A. Sparrow's Blog
December 10, 2011
December 9, 2011
My favorite book of all I've written is 'Sonant.' It's the one that means the most to me. I do think it's a little bloated. Somehow, unlike my other books, I was unable to be as ruthless with the cutting (Xenolith, on the contrary, was thoroughly ravaged and dissected).
'Lethe' was the most fun to write, mainly because of the first person, present tense, which I realize drives a lot of readers batty. This book is also very weird. I just realized there's a genre for it--'New Weird.'
'Peregrin' is my LEAST favorite and least successful. It does not stand up alone, it really needs 'Xenolith' to make any sense. It's not completely horrible as an extension to Xenolith but I really felt dragged along by the characters in this one. It's their book. They made me write it.
'Vultures' was a stretch--a chance to write something in a different vein. It was fun, but ultimately insubstantial. I'm not sure I pulled this one off, even though it was intended as a seriocomic, anti-thriller.
'Xenolith' was a tortured thing to write. I really sweated over this one and the result, I realize, is often confusing and unsatisfying. Yet it by far exceeds all my others in terms of downloads. Go figure.
My next one, 'Root,' is rather preposterous. It's kind of like 'Lethe' in a way, but with elements of 'Vultures.' I'm not even finished with it and I don't think it's that great. Readable, but not my best.
Emigre (Xenolith 3) is still mostly a twinkle in my eye, but the early chapters are going well. This one has potential.
So how would I rate my stuff overall? I'd say mostly a 3, sometimes a 4, just like you guys rate me, although some of you are way too generous and some of you are way too mean.
'Lethe' was the most fun to write, mainly because of the first person, present tense, which I realize drives a lot of readers batty. This book is also very weird. I just realized there's a genre for it--'New Weird.'
'Peregrin' is my LEAST favorite and least successful. It does not stand up alone, it really needs 'Xenolith' to make any sense. It's not completely horrible as an extension to Xenolith but I really felt dragged along by the characters in this one. It's their book. They made me write it.
'Vultures' was a stretch--a chance to write something in a different vein. It was fun, but ultimately insubstantial. I'm not sure I pulled this one off, even though it was intended as a seriocomic, anti-thriller.
'Xenolith' was a tortured thing to write. I really sweated over this one and the result, I realize, is often confusing and unsatisfying. Yet it by far exceeds all my others in terms of downloads. Go figure.
My next one, 'Root,' is rather preposterous. It's kind of like 'Lethe' in a way, but with elements of 'Vultures.' I'm not even finished with it and I don't think it's that great. Readable, but not my best.
Emigre (Xenolith 3) is still mostly a twinkle in my eye, but the early chapters are going well. This one has potential.
So how would I rate my stuff overall? I'd say mostly a 3, sometimes a 4, just like you guys rate me, although some of you are way too generous and some of you are way too mean.
Is the latest working title for what was 'Sojourner.' It's got the right number of syllables and the right meaning for the gist of the story.
It's brewing along now and polished chapters should start popping up on Wattpad by mid-spring. I serialize all my books there, before adding the 'final' polish. (I put 'final' in quotes because it's not uncommon for my polish to need polishing. Ah, the limitations of self-editing.)
It's brewing along now and polished chapters should start popping up on Wattpad by mid-spring. I serialize all my books there, before adding the 'final' polish. (I put 'final' in quotes because it's not uncommon for my polish to need polishing. Ah, the limitations of self-editing.)
August 5, 2011
I need a new title. 'Sojourner' is already taken by another worthy indie novel and series by Maria Hooley. And frankly, I'm stumped. Not only that, the book has wilted at 9,000 words.
Meanwhile, my imagination has shifted to my other WIP - 'Root.' I suspect I'll be making more progress on this one in the coming weeks.
What this means is that I'll probably have two books for 2012. If all goes well.
Meanwhile, my imagination has shifted to my other WIP - 'Root.' I suspect I'll be making more progress on this one in the coming weeks.
What this means is that I'll probably have two books for 2012. If all goes well.
July 10, 2011
8,200 words and climbing. Establishing a new novel is like nurturing a seedling. It's a struggle at first to build momentum, but there is a threshold once reached that allows a story to grow without much cajoling. I'm not there yet. The shape of this one is evolving in fits and starts. I know where I want the story to get to, but I'm still a long way off.
Meanwhile, Vultures sits neglected on my hard drive. I have a beta reader looking at it. I'll do final tweaks in August and then stick it out there in my pile of other freebies.
Meanwhile, Vultures sits neglected on my hard drive. I have a beta reader looking at it. I'll do final tweaks in August and then stick it out there in my pile of other freebies.
July 6, 2011
Vultures in the Playground is finished at about 73,000 words, a bit over my estimate. I'm going to let it sit for a month before I dive in and give it a final tweaking.
This makes it the shortest of all my novels by far and the only one to be completely devoid of any fantasy or supernatural elements.
I guess I would call it an adventure/thriller though it does bust some conventions. The protagonist is a bit of a wimp, and I kind of feel sorry for the bad guys.
I won't release this one until mid-August, but it will be free, like the others. Right now I'm sending it out for beta reading. That's the best I can do, because I can't afford to hire an actual editor.
Next on the docket is 'Sojourner,' the third in the Xenolith series. I'm aiming for Spring 2012 with that one.
Simultaneously I'll be adding to a few other novels that I have simmering on the back-burner.
This makes it the shortest of all my novels by far and the only one to be completely devoid of any fantasy or supernatural elements.
I guess I would call it an adventure/thriller though it does bust some conventions. The protagonist is a bit of a wimp, and I kind of feel sorry for the bad guys.
I won't release this one until mid-August, but it will be free, like the others. Right now I'm sending it out for beta reading. That's the best I can do, because I can't afford to hire an actual editor.
Next on the docket is 'Sojourner,' the third in the Xenolith series. I'm aiming for Spring 2012 with that one.
Simultaneously I'll be adding to a few other novels that I have simmering on the back-burner.
June 21, 2011
... in the Playground is currently at 53,000 and will probably top off at 60k.
I'm aiming for a mid-August - early September release.
No fantasy in this one, which is quite a switch for me.
I'm aiming for a mid-August - early September release.
No fantasy in this one, which is quite a switch for me.
May 20, 2011
Xenolith can be cryptic and opaque to new readers. The story takes some strange turns and dives into unfamiliar worlds that can be confusing. To help, I've added a glossary of terms, accessible by hyperlink from the table of contents. This version (5/20/11) is now available on Smashwords and will be distributed to other outlets in the coming weeks.
Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader I also corrected an attribution of some Biblical quotes to the wrong version of the Bible.
Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader I also corrected an attribution of some Biblical quotes to the wrong version of the Bible.
May 19, 2011
For the first time, I'm working on three projects at once.
Sojourner (sequel to Xenolith and Peregrin). This one's now on track at 5,000 words. It's set about a year or so after Peregrin. Sesei has fallen, but Gi has been liberated. Liz and Frank have returned together to their home world, but Liz is hankering to return to Gi. Things don't go too smoothly in that department.
Vultures in the Playground is at 34,000 words and is inching along. The early chapters have already been through several drafts but there is much new plotting yet to be written. This one is not a fantasy (at least more more than any other thriller). It's not quite a straight thriller, either. It has tinges of dark comedy even though it's not really written for laughs.
The Luminon is a middle grade story at 25,0000 words and climbing that is in its third revision, with some new material still to be added. I expect this one to be ready first, although I don't recommend reading it unless you're someone who can handle Brian Jacques.
Sojourner (sequel to Xenolith and Peregrin). This one's now on track at 5,000 words. It's set about a year or so after Peregrin. Sesei has fallen, but Gi has been liberated. Liz and Frank have returned together to their home world, but Liz is hankering to return to Gi. Things don't go too smoothly in that department.
Vultures in the Playground is at 34,000 words and is inching along. The early chapters have already been through several drafts but there is much new plotting yet to be written. This one is not a fantasy (at least more more than any other thriller). It's not quite a straight thriller, either. It has tinges of dark comedy even though it's not really written for laughs.
The Luminon is a middle grade story at 25,0000 words and climbing that is in its third revision, with some new material still to be added. I expect this one to be ready first, although I don't recommend reading it unless you're someone who can handle Brian Jacques.
May 15, 2011
Will be the working title for the third book in the Xenolith series.
