Facebook Enabled...I think

Just seeing what happens when we try to link these two beasts.

Free Comic Book Day!

Just writing in my favorite superhero-themed story this morning (Wraiths) and am on the cusp of breaking 50,000 words. Another milestone and another chance to celebrate at Cashman's this afternoon!

Notes from the Desk...

Just passed the 46,000 word mark and the ideas keep coming. You may notice I've set a goal for "Wraiths" of 107,000 words. I made that due to an average of current processes between words per page and pages per chapter. i roughly know where I'm going chapter-wise so that's where I started. Maybe I'm WAY off...who knows?

I put another goal to hit. I've got to keep pace of 3333 words per week up until my deadline if I want to hit it. That should be easy enough if I don't get bogged down in real life duties and obligations. August 25th is coming faster than we think!

What I learned from Phineas and Ferb...

A recent blog from Bob Mayer told us how to simplify our writing. He related writing to Chef Ramsay's approach to making restaurants not only work but being truly successful. Slim down the choices and do them well; get really good at one genre and be THAT person that's known for doing it the best.

Phineas and Ferb have taken this theory and ran with it for a couple of seasons now. sheer brilliance in my humble television watching opinion. It's actually one of the few TV programs that I can stand. The writers have pared it down to bare essentials and made it incredibly formulaic.

Basically, every episode runs like this:

Phineas runs into a situation and says "I know what we're going to do today!" They then build a machine or some other science experiment and perform some unbelievable feat to accomplish it. Someone asks, "Where's Perry?" It cuts to their platypus who is really a secret agent and he fights Doctor Duffenschmertz in some ridiculous battle for the freedom of the Tri-State area. The boys and their duck-faced mammalian companion cross paths but they never figure out his secret. All the while their sister Candice tries to bust them for having the specific adventure. She's always denied the justice she seeks though.

The plot is always the same, the dialogue is very similar for every episode with catchphrases galore...so why is this even good? Simple, for one: people don't know what they like, they like what they know. It sounds terrible but it's true. Second: the situation is different as well as the setting making the twists incredibly uncanny and specialized for each episode. A basic formula/bracket and all the details are filled in making the writing very streamlined. This is not to say that it sucks because frankly I think it's hilarious!

"Specialize, do that one thing and do it better than anyone else."

Wraiths hits 100...

I can't believe it but here I am at page 100. Every page is a new landmark for me but this is a biggie. I know other authors can look at this post and scoff but this being MY blog, I'lll toot my horn if I want. Seriously, we all have to look for those big landmarks and milestones so we can continue to drive ourselves along our paths and keep going strong. No matter what you do, keep looking for the next little goal and strive for it!

Page 96...

Still going strong on the writing. I took care of some very important house-keeping tasks relating to this story too. I'm not finding alot of time to write the text but I can still take a few minutes to plot and scheme where the train is going. I'm still laying the tracks as I go for some of it and firming up the ground underneath other parts, making them solid and concrete. It all continues to come together!

Voice and Tone

Author Hal Duncan had this posted and even though I admit to not reading much of his material, I love the way his mind works! This is just a great way to look at the order of words, the tone of voice (even if you don't notice the subtle differences at first) and another way to think how your readers will perceive what you put down on the page...enjoy and thanks Mr. Duncan!

Just an easy little word count...

Easily the most I've ever written in one story! I'm setting new goals everyday and keeping the ideas fresh and alivestill. It all continues to evolve and it's very exciting to watch unfold.

Thanks to the fine people at Writertopia for the picometer! You're lifesavers! There's other meters there with more flair and humor that you can use but I went with something basic. I'm not boring am I? I prefer to think of myself as practical.

Aaaaaannnd...finished Hellblazer this morning under some falling snow. I like Shirley's work and the end was pretty good as it was unexpected. Wrapped up nicely though, check him out HERE

Change is...GOOD?

I've been looking at my story and the creation arc it's been taking. Surprises are jumping up and hitting me in the face with a frying pan because these words are not the ones I envisioned when the main idea struck me last summer. These characters are not the same characters I began writing about. Some of the plots and settings are different (although the main theme of redemption has held true) going from an alternative reality Earth to a completely fictional fantastic world to the story being set in our modern world...specifically my own state and county!

The craziest part of this process and maybe a nugget of wisdom if I may impart one, change is GOOD! Instead of changing things as I wrote and feeling that my story was falling apart in the past, I'm taking the view that this creation is fighting to live and breathe. I see it as keeping the story moving and fresh in my mind whereas before when I would fight the change, the story failed to bring me the same joy every time I came to the keyboard. Now, I can't wait to find what might transpire. Not to say that I have no idea where it's going. Quite the contrary, I also found I need an ending in mind and a good trusty roadmap to get me there. But the quest to find the ending is continually twisting in directions I never thought of at first.

You really have to let the story breath and take on it's own life. As a parent, I try to push my kids in directions that I would like to see them go in but ultimately, they'll end up doing what they want in this life. Sure, I can guide them along but they will meander and form their own opinions and outlooks on their world. Our characters are much the same...let them do it! After all, this is only the first draft and things will change even after it's all said and done.

Embracing the changes as they come whenever I get another chance to sit down. As it is, work, school and kids are taking over the next couple of days. Again proving my point.

Desk...notes...yeah, yeah, yeah

COUNT: 87 pgs/34,009 wrds...most of all time!

Just wanted to throw that out there. I'm really happy that I'm getting this in and down on the page. There's really nothing scarier than the white expanse of tundra that is the blank page. Now that it gets more and more covered with black ant-like words crawling over it, it doesn't seem so scary. I've gotten things done. I've gotten ideas written down and solidified to some level. Sure it'll change and transform but it's THERE.

Keeping the excitment level ihgh in the story is important and this scene has been in my mind for months now. It came fairly easy for me. All of that and I have a big goal in place for this story/novel...FINISHED BY AUGUST 25th. That date would make it one year exactly from the day I started writing it. It can be done!

Here's a smaller and closer goal for you Jay, 100pgs. Make it happen!

Notes from The Desk

Started on chapter eight, keeping on playing with working on seperate parts. Sections of the story can be written out of order. This gets the pace going and more gets done ultimately. Who knows if THIS chapter 8 will be the FINAL chapter 8? Who cares, it's the first draft.
WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!


By the way...reading John Shirley's John Constantine: Hellblazer - Subterranean and it's pretty good. Quick read but I get the feeling that Shirley is writing below his level. He seems like he's holding back some genius. Good read nonetheless.

COUNT: 80 PGS/31, 479 WRDS

Notes from the desk...

10 pages and about 3700 words over the weekend! I'm pretty happy with the turnout and what's more, the content is pretty good if I can say so without being a conceded ass. It obviously needs to be looked over but I think there's some good writing in there...

Themes and dialogue wrap around and meet back at a logical place. It all ties in nicely withthe rest of the text and the story continues to grow as do the characters. The development of characters is always important if not paramount in the story. That's something to always keep in mind. Without the character development, there is no story. If there is, it will not be worth reading for the casual person.

COUNT: 76 pgs/30,374 wrds

Let's go Wraith...go kick some butt!

Notes from the Desk...

Still hard at it and finding mental blocks everywhere. Progress is being made though and I have to keep telling myself that this is a first draft, it's expected to suck. Don't dwell too much on things you're still trying to figure out. Maybe leave a note on that page and move on to another part that you have cemented in your mind.
The heros continue to entertain me though and I'm constantly entertained by it so why not keep going? This is for me and the chances of it ever getting published are of course minimal (not to say that I wouldn't try once it's done) but I'm still loving the work and the process.
COUNT: 71-pgs/28,181-wrds

11:59

You always seem to lift me up from this despair
Drag me off my knees time and time again
Hand me this glimmering tool to keep me floating
The ground gives way and it only weighs me down

…this only gives me a chance to even the score

Drawing circles now around me
If only this sweet solitude surrounds me
And my painted window keeps my vision clear
Only then will everything hold value

Sitting, searching…remaining anonymous
Willing, waiting…just the perfect moment
Preying, patiently…I keep myself in hiding
Until the new dawn breaks

Draw myself now within me
Embrace this sweet solitude that is me
And my painted window thrust it open clear
The ground gives way as I drag you all back down

The day comes…

shhhhh…

wait and see…

if you think I scared you before…

wait and see.

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Yeah, I've been working...

Haven't posted in January but I've been semi-busy with a story. The rest of my time has been divided up between work, home, and school work...as always. Speaking of the story though, I have to say that I like where it's going and how it's pacing (seems like I might be able to stretch it into a novella at least)! The series of stories feels like it wants to breathe and squirm around for awhile. I love it, and their world is growing slowly for now but at least it's still growing.

The desert is the stage, the man grips gravity and finds an acquaintance to hold onto in a world that begins to show the signs of spinning out of control. Can he hold all of it down? Can he retain some semblance of normalcy? Probably not...ha ha!

COUNT: 9-pgs/3,615-wrds

14 pages later...

It's done! The story based on a beast-man "hero"-type kid is in the bag for the first draft anyway. I got to finish it on the 27th...exactly one month after I started it on Thanksgiving. That's pretty neat I think. On to the next one though...exactly what it will be about I'm not sure yet, there a couple of ideas floating around in the primordial upstairs soup.

Christmas is coming...

as my elders used to say...and this short story about the monastery is still in the first draft form. Hopefully I can finish it up today before the family get-togethers get into full swing. I'd settle for "before New Years"! You know, it's not that long or complicated but with school and family being your first priorities, well you have to take care of business. I have the next couple of weeks off of everything except family stuff so here we go...WRITE MAN!

Slow Going...

on thias short hero story. Had to work a bit today and get the kids ready for school tomorrow. Okay so I watched a bit of football as well including watching the Lions die a slow death. On TV only because it was an away game as they can't seem to sell a home game out anymore. Good job fans...stick it to 'em! Anyways, any excuse to dodge the job at hand and that's not the way it's supposed to be although it seems harder at the holidays.

GRRR! Back to it kid, c'mon a bit more before bed.

Notes from the desk

Coming up with something new always gets me going. Lots of ideas running through my head right now about superheroes and the like...trying to keep the ideas fluid though and not too cemented in anything specific just yet...short stories centralized around one or two characters...they all tie in somehow but see that's the whole cement shoes thing again...don't need that right now...heroes, heroes, heroes...hmmmm
darker side or more human side to these guys...nothing is what it seems...
Working on one about a boy living with monks in a European (I think) mountainside monestary...5 pages in over Thanksgiving so far. I should post some of it but it's freaking late...

Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is a day to get stuffed and we all did. More importantly it's a day to remember why we get to the places we are. In that vein then, I'm very thankful for my family. Without my wife and kids, I wouldn't be anyplace worth a damn. They all rock my world and make every day worth getting up for. Thank you guys, I love you all!