Word count: 26,121

Since this novel will be written in 10 more days, and that is woefully torturous, I need to shake things up.
The blinds presently swung open to bathe the room and its tapestries, bookshelves and marble statuettes in late-morning teal, and Sally the flight attendant lit up like gleaming chrome and Ballein just wanted to plug in.
( Read more... )

Word count: 23,046

Chapter Four could precede either Chapter Five or Fourteen. So, Chapters Four and Fourteen are now up.

Chapter Fourteen is where I lose control of the story. I thought it through and wrote it. I definitely was conscious of writing it. But I wasn't irritated with myself afterward, I was irritated with my protagonist. I had a ( Read more... )

Word count: 21,042

The scenery (or lack thereof) wasn't designed for symbolism, but it is symbolic. The characters run from empty stage to stage, each devoid of props and backdrops. Their worst nightmare becomes a benign and empty shell when confronted.

Chapter Thirteen begins a major transition, set just before the protagonist escapes from a ( Read more... )

Word count: 20,032

Today's lesson is, loving your creation can stifle it. It should have been no surprise, I grew attached to my novel after the character sketches. Then I wanted to handle them slowly, with care, because a big rush would have been disrespectful. Then, someone reminded me that a big rush is exactly how I got this far.

I remembered ( Read more... )

Word count: 18,123

Sometimes I feel like it, sometimes I don't feel like it, and then there's everything in-between. If I'm serious, there can be no difference, it should make no difference.

Word count: 17,022

One thing I should have, I think, is a reaction I want to get out of the reader. Two of the best teachers in this area, right off my head, are/were Stephen King and Kurt Vonnegut. I don't read much King. Vonnegut wrote two of my favorite science fiction novels: Player Piano and Deadeye Dick. It was so funny, the way he spun ( Read more... )

Word count: 15,979

Let there be a lesson in the dichotomy between the First Rule and the Second Rule.

The First Rule is all about getting in the car and driving, just driving, who cares about where you're going or if you've got any gas. Until you run out of gas.

The Second Rule is tough love, it's raw output, it's the responsibility to the story and ( Read more... )

Word count: 15,000

As I was saying, I gave myself two rules before starting off. The second rule came to mind before the first, but is far less warm and fuzzy. The Second Rule of Myopia is, you do not edit Myopia. No editing, whatsoever. This would include backspacing to delete a superfluous comma, or backpeddling to insert qualifying text, or ( Read more... )

Word count: 12,809

Every time someone writes a shitty novel, the Eridanus Supervoid gets bigger.

Word count: 12,153

Susan, a fellow masochist, found my First Rule of Myopia interesting: "Without the synopsis and character sheets etc etc. the emotional investment doesn't screw the pressure too tightly...what a good idea for the hopelessly anal such as myself." Susan is thinking about trying my First Rule out next year.

This is reassuring. Still ( Read more... )