Writing Log: July 2020 (Part Deux)
So, that’s the thing about trying to a “monthly” series–sometimes, due to the way the calendar rolls around, these come up before the month is technically up. I’ve not decided how I will handle these month-to-month perturbations. This time I’m going with a Part 2 for my Writing Log, but I could also just do these monthly (once a month) without actually worrying about what happens when the month doesn’t cooperate with me. Like everything, this will be a constantly evolving decision. If you have a preference (once a month update vs a two-part update then let me know in the comments. I’m leaning towards once a month, but I don’t have any firm opinions either way.
I, Mage (Urban Fantasy Story)
Completion %:
Rating: 1 out of 5.
Okay, so this one is the big offender for the month. Totally my fault, but I got seduced by a deadline of August 1st for a market that wanted submissions using their “starter sentence” discusses a fictional library, The Simmons Public Library. They wanted to be the first ones to see stories built on this framework (which I can totally understand), but the Aug. 1st deadline proved to be way too close. I thought that because I worked in a public library and this story is set in a public library, I could “breeze” through the drafting of it. Well, not so fair reader. Even though I did the rough draft for the story–that’s the easy part. It is essential for me so that I don’t meander or get lost in the weeds, but the hard part is dramatizing the story (POV, setting, characterization, feelings, 5 senses, etc.) takes time, energy, and is difficult. So I got bogged down in the first section for most of the month. Finally, last week I just had to temporarily abandon the project or I wasn’t going to get anything finished. What lesson did I learn: Show, don’t tell is good advice, but Tell, then show is even better advice. The problem is telling is easy (and fun), and showing is hard (and hard work). Make sure you have enough time to go through both stages. Also, better to affix your own deadlines than to work to someone else’s (though this may be unique to just me). I’m going to remove it from my “Project List” at the bottom of my signature, for now, and replace it with another project.
Project Wall (Sci-Fi Story)
Completion Percentage:
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I’m going to go ahead and basically mark this one as completed. I was only supposed to create a “rough draft” this month. I got carried away and started dramatizing that rough draft and got through the 1st section. However, I stopped and rewrote out a draft in my notebook–yes, I do still hand write things (mostly notes). However, I did hand write a rough draft that is waiting to get put into the computer later today or sometime over the weekend.
This one almost didn’t come together as I did the research for it, but none of the research ended up in the first version of the “rough draft.” This one is going to be a much harder and much more complex thing to get down correctly. It deals with a brother trying to save his sister and I don’t want it to get bogged down in gender relations–this story is strictly about filial love and duty and that’s what I’m having a hard time capturing. Also, I don’t want to be too close to the inspiration of this project. Basically, I know a lot of what I don’t what from this project, but less about what I do want. I’m interested to see how this one turns out.
Unhallowed
(Weird Western Fantasy Story)
Completion Percentage:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This story is getting there. I’ve revised most of the earlier sections and I’m now working on the final section. I estimate that I still have a week or two left before I’m finished working on the 2nd draft (Working Draft) of the story. The first draft of the story went “crazy well” (and, I guess why I went in the same direction with Project Wall) and now I’m just fleshing out setting and characterization issues mostly. The end is where I am and is what needs the most amount of work: I want to imply that there is a scientific theory at work (branes), but the characters have no conception of this theory, so I’m going to have to explain it in a way that implies this, but doesn’t actually name it. I’ve done a little of that work in the 1st draft, but I’m going to have to really do it well in this draft. This is the one that I should have been concentrating on all month and I might have finished by now, but that’s okay. Lesson learned.
KnightWatch
(Fantasy Graphic Novel)
Completion Percentage:
Rating: 1 out of 5.
I only recently started this story (last week). I’m currently writing Issue #1 and if I had to hazard a guess, I’m on script page 5 or 6 (the actual document is currently 4 pages long). This is a long-term project, so my personal deadline isn’t until Christmas (although I hope to finish it sooner). Ship of Shadows issue #1 is finished, but I have had no desire to work on issue 2 because I’m telling the same story over again. The goal was to retell the short story in issue 1 and 2 and then finish off issue 3 and 4 with new material, but another lesson that I’ve learned is that once I finish a story (and published it), I have no real desire to go back and tell the same story over again–I want new challenges and to advance the plot. Bringing back characters is fine or putting them in situations that are later in their lives is also fine, but to just redo the same story doesn’t work for me.
KnightWatch is set in the same world as the short story Sister-Knight that is no longer in print (even though it was published on the internet), but follows a different group of characters. The original characters do make a cameo appearance in the story, but the focus isn’t on them. Hopefully, by the end of the year I can start looking for publishers and/or artists who might like to work on this project. If nothing else, it will give me an opportunity to reach out to some of the artists who’ve done illustrations for my work in the past and maybe allowing me to move into new (and longer) formats. I’ll keep you updated. This will replace Childe Roland in the signature line.
Well, that’s all I have for today! Have a great weekend!
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (7/2020):
“Project Wall” (Science Fiction Story)
Completed: First Draft
Unhallowed (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: 2nd Draft (Working Draft)
KnightWatch Graphic Novel (Fantasy Graphic Novel)
Up Next: 1st Draft (Issue 1 – 7 story pages)
