Donald B. McFarlane's Blog, page 4
September 27, 2020
Day 190
In relative terms, it’s been quiet lately. I’ve decided that the best course of action with ‘work’ is to plough through all the manuscripts I have lying around that require editing. With Project XI dispatched to the editor, I’m sitting on Project X, XII, XIII and XIV. They all need edits in some form or another before being sent out for revisions. I’m currently editing Project XIV, a novella, which I hope to release in late December. With any luck, I’ll get two books out this year, then two more books out in the first quarter of 2021.
With expectations of a grim winter as a result of our latitude and the Corona Virus, I’ve been squeezing in a few more walks around town. A recent stroll brought me to St James’s Park, while another had me in Greenwich. I’ll have to say having the dog for these little expeditions makes them more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the dog has gone ‘home’. I’d like a dog, a Border Terrier—the first and only option.
On the entertainment front, I watched First Man, a film focused on Neil Armstrong and the Apollo program, and unfortunately, I was unimpressed. I’d rather watch Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks for the 9th time than watch First Man again. I also think the Right Stuff is a better film.
Reading wise, I’ve gone from nuclear war to mercenaries, on to the atomic bomb. I’m not sure how aware people are of the threat of atomic weapons, and how close we’ve come to annihilation over the last 70 or so years, but it’s scary as hell. Even a small nuclear skirmish between India and Pakistan could be the end of everything as we know it. The only chance we have as a species would be complete nuclear disarmament.
With September coming to a rapid closure, and no relief from COVID on the horizon, the plan is to batten down the hatches and edit. Get the current stack of manuscripts ready for dispatch to the editor, then focus on Project XV.
To clarify, and perhaps to inform, here is the current slate of new material that should be released in the next six months with TV or film references:
Project XI: Murder on Valtameri. Think Poirot in space.
Project XIV: Escape from Jarosis. Think Escape from New York, but without Snake Plissken.
Project XII: A War Beneath the Clouds. Think War Horse meets Platoon.
Project XIII: Lockdown (working title). Think Contagion meets Outbreak.
All four of these novels should be released before the end of March. Hopefully.
With that in mind, it’s time to watch the highlights of the Russian Grand Prix and do some editing.
Stay safe out there.
September 16, 2020
A New Project on the Go
One of the things I like about writing books that are in the same ‘universe’ is the ability to continue with the world-building. Creating more and more depth to the world that Joe Hunt and Rhea Stokes find themselves in in the Earth Saga series that is currently sitting at 6 of 9 books complete. Hopefully, this series will illuminate some of the back-story to the universe that those characters find themselves in, while creating an exciting new set of adventures and characters that readers will enjoy.
With summer coming to an end, I’m trying to get in more walks around London before the weather completely changes, which it inevitably will as autumn then winter sets in. I had a lovely walk around Richmond Park the other day. Stopped off at the Roebuck pub on Richmond Hill overlooking the Thames for an obligatory pint before walking through the park. It was nice to see a large group of deer go for a swim while trying to keep the dog calm.
A few more walks are planned over the next few weeks, hopefully taking advantage of the milder weather, while attempts to edit Projects 10-14 will be an ongoing struggle while trying to get words on the page with the first book of this new series.
Due to a variety of factors, I’m going to pare back the 2020 releases to just two books: Murder on Valtameri (Project XI) hopefully in late October or early November and Project XIV, currently titled Escape from Jarosis, hopefully released just before the end of the year.
At this point, I’m trying to have my entire catalogue of books already published re-edited, and this is creating a giant traffic jam, and causing delays in the releasing of new work since I’ve convinced myself that I must have any new projects professionally edited before they are released. I should have probably done this years ago, but better late than never.
Add to that the fact that I’ve just learned today that my cover artist, Luke West (talented chap), is having to give up on working freelance. I need roughly 10 covers designed ASAP, so this couldn’t have come at a worse time. Yowzers!
All that can be done now is to continue punching the keys and getting words on the page.
September 10, 2020
Where to Turn Next
We’re over a week into September, and we are firmly entrenched in the editing process, and after an enquiry today via Facebook, I thought it was a good time for an update. There are currently five books waiting for the red pen:
Project X- The Battle for Jupiter, the 7th book in the Earth Saga series.
Project XI-Murder on Valtameri, a standalone novel in the ilk of a Poirot murder-mystery.
Project XII- A War Beneath the Clouds, a standalone novel with a Vietnam/Trench warfare vibe.
Project XIII- This novel is still untitled but focuses on a viral outbreak on a planet that attracts the attention of those in the highest levels of power.
Project XIV- The Package (working title), a novella that follows some desperate characters in the first few hours of the War of Succession, aka the Imperial Civil War.
All these projects are finished, and all are set within the same universe. My plan is to have them all professionally edited before putting them on Kindle, with Murder on Valtameri on the docket to get edited in October, with a late 2020 release.
On an entertainment front, I watched Sunset Boulevard the other night. I’ve always been a William Holden fan, and this film was great. Great story and dialogue. Something missing from most modern films. I’d recommend it to anyone.
I’ve started reading The Modern Mercenary having seen the author speaking on Al Jazeera a few weeks ago. It’s an interesting and scary read at the same time.
I also picked up this art book for Deus Ex. I don’t play video games, but they are a great source of inspiration, and fuel the creative juices.
With the mad heat of summer in the rear-view mirror, I’ve started a few long walks around London. Had a lovely stroll through Hyde Park a few days ago, then yesterday, walked along the Thames to Hampton Court.
More walks planned for the next few weeks while the weather is mild.
With a focus now on editing, I’m at a bit of a cross-roads as to what to do next regarding Project XV. I’ve been told by a reliable source that writing series is the way forward, so with that in mind, it’s a question of where to turn next. I’m not ready to write the 8th novel in the Earth Saga series, so I’m giving serious consideration to start a 3-book series. It’ll be in the Earth Saga universe, just not sure what, yet!
Time to get back to the drawing board!
Until next time, stay safe out there.
April 10, 2020
Lockdown Day 18
The last few days have seen a flurry of activity for not
only Project XI, but Project XII as well.
Project XI, what I’m calling Poirot in Space, has been read
by one beta-tester, and those changes/fixes have mostly been addressed. Today,
I hit a few more of the issues that were outstanding, such as ‘what flipping
day is it?’. Always something tricky to nail down from time to time. There are
one or two things still left to think about, but for the most part, I’m waiting
on my two other readers to get back to me before their issues can be address,
and I can get the book off to the USA, and my man there.
In regard to Project XII, work is steaming along. At this
rate, this book could/should be finished by the end of May.
I’m pumped. These two projects represent a departure from
other works I’ve hammered out so far in style and vibe, with the exception of The
Gauloi, which is a very different property than the other titles I’ve released.
Anyway, Easter weekend approaching. Time to get a few
thousand words on paper.
Stay safe out there.
April 6, 2020
Lockdown Day 14
After a gorgeous weekend and a rousing speech from Her Majesty, we’ve got the Prime Minister in hospital due to his COVID condition, and both the UK and US waiting for the tidal wave of cases to hit. Perfect time to hunker-down and binge watch Netflix.
I finally finished ‘Tiger King’, and have to say it was both amusing, and an indictment of the US, its levels of poverty, which was evident in the series, and the shocking treatment of big cats. I’m all for million-acre game parks/reservations. Pack them with deer, tigers, whatever, in a safe environment, and let nature unfold. This of course is only a last-ditch idea if these animals are not safe in nature due to the loss of their natural environments.
On another very positive note, one of my beta-testers has
returned Project XI to me. Time to crack that Word document back open and start
fixing it. With 2 other readers still outstanding, hopefully I can meticulously
edit one at a time, before giving the project another red-pen edit myself. Never
a fast process, but hopefully one that results in a good product. I am
considering mailing a copy to the US for a final edit from a super-nerd mate of
mine, but that remains to be seen.
With lockdown continuing for the foreseeable future, it’s
time to make some progress on Project XII.
April 4, 2020
Lockdown Day 12
Perhaps I’m using this more frequently since I’m not on social media anymore. Who knows?
Either way it’s a gorgeous day in London, with highs of 20 expected tomorrow. People are probably surging towards parks and other open spaces in attempts to violate the social-distancing as much as possible. I’ll be staying on the reservation. With every passing day, the number of dead increases, and I’m taking no risks. Neither should you!
Today’s news! My man Nick has started reading/red-penning Project XI. Poirot in Space! Bonza!
The plan is to get this novel released in the next few months, with Project XII being released late ’20.
April 3, 2020
Lockdown Day 11
Day 11 of lockdown, and I can report that Project XII is coming
along nicely. We’ve already hit five thousand words, and I’m thinking about
keeping this story around the 60,000 mark. Standish was almost 200,000
words, while Project XI is about 55k. While I enjoy the longer projects, I
think for stand-alone books, ones that don’t tie into the Earth Saga Series,
keeping them on the shorter side isn’t a bad thing.
Regarding Project XII, I’m hoping to stray a bit from my typical
style or flavor. Other than The Gauloi, almost all my stories have a
positive ending. Perhaps I like my characters too much and don’t want to kill
them off, not that I’m going to suddenly kill everyone, but perhaps I need a
bit more RR Martin-like view on things and have some more bodies pile up.
On a completely non-work-related front, I’ve finally got a
new book to read, my first this year. I’ve always enjoyed read about Rome, and have
certainly enjoyed the HBO series Rome along with other period dramas, but I’ve never
delved deep into the history, so hopefully this book will be a great
introduction to the once mighty empire.
Hopefully I get back Project XI back from the readers in the
next few weeks, after which I’ll make another round of edits before mailing it
to the US for a mate there to review. Hopefully we’ll have that project live in
the next three months.
For now, it’s time to watch the daily Downing Street
briefing, and then go for my daily walk. Tomorrow, more of the same. Punch the
keys and get Project XII on the way to 10,000 words!
April 2, 2020
Lockdown Day 10
Hello from London. The lockdown continues as the death toll
rises. It’s only the second of April, but I suspect that things will not
improve rapidly. Like my book sales.
March was an epic month for sales: 1. A single copy flew off
the shelves. I’m wondering if this is in part because I’ve stopped all social
media such as Facebook and Instagram, but part of me can live with that. Those organizations
don’t have the same values that I’d like to think I have, so, fuck ‘em. Naturally
we want the book sales chart to look like that of US coronavirus cases, up up
and away!
Now, a bit of a wee change in plans since the last update.
My Poirot in space is still out with three readers, but my cover artist has
been silent the last few days. Hopefully no dramas there. I had planned on jumping
back into Project VII of the Earth Saga series at this point, but when you’re
45,000 words in, I’m totally confused and lost. Who is where and what the heck
is going on!? It’s an issue I didn’t anticipate.
So, with that in mind, I have embarked on Project XII. This will
not tie into any of the other stories and will be a bit of a departure from the
other work I’ve done. Think World War One meets Avatar. More to follow on that
as the project starts to flesh itself out!
I’ve been seeing some poor reviews left on Amazon lately.
That is really disappointing. When I take into account the number of books that
have been downloaded, mostly for free, it’s shocking to see how few reviews I
have, and supposedly, reviews drive says. Perhaps this is why I sold only a
single book in March.
Who the fuck knows?
All I can do is continue to make projects that I think are
fun and exciting, something other people will hopefully agree with if they give
the books the chance.
Until next time dear reads, wash your hands and stay 2 metres apart.
March 29, 2020
Lockdown Day 6
Right. I seemed to have missed my blog for Feb-tober, but who really cares?
February was a fairly productive month. I was able to finish
Project XI, the book I’m calling my Poirot in Space novel. It’s currently with
3 beta-readers, and depending on how things go with this lock-down, I’d like to
launch it some time in April.
I suppose that’s almost part of the irony for me with this
lockdown, which was put into place on the evening of the 23rd, that
my productivity might actually increase now. I sure as hell can’t burn time in
the pub for the foreseeable future!
With Project XI out with readers, it’s time to get back to
work on Project X, the 7th book in the Earth Saga series. Now, there
are a few issues there. Most notably the issue of trying to remember what the
hell was going on when I left that project. That is a major issue. As a result,
I’m going to put a pin in the story, and write the final act. The big whammy of
an ending. Once that is complete, the plan is to get the book to the printers,
start editing from the beginning, and figure out how to piece this monstrosity
together. That is going to take time, but time is something I have in abundance
at the moment.
The lockdown will also give me a chance to binge watch some
Netflix, and to watch some DVDs that I’ve still got. I’m feeling the need to
rewatch BSG, possibly all the Alien films, Fast and Furious, the list goes on.
All I know is that we’re going to be locked-down for a few months, time to punch
the keys and not go insane!
February 2, 2020
Jan 20
The first month of 2020 has drawn to a close, and while
things look grim globally, the writing effort is on track to release 2 to 3
titles this year. 2 projects are currently around the 50% complete mark, and
the 3rd is still in development.
Sales wise, January wasn’t the best month, only 14 copies
sold, which isn’t horrible considering 2019 as a whole was grim in the sales
department. I also gave away from free books in January, but these still fail
to result in reviews which could lead to future sales. That’s annoying. All we
can do is keep getting the product to market and see what happens.
I decided to quit Instagram and Twitter during January. I
don’t think that they were helping me sell books, so dumping them was an easy
decision. Facebook, on the other hand I view as a necessary evil, for the time
being, so my presence on that platform will continue.
In total, January was a fairly quiet month. The keys were
punched, but not in the volume I’d expect. Perhaps that’s because it’s January,
or Brexit, or the Coronavirus, or the fact that Trump is going to get off in his
impeachment trial. To quote Kevin Bacon. Remain calm. All is well.
I finally got around to watching 1917 in the cinema. I
thought it was rather well done, and incredibly well shot. I also watched the
Pandemic documentary series on Netflix, which is more timely than ever. I’ve been
reading how Trump cut the funding for the CDC and disbanded some
counter-epidemic group within the White House, or something like that. Genius
timing.
Music wise, it’s more of the same: synthwave for work, while
beefing up my jazz collection at the same time. I’ve become a huge fan of
Isidor, whose new album Avalon Quest is straight out of any awesome sci-fi
film. Perfect to have on in the background while punching the keys.
In other, random news, Star Fleet, I mean Space Force was formally
established. That’ll be a great use of tax-dollars.
Looking towards Febtober, the focus is on finishing the ‘Poirot
in space’ story that I’m working on. What’s that is accomplished, we’ll be
moving back to finishing the 7th Earth Saga novel.
Other than that, it’s time to sit back, and see how awesome
Brexit will truly be. Chlorinated chicken anyone?
