Shade in Ink - A quest for a more natural life

DONE

Can't believe it...

I've finished Strange Angels.

At least this draft ;) but - if something happens to me on the operating table next month (which I'm sure it won't) then it'll be done... I'll have accomplished at least that much

~S

Amazing Things

Over the last few days - there's been a fire under me that I cannot explain. Last night I wrote the last chapter of this draft of Strange Angels... This morning I woke up and threw out that chapter as that's not how I want this to end but fact is - for those few hours - this draft was done... Tonight or tomorrow night this rewrite of this last chapter will be done and she'll be done again. I'll post this last chapter to my Critique Group... and open the next project on my list of priorities... I've been anxiously waiting to get to that list. I have a novel, a novella, and several short stories on that list. I don't put poetry on my priority list anymore - it just is... poetry is my constant - I'm always writing it, always editing it. Of course - it makes up the bulk of my publications so far too so - I might actually be doing something right in that respect. Part of my list of priorities - as far as the short stories go - I've made a list of ten target markets to shoot for over the next six months. I'm going to try really hard to write something for each of them - something new and perhaps a bit tailored to what I see as their preferences...

I'm thrilled to have Strange Angels in this next phase - the second rewrite. It means I'm one step closer to sending it to market. I've dreamt of that step for a long time and to be so close to it now is not the least bit daunting. I just have to wait for the critiques, find a way to add in 25,000 words of description, mood, and atmosphere, and polish her up. Then I'll focus on the query letter... bleh.

So I guess it's been a big few days for me... Maybe the push is coming from within me - trying to get at least this much done before I have a new life to care for.

~S

Strange Angels Progress

The last time I posted solid stats for Strange Angels - I was only on Chapter 15 in my revisions... that was two months ago, april 24thish... I just finished the revision of Chapter 21. Actually, it was less a revision seeing as I believe every chapter but two between 15 and 21 were completely new. As I said, meat and skin now... not just bones ;) I'm feeling pretty good about it...

Hope I can keep this going...

~S

Nesting

All pregnant women seem to go through a phase of nesting... I think I am too but it's not normal nesting. I'm not cleaning the house or readying the nursery - even if I have less than six weeks now to do it. What I am doing is writing. I'm working on Strange Angels. My main focus novel. During this series of revisions - I've realized just how much was lacking to the story. I had the bones - but they were bare. Now I have some of the skin and muscle to hold those bones together. I'm probably 3/5ths of the way through the story now and the difference is huge. It doesn't hurt that the first version of Strange Angels was completely wrong and I've stripped out well over half of it and now I'm getting on the right track. I can feel it. It's getting better every day. Once this rewrite is done, hopefully before the baby comes, I'll leave it out for crits with my group for a while and let it steep while I move on to my next project - Evolution of a Shadow. Then - when it's removed enough from my head - I'll go back and do another revision. Once that is done - I'll find a few beta readers and begin the query process to agents & publishers. I didn't make my goal of having it ready this year. I know it won't be. But - sometime next year I should be able to start the process of shopping SA. I won't make the goal I set in 1997 (which is why I was pushing so hard) but - it won't be because I didn't try it will be because I did try but did not meet my own quality standards.

~S

Strange Angels Progress

Still working... getting there slowly... am happy with the progress though. I never realized how much needed fixed until I started this rewrite. In the end, I've scrapped the majority of the initial book. I'm loving it at the minute though - that's important. Certainly there are things that still need work - especially it seems with descriptions... I'm focused so much on the story that sometimes the atmosphere gets lost and has to be put in later - during the next cycle of revisions. I figure I'm two or three months away from needing a few beta readers. If anyone is interested - let me know. I'll need about 20 to get a good reading as to whether or not the book is any good. And no - none of it will be posted online (see my rant on self-pub'ing if you *must* know why)....

CHAPTERS

15 / 28 (53.6%)

WORD COUNT

41,049 / 95,000 (43.2%)

Not too bad ;)
~S

Strange Angels Revisions

Chapter Four - 4/3/06 -4/4/06
Starting Count:2020
End count:2800
Difference:780
Why it's better: Better delineation of place. More introduction into Yehtlai's life - so she is not so much a stranger before she becomes nearly important.

Total Word Count: 9,601/90,000

Revisions

Chapter Three: 4/2/06
Starting Count: 1505
End COunt: 2177
Difference: 672
Why it's better: better interacting with the Rousl, decent first explanation of Sencha's power and control and the Rousl's devotion. better emotion at the homecoming. more ambience throughout.

Total Word Count: 6,801/90,000

Strange Angels - revisions progress

Chapter Two: 3/3/06 - 3/5/06
Starting count: 1552
End Count: 1824
Difference: 272
Why it's better: not sure... nothing specific. better wording on occasion...
Total Word Count: 4,624/90,000

Strange Angels Revisions

Chapter One: 3/2/06 - 3/3/06
Starting Count: 2174
End Count: 2330
Difference: 156

Why it's better: more emotion, more better wordings throughout. same info, less info-dump... ;)
total word count: 2,800/90,000

Strange Angels Revisions

I've begun my revisions. I hope to have the whole thing done in two months.

Prologue - 3/1/06
starting count: 328
End count: 470
difference: 142

why it's better: a little tighter, a little more fear as well as a bit more reason and rationale.

Prologue down - many chapters to go.

~S

Strange Angels

I'm getting back to the book... Perhaps I never really leave it but I don't focus on it like I should. I don't actually focus on anything like I should. But - I am endevouring to change that. Over the next few months I am going to revise the whole damned thing - top to bottom. I'll keep track of my progress here. In part to keep me honest and in part to keep me motivated. I want to take the 68,000 words that it currently is (having had so MUCH chopped out of it) and take that to roughly 90,000 words of polished, tight prose with some actual description and atmosphere now that I know I have some wiggle room with my word count.

So - i'll do it chapter by chapter - initial word count, revised word count - what makes it better. The goal is to do 3 chapters a week at least. Ultimately I want it done by the end of April... then i can get a beta reader or two or thirty and start work on my query.... I had wanted to have it done and ready by June... probably won't make that but I'd like to come close....

~S

Strange Angels

My first priority novel, a fantasy with some crossover points. As time goes by, I'll probably discuss the novel itself further. There are three planets involved in the story - Asher, Cusacatem, and Wyalat. Over the last two years, I've been working on a series of short stories revolving around the three worlds. It's been a great excersize in world building for me - getting that involved in the past cultures and traditions of my planets. I've got several of these stories in various stages of writing, editing, submitting, and publishing.

1. Fated (Asher) published June 2005 in Lyrica
2. Blood on the Sands (Asher) to be published in Shadow Sword issue 2
3. Moronar's Chosen (Cusacatem) under consideration
4. Death's Vessel (Cusacatem) under consideration
5. Blur of Tiers (Asher) under consideration

And there are aproximately 13 in various stages of completion though I hope to have two ready to be submitted during December.

~S