David R. Michael's Blog, page 45
November 5, 2010
Nano Day 5
Today's Words: 1997
Month to Date: 10052
Not much to say today. Just gotta keep on fucking that chicken…
-David
November 4, 2010
THE SUMMONING FIRE Listed on Joe Konrath's Blog
With a Little Help
This isn't a competition.
It never was, really. Very few readers only read one author. The vast majority like several authors, and the more a person likes to read, the more authors they wind up discovering, and following.
In some cases, price may be a bit prohibitive. If your book budget is $40 a month, you might have to choose between two new hardcovers, or five paperbacks. But, by and large, readers don't pick one book over another book. If they want to read them both, they eventually will.
Which brings us to authors helping authors.
If we're not in competition with one another, then it makes perfect sense to help each other out. After all, we're all in the same boat.
I do this a lot. Anyone who has ever done a booksigning with me knows that I spend a lot of time pimping my peers' books–often moreso than I pimp my own.
That said, here are some writers I'd like to share with you.
Read the whole post here…
-David
Nano Day 4
Today's Words: 2022
Month to Date: 8055
I think I wrote some words today that are at least moderately funny. Not that my opinion really counts in this regard.
On the other hand, today I found myself worrying that I wasn't exercising proper "editorial control" over what I'm writing. Out of the blue I get the thought that I might be relaxing too far into the Nano mindset and letting myself just babble on, good words, bad words, whatever words come to mind.
I like to write as close to a "complete" first draft as possible. No way to be "completely complete" when I finish the first draft (at least, not yet). I'm always going to find something I need to revise, and if I don't my first readers will. But I like to think what I'm writing is good, not just words I'm slopping down onto the page or screen.
So, yes, only 4 days into November and Self Doubt shows up. Possibly a new speed record.
Part of the problem is that I'm still *planning* the novel while simultaneously *writing* it. Characters are still being defined in look-and-feel. Settings are still in flux. There's just a lot of everything still up in the air.
No writing is wasted writing. Each word helps me see the story and the world of the story that much more clearly. Even if only by elimination.
-David
November 3, 2010
THE SUMMONING FIRE Reviewed at Reading Review
Conan Tigard at Reading Review rates The Summoning Fire 7½ out of 10.David Michael has created a world that I would never want to live in. The plot moves along with as many chapters that take place in the past as do in the present. There are also a few chapters thrown in that … center upon people that live in Hell on Earth and the tragic end to the lives, usually at the hands, which it doesn't really have, so let's say tendrils, of the summoned creature. Man, would this ever be a depressing place to live. Death surround the inhabitants at ever corner…
Read the whole review here…
-David
Nano Day 3
Today's Words: 2001
Month to Date: 6033
I didn't expect this first part of the book to soak up 6K words. I hope I'm not writing throwaway words here. So far, though, I'm kinda liking what I'm doing. Having fun with it. Still exploring the interaction of the characters and developing their voices.
-David
My How-to-Write Library
I count 51 books on the two shelves, and I know there's at least one more downstairs (The War of Art by Steven Pressfield). And maybe a few others about the house.
My "library" consists of a lot of how-to books (for novels, short stories and screenplays), plus some handy writers references books (like Deadly Doses), and some biographies and autobiographies. Some of these books are out of print. Some have been re-released with new covers.
I started buying how-to-write books in college (when I could afford to buy them instead of just checking them out of the library). That would be about 1989 or so. In the early 2K's I started buying fewer and reading more from the library again. Like that goofy, useless, industry-spawning How to Write a Breakout Novel. Not that some of the books I have on my shelves aren't also goofy and useless (like The Key). I just got lucky and didn't actually spend money on Breakout.
-David
November 2, 2010
Nano Day 2
Today's Words: 2017
Month to Date: 4032
Another solid day's work. I'm happy. I feel like I'm stretching myself some with this story, and that's good.
I'm still exploring the main character and coming up with secondary characters. Also exploring the setting a bit, trying to get a feel for how to describe everything. In short, I'm still finding my voice for this novel. Which isn't surprising. I only had the original idea last week.
I'm thinking for future novels I'm going to do more "exploratory writing" before tackling the novel itself. That is, writing short stories or vignettes to experiment with the character, setting or "gimmick" at the heart of the book. I did this for The Summoning Fire, though not on purpose, and for Horse Girl and even the novella I still need to edit. In all of those cases, it helped a lot.
For this novel, the exploratory writing is happening "on the job".
Go Nano!
-David
November 1, 2010
The Summoning Fire Giveaway!
FREE Trade Paperback of The Summoning Fire Giveaway (on GoodReads) ends in 3 days! (midnight on 5 November)
Click Here to Enter to a Recive a FREE Trade Paperback Copy of THE SUMMONING FIRE!
All Reese Howard has left is pain–and a pump-action shotgun. Sam is dead. The Old Man killed her right in front of Reese, a blood sacrifice to fuel his latest powerplay in Hell on Earth. Reese hopes the Old Man made a mistake, leaving her alive and armed. But she doubts it. He knows she's coming. The bastard has to know. Whatever. Reese plans to make him pay. And she plans to die trying.
Click Here to Enter to a Recive a FREE Trade Paperback Copy of THE SUMMONING FIRE!
-David
Nano Day 1
Today's Words: 2015
Month to Date: 2015
A good, quick start.
I make no warranty as to the fitness or applicability of the words written, but they are words written.
Unlike previous years, I'm going to make an effort to write *every* day this month. And I'm going to target 2000 words each day. It'd be quite cool to hit 60K words for the month *and* finish the novel (which I'm planning to be about 60K words).
The Nano Web page is being very slow today (predictably). I'll post my count there as soon as I can.
-David
