The Five Hundred and Seventy-Fifth Post: The One Where I Succeed Finally!

Posted by Seething With Apathy

I finally did it! I got something finished before a (moved back twice) deadline! The Catastrophic Christmas Party is finished and off for editing and a first read through! I have a few days which I am going to use to start to do the spell-check and some lighter editing. The deep editing is going to happen during October and possibly November, but it looks like it will be ready by December, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Shown: Relief

This is good, not only for morale, but I now have all of October to get my last horror book outlined and finish up the research – which is now solely about non-drug therapies for schizophrenia. That’s all I am doing in October to get it done before November first, when I take off for Nanowrimo. This book is going to be written during November and December and will hopefully break the 100K mark, which would make it the longest book I have ever written with the objective of putting it to market.

I haven’t has a successful year like this in a while, to be bluntly honest. It’s rare (sadly) that I finish a rough draft, and here I am sitting on three right now (Serve Me Now, The Show Must Go On, The Catastrophic Christmas Party) and gearing up for a fourth one to be finished before year’s end. Could I be maturing as a writer? I’m certainly not maturing as anything else….

As much as I would like to bask in the afterglow for a few minutes, I have to keep going. Next year is going to be fantasy, with the intent of finishing two long standing projects: Unbound and The Marvelous and Malefic Doomsday Medicine Show. I am hoping that finishing the untitled schizophrenia project will give me enough confidence to finish these two books over the course of the year. Maybe even tackle a third one? Who knows? If there is a third, I don’t know if it should be a sequel (Unbound is a part of a trilogy) or a new work (of which there are dozens…dozens I tell you).

Maybe this is a good idea – dedicating a year to a genre, getting things done and moving on? It worked with horror, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work with fantasy and then the year after that with romance. Maybe that’s the best balance. A year gives me a chance to work on something but doesn’t really tie me down if my choices change. I can clear four books a year – long ones if I can hold steady, and if needed be, I can whip out a short one (like another Evan book) to keep ym name out there. I think I am going to run it that way.

Well, that’s all for now. I’m looking forward to getting started on a new project and completing it before year’s end. Check out the titles on the right if you’re curious as to how good I am, or how good my friends are. Until next time!

The Five Hundred and Seventy-Fourth Post: The One Where I Have to Buckle Down and WoHAHAHAHAAAAAA!

Posted by Seething With Apathy

Well, I’m about ready to start the tenth and final chapter of The Catastrophic Christmas Party and man…am I relieved. I am feeling less and less inclined to finish this and more and more inclined to throw myself into the research for the next novel. This is not a good sign for me. I should be able to finish the chapter by Sunday and pad a couple of other chapters (maybe re-write another one from the ground up). I am going to finish this by the end of September, only because I have to give Nancy enough time to read and give me her feedback…and re-write places. I know of one place I need to patch up. Still aiming for a December release date.

As far as the other project goes…I still need a better title. Immigrant Voices is a little…well, it doesn’t set well with me. It’s not like I need the title tomorrow, but I just want to find a better, more clever title. I’ll think of one, I just need to give it some time.

Speaking of the research – this is a chore that I love. My notes are pretty in depth and I take care to print them as neatly as I can with the heavy Ritma pen I use. I have more information about drug treatments for paranoia schizophrenia than I can shake a stick at. The only think I lack is information about treatment beyond drugs. I’m going to get to that this weekend, maybe Saturday night. Whee! Saturday night! No, seriously – I am looking forward to getting this done because it gets me closer to starting this novel and getting it done for printing by next year. That’s a deadline I can handle – having it done by this time next year. Will probably miss it, heh.

That’s all as far as my writing goes – trying to get one finished so I can start the other one with a clean conscience and a focused mind. I’m doing a lot better than I was this time last year. I finished the rough draft for two novels and closing in on a third – might even get a fourth draft finished by the end of the year? All depends on how quick I write. Might do the 4 A.M. thing during Nanowrimo to get a better lead off. The next one is going to be a long one at 90K words and I want to get it done by the end of December. Completely realistic.

Thanks for dropping by and taking a look at things. I hope to have some more books on the right soon to sell soon. When I do – trust me, you’ll know. Have fun, stay safe and see you soon.

The Five Hundred and Seventy-Third Post: The One Where I Need Two Matches for One Candle…

Posted by Seething With Apathy

I am so ready to end this current project. It’s not boring, it’s that I am ready to start my Nanowrimo project, even though I am not anywhere near finished with the research. I’m going to finish the current one first, obviously, because I can see the finish line – I think I have to write two more chapters and touch up at least one – and the other one is really interesting to me. I don’t think I’m going to finish it in a month. I’m aiming for 90,000 words, and I don’t think I can get that done in a month, even if I go into ‘burning candles on all three ends’ mode.

Shown: November

This is why it’s so hard for me to finish projects. I get so entranced with the next one, I abandon the unfinished one. I’m a dog on a highway – there are so many tires to choose from! I’m honestly surprised I finished two books this year and I am very close to finishing a third one. I have to focus. I have to hunt down that one car before I take off after that eighteen-wheeler.

Shown: Next Project

I’m also trying to look it as this: the fact that I finished two books is a sign that I am learning and growing as a writer. I also see it as divine influence, and I really need to get back to other projects. Next year is definitely the year of Fantasy with finishing The Deadly Barrow and The Marvelous and Malefic Doomsday Medicine Show and working on something else if I get those two done before the end of the year. Don’t know what – might be Unbound…might be something new. I might rob a bank. I might get ice cream. I’ll decide in the car.

I think that’s it for now. I just have to put the screws to my thumbs and get finished with this disastrous Christmas party so I can torment people with schizophrenia. The joys of being a writer!

The Five Hundred and Seventy-second Post: The One Where…am I Getting Stuff Done?

Posted by Seething With Apathy

I’m getting close to finishing The Catastrophic Christmas Party. I’ve hit the main scene I’ve been wanting to write ever since I came up with the idea. If things work out, I should have it done before the end of this month. Nancy can read and edit it September and October, edit it out in November and put it up for sale in December. I am considering making this a Kindle only offering. I say that because getting it formatted to paperback is a pain in the butt.

I’m having some fun researching for my Nanowrimo project. I had no idea that the voices schizophrenics hear are natured by the culture of the afflicted. Voices in America and Europe tend to be horrifying, while India and Africa tend to be gentler. I took this off of a single study I read about, but it’s nice to see that this study has been replicated. The problematic nature of this book has been solved for me, at least. I can continue forward with some confidence.

If I can finish these two works, I would have written four rough drafts in a year. This is unprecedented for me! One book is a minor miracle for me. Possibly having four rough drafts? Inconceivable! And that I’m getting one book edited to be put out next year (I am being optimistic for this)! Things are looking up for me writing wise.

My Agent agrees with me

Next year, I am going to switch to fantasy – which means I probably won’t get to the werewolf story any time soon. The first thing is going to be to finish The Deadly Barrow and get it edited, then work on Medicine Show and get that edited. I’m slowing down a little, or it’s going to look like, but these books are huge. The Deadly Barrow is the first book in the series and that’s going to be a minimum of 80,000 words. Medicine Show is going to be over 100,000 words. If I have some time, I might work on the sequel to The Deadly Barrow…which I can’t remember the title to right now.

For the immediate future, I’m going to throw myself into outlining and researching my schizophrenic book project once Christmas Party is over, which should take me through the latter half of September and through October. November is going to be writing and maybe the first half of December. Editing won’t be for a while, but it will be done.

Good news on the weight front! I am down to 252 pounds! This new medicine is working great for me with no side effects. It’s just a single injection that I have to do once a week, which is better than two pills twice a day. Did I mention I have no more embarrassing side effects? I couldn’t have comfortably gone to GenCon without this shot. I am so thankful for it!

That’s all for now, hope you all are doing well. Catch you on the next one.