I’ve just finished typing up this week’s writing. Three times, I sat down with the intention to write, and actually got words on paper. This is becoming some kind of crazy pattern. :) The prologue for The Glass Crown is almost done being put on paper, and then I will return to Chapter 6. To all of my beta readers, you’ll be getting a notification from Google Documents when I’m done with the Prologue. Just sneak it in there before Chapter 1, as if you’d read it already. Heh.

I’ve taken on yet another writing project. As Sam would say, oh boy. (+10 geek points) This upward trend in being able to get words down will definitely help with that. Oh! I almost forgot! Here’s a snippet for your reading pleasure.

Herod was shooting straight at the green dragon, his flight like an arrow. The green was hovering, her wings beating to keep her aloft, and her tail curled under her. She inhaled, and smoke rose from her jaws and nostrils. Leif wanted to shout out to the Rebuilder, to warn him, but the distance was too great. A stream of fire leapt from the green’s mouth, slammed into Herod’s face. It covered his neck, his body, and his wings. The Warriors below shouted their rage and anguish, releasing another volley of arrows at her. Yet Herod came on, his scales blackened in some places, hanging off in others.

The green beat her wings fiercely, trying to get above Herod’s mad charge. She rose slowly, hampered by volley after volley of arrows. The Rebuilder opened his jaws at the last instant, and then closed them around her tail, near its base. His momentum whipped her body down into his just as thunder rolled through the clouds. They both plummeted down, rolling over each other, clawing madly. The City shook when they landed, crushing the already burning hanging gardens.

Progress! The prologue has begun to bleed from my brain onto the paper, and it’s even mildly coherent! As proof, I have included the excerpt below. I mean, c’mon. Every time I say I’m starting to write, I have a nice little stall. So, I think you guys deserve a bit of the meaty goodness.

The clouds to the south and west of the city seemed to boil as something big descended through them. In moments, they parted, giving birth to a massive scaled beast with arced, wide wings and a long neck tipped by a wedge-shaped head. Its scales were the shifting greens of the Remembrance, and its jaws trailed thick, black smoke. Leif’s eyes grew wide as he understood what this meant, and filled his lungs to shout.

“Hide! Everyone, hide now! For the sake of your lives, hide!” He ran as fast as his legs would carry him to where the alarm bell stood.

So, here’s where I’m at with The Glass Crown:

In other news, one of the three novels left over from ConFusion is already spoken for. Hey, , did you want it just signed, or personalized, too? If you’re jonesing for a copy (because who isn’t?), and are bummed about the cheaper copies being sold out at Everybody Reads, you can find inexpensive copies through http://www.alibris.com, which will link you to all kinds of small booksellers. Way Station Books & Stuff has a few copies available for $19.95. As always, a search for “David Crampton” is the most efficient way to bring it up.

Coffee is tasty. And I’m not just saying that because I haven’t gotten a ton of sleep for the past three or four nights. I’m saying it because it’s true. Well, with cream and sugar.

My mind is bubbling over with stuffs about The Glass Crown. I have the prelude/prologue/thingy playing over and over and over in my head.

Also, I found Buddy’s anti-heartworm chews. I thought I got those to . WTF.

I didn’t get nearly as many pictures as I wanted to, but I figured out quite a lot about how my new phone’s camera works. And when it works, it works -well-. Especially compared to my RAZR. So, I’ll have some pics to share very soon. Also, be sure to watch ConPics for other points of view of the con. :) Also, if you have any pics from older cons that could use a good home, I heartily recommend it.

The “WHO IS THE SQUIRREL KING?” ribbons were a hit. The cleverly designed flyers (kudos to ) combined with the room party for the Michigan Browncoats made the ribbon quite popular. I’m almost out, and I wasn’t handing them out like candy, either. Only to those that asked the question. Even Eric Raymond (yes, THAT Eric Raymond) came by the room party to ask what was up with the squirrel flyers. He flipped through one of the books, and then took off. Was cool! :)

I’m nearly out of those, and so I’ll be taking what’s left of them to ConVocation. What’s that? I’m going to ConVocation? Why, yes, I am! I will also have copies of The Remembrance_[alibris] available for purchase there. It’ll be up on the web site soon, as well as my Google Calendar.

I definitely want to use up all of the Squirrel King ribbons before I move on to the Rebuilder ones. I doubt they’ll be as popular, but c’mon, who can compete with the Squirrel King?

I’m bubbling over with the need to get the words in my head out, so you, my dear readers, may be subjected to more of my blathering! Stay tuned, if you have the fortitude!

Good news! The books came in! I will have five copies of The Remembrance for sale at ConFusion. One may go to M. Keaton for trade, but at least four will be available through the dealer room (yay consignment!) or from me.

Now all I have to do is get the ribbons and the painter’s tape out of the storage unit and pack. Busy busy me.

I’ll still probably play the seek-me-out game for the ribbons, and I think is creating some flyers to go up involving a squirrel with a crown. Heh.

OH! I will also be attending ConVocation next month, and should have a few copies on hand there, as well. Enough people have asked about it that I should probably have a copy here at work to show off. I know someone made the suggestion to who made it to me, but I can’t remember who it was.

Feeling like a writer again. :) Feels good.

I have so much to read. I have so much to write. I have so many people that mean so much to me. I have so much to do.

But I have -so much- time.

Enter the cliche… where does it all go?

The books for ConFusion might not arrive on time. In the circumstance that they do not, I’m thinking of modifying an older idea. I have a bunch of badge ribbons that ask, “WHO IS THE SQUIRREL KING?” They’ve been the most popular ribbons of the three. I could give those that have read the book a ribbon, and a couple of USB jump drives with a .pdf copy of the whole novel. Then, I could print up twenty or so flyers that ask the same thing, and hang them in various locations around the con, with a picture of the Remembrance gem in the background (thanks again !). Underneath the question could be smaller print with a line of text directing them to people who have the ribbon. If they ask the question, they get a ribbon and a jump drive. Now, in the case that these people get asked the question (since they now have a ribbon), they can find people who have jump drives.

It’s an attempt at viral marketing that will rely upon sci-fi fantasy geeks to talk to a stranger. Luckily, being a con atmosphere, I think that it’s far more likely to happen. I think I’ve talked about this sort of thing before here. What do you think?