D.W. Wilkin's Blog, page 359

Near the end of another month and another book done

I set this up to be written back in September, a month after the previous update, but i never posted it. Nor did any writing on it.

I have written since then. A great deal it seems, even if I have said not a lot in my blog about it

Since August 19th, what I have written is:

You Ought to Trust Your Mother (NaNoWriMo 2010) Novel-57240 words currently

The Conquest Story-48,448 Currently

Star Musketeers-82,650 words this year, completed first draft, 105K+ words total

The Succession Crisis-124,830 words completed first draft

Tempest and Sword-108,274 words completed first draft

At my august update I was just past 700K words for the year

I am now at 1,060,000+ words for the year

I spoke at another group and this was a little different then the first book group. Here no one had read my novel, while at the first group all had. I like it better when everyone has read my novel. It means that we have something to talk about in common. When i was put out there as a writer and publishing my book, it seems like I was pandering and standing naked in front of them. Not exactly what I wanted. The End of the World has reached 92 sales, and I hope for more.

Feedback about the story is good. Still working on the copy editor for The Shattered Mirror. Three of the chapters done. As soon as it is all finished it will be virtually ready for publication

You Ought to Trust Your Mother, the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) effort this year is the story of a girl too pretty for her own ambitions, which she in unsure what they are.

Art and a flamboyant lord all play a part in helping her find her path in life and the man she should wed.

Here is an excerpt:

Ballateer

Lord Fallion finished his breakfast and then, after all he had done that morning, waking and attending to his toilette, dressing, and eating, he looked through the windows that framed the room. He noted that they were wet with rain once more. Three days, and winter was supposed to be finished already. Not that he was annoyed. He had spent some considerable time living where it was wet without a house to keep it from his head some few years before. That Ballateer had a sound roof, he was quite pleased with.

Sound everything. Fallion Lancealot Stafford couldn't fault his father for the way he had left things to him, but two years since his father died and he had become Baron of Tweeddale, and his idleness was choking him. Idleness caused by indecision, if caused by anything at all.

Pushing his plate away, the servant Franks said, "Coffee in the study, my lord?"

"Drawing room today. And I'll read the papers there. Have James lay a fire if one isn't already…"

Franks said, "There is one doing quite nicely my lord." Of course there would be. Despite his attempts to train the staff to economize, since four of five days he was sure he went to his study after he had dined in the morning, it made sense to ready a fire in that room. But as the whim took Fall, as he thought of himself and wished his friends called him, that he might wish to sit in the drawing room where large portraits of his parents faced his favorite settee, he would change his routine. Such was the case that morning as it had been others and he never failed to find the room ready for him, or the library should he go there.

Fallion had made it known to Bartman the head butler that laying a fire in all three rooms were a waste and he could call for a fire when he planned to use a room or went into one. Bartman had agreed and then did nothing to change the routine of the house. Fires were laid in all the rooms that the servant thought he would use. Thankfully they did not start one in every room of the house. Though Fallion was wealthy and perhaps his money did seem inexhaustible, he was sure it wasn't. Though his men of accounts said each quarter it did seem to accumulate more of the stuff.

Ensconced in the room that had been a favorite of his late mothers, he sat and took a look at the papers. He did not truly care what was happening in the empire, or who was seen and whom they were with. But lords read the papers after breakfast. His father had read the papers and aloud to his mother. She had lived for two weeks after his father had died, not weeping because the last baron was gone in public, but behind the closed doors of her rooms, Fallion knew she was heartbroken and sobbed for hours. Surely it had affected her health and caused her to pass away so quickly.

That is what distracted him while he looked cursorily at the words of the newsprint, or glanced to the portrait of the late Baroness. If she were there with him now, he smiled at the thought, what would she say. Probably that his father had never idled his life so, though of course his father had, and that he should marry. That is what his sisters would say also, for they had taken such pages from their mothers book. Each married, and if he knew them as well as he thought he did, they would be either arriving or sending their emissaries shortly before lunch.

It was a cycle and well planned out. Sunday he always had to himself unless he chose to ask for company. Otherwise each day of the week, one or the other of his brothers by marriage would come, sometimes both. Or one or the other of his sisters, or both. Or one couple together, or even all four. The last permutation of such visits had them bring their children all in a cluster and let them run rampant. He didn't truly mind that, for the children were good and respectful of the house.

Saverdale, the man married to his elder sister Jane was in the House of Commons, having the borough of him and might want to discuss politics, but that was a bore. Fallion should not like that, but then he remembered that the Saverdale clan entire had set out to London for the season was starting and the House was back in session shortly.

The Season which meant that Anne would be coming to visit with Lord Drakesmore, the third son of the Duke of Lege who had been given a manor next to Ballateer, fallen in love with Anne and married faster than one could read Chaucer. He would see Anne and Drakesmore daily until he succumbed and ran up to London for the season, it was inevitable, or had been the way they carried on the last two years.

In our personal life, we moved over this time. The first move since we had to leave our house of ten years. It took a lot away from my writing with trips to look at houses, packing and a great many trips to storage.

The Gratitude Log

Youtube–I spend a great deal of time here watching the vids of people playing games that are not on the Macintosh just yet.
NaNoWriMo–This is the challenge that got me focused to write more and publish
U-Haul–We gave them a lot of money and business. They are ubiquitous. They were the closest and most available place to rent a vehicle
Apple–Still the best for all my computing needs
Firaxis–The makers of Civilization V . The next iteration of one of the best strategy series for computer gaming.

Near the end of another month and another book done

I set this up to be written back in September, a month after the previous update, but i never posted it. Nor did any writing on it.

I have written since then. A great deal it seems, even if I have said not a lot in my blog about it

Since August 19th, what I have written is:

You Ought to Trust Your Mother (NaNoWriMo 2010) Novel-57240 words currently

The Conquest Story-48,448 Currently

Star Musketeers-82,650 words this year, completed first draft, 105K+ words total

The Succession Crisis-124,830 words completed first draft

Tempest and Sword-108,274 words completed first draft

At my august update I was just past 700K words for the year

I am now at 1,060,000+ words for the year

I spoke at another group and this was a little different then the first book group. Here no one had read my novel, while at the first group all had. I like it better when everyone has read my novel. It means that we have something to talk about in common. When i was put out there as a writer and publishing my book, it seems like I was pandering and standing naked in front of them. Not exactly what I wanted. The End of the World has reached 92 sales, and I hope for more.

Feedback about the story is good. Still working on the copy editor for The Shattered Mirror. Three of the chapters done. As soon as it is all finished it will be virtually ready for publication

You Ought to Trust Your Mother, the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) effort this year is the story of a girl too pretty for her own ambitions, which she in unsure what they are.

Art and a flamboyant lord all play a part in helping her find her path in life and the man she should wed.

Here is an excerpt:

Ballateer

Lord Fallion finished his breakfast and then, after all he had done that morning, waking and attending to his toilette, dressing, and eating, he looked through the windows that framed the room. He noted that they were wet with rain once more. Three days, and winter was supposed to be finished already. Not that he was annoyed. He had spent some considerable time living where it was wet without a house to keep it from his head some few years before. That Ballateer had a sound roof, he was quite pleased with.

Sound everything. Fallion Lancealot Stafford couldn't fault his father for the way he had left things to him, but two years since his father died and he had become Baron of Tweeddale, and his idleness was choking him. Idleness caused by indecision, if caused by anything at all.

Pushing his plate away, the servant Franks said, "Coffee in the study, my lord?"

"Drawing room today. And I'll read the papers there. Have James lay a fire if one isn't already…"

Franks said, "There is one doing quite nicely my lord." Of course there would be. Despite his attempts to train the staff to economize, since four of five days he was sure he went to his study after he had dined in the morning, it made sense to ready a fire in that room. But as the whim took Fall, as he thought of himself and wished his friends called him, that he might wish to sit in the drawing room where large portraits of his parents faced his favorite settee, he would change his routine. Such was the case that morning as it had been others and he never failed to find the room ready for him, or the library should he go there.

Fallion had made it known to Bartman the head butler that laying a fire in all three rooms were a waste and he could call for a fire when he planned to use a room or went into one. Bartman had agreed and then did nothing to change the routine of the house. Fires were laid in all the rooms that the servant thought he would use. Thankfully they did not start one in every room of the house. Though Fallion was wealthy and perhaps his money did seem inexhaustible, he was sure it wasn't. Though his men of accounts said each quarter it did seem to accumulate more of the stuff.

Ensconced in the room that had been a favorite of his late mothers, he sat and took a look at the papers. He did not truly care what was happening in the empire, or who was seen and whom they were with. But lords read the papers after breakfast. His father had read the papers and aloud to his mother. She had lived for two weeks after his father had died, not weeping because the last baron was gone in public, but behind the closed doors of her rooms, Fallion knew she was heartbroken and sobbed for hours. Surely it had affected her health and caused her to pass away so quickly.

That is what distracted him while he looked cursorily at the words of the newsprint, or glanced to the portrait of the late Baroness. If she were there with him now, he smiled at the thought, what would she say. Probably that his father had never idled his life so, though of course his father had, and that he should marry. That is what his sisters would say also, for they had taken such pages from their mothers book. Each married, and if he knew them as well as he thought he did, they would be either arriving or sending their emissaries shortly before lunch.

It was a cycle and well planned out. Sunday he always had to himself unless he chose to ask for company. Otherwise each day of the week, one or the other of his brothers by marriage would come, sometimes both. Or one or the other of his sisters, or both. Or one couple together, or even all four. The last permutation of such visits had them bring their children all in a cluster and let them run rampant. He didn't truly mind that, for the children were good and respectful of the house.

Saverdale, the man married to his elder sister Jane was in the House of Commons, having the borough of him and might want to discuss politics, but that was a bore. Fallion should not like that, but then he remembered that the Saverdale clan entire had set out to London for the season was starting and the House was back in session shortly.

The Season which meant that Anne would be coming to visit with Lord Drakesmore, the third son of the Duke of Lege who had been given a manor next to Ballateer, fallen in love with Anne and married faster than one could read Chaucer. He would see Anne and Drakesmore daily until he succumbed and ran up to London for the season, it was inevitable, or had been the way they carried on the last two years.

In our personal life, we moved over this time. The first move since we had to leave our house of ten years. It took a lot away from my writing with trips to look at houses, packing and a great many trips to storage.

The Gratitude Log

Youtube–I spend a great deal of time here watching the vids of people playing games that are not on the Macintosh just yet.
NaNoWriMo–This is the challenge that got me focused to write more and publish
U-Haul–We gave them a lot of money and business. They are ubiquitous. They were the closest and most available place to rent a vehicle
Apple–Still the best for all my computing needs
Firaxis–The makers of Civilization V . The next iteration of one of the best strategy series for computer gaming.

Bookmarks

Have been asked again to speak to a book group on The End of the World!

Sales should pick up and spent the last two days fitting into my writing schedule the design of a bookmark.​

I'll print that onto cardstock and laminate and give it out when I go to the group. Been thinking how to take the Toast of the Ton card game… to make it better than the cardboard stock I printed it on about 10 years ago and while working on the bookmark, did research into laminators. I can laminate the cards for a...

July and early August update

On July 7th, I was asked to speak to a book group that has been meeting for 25 years. My book had been chosen and ten ladies have read The End of the World.

I spoke on my writing process and answered questions for near an hour. The book had been warmly received by the group, in awe that they could read a book without any four letter words so to speak in this day and age. This made me feel more confident in my writing.

I have also been asked to speak at a second book group.

Since my last...

Finished With the Birthright

It has been about two weeks since the last update. In that time Terra's Birthright, first draft, has been completed. As I started this book 20 years ago, almost, I have become much better at my craft. The mistakes or poor writing that the initial chapters contain masks the story that is within. So this is definitely a first draft in need of editing. A great deal of editing. While writing that and finishing it over 114K, I am also 50K into Two Peas in a Pod and think that this shall be...

Memorial Day Weekend

Here on the last day of May I have been reviewing my word count and find that I have crossed over the 400,000 limit this last week. Since the last update I had entered all the changes of the second draft of Caution's Heir so that is now finished completely and ready to be shopped around. I have composed a query letter and now must just find agents and editors to send this too.

Taking up the reins of the next project I struggled with an outline for another regency for several days and so...

Beggars Can't Be Choosier-Finis

Here we are and happy to report another sale for The End of the World

The End of the World and Regency Assembly Press

​

We are at 78 sales. We have one review from our readers. Click on the picture to order a copy at Amazon or go here. As those who are following know, The Shattered Mirror is now being edited. We have three editors and myself working on it.

The Shattered Mirror, Regency 2 for Regency Assembly Press is being edited by the production edit crew, Deedira, Nora and Corinne. ​

Then I h...

After Writing Group May 2010

The End of the World and Regency Assembly Press

​

We are at 77 sales. We have one review from our readers. Click on the picture to order a copy at Amazon or go here. As those who are following know, The Shattered Mirror is now being edited. We have three editors and myself working on it.

This leaves the current work in progress, Beggars Can't Be Choosier. A story of romance that follows a marriage.

Total for the month of April writing is over 144,000 words. Beggars is now over 71K words and...

Midway is nearly upon us

Well, it has been a few days since the last post and what has happened since seems to be not very exciting. The new book was going slow. Through last friday I was writing at about half speed and had to take Wednesday off entirely to house hunt. The recession has caused to look elsewhere to live. We found a nice place that we have an offer on, but I am not sure that it is the perfect place. It will mean boxing up our lives and asking for help from all sorts of sources to move.

In any case...

The Next Next Book

The headline or title of this Blog entry suggests that I indeed finished the first draft of The Shattered Mirror over the weekend. On Saturday, actually coming in at 98,085 words. By my calculations of 300 words to the page for manuscript, that was 327 pages, 242 pages in the last two weeks. So I really cranked up the writing this month, and now am 6 pages into the next. I did 1 page Saturday and 5, on Sunday, even though I had not only hit my 30K for the week (Which is my high goal for each ...