From an Undisclosed Place in My Mind

I had no intention of starting another book until after I got back from my vacation in September, which meant I would spend the next three months working on my book of short stories, my comic Plain Jane, and editing Jak and the Giants.  It meant that I would have three months to start planning and thinking about my next book.  (And by planning I mean, just rolling ideas and characters around in my head).  

Would it be Henry and Ishi battling it out around the dystopic streets of The States in a post-apocalyptic un-love story?  Would it be Mattie Gray trying to keep the world from literally coming apart while trying to uncover the secrets of the Broken Earth?  Would it be Minuet on a journey through a shadow world of cast-off gods and forgotten monsters to find her daughter and learn they hows and whys of who she was?  Or possibly it could have been the story of Cameron Frost who finds a zipper on a shadow and decides to see what's on the other side?  Or finally it could have been Nara Star and the Noble Academy, traveling through time with a displaced Spartan boy and one of the last wizards in the world.

Any one of those ideas could have been a fantastic next book for me.  They all have potential, they're all pretty different from one another and I really love all of them.  But not only am I not going to be writing any of them as my next novel, but I'm not going to be able to wait until the end of September.

I think I wrote an entry about ideas and where they come from (the box under my bed), but so far, my last three ideas have all come to me while I was in bed.  The Last Guardian came from a dream, Jak and the Giants came to me while I tossed and turned in bed, and this newest idea came to me two nights ago while I was asleep.  But these three ideas all share something, an immediacy, a feeling of coming to me so fully formed that it feels like I'm not creating them, they're simply choosing to reveal themselves to me, and my job is just to keep peeling back the covers and learning as much as I can about them.

I'm keeping this idea close to my chest for two reasons:  The first is that I'm WAY excited about it, only sometimes (alot) when the flame dies down, my excitement goes with it and the idea peters out.  The other is that the idea for the book (an honest to goodness YA book with only the tiniest bit of speculative fiction - but it's SO minor it couldn't even be classified SF&F) is so simple and so genius, I was shocked that no one had done it before.  I googled the crap out of it, and ran it past my best friend (who happens to read a lot of YA) and she agreed that it was brilliant and had never heard of an idea like it.  So I kind of want to protect the idea.  Not that this journal gets much traffic, but just in case.

Even though I know this story already, and I could technically write up all the details and file it away until after Sept, I feel like this story is bursting from my chest, demanding to be written right this second.  So my fear is that if I ignore it, it will find another author who will be willing to give it the attention it deserves.  Luckily I'm not imagining another 150k word monster.  Likely the first draft will come in at about 80k words, so it's entirely possible I could finish it before I go to Europe (though it's not likely).

I'm not sure how smart it is to try to edit one book and write the other at the same time, but I'm determined to do it.  I won't let Jak just fall by the wayside.  I shelved Duncan because I didn't think I could do anything to save him.  Jak though is a great story, and I think I've written it well.  He just needs a little TLC to go from good to great.

So there it is.  I guess I'll be chronicling the mystery story for a while.  If it doesn't pan out, then I'll be updating on how the editing and short book of horror stories goes.  And so as to not be totally confusing, the main character's name is Oliver Travers and this book is totally his story.

Word of the day:  insomnia

My poor fingers

I really enjoyed writing Jak and the Giants with a pen, but as I type all those hand-written pages I really wish I hadn't.  The saddest part is that I know I'll continue writing by hand.  I can't wait for the day when I can just read my book to my computer and the words will magically appear on the screen.  Until then, the typing is slow going.

The last couple of weeks has been lazy.  I've returned to the world and seen some friends I'd been missing, read some books (Cory Doctorow's "Little Brother" was pretty decent; it would have been a much bigger deal to me if I'd been 13 while reading it), and piddled around with some other projects.  I've decided that until I finish the next two Jak books I'll just keep throwing ideas against the walls until I see what sticks.  I mean, I'm still on board with my idea about Minuet, but I've also resurrected my China virus story and my Broken Earth story, and my story about the Nobles (the one that died prematurely....I did a postmortem and I think I know how to fix it).  I figure that when I'm done with Jak, I'll go ahead and start whatever feels like it's ready to be started, so the more ideas I have, the better.

I've also slowly been working on my cannibal story.  It's an idea that's been rolling about in my head for years.  The problem (aside from the deplorable paper) is that it feels like one of those stories I read in literature classes that was terribly boring to read and yet was very "full" of stuff.  You know the stories I'm talking about.  They're meaningful and beautifully written and say something about our society and might survive the test of time, but they're tedious to read.  I think I'm writing one of those stories.  Sure, it's sort of a horror story.  And sure, it's likely that it won't stand the test of time, but it's tedious to write so I can only imagine how it will be to read.  Unfortunately I really want to get it out, so I just keep plugging away at it.

I'm also working on my Plane Jane comic.  It's a little easier, but I have to switch from thinking cinematically and try to work out how many panels on a page, and how to squeeze a lot into a small space without overloading it.  22 pages has never been so hard.  Either way, it's very strange and sick and funny.  The first couple of pages show a teenage boy killing his entire family and then burning down his house in a shirt that reads, "I shaved my balls for this?"

On the actual physical act of writing front, I got my Pelikan M800 and promptly sent it back to Pelikan.  It gushed and I was very unhappy with it.  I'm letting the manufacturer tinker with it before returning it completely and getting my money back.

I also did some new inks, one of which was the worst ever (Private Reserve Fast Dry Sherwood Green....just don't) and two that were really nice.  

I also picked up some paper from Levenger and I would advise against it.  I had really wanted to try their Notabilia notebooks for writing because they hold more paper and because the Moleskin's I'd been using were great but sometimes inconsistent (often they were overly waxy causing some beading on the page).  The Levenger's look good but the pen doesn't glide across the page, it feels scratchy and rough.  Plus, there's too many sheets in it and the way it's bound leaves a ton of empty space.  In the Moleskin I could literally write from edge to edge fitting an average of 12-14 words a line.  With the Notabilia the most I could get was 8 or 9.  A pretty big disappointment for a book of paper that cost $22 for two.  I also got the storyboarding pad and while the paper is pretty much the same, I like the concept...it's been useful when working on my comic.

Other than that, for the next few weeks I'll be typing and editing Jak to prep it for its grand adventure in the world.  I'm planning on starting the second book no later than July.  I'd like to start sooner, but I don't want to rush through the editing process of book one, because if I screw up there, then no one's going to care if I write book two.

Word of the day:  Carpal Tunnel 

Sluttish

Learn something new every day.  I always thought they proper use of "slut" as an adjective was "slutty."  Turns out it's "sluttish."  Slutty isn't even a word.  Live and learn.

I'm going to send out my story "Falling is Like This" and see what kind of response I get.  I'll update when I've heard something.

I got Jak drunk, which was fun.  I'm not enjoying writing at my house-sitting house; I just can't find an area I'm totally comfortable in, and that sucks.  I only got a couple of pages done yesterday.  They were good and fun and we met a new character, but I just felt 'off.'  I'll be heading home this weekend so hopefully I can get back on track.

I started listening to "American Gods" on my iPod.  It's pretty decent.  I'm curious how he handles the "gods" in the story, so that I can make sure I don't do anything similar when I start with Minuet.  That story needs a LOT of research so I'm trying to get started on it, but I'm loathe to split up my focus.

Word of the day:  Sluttish!

176

I got my Fat Boy.  It's 176 of 500.  I don't really care that it's a limited edition, all I care about is how it writes.  Being the impatient person I am, I immediately inked it and gave it a quick test.  The thickness of it feels very strange in my hand, but not bad.  I believe it will take a little bit to get used to.  I especially like the rubber rings on the body closest to the nib.  I'll really be able to test it tomorrow when I'm outside and it's hot and I get sweaty hands.  It puts out more ink than my Cross but less than the Lamy, but I won't know if it's going to be a problem until I really sit down and try to write.  

Chapter 9 is moving along nicely and is nearly complete; I might even finish it tonight, but more than likely tomorrow morning.  Chapter 10 puts me at about the half way point but I feel SO far from the halfway point for book one.  I feel like I'm at the quarter point.  The good news is that I figured out what happens after the end of book one.  I mean I already knew, but now I KNOW.

Word of the day:  neuralgia 

Oh the cramping

This was a strange writing weekend. I was experimenting with fountain pen writing. Here's what I learned:

My Cross Century II is a great pen and I love the feel of it in my hand. It's got a good balance and is easy to work with. I'm waiting for a fine-tip nib to use with it; the medium stroke is a touch too broad for me....like a felt tip.

For inks I got the Noodlers Bullet-Proof black, and a Levenger Raven Black. I am of mixed feelings on these, but I'm withholding judgement. Thus far the Noodlers holds up better and doesn't spider out on the paper. However it also doesn't dry quickly enough and I found my fingers in ink more often than I would have liked. The Lenvenger spidered a touch but dried instantly and never smeared.

For paper I tried a Moleskin notebook, a 20lb stock legal pad, and some nice white laser stock. I prefer paper with lines because the lefty in me can't write straight without it and all my lines end up diagonal. The ink looked fantastic on the Moleskin, but unfortunately did not absorb and took way too long to dry. The same goes for the Laser paper. As it turns out, the legal pads worked the best. Matched with the Levengers I was able to write with no fuss. I never got any bleed through, but again, it looked like I was writing with a felt pen. I'm considering splurging and getting the 60lb stock notepads from Levenger that claim to be specific for Fountain pens. I'll let you know if I do.

In terms of story writing, I felt a little hindered. I will admit that it was SO nice not to have the distraction of the computer in front of me tempting me with gadget blogs and news to read. However I sometimes found my mind wandering to strange places while my frequently crampy hand worked to catch up. My hand just can't write as fast as my brain thinks this shit up. I think that this can be helped by brainstorming sessions where I "pre-write" the sections. That way I'll let my characters do their thing, jot it down and then go back and focus on the words.

I still worried about word counts etc, but not having them allowed the chapter to end when it ended instead of when it reached a word count that satisfied my inner task master. All in all, I actually felt very satisfied by what I got done, even though I only finished maybe half of what I normally finish.

It was a fun chapter to write. Jak, Harley and Felix have a good chemistry together and I'm really enjoying working with them. This chapter was really all about giving Jak a reason to be scared and I think I gave him a good one.

Writing will progress much faster now that I've finished my last television obsession: Alias. Started watching it during my cardio and even though they are the WORST spies in the entire world and the 5 season over-arching plot was beyond ridiculous, I couldn't stop watching. I have no more TV to watch except new stuff as it comes out so I should be good to go. I can't wait till Jak really meets the giants.

Hiatus from Penthos

I'm sort of enamored of an idea for a YA novel that has seemingly sprung to life, splitting open my skull like the gods from the titans and demanding its place. It's a re-imagining of an old story involving a troubled boy named Jak, a trip to a fabled world, a mess of giants, and maybe a harp that sings...maybe.

Really I was reading some fairy tale books for my nephew and I re-read Jack the Beanstalk and I had this fantastic idea to update it. I tossed it around for a couple of days and then last night as I languished on my couch with a stuffy nose general malaise, Jak came to life as a feisty red-haired devil, who along with his friend Colby J. and his sister Sam, end up in a real land of giants....and stuff happens. I know the stuff that happens, but giving it away at this point would be foolish. I don't think anyone reads this but if they do, well it would just be wrong. So I expect to write and finish this in fairly short order, but things rarely every go as planned. I'm borrowing heavily from Old Norse cosmology for inspiration and as a way to ground the story in reality, since reality is where it begins.

Of course that means that book 2 in my Penthos cycle will wait, which isn't a terrible thing since I never planned for a sequel and still am not sure it deserves one. Either way, now that I have to firm up the geography and such I'm wondering if there's enough to support Danny's grand adventure. I'm going to let the ideas I have gestate while I work on Jak and see where things are when I've finished with him.

In the editing world of things, I gave my book to my mom and brother and am going to give copies to my Aunt (who's a teacher) and my cousins (both who read the genre I wrote for) and give me some input. I've picked my first publishing house to send to and all they really require is the first 10 pages. I'm not 100% certain the first ten pages represent the book as a whole since it starts in Rift Valley Oklahoma before moving into my magic land of Penthos, but I do think they grab the reader and hold on pretty well. Either way, I'm going to polish the first chapter (again) this weekend, hopefully get some input soon, and send out those first ten pages by the end of January. After that I play the waiting game. I'll keep posting.

Word of the day: Sneckdrawn