New Site Design and New Ideas

Today has not been an overly productive day. Perhaps it has been a bit more productive than yesterday, but not by much. I banged out a few articles on an article revenue sharing site that I use frequently. I took the older daughter to the doctor (more about that in a minute). I spent a LONG time in Hobby Lobby looking at steampunk inspired house decorations. Finally, I sat down with my youngest child to work on her homework.

Yesterday I spent a bit of time looking at Blogger themes. Today I finally decided on one. It's playful and fun, but not too out there. I will probably change it if something else comes along to strike my fancy, but for now it is about right. It describes what I have been doing lately. Chaotically trying to write as much as possible in as many places as possible. The theme was titled chaotic writer's desk or something like that. I think the theme itself has helped me be a bit more creative in my writing over the past day or two.

That brings me to my next point. Look for more fiction from me in the near future. I have a few short story ideas set up and ready to go. One or more should be ready in coming weeks. I hope you like them.

On a more personal note, my daughter's doctor's appointment went about how I thought it would. She has to go back tomorrow for a CT scan. I don't like that she has been having headaches, and I want to get to the bottom of it. My son had a brain tumor, and that shattered my entire life. I don't know what I would do if she had anything similar. But I do know, we will get through.

Our Hobby Lobby trip was mostly fun. My wife has multiple sclerosis (MS), at least that's what the neurologist thinks. He needs another MRI to know for sure. If you don't know what MS is, then look it up. It's a really messed up disease that affects all sorts of functions of the brain. Today, for example, my wife and kids and I were shopping and having a jolly time through Hobby Lobby. After a while, I noticed the inside of my wife's elbow (is that an elbow pit? I don't know.) was cold and clammy. I know that's weird to share, but it's the first sign of something a bit more worrisome. I pointed it out, and she declared she was fine. Less than 30 minutes later she was barely able to walk. I barely managed to get her to the car while the kids paid for the items we found. Five minutes after that, she couldn't really form words very well. That condition persisted for about an hour to an hour and a half. She is still struggling a bit to walk six hours later, but is generally better.

I hope I haven't over-shared my life here with you, but I guess that's part of what blogs are for.

Next UP!

Ok. So, it will be July 1 in just a few hours. The first day of a new month brings with it new beginnings. New chances to have a "successful month." I have determined that my month will be successful. We are on OT at the day job. That means that our cash flow is going to be a bit easier at the house.

More importantly I am going to begin hammering out my next novel starting the first. I know that many of you are thinking, "Oh he's going to try that NaNoWriMo stuff (National Novel Writer's Month). Actually, my answer to that is this: while I admire the people who endeavor to smash out a 50,000 word novel in one month, I do not intend to force myself to follow these guidelines for this endeavor. I am going to write as solidly as I can as constantly as I can. If I finish in a month, then GREAT! If it takes two, then that's cool too. If it takes three, I will probably start to seriously question my commitment. Truth of the matter is I will probably finish it must faster than much slower. I have let this idea really stew in my brain for a while now. I think I have it simmered down to its essence and can understand the broad strokes of the whole.

This also means that if I don't answer as much as I normally would then I am probably lost in a crazy Nazi run dystopia filled with sorcerers, cowboys, robots, and steampunk inventors.

Finished... Finished?

Ok, so as some of you may know. I have finished the rough draft of my first novel. My lovely wife is proofing and editing as I wash out my brain. When she's finished I will give it a go through and let her take a second look. Then I am going to be sending the manuscript to a few very close (very opinionated) beta readers. Then after all of those are returned with suggested edits/criticisms. I will be publishing the work at www.amazon.com as well as the other epub formats.

This comes at an interesting time, the kids' last day of school. The start of the summer schedule in my parenting plan. A time when some book sales could really help out financially as well.

My wife jokingly said last night, "Hey, you don't need to set your alarm to get up early in the morning."
"Actually, I kinda do. I want to get started on the next story. If I want to make a career of this, I need to treat it like a career. Besides, the writing part is fun," I said.
"Oh. Okay."

That exchange is what I want to delve into today. I talk to and read about so many writers who finish their first book and think, "Yay! I have a book." They might even get it published by a nontraditional publishing house (without an agent, that's about all you get these days ). I ask them what they are going to do now. And, invariably, the answer is "take a break." Sure, I am good with that. But I never ask how long. Because I know that answer too. And that answer is a sad one. That answer is "I don't know." But really it means "until the muse strikes me again sometime maybe months later." Now, I am definitely not a full on muse enthusiast. I do believe that there is a place/memory/portion of your brain/thing that comes to authors and thumps them in the head with ideas. However, I also believe that authors have to see the hundreds of story ideas that shoot out in front of them EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you want this to be your life, you can't sit back and let writing happen to you. You have to grab your writing mind/muse by the lapels like a Chicago street thug. Shake it down for any spare change it has. And put fingers to keyboard. In short, if you want to be a writer. Write, damnit.

Alright, off my soap box. The other question that has assaulted my mind is what am I going to write next. Well, I posted earlier on my blog that I have a Young Adult steampunk urban fantasy story brewing in my head. And this is completely true. I am working out the complexities of this fantastic world currently. However, I think my next writing adventure will be a science fiction short story. I am drawing part of the inspiration from my brother. He is a rifleman in the US Army, currently deployed to Afghanistan. When asked what he wants to do after he gets out, he says, "I think I want to learn to pilot. To fly helicopters. Maybe be a rescue pilot or a life-flight pilot." There's something really noble in that. My baby brother who is fighting overseas "so that others who can't don't have to," wants to still help people in a different way, when he is released from that obligation. I think this speaks to the heroic spirit that so greatly typifies much of the speculative fiction genres. My brother is a hero. And he is the inspiration for my short story.

Here is my short writeup:
Master Sergeant Alan Willians, Drop Ship Alpha, United Interstellar Naval Corps, signed up for the Naval Corps hoping to see the galaxy. See the galaxy he has, maybe too much of it. Now, a bit jaded and looking forward to his release from contract, he's planning to start his own business piloting planet jumper ships to transport people to the newly settled planets. Planets that he helped secure for the Interstellar Alliance. Something goes terribly wrong on his next to last mission, however. He will be faced with a choice - give up his dream and save the day, or ignore what he knows.

Intrigued? Follow my blog for more updates.
Are a writer yourself? Tell me what you do when you finish writing a book in the comments below.

Monday morning Planning

Ok. So I normally spend Monday morning every other week at my computer reviewing what I have done for the past two weeks and working out plans for my writing and world creation for the next two weeks. I spend a considerable amount of time conversing with a co-creator of my fantasy world discussing everything from politics to hair color in our world. The process really helps me to step inside the world and look at things from my characters' eyes. This morning has been one of those mornings.

After a couple of hours of back and forth discussion, I settle in to write until that urge/need is sated. My wife/editor is starting to crack the whip and be a bit more relaxed about my writing taking over my waking moments. Somehow, I think she wants to see me finish this book as much or more than I do.

While my current project is traditional epic fantasy, I have swimming in my head another series that is a bit of a break from that. This other series is YA urban paranormal steampunk. I hope that's not too genre-mashy for any of you. If it's not, I have thought about maybe letting it go into the realm of dystopia too. That too much? Thought so. I told my wife though that this YA is probably going to fly out of my head, since I am being delicate and precise with Bound by Blood. I intend to relax a little more with the rest of Bound by Blood and with my YA series.

What is your favorite genre to write or read? I eagerly await your comments below.

Swimming in the Idea Pool

Here I am, my first blog post. So, I have learned that part of my writing process is sharing my writing process and ideas with others. This, of course, is a slightly hairy prospect for a new writer. It seems to be a knife-edged path between sharing too much, spoiling plots, and writing virtually nothing at all. Hopefully, I can balance that path well.

My current writing projects are twofold. I have an epic fantasy series and a YA modern steampunk fantasy.

The first in my epic fantasy series will be Bound By Blood. A displaced half-elf, joined by a possessed bard and a grief stricken barbarian, set out to save the world from destruction at the hands of an ancient demon worshiping cult. It has been fun writing so far. I hope to have it on Amazon Kindle and other eBookstores by summer 2011.

The first in my YA modern steampunk fantasy is currently unnamed. I hope for a winter release in eBook form. The story? Oh yeah: One boy's boring science fair is interrupted by his aunt and uncle, a mad scientist and a sorcerer of a secret arcane order. They spirit him away in their steam-powered clockwork teleportation device to a new life filled with secret societies, shadow ninjas, and a war that's been raging behind the scenes for over two hundred years.

Tell me what you think below.