The Dork Review: Fighting Gravity

Being sick sucks, but having a good book to read does help mitigate things. Reading Fighting Gravity has helped sooth my post Ad Astra cold while giving my beleaguered brain something to focus on.

It helps that this book is an excellent read. I dipped my toes into it last night and then dived in fully today while sprawled out on the couch, devouring it in only a few hours. It's that good and that easy to fall into.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that Falling Gravity's main character, Jacob Dawes, is so well written. The entire book is first person in his voice, and Jacob is such a highly-self aware sort that he can comment on when he's made a colossal error without attempting to excuse himself.

This book could stand alone as a character study of one man's journey from crushing poverty to the rarest heights of scientific achievement, from obscurity to notoriety,  but it also includes themes of love, passion, and dangerous/dysfunctional relationships that form the story of Jacob's life. There is an almost fairy tale quality to this book.

Falling Gravity isn't perfect however. I finished this book with a lot of unanswered questions. With the focus being on Jacob and told through his first-person viewpoint a lot of the background of the world Leah Petersen has crafted falls to the wayside. My frustration at that could be due to the fact I'm very much a detail person. I like to know the why behind most things, especially why Earth in the future has an emperor, a variety of social classes, and so on. There are subtexts of class war/envy and bigotry that are present but not examined as much as I would have like to have seen.

One aspect that isn't explained his how accepting people of Falling Gravity's world are unconcerned about the fact that Jacob is in a gay relationship. Wait, let me correct that. People are concerned about the relationship, not over the fact that it's with another man but rather who that man is. One concern about books set in a neo-feudal setting is that the society depicted will have regressed in almost all aspects, and Falling Gravity avoids completely falling into this trope while still having some unsavory societal elements.

This is Leah Petersen's first book and I think she's done a marvelous job. What Falling Gravity does right it does very well and what it lacks doesn't prevent it from being a good read. The ending does leave open the possibility of a sequel, which I think would work great if told from a different perspective than Jacob's. Much like J.M. Frey, I think Leah has a lot of potential and I look forward to reading her next book.

Second Draft: The Finishing

Whoo Hoo! Just finished the second draft of my very first novel. Though I don't know if it really counts as a novel, since the final word count is 66, 182.

Now we just need to see if Angry Robot books wants the full thing sent to them. If not, well I can always start shopping it around. Since this is my first long form work it's not likely to sell. Still, I've learned a few things. I can sustain the effort of writing long fiction, and then I can sustain the effort of revising it. I really do need to work in making my first drafts more dynamic, and I need to reduce the amount of repetition.

All in all, I'm happy. The book is what I set out to make, a small, personal story with a few characters in a dangerous situation. Even if it doesn't sell, writing it was a learning experience.

The Importance of Having a Schedule

Arrrgh!! (Sound of a head getting thumped on a desk)

Ok, sorry, had to get that off my chest. Right now I'm annoyed with myself, and rightly so. You see, I had an entire long weekend with which to write, except for my regular kendo class on Saturday and dinner with my parents on Sunday, and I was looking forward to getting a lot done. Guess what actually happened?

So far, not much. Arrgh!

Truth is, this weekend has sucked for me for getting writing done. Sucked as in I keep getting sucked into things other than writing. Of course Space has to be running a marathon of the new Doctor Who specials. I've never been a huge fan, mostly because I was always busy doing something when the show was on, but the Doctor is addictive and I have enjoyed Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Yes, I did see the first episode of the new season and did enjoy it. Sigh, now I'm probably going to be watching it. Thank goodness I don't have HBO otherwise I'd be watching Game of Thrones as well.

So instead of writing that last two days I've been watching TV. This is why it's important for me to have a schedule and keep to it, so that these temptations are easier to resist. Every night, from about 6-8PM, or 9PM depending upon the night, I'm writing. A solid two hour block dedicated to just that one activity, no exceptions. That's how I was able to write 50,000 words in just over two months. That's how I'll continue on writing and honing my skills.

At least today I was able to pull myself away from the TV and get something done. I'm over halfway through the revisions of my first novel, and I just completed one of the largest chapters. I'll have to work extra hard tomorrow to make up for all the goofing off I've done so far this weekend.

And We're Off

Just a quick note to say, that yes, I have indeed submitted my novel to Angry Robot books. I'm sure it will be praised and hailed as a triumph, bringing both my future publisher and myself critical and commercial success. Indeed.

Yeah.... even I'm having trouble with that one. Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of the book, and proud of myself for writing it, but I am realistic about my chances. This is my first novel, and it's a bit on the short side. My chances of it being picked up are slim, and I'm far from done working on it. So far I've got the prologue and the first four chapters done to a degree I'm happy with. I'm going to have to spend the next few months continuing to revise, on the off chance I do get a request for a full manuscript. Then there are a few more steps that need to be completed over at Angry Robot books before a decision would be made.

If the book does get accepted it would be 2013 before it's published, so not anytime soon. So even if this book turn out to be a home run I've still got plenty of times up at bat before I see any results.

Wish me luck!

Updated Novel Status

Anyone remember that novel I mentioned I was working on? The one I wanted to have completed by the end of March so that I could submit it to Angry Robot Books?

Guess what? The first draft is done!

Total word count at this point is 66,221. I expect that to fluctuate as I start revisions, going up and down as I find parts that require more explanation/showing and other parts that need to be ruthlessly pruned. Yes, the process is far from over.

So what have I learned from this. One, I can actually sustain the writing effort on a single project over a longer period of time than is required for shorter works, or in other words I can actually write freaking novels! Two, I can currently generate an output of 1000 words over two hours per night on average, or at least I can while writing first person narration. I'll need to write a longer work in third-person to see if this is the case. Three, having a general outline helped, but I am able to stray from it and come up with some interesting ideas.

I should probably say a bit more on that last point. During the writing process I actually had a character morph on me. Initially I intended him to be a lazy, no good bum, who's sole purpose was to cause calamity and die horrifically. As the writing progressed this character actually started to take on some heroic qualities, and became more rounded and mature as things went on as the plot demanded he step up and accomplish certain things. I won't mention his ultimate fate, but needless to say I was impressed at how rounded a character he became. I'm still a bit nervous about my characters, as that was one weakness that was pointed out to me by Karl Schroeder when he reviewed the short story I submitted for review while he was writer in residence for the Merrill Collection. I think I've addressed that weakness, but I won't know for sure until someone other than me reads my novel.

So where do I go from here? First, I need to take a short break. Not a long one as I need to get this in to Angry Robot by the end of March, but a few days to rejuvenate my creative juices wouldn't be amiss. I really do want to see a couple movies that have just come out or are about to come out, so this would be the perfect time to go and see those. Even though I'm staying away from the keyboard, my mind is still working on the novel and a plan is forming for revision. I know certain things I want to highlight in the book, and certain characteristics about each character I want to stand out. During the draft I discovered that two of the characters have a tragic flaw, and I want to make sure that's portrayed consistently, and I want to see if I can figure out the tragic flaw for the third character and find a way to make it clear as well, and all of this without clubbing the reader over the head with it.

I know my chances of this getting published are slim, but even if this book never sees the light of day (or ends up as a Kindle self-pub special) I've learned something from the process. Even better, I have numerous ideas ready for the next book I want to write, so even if this one doesn't take off I'm far from done.

The Importance of Checking Convention Websites

So you register for a convention that's going to be months ahead in the future. You've been there before, had a great time, so signing up for the next year is a foregone conclusion. No need to check the website for the con, as you've already made your decision, right?

Wrong! You can miss out on opportunities that way, especially if you're attempting to become an author.

I'm signed up for Ad Astra this year and looking forward to it. As I've said before, I had a blast last year and I'm looking forward to going and seeing some great people and attending some interesting panels. And that is what this post is all about.

Recently I checked out the website for Ad Astra to see if they'd started posting what panels were going to be run this year, and lo and behold what do I find but a "speeddating" event matching up writers with editors/agents/publishers. Oh what fabulous day! Surely I will attend this and find someone who will take by newly written novel (which I'm still in the process of writing but hope to have done by the end of March, nearly 48000 words written so far thank you very much).

But there's gotta be a catch. So, wanting to be sure I get a chance to get in and dazzle the literary gatekeepers instead of being left out in the cold I emailed the con staff asking if registration for the even was required. Turns out this was a good idea as, yes, registration would be required but they were still sorting things out and would put my name down as interested. Whoo Hoo!

So, checking a con's website every now and then even if you've already signed up is a good idea. Otherwise, you may miss out on a great opportunity.

First Post of the Year

Wow, it's been awhile since I've actually bothered to put something up here. I should really do something about that.

Work continues on the first draft of my first novel. So far I'm eleven chapters in with over 40,000 words written. By far this is the most I've ever written on any single one project.

It's interesting how things have developed. I've been able to delve much deeper into each character, and they've changed a little bit from my original concept. One character has become a lot more competent than I originally planned for him to be, and the relationship between all three of my main characters has taken on an interesting dynamic. To be honest, I'm really surprised sometimes by what's coming out of my head.

Another good thing I'm seeing is I'm able to get more words down on the page each night. It used to be I'd have trouble getting even five hundred words down in under two hours, but now I'm regularly hitting a thousand in the same time frame. I've doubled my output!

And that's the reason January has slipped mostly past without me putting up a blog post. I want to get a first draft done, so I haven't been going out to see movies or shows or anything else interesting enough to put up a blog post about. Heck, even my readings been suffering. I have a biography of Napoleon that I started before Christmas that I still haven't finished reading. Oh well, maybe I'll have some free time to do stuff after March and after I have my novel in the hands of the readers for Angry Robot books.

Last Post of the Year

Well, we're all about to say goodbye to 2010 and welcome in 2011, so I thought I'd do the obligatory post to wrap-up this year and welcome the next.

So what did I accomplish this year? Let's see:

1. I continued to write.

I've written at least three original stories this year, and one was even a novella (which I really should look into getting published). I've also started writing my first novel, and as of today I have completed over 24, 000 words on it. Also, my week of writing a bare minimum of 2000 words a day has gone smashing so far, as I've been able to make my goal each day, or at the very least made up the shortfall the very next day. This proves to me that I can do this. I can write, and each day it gets a little bit easier as I continue to stretch my mental muscles. I've spent this entire year proving to myself that I can be a writer, even with everything else that's going on in my life.

2. I got out to conventions.

This may not sound like much, but I've never been a terrible social person and I hate being in crowds where I don't know anyone else. So of course I ended up going to two different conventions all by myself without any of my friends, and one of them being an eight-hour bus trip away from home. Oi! But it all worked out in the end. I met a lot of great people at both and had my eyes opened in a whole new way. Going to conventions is part of being a science fiction/fantasy author, so if I want to succeed I'll need to go. The funny thing is, I found that I actually enjoyed going and look forward to going again to see all the people I've met before and I look forward to meeting new people. I can't wait to go as a published author and be on the other side instead of being just a fan, yet at the same time I also really do enjoy the fan experience.

I've already booked my two conventions for this year. My plan is to hit Ad Astra and SFContario. While I really enjoyed ConCept, I really didn't like the hotel it was at and this year I think I'll stay closer to home. Who knows, I may also get out to Anime North with a bunch of sword nuts I know who put on a demonstration.

3. I started working out and joined a kendo dojo.

Kendo is something I've always wanted to do. I love swordplay and have a fascination with Japenese culture, and luckily there is a great club in my city. All the members are very supportive, the training is fun, and I'm actually doing quite well at it. Also, I found a gym I like with an owner that offers free training advice. Heck, I even bought an exercise bike for home and have been using it. I still need to work on my eating habits, but I'm a long way from where I started a couple years ago. I'm in much better shape, I'm much healthier, and I intend to keep it that way and keep improving in the future.

So where do I go from here? Well, I'm going to try to get my novel in shape for March so that I can submit it to Angry Robot books while they have their open submissions period. Aside from that, after I'm going to start putting the stories I have sitting around out there to see if I can get them published, and after I finish writing my current novel I'm going to start on the next.

Look out 2011, here I come!

Oh, and before I forget, Happy New year. May you and yours be safe and happy.

First Chapter Done!

Yea! I've gotten the first chapter of Transmission written with the over 1200 words I've done so far today. I think I'll take a break and get some lunch, and then maybe reward myself with the Scott Pilgrim Blu-ray that just came out his week. Hmmm....

The Plot Thickens

The plot of my novel to be that is. Just finished the rough outline tonight, after spending the week on it and the characters. I'm actually really, really happy with what I've got. I've tried to make the characters each unique and not exactly what you expect.

I'm still not sure how much I actually want to reveal about my novel or even my writing on here. It seems that some people think that anything put on the Internet is public domain. (Oh Cook's Source, you are so going to get owned by your editor's colossal stupidity). Also, I don't want to give away too much because the novel is dependent upon revealing things at a certain pace. It starts with third person narration, switches to first person in a kind of flashback explaining how things got to the point we see in the beginning, before switching back to third at the very end. The thing I like about it is that there is a story contained in the prologue and epilogue that then encapsulates the rest of the story. And it actually will make sense in the end and help to setup the main story I want to tell.

Will it work? Well the only way for me to know is to write the dang thing and then get someone to read it. All I can do is my best, and if this doesn't get published then I move on to the next idea and start writing, and keep writing until I make it or keel over, whichever happens first.

Novel in November

Ok, so it's Nov 1. Time to start a novel.

First off, I'm NOT doing NaNoWriMo this year. As I've stated elsewhere I do want to write my first novel without the added pressure of an artificial goal on top of it. I'd much rather take my time on the first one as I'm still figuring out my process and what works for me. Also, I still have a novella and two short stories in various stages of completion and waiting on feedback, so I may be interrupted to work on those and get them out to be published (hopefully).

So what's the plan? Well, this week is going to be spent getting characters and plot squared away. I have an idea about what I want to do with both but need to get them written down so I have something concrete rather than the random fuzzy firings of my brain. Once I've got the characters sketched out I can get a rough idea of the plot for the book and then start writing to fill it in.

I don't know if this will ever get published. I may write this and then hide it somewhere to never be seen by others, or it may be the first thing of mine that actually gets published. All I know is that I have to do this, I have to do it now, and I have to keep at it. I want to be a writer, and the only way to do that is to write.

Remember, Remember, the month of November

OK, so we're into November and you know what that means?

Snow?!? WTF Mother Nature! (Yes, I actually saw a brief snowfall today, in Southern Ontario, shudder)

Nope, it means another chance to do NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month for those of you not familiar with the short form. The goal is to write a 50000 word novel in one month, that month of course being November. It means writing about 1666 a day, or lets just round it off to 2000 with a day off here or there. Let's put that into perspective. Robert J. Sawyer (yes, I like the guy- met him twice and both times he was pleasant and approachable), a professional author, writes an average of 2000 words a day, and that's his full time job. So the goal of NaNoWriMo is to have the quantitative output of a professional writer for at least one month.

Is this possible? I mean, most of us can't afford to spend all of our time writing. We have jobs to go to, errands to run, lives to live, etc. Heck, even the number of writers that only write and do nothing else is starting to diminish. So all in all, this is a daunting feat for many.

So, the question is, am I going to do NaNoWriMo this year? The short answer is No. The longer answer is No and stop bugging me about it! Seriously though, I'm not ready this year. I've just really gotten back into the writing swing, and my 500 words a day works for me right now. I hope to start bumping that number up and I have been developing better work habits. I'm less likely to wander away from the computer and watch TV. When I'm not writing I'm spending more time reading, which in the end will help my writing a great deal. I recently finished a book on Revision and Self Editing and my writing has improved from it. Just need to keep the improvements going.

Alright, I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'm going to make a public pledge in this blog to enter NaNoWriMo in 2010 and start work on my first novel. Until then, I'm going to keep on working on getting a short story published.