Author: Seething With Apathy

The Six Hundred and Twenty-first Post: The One Where I Mumble My Way Through a Plot

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It’s always the same when I have an idea. I grab it in my mouth and take off like a German Sheperd with a hot dog. I have no idea where I am going or what I am doing with it, but I have it and it’s mine now.

I have two interesting ideas:

  1. A slave that doesn’t want to be freed but would rather go back to a life of servitude.
  2. Treating vampires like junkies rather than the sexy but troubled icons that they are now.

I have no idea how to go any further with these ideas, but they are so good, I am not getting rid of them. I really want to develop them past this point, but with one, I need to fill out the middle – the only problem with that one is time. The second one is a lot trickier.

In the rules I have set up, there is little in the way of magic or supernatural aspects. Vampires aren’t super strong or mesmeric creatures. Crosses don’t affect them, nor does any amount of faith. They don’t grow fangs and nibble at your neck to leave two neat little holes. They have to use implements to get to the blood, which doesn’t nourish them as much as give them an incredible high. My problem with this one is simple, but brain-wracking: How do I end this darn book? The fact that it’s called Forever Junkie doesn’t mean it’s going to be solved in three acts and a commercial break.

There are some things I am keeping as far as lore goes – sunlight still burns, they are vulnerable to fire and stakes destroy their body. I wanted to go the Old World of Darkness route and say that stakes merely paralyze them, but I’m trying to stick to the true lore as much as I can while trying to make things new.

The one piece of lore I am struggling over is if the head vampire dies, the ones he or she created are freed from the curse. In the context of the story, it gives me a tidy ending. The main character tracks down the vampire that took his blood, kills him or her and everyone lives happily ever after.

That seems too simple of an ending for me. I like happy endings, but one that comes together a little too pat isn’t my cup of tea. Of course, I can’t make it easy for the main character either. They’re going to earn their happy ending, but the kill-the-master seems a little too mystical for this particular book.

Then again, I am talking about creatures that burst into flame upon being struck with sunlight, no matter the SPF of their suntan lotion. Maybe a twitch of the mystic is needed here.

OK – how about this?  Main Character’s sire (or dam, it’s the 21st century here) is killed, but it doesn’t remove the curse, so the character goes off and finds a Narcotics Anonymous group and the book ends with his introducing himself.  I like that. It’s an ending to his story – it’s upbeat enough for me, and it’s not entirely mystical. It makes sense.

Now I have to outline and write it. Hopefully during this year. Next year, I want to really focus on fantasy and sci-fi…with some elements of horror in it, of course.

Well, thank you for sitting with me while I worked this out. Please check the right hand side for books by me and dear friends – they’re all good, or I wouldn’t have them there. Ta-ta for now.

The Six Hundred and Twentieth Post: The One That Doesn’t Sparkle in the Sunlight!

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Sorry that I missed last Thursday. My dreaded day job had me working overtime and waking up early, which messed with everything. I have emerged from that week with all of my vices intact. I will try to fall back into a regular schedule.

Speaking of vices – do you hate sparkling, sexy vampires as much as I do? Want them to go back to being something dangerous? Then I have news for you. I am working on a new novel – outlining – about vampires called Forever Junkie. I wanted to write a vampire novel, but I wanted a new direction to it. I know that people far smarter than me say that vampires are an allegory for sexuality, particularly in Victorian England. I wanted to turn it into a new allegory, so I thought about something that is touched on very briefly in the lore, but is never examined.

Vampires can also be an allegory for addiction. Modern vampires have turned feeding into a sexual act – not just procreation, but the feeding of a desire. What if we ramped that up to eleven? What if that unkempt guy shuffling down the sidewalk a few steps ahead (or behind…) with the bad odor and dark stains on his shirt was one of the undead?

Clearly a junkie

I wanted to write this as a more grounded version of vampires, something akin to the movie Martin. No fangs, no mesmerism, not even turning into a bat. This is going to be a little more realistic. Which means I get to do research into drug addiction. This is not a complaint! Researching is one of my favorite parts of writing. Now, I don’t know how this story is going to play out. I got the idea a couple of days ago. I just hope I can get it out in a reasonable time frame – which is code for ‘before I die’.

That’s it for the week – living on little sleep and a lot of caffeine. I’ll try to get a little better about updates, with the overtime done, that should be a little more consistent. I’m off to pen the outline. Have fun!

The Six Hundred and Nineteenth Post: The One Where I Go Back to Scribbling…

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I’m feeling a lot better – who knew that rest and medicine would work? I’m still a little cough-y, but I am continuing to outline Tribal. I am going to finish the outline before I continue writing it. I am trying to plan better things better and wing it less. I think this is going to make me more productive in the long run.

I did go to the doctor today, and I’ve lost three pounds in three weeks! I am going back to the gym now (and then), and I am feeling a lot better now. I am hoping to keep this going, even though I took a day off today to catch Opening Day (if MLB.tv would LET ME). I am going to head out in the evening. Normally, I go early in the morning, but today I had a doctor’s appointment and the aforementioned Opening Day.

While I am writing the outline for the current novel, I am trying to work on the literary novel. I’m torn as far as endings go. Should I make it depressing or uplifting? I don’t really know because both of the endings appeal to me. This book is my criticisms of society and how they treat creatives, and the nature of celebrity in this day and age – so the depressing ending fits. However, I would like to have an upbeat ending for the main character just because I am going to put him through so much crap. It’s still in the embryonic stage. I don’t even have a good title for it. Right now – I’m referring to it as Crab Bucket Society. It’s not my best title, but it works for now. I am going to write this as if I could put this in the running for the Pulitzer. After that, I might work on something I’ve hung on the line for way too long.

I’ve really got to get on the stick and revise something. Is till have to get Agonizing Alibi Day edited down a little bit, not to mention Alien Voices. Actually, I need to get the cover art for these two books done first. I need to get a lot done. I just need more time. Then again, don’t we all? Anyway – I need to get back to work.

Thanks for sticking this out with me thus far. I am still trying to figure out how to get new books on my right bar. It’s not easy, but I can wrestle this to the ground. Hope you all have a good day.

The Six Hundred and Eighteenth Post: The One Where I Just Let Them Ferment On the Vine

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I am going to strike while the iron is hot and give Tribal a majority of my attention. Sure – our current political situation isn’t going to go away any time soon, but I have the bad habit of sitting on ideas until they are no longer popular. Remember when the news of the “back draft” during the initial Iraq war? That gave me an idea for a sci-fi novel called Zeno’s Calendar. I might work on it at some point, but it illuminates the problem that I tend to let ideas almost rot on the vine as it were.

I won’t do that this time. Dirt Elf will be relegated to evening work, meaning if I don’t hit the deadline word count, I am not going to worry about it. I need to work further on the outline anyways, so there is that. I’ve only outlined up to the chapter I am writing right now. I need to work ahead a little so I can still have some direction in this book.

There is a dearth of other news, I’m sorry to say. I finished the book Victorian Psycho and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed American Psycho. It has certainly taught me a lot about first person views and how much description I can really get out of it. Although, I don’t know if that was the style of the time or not. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like it Jane Austen wrote the screenplay for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Victorian Psycho will answer that question. Next up, the highly controversial Playground. Splatterpunk!

I’m also a little under the weather, so I am going to cut this a little short. Drink plenty of fluids, have an orange and say a minimum of three feet away from me. Thank you and have a good day.

The Six Hundred and Seventeenth Post: The One Where I Investigate That Rustling Noise…

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Thursdays sneak up on me. One minute, it’s Monday and I am wishing I were back in bed, the next minute it’s Thursday and I’m thinking: ‘don’t I have something I need to do?’

There’s a Thursday right there!

There is very little going on in the writing world. Once again I am juggling three projects: writing Dirt Elf, re-outlining Tribal (Got the idea for the MC to lose the first big fight he’s in to subvert expectations) and working out an idea I had about a slave who wants to return to their master – thinking about calling this one My Gilded Cage. I’m also reading two books: Victorian Psycho, which answers the question: What if Jane Austen wrote American Psycho? I’m also reading (or trying to…) an updated translation of The Man Who Laughs called Eternal Smile for a more literate project. Yes, I’m a genre whore, but I hope one day to get off the street corners and become a high-priced literary escort.

This weekend, I am going to finally (finally!) edit down The Agonizing Alibi Day and get it ready for selling before the end of March. It’s been sitting on my hobby table in the living room for way too long. I have to remember that the name of the game is getting books out the door.

I have been slacking off for a couple of days, and I blame that on my exercise routine. I’m back to mornings in which I was going every morning – but that’s not working out because I am dead tired by the time lunch comes and I end up taking a nap. I skipped today, which is why I am writing and not snoring (if I snored, which I don’t – Nancy, I’m looking at you). I need to get back on the stick with this if I am going to finish it by my self-imposed deadline.

When I write, I feel like a dog chasing cars sometimes. There’s so many targets out there, and I don’t know what I would do if I actually caught one.

Well, I need to get to running, I guess. Check out the books on the right side of my blog – even buy one! I’ll try to be a bit more regular with my blog. See you all soon!

The Six Hundred and Sixteenth Post: I’M BACK!

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I’m back! I took a little longer break than I had said, but it was needed. I’ve been working on The Changeling’s Crusade, but it’s not really jelling for me. It might be a case of it’s not really ready for me to start. I might set it to the side and work on something else. I am stuck on the re-telling of The Man Who Laughs by reading a new translation of the book. I could work on another fantasy novel – it’s not like I have any shortage of them.

I also need to get to editing down The Agonizing Alibi Day. I’m not a fan of editing but I know I have to do it. It’s just sitting there on my desk, patiently waiting to get cut up and rearranged. I did make some mistakes which were nicely pointed out. Maybe this Sunday, I’ll hit the highlights and try to get it all one. Just rip that Band-Aid off and get it done. I like the creation process. I like the writing process. Not a fan of the nuts and bolts re-write. I know that re-writing is writing. But I don’t have to like it. Right?

I do have more ideas coming in, and one that interests me is the idea of someone that wants to be re-enslaved. I think it could be a bit of a high-concept idea and certainly one that would resonate with today’s societal climate. I’m going to work on it…eventually. I just have a lot on my plate tight now and I need triage my current projects.

I think that’s all for now. I would like to thank all of you for being so patient with me while I took some time off. I feel well rested and ready to take on blogging again. Hope you all have a good day. Ta-ta for now.

The Six Hundred and Fifteenth Post — The One Where I Will Never Admit Mrs. Harkess Was Right!

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Don’t tell my seventh grade English teacher this, but I am not outlining all my future works. I’ll never hear the end of it.

I thought that doing an outline was busy work, but I am finding it to be useful. It’s keeping me on the straight and narrow as far as plot goes. I can explore different scenes while writing the outline and not say…when I am hip deep in the novel to begin with, and I imagine it’s going to ward off writer’s block know what I have to write next. I can have outliner’s block now. Nifty!

I can see where some people would be wary about outlining. Some people like to be surprised by their characters. I heard one writer on YouTube say that she never finishes and outline because she doesn’t want to know how her book ends until she writes it. Weird, but that’s what works for her then who am I to judge?

A lot of times, I’ll get to writing and I’ll peter out, usually when I don’t have an idea of what to do next. I actually do a lot of pre-writing in my head (my boss calls this daydreaming, and not working. Pshaw!). I never thought of it as outlining. All I’m really doing is putting to paper what I am imagining in my head.

Currently, I am outlining two works – The Changeling’s Crusade and an untitled romantic work. If I can’t have any ideas for one, I can gravitate towards the other. I need to get back on the ball for Crusade, however, because I want to start the rough draft for that one New Year’s Day…which isn’t that too far off. While I have a good head start on it, if I need to, I can start the rough draft with what I have and maybe work on the outline during lunch and the rough draft at home. I am going to fight to get the book done in three months’ time. That much I need to stick to.

With the holiday season coming up, this will be the last blog of the year. I’ve got to get gifts, wrap them without self-harm and canoodle with the wife during the holiday season. I will be back in mid-January, hopefully with a completed outline.

Until then, have a safe and happy holidays!