second draft. Alone in Babylon, my post-Apocalyptic tale, is nearing its end as well, and I'm a little sad by that. I really connected with my main character here, and am not looking forward to letting him go. Unfortunately, that's how it works. I've reached the point where I know how the story ends, which means it won't be long now before I type "The End" and move on to whatever's next. I'm thinking something a little lighter in tone for the next one, and have a couple of ideas, so we'll see what pans out.
My self-edits have taken a bit of a back seat as other things play out, like the secret project, and changes at the day job, but as things begin to settle back down, I'll be getting back to them more consistently. I'm currently working on the second draft of Off the Beaten Path, with a long-overdue edit to the third Cochran book, Blood Games, to follow.
Speaking of the Cochran series, Demon at the Window is still making its rounds through submissions, so hopefully I'll have some news on it soon.
And that's pretty much where I'm at right now. Lots going on, but it's all behind-the-scenes stuff that translates to a waiting game. I do have some more meaty posts rattling around in my head that I just need to sit down and write once I have the time. Until then, thanks for stopping by, and keep checking back for more as it comes!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Take a Deep Breath
Since I started getting serious about writing back in July, I've been pretty dedicated. I've written nearly every day, and it's allowed me to do more than I ever would've expected to do. Once I get finished with the one I'm on now, I'll have completed first drafts on eight books, with one nearly to the point of being published independently and others in various stages of the editorial or submission process. That's a lot. Had you told me I'd have accomplished that back in July, I wouldn't have believed it.
Things have changed in my day job lately that has caused it to suck up more of my time and sanity than I like. It's only temporary, but it's still a mental drain. That's made keeping my schedule of working on the new stuff every night and doing edits throughout the week before making the changes on Monday tough to keep up with. As a result, my editing backlog is growing and growing at a rate that's starting to become intimidating.
To that end, I'm going to do something I didn't think I would. Once I finish the one I'm working on, I'm going to take a week to two week long break before starting anything new. Instead, when I would normally be working on that, I'm going to try and get something cleared out on my backlog of edits. My hope is that this will help me get caught back up again. If I devote the time I spend on new things to that, I should be able to knock it back down to a manageable size again fairly quickly.
Not that I'm done with new stuff; quite the opposite. I already have ideas in mind for what's next on the list, and for the one that's up after that. I have basic concepts for things beyond that. So the new stuff is still coming, I just need to make sure I'm not repeating myself or getting into a place where I'm only looking at first drafts to be able to submit to traditional publishers and not relatively finished works that will stand a better chance of being noticed among all the other submissions they get.
I just need to learn to pace myself, and take a deep breath now and again.
And in case you think I'm getting lazy, think again. I have three (about to be four) books waiting to get a second draft, am working toward getting Consequences out for purchase by the end of April, waiting to hear back still on Jeremy Todd, and still have a lot of work to do on getting Homecoming to the quality I think it can be. I'll be working, and you'll definitely still be hearing from me. Like I said, one to two weeks. That's all.
Call it a working vacation. Eight first drafts: I think I've earned it.
Things have changed in my day job lately that has caused it to suck up more of my time and sanity than I like. It's only temporary, but it's still a mental drain. That's made keeping my schedule of working on the new stuff every night and doing edits throughout the week before making the changes on Monday tough to keep up with. As a result, my editing backlog is growing and growing at a rate that's starting to become intimidating.
To that end, I'm going to do something I didn't think I would. Once I finish the one I'm working on, I'm going to take a week to two week long break before starting anything new. Instead, when I would normally be working on that, I'm going to try and get something cleared out on my backlog of edits. My hope is that this will help me get caught back up again. If I devote the time I spend on new things to that, I should be able to knock it back down to a manageable size again fairly quickly.
Not that I'm done with new stuff; quite the opposite. I already have ideas in mind for what's next on the list, and for the one that's up after that. I have basic concepts for things beyond that. So the new stuff is still coming, I just need to make sure I'm not repeating myself or getting into a place where I'm only looking at first drafts to be able to submit to traditional publishers and not relatively finished works that will stand a better chance of being noticed among all the other submissions they get.
I just need to learn to pace myself, and take a deep breath now and again.
And in case you think I'm getting lazy, think again. I have three (about to be four) books waiting to get a second draft, am working toward getting Consequences out for purchase by the end of April, waiting to hear back still on Jeremy Todd, and still have a lot of work to do on getting Homecoming to the quality I think it can be. I'll be working, and you'll definitely still be hearing from me. Like I said, one to two weeks. That's all.
Call it a working vacation. Eight first drafts: I think I've earned it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Ramblin'
This one is something different for me, not simply an update on where I'm at with the writing, but a full-scale catch up on me and the things I've posted about on this blog before. In other words, a whole bunch'a ramblin' just because I felt like doing a post.
First, the writing. As you can see from the progress meter, Blood Games is officially done with the first draft. The Cochran books are now an official trilogy. That won't last long, because book four is on the horizon once I finish the current project, but it's still an accomplishment, right? I am now working my way through the first draft of Hidden Heart, the haunted house story I had in mind. This one is pretty tough, but in a good way. I think. See, it was always meant to be subtle. Sometimes I have a hard time with that. I'm eight chapters in now, and honestly not a lot has happened. Some things have, enough that the reader will realize there's more to the house in question than the current owner does anyway, but the poo hasn't hit the rotating blades yet, to modify a phrase. Soon, I think, since we're closing in on the end of the first act and the start of the second, but not yet. Hopefully everyone will like it once it's finished, as it's a complete change of pace for me. I guess we'll see.
I've been sick the last couple of days, so I didn't get much done on the editing front, hence no change to the progress meter for it. I tinkered with both One Last Dance and Homecoming, but not enough to amount to anything. Hopefully I'm over whatever bug this is in the next couple of days so I can get caught up there.
Still no response on either of the two submissions I have out there. I did reach out to a friend on Facebook who's going to school for graphic design about a cover for Consequences should it come to that, but I'm still holding out hope for a good response from one or the other.
Let's see, what else is going on...
I guess the biggest news is that I'm trying to quit smoking again. I went to vaping, since my primary motivation was a desire to keep my chest from hurting so bad whenever I woke up every morning. So far, so good. I've been doing it for about three weeks now, and I've reached the point where regular cigarettes taste like crap. Three days now, and I've only gotten my nicotine fix through vaping. I also managed to drop from the 18mg of nicotine that I started on to 12mg currently. Hopefully I'll be able to drop that again soon to 6mg. I don't know that I'll drop all the way to 0, but it's been a huge improvement so far. I can actually breathe now, and that's really what I was hoping for all along.
On the geeekdom front, I finally got to watch Jessica Jones on Netflix, and I have to say I'm impressed. I'm not as stoked for a Luke Cage series now since I kinda got my fix for him with this one, but at the same time Marvel is doing well with their mature-themed series. The little nods to the MCU make it even better. If only DC could catch a clue with Arrow, Flash, and the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow. But I've already made that point, so I'll move on.
On the DC front, Arrow and Flash are both turning out strong seasons, with Flash easily getting over the sophomore slump and Arrow taking things in a new direction with Green Arrow and the addition of mysticism to the universe. Have to say, so far the highlight was seeing John Constantine show up in Arrow using the same actor from the cancelled Constantine. Love the actor in that role, now someone needs to pick the series back up and do it justice.
I caught the first episode of Supergirl, and while it wasn't what I expected, it was far from being bad. Still, a superhero show nowadays needs to do more than just "cute" to work, at least for me.
I wasn't too sure about this season of Doctor Who, but they finally won me over. The two-part episodes felt like a throwback to the classic series where it might take six episodes to tell one story. On the whole, it's been a strong season, with only one or two episodes that made me feel "meh" about the whole thing. We got Osgood back, and in a way that made sense, and Capaldi has proven beyond any doubt that he IS the Doctor. His speech at the end of Face the Raven actually sent chills down my back. And last week's strange, mindbender of an episode was the perfect intermission between the events of Face the Raven and the potentially massive season finale coming up this Saturday.
Ash vs. Evil Dead. What can I say? It's Bruce Campbell as Ash, it's got the Necronomicon, deadites, blood, gore, and cheese. It's thirty minutes of heaven every episode.
The last trailer for The Force Awakens actually got me interested. I still wish they hadn't canned the entire EU (although there's truthfully not a lot I'll miss from it), but I'm willing to give it a chance, and I'm going to be standing in line in a couple weeks waiting to see if it lives up to the considerable hype.
The Avengers 2.5... I mean the Captain America: Civil War trailer was incredible as well. I can't wait to see how this plays out, but they've got me involved either way. "I have to do this," Cap says. "He's my friend." "Yeah, so was I." Tony replied, his voice sad. Chills.
That pretty well sums me up for the moment. Once Doctor Who is done (including the Christmas special - can't leave out River) I'll do an overall season review on here. We'll see if I'm excited enough about Star Wars to do the same for it. Otherwise, I'll keep everyone updated on the writing progress and attempts at publication as the news comes in.
See you next time!
First, the writing. As you can see from the progress meter, Blood Games is officially done with the first draft. The Cochran books are now an official trilogy. That won't last long, because book four is on the horizon once I finish the current project, but it's still an accomplishment, right? I am now working my way through the first draft of Hidden Heart, the haunted house story I had in mind. This one is pretty tough, but in a good way. I think. See, it was always meant to be subtle. Sometimes I have a hard time with that. I'm eight chapters in now, and honestly not a lot has happened. Some things have, enough that the reader will realize there's more to the house in question than the current owner does anyway, but the poo hasn't hit the rotating blades yet, to modify a phrase. Soon, I think, since we're closing in on the end of the first act and the start of the second, but not yet. Hopefully everyone will like it once it's finished, as it's a complete change of pace for me. I guess we'll see.
I've been sick the last couple of days, so I didn't get much done on the editing front, hence no change to the progress meter for it. I tinkered with both One Last Dance and Homecoming, but not enough to amount to anything. Hopefully I'm over whatever bug this is in the next couple of days so I can get caught up there.
Still no response on either of the two submissions I have out there. I did reach out to a friend on Facebook who's going to school for graphic design about a cover for Consequences should it come to that, but I'm still holding out hope for a good response from one or the other.
Let's see, what else is going on...
I guess the biggest news is that I'm trying to quit smoking again. I went to vaping, since my primary motivation was a desire to keep my chest from hurting so bad whenever I woke up every morning. So far, so good. I've been doing it for about three weeks now, and I've reached the point where regular cigarettes taste like crap. Three days now, and I've only gotten my nicotine fix through vaping. I also managed to drop from the 18mg of nicotine that I started on to 12mg currently. Hopefully I'll be able to drop that again soon to 6mg. I don't know that I'll drop all the way to 0, but it's been a huge improvement so far. I can actually breathe now, and that's really what I was hoping for all along.
On the geeekdom front, I finally got to watch Jessica Jones on Netflix, and I have to say I'm impressed. I'm not as stoked for a Luke Cage series now since I kinda got my fix for him with this one, but at the same time Marvel is doing well with their mature-themed series. The little nods to the MCU make it even better. If only DC could catch a clue with Arrow, Flash, and the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow. But I've already made that point, so I'll move on.
On the DC front, Arrow and Flash are both turning out strong seasons, with Flash easily getting over the sophomore slump and Arrow taking things in a new direction with Green Arrow and the addition of mysticism to the universe. Have to say, so far the highlight was seeing John Constantine show up in Arrow using the same actor from the cancelled Constantine. Love the actor in that role, now someone needs to pick the series back up and do it justice.
I caught the first episode of Supergirl, and while it wasn't what I expected, it was far from being bad. Still, a superhero show nowadays needs to do more than just "cute" to work, at least for me.
I wasn't too sure about this season of Doctor Who, but they finally won me over. The two-part episodes felt like a throwback to the classic series where it might take six episodes to tell one story. On the whole, it's been a strong season, with only one or two episodes that made me feel "meh" about the whole thing. We got Osgood back, and in a way that made sense, and Capaldi has proven beyond any doubt that he IS the Doctor. His speech at the end of Face the Raven actually sent chills down my back. And last week's strange, mindbender of an episode was the perfect intermission between the events of Face the Raven and the potentially massive season finale coming up this Saturday.
Ash vs. Evil Dead. What can I say? It's Bruce Campbell as Ash, it's got the Necronomicon, deadites, blood, gore, and cheese. It's thirty minutes of heaven every episode.
The last trailer for The Force Awakens actually got me interested. I still wish they hadn't canned the entire EU (although there's truthfully not a lot I'll miss from it), but I'm willing to give it a chance, and I'm going to be standing in line in a couple weeks waiting to see if it lives up to the considerable hype.
The Avengers 2.5... I mean the Captain America: Civil War trailer was incredible as well. I can't wait to see how this plays out, but they've got me involved either way. "I have to do this," Cap says. "He's my friend." "Yeah, so was I." Tony replied, his voice sad. Chills.
That pretty well sums me up for the moment. Once Doctor Who is done (including the Christmas special - can't leave out River) I'll do an overall season review on here. We'll see if I'm excited enough about Star Wars to do the same for it. Otherwise, I'll keep everyone updated on the writing progress and attempts at publication as the news comes in.
See you next time!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
A Quick Progress Update
Hopefully I can do this one without rambling too much. Just a quick little note about how everything's going.
The third Cochran Investigations book, Blood Games, is on track to have the first draft finished by Thanksgiving at the latest. It's looking like it'll be the shortest of them so far, but it still might surprise me. I've wrapped up most of the subplots aside from the final acts on them, and am well into act three on the main plot, so hopefully this one is racing toward the finish line.
Once that one's done, I'll be starting on another standalone. This time it's a haunted house tale I'm really looking forward to digging into. The initial working title is Hidden Heart, and if it plays out like I expect it to, it will be less blood and more subtle creep factor. At least that's the intent. I suppose I'll know for sure once that first draft is done.
The second draft on The Journal of Jeremy Todd is finished, and if I get a full manuscript request I'll just have to format it and send it out. I personally can't believe I finished this draft this fast, and I swear I hope to never have to try that again. My brain was hurting by the time it was done.
Since that's finished, I'll go back to the edits on One Last Dance to try and get the second draft of that one done as well.
OLD and Journal are both in the hands of beta readers now, along with Demon at the Window, so I'll be waiting on feedback there before I start on any further drafts of those.
Since I need to take a break before starting the edits on Blood Games, I'll use my normal editing time to try and get Homecoming finished up.
On the submission and potential publication fronts, since the open submission period for Sinister Grin runs until the end of the month, I'm not expecting to hear back from them about Journal until sometime after that. They didn't give a lead time on their guidelines page, but I'm figuring up to six weeks there. Consequences is now past the halfway point in the waiting period on it (December 9 will be 12 weeks, and I could have to wait up to 16), so I'm not out of the running yet. I know the publisher was going through some editorial staff changes in regard to their horror line, so I don't know if that will affect anything or not. I've seen nothing on their site to indicate it, so I have to assume the original wait time remains in effect until I hear differently.
And that's it, you're all caught up! I'll update again once I finish Blood Games, or if I get a publisher response I can talk about, whichever comes first!
The third Cochran Investigations book, Blood Games, is on track to have the first draft finished by Thanksgiving at the latest. It's looking like it'll be the shortest of them so far, but it still might surprise me. I've wrapped up most of the subplots aside from the final acts on them, and am well into act three on the main plot, so hopefully this one is racing toward the finish line.
Once that one's done, I'll be starting on another standalone. This time it's a haunted house tale I'm really looking forward to digging into. The initial working title is Hidden Heart, and if it plays out like I expect it to, it will be less blood and more subtle creep factor. At least that's the intent. I suppose I'll know for sure once that first draft is done.
The second draft on The Journal of Jeremy Todd is finished, and if I get a full manuscript request I'll just have to format it and send it out. I personally can't believe I finished this draft this fast, and I swear I hope to never have to try that again. My brain was hurting by the time it was done.
Since that's finished, I'll go back to the edits on One Last Dance to try and get the second draft of that one done as well.
OLD and Journal are both in the hands of beta readers now, along with Demon at the Window, so I'll be waiting on feedback there before I start on any further drafts of those.
Since I need to take a break before starting the edits on Blood Games, I'll use my normal editing time to try and get Homecoming finished up.
On the submission and potential publication fronts, since the open submission period for Sinister Grin runs until the end of the month, I'm not expecting to hear back from them about Journal until sometime after that. They didn't give a lead time on their guidelines page, but I'm figuring up to six weeks there. Consequences is now past the halfway point in the waiting period on it (December 9 will be 12 weeks, and I could have to wait up to 16), so I'm not out of the running yet. I know the publisher was going through some editorial staff changes in regard to their horror line, so I don't know if that will affect anything or not. I've seen nothing on their site to indicate it, so I have to assume the original wait time remains in effect until I hear differently.
And that's it, you're all caught up! I'll update again once I finish Blood Games, or if I get a publisher response I can talk about, whichever comes first!
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Another Wait Begins
I mentioned in my last entry that one of my top 2 publisher choices opened up submissions until the end of the month. Well, now I'm in the waiting game with them.
I just submitted the first fifteen pages of The Journal of Jeremy Todd to Sinister Grin Press for consideration.
I didn't want to announce I'd done it until I was confident that I was going to have the cleaned up version completed before that deadline. Well, since I just crossed the 60% mark in three days, I'm confident I'm going to pull it off. Following the pace I've been working on it, I should have the new draft completed by this weekend. Since I doubt I'll be hearing back from them by then (though I suppose it could happen, since they're only asking for the first fifteen pages from each submission), I should have time to spare.
Why didn't I wait until the new draft was completely done? Simple. My nerves were getting to me. If I didn't do it now, I might have ended up talking myself out of it. Better to do it while the irons were hot, so to speak. Since every person who read over those fifteen pages after I had them ready DEMANDED more, it felt like maybe I had something there.
Or maybe I didn't. I'm always the harshest critic of my own work, and have a healthy dose of paranoia to boot, so I guess we'll wait and see.
If it's a full manuscript request, I'll do a happy dance and send it off to wait again. If it's a so sorry, thanks but no thanks, well, it's not like I'm in any worse position than I am right now, is it? I'll dust myself off and move on.
But for tonight, I'm going to watch the new episode of Arrow and then dream about that hopeful final "yes". I'll face reality when I have to. Isn't that the easiest way to do it?
Heh, and now I hear Aerosmith in my head. Thanks, Stephen Tyler. I think I will dream until my dream comes true....
I just submitted the first fifteen pages of The Journal of Jeremy Todd to Sinister Grin Press for consideration.
I didn't want to announce I'd done it until I was confident that I was going to have the cleaned up version completed before that deadline. Well, since I just crossed the 60% mark in three days, I'm confident I'm going to pull it off. Following the pace I've been working on it, I should have the new draft completed by this weekend. Since I doubt I'll be hearing back from them by then (though I suppose it could happen, since they're only asking for the first fifteen pages from each submission), I should have time to spare.
Why didn't I wait until the new draft was completely done? Simple. My nerves were getting to me. If I didn't do it now, I might have ended up talking myself out of it. Better to do it while the irons were hot, so to speak. Since every person who read over those fifteen pages after I had them ready DEMANDED more, it felt like maybe I had something there.
Or maybe I didn't. I'm always the harshest critic of my own work, and have a healthy dose of paranoia to boot, so I guess we'll wait and see.
If it's a full manuscript request, I'll do a happy dance and send it off to wait again. If it's a so sorry, thanks but no thanks, well, it's not like I'm in any worse position than I am right now, is it? I'll dust myself off and move on.
But for tonight, I'm going to watch the new episode of Arrow and then dream about that hopeful final "yes". I'll face reality when I have to. Isn't that the easiest way to do it?
Heh, and now I hear Aerosmith in my head. Thanks, Stephen Tyler. I think I will dream until my dream comes true....
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Another One Done, Another Begun: A Status Report
The Journal of Jeremy Todd has now officially landed in the "Completed" category. It ended up weighing in at just over 64k words, or just enough to make it hard for me to classify. I'm going to stick with "short novel" instead of novella, since the formatted and printed version I gave my wife to read (since she gets 'em all first) was right at 200 pages.
As with the Cochran books, there's no release date set on this one yet, though I think it will be the next one I submit to Samhain once they give me a response on Consequences. Time will tell. I'm going to let it settle for a while before I start on the second draft, mainly because it ended up being such a dark book that I need to play with something lighter for a bit.
To that end, I'm now working on the third Cochran book. It's called Blood Games, and the case is already laid out. Now Cochran just has to see it through.
On the later draft fronts, I've finished the second draft of Demon at the Window, and am now working on the edits for One Last Dance. Once those are done I'll go back and do the third draft of DatW since I should have some feedback from the betas on it.
If you're curious, here's my timeline for what I'll be working on, and when it might be finished. Pay attention to that "might" in there, since I'm not actually setting deadlines for myself yet. These are only estimates based on what I've been doing up until now:
Blood Games, First Draft: Expected completion around the beginning of December.
One Last Dance, Second Draft: Should be done sometime around Thanksgiving.
Untitled Standalone Novel, First Draft: The idea's there, and I'll start on it right after BG, so let's say New Year's at the earliest.
Demon at the Window, Third Draft: shooting for Christmas to have this one done.
The Journal of Jeremy Todd, Second Draft: It's shorter, so the second week of January is likely. I'm also thinking this will be the final draft of this one. If I fiddle with it too much, I think it'll stop feeling like it was written by the narrator.
Untitled Cochran #4, First Draft: I've only got the barest idea of a story for this one, but hopefully it will manifest by the time I'm done with the standalone. Let's go with the beginning of February on this one.
One Last Dance, Third Draft: Also shooting for late January / early February on this one.
As you can see, I plan to stay busy for a while.
Now for a couple of not-so-good news announcements.
First, as you can see by the removal of it from the progress meter, Justicar is back in a holding pattern. I don't want to abandon it entirely, but I've got too much running through my mind in the horror genre to be able to fit it back into my work schedule. If nothing more demanding pops up, I'll try and get back to it after Cochran #4, but no promises, either to you or to myself.
Also, at this point it looks like Cochran #4 will be the last of them for the foreseeable future, as much as it pains me to admit that. There's only so many stories I can tell with those characters before it starts feeling like it's cliche or I'm repeating myself. I'd rather keep them fresh and fun. If I try and force it, I'm going to destroy both of those things. I love these characters, and hate to think they've got a final tale on the horizon, but that's how it's starting to look. On the bright side, I do have an Alexis-centric short story I want to tell when the time's right. It'll be a Christmas present to you guys at some point in the future, that's all I'll say about it.
And that's it for now! Another night of productivity complete, now on to the next!
As with the Cochran books, there's no release date set on this one yet, though I think it will be the next one I submit to Samhain once they give me a response on Consequences. Time will tell. I'm going to let it settle for a while before I start on the second draft, mainly because it ended up being such a dark book that I need to play with something lighter for a bit.
To that end, I'm now working on the third Cochran book. It's called Blood Games, and the case is already laid out. Now Cochran just has to see it through.
On the later draft fronts, I've finished the second draft of Demon at the Window, and am now working on the edits for One Last Dance. Once those are done I'll go back and do the third draft of DatW since I should have some feedback from the betas on it.
If you're curious, here's my timeline for what I'll be working on, and when it might be finished. Pay attention to that "might" in there, since I'm not actually setting deadlines for myself yet. These are only estimates based on what I've been doing up until now:
Blood Games, First Draft: Expected completion around the beginning of December.
One Last Dance, Second Draft: Should be done sometime around Thanksgiving.
Untitled Standalone Novel, First Draft: The idea's there, and I'll start on it right after BG, so let's say New Year's at the earliest.
Demon at the Window, Third Draft: shooting for Christmas to have this one done.
The Journal of Jeremy Todd, Second Draft: It's shorter, so the second week of January is likely. I'm also thinking this will be the final draft of this one. If I fiddle with it too much, I think it'll stop feeling like it was written by the narrator.
Untitled Cochran #4, First Draft: I've only got the barest idea of a story for this one, but hopefully it will manifest by the time I'm done with the standalone. Let's go with the beginning of February on this one.
One Last Dance, Third Draft: Also shooting for late January / early February on this one.
As you can see, I plan to stay busy for a while.
Now for a couple of not-so-good news announcements.
First, as you can see by the removal of it from the progress meter, Justicar is back in a holding pattern. I don't want to abandon it entirely, but I've got too much running through my mind in the horror genre to be able to fit it back into my work schedule. If nothing more demanding pops up, I'll try and get back to it after Cochran #4, but no promises, either to you or to myself.
Also, at this point it looks like Cochran #4 will be the last of them for the foreseeable future, as much as it pains me to admit that. There's only so many stories I can tell with those characters before it starts feeling like it's cliche or I'm repeating myself. I'd rather keep them fresh and fun. If I try and force it, I'm going to destroy both of those things. I love these characters, and hate to think they've got a final tale on the horizon, but that's how it's starting to look. On the bright side, I do have an Alexis-centric short story I want to tell when the time's right. It'll be a Christmas present to you guys at some point in the future, that's all I'll say about it.
And that's it for now! Another night of productivity complete, now on to the next!
Friday, September 18, 2015
Getting Back on Track
So the crazy stretch at my day slave job is finally reaching its end. What that means is that I will finally be able to get back into the routine I had been using to get my work in this, the fun job, done. To that end, here's a few progress updates, all thrown into one big soup.
Consequences: Not much to report here, I'm still waiting. Yesterday was the one week mark since submission, so the concept that I would have heard anything by now, one way or the other, is just wishful thinking. That's okay, though. See below for what I'm using to try and keep my mind off it.
Demon at the Window: If you remember from a previous post, my normal routine for editing was that the bulk of it was completed on Mondays. Well, since my day job killed that for a couple of weeks, I still have yet to officially begin the edits that will make the second draft of DatW. Now that I get them back, I can get going on this full steam. I'm setting a tentative target of Halloween to have the second draft finished. That may change, especially since I'm not in as much of a hurry since Consequences needs to do its thing before I consider anything more concrete for the timeline on DatW, but at least it's better than what I had (which was nothing, in case you were wondering).
Justicar: I'm starting to get a general idea of what the next scene for the story is, so I will probably get back to this one in a couple of days or maybe a week. Right now it's still gestating, so my main focus is elsewhere, but fret not! This one is not forgotten, just taking a nap.
One Last Dance: If you haven't figured it out by now, this is the next Cochran book. I've got the concept firmly in mind and have been churning away with it for almost a week now. The majority of the cast of characters have been introduced, and it's time to start plugging away at Jack's actual investigation . This is the stage where thought has to come into it, so I don't reveal too much too soon, so it may rest a bit so I can get back to Justicar while the pieces fall into place. And if by looking at the progress meter you have the idea that I'm further along in this one, keep in mind that as a fantasy story, Justicar is projected to be much longer than OLD, so the percentages will be skewed accordingly.
And that pretty well catches me up. I still have some time left on my indentured servitude for the day job, so I need to get to sleep. I will try and do a couple of other posts in the next week or so that have been rolling around in my head, some things that are either not related to writing at all or only loosely so.
Until then, sweet dreams!
Consequences: Not much to report here, I'm still waiting. Yesterday was the one week mark since submission, so the concept that I would have heard anything by now, one way or the other, is just wishful thinking. That's okay, though. See below for what I'm using to try and keep my mind off it.
Demon at the Window: If you remember from a previous post, my normal routine for editing was that the bulk of it was completed on Mondays. Well, since my day job killed that for a couple of weeks, I still have yet to officially begin the edits that will make the second draft of DatW. Now that I get them back, I can get going on this full steam. I'm setting a tentative target of Halloween to have the second draft finished. That may change, especially since I'm not in as much of a hurry since Consequences needs to do its thing before I consider anything more concrete for the timeline on DatW, but at least it's better than what I had (which was nothing, in case you were wondering).
Justicar: I'm starting to get a general idea of what the next scene for the story is, so I will probably get back to this one in a couple of days or maybe a week. Right now it's still gestating, so my main focus is elsewhere, but fret not! This one is not forgotten, just taking a nap.
One Last Dance: If you haven't figured it out by now, this is the next Cochran book. I've got the concept firmly in mind and have been churning away with it for almost a week now. The majority of the cast of characters have been introduced, and it's time to start plugging away at Jack's actual investigation . This is the stage where thought has to come into it, so I don't reveal too much too soon, so it may rest a bit so I can get back to Justicar while the pieces fall into place. And if by looking at the progress meter you have the idea that I'm further along in this one, keep in mind that as a fantasy story, Justicar is projected to be much longer than OLD, so the percentages will be skewed accordingly.
And that pretty well catches me up. I still have some time left on my indentured servitude for the day job, so I need to get to sleep. I will try and do a couple of other posts in the next week or so that have been rolling around in my head, some things that are either not related to writing at all or only loosely so.
Until then, sweet dreams!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Strange Things Afoot...
So I've decided to do something weird, at least for me and whatever this writing schedule I've developed for myself is. I took the day off yesterday, since I just submitted something and wanted to give my brain a chance to recharge after all the speed-writing I've been doing. Turned out lucky, since real-life got in the way and would have kept me from it at any rate (I seriously need to rethink this writing from 10 / 11 PM until Whenever thing).
Taking a day off for me simply means I don't get any new words down on paper. I still might work on copyedits, or brainstorm, or something like that. Yesterday, it was brainstorming the next Cochran book. I had a title already, and a couple of very basic ideas for story mostly centering on locations. As I was driving around running errands, it clicked what the main villain for the story should be. Once I got home, I started researching and then grabbed a legal pad and a pen and starting making notes. By the time it was done, I had the story in mind.
Here's the problem. I'm working on something else already. That left me with two options: either I shelve Justicar again to start on this one, or I let this one simmer till Justicar is done.
I enjoy the story I'm coming up with in Justicar. I love the world I'm using, and even know some of the theme that's running through it already. That in itself speaks volumes, since theme usually doesn't emerge until I'm rereading the first draft to make edits and changes. The problem is that Justicar is a BIG story. I don't mean length, though that may come to be as well. I mean as far as the subplots and character motivations and everything attached to it that makes it a story. It's freakin' massive! All good fantasy is, but that's a post for a different time. It's not unexpected is all I'm saying. But that weight makes writing it harder than the horror stuff I've done.
My horror stories, the Cochran tales especially, are fun. They're still firmly in horror, and they aren't really a horror-comedy, but they're just fun. I love those characters. I love that looseness in their actions. Fantasy doesn't lend itself to that very well for me. Not to say my characters in Justicar are humorless, but they're pretty rigid, just by way of the world they inhabit. Horror gives me a chance to blow off steam and not think as much as I get the story out there. Fantasy requires active thought, and a lot more attention to detail to make this world that doesn't exist feel believable and lived-in.
So I leaned towards starting the Cochran book. Then I decided to make a third option and go with that instead: I'm going to alternate.
In every book I've written, there comes a time when the writing gets hard. Either I'm not sure where the story's going, or where to start the chapter, or something along those lines. I'm at that point with Justicar. I know where they need to end up, and I know their next step, I'm just not sure how they're going to go about it yet. The characters haven't told me. That makes writing it pretty much just throwing words at the page until I figure it out. That is fun in it's own right, but it can make the writing feel too much like work and not something I'm enjoying. Therefore, I'll work on the next Cochran book for a bit. Once I hit the same point there, which I know I will eventually, I'll switch back to Justicar and work on it some more. It'll make each one take longer before they're done, but at least I won't burn myself out on either one as quickly.
I've got the first scene, and maybe the second, already in mind. Depending on how it goes getting them onto paper will tell me whether or not to continue with this idea or just go back and work on Justicar till it's done. If you see a new entry on the progress meter in the next day or so, you'll know how it went.
And now on to the storytelling!
Taking a day off for me simply means I don't get any new words down on paper. I still might work on copyedits, or brainstorm, or something like that. Yesterday, it was brainstorming the next Cochran book. I had a title already, and a couple of very basic ideas for story mostly centering on locations. As I was driving around running errands, it clicked what the main villain for the story should be. Once I got home, I started researching and then grabbed a legal pad and a pen and starting making notes. By the time it was done, I had the story in mind.
Here's the problem. I'm working on something else already. That left me with two options: either I shelve Justicar again to start on this one, or I let this one simmer till Justicar is done.
I enjoy the story I'm coming up with in Justicar. I love the world I'm using, and even know some of the theme that's running through it already. That in itself speaks volumes, since theme usually doesn't emerge until I'm rereading the first draft to make edits and changes. The problem is that Justicar is a BIG story. I don't mean length, though that may come to be as well. I mean as far as the subplots and character motivations and everything attached to it that makes it a story. It's freakin' massive! All good fantasy is, but that's a post for a different time. It's not unexpected is all I'm saying. But that weight makes writing it harder than the horror stuff I've done.
My horror stories, the Cochran tales especially, are fun. They're still firmly in horror, and they aren't really a horror-comedy, but they're just fun. I love those characters. I love that looseness in their actions. Fantasy doesn't lend itself to that very well for me. Not to say my characters in Justicar are humorless, but they're pretty rigid, just by way of the world they inhabit. Horror gives me a chance to blow off steam and not think as much as I get the story out there. Fantasy requires active thought, and a lot more attention to detail to make this world that doesn't exist feel believable and lived-in.
So I leaned towards starting the Cochran book. Then I decided to make a third option and go with that instead: I'm going to alternate.
In every book I've written, there comes a time when the writing gets hard. Either I'm not sure where the story's going, or where to start the chapter, or something along those lines. I'm at that point with Justicar. I know where they need to end up, and I know their next step, I'm just not sure how they're going to go about it yet. The characters haven't told me. That makes writing it pretty much just throwing words at the page until I figure it out. That is fun in it's own right, but it can make the writing feel too much like work and not something I'm enjoying. Therefore, I'll work on the next Cochran book for a bit. Once I hit the same point there, which I know I will eventually, I'll switch back to Justicar and work on it some more. It'll make each one take longer before they're done, but at least I won't burn myself out on either one as quickly.
I've got the first scene, and maybe the second, already in mind. Depending on how it goes getting them onto paper will tell me whether or not to continue with this idea or just go back and work on Justicar till it's done. If you see a new entry on the progress meter in the next day or so, you'll know how it went.
And now on to the storytelling!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Consequences Update #5
And a long breath of relief.
Consequences has just finished its third draft. The story is pretty much the best I think I can get it now. I'll be running a final spell-check and making sure the grammar is correct as I format it for submission, which should be done tomorrow. Then, I wait.
I'll keep working on other things, of course, but by the time an answer finally comes, I think I'll be pretty close to insane wondering what's happening with it. Keep busy to stay distracted, right?
I will, of course keep everyone posted on the results, either way. Hopefully it will be out there for you all to read soon, one way or the other.
Here's the final stats:
@82,000 words (my target was 80k - 85k, so perfect there), thirty-two chapters plus a prologue and epilogue, 266 pages (in MS Word Document format at least). Total time, start to finish, just over two months. Not bad at all, eh?
Keep watching for more updates. Justicar is still underway, and I'll be starting the edits on the first draft of Demon at the Window soon, so don't expect me to be sitting on my hands.
Wish me luck!
EDIT: Or, I just won't bother waiting. Consequences has been officially submitted for consideration at Samhain Publications. Up to 16 weeks for a response, according to the auto-reply that said they received the submission. Like I said before, wish me luck, and I'll keep you posted!
Consequences has just finished its third draft. The story is pretty much the best I think I can get it now. I'll be running a final spell-check and making sure the grammar is correct as I format it for submission, which should be done tomorrow. Then, I wait.
I'll keep working on other things, of course, but by the time an answer finally comes, I think I'll be pretty close to insane wondering what's happening with it. Keep busy to stay distracted, right?
I will, of course keep everyone posted on the results, either way. Hopefully it will be out there for you all to read soon, one way or the other.
Here's the final stats:
@82,000 words (my target was 80k - 85k, so perfect there), thirty-two chapters plus a prologue and epilogue, 266 pages (in MS Word Document format at least). Total time, start to finish, just over two months. Not bad at all, eh?
Keep watching for more updates. Justicar is still underway, and I'll be starting the edits on the first draft of Demon at the Window soon, so don't expect me to be sitting on my hands.
Wish me luck!
EDIT: Or, I just won't bother waiting. Consequences has been officially submitted for consideration at Samhain Publications. Up to 16 weeks for a response, according to the auto-reply that said they received the submission. Like I said before, wish me luck, and I'll keep you posted!
Monday, September 7, 2015
Justicar Update #1
When I decided to revisit this one, I wasn't sure what to expect. A part of me feared that even though I could remember where I wanted to go with it, once I actually sat down to start back up on it I would not be able to get back into the world, the characters, or the style I was using.
I am happy to report, this was not the case.
Once I transferred the first two chapters I'd completed into a new manuscript and re-read the last chapter to get back to where the story left off, it actually came pretty easy. When I left off tonight at the conclusion of Chapter Three, not only did I remember everything I needed to, but I actually discovered that it did not play out exactly as I intended it to previously. That's a good thing. If I'm not surprised by where the story's going, how are you supposed to be?
Ultimately it was one change that I came to realize needs to happen later in the story, closer to the end of Act One. If it happened now, the cat's out of the bag too soon. I want the build up to the antagonist to be seen through the eyes of the protagonists, and if I jumped the shark, what would I have left? Set up to a fight, then the end, and I end up with a novella or short story for something that I feel deserves an epic novel.
All in all, it feels like I'm on the right track here. I won't say it's not strange, writing something so wildly different after just doing two back to back horror novels set in modern times, but it still feels right.
In the end, isn't that what matters?
I am happy to report, this was not the case.
Once I transferred the first two chapters I'd completed into a new manuscript and re-read the last chapter to get back to where the story left off, it actually came pretty easy. When I left off tonight at the conclusion of Chapter Three, not only did I remember everything I needed to, but I actually discovered that it did not play out exactly as I intended it to previously. That's a good thing. If I'm not surprised by where the story's going, how are you supposed to be?
Ultimately it was one change that I came to realize needs to happen later in the story, closer to the end of Act One. If it happened now, the cat's out of the bag too soon. I want the build up to the antagonist to be seen through the eyes of the protagonists, and if I jumped the shark, what would I have left? Set up to a fight, then the end, and I end up with a novella or short story for something that I feel deserves an epic novel.
All in all, it feels like I'm on the right track here. I won't say it's not strange, writing something so wildly different after just doing two back to back horror novels set in modern times, but it still feels right.
In the end, isn't that what matters?
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Demon at the Window Update #2
And another one is finished.
The first draft of Demon at the Window is officially complete. It clocks in at just over 81,000 words and around 260 pages (in MS Word Manuscript Form, formatting will shrink that). There are some strings left untied, but that was by design. At some point, I'll be going back to these characters and telling the story of Jack Cochran's next big case.
For now, the satisfaction of another book under my belt. Once I have the timeline established for Consequences, I'll figure out a potential release date for this one too. Until then, my next step is to format, bind, and print it for my wife (my official First Reader) to read over and give feedback on. Then, editing for the second draft so I can clean it up some. This one won't hit beta reader stage until after the second draft, so if you're one of them and you're waiting on it, sorry, but you need to wait a little longer. This one is a little more complex, so I want to make sure it's right before you get it.
Well, closer to right, anyway.
For now, sleep. Next up, Justicar. The progress meter's updated to reflect this being done, I'll add Justicar to it once I have something to report.
'Night folks!
The first draft of Demon at the Window is officially complete. It clocks in at just over 81,000 words and around 260 pages (in MS Word Manuscript Form, formatting will shrink that). There are some strings left untied, but that was by design. At some point, I'll be going back to these characters and telling the story of Jack Cochran's next big case.
For now, the satisfaction of another book under my belt. Once I have the timeline established for Consequences, I'll figure out a potential release date for this one too. Until then, my next step is to format, bind, and print it for my wife (my official First Reader) to read over and give feedback on. Then, editing for the second draft so I can clean it up some. This one won't hit beta reader stage until after the second draft, so if you're one of them and you're waiting on it, sorry, but you need to wait a little longer. This one is a little more complex, so I want to make sure it's right before you get it.
Well, closer to right, anyway.
For now, sleep. Next up, Justicar. The progress meter's updated to reflect this being done, I'll add Justicar to it once I have something to report.
'Night folks!
Saturday, September 5, 2015
New Project Announcement
As Demon at the Window nears it's first draft completion, I'm starting to consider what's next up on the old workbench. I decided to do something a little different, something still within the realm of what I want to do, but not something horror-related. At least not primarily, though it may have elements of it in there somewhere.
It's not that I don't like writing horror; I really do. It's just that sometimes my mind needs a break from all the violence and over-the-top gore. Hey, it happens. So for this one, I'm actually resurrecting an older project that I've been letting gather dust on my hard drive.
A little background first.
I'm an old-school RPG'er. I played DnD for the first time back when I was still a kid in single digit ages. I may stop for long periods, as my group does have real life to contend with from time to time, but we always come back to the gaming table with our D20's in hand. A couple years ago, one of the guys in my group mentioned that he couldn't find a pre-made setting for the story he wanted to tell, so he wanted to make his own. He and I spent several months world-building, and we came up with a pretty decent world to run a game in. It didn't last long (that real life thing getting in the way again), but we spent some real time on it. It's a VERY fleshed-out world.
We had the idea to co-write a novelization of the game we were doing. It was going pretty well, but with the game itself being abandoned, that project was too. I then decided to write a tale of my own set in the world, about sixty years after the game we played in it. I did two chapters, my life got hectic for a while, and, unfortunately, I stopped working on it.
My normal routine is to write for a couple of hours, then browse the net until my brain is ready to shut off so I can go to sleep. For some reason, it didn't happen that way last night. I finished the writing, checked email, and then ended up re-reading those two chapters. Suddenly, I remembered where I was going with the story. All the things I'd been working on came rushing back. I actually remembered writing those scenes, even though the writing itself was almost alien since it had been so long since I saw it last.
Then I heard the characters again. They weren't done telling me their story. And they wanted to tell that story.
So instead of the next Jack Cochran book, I'm switching gears. I'm going to let their story be finished.
This one isn't horror, like I said earlier. It's a fantasy story. I'm not saying it's the start of a series, which is what most people think of when they think of fantasy novels. I'm not saying it's not, either, but for now I only have the one story to tell. Where it goes from there is anybody's guess.
Here's what I do know.
It's called Justicar,
Forty years ago, the church-state of Watika united the commonwealth under it's banner, forming an empire. Corruption from within caused a civil war, ending with the collapse of both the church and the empire. Ten years later, a former Watikan Justicar discovers a new threat emerging on the shores of the nation of Gallia. If allowed to spread, this threat could destroy or enslave the citizens of the commonwealth who only want to live their lives in peace. It falls to this one man, scorned by millions, to save them from a fate they can only imagine in their worst nightmares.
This is not traditional fantasy, in that there are no prophecies of things to come, very little magic to speak of in the known world, and dragons are only fairy tales. I'm sure it's been done - there's very little in the genre that hasn't been - but maybe it's a new take on old tropes. We'll see. I'm curious where it ends up.
More later!
It's not that I don't like writing horror; I really do. It's just that sometimes my mind needs a break from all the violence and over-the-top gore. Hey, it happens. So for this one, I'm actually resurrecting an older project that I've been letting gather dust on my hard drive.
A little background first.
I'm an old-school RPG'er. I played DnD for the first time back when I was still a kid in single digit ages. I may stop for long periods, as my group does have real life to contend with from time to time, but we always come back to the gaming table with our D20's in hand. A couple years ago, one of the guys in my group mentioned that he couldn't find a pre-made setting for the story he wanted to tell, so he wanted to make his own. He and I spent several months world-building, and we came up with a pretty decent world to run a game in. It didn't last long (that real life thing getting in the way again), but we spent some real time on it. It's a VERY fleshed-out world.
We had the idea to co-write a novelization of the game we were doing. It was going pretty well, but with the game itself being abandoned, that project was too. I then decided to write a tale of my own set in the world, about sixty years after the game we played in it. I did two chapters, my life got hectic for a while, and, unfortunately, I stopped working on it.
My normal routine is to write for a couple of hours, then browse the net until my brain is ready to shut off so I can go to sleep. For some reason, it didn't happen that way last night. I finished the writing, checked email, and then ended up re-reading those two chapters. Suddenly, I remembered where I was going with the story. All the things I'd been working on came rushing back. I actually remembered writing those scenes, even though the writing itself was almost alien since it had been so long since I saw it last.
Then I heard the characters again. They weren't done telling me their story. And they wanted to tell that story.
So instead of the next Jack Cochran book, I'm switching gears. I'm going to let their story be finished.
This one isn't horror, like I said earlier. It's a fantasy story. I'm not saying it's the start of a series, which is what most people think of when they think of fantasy novels. I'm not saying it's not, either, but for now I only have the one story to tell. Where it goes from there is anybody's guess.
Here's what I do know.
It's called Justicar,
Forty years ago, the church-state of Watika united the commonwealth under it's banner, forming an empire. Corruption from within caused a civil war, ending with the collapse of both the church and the empire. Ten years later, a former Watikan Justicar discovers a new threat emerging on the shores of the nation of Gallia. If allowed to spread, this threat could destroy or enslave the citizens of the commonwealth who only want to live their lives in peace. It falls to this one man, scorned by millions, to save them from a fate they can only imagine in their worst nightmares.
This is not traditional fantasy, in that there are no prophecies of things to come, very little magic to speak of in the known world, and dragons are only fairy tales. I'm sure it's been done - there's very little in the genre that hasn't been - but maybe it's a new take on old tropes. We'll see. I'm curious where it ends up.
More later!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
A Final Title At Last
For those that don't know, Graduation Summer was always meant to be just a working title. No more, no less. It was a case of not having any idea what the title was supposed to be before I started writing, which is unusual for me. With everything I've ever written, the title came along with the story, if not before. This time, it didn't. I named it what I did because I was tired of calling it the Untitled Crazy Freddy story.
I tried everything. I made lists of potential titles, nothing. Asked friends based on just the synopsis, got interesting feedback but nothing that worked. Asked my beta readers to give me ideas based on what they read, again, good feedback, but nothing that fit. I was resigning myself to letting an editor pick the title once I submitted it for publication.
Then it happened. That moment of inspiration.
When I'm working on a first draft, the first thing I see is the title. Whenever I loaded it up to work on it, I saw the title "Graduation Summer" with whatever draft it was afterwards (AKA "Graduation Summer - First Draft")(For completionists out there, it's a .doc file, so you can add that to the end). When I edit though, all I see is story. The cover page is already in the manuscript box it's getting stored in once I finish the markups (see my last post for an explanation on my editing process). Since story is all I see, that's what I get to focus on.
When you edit, especially during that first or second read-through, you get more of the subtext. That stuff's not even on my radar when I write the first draft. I don't care about theme, I'm going for straight, blissful, escapism story. Anything resembling a theme or a central message is put in there entirely by my subconscious (hmmm, almost makes the case for writing as psychotherapy; may have to explore that later). When I re-read for editing, that stuff finally emerges.
For this one, I realized that every single character in the story - major, minor, or otherwise - has to deal with the consequences of their choices. That's when it hit me. Who cares about subtlety? I'm writing freaking horror novels here! Call it what it deals with!
So, after sleeping on it and still liking it, and getting feedback from the wife and a couple of beta readers, "Graduation Summer" gets to lose its working title. The story is officially titled Consequences.
One word, catchy, grabs your attention. Consequences.
Now let's hope it survives the submission process!
I tried everything. I made lists of potential titles, nothing. Asked friends based on just the synopsis, got interesting feedback but nothing that worked. Asked my beta readers to give me ideas based on what they read, again, good feedback, but nothing that fit. I was resigning myself to letting an editor pick the title once I submitted it for publication.
Then it happened. That moment of inspiration.
When I'm working on a first draft, the first thing I see is the title. Whenever I loaded it up to work on it, I saw the title "Graduation Summer" with whatever draft it was afterwards (AKA "Graduation Summer - First Draft")(For completionists out there, it's a .doc file, so you can add that to the end). When I edit though, all I see is story. The cover page is already in the manuscript box it's getting stored in once I finish the markups (see my last post for an explanation on my editing process). Since story is all I see, that's what I get to focus on.
When you edit, especially during that first or second read-through, you get more of the subtext. That stuff's not even on my radar when I write the first draft. I don't care about theme, I'm going for straight, blissful, escapism story. Anything resembling a theme or a central message is put in there entirely by my subconscious (hmmm, almost makes the case for writing as psychotherapy; may have to explore that later). When I re-read for editing, that stuff finally emerges.
For this one, I realized that every single character in the story - major, minor, or otherwise - has to deal with the consequences of their choices. That's when it hit me. Who cares about subtlety? I'm writing freaking horror novels here! Call it what it deals with!
So, after sleeping on it and still liking it, and getting feedback from the wife and a couple of beta readers, "Graduation Summer" gets to lose its working title. The story is officially titled Consequences.
One word, catchy, grabs your attention. Consequences.
Now let's hope it survives the submission process!
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Demon at the Window: New Project Update #1
I have no idea what's happened to make me so prolific as of late, but I'm liking it. A lot. I suppose if writing is a form of stress release, as many writers find it to be, then I must be pretty freaking stressed out. I don't even have the edits finished on Graduation Summer yet - in fact it's not even going to end up in the hands of beta readers until Monday at the earliest - but I'm already nearly a quarter of the way through the new project's first draft. I guess that means I can let you in on it now, huh?
This one's called Demon at the Window.
Jack Cochran is struggling to get his private investigations firm off the ground. When his assistant gives him a case involving someone stalking some of her friends, he thinks it's just going to be an easy way to make a buck, a thought that's reinforced when his new client tells him they think they're being stalked by a straight from the bowels of Hell demon. But as Cochran digs into the case, he discovers that maybe there is more reality to what he considered myths than he ever dreamed of.
This one is still a bit in the horror genre, with touches of mystery and thriller thrown in for good measure. If my projected word count is accurate, I'm sitting at about 25% complete on the first draft. I'm not even going to guess about time to completion on this one, but like Graduation Summer I intend to submit it for publication and do it myself if a publisher doesn't bite.
A bit of backstory:
I've had the idea to do a book about a PI named Jack Cochran for a while now. I always knew he would end up investigating things that are supernatural, but that he was a skeptic himself. Every time I started one of these tales, I couldn't get it to go anywhere. After the third failure, I shelved it, but the character stayed with me.
Fast forward a few years. I needed a name for a TBI agent to put in Graduation Summer. As a joke for myself, I used Jack. I finished the chapter he first appeared in, and thought nothing else about it. As the story progressed, I suddenly realized that I could build on this. I figured out why Cochran would have left the TBI and started his own investigation firm. The rest clicked into place when I had an idea for his first case.
I started writing it fully expecting another dud. Three failures with him before, remember? But to my pleasant surprise, it was falling into place this time. So, like a good little artist when the Muse starts talking, I ran with it, and here we are.
It'll be a bit before this one escapes into the wild. I need to let GS run it's course first. But there is something else on the horizon. Call it a spiritual sequel to GS. Hey, if Marvel and Stephen King can do an interconnected universe, why can't I, right?
Keep rooting for me, and let's hope Jack makes it to a completed draft this time, what say? More later, once I'm further along. More on GS once I get some beta feedback.
Thanks for stopping by!
This one's called Demon at the Window.
Jack Cochran is struggling to get his private investigations firm off the ground. When his assistant gives him a case involving someone stalking some of her friends, he thinks it's just going to be an easy way to make a buck, a thought that's reinforced when his new client tells him they think they're being stalked by a straight from the bowels of Hell demon. But as Cochran digs into the case, he discovers that maybe there is more reality to what he considered myths than he ever dreamed of.
This one is still a bit in the horror genre, with touches of mystery and thriller thrown in for good measure. If my projected word count is accurate, I'm sitting at about 25% complete on the first draft. I'm not even going to guess about time to completion on this one, but like Graduation Summer I intend to submit it for publication and do it myself if a publisher doesn't bite.
A bit of backstory:
I've had the idea to do a book about a PI named Jack Cochran for a while now. I always knew he would end up investigating things that are supernatural, but that he was a skeptic himself. Every time I started one of these tales, I couldn't get it to go anywhere. After the third failure, I shelved it, but the character stayed with me.
Fast forward a few years. I needed a name for a TBI agent to put in Graduation Summer. As a joke for myself, I used Jack. I finished the chapter he first appeared in, and thought nothing else about it. As the story progressed, I suddenly realized that I could build on this. I figured out why Cochran would have left the TBI and started his own investigation firm. The rest clicked into place when I had an idea for his first case.
I started writing it fully expecting another dud. Three failures with him before, remember? But to my pleasant surprise, it was falling into place this time. So, like a good little artist when the Muse starts talking, I ran with it, and here we are.
It'll be a bit before this one escapes into the wild. I need to let GS run it's course first. But there is something else on the horizon. Call it a spiritual sequel to GS. Hey, if Marvel and Stephen King can do an interconnected universe, why can't I, right?
Keep rooting for me, and let's hope Jack makes it to a completed draft this time, what say? More later, once I'm further along. More on GS once I get some beta feedback.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Graduation Summer Update #2
The first draft is finished. And I'm a little surprised at myself.
This was not the first novel-length work I've done. It may end up being the first one published, but I've done others. Out of curiosity, I went back and checked what the total writing times were on those. For your amusement, here they are:
Thriller / Horror 1st Novel (@67,000 words): 1 year, 3 months, 20 days = 475 days.
Fantasy Novel Book 1 (@81,000 words): 1 year, 6 months, 14 days = 562 days.
Fantasy Novel Book 2 (@97,000 words): 1 year, 6 months, 29 days = 578 days.
Getting the picture here? Over a year, at minimum for a first draft.
Not much has changed. Still have a day job, still only get to write about an hour to two hours a day. But here's the stats on the first draft of this one.
Just over 85,000 words, so not the longest thing I've done, but up there. Total writing time: 32 days.
Now either my discipline has increased a thousand-fold, or this story wanted to be told. Since my writing habits didn't change other than I had to get back into them, I'd say the latter is the case.
Don't get me wrong, this thing is nowhere near ready for publication, even if I do it myself. Beyond needing a thorough spell-check and line edit to make sure MS Word didn't say I was fine with the word choice just because it was spelled right, I'm sure there's some continuity errors and plot holes that need fixing. And since I moved onto a new project the day after I finished the first draft of this one, I have to work editing time into my schedule somewhere, so it'll be a while before I say it's ready for the general public to consume it. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I got the raw story out onto paper in basically a single month. Actually, call it that since I did take two days off when I took my family camping.
One month = one draft. Nice.
Let's see if it holds for the next project.
As for this one, beta readers will be getting it as soon as I get it printed and bound for you guys. I'll be doing some self-editing for spelling, grammar, content, and word choice in the meantime. Hopefully the second draft will be done in about six weeks, with a final draft incorporating advice from the betas in about three months. Then it's off to submission and wait for a response. If it's no, I'll commission cover art and hopefully have it ready for self publication by the end of the year or start of next year. If it's a yes, well, believe me, you'll know.
I'll post a note about the next project once it takes shape a little more on paper rather than just in my head. All I'll say for now is that it could be a spiritual sequel to Graduation Summer, only you don't have to read that one to understand this one.
And now back to it!
This was not the first novel-length work I've done. It may end up being the first one published, but I've done others. Out of curiosity, I went back and checked what the total writing times were on those. For your amusement, here they are:
Thriller / Horror 1st Novel (@67,000 words): 1 year, 3 months, 20 days = 475 days.
Fantasy Novel Book 1 (@81,000 words): 1 year, 6 months, 14 days = 562 days.
Fantasy Novel Book 2 (@97,000 words): 1 year, 6 months, 29 days = 578 days.
Getting the picture here? Over a year, at minimum for a first draft.
Not much has changed. Still have a day job, still only get to write about an hour to two hours a day. But here's the stats on the first draft of this one.
Just over 85,000 words, so not the longest thing I've done, but up there. Total writing time: 32 days.
Now either my discipline has increased a thousand-fold, or this story wanted to be told. Since my writing habits didn't change other than I had to get back into them, I'd say the latter is the case.
Don't get me wrong, this thing is nowhere near ready for publication, even if I do it myself. Beyond needing a thorough spell-check and line edit to make sure MS Word didn't say I was fine with the word choice just because it was spelled right, I'm sure there's some continuity errors and plot holes that need fixing. And since I moved onto a new project the day after I finished the first draft of this one, I have to work editing time into my schedule somewhere, so it'll be a while before I say it's ready for the general public to consume it. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I got the raw story out onto paper in basically a single month. Actually, call it that since I did take two days off when I took my family camping.
One month = one draft. Nice.
Let's see if it holds for the next project.
As for this one, beta readers will be getting it as soon as I get it printed and bound for you guys. I'll be doing some self-editing for spelling, grammar, content, and word choice in the meantime. Hopefully the second draft will be done in about six weeks, with a final draft incorporating advice from the betas in about three months. Then it's off to submission and wait for a response. If it's no, I'll commission cover art and hopefully have it ready for self publication by the end of the year or start of next year. If it's a yes, well, believe me, you'll know.
I'll post a note about the next project once it takes shape a little more on paper rather than just in my head. All I'll say for now is that it could be a spiritual sequel to Graduation Summer, only you don't have to read that one to understand this one.
And now back to it!
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