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Archive for April, 2016

New Chapter

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’m at the first point in the rewrite of MAGE STORM where I’ve decided to add a new chapter from a different point of view. Not a new character, but one that never had a point of view in the earlier version of this story.

Changing POV characters, especially early in the story, always slows the writing down. It’ll be worth it in the end, though. This way, the reader will get a chance to really understand what motivates this important character. Not just what she tells her friends, which isn’t exactly false. Just . . . not complete.

I want to get this chapter (or two) done before I go back for my second look at WAR OF MAGIC.

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Three Projects

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Not yet. But as of next week, I’ll have three writing projects in process.

The first revisions of WAR OF MAGIC,

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which will be my primary project. The rewrite of MAGE STORM. And the first draft of BECOME.

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That should be interesting.

Both BECOME and MAGE STORM have been significantly delayed by a whole lot of real-life administrative stuff I’ve had to deal with lately. It’s not writer’s block, but it almost might as well be. Hopefully, I can get that all out of the way before it’s time to get serious about revisions on WAR OF MAGIC.

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Another Benefit of Multiple Projects

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on April 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sometimes, while working on Project B (BECOME),

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the exact idea I need for Project A (MAGE STORM) percolates to the surface. And generates new excitement.

Now all I need is the time.

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The Benefit of Multiple Projects

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on April 17, 2016| Leave a Comment »

While WAR OF MAGIC is still resting for another couple of weeks,

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I’ve been working on both MAGE STORM (no cover yet) and BECOME.

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BECOME is a first draft. Well, sort of. There was an earlier version of this story, so there area  few things I can draw on. But the story has changed immensely from that first version, so most of it won’t apply. Even the main character has changed. (That first version was called DREAMER’S ROSE and was about Rose, who remains as an important character, but not the main character. It really always should have been about Gaian. Now it will be.) Besides, I wrote that first version several years ago and the writing . . . well, lets just say it needs a lot of work.

MAGE STORM is a rewrite of a story that was originally written for a younger audience. The stakes will be higher, more related to the consequences for this world as well as the individual risks. And it won’t stick to a single point of view, either. But the plot is essentially the same. It’s adding and tweaking the age of the main character, mostly. It’s also likely to be ready to publish sooner. And, while it is the first in a series (no name for the series yet, either), the series will be made up of independent stories (rather like a series all about the same detective solving different crimes, though these aren’t primarily mysteries).  So, while the stories may work best in sequence, because they’ll build on the earlier ones, there won’t be anything remotely resembling a cliff hanger.

Revision–or rewrite–of one story and first draft of another actually work together fairly well. Better than trying to write to first drafts at the same time, certainly. And the advantage is that if i get stuck, or temporarily get tired of working on one, I can just switch to the other.

As long, of course, as I don’t start typing the wrong character’s name into either story.

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Back in the Saddle

Posted in Real Life, writing, tagged , , , , , , , on April 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Because writing and making up stories is part of who I am, nothing can keep me from it for long. So . . . yeah, I’m back working on MAGE STORM. And a little bit on BECOME.

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And on Plan B for the other issue. Because there’s never just one way to solve a problem.

Forward.

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Motivation Deficit

Posted in Real Life, tagged , on April 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sometimes real life just sucks all the creativity out of you. I thought I’d gotten a handle on things. Friday that blew up. And I’m finding it very difficult to concentrate on writing anything right now.

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Thinking Outside the Box

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on April 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The way to get through–or around–a block is usually to think outside the box. Re-imagine whatever it is you’re trying to do.

I’ve had to do that once or twice with my writing. FIRE AND EARTH ended up so different from the original story (which didn’t work on so many levels) that I don’t think anyone but me would recognize it.

To a lesser extent, I’m doing something similar with MAGE STORM. Re-imagining it as a much bigger story with more wide-ranging stakes. I haven’t gotten very far with that, yet. That’s okay. I expect it to take multiple iterations. Right now, I’m mostly adding back some of the things I’d cut from earlier versions.

And I’ve also had to do something like that a couple of times with my cover art. Series can be particularly difficult, because I need to come up with a concept or image that not only works for that book, but also can be extended into something that will tie all the books of the series together. Oh, and not look too much like the covers of my other series, too.

And, as I mentioned in my last post, I was really having trouble with the cover for MAGE STORM. I think I’ve solved that issue. I need to stare at it a little longer. And seek some more opinions. Maybe I’ll be able to share the cover with you by my next post.

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Next

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2016| 1 Comment »

The plan was that I’d work on the first draft of BECOME

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during this month while the first draft of WAR OF MAGIC rests.

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And I will be doing some of that. But the plan was also that BECOME would be the next thing I publish after completing the DUAL MAGICS series. And that might not be true.

And the reason is that there are some complexities regarding the ASCENSION series that starts with BECOME that make me want to have at least a first draft of the whole series–or at the very least the first two books–before I start publishing it.

  1. The first part of BECOME, as currently written, is somewhat episodic, because it covers certain pivotal events from the childhood of the main character–both the development of his goals and the development of a relationship with his half-brother, which will be very important to the overall story. I’m writing that in chronological order, but ultimately that may not be the best way to tell the story. It might not be the best way to capture reader interest or keep the story moving. The overall story would make it easy to shift some of those episodes to flashbacks. But I won’t know how I want to handle that until I’ve gotten to that part of the story (likely in the second book, CONVERGE).
  2. The overall series has three main characters, in a way. The overarching story belongs to the main character of BECOME, but his two supporters are more than just sidekicks. And they’re both younger than the main character, so they won’t even show up until the second book. And they’ll have stories of their own that intertwine with his, but are not part of his story.
  3. And here’s the kicker. I really can’t come up with any way to end the first book that isn’t . . . well, not a cliffhanger, but definitely not a satisfying ending, either. The kind of ending that would make me as a reader spit tacks if the second book wasn’t already available. And I hate that as a reader. And therefore I try very hard to avoid it as a writer. If that’s in fact where this story has to end–and I’m very much afraid it is–then I want to have the second book ready for pre-order before I ever publish the first.

And all of that means that I’ll be working on a third story–a rewrite of MAGE STORM–during this month. Too, not instead of BECOME. But that will inevitably slow BECOME down.

And it’s why I spent way too much time yesterday trying to come up with a cover image for MAGE STORM. (One that, hopefully, does not include lightning this time. It’s dramatic and all, but I think I may be overdoing that particular image.)

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