Dec 08

I will probably need to be a hermit.

Just some very slight tweaking on chapter 6, and I will have chapters 1 through 7 complete and connected. I'm close to having chapters 1 through 12 (Part 1) complete and connected. My revised goal is to have Part 1 completed during the week of Dec 22 through 26. It will be a challenge.

Early August – November 2008 (the half has not been told)

Early August – November 2008 (the half has not been told)

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Wrote about 3.5 hours today. Improved chapter 2 with better structure. Increased character's motives, brought in more excitement, conflict, tension and obstacles. Cut huge section of chapter 6 that became obsolete because of the new and better ending of chapter 2. Considering new order of the early chapters, which will bring more emotional impact for the reader when a certain important incident happens. Feel like I'm walking in the deep end of the pool. I have a good clear feeling about what I want to achieve. The task is daunting. I am undaunted. It is just taking much much longer than I thought.

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Worked on the project for 6.5 hours yesterday. Finished the restructuring of Chapter 2 ...and, because of that I needed to reorder chapters 3-15. It’s the most radical reordering of chapters since the beginning of the project. Trying to keep in mind all the different scenes was difficult but I did it. It screws up all my "notes on chapters" stored in another document when I do that. Example: Chapter 3 is now chapter 6. So if I die and you are reading over my notes, keep that in mind.

After reordering, I pasted all the chapters in a continuous document. I have about 90 pages of actual written story. The most complete and professional feeling chapters are the early ones. I wanted to feel the flow of chapters, so I read some of this "hooked-up" document. It also helped me see the missing bricks clearly. Of course I knew about those "problems". All the needed additions are in my mind and waiting to be inserted in the coming weeks and months.

Stephen King is right ...again. In his book "On Writing" he said to read bad writing. L in M, The Constipated Senator helped me (LOL). I revised chapter 1. I was shocked at the “N P” in my writing standing out like a sore simile.

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I worked about 3 hours Sunday morn on the project. I improved a scene with M and N (my bad guy in Book 1). All the "stuff" was there just not sharp enough. Kinda like corn and mashed potatoes mixed together on a plate. I separated them making the "stuff" more distinct, sharper ...focused. Corn here, potatoes here. See? I hope its not TOO corny.

There is no doubt in my mind that you can capture time to write dude. I mow nearly all day Saturday. I work long hours right now. I get tired. 

"Arrival to Earth" from the Transformers soundtrack friggin rulz.

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I have 212 unanswered/unread emails in my yahoo addy. I'm so busy at work I never have time to read or respond the way I want to. I try to stay away from the internet at home, as blogging etc chews up too much valuable time.

"Project" update...

Right now, I'm in the beginning stages of what I hope is a routine: writing every night. With 26 chapters in various degrees of completion and quality, writing every night is not an option it is a necessity if I ever plan to finish before death.

Last night I worked on chapter 3 for the third night in row. I had been avoiding tedious corrections with scene sequences. Things are set up better now. Chapter 3 is complex, showing a character in her world, the stuff she contends with and why she would want to leave whereas chap 1 introduces her and is kinda Indiana-Jones-o-fied with the chase, rescue and return to the temple. In her next chapter, she will discover things greater than her self-centered concerns and this is where I think major character development begins and the reader will delight in watching her change. Chapter 3 is one of the humps I need to get over to make significant progress quantitywise again.

Of course there are things going on with my other major characters but right now the focus is the female.   

Overall I'm very pleased with how things are developing, but still unsatisfied with progress. I'm close to finding a turning point in the story. I've got an idea where it is but all the pieces have to be in place. When I get there will send it to you. The next time you recieve a piece from me it will be perhaps 12-20 chapters so you'll have a real-feeling story in your hands and not peices of a puzzle (and I apologize for sending any earlier drivel). I will try to have it as close as a rookie can to publishable stuff. Hopefully in late November. NO ...the book won't be finished. I still have 25-30 chapters to go (which is in the synopsis) to finish the first book. This new routine, hopefully, will set me on a course to finish the first book by spring of next year.

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Printed Chapter 3 (the one I’ve been struggling with). I've been reading the hard copy. It is always different when reading it right off the page. After feeling fairly satisfied on Sunday night about 3, as of now, I've made 89 edits to the hard copy walk-reading around the park and sitting at the kitchen table last night ...and I'm only at page 8 of 11.

I'm at the point, if I'm not careful, of letting the "world/story/characters" explode rather than blossom.

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Remember that I complained about over-description in Robert Jordan's book? I think I need to describe more actually.

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I don't normally keep track of edits. I marked them with a pen this time while walking/sitting. I counted them out of curiosity.

I think I'm trying so hard ...like the little engine that could ...I'm not compromising. I'm trying to hit the mark with every sentence, every turn. I realize I'm doing a sorry job due to lack of experience ...I believe I have the right stuff. I'm not letting up on the intensity. I discover story ideas/tweaks along side wording edits. The creative eye is restless. Like droping the Genesis bomb on a dead planet. Different techniques and frames of mind apply from one nano second to the next. I guess this is the way A. R. Travis does it but the other day Tolkien's words "the story grew in the telling" had renewed respect. No matter how much synopsis-o-fying I do, I can't predict where this thing is going but for the feelings that I want to give the reader.

Reading it aloud helps too. I did that once with mom. It was gawd awful. But, I may have an advantage there: I'm a slow reader because I pronounce words in my head. I've never been able to unhook words from sound. That is why I don't read fast. Since writing seriously for a while I've tried to imagine how things sounds because if things sounds good that means sentence flows well. Books that I read fast have smooth sentences. Therefore when I read my stuff I notice "flow" because of the "problem" I have freeing words from sounds in my head.

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3 hours Friday after work at Daddy O's diner.  I returned to Daddy O's Saturday morning at 8:30 and worked until 11:30 ...3 more hours ..total of 6. I left to go mow 4 yards for my brother. I came back to Farmersville and walked for an hour, thinking about the project. Then I returned to Daddy O's again and wrote another 2 hours ..total of 8. I left home at 7:30 this morning for Frisco. I worked at Wendy's before church for 2:45 minutes ..total of 10:45 minutes. That's a "days" work. Sheesh ...what I could accomplish if I could spend more time. This weekends efforts got me through chapter 3 ...finally. It's shaky ..it's a monstrosity ...but it's together. It is a complex chapter. Lots of work for a rookie writer. I tweaked chapters 2 and 4 a little more.  This effort linked chapters 1 through 4. These early chapters are becoming nicely fleshed out. They are people compared to the mannequins of chapters 5 through 26.

When I complete chapter 5 I will have linked up 1-6. I will be in the home stretch for "completing" part 1 of book 1, which will end around chapters 10 or 12. Kinda like Frodo getting to Rivendale. Minor plots are resolved or complicated nicely, with the beginning of new ones as the major plot builds.

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I've kinda slowed down. 2 reasons ...I keep rewriting chap 3 ...It's driving me crazy.

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I wrote/"worked on the project" for 2 and half hours. Chap 3 is going to kill me.

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The 10 stars on the Forbes list of best-paid authors pulled in a combined 563 million dollars (£320m) between June 1, 2007, and June 1, 2008.

:The Forbes top 10 best-paid authors

1. JK Rowling - 300 million dollars (£170m)

2. James Patterson - 50 million dollars (£28.4m)

3. Stephen King - 45 million dollars (£25.5m)

4. Tom Clancy - 35 million dollars (£19.9m)

5. Danielle Steel - 30 million dollars (£17m)

6. John Grisham - 25 million dollars (£14.2m)

6. Dean Koontz - 25 million dollars (£14.2m)

8. Ken Follett - 20 million dollars (£11.3m)

9. Janet Evanovich - 17 million dollars (£9.6m)

10. Nicholas Sparks - 16 million dollars (£9.1m)

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I will probably go to Daddy O's after work and try once more at this godforsaken Chap 3. This chapter feels like a Hollywood grand epic that went over budget and failed at the box office even though the costumes and actors were great. I've promised myself this is the last edit for a while. 

I have the "ending" of the first Part of Book 1. My goal is to reach that point asap. But I'll will probably encounter other "chapter 3s". 

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Because of bashing my rookie skills and talents against the rock of chapter 3 I've learned some priceless things of which we spoke briefly of yesterday. Each "tiny" step of knowledge I've learned while actually doing the writing obsoletes the mindset I was in when writing previous chapters. If I glance over other chapters, my growth is obvious. No matter how bad I want to be good it doesn't matter, doing it makes the difference. Therefore, when I send you M's stuff just know that I know there are glaring faults that I've not had time to correct.

I will send you chapter 3 and maybe 5 when I get them to a satisfactory point.

When you see chapter 3 and 5 perhaps you will realize why I’ve been struggling with it. It is complex. I admit it. The challenge is making it simple.

As I look over the stuff below, I am excited about getting back into it and making lots better. But this is far less the raw stuff. Enjoy ..if that is possible.

[snip]

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I worked 3 hours Sunday on chapter 3. I'm not completely satisfied with it but got it to a "happy for now" state.

Chapter 5, which I'm working on now, is another huge life changer for K. The success/quality of these (3 and 5) chapters is uber dependent on my craftsmanship ...and, that skill is in constant flux and meandering toward improvement each month.

Right now I'm slowly bringing up the heat on the major arch of the story while I stir up the minor plots. That is something I kinda did instinctively before I realized what I was diong.

When I get to chapter 7 (M's next) ...I'm going to go back and tighten up M's story ...I've got big problems and adventures in store for him before he meets L.

Overall I'm pleased. I see the problems that are due to my rookieness/skill level that need development like a regular guy who has never built a bridge but needs to learn in order to accomplish the goal of "getting to the other side". I'm improving.

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...would you like to read the first 4 chapters of my book?

"If you choose to accept this mission."

I've been working on this thing for about a year in my spare time (which I don't have much of) and sometimes more. I REALLY need to crank up the intensity or "Allen is writing a book" will become a joke. I've written about 27 Chapters for a book that’s going to be about 45 to 50 chapters long. I've got an outline and synopsis for 3 books. Don't worry. I'm not asking you to read all that crap. Just letting you know what a huge project this is. For now, 4 chapters is all thats presentable because I'm perfectionist. Note I said "presentable" not "ready for mass market".

To my knowledge neither of you are big Fantasy Fiction readers. I'm sorry its not Danielle Steele, Mona and Tom ...Im sorry its not ...um ...Tom Clancy? ...Anyways ... you both told me you are fast readers. Me? I'm a slow slow slow reader. To a fast reader, reading is not a chore ...I would think. Thats why, more than anything, I want yall to read my stuff. I don't want it to be a chore for you.  

Be warned the content is not for children. It is definitely rated PG-13 ...possibly R by the end. It is violent, bloody in some parts, and pleasant in others. It’s a very different exotic ancient magical world with made-up religions, creatures and names. Swords, stones, horses, rough spun dresses and daggers. With only 4 chapters you may be completely befuddled with such a brief introduction to an immense world I've only begun to reveal. Furthermore, the 4 chapters are still evolving but near wholeness in concept. Only slight modifications would take place at this time unless a HUGE and AWESOME idea changes them.

As I write this book, I'm trying to find a small group of people with various points of view to give me feedback. People in this group must not share content with anyone outside the group. You are a special group. I don't want the content of the book to be a topic of discussion at LifeGroup for instance. It’s okay to talk about me writing a book but I would like to keep the content and characters sacred and untarnished from common talk until its a bestseller .

If you choose to accept this mission, destroy this email and reply "yes".

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I'm getting concerned because I don't have the skill with grammar that I apparently need. I don't want the reading of the my stuff to be an obstacle course regarding punctuation. I can improve. It will take time. I seriously do not know what modifiers and participles are. I do have a book on grammar ...I should read it more.

I don't have a problem with you editing my stuff for grammar. I will learn with trial and error. You are very good and explaining things so I can pick it up quickly. I just wish you could get to the story part right away, as it is improving weekly.

I can do better with commas and orphaned pronouns. I used to have a tendency to use too many commas. So I stopped. I think I can correct that problem by not being as shy with commas. Orphaning the pronouns is a problem I can fix by not being lazy and more attentive.

I think my dialog skills are my best attribute right now. A distant second is structuring the story and plotting. The "ah ha" moments are getting more frequent. What was instinctual at one point has turned out to be logical ...like I planned it.

I know you used to play basketball. Do you remember the move that you almost made that was almost great? That's the feeling I have ...like I'm almost there, that there is a groove, a jetstream that I'm lumbering toward and when I hit it ...WHAMMO! And "it" is not grammar but part of the whole. I know grammar can be polished on the back end but I would like to get it a lot closer to descent.

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I feel very confident I can improve the pronoun and modifier issues a lot. The modifier problem is due to lazy (or tired) writing.

I'm capable of being better with commas. I'll go ahead and work to improve that issue.

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bleh...

I printed off chapters all the way to 9. I think somewhere around 13 or 14 will be the end of Part 1 of Book 1. I spent the majority of the weekend editing. I'm still not finished making the changes in Word. The editing is bogging me down and the fact that I don't have long periods of energetic time to devote.

My goal is to finish P1 in early December and deliver it to some fresh eagerly waiting eyes (I've recruited 2 people who are fast readers. so its not a chore for them.). To do that I need help. I don't want to join one these local writers groups.

I don't know what to do with this limited time. Should I belch out the remaining chapters with little if any editing? Then spend a week forcing myself to finish even if it means 4 hours of sleep a night until I get the stinking thing done.

I have major story structure ideas to bounce off you ...if you don't mind. Tuesdays????

I have a significant incident in chapter 6. Its the attempted assassination of L. There is a lot of build up for that scene due to references to the "greatness of L" and M's discovery of the plot, and lots of other stuff, in previous chapters. Instead of L getting killed, his wife gets killed. Then in chapter 9 L's story contains a flashback of how much she contributed to his life, how much he loved her etc. I want to minimize flashbacks and I do have them make them as useful as possible. My thought is to move that to the front of chapter 6, making her death more devastating to the reader. Your thoughts?

I have other cool stuff going on that I really need to get some feed back on.

Here's a feel for the completeness...

Chapter 1 complete

2 complete

3 90%

4 95%

5 40% on paper but the complete idea for the chapter is in my head

6 70% with the major change noted above in mind.

7 20% complete ideas are in my head...

8 30% complete ideas....great new idea that will improve story

9 80% complete ideas

10 50% complete ideas

11 50% ...ideas need work

12. 30% I know what I want to do here but the way I'm doing it is weak. Solid ending ...just need to beef it up some.

13 60% ideas are complete ...need to fill it out some more.

This is probably a good spot to end Part 1.

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Looks like another day dedicated to editing; the dull work that nearly makes me wanna throw this thing in the trash!

Chapter 3

While visiting a new Borders Bookstore...

...I heard a published author speaking to a small group of people. I walked around the seating area then pretended I was interested in an Oprah's book club selection while I listened. I don't like to worship or be guilty of worship by association. So I stayed clear but I could hear just fine. I don't remember his name. He writes detective books, apparently a series. Someone asked when the next book is coming out. He said if he didn't have a day job he could be finished in six months. My eyes went wide. Published author, writing a series of dectective novels? Should I be depressed? Perhaps he just really really sucks? I've acknowledged my audacious goal here. It shouldn't be a surprise that I want my book to sell a bazillion copies. If I still have a day job after writing it....I might end up in a funny farm. "Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1." Yeah. I hear C-3PO saying that when I say I want my book to be a great success. "Never tell me the odds" says my Han Solo side. Then I hear the author say he is not Grisham. I agree but do I want to be "Grisham". I've read Grisham books. Yuck! Then the guy says his books are being turned into a TV show. I'm thinking you need to hire another agent buddy. You're getting screwed bigtime if you still have a day job. That kind of made me feel better because the author was lying or his agent was taking him to the cleaners. Note to self: Agents are like lawyers. Be careful.

Something else made me feel good. As it stands right now, my story will be a trilogy. That is a huge risk for a publisher to take on unproven writers. But today I saw a book written by a new author that was the first in a trilogy.

Lastly I saw the new book about Barack Obama titled Obama-Nation. LOL. Yep. I knew it wouldn't be long until that was used as predicted by me months ago. Great name for an Anti-Obama book. I almost bought it on CD but I'm listening to Camanche Moon by Larry McMurtry.  I need to save money anyway. My lease is ending on my car and I'm thinking about buying a clunker for cash. I'm sick of car payments, sick sick sick of them.

The metal music is back by popular demand. I will leave it up for a weak. Hopefully my civilized readers can tolerate it for a while. Some of it's just hard rockin' jewels. Love Ain't No Stranger by Whitesnake is an almost forgotten favorite of mine.

Writing about book writing...

I feel more confident every time the story and characters develop. New wrinkles develop that solve other issues. I write, trim, repeat. I'm no where near the goals I wanted for this summer. I have too many important things using up my mental energy for creative thought and focus. Work is tedious and hectic, the complexities of thought after my daughter's car accident weigh me down, my car lease is ending forcing me to consider all the unpleasant options of getting another, I need to go to the dentist. I need to go to the doctor for a check up. I need to this, I need to do that ...on and on. I have so much on my mind, that I slip into day dreaming, escaping in my imagination, which solved a story problem on Saturday by the way, but, I couldn't do anything about it because I was busy! I did write the idea in my notebook though. I'm not complaining. I realize all new authors need to overcome these - to be honest - normal obstacles. Tom Clancy was an insurance salesman. Terry Goodkind has dyslexia. Goodkind completed his first manuscript at the age of 44. At 45, I'm getting a sense of what these guys went through to "get there" on the first book. 

It has been one of the most challenging efforts in my life. This surprised me but it shouldn't have. I'm creating an entire culture, society, belief system, landscape, philosophy, history and creatures around characters and story. As Clancy said, "The difference between fiction and non fiction is that fiction has to make sense." I can't rely on a world ready made, to draw from and resonate in the readers mind. I'm trying to make a world, that has never existed, make sense and do it well enough for readers to be willing to suspend disbelief long enough to go for a ride. It is my hope to make that ride unforgettable---then I realize my godforsaken Visa bill is due and I've put the envelope in that special place where I just knew I wouldn't forget its location.

When I try to objectively read what I've written, I'm very pleased. I try to back the pleasure off a few notches realizing that I'm biased for my own material. When I imagine the plans I have for the characters and story, it moves me emotionally because I can project the finish manuscript's feel. I think is different in a good way from most fantasy fiction. My reading of fantasy fiction is not exhaustive but I've read a lot of books.

When they say there is nothing new under the sun, that is correct. It has all been done. This what I've tried to be mindful of when creating my book.

From Robert McKee's masterpiece "Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting"

Story is about principles, not rules.

Story is about eternal, universal forms, not formulas.

Story is about archetypes, not stereotypes.

Story is about thoroughness, not shortcuts.

Story is about the realities, not the mysteries of writing.

Story is about mastering the art, not about second-guessing the marketplace.

Story is about respect, not disdain, for the audience.

Story is about originality, not duplication.

It makes you wonder if anyone in Hollywood has read his book.

What I want to do is juxstaposed in McKee's book with what is typical in creative efforts nowadays in books, movies and music.  

When talented people write badly it's generally for one of two reasons; Either they're blinded by an idea they feel compelled to prove or they're driven by an emotion they must express. When talented people write well, it is generally for this reason; They're moved by a desire to touch the audience.

When a person reads my book, I want them to be sad its over because they've fallen in love with those characters in that world. I love books that make me feel that way. I think that is a good feeling. I want to give people those kinds feelings.