The Molly Project

What? 30K What the heck?

2014-11-17T20:43:00.001-08:00

I've been doing the NaNoWriMo this month. I've been working steadily on my new book, and I'm 30k words in to the run of 50K! Check it out at nanowrimo.org.

More later.

For Your Year End Gifting Needs....

2012-12-18T13:07:00.002-08:00

So... I am now offering my first NaNoWriMo book, the one that this blog is named for, on the Amazon Kindle store.

O'Connor's World is the story of Molly, her mother Wendy, and their derelict spaceship "Luck of the Irish". The story follows the pair and their search for the most precious thing in the galaxy... water.

I like the story, and so does Jane Vvedensky, my editor. It's less than a buck and it works on the very popular Kindle Electronic Book Reading System. If you don't own a Kindle, you can get Kindle reader software for PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and more!

So, if you would be so kind as to go here... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00APMM5N8 and check out the book.

(And, if you want to buy, read, and write a review, I wouldn't complain.)

Day 30 - ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!

2012-11-30T22:43:00.000-08:00

So... finished. Whew!

Having said that, I think this was MUCH easier than last time. I mean like MUCH MUCH easier.

You know what? I'm not done... I mean not by half... not by a third... and that seems to feel very good to me.

So, I think I'm going to do this for a while longer. Maybe not 1667 pages, but I could certainly do 1k/day. Think about it, take sundays off, and that would be 315K pages A YEAR! That could be an amazing novel... like a "Song of Ice and Fire" type book. Or maybe two or three shorter books.

This weekend, I'll also have my first book, officially "O'Connor's World", on sale electronically. It will be at Amazon, I want it at PLAY and prolly iBooks. With Barnes and Noble's change of policy, being that you change credit cards you loose all access to your past purchases, is unacceptable to me. (I mean, this is electronic publishing. One of the advantaged is that you can go and get a book that you lost, or went away when you upgraded a device. Seems perfectly logical to me.) So, one format I don't have to create. ;-)

So, off for victory dinner... then back into the breach!

PS. I hope everyone finished their NaNoWriMo books as well. To those of you who did, good on you! To those of you who haven't, just think of the head start you have on next year! :-)

Day 15 - Half Time - 26,873 words

2012-11-17T00:03:00.000-08:00

I feel that somehow sports metaphors are now appropriate seeing that we are now looking at the reason of the rhyme being diminished by half.

Sorry, can't just say, "We are at the half way point." as I normally would. I've been writing today. I thought I was way off the pace this week. After being ill for at least two days this week and dropping behind Monday and Tuesday, and having a work thing on Wednesday, I thought I was done fore.

But, over the last two days, I managed to pull off a massive workload. I did almost 4k of words from Wednesday night to Friday afternoon. But, some how, I thought I had written more. But, alas, there were only the ten chapters I had completed. Must've been my imagination.

Until this evening. I needed to see how I had described Ms. Key, basically the baddie in my story. Ms. Key has mutated a little from a master thief, to a fanatic doing the bidding of... something out at Pluto. But, she'd changed, and I wanted to have her appear at a Ball in the 19th Century equivalent of a backless dress. (Which might actually BE a Little Black Dress, but I digress...)

So, I go back into the story where I think I put the piece of the story. Amazingly, no Key. I checked the rest of the story going forward, no Ms. Key. Then, back to the beginning of the story, still nothing. Where had I left my Key? (Sorry...)

Well, I'm doing a mobile writing thing with the main document on my MacPro laptop (Eve), and most of the data being input by my Nexus 7 (Priss) with a Motorola wireless keyboard (Motoslave). Well, in the transfer from Priss to Eve, I forgot to add in this Key section.

Now with the problem solved, my writing is increased by another 2K of words! Where I was depressed and ill at the early part of the week, I am now rejuvenated and enthusiastic.

Go ahead, coach, put me in for the second half!

Day 07 - 12,425 - OMG!

2012-11-07T23:57:00.001-08:00

Wow! I mean, WOW!

I am really excited by this. And, oddly, proud of it. I haven't been writing fiction for that long. I'd done screenplays and one or two comics, but not this type of prose. I have to say it, this is so easy. I must've been an idiot to have waited this long.

I'm ahead in my time, I've just started the race, and I think I've just included the MacGuffin very well.

Once more into the breach, dear friends...

Day 01 UPDATE - A good first day...

2012-11-01T20:59:00.001-07:00

Well, well, well... 2042 words today. I'm actually writing my outline, but its going so good so far.

Quick story; As we've discussed before the story Eighty Days, is a riff on Wells, Vern and all the others that started an idea which has evolved into "steampunk". I like the idea of the period and the little gears and everything. So, as I'm making the outline I'm making pitches to myself.... you know, like "Star Wars" for a feel I want for a section of the piece. It is shorter hand than trying to develop an entire story - that's for later. Now, just the highlights are good.

So, as I sat down for part two of my session this afternoon, I grabbed my Touch, put on my headphones and hit play. I heard one of my favorite singer/songwriters; Kate Bush. The song? Houdini. I love the song. It has a eary, early in the century feel with those weird "wha-wha' floating around the song.

The album it is from, "The Dreaming", was a probably the third album of Kate Bush's I bought. I fell in love with her to "Hounds of Love" and then found out that the Dreaming was probably the first time she had ventured from the shorter pop tunes to these longer, almost epic songs. The backside (yes, kids it was a RECORD first... ask your parents) of the HoL was a single song.

So I'm grooving to the song, as she says the line, "Not even eternity can hold Houdini!" it hit me... that was the feel I wanted for my second part of the novel!

I've been a fan of Kate Bush for nearly 30 years. I still play her music, although its now on an iPod touch instead of a scratchy 45 (again, parents). She still inspires me and gives me the proper feel for what I'm working on.

Hmm... wonder if its too late to change Maggie's name to Kate?

Day 01 - It has begun...

2012-11-01T10:50:00.002-07:00

The tools of ignorance.

I'd like to be more funny about it, but I've got some writing to do...

What are you doing? Go! Write!

Go! Go!

Day -01 Zero Hour

2012-10-31T09:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, people... its the last day before the new WriMo. Working on my outline. Getting the tools ready for work and comfort.

Nervous and interested.

And FINALLY I am DONE with the writing of my WriMo book. Finishing up on the cover. Feeling good about it. Art and book are going out for review by my editor and art friend.

Then, I'm an author. Yeah!

Day -02 Music, the Soundtrack of your life....

2012-10-30T09:25:00.004-07:00

So, when I write I tend to zen out. That is, I focus on the work I'm doing and attempt to not acknowledge the world at large.

I love radio in general and podcasts (or netcasts) specifically. I love all things talk in recorded media... news, discussions programs, review shows, etc. ... and I love to keep myself semi-in-the-know about the world... or at least my corner of it.

But I found last year that I couldn't write and listen to the normal array of podcasts (Morning Steam, Red Centre, Roderick On the Line, Back to Work, Tech News Today, and TWiT... to name but a few). I either just listen to the podcast, or an hour later I can't remember a thing about what I just heard.

So, I have subscribed to several podcasts that feature either DJ movements or music for programmers. I find the programing podcasts really interesting and fairly good. So, try subscribing to Music For Programers or Headphone Commute, those podcasts have over an hour each of good solid blocks of... music? Sometimes it is just a droning or clips and such, but it is really cool and very stimulating for work.

Also, being a big anime fan, I also like foreign language soundtracks. My two favorites are Yoko Kanno and Susumu Hirasawa... A few of the albums are Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex (any of them really) Cowboy BeBop (Tank! being the most famous cut) and soundtrack for Paranoia Agent and Paprika.

I'm looking for recommendations for interesting soundtracks and podcasts as well. If you know of any, please comment below.

For the rest of today, I think I'll working on my final, final, final... my GWODS this is the last, draft for Molly... and finishing up my cover, logo, and getting it off to Amazon.

Then, we start the process all over again!

Day 08- "Scrivner and Poser"

2012-10-23T15:58:00.003-07:00

I've been infected by stories for about 40 of my 47 years on the planet. Ideas and concepts of light and fancy for most of my life. I've wished these stories, I've played them with ~~dolls~~ action figures, I've told them to my friends, passing acquaintances and even a few pets.

But, I never did anything about them until I took pen to paper, keys to electrons, and placed them down in writing. Now, I love visuals... motion pictures, comic books, even a good painting... everything that portrays visual data in an appealing manner, that is my life's blood. But, last year, I tried my darndest to create a novel in the WriMo.

And, you know what? I did it. Yes, I did it! I'm about to come out with that book in a few days. Literally a few days (more on that in a later post), I'll have published a book!

Some people on G+ and other places on the web, you know who you are Evo, have stated that I and others of my ilk are people totally wasting their time producing a book and not getting the "premium" service that they or their company will give... for a percentage of the revenue. This is an interesting point of view. I have listened and read their ~~propaganda~~ sales pitch, and it totally depressed me. Was this true? Could I totally have wasted my time and fallen into this abyss of wasted time and forgotten dreams? Is it possible that I've upset an apple cart, never to have righted it again?!

I took me several months to figure this out. I won't say that it didn't cause me to fall into a rather deep depression. I mean, all these guys had big pro-looking websites, and here I was... just a guy that barely got out of high school and college, no big skills, no large ideas... Who was I to think that I could write a story, or even make a book. I mean, sure, I'd gone to design school, worked for several companies making flyers and design ads. I knew a desender from an EM dash. I'd even designed a few typefaces... just for fun, mind. What did I know about designing books... well... there was that booklet for the old Capricon Anime that I designed, but that was ages ago.

And on the writing side I had written several screenplays, short stories, and a lot of notes and such for comic book series. I'd been a writer and editor for NOW comics, only for a second , mind, but I had done the work.

And then it hit me. What the frak do these people know about anything? Do they know my skills? Do they know what is lurking inside my mind? (Hell, do I know what the frak is hiding in my mind?!)

I have skillz. Crazy whacked-out skillz! I know my way around a metaphor, I know a few things about a few things... I can, and did write a novel. I can, and will do it again.

Frak them all if they can't take the joke.

So, remember, if you mention to someone that you are writing a novel and they start making excuses as to why you can't do it, pay them no mind. Just smile and say, "you are probably right." And then go write on and write your novel.

If the person who comes to you and says, "You can't do it. Its impossible to make your book because of... your kids, your home, your education, your lack of funds..." or whatever. You can either tell them to take a flying leap off of a very tall bridge, or tell them to go frak themselves, or just quietly agree... and just keep right on working.

Especially if that person who keeps telling you it can't be done is you.

Remember, you don't know if you can do it because you've never done it before. If you had done it before, you would know that you can do it. So if you just take the first one as done, you can forget that you hadn't done it and go on from there.

And if this isn't your first Wrimo, then you have done it before. You know you can do it, of course you can. Even if you've been delayed and not come up with enough words, you have put most of them together, right? Well, there you are then.

Writing is difficult. Not impossible or VERY difficult, but there is a knack to it. But it can be done from anywhere by anyone... thanks to laptops and tablets. You just need a place you can do it. In bed, on the couch, at Panera or Starbucks... a place you can go daily and take your two or four hours and just write. So... find that place. Find that time... do it.

It is important that you do what you need to insure that you write your novel. Actually, you think of your favorite novelists, Douglas Adams, Dorothy L. Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle, going into a literally-styled zen sort of state before creating the amazing works that they did.

Bullshit.

Each one took pen to paper to make money. It was, ultimately, a JOB. Not too heavy lifting, but still a job. If you want to do this; write a story, be an author, sell a book, you can do it. No permission, no fees... you can do it today. It can be your job, or part time job...

It all depends on what you think you can do. I wish I could tell you an interesting magic word. Okay... on November 1st, buy a bag of Jelly Babies... or peanut butter cups, or even almonds. Everyday, have one, and only one, of the treats. Only agree to have the next treat from the bag when you finish your daily quota. There! Works everytime! No? Well... you are correct.

The secret is to write. When you are tried, write. When you can't think of something, write. When you are blocked? Write! Write, write, write... and eventually, you'll be 50K words better. And the REAL fun can begin...

You can write some more.

Day -13 Decisions, Decisions....

2012-10-18T12:44:00.003-07:00

Okay... I've decided to go on the Steampunk story. I've been trying to write the thing since early Spring, and I've stopped twice. This time for sure!

Actually, I'd started and stopped with "Molly" (or whatever it is called when it ~~escapes~~ is released) about five or six times before I even started it as a novel.

So, steampunk... in the future... "The Sun Will Never Set on the British Empire," keep that in mind...

Day -14 - ...& The Replicants

2012-10-17T01:08:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

So, this is it. The beginning of the latest NaNoWriMo Month... if that's not too redundant, like AIDS Syndrome... and I've been discovering an amazing amount of tools and readying my new hardware.

This is my new NEXUS 7, called PRIS, and its Motorola Bluetooth Keyboard (aka. Motoslave, if you will. Figure THAT reference out)! It is ridiculous. A very mobile system, light as a feather, and ready to rock. I have a stand on which Pris is sitting, and I also have a mouse from my (very old, very heavy) MacBookPro. This is my new laptop. Well, my Android Tablet notebook... thing.

Using the (free) WRITER App, which counts words (!) and links with Dropbox. This will allow me to walk to the local Place of Writing (Starbucks, Panera, or McDonald's), write a bit... well, a lot really... about 2K of words a day, and then send it to Dropbox. Dropbox would then allow the files to then be relayed to all my computers.

I'll be using the amazing word processor Scrivener. This word processor actually is more of a concept processor, an idea processor... it allows you to make an auto-backed-up series of snipets, chapters or sub-chapters, than can be manipulated on the screen, compiled for export or print out. And that only touches the surface of what this program can do... Basically, you can create a file, or binder, for a project and then write in that same binder. It will do auto calls to Google or Spotlight. Again, it is simply amazing.

If you want a NaNo version of Scrivener, or to view the other tools that sponsors have donated to the festivities, you can check out the Special Offers page.

Still have to workout which story I'm going to do? Maybe it will be the one with the Gods among us, or the Steampunk one.

Decisions, decisions...

Day 288 - No, the last post was NOT an April Fools Joke

2012-10-14T20:20:00.002-07:00

And... we're back.

How are you doing?

How was your summer?

Ready for Halloween? Good. Good... fine...

Still haven't released the book. Still have to decide on a title. Still need to actually decide what version of an ebook am I going to do. Kindle? Apple Books? Nook? No, not Nook... ;-) Still don't know.

But I am close. So VERY close...

And it seems that as I look at my calendar it is almost frakking November again! GWODS, I've got to get my writing ass in gear! I have about 5 ideas, including a steampunk version-ish story, a story of Gods on Earth, and a story about a girl called Dancer.

Boy! I need to get a move on. Also, I hope that I will be able to continue from November 1st as a writer everyday. I'm going to use the daily word quota as a way to shove me off into doing it every day.

This year has been very informative, exciting, and a bit scary. But, I'm so tired about people who get in the way of you, as an individual, from selling your book. I think that many of the companies are trying to put their sent... their stink, if you will... on your work. (For a slight fee, of course.;-\)

One of the best things about epublishing is that there are no limitations, no rules at all. You can break all the rules. I don't have to make my stories your way, or the conventional way. I can do what I want to do. I'm not going to make a series of 18, 700+ page tomes... that, ultimately I decide NOT to complete! (Now... splitting a novel into 3 or 4 pieces for a $1 each would be fine.)

I don't think that I'll charge more than $5 for a book. Just seems that is the right price.

So, I'll start it in the next week or so to restart the blog, maybe under a different title...

Well... back to work.

Day 74 - Updates

2012-04-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I got a proofreader, that's what!

Her name is Jane and she does great work. She is driving through the manuscript at a break-neck speed! I hope that she will be done with my manuscript as soon as possible.

So, what does this mean? Well, my books' release is a REAL THING! Yeah! REAL!! YEAH!!

um... wow... its a real thing... Now that is a scary thought.

But I will not be deterred! I have a list of things I need to get done for this book to be released, thanks Rachel.

Somethings that need to be done;
We need some illustrations.
We will need it to be converted for Amazon, PDFs, and whatever format the book requires.
To make decisions about where and how we are going to sell my book.
Are we going to do excerpts on the web?
Are we doing an audio version (available for free) of Molly on the web?

And to what are we changing the title? Little Girls in Space? Star Crash? (no, been done...) Something! Maybe nothing... I'm not sure...

Soon... soon...

I'm giddy with happiness and completely terrified at the same time.

Day 79 - Hey! Who turned out the lights?

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post here to say that I do not support SOPA or Protect IP. Actually I am quite against them. Go and find other explanations, but know that I am a computer guy first and foremost. This system seems to break the Internet as easily as a bull turning around in the proverbial china shop... or taking a fly out with a tactical nuke... Effective, but what about the collateral damage?

So go read about the potential threat of to the DNS and the TCP/IP protocol. Please send a letter or something... please...

But, I need you guys understand that I am against SOPA/PIPA, and most other ways that the Internet can be slowed by legislation and legal red tape.

Why? Do I not want my work, MOLLY (available soon) to be pirated? Well, no, I'd rather that everybody pay me to look at and own a piece of my work. Its what I do for a living, after all. But I know that if someone wants my stuff, and they are cleaver enough to get it, I can't stop them.

The pirates will always be there. They will always take what they can. That is a given. But, caught in the cross fire, between the pirates and me, are you guys... people who will buy my stuff. I don't want to make the action of getting a copy of my work a struggle for you.

I will be judicious with my work, my software, to make sure that grabbing one of my works will be the easiest thing in the world. That is my promise to you!

Day 74 - Tales of Whoa

2012-01-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

Okay... seems to me that someone in the universe (yeah, I'm looking at you, universal constant) does not want to have my novel come out this month. Some might say that they don't want it to come out ever.

But I press on!

I've given the opportunity of reading my book to several friends and colleagues, and some of them have interesting excuses as to why they don't want to read my book.

One of my friends, KAT (aka. @FancyFembot) even went so far as to get herself enrolled in a collage no less. This SUPPOSEDLY caused her to have to be out of her house in 2 weeks (just as I rolled along with my manuscript)! A likely story, I say... ;-)

Actually, I am ecstatic about her education moving forward! I hope that she has all the success available to her! We will be seeing big things coming from her in the future...

And then another friend had her house flood (pipes under the slab... apparently). That took two potential readers out of the running... but I still have a few.

But, now what? I have no money to hire an editor, which to be fair was what I was planning to do in the future. Maybe a Kickstarter program? Possibly...

So, even as the jackals try to stop me, I keep moving on...

DAY 59 - 52,918 words - FINISHED! Achievement Unlocked

2011-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

Hey! Guess what? I've written a book! Yeah! Pretty neat, huh?

Too bad I'm scared crap-less by this "achievement." :-O

But, I've given the book to several people whom I respect to get their feed back (and, some word on syntax and grammer and stuff). These people are the people who would want to buy this project. I want to know if it is good. I want to know that people will want to read the story of the little girl in a rubbish spaceship and her mother.

But, even all the people say that the story sucks, I will still be releasing the book on Feb 1, 2012. I need to get some things out on the market, instead of standing on the sidelines like a Wannabee.

So, I'm done, and you will be able to read the Molly story in roughly a month. Will that be it, tho? Not on your tin-type lefty! (and no, I don't remember the reference)

So, look out for different versions of the story in the coming year... maybe a comic, quite possibly an animated feature. I hope that the plot is very visual. This, hopefully, will allow adaptation to other, more visual media.

And... other books! I'm hoping that my second book will be more adult (no Y.A.) and get to more sophisticated concepts and ideas. I have three book ideas about Gods arriving on Earth, a psychic detective on a space station in orbit, and someone looking for the a "black bird" in the Internet... and about 20 or 30 more. Pieces of story that have attacked me since I was a young mad, er, lad coming out of high school.

There will be more coming in the future. It is my plan to come out with at least 6 books a year. If it goes well, I think I could get that number closer to 12... I know, weird. But, I have my first book and am working on my second. This could happen.

More about formats... anybody have a suggestion about selling a book? Please leave comments! I want to do with a manageable cost... less than $5 for sure.

So, Happy New Year! See you in 2012... I'll be the one in a corner, making clicking sounds. ;-)

Day 37 - 50,571 words - What the duce?!

2011-12-07T21:06:00.001-08:00

WHY AM I STILL WRITING!!

Well... because it is still fun. ;-) Maybe its more funnier... funnier-ish... pah!

I'd decided to take the weekend off, but I started to get back to writing by Saturday night. Then, life happened.

So for about 5 days I just could not sit down at my computer and write.

Not that its so bad mind; I did some work in Lightwave; hung with my sister and my niece (Hmm... sister and mother, wonder where that idea came from? Oh... right... you haven't read the book yet... ); went to the UCSD Hydraulics Lab to run some tests on an apparatus; teaching my niece how to reduce fractions; okay, so its not so bad... but its life.

So, I've been able to write a bit today... I'll be doing some writing tomorrow. I will soon be writing everyday. I will make this work. ;-)

So... I'm almost done with the book. After that, its my first pass through the novel as a technical edit. Then I think, first editions for my family and friends... then a second more technical edit. Hey, they're my family.

Then... publish. Wow! That is my goal.

Then, ~~World Domination~~! Movies! Yes... I'll go see some movies... ;-)

Once more into the breach, dear friends...

ZERO WORDS LEFT! I've done it!

2011-11-30T00:31:00.001-08:00

Today I am a novelist.

I did it... I actually did it. No one more surprised than me.

Now, I've got to actually see if its any good. ;-)

So, next week... editing the damn thing!

In the words of Princess Leah, its not over yet...

2415 words remaining...

2011-11-29T14:47:00.001-08:00

Its getting close. I am stoked. Still chugging along.

Soon... I can taste the finish line... and all that editing.

I really need a lot of editing... a lot...

Once more into the breach, dear friends...

The Final Push - 4195 words left.

2011-11-29T07:42:00.001-08:00

Okay... I have just over 4000 words left and 48 hours in which to write them.

Its fine... I can do this. Move quickly, don't stop and think... rely on the plan... wait! Where's my plan!!

Oh, no... wait... whew! Got it...

I have a free day to do this. And I will. You heard it here first... I will finish the NaNoWriMo BEFORE.... er, 8pm tonight... um, 9pm tonight... hmm... well, lets say before midnight tonight. Yes. By midnight tonight I will finish the NaNoWriMo.

I'll be blogging thought the day... if you want to encourage me, please do!

Here they are, spinning out of the turn... 45,805 words

2011-11-28T15:07:00.001-08:00

Day 28... 4,195 words remaining...

Wow! I think I'm going to make it, guys. When I am done, I will not be anywhere near being done with this novel, but I will be an official author. Then, maybe after the 1st of the year, I will be a PUBLISHED author... thank you Amazon. ;-)

This project has been an amazing thing. I've known about this project, NaNoWriMo, for about 4 years. I JUST started on the project this month, and I have been able to do it. My one reaction to the project is WHY THE FRAK DID I NOT DO THIS BEFORE.

The one thing I've learned from this project is not to wait for November. If you have an idea start writing it. Now! Don't wait for a certain time or place, or your perfect writing environment. Write. Just write.

I was so not the guy to say this... write. Just write. Sit down in front of the computer and write.

I thought you had to workout your writing so that you wrote it once and that was it. Boy, that was a total piece of crap. Writing is always rewriting. Any good thing (book, movie, game) is not released, it escapes. ;-)

So, I'll be back.

Live long and write well...

Day 24 - 37,094 words... TURKEY DAY Edition

2011-11-24T09:30:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, United States People... Have a leg for me, eh?

I am finally very happy. Last week LIFE decided to break into my life.
Suffice to say that there was a computer crash of epic proportions (Not my laptop that I'm writing on, but still), a presentation at the Local Lightwave 3D Users group, and a slight car accident.

Not my best days. But, I am please to say that I am back on track and am a little over 3k words behind to be right on schedule. I am stoked, people. I can almost see the goal markers.

This is a little bit epic, to be honest. I mean, I'd never done this before and now I've nearly done it. What a difference a month can make.

I maybe getting ahead of myself, but thinking what to do with the book. I might publish the novel, then do a reading of it to be released in podcast format. That is, free.

I also might give it away for free. Or I might charge $25k per book. It would make the marketing of the book a bit tricky, but it would limit the amount I'd have to sell... like 4 books and I'm good. ;-)

This is where my "free is better" theory hits the road, counting the rubber being the idea of 'free'. Many people have told me, "Ah, but when you own a copyright, your will change your tune." Maybe. I totally hold my right to be a total wiener and change my principals at a moments notice, but I don't think I will. A dozen or so people have been trying to convince me that I don't have to own my book in the same way. Cory Doctorow on Car Pool and Scott Sigler on Triangulation have both made statements that you can hit and hit very, very large... not huge or Steven King huge, but you can live quite nicely on what you can earn from writing.

I would really like that. Yes I would. And this novel might help me get there...

Day 16 - 27,203 words written

2011-11-16T23:56:00.001-08:00

Another 2k of words. Split the work of in the morning and afternoon. Well, really night. But, I'll be done with everything before midnight.

Good day. Things are coming along, but I'm not sure how I'm going to tell this story. I might push the opening back a bit... let some more of the girls on the boat thing happen. As it is, the ship part basically happens at the end of the book. I was, am and maybe thinking too much like a screen story and not a book story. You know, action action in a screen story, a bit less in a book... more explanation and exposition in the book. I'm not sure.

Also I want to have a grand tour of the galaxy. I'm not sure how that will work.

And I'm struggling in my head. Is this a Young Adult book (if it is, where are the sparkly vampires) or is it a harder SF book. The only thing I can explain it is like is a story by Leiji Matsumoto. The guy did stories like Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato, and Galaxy Express 999. These were amazing tales, but with Captain Harlock clearly violating the laws of physics. (I mean, where did they get a cape to flap in the wind? On the open flying bridge of the ship?! What?!) GE999 really is the one that breaks, tears down and totally jumps up and down on the science of SciFi.

The GE999 is a space railroad. That is, a railroad that flies on... no tracks... across space. There is the graveyard on Pluto that guards people in suspended animation. Also, on the train, if you stick your head out of the window, you are hit by the AIR PUSHING YOU BACK! (Also, there is Matel, and a computer that wants to rule the universe... a lot of other stuff..)

Now, you might think that Leiji doesn't really know things about space. You would be wrong about that. He is a fanatic for details, and he does a lot of research and he is the president of an astrological society in Japan. So, why would he get all that simple stuff plain wrong?

I believe that Mr Matsumoto is trying to tell a whimsical story in a whimsical way. He, like most Japanese storytellers and heck, a lot of American and English... well, lets just say ALL storytellers use metaphor to tell their stories. Took me a while to realize this. He is using beautiful stories with "correct" visualizations (blowing capes, kids looking out of trains with their hair blown back, etc) to tell a story about oppression and dehumanization in post WWII Japan.

While, I want a full story with whimsy and some sense of realism. In the story ::SPOILER ALERT:: there is no artificial gravity in Molly's ship, "The Luck of the Irish". She and her mother float around the ship. But, Molly is growing. This leads me to say in the story that if Molly stays in that environment, she will have growth issues.

This is part of the story, a pretty big one. So, now I want to go past a few of the galaxy's sights. Now, I've got to plot a path past some bug nebulas and things, avoiding some of the local stars I think will be colonisable (cus I've said I want them on a frontier).

And to top that off, I want the story to be about Molly but it seems to be trying to actually be about Wendy, Molly's mom.

Some questions. Hope I dig up some of the answers...

day 15 - 25,141 pages

2011-11-15T23:16:00.001-08:00

Achievement Unlocked

15th of the month - written 25,141 words.

Wow, that felt good. I am so happy, I'm feeling a bit smug about it. ;-)

Had a conversation between two characters who I didn't think would ever meet. They talked about life, and how Molly and the other characters will be affected by this. It was a good days work.

Now... let's get ready for the second half.