The Operator

I've settled on The Operator as the title of my mystery/suspense book. I'm a little farther along (roughly 31k words, or 124 ms. pages), and have a few more scenes to write before I have to decide on the ending. I never write with an entire story known. When I start writing, I always have a few points I intend to make, but I never have the entire story plotted out. Sometimes, I'll have the ending, or maybe just a few scenes. In Mournful Weeps the Willow, I only had an image of a girl on a hill in a thunder storm. As I started writing, that image disappeared and the tale changed entirely from what I had expected. So it is with The Operator. I've said it before: I'm the reader as much as the writer, and I'm wondering what will happen in the end.

On another issue, my daughter was reading TFW yesterday, but she did not give me any feedback and I didn't ask.

Shaun

One Genre Too Many

I still haven't heard from my two readers/critics, at least not as far as the critique on The Forgotten World goes. My daughter is up here in MD for a while, having finished her Junior year at LSU. My other reader and I communicate regularly, but I refuse to ask either if she has or when she will read the ms. So, I have been working on a new mystery/suspense story. It's been a good 8 weeks since I even looked at TFW, so I might stop the current project and go back to that one. I think I have enough distance to work the next draft or polish the latest rev.

With that in mind, it leads to a problem. I'm 25k words into a mystery/suspense novel; I have a paranormal/mystery on the shelf; I have two 2nd draft fantasy tales awaiting critical review (critical as far as I'm concerned). I suspect any agent or editor would tell me to stick to one genre and gather a fan base/audience before venturing into another genre. The problem for me is that I love to write both of them and horror too.

Oh well. I guess I'll just keep writing what makes me feel good and when/if I ever get an agent, I'll worry about sticking to one genre then.

Shaun

Editors

It's been a while since I posted. That's mostly because I've been working on a new story while I wait for my (ahem) editor and critic to read and submit their advice to me. I wish I had a critique group in my area, but my attempts through the Maryland Writers Assoc have been for naught (or nil, ought, zip, zilch, nada, nuttin'). So, I'll keep plugging away at the latest story, a mystery/thriller, which might actually turn into a black comedy. I'm not sure, you see, because I am almost as much a reader of this story as the writer. I don't know what's going to happen, but I seem to keep inserting some off-kilter humor. I don't know where it's coming from, but it just seems to fit, and so, for now, it stays.

Have a good one!

Shaun

Mournful Weeps the Willow

Or just Weeps the Willow for the moment, due to the grammatically incorrect original title (as noted above).

Those wonderful people at Book-Ends are running a new contest. Today is mystery, tomorrow paranormal romance. Quoting from the Book-Ends blog, here are the genres they will be judging in the next few months:
Mystery (traditional and cozy)
Paranormal Romance/Romance With Fantasy Elements
Erotic Romance
Women’s Fiction
Romantic Suspense
Contemporary Romance
Thriller/Suspense
Historical Romance

Jessica and Kim will be judging the first 100 words of your story (rounded to the last sentence that does not exceed 100 words). Since my first true novel-length story is/was a mystery, I thought I'd enter it. The rewards, other than accolades of our peers, will be a critiqued query letter, synopsis, and the first chapter. So, here are my first 100 words (96 really) of Mournful Weeps the Willow:

Womp-wump, womp-wump, womp-wump. The wipers flapped back and forth like the hortator of a Roman galley pounding out a ramming-speed cadence. The engine raced intermittently, as the driver tried to rock his car out of a muddy rut, but it was useless. The car was not going anywhere. With a turn of the key, he silenced the engine and wipers and stared cataleptically through the front windshield, as lightning snaked its way through the clouds, peeking out here and there with the illusion of a threadbare arc.

How on earth had it ever come to this?

Shaun

The Book of Lore Final Draft Completed

I finished The Book of Lore yesterday. I will send it to my daughter to review and I'll shelve it for a while. I expect to give it about six weeks before I come back to The Forgotten World and review that book one final time before working on this one again. In the mean time, I plan to work on a new mystery, suspense, or thriller. I have lots of notes, and so, now I have to just decide on which notes to use. Hmm...

Shaun

The Book of Lore

The Forgotten World Series, as I'm calling it for now, is not one tale told in episodes, such as a trilogy. Rather, it is like the Harper Series from TSR Books. As a side note, Artis Cimber and the Ring of Winter was my favorite of the ones I read from that series, but I stopped somewhere about book 7 or 8. The Forgotten World tales will simply be a series of novels on the same subject, involing some or all of the characters in many (but not all) of the books, not unlike the way The Numa Files from Clive Cussler are written. Currently, I have five books, two are beyond the first draft stage (The Forgotten World, The Book of Lore), and three are somewhere between short story and novella length, as they were in their initial drafts. These are The Heather Moor, The Sacrifice, and The Hammer.

The Book of Lore was the first book written in the series, although I decided to break out the first part of the book as a stand-alone introduction to the Forgotten World. So, chronologically, this one became second, and The Forgotten World first. It is currently in third and final draft stage, and is probably the better of the first two tales, both in storyline and content.

The initial pitch (which will surely change):
Five years after being hideously scarred and crippled, Flynn O'Reilly finds himself in the sights of his nemesis once again. When the corrupt guard of the evil Lord Mayor of Gideon burns his woodland home to the ground, Flynn knows that soon they will return for him. Now, to save what is left of his sanctuary and his life, Flynn will have to ally himself with a dragon, a dark elf, and his old friends...if he can leave behind the bitterness that comes with being abandoned to his fate.

More on this later as I go through the third draft and revise the pitch before submission.

Shaun

The Forgotten World Pitch

Today I submitted my pitch to Jessica's pitch critique workshop at Book-Ends. I think mine made the 266th entry, and I hope she doesn't track me down and do what some of the villains in those pitches tried to do (or did) to the heroes. Anyway, here's the pitch:

While on a quest to find magic in a mundane world, Cedric Taramon and his friends open a portal that leads them from Ireland to a mythical realm. There he learns that the roots of his family tree do not run as deeply in this world as he had always believed, and that the wonders of magic and mythical lands can be more terrifying than he had ever imagined. Far worse, however, he discovers the deadly reason his ancestors left the forgotten world...and now it is hunting him.

Shaun

TFW Final Draft Complete

Well, I finished giving The Forgotten World final draft the once-over and sent it off to my daughter for editing. As we all know, however, final draft can be something of a misnomer. The draft is not final at all. It simply means I don't anticipate any major changes, but there is always room for adding a line, deleting a line, rephrasing for emphasis - you know, polishing the manuscript. I already know a few lines I intend to add to the ending for just a little extra conflict between Cedric and his best friend.

And after that, on to the synopsis (ugh! ;-/)

Shaun

A Short Explanation

Okay, maybe this won't be a short one, but it is not a synopsis (or synopses) either. The stories I've been writing were originally short stories written for a message board on a RPG site. No, that's not rocket-propelled grenade; RPG means role-playing game. The site is called The Forgotten World (http://www.forgottenworld.com), which, not coincidentally, is also the title of the first book I hope to get published. The game and web site were developed by survivors of the first-ever MPORPG (that's multi-player online role-playing game), which was SSI's computer verion of TSR's Neverwinter Nights on AOL. I was one of the guides (NW Exeter) in the game until AOL took it off their servers in 1997. The survivors wanted to recreate the sense of community the players had on NWN and started Forgotten World as a turn-based, graphical, MPORPG (not a MMORPG).

In my book, The Forgotten World, I've taken the character I played on AOL's NWN (Cedric Taramon) and made him the main character of this story. He, his brother, two cousins, and a few friends travel through a gate from Ireland to, what is for them, a whole new world. In actuality, it is the old world, because Cedric's ancestors left the forgotten world long ago. Now, he and three of his relatives are back...but a 400-year-old creature is hunting them.

This story is intended as an introduction to the realm of Forgotten World, some of its towns, races, and classes. Is it just like AD&D? No, but it was inspired by NWN, which means it was also inspired by AD&D. The game engine was built from the ground up, so there is no copyright infringement, but the game has the feel of the old NWN, which is what many wanted. The community is small right now and nostalgic, but the nostalgia I guess is what we all wanted. Maybe my book will bring some old players back, and maybe a lot of new ones too. I hope so.

The Book of Lore was actually the first Forgotten World book, but after I had expanded the short story and finished the first draft, I realized that I needed to explain a lot of things. You see, I hadn't laid the groundword for the world at all. I just jumped in with a ranger (Flynn O'Reilly) saving a half-orc for, slaying a wyvern, and befriending a bronze dragon. So, I added chapters to the beginning to explain how the characters came to this point in their lives. But then I realized that, in doing so, I was creating a truly separate story. That was when I broke out the beginning chapters into a new book altogether. In The Book of Lore, Flynn, a "defender" who combats the corrupt guards of the City of Gideon, is captured and tortured by Tanis Albright, the insane Lord Mayor of Gideon. He is left for dead in the Twisted Forest, but is saved by a bronze dragon. Five years later, Flynn is reunited with his friends, but Tanis Albright has received word of a prophecy that says Flynn possesses a magical artifact known as the Book of Lore, which he believes will allow him to subjugate not only Gideon, but all of the forgotten world. Now Flynn and his friends must once again confront his nemesis and stop Tanis Albright before he gains control of the Book of Lore.

I haven't worked on the pitch or synopsis yet for either book, so these are just off-the-cuff descriptions of the books. If anyone reads this and would like to comment, please feel free to do so. For now, though, that's it. Signing off from Maryland.

Shaun

My Daughter, the...Editor?

No, my daughter is not really an editor, not yet at least, but it's not impossible that she may hold that position someday in the future. She is attending LSU as an ENGL major with a mass media concentration. This, I am told, prepares one for a career in news and publishing. The other day, she gave me an explanation on why she has not been able to review, critique, and edit The Forgotten World. Personally, I think it's because she would rather work on the subsequent book, The Book of Lore, but that's just my thought. Anyway, she has a difficult time reading at the computer and prints everything out. Naturally, this would be a huge waste in resources (toner, paper, time, etc.) to print out each revision. I agreed, so I told her to not work on the story until I finish polishing the latest rev. I should be done by the weekend, since I'm just looking for spelling and grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and glaring mistakes - no changes in the story. Then I will send it to her and she can print out the the completed tale, rather than read at the computer or waste a lot of resources.

So, that's where my daughter, the editor is at, and also where The Forgotten World is currently too.

Shaun

The Forgotten World - Another Update

I've added another combat sequence, which means I had to start over on the once-over. And, of course, I sent the latest rev to my daughter for that all-important critical eye. I've started on the synopsis and have a first draft of a two-page version, but I still need a one-page version for those agents who, unlke Elminster, only want the short version. I thought I had a good pitch for the query letter, but now I'm not so sure. So, that will be my project for this weekend: finish the once-over, perfect the pitch, and condense the synopsis.

Shaun

The Forgotten World - Update

Okay, I've done it. Instead of making my femme fatale in The Forgotten World a vampire, I've simply given her a penchant for blood. It doesn't change the storyline, but it adds another dimension to my villain(ess). Now I have to give the story a once-over for typos and grammar. Then I'll work on my pitch and query while waiting for my daughter's critical editorial eye to have a look at it, and then I'll start submitting.

After that, there's The Book of Lore to work on. That book is in second draft, so it won't be too far behind The Forgotten World, and in the TFW query letter, I will probably mention that I have a completed first draft of a second book. The idea here is to show I have no intention of being a one-hit-wonder.

Shaun

Ten Things a Writer Should Have

Of the many things a writer should have, I find passion for writing is the most important. Even if you never want to get published, if you are going to write, you need to love your craft. That is the long and the short of it, but there are other things you will need, just in case you DO want to get published. Here's what I think you (read that as "I") need most:

1. Thick skin - without the ability to let things roll off your back, you're going to take critiques too harshly and give up too easily. So, hang in there, don't let the nay-sayers get to you, and keep writing.
2. Perseverence - this goes along with thick skin. You just have to hang in there.
3. Sense of humor - More laughing means less stress, and we all know what stress can do. Plus, not all literary agents are exactly geniuses. It's nice to laugh AT THEM once in a while.
4. A good computer - Let's face it, hand-writing a manuscript is only for personal enjoyment, not for getting published these days...but carpel-tunnel is!
5. A copy of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style - This is one of those truths we should all hold as self-evident.
6. An objective friend - this person does not have to be an editor, but you need someone to tell you when the story is just not working. No one needs people fawning over your story just to make you feel better. You need honesty.
7. A day job - At least until your last name is as familiar as King or Koontz.
8. Ability to recognize purple prose - Please, please no dark and stormy nights!
9. Ability to know when to say enough is enough - sometimes, a story will just never work, or maybe you need to put it on the shelf for a while (this could be years, as in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King).
10. Abilitily to cut and cut and cut, no matter how much it hurts - if it doesn't add to the story, it detracts from it. Remember that and be willing to cut parts that you might love. Don't worry though, save it and maybe you can use it in another tale in the future.

That's about all I think of off the top of my head (yes, I went back and changed the headline after I ran out of quick ideas). What? You didn't think I was actually putting THOUGHT into this, did you? For now, it's time to go over The Forgotten World one more time before working on The Pitch (actually, it's time to get back to work, but don't tell anyone and we'll just keep that between us).

Shaun

Time to Write

Paul Lamb wished me luck on my quest. That made me think of something I need, even more than an agent: time. After working all day and commuting home, by the time I get there, I'm dead tired, and there is only between 4 - 5 hours left to the evening. Subtract from that a workout three times a week, dinner 5x a week (yes, I do eat on the weekends too, but this is just for weeknights), and talking to my daughter who is 1200 miles away at school, there is not much time left. So, what do you do?

• I could cut time from talking with my daughter... NOT! No way! Never gonna happen! No chance! Okay, you get the point.
• I could stop exercising... This is really not a good idea for anyone.
• I could lose more sleep than I do already... Are you kidding?
• I could write only on the weekends... Well, let's just say write ALSO on the weekends.
• I could write at work... Well, I kind of like the roof over my head and the food on the table, so that's out.
• I could do the Nike thing: Just do it!

And that's where I am: Just do it. Stephen King wrote everywhere and anywhere he could while he was writing Carrie (paraphrasing him from On Writing). Just do it! Write, write, write!

Now, all I have to do is listen to my own advice...

Shaun

The Forgotten World

I have, for the most part, completed The Forgotten World. I have some polishing to do, and I'm going to see if my daughter can do some editing for me (she is an ENGL major and reads more books than anyone I've ever known). It's just a matter of her being objective. We'll see.

Now that the book is (reasonably) complete, I am quite naturally looking into a revision. I might want my villain to be a vampire. I'm not sure because there are so many vampire stories out there these days, but a vampire always makes for a darn good villain. We'll see about this too.

I also need to get permission in writing from Kevin to use the Forgotten World (http://www.forgottenworld.com/) theme. He granted me permission some time ago, but for legal reasons, I'll need it in writing eventually. It will also be a good plug for the web site and game.

I have to thank and recommend Jessica Faust at Book Ends Literary Agency (http://www.bookends-inc.com/) for running what I believe is the second round of a pitch workshop. Authors uploaded their best (well, not exactly in my case) pitch that they would send to an agent and Jessica critiqued each one. Mine was #95 and I received a mixed critique, but that was okay. I knew it was not my best as soon as I posted it, but I let it ride. It was even a replacement for one I had posted a few minutes earlier, but I did not want to post a third. If you have the chance, you should read her blog - lots of good advice in there for current and prospective authors, not to mention the pitch critique.

Shaun

What I've Done So Far...

This isn't as short as you might think, considering this is a new online journal (I don't really care for the word, blog). So far, I have had five short stories published: four in e-zines and one in print, but the circulation was very small. None really count as publishing credits, not if you subscribe to the 3 or 5 cents per word idea before it counts as a credit. I've had stories carried in Alien Skin Magazine(2), Midnight Times, The Circle Magazine, and The First Line.

Currently, I have a number of novel-length stories in various stages. My first, true novel is/was originally titled, Mournful Weeps the Willow, but, while that sounded nice, it was grammatically incorrect. So, I altered the title to, Weeps the Willow. The story is too long for the market, however, and maybe even too boring for all but the sappiest among us - and that apparently includes me. It is a tale of police detective, Sgt. John McCourt, who takes on the case of a missing biracial girl (Sara Jane Lawrence) in the racist times of 1959 Maryland. He has some demons from the past that haunt him, though: the death of a woman and blood he still sees on his hands. Alcohol and thoughts of suicide are the only effective weapons to combat the demons. Sara Jane's case takes him down a road that leads to love and obsession. Finding her is no longer his job, it has become a life's quesiton, one that could save him, or kill him.

Two other tales are in final draft: The Forgotten World and The Book of Lore. These two are the ones for which I am seeking an agent first. These are about a group of friends and relatives from Medieval Ireland (Eirinn) who travel to an old, forgotten world. More on that later, as I come up with a pitch to send to an agent. I might try Book Ends, where fantasy is one of Jessica's specialties, but they don't list fantasy as a genre they are accepting. We'll see, I guess.

One last note: please forgive the typos. I'm composing this in the web page, but I'll do my best to compose future posts in Word, so I can use the spell-checker at least. Of course, I could always proof-read it, but where's the adventure in that?

Shaun

New Years Resolutions

For a first post on a blog, I just wanted to say this: I don't do New Years resolutions. This year, however, I at least wanted to set a goal of getting a literary agent to represent me. So, being the beginning of a new year, that makes my goal something of a resolution. Oh well. I'll just have to accept that. No matter what you call it, though, I have set a goal and plan to make that goal.

Shaun