Okay, I’ve learned a bit of a lesson. The idea of splitting a short story out of a novel is great, and all. But let me tell you that the process can be a bit of a pain in the backside. The sub-plot story of my two pilots is rounding into shape, but the process […]
Read More ...Category Archives: Novels
Zombies, Grass, and Other Fancy Stuff
I admit I’m not an expert in the field of zombie stories, but I’ve got to think Maureen McHugh’s The Naturalist is a really outstanding example. For those of you who mow the lawn with self-propelled push mowers, here’s a little learning I had last night…when the self-propeller dies, those things are a pain in […]
Read More ...Superheroes
A co-worker recently lent me a copy of The Science of Superheroes, a work I was aware of but had never previously seen. It’s a quick read, but my time is limited so I’m working my way through it 30 or so pages a night. Great fun so far. I’ve especially enjoyed how Weinberg and […]
Read More ...Movie Night
Lisa and I went to see How to Train Your Dragon last night, a movie Brigid recommended (she had dragged her boyfriend to it earlier, and even he had liked it). Much fun, if just a tiny bit slow at one part. This morning it was back to the novel grindstone. I’m nearing the halfway […]
Read More ...“Kagari” Hits the Post
I completed a short story titled “Kagari” this weekend. Both Brigid (my daughter, for those of you who might be newish to me) and Lisa (wife) have read it and liked it. I mentioned it before as a story I’ve spent probably a quarter-million words on, so I’m happy to see it finally rounded into […]
Read More ...Preparing for Success
Finished the read-through of my Book 2 draft. Still like it quite a bit, which doesn’t suck and all that. The main reason I decided to to a power-read on it was to take a look at the outline. I envision this story to happen over as many as six or eight books now, none […]
Read More ...Reading
I admit to being a bit stalled on the new short story. I think this is a major flaw in the concept of growing stories organically, but what the heck. So, rather than beat my head against the concrete, I’ve changed course and spent the morning reading the “shitty first draft” of the second book […]
Read More ...Novels, Jealousy, and a New Short
The best thing about having completed and shipped a novel some place, in my semi-humble opinion, is that it takes away the nagging desire to tinker and clears the way for other work. But the beast is off my desk now, and suddenly two days later I find myself nearing the end of a short […]
Read More ...One Book, Done
A day later than planned, but I can live with that–oh, the glorious benefits of being without book contracts.
Read More ...Okay…10 Pages
All right, the goal was 80 pages over the weekend, and I didn’t quite make it. Instead, I’m looking at ten pages to go sitting here on Monday afternoon. Not bad, really. If I still have any brain power left this evening, I might even get them done before the true deadline. (I started this […]
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