Writing News, December 2000

michaeljasper.net

"Another Wrecked Web Site"

December 14-15, 2000

Today's Words:

500

Year-to-Date Words:

126,300

Today's Quote:
I definitely need a drink, the old man thought, pulling on his tattered layers of clothes. He shivered at the scream that he'd both heard in his dream and the scream lodged in his throat the instant he awoke. A stiff drink has always worked in the past.

The first half of the novella has been polished up. I'm sending it out to my fellow writers this morning, then we're out of here for the weekend.
I feel really good about what I've put together, out of a long story of 14,000 words that is now over 26,000 words, well on its way to becoming a full-length novel. As I was revising and rereading I found lots of places to add backhistory (like how John injured his leg - who the heck stabbed him there?) and more and more cool details that came out unconsciously while I was drafting this beast.
It's nice to be able to sit and go through the draft all at once, like I did last night at NC State's Caldwell lounge with my laptop, working while Elizabeth took her final. Oh, the memories of the State campus. I had a good hour and a half of work, and I felt like a youngster again, with everyone stressing about their finals. Don't miss that a bit!
Then this morning I got up and finished up the first half of the novella. December's been a good month - churned out about 8,800 words! Not bad for writing 5 hours a week, huh? It's been fun.
And I finished up today with barely a minute to spare - we're heading out soon. My next posting probably won't be 'til Monday or Tuesday of next week. Have a good weekend, all!
mjj

----------

December 12, 2000

Today's Words:

1,100

Today's Quote:
Two perfect bullets hung in the air not two feet from the boy, surrounded by a twinkling blue light. The boy stood staring at them, untouched.

Finished most of the drafting this morning. Wahoo! I've got over 25,000 words on the novella version of the story, and even more on the novel version. I'm pushing hard right now to get a draft of the novella done before we go away for the weekend. So while Lizzie is studying hard for her final on Thursday, I'm banging out words so while she's taking her test, I can be revising my draft. Then I'm taking the weekend off!
We're going to Hot Springs, NC, to celebrate her birthday and celebrate a year of very hard work. It should be fun. I haven't had much chance to look forward to it until now - I sort of live day-to-day when it's as busy as it's been lately. And I try to enjoy those days. Which we will this weekend.
But back to the writing - I feel good about what I wrote today, much better than yesterday. I just kept adding more and more stuff, and the bones are there. I do think that drafting is the hardest, and it's sometimes boring. You have to get the people in the right place, get them from one scene to another. It's the revision that's fun, when you start making the themes come together and the characters start coming alive. I'm not saying that drafting is drudgery, though. It can be a huge rush, and it usually is. Especially when I get in the zone, and I stop an hour or two later and look at all I've done.
But it's also work. Rewarding work, though.
mjj

----------

December 11, 2000

Today's Words:

1,000

Today's Quote:
"I ask you again," Azure said, shouting above the crackling of energy as it poured out of his hands and into the boys sitting in front of him. "Where did you boys learn about magic?"

Monday mornings are rough. I got up no problem, even wrote for a solid hour, but didn't feel really good about what I'd written. Maybe I'm just over-analyzing my draft, and I need to just forge ahead and get the barest bones of the story down, then worry about the rest later. But I guess I'm worried by that approach, because I'm only a third of the way done with the novel, and I don't want to continue until I get the first section nailed down pretty tightly.
In any case, I finished the scene in Azure's office as he interrogates the two gangster-wannabe boys, after York and Mexico drag them back to the office, and Jersey finally has too much and leaves. Of course, he has the presence of mind to totally muck up the big weather-changing machine Azure has been running before he leaves...
Next is the section with Kellie and Ms. Haze, all leading up to the big finale in the hospital. It's going to be good, I just need to trust myself. Right?
In related news, I spent most of the afternoon yesterday reading Julie Anne Parks' novel, Storytellers. Good stuff so far, and I'm over half over. She writes well, and the plot has taken some nice twists and turns. I'd recommend it, so far. For more information, check out her website.
mjj

----------

December 9, 2000

Today's Words:

1,500

Today's Quote:
Azure gave Jersey a cold smile as he entered his inner sanctum. The door closed behind them, cutting off the hum of the Doppler and the computer servers, leaving the four of them in a room of silence offset by the softest tinkling of soft music. Azure had a thing, Jersey knew, for old music. This music sounded like a harpsichord, or maybe a hammered dulcimer. Jersey preferred grunge.

A good stretch of uninterrupted time this cold winter Saturday morning. I'm in the fun part of my fantasy novel, with most of the drafting done on my first third. I decided this past week to send the first third out as a novella, so today, along with countless other tweaks, I added a sort of ending that works for the novella. Can't tell you, of course, but I think it works.
All of a sudden, things are clicking into place on the novel. I worried about the amount of main characters, the constantly switching points of view, and the logic behind the magic, but it's all working out. Just have to trust myself and keep thinking about the story. That's what it all boils down to, the story. And of course, the characters. For some people, the characters drive the story, for others it's the opposite. For me, it's both. I know, sounds like a copout, but they're totally dependent on one another for me. For example, one of the characters is trying to quit smoking, so he's in a foul mood, which leads him to be doubtful of any hints of magic in the world, which keeps him from blindly following his partner, who's totally sure there is magic and he's gonna find it. Stuff like that is fun. It's little details like that, when I come across them in a book, that make the reading more real and the story come alive.
Speaking of well-told stories, I'd recommend reading the first part of Elizabeth Hand's Xmas novella on the Sci Fiction website, "Chip Crockett's Christmas Carol." Hand is a master storyteller, and her characters are as real as any I've read. She taught for a week at Clarion while I was there, and I learned a lot from her that week. She didn't give us any exercises to do after we were done workshopping stories (which upset some folks, not me), but just told us "Go write." Excellent advice. It was with her help, and many others, who helped me get "Mud and Salt" - the story I wrote during her week at Clarion - into such good shape that it would go on to be published. So maybe I'm predisposed to like her story... Or maybe it's just a kickass story. Read it and see.
mjj

----------

December 5, 2000

Today's Words:

1,600

Today's Quote:
A second later, Jeroan saw Manny scoop up the ball he'd dropped earlier and launch it with all his strength at the big man with the mustache. Jeroan ducked, waiting for the man's head to snap forward. The big man cocked his head at the sound and easily grabbed the ball in midair with one massive hand.
"Now, now," the big man said to his taller friend. They stood side by side, smiling at the boys who had them surrounded. "Is that good sportsmanship?"

Just finished a rough draft of a new chapter featuring the first appearance of agents York and Mexico, two big mothers who work for Dr. Azure. They get to break up the basketball game that the gang members are playing and generally wreak havoc with the supposedly toughest members of the group, all to get Marky and Jeroan to take back to HQ. We also get more with Manny, the gang leader, and his reaction to the video tape from the first chapter. Lots of fun stuff.
I guess it's not so bad being sick, so I can get all this writing done - I'm at home today, and am trying to make the most of it. I've gotten in more than an hour's worth of work, and I think I'm ahead of schedule on the fantasy novel. I may even work some more on the horror novel this afternoon, if I feel up to it.
Luckily, the heat in the house has come back on. It's 20 degrees outside, and I guess our heat pump doesn't like those low temps at night. I was freezing my butt off until I called my dad and got his expert advice (pull the plug and let it sit for a while, then plug it back in, basically!). The dog and cat were huddling together for warmth up 'til that point.
Never a dull moment here in the Jasper household, right.
The other big news is that I made my second big sale! Hot on the heels of my publication in the Writers of the Future antho and my whirlwind tour of the greater Raleigh metropolitan area, I got a phone call yesterday from John Ordover, an editor at Pocket Books, with the new that my story was selected for inclusion in the next "Strange New Worlds" anthology. Too cool. This was the story I wrote in about a week, "Scottie's Song," after talking to the series editor out in LA. I guess it is good to get to know folks personally, especially if they are editors. But as he said, you still have to write a good story. I like the story, and I had fun writing it. It probably wouldn't have been as good if I wouldn't have written it so damn fast. So that marks my second official pro-level sale in the science fiction and fantasy arena. I'm one step closer to achieving my goal for 2000 - three pro sales to top markets. Wahoo!
mjj

----------

December 3, 2000

Today's Words:

1,700

Today's Quote:
"How much did you babies get?" Manny asked, for the second time. The first time all Jeroan could hear was the jackhammer echoing in his brain. He glanced away from the irritation growing on the sixteen-year-old's face in front of him. Jeroan hated being short, but he hated being only twelve worse.
"Nothin'," Marky said before Jeroan could stop him. He held the broken camera behind his back, and Jeroan could hear the pieces clattering together from Marky's shaking hands. "We got jumped instead."

Time is about up for me today on the laptop - I wanted to spend just a couple hours writing, and that's what I've accomplished. I finished the chapter I started on Friday, like it a lot (it gives some insight into the two wizards' history together, and what happens to Maria). I also wrote another chapter today, with the two boys Archie encounters in the first chapter (the ones who try to jump him and end up getting fleeced and thrown about by Archie!). So that was fun, incorporating my basketball setting for the gang member wannabes. They've taken over an abandoned tenement building and are ripping out the top 3 floors so they can use it to play ball, because the cold weather outside is keeping them from playing outside.
I can usually tell when I've about written all I can in a sitting, because I keep checking the word count and seeing if I've met my goal for the day. I didn't get 2k as I'd hoped but I came close, and I don't want to just slap something down just to have it. I'm quite pleased. I'm on schedule and enjoying what I come up with.
Now I need to recover from this nasty cold that's been kicking my butt the past few days. And it looks like the snow we were supposed to get has fizzled out. Bummer! Elizabeth is really frustrated. She was looking forward to a day off work. I wouldn't have minded that either.
Now I'm off to read some of the stories by the authors I met yesterday. Just read the George RR Martin story in Asimov's, and liked that a lot (I guessed how it should end, and I was correct! I'm 2 for 2 with Gardner's stories in that issue so far!).
mjj

----------

December 1, 2000

Today's Words:

1,400

Today's Quote:
A lantern glowed next to the big oaken door of the inn, casting the eastern side of the two-story building in shadow. Dangling from two frayed roped above the entrance, the sign pronouncing "The Crossroads" rocked gently in the cool wind. John felt his sweat turn cold as he searched the darkness for his friends. Always a worrier, he could hear Michael saying now. John stepped into the darkness beside the noisy inn, the warm sounds of laughter, food sizzling, and mugs of ale hitting tables beckoning his weary body.
If anything has happened to them, he thought, I am lost.
As soon as his thought was finished, hands grasped his shoulders and threw him to the cold, hard ground.
"Repent, sinner!" a voice hissed into his ear.

I was tempted to sleep in this morning. The bed was warm and outside it was cold. But I'd made a contract with myself to write 5 hours a week for the next couple of weeks. That doesn't sound like much, and really it isn't, but the secret is making the most of those hours and not frittering them away like I had been doing. The way I figure it, I can draft at least 1,000 words an hour at that pace, as long as I've got my outline and I've been thinking about the material (more on that later). So that's 5k a week, at least 20k a month. Not bad, eh?
For right now, I'm writing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 5 a.m. for an hour, then Saturday or Sunday morning for two hours. It also helps that I've been getting more exercise - jogging with the dog, lifting weights at the gym we have at work, walking the dog some more at night - which helps me sleep and focus.
And focused I was this morning (he says in his best Yoda voice). Sat down and jumped right into the new chapter of the fantasy novel, a sort of dream sequence/memory for the main character, Archie. I'm having a ball with it, though I need to check my history facts (Archie and his colleagues are moving through remote villages in the Middle Ages, using their new-found magic to heal people from a plague, despite the physical cost it takes on them). Right now I'm just winging it, as far as my facts go. Which is fine, as long as I go back later. All that matters is getting the words out. Can't be slowed down by something as insignificant as facts, right???
Anyway, I wanted to talk a little bit about preparation and using my time to its fullest, as I only have 5 hours to actually sit in the chair and write. Soooo... the rest of my time can be spent preparing for those 5 hours. This includes thinking about the story on my commute to work (can be a bit dangerous, if I get caught up in the story and traffic's bad!); I did this for the chapter I'm working on, though I came up with it half a month ago (glad to see my memory is still relatively good). Also, looking over my notes on my lunch break or at night, just to keep myself in the story. And outlining. Right now the fantasy novel is plotted only a third of the way through. So I've got to get going on that in the next few weeks. I can't just sit down and make the words come. I need an outline, if only to have something to fall back on.
Anything to make the words flow. More on Archie and the gang (ouch!) later. They're about to come under attack by suspicious townspeople, and Maria, Archie's colleague, is not going to fare too well, I'm afraid...
Also, I've been playing around with "Autumn's Fall" here and there, rearranging and cutting whole sections. There may be something there. I'm intrigued. As my quote of the day calendar says: "People rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun doing it."
I'm having fun again.

Home

mjj

	michaeljasper.net *"Another Wrecked Web Site"*
December 14-15, 2000 Today's Words: 500 Year-to-Date Words: 126,300 *Today's Quote:* I definitely need a drink, the old man thought, pulling on his tattered layers of clothes. He shivered at the scream that he'd both heard in his dream and the scream lodged in his throat the instant he awoke. A stiff drink has always worked in the past.	The first half of the novella has been polished up. I'm sending it out to my fellow writers this morning, then we're out of here for the weekend. I feel really good about what I've put together, out of a long story of 14,000 words that is now over 26,000 words, well on its way to becoming a full-length novel. As I was revising and rereading I found lots of places to add backhistory (like how John injured his leg - who the heck stabbed him there?) and more and more cool details that came out unconsciously while I was drafting this beast. It's nice to be able to sit and go through the draft all at once, like I did last night at NC State's Caldwell lounge with my laptop, working while Elizabeth took her final. Oh, the memories of the State campus. I had a good hour and a half of work, and I felt like a youngster again, with everyone stressing about their finals. Don't miss that a bit! Then this morning I got up and finished up the first half of the novella. December's been a good month - churned out about 8,800 words! Not bad for writing 5 hours a week, huh? It's been fun. And I finished up today with barely a minute to spare - we're heading out soon. My next posting probably won't be 'til Monday or Tuesday of next week. Have a good weekend, all! mjj
---------- December 12, 2000 Today's Words: 1,100 *Today's Quote:* Two perfect bullets hung in the air not two feet from the boy, surrounded by a twinkling blue light. The boy stood staring at them, untouched.	Finished most of the drafting this morning. Wahoo! I've got over 25,000 words on the novella version of the story, and even more on the novel version. I'm pushing hard right now to get a draft of the novella done before we go away for the weekend. So while Lizzie is studying hard for her final on Thursday, I'm banging out words so while she's taking her test, I can be revising my draft. Then I'm taking the weekend off! We're going to Hot Springs, NC, to celebrate her birthday and celebrate a year of very hard work. It should be fun. I haven't had much chance to look forward to it until now - I sort of live day-to-day when it's as busy as it's been lately. And I try to enjoy those days. Which we will this weekend. But back to the writing - I feel good about what I wrote today, much better than yesterday. I just kept adding more and more stuff, and the bones are there. I do think that drafting is the hardest, and it's sometimes boring. You have to get the people in the right place, get them from one scene to another. It's the revision that's fun, when you start making the themes come together and the characters start coming alive. I'm not saying that drafting is drudgery, though. It can be a huge rush, and it usually is. Especially when I get in the zone, and I stop an hour or two later and look at all I've done. But it's also work. Rewarding work, though. mjj
---------- December 11, 2000 Today's Words: 1,000 *Today's Quote:* "I ask you again," Azure said, shouting above the crackling of energy as it poured out of his hands and into the boys sitting in front of him. "Where did you boys learn about magic?"	Monday mornings are rough. I got up no problem, even wrote for a solid hour, but didn't feel really good about what I'd written. Maybe I'm just over-analyzing my draft, and I need to just forge ahead and get the barest bones of the story down, then worry about the rest later. But I guess I'm worried by that approach, because I'm only a third of the way done with the novel, and I don't want to continue until I get the first section nailed down pretty tightly. In any case, I finished the scene in Azure's office as he interrogates the two gangster-wannabe boys, after York and Mexico drag them back to the office, and Jersey finally has too much and leaves. Of course, he has the presence of mind to totally muck up the big weather-changing machine Azure has been running before he leaves... Next is the section with Kellie and Ms. Haze, all leading up to the big finale in the hospital. It's going to be good, I just need to trust myself. Right? In related news, I spent most of the afternoon yesterday reading Julie Anne Parks' novel, Storytellers. Good stuff so far, and I'm over half over. She writes well, and the plot has taken some nice twists and turns. I'd recommend it, so far. For more information, check out her website. mjj
---------- December 9, 2000 Today's Words: 1,500 *Today's Quote:* Azure gave Jersey a cold smile as he entered his inner sanctum. The door closed behind them, cutting off the hum of the Doppler and the computer servers, leaving the four of them in a room of silence offset by the softest tinkling of soft music. Azure had a thing, Jersey knew, for old music. This music sounded like a harpsichord, or maybe a hammered dulcimer. Jersey preferred grunge.	A good stretch of uninterrupted time this cold winter Saturday morning. I'm in the fun part of my fantasy novel, with most of the drafting done on my first third. I decided this past week to send the first third out as a novella, so today, along with countless other tweaks, I added a sort of ending that works for the novella. Can't tell you, of course, but I think it works. All of a sudden, things are clicking into place on the novel. I worried about the amount of main characters, the constantly switching points of view, and the logic behind the magic, but it's all working out. Just have to trust myself and keep thinking about the story. That's what it all boils down to, the story. And of course, the characters. For some people, the characters drive the story, for others it's the opposite. For me, it's both. I know, sounds like a copout, but they're totally dependent on one another for me. For example, one of the characters is trying to quit smoking, so he's in a foul mood, which leads him to be doubtful of any hints of magic in the world, which keeps him from blindly following his partner, who's totally sure there is magic and he's gonna find it. Stuff like that is fun. It's little details like that, when I come across them in a book, that make the reading more real and the story come alive. Speaking of well-told stories, I'd recommend reading the first part of Elizabeth Hand's Xmas novella on the Sci Fiction website, "Chip Crockett's Christmas Carol." Hand is a master storyteller, and her characters are as real as any I've read. She taught for a week at Clarion while I was there, and I learned a lot from her that week. She didn't give us any exercises to do after we were done workshopping stories (which upset some folks, not me), but just told us "Go write." Excellent advice. It was with her help, and many others, who helped me get "Mud and Salt" - the story I wrote during her week at Clarion - into such good shape that it would go on to be published. So maybe I'm predisposed to like her story... Or maybe it's just a kickass story. Read it and see. mjj
---------- December 5, 2000 Today's Words: 1,600 *Today's Quote:* A second later, Jeroan saw Manny scoop up the ball he'd dropped earlier and launch it with all his strength at the big man with the mustache. Jeroan ducked, waiting for the man's head to snap forward. The big man cocked his head at the sound and easily grabbed the ball in midair with one massive hand. "Now, now," the big man said to his taller friend. They stood side by side, smiling at the boys who had them surrounded. "Is that good sportsmanship?"	Just finished a rough draft of a new chapter featuring the first appearance of agents York and Mexico, two big mothers who work for Dr. Azure. They get to break up the basketball game that the gang members are playing and generally wreak havoc with the supposedly toughest members of the group, all to get Marky and Jeroan to take back to HQ. We also get more with Manny, the gang leader, and his reaction to the video tape from the first chapter. Lots of fun stuff. I guess it's not so bad being sick, so I can get all this writing done - I'm at home today, and am trying to make the most of it. I've gotten in more than an hour's worth of work, and I think I'm ahead of schedule on the fantasy novel. I may even work some more on the horror novel this afternoon, if I feel up to it. Luckily, the heat in the house has come back on. It's 20 degrees outside, and I guess our heat pump doesn't like those low temps at night. I was freezing my butt off until I called my dad and got his expert advice (pull the plug and let it sit for a while, then plug it back in, basically!). The dog and cat were huddling together for warmth up 'til that point. Never a dull moment here in the Jasper household, right. The other big news is that I made my second big sale! Hot on the heels of my publication in the Writers of the Future antho and my whirlwind tour of the greater Raleigh metropolitan area, I got a phone call yesterday from John Ordover, an editor at Pocket Books, with the new that my story was selected for inclusion in the next "Strange New Worlds" anthology. Too cool. This was the story I wrote in about a week, "Scottie's Song," after talking to the series editor out in LA. I guess it is good to get to know folks personally, especially if they are editors. But as he said, you still have to write a good story. I like the story, and I had fun writing it. It probably wouldn't have been as good if I wouldn't have written it so damn fast. So that marks my second official pro-level sale in the science fiction and fantasy arena. I'm one step closer to achieving my goal for 2000 - three pro sales to top markets. Wahoo! mjj
---------- December 3, 2000 Today's Words: 1,700 *Today's Quote:* "How much did you babies get?" Manny asked, for the second time. The first time all Jeroan could hear was the jackhammer echoing in his brain. He glanced away from the irritation growing on the sixteen-year-old's face in front of him. Jeroan hated being short, but he hated being only twelve worse. "Nothin'," Marky said before Jeroan could stop him. He held the broken camera behind his back, and Jeroan could hear the pieces clattering together from Marky's shaking hands. "We got jumped instead."	Time is about up for me today on the laptop - I wanted to spend just a couple hours writing, and that's what I've accomplished. I finished the chapter I started on Friday, like it a lot (it gives some insight into the two wizards' history together, and what happens to Maria). I also wrote another chapter today, with the two boys Archie encounters in the first chapter (the ones who try to jump him and end up getting fleeced and thrown about by Archie!). So that was fun, incorporating my basketball setting for the gang member wannabes. They've taken over an abandoned tenement building and are ripping out the top 3 floors so they can use it to play ball, because the cold weather outside is keeping them from playing outside. I can usually tell when I've about written all I can in a sitting, because I keep checking the word count and seeing if I've met my goal for the day. I didn't get 2k as I'd hoped but I came close, and I don't want to just slap something down just to have it. I'm quite pleased. I'm on schedule and enjoying what I come up with. Now I need to recover from this nasty cold that's been kicking my butt the past few days. And it looks like the snow we were supposed to get has fizzled out. Bummer! Elizabeth is really frustrated. She was looking forward to a day off work. I wouldn't have minded that either. Now I'm off to read some of the stories by the authors I met yesterday. Just read the George RR Martin story in Asimov's, and liked that a lot (I guessed how it should end, and I was correct! I'm 2 for 2 with Gardner's stories in that issue so far!). mjj
---------- December 1, 2000 Today's Words: 1,400 *Today's Quote:* A lantern glowed next to the big oaken door of the inn, casting the eastern side of the two-story building in shadow. Dangling from two frayed roped above the entrance, the sign pronouncing "The Crossroads" rocked gently in the cool wind. John felt his sweat turn cold as he searched the darkness for his friends. Always a worrier, he could hear Michael saying now. John stepped into the darkness beside the noisy inn, the warm sounds of laughter, food sizzling, and mugs of ale hitting tables beckoning his weary body. If anything has happened to them, he thought, I am lost. As soon as his thought was finished, hands grasped his shoulders and threw him to the cold, hard ground. "Repent, sinner!" a voice hissed into his ear.	I was tempted to sleep in this morning. The bed was warm and outside it was cold. But I'd made a contract with myself to write 5 hours a week for the next couple of weeks. That doesn't sound like much, and really it isn't, but the secret is making the most of those hours and not frittering them away like I had been doing. The way I figure it, I can draft at least 1,000 words an hour at that pace, as long as I've got my outline and I've been thinking about the material (more on that later). So that's 5k a week, at least 20k a month. Not bad, eh? For right now, I'm writing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 5 a.m. for an hour, then Saturday or Sunday morning for two hours. It also helps that I've been getting more exercise - jogging with the dog, lifting weights at the gym we have at work, walking the dog some more at night - which helps me sleep and focus. And focused I was this morning (he says in his best Yoda voice). Sat down and jumped right into the new chapter of the fantasy novel, a sort of dream sequence/memory for the main character, Archie. I'm having a ball with it, though I need to check my history facts (Archie and his colleagues are moving through remote villages in the Middle Ages, using their new-found magic to heal people from a plague, despite the physical cost it takes on them). Right now I'm just winging it, as far as my facts go. Which is fine, as long as I go back later. All that matters is getting the words out. Can't be slowed down by something as insignificant as facts, right??? Anyway, I wanted to talk a little bit about preparation and using my time to its fullest, as I only have 5 hours to actually sit in the chair and write. Soooo... the rest of my time can be spent preparing for those 5 hours. This includes thinking about the story on my commute to work (can be a bit dangerous, if I get caught up in the story and traffic's bad!); I did this for the chapter I'm working on, though I came up with it half a month ago (glad to see my memory is still relatively good). Also, looking over my notes on my lunch break or at night, just to keep myself in the story. And outlining. Right now the fantasy novel is plotted only a third of the way through. So I've got to get going on that in the next few weeks. I can't just sit down and make the words come. I need an outline, if only to have something to fall back on. Anything to make the words flow. More on Archie and the gang (ouch!) later. They're about to come under attack by suspicious townspeople, and Maria, Archie's colleague, is not going to fare too well, I'm afraid... Also, I've been playing around with "Autumn's Fall" here and there, rearranging and cutting whole sections. There may be something there. I'm intrigued. As my quote of the day calendar says: "People rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun doing it." I'm having fun again.
Home	mjj