A.G. Carpenter's Blog, page 10
February 6, 2014
Sand (Writing Update 2.6.14)
Today is one of those days I have trouble focusing on any particular project. But, after a few weeks of rebooting my brain following the revisions on the Steampunk Novel, it's time to start putting more words out.
So, I wrote the first couple hundred words on a sequel to Brass Stars. Right now I'm kind of ... egh about it. I like my plot, I like the opening, but I'm worried I'm about to spend too much time on the set-up.
Then I refined about 500 words I wrote by hand last night for "The Spider-...
So, I wrote the first couple hundred words on a sequel to Brass Stars. Right now I'm kind of ... egh about it. I like my plot, I like the opening, but I'm worried I'm about to spend too much time on the set-up.
Then I refined about 500 words I wrote by hand last night for "The Spider-...
February 5, 2014
News and Good News - 2.5.14
First off, an apology. Well, more like an excuse. I had almost gotten settled into a regular blogging schedule and then writing stuff got real. (In a good way. More on that in a minute.) And just about the time I was wrapping that up there was this snow event that kind of fucked up the Southeast. Me and mine were able to stay warm and not get stuck anywhere. (Of course, we also salted, shoveled and took a flame-thrower to the road outside our house to enable safe passage up and down.) Long st...
January 30, 2014
Sending Words into the Void
I recently found out that "In the Cool of the Day" was the most popular story of 2013 over at Abyss & Apex.
Which is flattering and amazing and I'm completely thrilled by that.
It is frequently a very lonely thing having a story published. Sometimes you get feedback or comments or see your links retweeted, many times you don't. (Well, I suppose Neil Gaiman doesn't have that problem, but for the rest of us...)
I tend to focus on writing the next story more than trying to figure out if anyone...
Which is flattering and amazing and I'm completely thrilled by that.
It is frequently a very lonely thing having a story published. Sometimes you get feedback or comments or see your links retweeted, many times you don't. (Well, I suppose Neil Gaiman doesn't have that problem, but for the rest of us...)
I tend to focus on writing the next story more than trying to figure out if anyone...
January 27, 2014
Growing Pains and the Endless Middle
I've known for a while that I work better when I have an idea where a story is going. Sometimes that means writing a detailed outline. Sometimes it's as simple as a sentence or two. But the words come more easily when I can see where I'm headed.
Then comes a day when I suddenly realize that the thing I thought I was aiming for will not work. Maybe it's because the ending no longer fits the characters. Or maybe it's simply that the route I thought I would take from point D to point E doesn't ma...
Then comes a day when I suddenly realize that the thing I thought I was aiming for will not work. Maybe it's because the ending no longer fits the characters. Or maybe it's simply that the route I thought I would take from point D to point E doesn't ma...
January 22, 2014
WIP Wednesday: Survivor
From a future steampunk novella-in-progress.
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The wind came in from the west, sour with blood and agitating the gorillas.Izzy stood at the rail and scanned the horizon. Then again with the telescope. “No sign of smoke. And there aren't any settlements this far out. Are you sure what you smell is blood?”Kiirahk grunted, flat nostrils flared as she crouched on the rail, the fur on her back bristling. Her fingers wrote words in the air. “Travelers? Maybe.” Izzy r...
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The wind came in from the west, sour with blood and agitating the gorillas.Izzy stood at the rail and scanned the horizon. Then again with the telescope. “No sign of smoke. And there aren't any settlements this far out. Are you sure what you smell is blood?”Kiirahk grunted, flat nostrils flared as she crouched on the rail, the fur on her back bristling. Her fingers wrote words in the air. “Travelers? Maybe.” Izzy r...
January 20, 2014
Take What is Useful
In November of 2012 I was working on a major overhaul of the Steampunk novel. This was the one that took my mediocre second draft and transformed it into the novel I spent the next fourteen months querying.
Although the pull of NaNoWriMo was strong, I had promised myself to finish the rewrite of the novel and tagged along with a local group of eager NaNoers as they plunged into the mess and excitement of first drafts. Quite frankly, I was rewriting so much of my novel it was kind of like a fir...
Although the pull of NaNoWriMo was strong, I had promised myself to finish the rewrite of the novel and tagged along with a local group of eager NaNoers as they plunged into the mess and excitement of first drafts. Quite frankly, I was rewriting so much of my novel it was kind of like a fir...
January 15, 2014
WIP Wednesday: THINGBREAKER
More from the Magicpunk Novel-in-Progress.
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While we wait, I take stock of the situation. Though I do not know Archer, something in the way he keeps his distance at this point tells me he will not side with Gormhen if things turn any worse. Gormhen himself is unlikely to be a threat. Not it a cold, dank building like this. He must conserve energy or wind up catatonic. As it is, he edges closer to the brazier, soaking up as much warmth as he can get. And the lieutenants ar...
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While we wait, I take stock of the situation. Though I do not know Archer, something in the way he keeps his distance at this point tells me he will not side with Gormhen if things turn any worse. Gormhen himself is unlikely to be a threat. Not it a cold, dank building like this. He must conserve energy or wind up catatonic. As it is, he edges closer to the brazier, soaking up as much warmth as he can get. And the lieutenants ar...
January 13, 2014
Goals for 2014
Usually I post my goals for the upcoming year before we hit the end of December. This year I spent the month of December A) recovering from the sinus infection that ate Chicago (AKA my bout with The Blob) and B) neck deep in edits on the Steampunk Novel. (Plus all the normal holiday stuff.)
So, on the one hand, I'm a little late with this list because I've simply been busy. But I also found myself wondering what my goals for this year really were. Previous years have been pretty straightforwar...
So, on the one hand, I'm a little late with this list because I've simply been busy. But I also found myself wondering what my goals for this year really were. Previous years have been pretty straightforwar...
January 8, 2014
WIP Wednesday: "Damsel"
From a Sword & Sorcery novella-in-progress.
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“There is only one Null practitioner in Vaanal.” “Surely...”“There is only one.” His shoulders slumped. “The others have been done away with.” Her hands grew cold. She had only ever known one other Null practitioner. Mother. She had disappeared years before; long before the blight. But Yarrow was certain there were others. It was possible sometimes to feel the pull of energy being turned to different purpose....
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“There is only one Null practitioner in Vaanal.” “Surely...”“There is only one.” His shoulders slumped. “The others have been done away with.” Her hands grew cold. She had only ever known one other Null practitioner. Mother. She had disappeared years before; long before the blight. But Yarrow was certain there were others. It was possible sometimes to feel the pull of energy being turned to different purpose....
January 6, 2014
2013 In Review
2013 was a year that felt like I spun my wheels. A lot.
I was deep in the query trenches for the bulk of the year, trying to find an agent for The Steampunk Novel. That search also led to two different R&Rs (one in June and one in November), taking even bigger bites out of my limited writing time and reducing my short story output drastically.
In fact, this is my slowest year to produce new shorts since I started W1S1 in 2011. In fact, by my count, I only finished two new stories this year....
I was deep in the query trenches for the bulk of the year, trying to find an agent for The Steampunk Novel. That search also led to two different R&Rs (one in June and one in November), taking even bigger bites out of my limited writing time and reducing my short story output drastically.
In fact, this is my slowest year to produce new shorts since I started W1S1 in 2011. In fact, by my count, I only finished two new stories this year....
