I finished the second chapter of The Baby Dancers. The fight with the protagonist and the pregnant former-Sister Lucinda went in an unexpected direction. The scene ended in a sweet, friendly way and it took a bit of thinking to work the humor back into the chapter.
Writing is funny that way.
Bunny Trouble: No update, the manuscript is out to beta readers.
The Baby Dancers: 747 words, much less then my usual offerings in the evening but better than the night previous of 500. I could have gone on but stopped at a point where the main character is about to get his ass handed to him in ritual hand-to-hand combat by a pregnant former Catholic Sister who is now his aunt. Since the scene in my mind was so vivid, absurd yet wonderful, I want to do it justice when fresh.
Yeah, do not piss off pregnant former Catholic Sisters. It can be hazardous to your health. This has been a public announcement by Anthony Pacheco: Hack Writer.
First two chapters are coming slowly. Slow and steady wins the race.
Blog: Will be reading some YA fiction this week. Tune in Sunday evening for a comprehensive review. For you YA or fantasy writers, this will be up your alley. No need to thank me, that’s just the kind of guy I am.
Bunny Trouble: Officer Brian received the manuscript in the mail yesterday. The UPS driver on the way to Spokane must have tossed it out of his truck as he rumbled on past. I enjoy next day service at ground rates. I tip my hat to UPS.
Meanwhile, I am running out of fingernail.
The Baby Dancers received a mere 500 words yesterday. Almost literally, as I reached word 500, a little something in my body went “bing!” and I became tired. Unlike a vast majority of the people I know, when I become tired I… (wait for it) go to sleep.
Meanwhile, my blog traffic has picked up. I have 8.3 dedicated readers, and several shy lurkers.
Hello!
I have a favor to ask. I went to a writer’s blog (Amber Lynn Smith) and saw that no one said congratulations when she said she LANDED AN AGENT. Stop by and tell her congratulations!
New Blog Tradition: Media Wednesday!
Edit: Slow loading video moved behind the lines for speedy blog loading purposes. No need to thank me, that’s just the kind of guy I am.
“But, I’m in the mood to raise some angst… So, how many 90,000 word (or higher) projects have you completed? I’m not worried about quality or whether or not it was published, but simply how many of you have even gone the distance… Once.”
When I sat down to see what kind of novelist I was, I picked someone else’s intellectual property and decided to write an epic story around one of the characters that struck my fancy. This certainly was not fan fiction, for I will not post it anywhere, ever. Indeed, I do not intend to show anyone the novel. Well, The Wife Unit could ask and get it (there are, after-all, benefits to being married to The Hack Writer).
In other words, I decided to write a novel purely as a writing exercise. In that regard, the work was a resounding success. It validated my plotting style, defined my characterization and established my distinctive voice.
The story was a grand tale of 150,000 words. I am very fond of this novel. The prose is wanting, but the story telling is very entertaining. You could describe the style as “David Weber Space Opera meets Anaïs Nin Hot Lesbian Sex”. It is a pure science fiction romp and very sexy to boot.
Book One can never sell, sabotaged on purpose. I owe a lot to Book One. Book One, I salute you and your service!
I do not suggest my kick-start method for everyone. I am however, right there with Ken. Write a book. Then go post around the interwebs.
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Disclaimer: I am nowhere near David Weber or Anaïs Nin, that’s not even remotely what I was suggesting kk thanks.
I found my last beta reader. 7.3 blog followers, meet Caroline:
Caroline: A high school English teacher and a voracious reader, she has more than a passing familiarity with firearms. She is a fan of the fantasy genre. Caroline wishes to remain under the radar, and therefore I have bestowed upon her the name of a kick-ass hunter from Bunny Trouble. I am very excited to have Caroline on board, she is a passionate and action-orientated writer. I hope I can live up to her expectations!
Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha SIX is now Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha SEVEN. Boo-YAH!
My local beta readers get Bunny Trouble this evening. For everyone else I have to sneak off early from work tomorrow and visit the UPS store. Watch your mailbox!
Still looking for one more beta reader. Please.
In other news, I completely rewrote my query letter… again. Now is sucks one-half less.
I am done with Bunny Trouble for a month. My time now belongs to The Baby Dancers.
Edit: Beta Reader Found. No more Bunny Trouble for you! You come back later!
“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
Susan Cooper was entertaining, but for raw, expand-the-horizons thinking, much of my Young Adult fancy belongs to Sylvia Engdahl (her blog is here). Her Children of the Star trilogy really hit home with me, and I can even recall dreaming of the last book. This Star Shall Abide is the first book in Children of the Star. Such wonderful, wonderful reading.
Much to my amazement and joy, some of her works are now back in print and she has published a new adult novel. My copy of her latest work, Stewards of the Flame is on order from Amazon.
Her books are wondrous. I adore her visionary writing, and can’t wait for my delivery of the signed YA novels I just bought. Haven’t read Ms. Engdahl? Just do it. Please.
I am a happy man. That my children will also some day read Sylvia Engdahl makes me smile, while I think of traveling beyond our our star…
Now I would like to thank the Lovely Wife Unit: draft two is a much better manuscript because of her tireless efforts. Out of all the corrections (and there were many!), she only made one mistake. She also convinced me to make some minor story revisions, and the manuscript tightened up because of her.
I did ask her point-blank; “You would tell me if my novel sucked, right?” and she said yes, she would. I believe her. Now if the novel does suck, you beta readers can send her flame mail for putting up with 375 pages of crap.
I love you LambChop!