In today’s Journal
* Maybe A Valuable Lesson on Writing Series Novels
* On Writing
* My own writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Maybe A Valuable Lesson on Writing Series Novels
In fact, this might be a good lesson for writing short stories in series too, if you’re into that.
I haven’t published The Ark yet. I’m waiting for all the input to get back from my first readers.
But I discovered a valuable lesson on writing series novels yesterday.
Around 23,000 words into the first sequel (The Journey Home: Part 1), one of my characters thought it would be a good idea to give those assigned to the crew of The Ark a personal communication device. It would be implanted behind and above the left ear on the temporal bone during the final physical exam at familiarization training just before they boarded the shuttle for transport to the generation ship.
The personal comm device would work any time the crewperson was not dressed in a stipplesuit, a latest-generation space suit, which they rarely are. When they’re wearing a stipplesuit, the suit blocks the signal from the personal comm device and replaces it with the suit’s own comm device.
I agreed, but of course, that presented a problem since the familiarization training and transport to The Ark all happened in the first book. So I had to go back through the manuscript for The Ark and make a few tweaks. The story will be better and more magical for the change, so I didn’t mind.
But that was the lesson: Don’t publish the first book in a series until the second manuscript is finished and back from the first readers. So be forewarned. (grin)
I should also say I wish I’d learned that lesson before publishing the first book of my previous SF series. Sometime in the future I’ll be going back to update the first and second book of that series. Then maybe I can move ahead with Book 3 on that one as well.
On Writing (excerpted from an email to a friend)
Recently a friend admitted she was having trouble with her critical mind. It told her what she was writing was not good, the story was going off the rails, all that.
I had exactly the same problem with the two false starts I had back in September, and I succumbed both times. I stopped writing. At least one of those novels will never be written.
And I encountered the same problem on the first novel I finally finished after my “break”.
Several times as I was writing The Ark, the critical mind accosted me. I was constantly second guessing myself, thinking there wasn’t enough action, etc. All critical mind stuff.
Even this late in my writing career. Even on my 51st novel.
And I almost quit again. But after being away for a few days, I finally read back over some of it as Just a Reader, and it seemed fine. I felt the writing and story were actually good. And that’s what made me know I could Just Trust my creative subconscious and write. And from that point forward, that’s what I did. I finished The Ark days later.
I hope I’m finally safe in saying I’ll never go back to listening to my critical-mind self-doubt. I reminded myself the stories aren’t “important.” They’re only a few minutes’ or hours’ entertainment for someone, and for me first.
The next day, I started Book 2 and you see what’s happened. I’m having a ball writing The Journey Home: Part 1 and I look forward to getting back to it each day because I let the story be fun again.
Now when I stop at the end of my day because I’m too tired to keep tapping the keys, I’m a little angry with myself. I want to keep letting the story unfold, but I’m forced to wait until the following morning. (grin) It feels like I’m being punished for having too much fun.
So just blow off the bullshit critical mind and have fun with your writing. That’s the whole point of writing fiction in the first place. And hey, if writing stories isn’t fun, find something fun and do that instead.
My own writing is going great because I’m having fun. Check the numbers below. I see absolutely no reason to slow down unless life intervenes.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “Gratitude & Goals…” at https://killzoneblog.com/2020/11/gratitude-goals-and-balloons.html.
See “The Tennessee Solution to Disappearing Book Reviews” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-tennessee-solution-to-disappearing-book-reviews/.
See “How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood” at https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-being-bullied-affects-your-adulthood. Maybe some help with characters? Usually I try not to put up the “get pocket” link, but I was afraid Slate might have a paywall so this time I did.
See “Open-Minded People Have a Different Visual Perception of Reality” at https://qz.com/997679/open-minded-people-have-a-different-visual-perception-of-reality/. This should be all writers, shouldn’t it?
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 810 words
Writing of The Journey Home: Part 1 (novel)
Day 1…… 3373 words. Total words to date…… 3373
Day 2…… 3312 words. Total words to date…… 6685
Day 3…… 3292 words. Total words to date…… 9977
Day 4…… 3794 words. Total words to date…… 13771
Day 5…… 4482 words. Total words to date…… 18253
Day 6…… 3379 words. Total words to date…… 21632
Day 7…… 4550 words. Total words to date…… 26182
Total fiction words for November……… 57804
Total fiction words for the year………… 421082
Total nonfiction words for November… 14200
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 180040
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 601122
Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 6
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 13
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 51
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 214
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31