So, in rapping with my dear friends Iris and Bucho in the comments of my last post, something about which I'd been quietly meditating for a few days came up.
Iris indicated a reticence to work on more than one project at once, while Bucho made a great point about how multiple projects can, in a cool way, inform each other.
See, I've got three unfinished novels lying there, and a deep passion for each. One is a sequel to my last novel, another is the first steps into my own space opera, while the third is, I think, another horror/suspense piece. I think.
In any case, I'd been contemplating attacking two at once, and either alternating days on them, or just letting my passion go where it takes me, so long as I bang out that all-important page-a-day.
What's influenced this, as well, is my contemplation of how 'me time' works nowadays, as this would be the window in which I would tackle such an enterprise. The context of 'me' changes drastically not only when you partner with a mate for life, but when the two of you collaborate on an offspring or several. Being that I've extended what I 'need' in order to continue a reasonably palpable existence by bringing these two under my 'great umbrella of life,' this fundamentally alters what 'me' is, and thus 'me time' becomes something that is paroled with a severely diminished fervency. View this not as a complaint, but as a topic on which I'm meditating.
In any case, I just want to fucking write.
If I want it badly enough, I'll do it. Kinda like my recent surge in body maintenance.
I commented, previously, that I'm interested in trying to write first thing in the morning. I may have some quiet time in which I've not quite piqued the interest of the rest of the world, and the timing is in such proximity to the dream world, that I can't help but wonder if that aspect might be conducive to some pleasant surprises in my writing.
Alas, I despise getting up before 7AM, so we'll see. Otherwise, mayhap I'll just make some time in the hour or so before bed.
Yeah, so I'm eager to get cranking on something. I've got solid footholds on two of them, and some reworking to do on the space opera. I just made some odd decisions in its first few chapters, and need to clean that up. I'm thinking that one's shelved for a bit, while I'll push on the other two immediately. I may even fold the 'horror/suspense' novel into the Endless Wars universe. We'll see.
When do you write?
-Blaine
On sale now!
Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts
20120615
20090811
What Scares You?
Today will be a short post, since I got totally ass-raped at work (figuratively, of course; I'm not paid enough to allow sodomy).
What are the scariest moments you've ever experienced, whether it be in real life, in a game, while watching a film, reading a book, etc?
One of the things I'm always trying to crack is what scares people. There's something about fear that absolutely intrigues me. Fear, for me, is almost akin to spicy Indian food, where I'm always begging for it, but then when it's served to me, I can barely tolerate the intensity of it.
I love having the shit scared out of me, but when it comes to games, I hit my tolerance level, and sometimes have to walk away. I can only beat Silent Hill games when I have someone with me. People have laughed at me as I launch out of my seat, screaming, during certain moments in the early games of that series.
I've barricaded my bedroom door after watching 3 Amityville documentaries in one night.
I've gone hunting in the yard (knife in hand) for aliens after watching too many abduction stories and seeing aliens through my sliding door (or so I thought at the time.)
I don't go in the ocean for fear of being eaten by a shark, but stand ready with a weapon, should my foolish ocean-going wife and son be attacked.
I also have a collection of short horror stories that I add to from time to time, and I'm always trying to find out what it is about 'what's under the bed?' and 'what's outside my window?' and 'what's that sound?' that keeps us up at night as children, and that we still sometimes fight against as adults.
My wife and I always debate this, since things like aliens, creatures, monsters, etc. don't scare her, but she won't watch any film that features people doing horrible things. People scare her, not creatures.
I, as I've explained, fear monsters. People, though, don't scare me in the slightest. I know I can hold my own in a fight, and I understand people. Aliens, sharks, the undead aren't something I can understand (or grok, if you rather), and there's something about their utterly inhuman existence that just terrifies me.
I don't know. I don't think I totally understand what 'fear' is, nor do I think I have a full grasp on what scares me the most.
So, please share your scariest memories, whether they be from real life, or from some form of media. I'm really interested to compare and contrast the responses, so fire away! Thanks!
-Blaine
Please be sure to check out my novel, the Endless Wars: the Descent! Thanks!
What are the scariest moments you've ever experienced, whether it be in real life, in a game, while watching a film, reading a book, etc?
One of the things I'm always trying to crack is what scares people. There's something about fear that absolutely intrigues me. Fear, for me, is almost akin to spicy Indian food, where I'm always begging for it, but then when it's served to me, I can barely tolerate the intensity of it.
I love having the shit scared out of me, but when it comes to games, I hit my tolerance level, and sometimes have to walk away. I can only beat Silent Hill games when I have someone with me. People have laughed at me as I launch out of my seat, screaming, during certain moments in the early games of that series.
I've barricaded my bedroom door after watching 3 Amityville documentaries in one night.
I've gone hunting in the yard (knife in hand) for aliens after watching too many abduction stories and seeing aliens through my sliding door (or so I thought at the time.)
I don't go in the ocean for fear of being eaten by a shark, but stand ready with a weapon, should my foolish ocean-going wife and son be attacked.
I also have a collection of short horror stories that I add to from time to time, and I'm always trying to find out what it is about 'what's under the bed?' and 'what's outside my window?' and 'what's that sound?' that keeps us up at night as children, and that we still sometimes fight against as adults.
My wife and I always debate this, since things like aliens, creatures, monsters, etc. don't scare her, but she won't watch any film that features people doing horrible things. People scare her, not creatures.
I, as I've explained, fear monsters. People, though, don't scare me in the slightest. I know I can hold my own in a fight, and I understand people. Aliens, sharks, the undead aren't something I can understand (or grok, if you rather), and there's something about their utterly inhuman existence that just terrifies me.
I don't know. I don't think I totally understand what 'fear' is, nor do I think I have a full grasp on what scares me the most.
So, please share your scariest memories, whether they be from real life, or from some form of media. I'm really interested to compare and contrast the responses, so fire away! Thanks!
-Blaine
Please be sure to check out my novel, the Endless Wars: the Descent! Thanks!
20090722
Almost there...
...just wanted to drop in and give a status update.
My editor still has the book and she is nearly done with her notes. It's taken her longer than either of us anticipated, but I asked her to go through it and get as nasty as she can. It's very much not her style of book, which is why she's my perfect editor. I don't like having my stuff reviewed by someone who understands the genre. By giving it to someone who doesn't live in my genre, I'm able to get perspective on things I wouldn't otherwise.
It also helps that I married my editor, who knows me quite well, but very much has her own mind when it comes to what she thinks of stories and writing. She is, herself, quite an excellent writer, even if she functions on a whole other plane in terms of what she prefers.
I've always told people that she and I cross over on about 50% of what we like in storytelling, which is a perfect ratio. We're able to each live in our own worlds, but share space just as often. It's a great arrangement, and one that I wish I saw in more marriages around me.
As for the cover, I've been dragging my heels on getting it done, but I know what it's going to be, and it should only take me a few hours. I think.
Otherwise, while I play the waiting game, I've been busy with work and school, as well as development on the next project. I have some opportunities on the table, but have had some difficulty deciding on which one to take up and run with. I've had discussions with some musician friends and former bandmates on a couple different projects, I've been solicited for a screenplay, and I'm itching to write another book. A lot of this breaks down into what I want to do vs. what I should do (in terms of my career as an artist.) I'll kick it around for another month or so. Depending on what I decide to do, I may or may not be able to share a lotta details. If I can't say much, I'm sorry, but I learned the hard way, a few years back, it's better just to keep your damn mouth shut on the internet when it comes to your artistic pursuits. This is just one of the reasons the book has been delayed for nearly 10 years.
Anyway, in a perfect world, the book comes out in August or September. Ideally, it would be in the middle of August, but I've learned to never underestimate the power of my own self-doubt. This is my first novel, finished 10 years ago, and there are aspects of it that I dislike intensely, but I've left them unchanged because I want to be true to the writer I was back then. It's kind of like granting one last honor to my old self. It's a good book, but there are elements and structure that I was experimenting with at the time, and some of them worked beautifully and some of them come off as a bit awkward. At the same time, some of these are almost like load-bearing walls in this book, and to pull them out would collapse the book in on itself.
It seems like I'm apologizing for the book in advance. I'm not. I think it's great, but I'm also aware that I've left things in that keep it from being the single greatest achievement in literature.
Lastly, I'm thinking of doing something like 'bonus features' for it a la DVD/BD. This would consist of 'deleted scenes' prefaced by me explaining where they would've gone and why they were cut, as well as some interview stuff talking about the evolution of the series and this entry in particular. It all sounds great to me, since no author can resist the temptation to self-aggrandize, but I want to see if there's any kind of opinion on this.
Really, it just seems like a way to do something new with the medium. This is a medium that has suffered under the painfully oppressive yoke of publishers who have carefully protected it from any kind of interesting experimentation, and I'm finally in a position to start trying new things.
I'm also thinking of some post-release stuff, too, like maybe a .pdf file for book owners that walks through the reader back through the book and talks about where particular scenes came from or how they were changed and why.
I dunno. I'm just thinking of things I'd love to see for books I really enjoyed, and it seems like a good way to keep people interested until the next book is out (it will not be another 10 years, you have my word.)
So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what people think of the book.
What's it about, you ask? Let's see if I can do this totally spoiler-free...
...it's 2001. Taran Walker is 23 and is reeling from catching the girl of his dreams with another man. He has failed in nearly every meaningful way in life, and is living in an abandoned halfway house with some friends as he ponders his next scheme. Meanwhile, there is a convergence of souls, some young and some ancient, in St. Louis, and though he doesn't realize it, Taran is at the center of it. He is the one to finally lead the ultimate rebellion and throw off the shackles that have held humanity back since the beginning of time. He will have to fight his way through underworlds and parallel universes, he will battle vampires and rival gods, as well as their lethal servants, but not without the help of a rather interesting mix of friends and allies. From gun-toting dwarves to magic-infused vampires to dope-peddling succubi, Taran will be aided by all manner of creatures and friends. It's the perfect blend of ancient fantasy archetypes and settings and real-world sensibilities and settings. Discover the world you never knew existed but for which you secretly yearned.
Oh, and it's called 'The Endless Wars: The Descent.' That's not the final blurb, but just something I threw together real quick.
Anyway, this is much longer than I intended. So much for my 'quick update.' Anyway, lemme know what ya think of anything I posted here, particularly the extra stuff for the book.
Actually, lemme know, too, if that quick blurb I posted at all excites you.
Awesome. Peace out.
-Blaine
My editor still has the book and she is nearly done with her notes. It's taken her longer than either of us anticipated, but I asked her to go through it and get as nasty as she can. It's very much not her style of book, which is why she's my perfect editor. I don't like having my stuff reviewed by someone who understands the genre. By giving it to someone who doesn't live in my genre, I'm able to get perspective on things I wouldn't otherwise.
It also helps that I married my editor, who knows me quite well, but very much has her own mind when it comes to what she thinks of stories and writing. She is, herself, quite an excellent writer, even if she functions on a whole other plane in terms of what she prefers.
I've always told people that she and I cross over on about 50% of what we like in storytelling, which is a perfect ratio. We're able to each live in our own worlds, but share space just as often. It's a great arrangement, and one that I wish I saw in more marriages around me.
As for the cover, I've been dragging my heels on getting it done, but I know what it's going to be, and it should only take me a few hours. I think.
Otherwise, while I play the waiting game, I've been busy with work and school, as well as development on the next project. I have some opportunities on the table, but have had some difficulty deciding on which one to take up and run with. I've had discussions with some musician friends and former bandmates on a couple different projects, I've been solicited for a screenplay, and I'm itching to write another book. A lot of this breaks down into what I want to do vs. what I should do (in terms of my career as an artist.) I'll kick it around for another month or so. Depending on what I decide to do, I may or may not be able to share a lotta details. If I can't say much, I'm sorry, but I learned the hard way, a few years back, it's better just to keep your damn mouth shut on the internet when it comes to your artistic pursuits. This is just one of the reasons the book has been delayed for nearly 10 years.
Anyway, in a perfect world, the book comes out in August or September. Ideally, it would be in the middle of August, but I've learned to never underestimate the power of my own self-doubt. This is my first novel, finished 10 years ago, and there are aspects of it that I dislike intensely, but I've left them unchanged because I want to be true to the writer I was back then. It's kind of like granting one last honor to my old self. It's a good book, but there are elements and structure that I was experimenting with at the time, and some of them worked beautifully and some of them come off as a bit awkward. At the same time, some of these are almost like load-bearing walls in this book, and to pull them out would collapse the book in on itself.
It seems like I'm apologizing for the book in advance. I'm not. I think it's great, but I'm also aware that I've left things in that keep it from being the single greatest achievement in literature.
Lastly, I'm thinking of doing something like 'bonus features' for it a la DVD/BD. This would consist of 'deleted scenes' prefaced by me explaining where they would've gone and why they were cut, as well as some interview stuff talking about the evolution of the series and this entry in particular. It all sounds great to me, since no author can resist the temptation to self-aggrandize, but I want to see if there's any kind of opinion on this.
Really, it just seems like a way to do something new with the medium. This is a medium that has suffered under the painfully oppressive yoke of publishers who have carefully protected it from any kind of interesting experimentation, and I'm finally in a position to start trying new things.
I'm also thinking of some post-release stuff, too, like maybe a .pdf file for book owners that walks through the reader back through the book and talks about where particular scenes came from or how they were changed and why.
I dunno. I'm just thinking of things I'd love to see for books I really enjoyed, and it seems like a good way to keep people interested until the next book is out (it will not be another 10 years, you have my word.)
So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what people think of the book.
What's it about, you ask? Let's see if I can do this totally spoiler-free...
...it's 2001. Taran Walker is 23 and is reeling from catching the girl of his dreams with another man. He has failed in nearly every meaningful way in life, and is living in an abandoned halfway house with some friends as he ponders his next scheme. Meanwhile, there is a convergence of souls, some young and some ancient, in St. Louis, and though he doesn't realize it, Taran is at the center of it. He is the one to finally lead the ultimate rebellion and throw off the shackles that have held humanity back since the beginning of time. He will have to fight his way through underworlds and parallel universes, he will battle vampires and rival gods, as well as their lethal servants, but not without the help of a rather interesting mix of friends and allies. From gun-toting dwarves to magic-infused vampires to dope-peddling succubi, Taran will be aided by all manner of creatures and friends. It's the perfect blend of ancient fantasy archetypes and settings and real-world sensibilities and settings. Discover the world you never knew existed but for which you secretly yearned.
Oh, and it's called 'The Endless Wars: The Descent.' That's not the final blurb, but just something I threw together real quick.
Anyway, this is much longer than I intended. So much for my 'quick update.' Anyway, lemme know what ya think of anything I posted here, particularly the extra stuff for the book.
Actually, lemme know, too, if that quick blurb I posted at all excites you.
Awesome. Peace out.
-Blaine
20090623
Write Write Write
I haven't been post blog updates because I've been busy with my writing "career" (pfft.)
My first novel is in my editor's hands, as we speak. I'm glad I married my editor some years ago, because it makes the "so, whadaya think?" conversations much easier. I don't actually have feelings, so breaking bad news to me is easy for her.
I was kicking around a few ideas about what I was gonna move onto next when I ran into an old friend who was kind enough to open a metaphorical door for me, and that may yield something very interesting or it may not. Either way, I've lost nothing, and it's the most interesting project for which I've ever been solicited. It's right up my alley, and it's going to answer a question I'd been asking myself, which was:
"Can I write something commercial for a big-time director?"
Because I'm not a total newb at this, I'm not gonna say more, but I'll let ya know if anything turns into anything.
So, yeah, I've been writing, and it's funny that huge opportunities stress me out.
Also, I'm thinking I might be at the Pink Galleon @ Olive & Fee-Fee Thursday night if anyone wants to meet up for a beer. I'll probably be there 10-ish, but we'll see.
I'll try to post again tomorrow or Thursday. Soon, I'll actually be talking about details regarding the book.
-Blaine
My first novel is in my editor's hands, as we speak. I'm glad I married my editor some years ago, because it makes the "so, whadaya think?" conversations much easier. I don't actually have feelings, so breaking bad news to me is easy for her.
I was kicking around a few ideas about what I was gonna move onto next when I ran into an old friend who was kind enough to open a metaphorical door for me, and that may yield something very interesting or it may not. Either way, I've lost nothing, and it's the most interesting project for which I've ever been solicited. It's right up my alley, and it's going to answer a question I'd been asking myself, which was:
"Can I write something commercial for a big-time director?"
Because I'm not a total newb at this, I'm not gonna say more, but I'll let ya know if anything turns into anything.
So, yeah, I've been writing, and it's funny that huge opportunities stress me out.
Also, I'm thinking I might be at the Pink Galleon @ Olive & Fee-Fee Thursday night if anyone wants to meet up for a beer. I'll probably be there 10-ish, but we'll see.
I'll try to post again tomorrow or Thursday. Soon, I'll actually be talking about details regarding the book.
-Blaine
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