Tag Archives: Writery

Writing Journal

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From my writing journal, back in October:

Start the first scene in the coney, as it is now. Describe the place, and the people, and Seth’s worry about Susan’s state of mind. Open near the end of their visit and bring the run-in with Adam closer to the beginning.

This was the second time that I started a rewrite of Adam’s Name, so I was on the line about whether I just needed to chuck the piece or if it could be fixed. I had tried to rewrite the conversation-via-journal as regular conversation, but it still felt choppy and forced. It was a few more months before I felt the urge to revisit it, this time with the idea to include structure, as well as dialogue, in the rewrite.  So far, the story has done nothing but improve.

Writing Journal

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From my writing journal, back in October:

I wonder if I’ve still got the printouts of the Coney Island back-and-forth for Adam’s Name. I may need to cut the whole scene. I could start the story right before Adam and Susan trip over each other. Instead of entertaining the idea of creating an amateur mafia, Seth and Sol are concerned about the sanity and well-being of their friend. Downplay the poorly written mob book angle and focus on the characters discovering the story around them.

There’s far too much telling instead of showing in the current draft. Rewrite from scratch.

What about the romance angle? Tension between Susan and Seth. How can you be such good friends without at least a little bit of that?

Instead of tying things up, Susan and Sol’s disappearance shatters the story. It’s supposed to, really, but is there too much jarring happening on the reader’s end?

Instead of Adam and Julia meeting her witch mentor right after the club, Adam should spend the night at her apartment. Julia should reveal that she’s been dreaming about him, which will make him break down and divulge everything that’s been happening to him. He’ll try to contact his buddies, only to find that he’s slipped into Julia’s world.

– Need to figure out how Adam gets to his cash to get his bike.

– He’ll push himself back into the “real” world as part of figuring out what’s going on.

Julia will insist on coming with him. She’ll *OMGSPOILER* and then *OMGSPOILER* Adam will *OMGSPOILER* which will last all of two seconds. He should *OMGSPOILER* before he reaches Canada.

Closing Doors

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After a few discussions with my artist, we have decided to close the doors on Fight or Flight.

I’m of mixed, but strong, feelings about it. I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the project over the past few years, as has Rick.

This is the first fiction project that I’ve ever had to let go of. I’m sure that there’ll be more, for whatever reason, in the future. I’m using that emotion to fuel the rewrite and then subsequent completion of the Adam’s Name first draft. Completing one project will make me feel better about never finishing the other. At least, that’s the hope.

I’ll be putting up a final post over at the comic’s site, along with the paper comic’s cover, in the next day or two.

“Keep moving forward.”

Podcasts for Writing

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Since this year’s Penguicon, which I was sadly unable to attend, I’ve been collecting episodes of the Writing Excuses podcast. Two writers whom I admire were guests in those episodes, so I started downloading. I would eventually get around to listening to them.

I finally copied the files over to my phone last night, and began listening while I was on the way to pick up my might-as-well-be-biological sister in preparation for her holiday return to Delaware. As an aside, I still dig my cassette tape adapter.

There’s something to be said about listening to writers talk about writing, when you’re a writer. (Write.) I didn’t lack motivation before I started to listen again, but I’m finding that I have more of it now that I did. It reminds me of listening to Mur Lafferty‘s I Should be Writing podcast. Which, now that I go and visit the site, seems to have included video.

If you are writing, want to write, or want to improve your writing, I would recommend both of these podcasts. They give us access to those that are going through the same trials and tribulations that we are, or those that already have. They give us ideas and writing prompts that may take us in a direction that we would never have thought to take. And, if we’re lucky enough to pick up on it, they might even give us perspective.

Rewrite

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I’ve rewritten the first, and largest, part of Adam’s Name.  Its first working title was Motor City Mafia, and was intended on having a pulpy, cheesy feel that revolved around a story that even the characters knew was implausible.  I had attempted to fine-tune this story, after it had collected dust for a few years, but what it needed was a full rewrite. Instead of feeling like real people stuck in bad writing, it was just bad writing.

The flow is better, the story is better, and the characters seem far more comfortable in their roles.  They now know that they’re the background noise, the filler, the extras in their world, and that running into Adam has pulled them out of that.  Seth, Susan, Sol, and Jonah are all making the journey to main characters, and are not entirely happy with how that’s going.  Instead of leaving them isolated in their introductory chapter, as I did in the last few versions, I’m going to carry the cast through, and find out how long they can hold up in the tornado that is building around Adam.

Things I’m looking forward to in the next chapter:

  • Solidifying the central mystery/conflict of the story
  • Writing some steamy scenes
  • Killing off one of the characters in strange circumstances

Waiting a month.

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Here’s a bit of comic geekery that I discovered recently:  Image Comics only publishes creator-owned works.  They do not own the rights of any of the material that they publish.  Also, they seem to have an active submissions system/slush pile.

Can you hear the mental gears turning from there?  Because they were pretty loud when I discovered this.

I checked with Rick, the amazing artist of amazingness, and asked him if he thought that Fight or Flight would have a chance.  He said sure.  I asked him if he thought it was a good idea to submit it.  He said go for it.

I combed through their submission guidelines several times.  I wrote up a summary letter of the story.  I told them what kind of comic we envisioned Fight or Flight to be.  I included as many pages of the print-ready comic as Google would let me attach to an email.  I sent the email.

I went for it.

Their submissions page says that they have a quick turn-around time.  If I don’t hear back from them in a month, then I’m to consider them uninterested.  If that happens, sure, I’ll be a bit disappointed.  But then I’ll fall back to the original plan of self-publishing the issues.  Either way, Fight or Flight will be available on dead trees to those that want it.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Awesome.

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Hunter reads FoF!What is this? Is this a Hunter in his native habitat? What is he doing, there? Why, that appears to be a comic book!  Huh.

I got the test copy in the mail yesterday. There’s a bit of a problem with how dark the artwork printed, so Rick (the Awesome Artist) is trying to work some contrast miracles. Knowing him, he’ll pull off something sweet.

I can’t wait for this to be available to everyone.

Added

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GoodreadsAs long as I’ve been a member of Goodreads (some time in 2008?), I have been under the impression that only books with ISBN numbers could be added to its hallowed database. Perhaps this was the case when I joined, but no longer! No siree Bob! What have I done with my new-found knowledge? Good question!

I’ve added Todd’s Story to the Goodreads database. Now you can add it to your library, give it incredibly uplifting reviews, recommend it to your friends, start a discussion about the book, and other sundry (and yet awesome!) things.  So, I say unto you, go forth, and read good!