Break Time!!!

Hey faithful readers,

Hope all of you are doing well.  As usual, I am a day late and a dollar short on my blog update.  I just wanted to remind all of you to have a safe and wonderful Christmas season.  We are two weeks from the big day and personally I am getting excited.

I know a lot of us find this time to be very enjoyable, but also extremely stressful.  And for those of us who are also in school it's even worse.  Finals are killer this time of year.

So I wanted to officially announce my holiday break!!

I'll be back in early January, when all of this holiday excitement is behind us.  Keep  a close eye on the future, exciting things are in store for all of us.

Overshadowed is going exceptionally well!  I have picked out my Alpha readers, now if only I can get them to actually take up the project with me.  All the rest of you will have to wait until the book is in print to find out what the story is all about.

Until then, you guys have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Chapter 19: Dealing with distractions.

So we've all been there. You sit down in your bubble of creative space, load up a fresh document (or sheet of paper), lay your fingertips to the keys (or grab your pen), and...

I personally am not a big fan of the “writers block” excuse. I don't know about you, but my time is valuable, and I don't have a lot of it to use on writing.  So I need to bring my
“A game” every time I touch the keyboard. I need to have myself prepared to capture "usable" material every time I enter my bubble.   Now mind you, this doesn't always work. Occasionally I fail miserably, but mostly things work out just fine.

If you’re struggling in this area, than you’re probably wondering how I do it.  I have never thought of myself as an expert, more like a peon than anything.  But what works for me, well it works for me.  So if you try it, it just might work for you...

A big part of it, the part I was planning on talking about, has to do with the atmosphere of writing.  I write at pretty much the same time, in roughly the same place, and go through a similar routine each time.

My routine is simple; I grab a huge cup of coffee, have music blasting out of my IPod (right now it’s Iration), and a comfortable seat. When I do this, my head instantly goes to writer-mode and I am ready to drop a ridiculously huge word count.  

I think doing what makes you comfortable will help create your bubble.  Hemingway got rip-roaring drunk first, and that worked for him.  That’s probably not the best idea, but hey it worked for him.

My bubble is strange, it’s not the type of atmosphere you would not picture being conducive for creative writing, but it is.  I like my bubble; you should like yours as well.

When I put music on, it’s usually just one song on repeat, and let it play as background noise.  This keeps my mind from getting lost as it wanders around in the outer fringes of the galaxy-sized void in my brain. It's my own type of quiet. 

Another preparatory action I take is to enter my bubble with multiple goals. Sometimes, I want to create something new.  My imagination is on overdrive, my fingers are on fire, and a whole new universe is created.

Other times I don't feel inventive at all.  That's when it is nice to have several projects in play, or one project in several different stages of completion.   If I don't feel like working on something new, I can jump into the guts of my story.  I can find dialog that needs to be repaired.  Or I can line-edit a fight scene.  Or I can email my editor, so she can remind me what my characters ages are.  

 

But what about the times when I'm not in my bubble?  When I have to write outside of my normal elements?  Or (gasp) what if there is no more coffee????

I, by no means, have all the answers, but I do have some experience with having to be flexible when writing.  I love my bubble, but it’s not always available.  That’s when I have to use “the plan.”   

Just so we’re clear, I always try to approach writing with a plan. I don't just sit down and start banging out stuff, because that doesn’t work for me.  I do believe there are times when you have to capture an idea, and if you don't, then you will lose it.  Those times are a great learning experience, and I encourage you to give it a try, especially if you’re a new writer. For me, it has been a long time since I’ve tried to write like that.  I don’t normally try to write anything until I have digested it mentally first

In closing; I have a lot of material, I have a bubble, and you can bet I have a cup of coffee.  That’s what works for me, if you don’t have tools like this in your toolbox, then maybe you should focus on getting some. If you’re struggling with new ideas, maybe you need to have a daydreaming session and work on getting some.  If you’re struggling with even that, than you should tune in next week, because I'm going to open the huge, monstrous, discombobulated can of worms that is my mind. I’m going to talk about daydreaming.

In personal news, I just started reading Stephen Kings On Writing and I’m quite excited.  It’s about time I started learning how to do this correctly. 

 In Overshadowed news, we are almost done!!!!!!

I can almost see the finish line, and this time it’s not a mirage.  It’s the real-deal, the finale, the end. 

Well sort of....

Actually, it’s more like the beginning (crap)... I’m still excited though.  I am going to go through and remove all my silly little notes to myself, cross my i’s, and dot my t’s, and see what she looks like.  Then it goes to the alpha reader stage.  And finally, there’s that pesky little part, the one where I get someone to publish it...

  So keep reading, and get your friends to read as well.

Also comments and emails are always welcomed. I love insight from others, so don't be shy.  

Writing updates

Okay so here's the deal...

I wasn't able to get my usual style of chapter ready for S.O.F. this week, and since it's Saturday morning I figured I would instead give some teasers of the projects I'm working on. I'm gonna be vague on some things, but at the very least it will give you all an idea of the scope of writing I am currently doing.

I'll start with the obvious:

Overshadowed is going extremely well, I am working on trimming one last chapter. It's pretty wordy, and laden with lots of adverbs and adjectives, kind of embarrassing lol. When this chapter is finished we only have one small half chapter left and the final draft is DONE!!!!! I am working on some character bio's, brief summaries, and a major teaser project (more of that later). For now, if you're interested in getting a sneak-peak of Overshadowed, let me know. I am seeking Alpha Readers.

Other projects:

The major teaser project is a prequel to Overshadowed. It is being written in Novella form and is going to be available for your reading pleasure some time in the spring. I'm very excited about this story, it is loaded with action and suspense, and is one of my most favorite pieces.

I just finished up a 1500 word short for a short story contest. The contest deadline is December 1st, so that is going out today, or if I have to procrastinate further, on Monday. I am supposed to hear news of my victory sometime in February.

Those of you who were quick enough to catch my release of 'Glass Walls' a couple of months ago, got to see a completed short story. I am going to try and publish that story, I feel it could do well in the current Sci-Fi marketplace. So in my spare-time, I am working on getting submission packets together.

I have several "Shelf Novels" in the works as well. None of them are true Sci-Fi, none of them are true Fantasy. I'm finding it difficult to fall into a particular genre as a writer, maybe I'm going to need to create a pseudonym.......

One of those "Shelf Novels" is my spin on the current vampire craze. It's also my attempt at humor writing. It's been interesting, but I haven't found much time to work on it in the last year, so it is collecting digital-dust in my Hard Drive.

I have a handful of projects that I am shy about. Primarily because I am extremely excited about them, and the future they present for me as a writer. So they all get categorized as my "Super-Secret, High-Hopes Novels", if I am able to effectively market Overshadowed, I will start working on one of these. One novel, it's working title is called 'Darkness', is a story that gives me goosebumps if I think about it too much. So that will probably be the next project I tackle; and I promise that it won't take me five years to finish it.

And finally, the Overshadowed sequel!!!!! Yes Overshadowed is a stand-alone novel, but the story is not completed. In fact it's just getting warmed up, I have some major things in store for the readers of this series. The sequel, which I have tentatively called 'The Lure of Shadows' is in the basic outline form right now, and it blows my socks off when I go there. I simply cannot wait to start writing this book; I have been stuck in line editing and re-drafting for a llllloooooonnnnnnggggggg time now, and I am ready to continue the story of Overshadowed.

So that is all for now readers. Keep a close eye on this blog, things are starting to get very exciting. I promise that it's worth the wait.

'Til next time...

Sorry for the Absence

Hey faithful readers, I would like to apologize for my absence as of late. When I started this blog, I committed to providing one chapter a week. The last couple of weeks have been full of challenges that have made it difficult to hold true to that commitment.

So I offer you my most sincere apology. I will be back on Friday with a new chapter just for you.

Thank you all for your patience, and as always, for reading this in the first place.

Chapter 18: All It Takes is Imagination

Many of us who claim to be fiction writers can also claim to have an active (or over-active) imagination. There are always exceptions, but for the most part that is the case.

For me personally, ideas come in waves. They start with some imaginative twinge, or some random inspiration. I won't have anything for a month or so, then suddenly there are ten different ideas bounding around in my head. I am once again entering a season filled with new ideas. I love mulling them over and just enjoying the story as it unfolds in my mind.

All this talk of imagination has really got me thinking about something. If you spend much time involved in writing than you know some people view the imagination in a rather funny light, it’s almost placed in a box of sort. It’s venerated for it’s power, but it’s also condemned for what many consider improper use.

Perhaps you're wondering what I'm talking about, perhaps you've already ascertained where I‘m going with this. However one would think, because of my vague opening, that such a presumption would be impossible to ascertain correctly. I can assure you that was my intention. I wanted to give your imagination some time to mull it over, before I pulled back the curtain and revealed where I am going with this.

I want to rant about Mary Sue or Marty Stu (or Gary Sue), depending on gender, and origin of reference. Now I know what you're thinking. What the heck are you talking about? Who, or what is a Mary Sue?

A Mary Sue is the process of an author writing themselves into a story. Not just writing themselves into the story mind you, using their writing as a platform for “wish-fulfillment”. Basically taking the heroic aspects of a character and projecting it onto themselves. This creates a couple of issues, the first being it can be quite egotistical. Secondly it can be classified as wishful thinking, that you as an author are only creating an outlet for your own over-inflated self worth.

Now I say all of this with an addendum, a good author can Mary Sue themselves and disguise it so well that most people can’t discover it. A shallow Mary Sue will usually lack any real development. They will possess something that gives them a completely unfair advantage, and will pretty much always do the things we all wish we ourselves could do.

I have heard all of those comments and more when I have been privy to discussions on this topic. I have heard many people slam Christopher Paolini on this one. They call him egotistical for blatantly “Mary Sueing” Eragon, saying it was based on himself, and they have called him crazy for going so far as to write with a quill. Do I think either of those approximations are true? Honestly, I don't. Writing is very challenging, wanting to create a certain type of atmosphere is sometimes best done by putting yourself as close as possible to the atmosphere you are trying to write. This is actually nothing more than intelligent writing. It helps make it a little bit more real for you the writer, which will translate out into the story, making it more real for the reader.

The area that really makes me angry is how writers are viewed for even Mary Sueing in the first place. It's like you're required to imagine a world, build it from the ground up, populate it with limitless races, fill those races with events of endless combinations, and keep yourself out of it completely. How many of you when you were little, imagined that you were a Jedi Knight? Or you were wielding a sword that turned blue when it was near Orcs? How many of you condemn someone for writing a story, and basing the main character on that very same heart of imagination as a key theme??? Its impossible for me to not plant myself in a story, because at the end of it that is what it’s all about. It's about transporting your mind to a place where your imagination can thrive, and really enjoy itself.

So in all seriousness, why be upset at someone for basing a character on themselves? Is it because we are selfish and want to hold all the imaginative cards for ourselves. Maybe it's hard to allow yourself to go to the place where you're the one walking the hero's journey, if you know it was intended for someone else all along.

I don’t really know why people get condemned for projecting themselves on their stories. I think if it’s an issue of over/underwriting a character, than character development is the way to resolve it. If you want a hero that is able to defeat every obstacle he faces you’ll have little interest in your story (unless your superman).

Anyways, that's my rant for this week. I consider myself an exception to this because I don't Mary Sue myself. It helps having a female protagonist for one, but mainly because I take it to an even higher level. I try to hide a small trace of myself in every character I write. That way, my readers get to know me just a little bit better each time they read one of my stories.

In Overshadowed news we are plugging right along. I'm getting hyped to start revealing a little bit more about the story every once in awhile. I'm going to be building an awesome website soon with plenty of cool stuff to help get you excited for Overshadowed. You're gonna want to check it out, then you're gonna want to tell everyone you know about it. Overshadowed is coming, and it’s going to be huge.

As you can tell, I'm getting excited. You can't blame me though, I've been working on this book for a very long time. Getting so close to the end is so exciting

Well that's all for this week, drop me a line and let me know what you think.

'Til next time.

Chapter 17: Overshadowed Update

Hey everybody! I hope you're enjoying your Friday evening. And I hope this blog post will help make it that much better of a night, lol!!

Have you ever felt like you were on the verge of a major change in life? I love that feeling, I love knowing that something great is about to transpire.

The last few chapters on the science of fiction have been rather forced, and for that I apologize. Sadly my personal life has encroached on my ability to blog. I have not been able to spend the time formulating decent ideas, thoughts or advice on what I have stumbled across through my writing.

However, I don't think things are going to change much for me as we start to get closer to fall. School is plodding right along, work is work, family is amazing and Overshadowed... Well Overshadowed has never been more exciting.

We are approaching the completion of the latest round of major editing. This is far and away the most time consuming part of this whole process. Since it is drawing to a close, those of us who are working on this project can't help but feel that we are almost to the top of the mountain. Well I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll speak for myself. Getting near to finishing this book has me more excited each and every time I touch the keyboard. Now I'm not saying that the work is done, because it's not. In fact, the work is just beginning, fortunately the work from here on out is more enjoyable, and a lot easier.

I want to start featuring some of the characters of Overshadowed, so I can start to tease you guys a little bit with tidbits from the story. For now, let me just say that I have never been more excited to see what's going to happen next.

In that regard, I am wondering if any of you want to know what happens next. I am looking for several individuals who love to read, and who would be willing to do some work on Overshadowed with me. I need a handful of people that are willing to do an alpha reading project on this book. If you're interested in getting a sneak peak at Overshadowed, and you're willing to spend some time discussing it's finer points with me, than this is a great opportunity for the both of us. Just shoot me a quick email, Facebook, or leave a comment here.

I also have three short story projects in the works. I don't have any plans to post anything on the blog just yet, but I might be persuadable. I have finished two short stories and one thing I'm going to be doing going forward is cataloging my adventures of trying to get them published. Keep an eye out for updates there, it should be interesting.

I hope you're as excited about getting to read Overshadowed as I am to finish it. Get ready to tell your friends and family to hop on the Overshadowed bandwagon, we can all ride it together.

Thanks for your time!



'til next time!

Chapter 16: A good Red Herring.

So, what makes a good red herring? How can you trick someone into believing a lie, and then tell them that you meant to do it all along? How do you cheat someone out of their expectations, and then have you thank them for it?

Back in 2003, John Cusack starred in a phenomenal film called "Identity". It was the story of a group of individuals that were trapped in a hotel in the middle of the desert. And slowly, one by one, they are killed off. It is an awesome story, that keeps you in suspense the entire time. And the icing on the cake is a properly placed Red Herring that leaves you going "WTF?".

The Red Herring is *Spoiler Alert* the fact that all the characters are the different parts of a psycho-criminals multiple personalities. The hotel they find themselves in is part of the the killers mind, and the good parts of his mind work together to try and destroy the bad.

I think this is one of the best examples of a Red Herring because it is subtle, yet powerful, and a creative twist on a generic formula. The story in itself is not some completely unheard of, original, and powerful script. It actually was quite normal, rather run-of-the-mill in fact. A knock-off of more than one movie that had already been made.

That is the first key in my opinion for pulling this thing off. You have to work in a platform of familiarity.

So, what else is necessary when writing a Red Herring? What will make our story complete? Ironically enough the general rule of thumb when it comes to writing a Red Herring is to not do it in the first place. You run to great of a risk of leaving the reader feeling jipped, when the main character wakes up, and we find out that he was just dreaming. Nobody wants that in a story, unless of course it is the hidden ingredient that makes the story complete.

I would say that the next key for a well placed Red Herring, is to take the reader to a place they did not expect to go. And (this is essential), it must, must, MUST (did I mention must?) be a more enjoyable place than where they expect to end up at. In the case of Repo Men, the big surprise reveal left me wishing the actual ending had of been the one that took place. Just because the fake ending was so crazy and weird, it would have been awesome if the hero's had of been able to pull it off.

So my closing thoughts on the subject are this; write in familiar territory for your reader. Don't try to throw a loop on a story that is already throwing the reader for a loop. If it's an exciting, bold, new idea, than let it stand on it's own two feet. Take them to a place that is better than where they would go if you hadn't pulled the wool over their eyes. And lastly, be most careful about when you decide to try this. For young authors it is rare to get away with something like a Red Herring. Especially on a first publication, but then again, you never know what could happen...

If you faithfully follow my blog, you will see that it is dwindling in size week after week. This is simply because I am in a very busy time in my life. I am going to school, working full-time at a very demanding job, have a wife and three kids and Overshadowed is rapidly drawing near completion. It is an exciting time in my life and one I will remember for a long time to come. Sadly it makes blogging a little more challenging. I'm not saying this because I'm going to be quitting, on the contrary, I hope to expand the scope of this blog to include not only random musings on how to write better, but also things I am employing in my day-to-day life to try and help acquire new skills.

I have been convicted for not reading lately (college textbooks do not count), I finished off the Green Mile earlier this year and have not touched a book since. For a writer this is a dangerous idea, especially when one is finishing up a large project. So I went on my iPod and purchased a Brandon Sanderson novel. It's called Warbreakers and it is quite good. I don't normally have much of a taste for what I consider “traditional” fantasy novels, but this one is well worth the read. I will keep you updated on my progress.

I also have three separate short story projects in the works right now. Who knows, if you're good, I just might post some of them. I'll keep you posted.

'Til next time...

Chapter 15: Positive Plagiarism.

I know I promised everyone a chapter dedicated to good Red Herrings for this week, but I am wayyyy behind the 8 ball and can't get it prepared in time. Ironically, had I prepared it I would've probably not used it anyway. The reason for that is because of a movie I watched today, a movie that got me thinking about plagiarism.

Having been given the day off, my Wife and I decided to take the kids to the Theater to see a film my daughter has been wanting to watch. It's called Legends Of The Guardians, perhaps you've heard of it. So after watching this movie it got me thinking about ways to take stories that have already been told, and use their familiarity for your own purposes.

I know last week I busted out some spoilers, but this week you can read easy. LotG has only been out in theaters for two weeks and I don't want to give away anything. So this is going to be a spoiler-free chapter.

Before we delve too deeply, I do want to encourage you to go see this movie. It is not doing so well at the box office, and that's a shame. I think it's a gem of a flick, and the CGI was marvelous. In fact I would be so bold as to say the CGI/3D blend was one of the best I have ever seen, at times it was shoulder-to-shoulder with Avatar. But we aren't hear to talk about the pretty graphics now are we?

I wanted to talk about the storyline, because even with the smashing effects, that is what caught my eye. The story is about a young owl, full of natural ability, but still held down by self-doubt, he is basically tasked with saving the kingdom from a unstoppable weapon, and simultaneously helping fight off an army of masked owls led by a evil dark lord that (go figure) also wears a mask. Other interesting points in the story are the wise old owl he meets, that is ironically part of the legends he heard as a youngster. This owl gives him the advice to “follow your gizzard”, which he does, and well because of that, pretty much saves the day. Now I'm curious, is this ringing any bells with anyone?? Anyone at all? Lets see some hands...

It's pretty much Star Wars, there, I said it. Some may disagree, but I'm just saying. You can't watch this movie without superimposing Obi-Wan's voice saying “use the gizzard Luke.”

Sorry, about that. I can't help myself... I'm glad I got the joking out of my system. Honestly, the fact that this story had already been told to me didn't even bother me, and that is what surprised me the most.

This movie captured the essence of correct plagiarism in that it took an old story line, and made it into something new. I was quite impressed by how well it was done. And as someone who nitpicks every little nuance of pretty much every movie/book I ingest, I was caught off-guard and pleasantly surprised by the fact I didn't trash this movie, and simply because of the gizzard thing.

In my opinion I think the Star Wars model is a good one. It shows a character arc that we all wish to travel (from normalcy to greatness), and is full of suspense, action and danger. And at the core it's a good, old-fashioned, good triumphing over evil story. And that is enough for me, because it allowed me to escape into the world of Owls with helmets, and root for the good guys.

Now my question is, how can we as writers walk this tightrope effectively? How do we take the parts of stories that have already been told, and use them in new and exciting ways? And more importantly, how do we do it without looking like rip-offs, and complete hacks?

I would love to see some reader feedback on this. If you don't feel the urge to post a comment, email me at overshadowedipod@yahoo.com, I think this is a healthy topic, and one worth discussing. I for one have my own idea that has been stuck in my head for half a decade and I need to finish it, so I'm gonna keep this chapter short. I don't think I ripped off anyone in my writing, but I do hope I captured at least a couple of the aspects of story-telling that turn a regular story into something great.

I will let you be the judge.

'Til next time.

Chapter 14: Sad excuse for a Red Herring.

Before I get started this week, I feel I have to warn you. I am going to be discussing a movie (Repo Men), if you have not seen this movie this is your warning, there will be spoilers. If you have not seen the film, and don't want it spoiled for you, skip this chapter until you have.

So, one night my wife and I found ourselves in that increasingly rare place where we have time on our hands and nothing to do. Having just acquired a new TV, we figured a movie night was in order. I buzzed over to the local Redbox and picked up a movie called Repo Men. In all honesty I was thinking of picking up a romantic comedy for my wife, but sadly they were all out (dodged that bullet).

A future chapter will have to be on the subject of people who digest entertainment, not because they wish to be surprised by it, but because they crave a certain emotional response. And I'll go ahead and include the template for every romantic comedy ever made, so if you're interested then you can write your own romantic comedy. But that is for another place and time.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes, Repo Men. The movie is based on a book called, The Repossession Mambo. I have never read the book, so I won't pass judgment. However I will attest that the movie was total tripe. Not because the acting was bad (it wasn't), or the effects weren't good (they were). It was because the story was terrible, inconsistent, and felt weak. To top it off, they threw a massive Red Herring into it at the end.

Before we go on, remember that everyone is a critic, (especially me) and a Red Herring is an effort by the story teller to divert your attention from what is really going on.

The story is basically summed up as this; a pair of ex-military buddies work together repossessing man-made organs if the organ recipients can't make their payments. Obviously removing someones heart/lung/kidney is deadly, so they struggle with justifying whether it is murder or not. During a repo, one night, one of them is injured, and is forced to get a transplanted heart in order to live. After the surgery, he suddenly develops a conscience, and can't bring himself to repossess any more organs. This leaves him with no paycheck, and before you know it, the shoe is on the other foot, and he is now being hunted by repo men.

He befriends a woman, who is also unable to pay for her organs, and they fall in love. They realize how futile it is to keep running so they decide to take down the whole organ donor structure so they can go on living like normal.

His best friend is forced to hunt him, they face each other, he defeats the friend, then kills a bunch of people and brings down the entire network. Case closed, that's a wrap... But wait, there's more!

While he is fighting his friend he is knocked out by his best friend and is saved by his new girlfriend. This turns out to be where the Red Herring takes place. Apparently when his best friend knocks him out, he causes irreparable brain damage, and leaves him mostly dead. His best friend pays to have him hooked up to a neural dreamworld where he can live out the rest of his comatose life in paradise, and the whole movie from the knock out onward is his dream.

Now I enjoy a good Red Herring as much as the next guy. But they have to be in good taste, and more-so than that, they have to further or accent the plot.. I don't really feel Repo Men accomplished any of this, in my opinion it only weakened an already malnourished plot.

Here's what turned me off about this storyline. For starters I actually think the premise of repossessing organs is a good one. That is the good idea I like to talk about, the one that makes the story. I however refuse to believe that a society that has continued to advance itself forward enough to develop the ability to make organs would suffer some sort of breakdown in workers comp. So I don't think he would have been forced to pay for his new heart out of pocket.

The second beef I took with this flick had to do with the whole Red Herring. As I said earlier I think it needs to accent the plot, not crush you like a falling piano. It has to have the ability to make the story better. I think the story line was at it's best when it was focusing on two people's struggle against a corrupt and vicious system. It is an honorable battle to fight against injustice, but making it all out to be a dream cheapens that victory.

On a final note, the whole neurological network he was hooked up to was only mentioned once during the movie, it was during a brief conversation and was not talked about for the rest of the film (that I remember at least). I think if you're going to take someone down that road, than at the very least, leave some crumbs along the roadside for the people to snack on.

This was just a rant that has been on my mind since I saw this film. You should see it for yourself, if you haven't already that is. And then let me know what you think of it.

I think next week I'll talk about my personal definition of a good red herring and see what people have to say about that.

As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 13: Vivid descriptions.

Have you ever seen a man with two left arms? Maybe some of you have. Maybe some of you have seen pictures on the Internet, some of you may be experts with photoshop and are making the photos of people with two left arms that are found on the Internet.

And some of you may be like me, and you're writing people with two left arms. I was editing a fight scene in Overshadowed when I first discovered I had a problem.

The problem I was facing, is one all writers face when describing fight scenes. The fact is fights are fast, and writing about them is not. So I was of course committing the cardinal sin of writing the scene too fast. And as these sort of things usually do, it came back to bite me.

The end result was my protagonist spent two whole sentences fighting with two left arms. I had vividly described the scene of the struggle, the placement of all parties involved and their interaction of combat. Unfortunately I hadn't taken the laws of basic anatomy into consideration when I was typing everything out.

When I write a fight scene, I do what probably most anybody does. I try to record how I think I would handle the situation (and that is why it is called fiction), how I would react to fighting a small band of monstrous beasts, and what moves I would make to overcome them. In short, I watch the movie in my head then try and copy it onto paper.

Does anybody else out there write fiction? And if so, what are you finding for roadblocks when describing action sequences? It is a part of story-telling that can be a pitfall for all of us. I know it is for me because I get excited and it's a part of the movie-in-my-head that I really enjoy watching. I want it on paper soooooo bad that I put it down as fast as I can.

What I need to do is take a step back when I approach these types of scenes and find a more disciplined method for capturing those moments. As always, the better your earlier drafts; the easier your final ones will be. I can be entertained by it, but I also need to be responsible in my content handling.

I find one thing to be true about any type of written story. That if you spend lots of time thinking about it before you put it to paper, you're usually going to end up with a better finished product. So if you find yourself trying to record a scene, and you're stuck on the details, take a step back and think over the sequences you are creating. Spend extra time imagining how you would expect a fight to go. And most importantly stick to the basics when it comes to things like physics and anatomy.

I'm going to leave Glass Walls up for one more week. If you haven't read it, go read it!! As always I appreciate feedback. Hope you all have had a good week.

'Til next time.

Chapter 11: Story building, Part 3

So I have finally finished my first draft. I even came in under my 5k word limit. This is a new feeling for me. Usually I am cutting words to make the length. This time I was a bit too judicious in my efforts and my reward is that I now get to add content.

My characters shaped up well. I have my strong hero; confident and self-assured. And my equally strong heroine, who is a bit more fragile only because of her size. Capturing the dynamics of their relationship as they grow closer together through has been my goal for this story all along. I think the idea of two people falling in love having never touched, or heard each other speak is an interesting one. And thanks to the World Wide Web it is not such a far-fetched concept either.

The story is entirely first-person perspective, from Toms point of view, so we unfortunately never really get to hear much of Sophie’s side, but we see how he grows to care for her and becomes more and more tortured by what happens to her. I also want a seed of distrust to flow through the final decision Tom has to make. Has Sophie been turned? Is she being used by the aliens against him, and if she is does he even care anymore?

So what do you guys think? Do the tidbits I've thrown out show my story to have enough of the "good stuff" that it will need in order to keep its intrigue, suspense and enjoyment levels high enough to keep you interested? I sure hope so...

One final note about line-editing. Someday I want to do a chapter dedicated solely to the art of line-editing, so I won't go too deeply into detail tonight. I have been doing line work on Glass Walls this week and have found it to be quite frustrating, nothing new there. But I love how it can help to open up a brand new direction that you may have been hinting at, but have not quite put your finger on yet. I know that's pretty vague, but I want to save some of my technical examples for a later date.

A little technical, non-story related blurb. I am going to be changing my Chapter release date from Thursday to Friday. My weeks have become quite busy and Friday is now the best time for me to post this thing. I don't know, I hope that isn't such a problem. Not like anybody has anything better to do on a Friday night anyway.

Hey is anybody excited for Glass Walls? I know I am even more excited about the feedback that hopefully all of you are dieing to give. I cherish opinions, (especially harsh ones) for I feel they help me grow. If you would like to make a comment, but lack the gumption to subscribe you can post it. Please take a few seconds and email it to me at OverdshadowedIPod@yahoo.com and I will post it for you. I hope to have some discussion points from my story, so please don't be shy.

Without further ado; I will make this official, Glass Walls will be available for your reading pleasure on September 17th, so set your calendars and get excited. But hurry it's only going to be available for a limited time.

'Til next time...

Chapter 10: Story building Pt. 2

So just to give a quick update. I am about 40% done with my short story's first draft , and thoroughly enjoying myself; short story writing is fun!

I've gone with the remarkably common names of Tom for my hero, and Sophie for my heroine. My goal is to make the physicality of the pair be as normal as possible, run-of-the-mill, in fact. I have with the aliens as well, they are also rather generic. I have decided to call them Ralphies, not as there actual names but as the name they are referred to by.

The setting will be called the 'X galaxy', I went with a roman numeral name system because I grow so weary of ridiculous made up names that no one would ever consider naming a galaxy after. Also cheesy "new" locations named after current places on earth, (New Memphis, New Jordan) just don't work for me. So the galaxy will be the tenth galaxy currently under human exploration, and one that is only a few thousand years from being swallowed by a black hole.

My characters are losing a battle with time. They are on the side that's winning the war, but are stuck in the clutches of the enemy. They face daily torture sessions, solitude and loneliness, and slowly but surely they are falling in love.

Around them their world is reduced to nothing more than a glass bubble, and daily trips to the torture room. It also seems that the outside battle is drawing close, but they can't be sure of anything.
I already have the ending pretty much wrapped up. I have decided that Tom is going to have to face a decision; to run and leave Sophie, or stay and tempt death.

What would you do?

That seems to be a reoccurring question for me as I write this story. What would I do in that situation? If I can compel my readers to ask themselves that same question, then I have achieved a goal as a writer, and perhaps will have the makings of a good story.

I'm pleased with my progress so far. I just checked my word count, I am at 2900 words. I have finished both the beginning and the end. All I need to do now is throw the middle scenes together and I will have the first draft.

I think I'll have a contest, a test of loyalty from my group of loyal followers.

Does anybody want to play the role of Alpha reader for this project? I will select someone for the job. The pay is unbelievable, and the benefits are out-of-sight. If you're interested just fire off a comment, if you can't comment due to lack of google account, than go ahead and email me at Overshadowedipod@yahoo.com

I'm going to halt my efforts at practical advice for the time being as I have quite a bit on my plate right now. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks though I'm sure it will be back.

Also I'm considering on changing the format in coming chapters. I want to invite reader participation, and have more open discussions. If you're reading this than you're obviously interested in writing, and that means you have something to contribute. More on that in the future.

'Til then...

Chapter 9: Story Building Part 1

So for this weeks installment I am going to start cataloging work on a short story idea that has been bouncing around in my head. As a writer it's easy to focus on one single project, but from a marketing perspective it's important to have several works in progress, or completed.

I'm going to try to keep this story as close to 5000 words as possible, so I'm going to have to keep that in mind as the story progresses. I hate counting words.
If I'm writing a short story that has to be a certain length than I'm conscious of my word count; a good practice for disciplined writing. However if this were a full-length novel, then I would throw all notions of word count out the window, until I was much further into the process.

The first step is the idea, the second is the characters, the third is the storyline.

The idea:

The story will be about a man trapped in an alien concentration camp. It will focus on the trauma he endures. He will only see one other prisoner, a female. They will develop a bond, which will ultimately grow into love, and we will see how far that bond can be stretched.

A little side-note btw: I will need to be extra careful to establish the location of this story as early as possible in the storyline. Prisons/concentration camps are something very common in today's day and age. This is a positive, because most readers will be able to relate very easily with the setting, giving me space to focus on character development and the core of the story. However I must establish this story as a piece of science fiction as soon as possible so as to not confuse anyone.

Characters:

In my vision for this story, I really want to capture the contrast between humanity and alien culture. How I plan to do this is expose humanity at its core, most specifically in the feelings of love. Love is a powerful motivator and can be used effectively in pushing a character in the direction you want it to go.
So my two main characters are going to be a male and a female, and they are both soldiers.

Plot:

The prisoners will be in side by side cells, with walls made of soundproof glass. Unable to hear each other speak, they will find other ways to communicate as they slowly fall in love.
The main points will be the sharing in the suffering, and trying to establish a connection when so many forms of communication are unavailable to them.
Both will be tested, but he will start to notice that she is being broken down. Then he will be given an opportunity to try and escape, and be forced to decide between fleeing, or staying with the woman. Will his growing love for her be enough, or will he leave her behind?

Now, for my own reference point I'm going to create a simple outline. That way I have something to go back to when I need to revive story details in my mind. I can't advocate for outlines enough, if you're writing you should be using one.

Part 1: Our protagonist is in a torture chamber. I will use this time for introducing the main character and his dilemma. I will also introduce the alien antagonists and explain the war that has brought both sides together. Also this room will be revisited later so I had better give some details for my readers benefit.

Part 2: Immediately following part. 1. Will explain his surroundings from his cell, and introduce his female companion

Part 3: Two weeks later He will see her dragged back into her cell after a torture session. They will communicate by writing on the glass walls in blood.

Part 4: They will witness another prisoner trying to escape and dieing in the process.

Part 5: They will develop a bond together.

Part 6: He will have an opportunity to escape, and be forced to choose between freedom and leaving his new found love.

Some of the key points I want to capture in this story will be the psychological toll of human solitude, the cruelty of the aliens, and the feeling of being torn between love and freedom. And of course the big finish, which we'll keep hidden for now.

Next week I'm going to draw up my characters, give them names and appearances, and expand my plot a little further. After that I just might start the first draft. I have a lot of story I need to pack into a small amount of words so I'm interested to see if I can do it.

‘til next time…

Chapter 8: Milestones of writing.

I want to try and revisit some of the milestones of my writing process. I have come a long way, and occasionally it feels really good to sit down, retrace my steps and see exactly how much ground I have covered.

Unknown to most of you, Overshadowed is not my first work. I wrote a screenplay called RFG back in '03-'04. Let me be the first to say that it is awesome! No, quite frankly it was terrible. I consider it the first milestone in this book because without it, I never would have written Overshadowed.

I can barely remember the first time I wrote about Overshadowed, it was that long ago. As you can surmise from previous chapters I had an idea, that was about it. I had a dream and a couple ideas for characters, but beyond that I knew very little. I had no outline, pretty much nothing.
So naturally I started at the beginning; page 1. It makes sense to start there right, right?
That first day was a lot of fun, I wrote several pages about a girl I had in mind for my main character. She was supposed to be an orphan who had nobody. And that was how I started the first day in the life of Angyll.

I don't remember exactly how far along in the process I was when I took my first real break from writing. It had to have been sometime around the completion of the first draft. But I set Overshadowed down and didn't touch it for about three months. No super-deep reason or anything, just because life left me in a place where I didn't feel like working on it.

I include this as a milestone because coming back from that break was a turning point for me, it spoke to me that I could take a break without quitting the whole thing altogether.

My 2nd draft was a huge milestone, but I've already talked about that in previous chapters, so I'm not going to go into too much detail about it. It just was the point where I decided I needed to take my work to the next level. It was the point I started taking things seriously.

After I finished my second draft, I all but quit writing (funny how all my milestones are me taking a break). I didn't touch my book for a year and a half. I had a lot on my plate, and no sense of urgency for trying to finish. Now, to think of not writing for that long makes me queasy, but at that point it was no big deal.
I am thankful for that break because I went through a lot of personal changes. I grew up in a sense, and so did my writing.
When I finally picked up my story again, it wasn't to write, it was to read. I missed the characters and wanted to see how they were doing. I found them in desperate need of attention, and so I grabbed the baton and haven't looked back since.

My first completion was another. I call it my first completion because it was when I finished the story as it stands today. Now mind you many things have changed since then (I reached this stage in 2007 btw), but the core structure has remained the same. It was at that point I printed out my first complete paper copy of my book.

Since I liked reading my book so much I assumed others would as well. So I started to see if someone wanted to publish it. It was premature, very premature. So my next milestone was my first rejection letter.

I personally enjoyed that stage quite a bit. Self-promotion takes work, and is exciting. I found it interesting to learn a little bit more about the publishing process. I learned how presenting yourself is as important, if not more important than being a great writer. So much more than a novel gets picked when one is chosen for publishing. A lot of writers forget that publishers are picking up a person, a product if you will. The other thing I learned was that my book was not ready for publishing.


A very important milestone was a small event with huge ramifications. It happened near the end of 2008. I was in a place where I was discouraged. I was not having any fun working on Overshadowed, and I was not progressing. I was stuck in a rut I couldn't get out of. Whenever I wrote I got super frustrated.
I let my dad read a current draft of overshadowed. I gave it to him not expecting much, but he called me the next day saying he had started reading it and couldn't stop. He had read the whole book in one day and even though it was rough, he had enjoyed it. Being in the place I was at the time his words were a huge encouragement that rejuvenated my desire to write. I still to this day am grateful for that conversation, it happened at a point in my life I needed it.

The most current milestone is having the assistance of an actual editor. Before, only a handful of individuals had ever seen overshadowed, the majority of those were in my family. Truthfully it is a pretty hard process. Putting your work under such scrutiny is humbling, and makes me feel somewhat dumb at times. However it is a better book because of it and my editor has helped me see things from a different perspective. All in all the experience has been very encouraging and fruitful.

I wanted to reminisce about specific circumstances so you could see a glimpse of all that has gone on in this process. However I cannot talk about the major milestones of my work without mentioning a reoccurring one. A voice that has spoken up every time I needed it to. Someone who has given more for this project than anyone else.
That milestone is my wife. She has stood by me through this entire process. She has given me constant encouragement, and has helped more than I could ever say. Even if she wasn’t excited about it at times she has stood by me for the duration. No matter what happens I will be forever grateful for everything she has given up for me and this project. Thank you Ashley.

Practical advice:



Don't rush the process.

Now at first glance this may seem like bad advice. It seems that way because there is an aspect of writing that is based on being able to put your work together asap. That is true, many times in your career (especially if you get published) you will have to meet deadlines. You will have to get great at making your work quality in as little time as possible.
I'm not talking about those times, I'm talking about the times when you are young in your career and things are just starting to take shape. If something doesn't come to you immediately, don't fight it. Take your time and work it out for yourself. If you rush through portions of your writing, without giving them the detail that they need. Then they will always come back to haunt you.
It is going to take roughly a year and a couple months to fix everything on Overshadowed. I don't really count this because I didn't learn how to write before I started Overshadowed but it still would be nice to be finished instead of revisiting what needs to be done.
Write fast if you can, but do it well. Just remember when it is necessary to take it slow, do that.

Chapter 7 Just Write: Part 2

Because I ran out of room last week rambling on about why you should just write, I never got around to my second of the two quotes.
It is both painful to receive, and hard to accept, but it is entirely correct, and if received properly should be quite liberating as well. This famous phrase was said by the esteemed literary genius Ernest Hemingway.

Without further ado: "The first draft of everything is shit."

I remember this quote quite well because in my own writing, as well as the people I have discussed these points with, I find two things to be true about any first draft. That we all either spend so much time proofreading our first draft that we forget what the ending of the piece is we are writing. Or we are at the other end of the pendulum. We throw down words so fast that there is no regard whatsoever for spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, writing format, the English language...

You get the idea.

So who is right? And more importantly, which leads to better writing? Honestly that's a loaded question and the answer falls somewhere near the 'I don't know' category.

Here's what happened to me.

I would start a new idea, character, or subplot with a super-high level of excitement. I would attack whatever it was with unparalleled ferocity. About three words in I would start to notice that things were getting a little bit dodgy. My sentences would be three paragraphs long, I would shorthand words like 'the' and 'it', I would forget to use my space bar for word after word. You get the idea. Well being a bit of a perfectionist about my work would force me to stop my mad blitzkrieg, and start fixing every little problem on the spot. Things would be so ugly that it would take a while, and suddenly I would forget what it was I was writing about.
I would lose the amazing idea, and be left with little memory of something epic that would have made my story a million times better. But at least my half finished idea could pass a spell-check.

Still there are others who come prepared with a much better game plan, and actually develop their ideas before they try to write them. I hope to start trying this approach when I work on my future projects.



My intentions are to get better at drafting because quite frankly it is time consuming to have to re-word your sentences, or go through numerous rewrites just to make your writing presentable. I can't consider myself a writer until I know how to write properly. So for me it is a learning curve every time I put pen to paper, or rather finger to key.

Drafting isn't an easy process, it's really quite time consuming. Especially if it takes numerous tries to get something right. I have probably written close to 300,000 words for Overshadowed, and that is way to many for the finished product.

The story of how I ended up writing that many words is a sad tale, one echoed by many aspiring writers. After completing the second revision I started doing what is referred to as line-editing. I started doing this simply because it felt necessary, it was the next step that made sense.
I went through the entire book line by line and changed the wording in basically every sentence. I know now of course that was totally premature. I was not ready for line-editing, neither was the book. I just knew something was wrong with my story, and that was the only thing I knew to do that seemed like it might fix the problem. Now that I have matured as a writer I know more of what needed to be done. But of course it's too late for that now.

What I needed to do was more drafting. My story, as good as it was, drifted all over the place. My characters were malnourished, and under-developed. My timeline was mixed up. I needed to fix the terrible ending, and improve the boring beginning. Most of these fixes were ideas that my editor presented to me when she started the repair work. I honestly was just not looking at the story objectively enough. I needed to take a step back and analyze my work, perhaps if I had done that I would have made at least some of the necessary adjustments, instead of working around in circles.

I could cover a few more points about drafting and perhaps I'll touch on them soon, but that is all for now


Practical advice:

Plan ahead, set goals and work towards them.

This weeks PA may feel a little bit like a cop out and that's because it is :-). Well not really it's more of a practical encouragement than advice.

Writing is hard, much harder than anyone who hasn't done it knows. And truthfully as with any challenging task, it can also be discouraging. Expect this, because it will happen. Just last week I was extremely disheartened, to the point I wanted to quit.

Novel writing also takes time, lots of that as well. Again this can be discouraging. Don’t expect your story to come together in a few weeks. I have expected my novel to be done several different times now (3 to be exact), and every time I’m glad that I accept that it is not ready.

You can combat discouragement in a number of ways, but one that always works for me is to anticipate it happening and avoid it by setting a goal for myself. Not some pie in the sky type of goal, but a reachable one. I only have one goal right now, and that is to complete Overshadowed by the end of this year. I honestly don’t know if I'm going to reach that goal or not, but that isn’t leaving me discouraged. Instead trying to reach this goal has excited me to write more, and write more consistently. It's an exciting time for me, and can be for you as well. Just keep working toward your goals.

'Til next time...

Chapter 6: Just Write.

Two quotes come to mind when I think about this weeks topic. The first "if you wish to be a writer, write" is a simple one, but it carries enough implications to write a book with.

It was a quote by Epictetus a Greek philosopher, and it points to a huge problem in the writers world. Apparently one that’s been around for awhile since the ancient Greeks were talking about it
The fact is that writing has no quick fix, simply put the only way to get it done is to do it. It takes years for a normal person to write a novel, the best in the world take months, but no one can bang out a full-length novel in a couple of hours. (Those of you who wish to try need to pay attention to the second quote, but that's for later).

It's just a fact of life, the sun rises and falls, gravity never fails, and it takes a long time to type 125,000 words. The point I want to make is that people seem to forget that.

The inclination to write is a romantic one, sprinkled with fantasies of putting out bestsellers from the sandy beaches of the Bahamas, or from a villa overlooking your vineyard right outside of Rome. It grows even larger when you realize you have an exciting idea, and that your idea is better than emo vampires who sparkle, or nerdy middle school wizards. So the conclusion is an obvious one, you'll be rich and famous in no time. Might as well start yacht shopping.

All this is well and good, but then you meet this terrible villain named reality. He has weasled his way into your autobiography (which btw is also destined for the bestsellers list) and is hiding somewhere between picking out the director for your first adapted novel, and you typing your first complete paragraph.

I know, I know, the sarcasm is strong with this one. I'm beating a dead-horse here, I just hope it's entertaining enough for you to keep reading, because the point I am making is a good one.

The reality is that precious few of your dreams are going to come true, very few indeed. That is not said in an effort to dissuade you however, if anything it should encourage you. If writing was the glamorous life we all dream that it should be, then there would be more books written than there are people to read them.

That is encouraging because it acts as a filter, a filter for people who do not have what it takes to make it in this industry. I have heard stories of people that wrote for 10-15 years before someone looked at their manuscript. 15 years???? That's insane! Could you give up that many years of evenings or weekends? Remember I'm five years in myself, and I hope I don't have to wait another ten.

If you really, truly, love to write than consider the fact that it is not glamorous, it is tedious. It is not a get rich quick thing, you'll probably have more luck in Amway. And your going to need to give up time, lots of it. So if I accomplish anything with this chapter, I hope it will help you consider the cost of being a writer. If that cost is too expensive, then get out now, You'll thank yourself later! If these words get you excited to 'strike a prose', then get to it!

That is my whole point here, Just write! I have talked to too many people that want to live the life but don't want to cover the tab. If you want to be a writer, and you haven't started writing yet, then stop reading this, go get your instrument, and start laying down the ink.

Start by writing down your idea, then create a character, it could be an antagonist, or a protagonist, doesn't matter. Perhaps you want to be the next Robert Jordan, then start world building. The next Stephen King? Start facing your fears.

You get to decide what kind of story you write! And the greatest part is that it's fiction!! That gives you permission to do whatever you want. Your characters can go anywhere, say anything, see everything, be anybody. When you start to think along those lines you'll quickly realize 125,000 words might not be enough.

Sadly I have gone on too long to discuss the second of the two quotes, I'll cover that one next week. Hopefully I won't be so long winded. Anyways I hope this rant was encouraging, or at the very least entertaining.

Practical advice:

Since I entitled this weeks chapter 'Just Write', I thought it appropriate to give practical advice along those lines.

Just read.

Clever isn't it? Also completely true. The best way to figure out how to write well is to read often. Take the things you see working for others, and find a way to apply it to your own works. Now I want you to understand I'm not talking about copying someone's work, I'm talking about getting a general idea of how a good book looks and feels so you can make yours do the same.

A good writer must be a good reader. I will step out on a limb and say you cannot be a good writer if you're not a good reader. In my opinion it's that important.

It's also a great way to learn different writing styles. Don't just pick one particular genre of book and only read it. You have to diversify. I once read a Janet Evonavich book. I'm not lying!! I really did it, and I read the whole thing. She has had enough books on top of the list that I found it necessary to at least see what she is doing. In my defense I had just finished some H.P. Lovecraft short stories, and was in-between good reads, so it fit into my schedule. She actually did quite a few things that I hope to someday be a good enough writer to pull off. You don't achieve the success she has without doing pretty much everything right. And I would not have gotten a grasp on some of those things if I hadn't read her book.

When you read, pay special attention to characters. I play a little game with myself, I pick a character and try to guess how their character arc advances in the story before it happens. Keep a very close eye on how the author advances his/her plot as well. If you can't advance your own plot in a way that is exciting and interesting, how do you expect others to want to read it? Would you finish a book you find boring?

I'm reading 'The Green Mile' by Stephen King (great book) and he makes two references to a shoe that seem small and insignificant, but the shoe plays a very important role in furthering the plot. Ask yourself if there is some area in your story that you can find a place for something like that as well.

In closing you gain much from immersing yourself in fiction. Most notably you learn about the type of fiction you want to write, but don't limit yourself though. It sure beats watching TV.

'Til next time...

Chapter 5: It starts with a seed

Everybody has an amazing idea, one that will make the greatest novel ever.

That is why the numbers of unpublished novels range in the millions. Most are at the very least a plot-able story of some sort. Some are nothing more than discombobulated nonsense. A few are genuinely original, even fewer still are compelling.
One thing however is true about all good books. They are not just one good idea, they are a plethora of great ideas thrown at you in clever, and intelligent ways.
If you can only come up with one good idea then take heart, for there are always short stories. If you are bound and determined to take your one idea to novel length be prepared, you're going to need a lot of filler material.
Overshadowed had several great ideas (in my humble opinion of course), but it started out as only one. And as my story grew and evolved suddenly the scene which was my initial idea was no longer necessary and was trimmed from the book.

Ideas come in all shapes and sizes, that is common knowledge. However something that is not common knowledge is the process of molding them together into something that draws people in, and holds their interest.
Overshadowed came to me in a dream, when I woke up I was excited and wondering how the story should end. It was similar to the feeling I get when I'm watching an awesome movie and the power goes out halfway through it.
I woke up wondering what was going to happen to the people in my dream. Most notably the young girl who was the inspiration for Angyll (my protagonist), a character you will hear a lot about in the future. So I realized it was up to me to tell their story. So I immediately blundered headfirst into a process I knew nothing about. However through it all my idea remained true. And that was a very special young woman is being chased by an army of monsters with only a small group of people to protect her. That was my seed, a simple one, basic, yet overflowing with potential.

And how did it grow from there? The first thing that compelled me was the girl in my dream. The impression I got was specific; she was of great value. She was in a vehicle, that tells me it was present day. And her companion/protector/driver of the vehicle was a young man of Asian heritage. He became the character of Lee Nguyen who is the other main protagonist of the story. Obviously there are many more characters, but those two are the centerpieces of the Overshadowed story.

The quick little snippet of a dream left me with a character, a setting, and a purpose to fulfill. More than enough for a solid foundation, upon which a novel could be built.

That dream left me with a feeling of urgency for the characters involved. I knew that if I wanted to portray some of that urgency I would need a high stakes plotline. And when it comes to high stakes, none is higher than the fate of the human race. So I decided to put that up for grabs. Next I needed a villain, and like all good villains, he needed an axe to grind. So I found him some incentive for being bad. I also invented another world, but I'll save that discussion when I talk about how I did that.

I also took an idea that has been brewing around in my head since childhood. When I was a kid I heard a story about someone discovering a giant cavern high in the mountains. He found it by stumbling across a stream of air blowing out from the ground. The man knew if air was flowing freely then it had to be coming out of a large space, or a cave at the very least, and turns out, half the mountain is this huge, grand, unexplored cavern. I doubt the story is true, but...

It made me wonder what it would be like if a cavern had been found that was large enough to house a city, and that is where the idea for HomeWorld came from. Which is basically an underground city hidden inside, well, a giant cavern.

All of those ideas (and more) came together to form a shell that I could use. From that point on, I discovered character after character, and made them face diversity after diversity, until I had a very exciting, and satisfying story.

Practical advice for today is word count.

I got pulled into a discussion one day about how many words do you type each time you write. I have heard a few different responses to this inquiry, but all varied from a few hundred, to the unbelievable number of five thousand.

My answer?

Well, I have been tested at 88 wpm (note the smug grin), sooooo in theory I should be able to put down 5280 words in an hour. Since I average about five hours per writing session, I should be able to write 26,400 words a day. Which means I should have finished Overshadowed in a long weekend (it's roughly 130,000 words).

My actual answer was "I don't know". It is a lot more truthful then the tripe I wrote in the paragraph above. My smart-ass retort about the matter was; "100 quality words will get noticed faster than 150,000 words of pure garbage. Which is what Overshadowed would have been had I written it in four days.

Any long project needs milestones to help hold interest and motivation. I just personally do not think that your milestone should be a word count.
I personally track my progress scene-by-scene. I approach my writing with a plan, starting with the outline which is usually the first thing I write for a story. Next I will focus on the area of the outline I feel compelled to write about (structured writing), and finally I will try to capture that scene in its entirety and won't stop until it is done. I am working on writing more flexibly though. Trying to be open to spontaneous inspiration and what not. More about that some other time.

Honestly though, each of you should find motivation however best serves you. And counting your words might be the thing that works for you What I find is, if I focus only on word count the first thing that will happen is me falling behind on my goal. So as I write I will find myself using filler words to help catch up to my "quota." And that will only hurt the quality of my work, and I'll just have to fix it during a later revision.

But that's just me.

'Til next time.