michaeljasper.net
"Another Wrecked Web Site"
April 24, 2001
Tuesday ain't much better.
Today's Quote:
The second shape sat up, mice covering him. Joshua's mouth formed the word "No" when he realized it was Titus, but he couldn't force any sound from his throat. What was left of Titus was covered in a rabid blanket of mice. Joshua nearly dropped his crowbar when he realized his old teammate was trying to say something.
Today's Progress:
Still revising ch. 33...!
The Official Dare Page
I could've just stayed in bed today and not gotten up 'til noon - just long enough to eat some cereal and crawl back into bed. I guess I'm just recovering from a busy and stressful couple of weeks, plus I've been pushing myself pretty hard on the writing front the past 2 months. It's been great, but I guess every now and then something's got to give. The biggest problem I've had lately hasn't been getting out of bed so much as focusing on what I want to work on once I'm up. Part of me wants to write another story and send it out to Asimov's again, another part of me wants to fix up the fantasy novel and send that out, but the biggest part of me really wants to finish the horror novel. I've gotten it this far, and it's really come together nicely, almost professionally, and I don't want to quit while the end is so close. So I need to suck it up and finish the last 60 pages.
I did pretty well today - not this morning but on my lunch break and during free moments at work. I'm trying like mad to get through chapter 33, the shorthand chapter. I added more details to Joshua's scene with the hairy boys, and I need to get back to that now. It's night time and I have the laptop out. I plan on doing an hour of revising, then starting Perdido Street Station. Busy busy busy.
One other thing I've been working on lately has been organizing convention information. I'm going to two cons for sure this fall - the Millenium Philcon over Labor Day, then Trinoc*Con here in Durham in October. I'm trying to see who's all going to Philly, and I'm trying to encourage other writers to come to Trinoc, and then I'm seriously thinking about going to Montreal for World Fantasy in November. It could be very good timing, as my story should be out in Asimov's by then (I hope I hope I hope!) and I could do some good networking and just enjoy the comraderie of my fellow "dark fantasy" writers.
And finally, speaking of dark fantasy, my story "Black Angels" made the first cut at the Lone Wolf "Stones" antho, and is currently in the second round of readings! Let's hope they dig it - I'll know by June 5th, according to Judi Rohrig, the series editor. I also have another story at another publisher, so you never know… 2001 could be a big, big year.
So, enough writing about writing. I need to go DO some writing. Chapter 33 ain't going nowhere…
It's a bit later. I'm almost through Joshua's scene in the basement. This scene has taken forever! Hopefully I can finish it off tomorrow. I'm up to page 322. Not bad. Later.
mjj
April 23, 2001
Monday. Ugh.
Today's Quote:
Go to the cellar of the school, Race had said, covered in mud, his entire body smoking as if it had just been on fire. There your eyes will be truly opened to what is going on.
Moving as if guided by forces unknown to him, Joshua passed without a sound through the hallways to the tiny janitor’s closet. The hatch door stood open. Bright light spilled out of the hole in the floor, and Joshua could see steps leading down into the depths of the school.
I’m not sure how badly I want my eyes opened, he thought. I’ve already seen enough mucked-up crap tonight for two lifetimes.
Today's Progress:
Still revising ch. 33...
The Official Dare Page
I've got all sorts of stuff running through my head today. I really wish I could take a week off and get caught up on everything. But I've got to be patient and take things one day at a time.
I've been getting some great feedback on the first 50 pages of the fantasy novel in the past few days. People like my friends Chris and Cinque, my co-worker Kathy, and my mom have all had great insights into what works and doesn't work. Part of the problem with this whole story is that I'm really, really attached to it, for almost nostalgic reasons, and I want to get it into print somehow. And I won't stop until it is all written and off to a publisher. Someday. One of the ways I've been considering getting Last of the Hand into publishable form is by gearing it toward a younger audience. A couple people have suggested, if I want to go this route (and I'm not 100% convinced of this, as I don't want to be a Harry Potter wannabe, though that market would be a great market to tap into...), that I need more younger characters to suck in younger readers earlier (thanks Mom and Kathy for the insight!). One way I could do this, which could actually be quite cool, would be to make John a 12-year-old boy when Azure comes to him. Maria could be the same age. So instead of a competitor with John, Azure becomes a teacher, an older, supposedly wiser man who senses the potential of John and Maria both, and takes them under his wing (okay, it does sound a bit like Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker from "Star Wars," but it's a pretty common thematic element in any story - the teacher-mentor relationship). Hmmm... I'll have to give that one some thought. It's actually quite intriguing, and would definitely ratchet up the tension and emotional impact of the prologue, having a young man being chased through 1870s Chicago with fire all around him and big lugs chasing him with Pincers.
As for the horror novel, I'm on page 319 of 369 pages! I'm down to 50 pages to go on the revision, then I'm taking a little break from it while Greg gets caught up with his comments I'm slowing getting through chapter 33, the chapter that probably needs the most work of the 8 chapters I have left to revise. A lot of it is written in a kind of prose shorthand, outline format that needs lots more fleshing out. I hope to get it all done by the end of April. And I will. I've been good about meeting my self-imposed deadlines. Mostly. On a bigger scale, Greg and I talked yesterday and he had some excellent notes on how to fix up chapters 1 and 2, probably our most problematic chapters right now. We're really got to do those sections up just right, even more so than any other passage in the book. We've got to hook the readers without giving away too much. I look forward to getting his marked-copies of the first 300 pages I sent him. Sounds like once we get the opening sections cleaned up, then fix up the final section which I'm working on now, we'll have a kick-butt novel out there to stick under some editor's nose. It's gonna be a great feeling to get this novel done. It's taken a lot of work and time to get to this point. Over a year and a half, and 4-5 months of that were spent just letting it sit. So, we shall see, we shall see. For kicks, check out my buddy Tim's kind words about my story that recently was accepted as Asimov's. Talk at ya tomorrow.
mjj
April 22, 2001
Back to it...
Today's Quote:
Race lifted the sword, the burning metal sizzling and popping in the rain. Guided by the movements of his sword, Race turned in circles, blazing a figure-eight through the air, the red line of the sword's wake remaining in his retinas like an afterimage. Below him, voices screamed as the frequency of the buzzing changed once again. Race moved his sword faster and faster, forming the infinity symbol in front of his body. As the cross circled and circled, its four square edges melted and shimmered and became two sharpened, almost lethal edges, like a blade.
Today's Progress:
Revised ch. 33
The Official Dare Page
So yeah, while yesterday was a ton o' fun, today it's back to work. I think I've told everyone I could tell about my acceptance yesterday, and I'm slowly getting over it. Now I really really want to get back to work on the horror novel. Got to keep that momentum going, you know. So today, after checking my email countless times and futzing around some more, I sat down and added more details to ch. 33 with Race moving through town and heading for the jail to spring Clint, Riley, and Diana. I've added some good details and passages there, trying to slow down the narrative and really suck the reader in. It's all about the details. That's what makes the difference between a good story and an awesome story. Think of the last book or movie you saw. What details do you remember best? Not just that one character was really funny, or really slimy, but try and remember a phrase he or she said, or something specific he or she DID. That's what I'm trying to do here. Add memorable details. Like in the movie "The Wonder Boys," when Michael Douglas's character gets bit in the leg by the dog, and he limps throughout the rest of the movie! Most actors and directors would forget about this. Great attention to detail there. So that's where I am on the horror novel. I'm going to talk to Greg shortly and go over some of the details and the logistics. I think we can have this ready to go out by the end of May.
This week could be a little hectic. Got a bunch of stuff to finish on the writing front. I won't bore you with the details, but all three of the novels I've been working on are about to get a major boost on the drafting/revising/editing front. It'll feel so awesome to have all three of these bad boys finished. I realize I'll just start another one, but if you stop and take a look at all the learning that went on in those three, it's pretty amazing. Now that I sort of know how the novel-writing process works, I think I'll be less concerned with the nuts and bolts of it and be able to write faster and focus more on the characters and the story.
Also, speaking of stories, I want to start thinking about revising my time travel story about Buddha. I think that would be a fun story to get out there and continue my good luck with publication. I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple anthos/magazines, but it coud very well be that I'll run out of either stories or pro markets to send stuff to. Then I guess I'll write some new stuff and keep sending stories to semi-pro 'zines. I like getting my stuff out there, even if it doesn't pay 3 cents plus per word. As long as someone out there is reading it and enjoying it, my work here is done...
mjj
April 21, 2001
Jonesin' no more!
Today's Progress:
Celebrated my acceptance and messed with some revisions
The Official Dare Page
I believe my exact words yesterday were: "I'm jonesin' for some new good news about acceptances. It's been a while - since December, I think." The "drought" of 2001 is over! I got an acceptance letter in today's mail, at long last, after almost 4 months of waiting. I remember getting up this morning wondering if I should send off a query about the story, and thought better of it. "Just be patient," I told myself. And it paid off! Gardner Dozois at Asimov's said he liked "Natural Order" and he wanted to buy it! Holy crap. I had to read his short letter about 10 times, then I fell on the floor with the dog and the cat and tried to catch my breath (Lizzie wasn't here, so I had to celebrate with the pets!). Once I came back to Earth, I called my mom and shared the good news with her, and e-mailed as many folks as I could. Now, I don't want to be melodramatic, but this publication for me is huge (part of me is worried that I misunderestood the response, that when he said "I'll take it" he didn't mean publish it, but that he just got the story, it made sense to him -- urg. Let it go). Not only does it break me into the ranks of the few, the proud, the Asimovians, but it gives me my third pro print publication, which give me Active membership into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Quite an accomplishment, and one of my career goals. It also gives me my third qualifying publication for the James W. Campbell Award for New Writers, and this pub is the biggest of my previous two ("Mud and Salt" in the Writers of the Future antho and "Scotty's Song" in Strange New Worlds IV). Getting "Natural Order" published in Asimov's is my legitimization (what's the word AJ used in his diagrams? Authentication? Approbation? Shit - can't remember it). But it's a good, good thing. Trust me on this. At last, at last, at last!!! So. The trick now is to remain focused. I'm close to finishing up with the horror novel, and I'm feeling better and better about it. This afternoon was supposed to be spent revising the final chapters, but I got completely sidetracked. Believe it. But I'll get to them tomorrow morning. I've got until the end of the week, then I want to start drafting the last bits of the fantasy novel. And I haven't even told you about the story I've got waiting at one place as a revision, and the other story I have in the 2nd or 3rd round of readings at another antho. Fingers crossed, and back to work. Validation. That was the word! This acceptance letter was my validation. :) mjj
April 20, 2001
Convergance and divergance.
Today's Progress:
Read and made notes on chs. 35-end
The Official Dare Page
Okay, so now I know what I need to do to finish the horror novel. The trick is going to be finding time to do it. I think tomorrow will be a good day to jam on it -- I can get up early and write for a while, then take a break to go to Big Ed's for breakfast, then Elizabeth is heading off to plan a friend's shower with her friend Clarke, and I'm coming home for 4-5 hours of uninterrupted writing. That may do it for me. Sorry -- you'll have to forgive me. I know it's not very interesting to read about how I'm planning to spending my time... It just goes to show how busy things can get. I feel like everything is converging with my writing lately, in a good way. The horror novel is almost done, the fantasy novel is gearing up next, and if I had time I'd send off my mainstream novel to 2 places I've had in mind (that still may happen, depending on how much I get done this weekend). I've got a couple stories out that have really good shots at publication, including one I should be hearing about today, I think. I hope. I'm jonesin' for some new good news about acceptances. It's been a while - since December, I think. I guess I've gotten spoiled, after selling a bunch o' stuff last year. Got to be patient, y'know. As for the writing today, I sat down and made a bunch of notes on what I need to do for the last 55 pages. It'll probably balloon out to 65 plus pages, though I do plan on cutting some existing stuff and reshaping it for pacing and tension. I feel pretty good about it. Most of it is just slowing down the narrative enough to really hit the emotional buttons. A lot of what I have is sort of a shorthand kind of summary version. No description of the setting, the characters' thoughts, and so on -- it's mostly just action. I'll get there. By Sunday I predict my part of the revision will be done. All I need to do then is draft a synopsis, send Greg the cover letter for him to tweak as needed, and talk with him on the phone on Sunday. Then I should be ready for Project #2. I'll keep you posted!
mjj
April 19, 2001
Too much going on!
Today's Quote:
Once Race was able to take the breath he had forgotten to take before leaving his body, the waiting rain and wind hit him again, throwing him back onto the ground. Overcome by the rush of sensory information, Race Bannister remained there in the cold Nebraska mud, his vision fading into blackness and shadow, as he waited for his destiny to arrive.
Today's Progress:
Read and made notes on chs. 33-34
The Official Dare Page
Man, there's always something, isn't there? In this case, I shouldn't even be complaining, because it's all good stuff happening, but as usualy, it's all happening all at once, and I'm having trouble concentrating on what I'm doing. Not good when you're at work... But anyway. Here's the deal. I'm totally pumped up now about getting to work on Last of the Hand, now that folks are starting to make comments on it. My friend Cinque made some excellent comments yesterday, reading all of the first 50 pages and asking for more. My Acknowledgements Page when the book is published continues to grow. It's cool getting comments like that from people who aren't fiction writers but just good readers. I sometimes get frustrated by the comments from other writers, because I feel like they are competing somehow and don't want to give praise where praise is due, or they think their only job in critiquing is to point out what (in their opinion) ain't working. When I look at someone's work, I always mark great sentences or plot twists or excellent writing. That's half the fun of reading for me -- finding those gems and sort of "thanking" the writer for them. But I digress... This morning I had trouble getting to work on Autumn's Fall as a result of my newfound enthusiasm for the fantasy novel. I'm also considering sending my first novel to a contest by month's end, but I simply don't think I'll have the time. If I do send it, I'll probably just send it as is, without the revision I know it needs, in which case it'd be silly to send it out. But I can't help it - I like having stuff out there. As for progree, I did get to read over chs. 33 and 34 this morning and made lots of notes. This is where it gets hard, because the last few chapters are very sketchy, so I just made notes where I needed more detail or needed to slow down. I'm also looking for any place I can cut. I feel much better about it. There's some great writing in there, especially the start of chapter 34, when Race is kneeling in the muddy field outside of town, waiting for the villain's approach, and we get to hear more about the Guardian who is "borrowing" Race's body for a while. Cool stuff. Later.
mjj
April 18, 2001
Mo' better progress.
Today's Quote:
Titus heard the tiny footsteps first, scrabbling across the concrete floor. Mice, was his first thought. Lots and lots of mice. His second thought was of the mouse he had brained with his shoe at Riley’s house only two days ago. Wish I hadn’t done that now.
Today's Progress:
Revised ch. 32
The Official Dare Page
Good morning. Argh. I'm tired. Stayed up late so I could finish King Rat. Very good book, almost a great book. One of those books that would be even better the second time through. The author did a nice job of setting up a bunch of plotlines, the pulling them all together in the end, with some great surprises and an excellent climactic scene that takes up over 30 pages. Very well done. I was impressed. Some of the book was a bit slow, but I think I felt that way because I was in a hurry to read it so I could get to his next novel, which is over 700 pages... In any case, I feel really good about accomplishing all my goals for myself yesterday and this past weekend. I truly feel like I'm on the track to polish off this horror novel of ours by the end of the month. I sent off the most recent chunk to Greg yesterday, over 100 pages' worth. That covered everything up to and including the Interlude. This morning I fixed up all of chapter 32, my last really long chapter. I did some trimming to speed of the pace a bit, and now I'm ready to work on the really problematic sections in the next 2 weeks. A lot of the stuff at the end was really rushed, as I was gettting burned out on it last year (almost a year ago). So I need to slow down and really ratchet up the visuals, the characters, and the emotional impact. I also want to add a scene where Riley and Diana discover the poisoned grain in the warehouse, instead of having the villain do an "I'm going to kill you but first let me reveal my insidious master plan" speech when he battles Race. And maybe fix some logical and logistical problems I had with certain events. It's funny. Working on this novel on an almost daily basis has opened me up to a lot of the problems I was having with the book, and the answers just sort of present themselves in the process of writing. Case in point -- I thought it was dumb that Riley just went off with Diana to her house instead of searching for answers with the other guys. It made him look like a sissy, and even worse, it confirmed some stereotypes of him, a gay man. So now he shows his heroic side when he goes into the burning house looking for Shawn and is overcome by smoke inhalation. He really should be going to a hospital, but he instead goes to Diana's and nearly collapses. The situation just fixed itself. Here's hoping the rest of the 50+ pages left do the same. And finally, in other writing news, I've sent out the first 50 pages of The Last of the Hand to a bunch of family and friends to get their take on it. I'm especially interested to see if pre-teens like it, so I sent it to my niece and nephew along with the son and daughter of a woman I work with, all ages 9-12. I'm curious to see if the kids are sucked in by the story and action. So far my feedback has been positive -- my sister-in-law read the first chunk yesterday and wanted to see more! And hey, what the heck -- if you're interested in reading the excerpt and synopsis, I'd be happy to e-mail it to you as a Word attachment...