Lack of Posts Does Not Equal Lack of Writing

Yes, I'm still writing and attempting to meet my goal of completing the rough draft by month's end. Is it going to happen? I have no clue!! I'm just writing when I write, thinking when I think, and hoping when I hope that I'll meet my goal. Will the world end if I don't? No. I just do the best I can with a life that - sometimes - becomes so overwhelming that writing just doesn't happen.

Currently, I am working on Chapter Eight. I'm on vacation the next few days, so hopefully - if the creek doesn't rise - I will have ample time to write. If I finish, I finish, if I don't . . . well, I'm close, and sometimes close is good enough.

Okay, back to my writing. I'll update this post later today.

UPDATE:

• Finished Chapter Eight
• Words So Far = 51,000 +

I find an amusing sense of irony in the fact that the chapter I just completed takes place in October on Halloween night. Could I have timed things any better? I mean, we're in October, and Halloween (the Gay New Year, just in case any one was wondering) is only two days away?

I just love Halloween, btw. If you ever have a chance, go to a gay bar whenever they have a Halloween event. Fun beyond belief. I must say that my people do Halloween the best - costume wise at least.

S

The Best Laid Plans . . .

. . . of mice and men, rarely seem to work out the way you planned. I'm just saying . . .

This morning: walk the boyz, make my coffee, and then - irresistibly drawn - into my office to write. The words flowed freely this morning - no doubts, no hesitation, just a constant stream of words in a series of very unexpected situations for my characters. Go figure. Sometimes, real life is unexpected. Sometimes, fictional life takes those unexpected turns as well. Such was the case this morning. I'm definitely not complaining. I love what I wrote this morning - the revelations, the unexpectedness, the twist that not even I - creator of this fictional Universe - saw coming. Such is life.

S

Today - Saturday, October 25, 2008

This morning has been an equally mixture of ease and struggle. There were times my fingers - almost literally - flew across the keyboard of the laptop. There were an equal number of times when my fingers hovered expectantly over the keyboard, just waiting for the words to form in my mind, synapse at the proper moment, and propel my fingers downward to type the letters of inspiration. SIGH. All in all, a productive morning of writing. I am done with Chapter Six and now at the half-way, at least in the way of Chapters, point of the rough draft. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride, a feeling of satisfaction.

So, as it stands at this moment, on this day, at this time:

• Revamp of Chapter Six - complete
• Words So Far = 46,879

I have no clue what writing I will do the rest of the day. For now, I am going to recharge the batteries of both the laptop and my mind. Wicked is calling my name - read me, read me, read me - and the boyz need to go for their walk.

S

Today - Thursday, October 23, 2008

What I've Done Today:

• Completed Revamp of Chapter Five
• Started Revamp of Chapter Six
• Total Words Written Today = 5,181

The writing has been intermittent today - a little here, a little there, and a little bit there and there and there as well. There was not just one big sit down session. Still, I did accomplish quite a bit. I hope to finish up Chapter Six tomorrow which puts me at a half-way point of sorts (the plan is for twelve chapters total). I'll see what happens tomorrow.

S

Character Charts and other stuff . . .

As of last night . . .

• Chapter Four Revamp - Complete
• Word Count = 38,000 +

Yes, very brief and to the point. Last night was a juggling act of cooking dinner, writing, taking the boyz for their walk, finding time to read, and then settling down on the couch with the cats (Jordy and Squeaky - dear Tasmyn cannot be bothered to get up on the couch) to watch Pushing Daisies. I absolutely adore that show. Then, walk the boyz again after my tv watching was done, plot out what I was going to work on with the writing today, and finally snuggle beneath the covers and attempt to go to sleep. Did I mention that I'm not allowed to go to sleep before I pick Jordy up and put him in bed with me? Oh, and I have to let him lie down and my chest and rub his head for about ten minutes before he's had enough. It is only then that I am able to roll over, curl up in the fetal position, and attempt (I use that word very lightly - I do have three cats and two dogs after all) to fall asleep.

On a totally different subject . . . I was thinking about characters this morning. I read some article, message board, or some such recently that mentioned a character chart. Basically, you create a chart with the highlights - hair color, eye color, height, weight, etc. - of the various characters. I have done this a few times. The one warning in the article (or whatever) was not to overdo (get too in depth) with the character chart. I agree 100%. I do the basics, as mentioned above, and then go with the flow of the writing to add things as needed. Personally, I think it's important to have a good visual of your character in your mind, but not that important to fully visualize the character for the readers. Say What!!!????

Let me explain. When I'm reading a book I don't need every aspect of a character to know the character. Tell me the color of hair, eyes, weight, and I'll fill in the rest. Give me a few hints about what the character wears, not a complete description of the character's entire wardrobe. Again, I can fill in the blanks myself. That, my friends, is the joy of reading. I mean, really, how many books go through all the different clothes a character might wear? Very few. I've done my research. There's usually a brief mention at the start of the book, maybe another mention later on if the character is going to the theater or a fancy dinner; other than that, there is very little mention. Why? In my opinion, because the clothes are unnecessary. I mean, could I tell you what my co-worker wore to work the other day? No. Could I tell you what shirt I wore to work on Monday? No. Why? Because the clothes are not important. I could tell you that one of my co-workers was not feeling well on Tuesday and went home early. I could tell you that another co-worker received some bad news on Monday and was stressed out for most of the days. Those are the important things. Clothes, not so much.

In the end, yes, it's important to know if a character always orders chicken fajitas with extra sour cream when they go to the Mexican restuarant. It's also important to know that a character bites his/her lower lip when thinking. It might be important to know that a character absolutely adores - within context - everything Gregory Maguire every wrote, or will write. The importance of things about the character all depend on the writer.

So, make your chart - if necessary - but do not lose yourself in the chart, or limit who your character might become if he/she does something totally crazy outside the chart. One day, your stable, reliable, character who presses his jeans (yes, gets out the iron every Sunday and irons every frigging pair of jeans they plan on wearing for the week) might suddenly decide not to press his jeans. The world might not end, but your chart might suddenly become a little less important. I'm just saying . . .

S

Sometimes I Freak Myself Out When I Write

Sometimes, I freak myself out when I write. Okay, not really freak, but maybe semi-freak. Why? Well, as everyone - the 1 or 2 people - that reads this blog knows, I have begun a revamp of the current writing project. Things just weren't working. Hate it when that happens. So, I took a look at the current Chapter 4 to see what I needed to do to finish it up in the revamp process. Amazingly enough, I had ended the 2nd section just perfectly to insert the 3rd section. Fraktastic (in the realm of Battlestar Galatica)! I couldn't have ended the section any more perfectly. The perfect setup, my friends.

Now, did I have a moment of precognition when initially writing Section 2? Did I somehow know, deep in the dark places of my mind where even I don't dare to tread, that I would add the 3rd section? I have no clue. All I know is that I did what I did, and it worked. That is what sometimes amazes me about my writing. Things just seem to fall in place - sometimes - without any apparent effort on my part. There are other times when that does not happen. I'm just grateful for the things that work, when they work, and figure out the rough times are some sort of life lesson.

The current stats on the project:

• Revamp of Chapter 3 - complete
• Will start Revamp of Chapter 4 tonight, after I watch Pushing Daisies
• Total Words So Far = 35,000 + words

On another note, I have come to the conclusion that it will take more than 30 days - most likely - to finish the rough draft of this project. I plan on writing a lot this weekend, but the way my weekend is plotted (get it, plotted . . . sorry) out socially, it's going to be tough. Don't hate me because I'm popular. Okay, I'm not really popular, this is just a busy weekend coming up.

Last, I started reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire last name. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love that book. Shear genius. I don't know why it has taken me so many years to read the book again. I'm an avid re-reader of books. Why? In my opinion, a great book cannot be truly appreciated in only one reading. I have read the entire Lord of the Rings series about twenty times. Yes, twenty times. I used to read the series - Hobbit through The Return of the King - once a year. I haven't read it in many years, though I have watched the movies a number of times. No, watching the movies is not the same thing, but it does in a pinch. Perhaps once I finish Wicked I'll pick up LOTR and start reading again.

S

Status - Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Last night was a combination of writing and reading. I finished Gregory Maguire's A Lion Among Men. The man is a truly talented author. I really think the absolute best part of the book was the last few chapters. Funny how that happens. The book as a whole was good, but the last part bordered on shear genius. I can't wait for the next one, potentially the last according to an interview with him, in the series. He painted a stunning portrait of the Cowardly Lion. I'm just amazed at how he can take perceptions of familiar characters - the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow - and totally reinvent those characters. I remember thinking after reading Wicked, damn, Glinda the Good Witch was an absolute bitch, Dorothy an airhead, and Elphaba, just purely misunderstood. It is just great that he can take familiar characters and infuse them with so much more literary life. I'm definitely going to have to reread Wicked, and probably its sequel Son of a Witch (I just love that title, btw).

I finished the revamp of Chapter Two as well last night. Okay, not really a revamp, just an added section - still, an additional 1800 words. Whoo-hoo!! At this point, I'm at around 35,000 words. Again, the word count will go up/down over the next week or so as I finish the reinvention of this literary wheel I'm working on right now. I keep telling myself it's all a process.

I long for the days when the words flowed so easily that they were an obsession. The words are flowing, don't get me wrong, but not near as strong as the project that I finally honed close enough to perfection to begin the agent search. Then again, each project is different. Things happen as they happen, and my frustration level only matters to me, and not the muses singing in my ears as I write. I just wish they'd sing in a language I could understand.

Take care.

S

Sunday - October

The house is filled with the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of cloves, and pumpkin. The loaves of pumpkin bread will come out of the oven in just a few minutes. I'll slice the bread while still warm and slather some butter over the bread. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good.

On the writing front, here's what I've accomplished today:

• Totally refinished revamp of Chapter One - yes, you're having a moment of deja vu, since I already stated I did that. There are times when things change. Today was one of those days. I was in the process of making the pumpkin bread and my mind, as it has a habit of doing, started to wander over what I had already written on this project, and what I needed to write. In a moment of inspiration, I found one of those pesky missing pieces. I inserted that piece into Chapter One today. I'll be inserting a few more pieces in the other chapters as well.
• Semi-finished revamp of Chapter Four - I still have to add the missing piece. That will come sometime this week.
• Total Words So Far = 33,496. Note: this count will go up/down in successive days as I omit things that are no longer necessary, and fill in the blanks. Such is life.

Now, I must go pull the bread from the oven.

S

Saturday - October 18, 2008

The writing continues.

This is what I did today:

• Revised/Revamped/Add New Section - Chapter Two
• Ditto - Chapter Three
• Total Words So Far = 30,167

At this point, I'm on schedule for the 50,000 word goal. The revamping of the chapters is fairly simple since it is just omitting some of the exposition parts of those chapters, and changing the dialogue just a bit. For the most part, the sections already written are only be mildly edited to fit the changes in format of this project. I write, therefore I am content.

I continue to read A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire. The brilliance shines forth. The man knows how to write. I read a recent interview in The Advocate with him, and he mentioned he is planning at least one more book in the Wicked Years titled Out of Oz. At this point, he has not clue as to the main character of that book, though he is considering Glinda or possible even Dorothy. I guess we'll know once he writes the book.

S

Quick Update

Last night was Wednesday night which meant Pushing Daisies and Project Runway. Last night was also cook dinner for my loving partner night. Okay, a little bit of smarm there, but I'm allowed. It is my blog after all. The only problem with cook dinner for my loving partner night was the recipe was not a quick cook recipe. My beloved partner had to eat leftover lasagna instead. The stew I made last night was not ready until well after he left for week. The stew, btw, was out of this world. I'm just saying . . . Since it was Wednesday night TV, and I absolutely had to see the finale of Project Runway, I did not write. I do that every now and then. I step away from the laptop and let the brain veg out for a night of tv watching. It helps the creative process. I swear, it really does. No, it's not the Bailey's (I wish) in my coffee this morning. Seriously folks, no Bailey's in my coffee.

I plan to get back on track with the writing tonight. Did I mention I'm also attempting to read two books at the same time? If not, I am. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire is absolutely brilliant so far. I'm about five chapters into the book right now. Brilliant! Did I mention it was brilliant? The man is an absolute genius.

Tonight's agenda: exercise, dinner, walk the boyz (Jessee & James), bid my loving partner good-bye and safe journey to/from work, and, finally, sit down and write.

Jesse & James

Poor Jesse, James is always smacking him down.

Just a note: the creative juices flow even when I'm not writing. Sometimes, the best writing is done solely in my mind as I consider, discard, reconsider, discard again, totally annihilate, start from scratch, and just do my thang as I consider where I've been and where I'm going with the current project.

7:42 PM - Update

Dinner is cooked, dishes cleaned, and the boyz have been on their walk. I have also read some in both of the books I am currently reading. Exercise did not and will not happen tonight. I did write. Whoo-hoo!!! I decided that what I thought was working on this current project, really wasn't working, so now I'm doing some really creative editing, and adding a section to each chapter. The one perspective novel just gained another perspective. Yes, I know, many agents hate novels with more than one perspective. Here's why I like them: no two people see the same situation in the same way. I find it more interesting to see events through multiple (2 in this instance) viewpoints than in one. So, two perspectives it is.

What I did in writing today:

• Revamped the concept of the current project
• Wrote the 2nd section for Chapter One
• Revised the 1st section for Chapter One
• Completed Chapter One
• Total Words So Far = 27,848

Even with the revised concept, the basics of what I've already written - situations/conversations - will remain pretty much the same. A little tweaking here and there is all that is necessary, plus the 2nd section to each chapter already written. I'm still on schedule for my 50,000 word rough draft goal. Take care.

S

What Works and What Doesn't Work

Sometimes, even the best laid plans turn into a pile of doo-doo! Okay, not necessarily doo-doo; it is just a figure of speech after all. I'm always amazed where the writing process takes me. There are times, as mentioned in previous posts, where the words flow so easily it is scary. There are other times (the majority, I sometimes think) where the words are just a bit sluggish and need some definite coaxing. This current project has been a mix of both. There was just something not working about the current project. I ignored - always a foolish thing to do - my instinct and just kept writing. Perhaps I should have paid a bit more attention to that nagging voice (your hair's too long, you're not wearing that to school, eat your brussel sprouts - oh, wait, sorry, momentary flashback to childhood - hate it when that happens!) that kept telling me that something was wrong.

I finally listened to that voice. Well, not technically, but I did have a moment of inspiration while driving to Borders to pick up A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire. Do you know how hard it is too write legibly while driving down the road? Okay, neither do I, since I waited until I parked my car to jot down the notes of brilliance that will transform my current project. Yes, a little bit of confidence thrown out there just for good measure. I am famous (at least in my own deluded world) for jotting down notes at every stop sign and red light on the way to/from work. I can't help where inspiration will strike me. I could wish for inspiration to happen only when it's convenient for me; but I don't think that's going to happen anytime in the near future. I'll take what I can get.

So, now that I've digressed like Sophia Petrillo (and if you have no clue who she is, then you're definitely missing something in life - google, google, and google some more), I finally realized where I was going wrong with this project. I will correct those wrongs over the course of the next few nights. In the end, some clever reworking on my part will solve my dilemma and let the brilliance (no, I've not been drinking, it's definitely too early in the day for wine) shine through in the best way I know how.

As I said with my very first post with this blog, the blog is all about the writing process. I stumble every now and then, but have been lucky enough not to - splat - fall right on my face. I'll keep you updated on the changes/progress of this current project.

Oh, and if anyone in the Universe cares, I will be curled up on the sofa with the dogs (Jesse & James) reading the first chapter of A Lion Among Men at some point this evening.

S

What I Did Today

Back from vacation and back to my writing. I have officially reached the halfway point of the rough draft (25,892 words - 25K was the halfway point). There's a nice feeling of accomplishment right now. As much as I obsess, yes, obsess, about 2,000 words per day (really not necessary when I'm going for 50,000 words total on the rough draft status), it's nice to know that I'm really not behind schedule. I have made it to the halfway point. Whoo hoo!

This is what I've accomplished so far:

• Reached the 25,000 word mark
• Finished through Chapter Fourteen
• Introduced the major characters and conflicts
• Set the stage for the resolution of the conflicts
• Total Words So Far = 25,892

This is where I plan to go with the 2nd half of the rough draft:

• Begin the resolution of the various conflicts
• Show the evolution of the characters from where they were to where they are going
• Finish the rough draft by October 31, 2008

Life, at least from this moment in time, is pretty good. The getaway to Savannah, GA was good. I had lots of fun, toured the fabulous historic district, went out, and met some really nice people. I'm glad to be home. At the end of the day (yes, obvious reference to Le Miz), I like to be at home - familiar surroundings, the dogs, the cats, my partner of 14 years, and all the comforts of home.

S

Status Check

Behind schedule. Enough said. I've completed Chapter Thirteen. I'm behind, and that's not going to change until I get back from vacation next week. Such is life. I have been doing writing things, so it's not like I'm not writing at all. My blogs do constitute as writing. It takes time, energy, and creativity. The words do not just leap from my mind to the page without some effort on my part. Take care.

S

Synopsis & Query Letter Writing

Today I worked on the synopsis for the project for which I am in the middle of an agent search. First, I've already done the one paragraph synopsis necessary for the query letter. I just know that an agent will (notice the line of positive thinking here) want a more detailed synopsis. How in the heck am I supposed to convert 70+ thousand words into 2 - 3 pages? Will the torture never end?

Of course, it will. Sooner or later, even the most painful moments - writing a query letter rates in the Top Ten, full synopsis is right up there as well - come to an end. The broken heart eventually heals. The mosquito bite eventually quits itching. The multiple drafts of the query letter eventually coalesce into the query that will sell my project. Whoo-hoo! Sorry, I rambled off there for a bit.

I wrote the rough draft only of the detailed synopsis. It, like everything else, is a process. The query letter was a process. Thankfully, I had just stocked up on wine so I was able to survive the writing the query letter process. I mean, how do you actually convert 70+ words of brilliance into one paragraph? Okay, that was a little bit more than positive thinking. I'm allowed. This is my blog after all. If I don't have confidence in myself . . . no, it's not the wine talking. I know it's 4 PM somewhere, but not here. Drat, and double drat! Kidding. I'm a one glass per night wine drinker, and that glass normally takes me three hours . . . just in case anybody was wondering. What I am - in the most rambling way possible - trying to say, is that do not expect the perfect query letter or synopsis on the first try. I am not saying don't aim for that perfect query/synopsis on the first try, just don't be disappointed - as in my case - that the first of anything is just absolute drivel. Okay, mine wasn't absolute drivel, but it wasn't perfection either.

I think the key to anything is brevity and - even more important - the realization that the brilliance of your writing might not shine through in either your query or synopsis. A glimmer of that brilliance should shine through. Positive Thinking 101!!!! Write your query or synopsis and then let friends, family, complete strangers on the side of the road, read them. If they a) don't start laughing hysterically, b) don't give you the look, c) don't go running screaming into the night, or d) don't say anything at all, then you might have succeeded with an okay synopsis and/or query letter. Do not, whatever you do, immediately send it off to the agent of choice. Set it aside, give it a day or two - last time I checked, Armageddon wasn't right around the corner, but it might arrive on Election day - and then reread and rewrite if necessary. No matter what, make sure that the glimmer of brilliance is evident, and the tone of your writing is evident. Time waits for no (hu)man; but agents have Inboxes full of queries to read. One more day on your part might give that agent one more day to plow through the less than brilliant queries and get to yours. I'm just saying . . .

S

What I Did This Weekend

I played catch up this weekend. I'm behind in my goal by about 2,000 words. It's only going to get worse next week when I head to Savannah, GA for a few days. Such is life. I do what I can do, when I can do it. At this point, here are where things stand:

• Up to Chapter Eleven - completed
• Chapter Twelve - started and almost finished
• Total Words So Far = 20,601

Life is good. The words still flow, the ideas form in my brain, and - luckily - come out easily. Will I finish by my set deadline? Yes. This is the rough draft, my friends, and is only one step in the writing process. Life has a nasty habit of interfering, when you least want it to. Balance. Everything is about balance. I must balance life with art. Life is sometimes heavier and demands more of me. Art must sometimes suffer a setback or two. In the end, balance returns and life and art are in harmony.

S

A Lion Among Men

Just a tidbit of information - Gregory Maguire's A Lion Among Men (book three in the Wicked Years) is due out on October 14. If you've never read Wicked, or it's sequel Son of a Witch - what rock have you been living under? The man is a brilliant writer. I could only hope to have a 1/3 of the talent that he has.

His books in order of appearance:

• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - a truly brilliant book.
• Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - a retelling of the Cinderella story from the perspective of one of the ugly stepsisters. Again, brilliant.
• Lost - a somewhat retelling of the inspiration for Dicken's A Christmas Carol. I truly hated the book, but read it because he wrote it. Not brilliant, at all, at least in my opinion.
• Mirror, Mirror - his delightful retake on Snow White. Hints of brilliance, but not as good as Wicked. Still, the genius is evident. Definitely an excellent read.
• Son of a Witch - the long-awaited sequel to Wicked. The brilliance shined in this book as well.
• A Lion Among Men - the tale of the Cowardly Lion. I'll update this entry once I've read the book. Yes, I'll have it on the release date and begin reading it that night.

I read voraciously at times. There are some authors that I just have to read: Gregory Maguire, Guy Gavriel Kay (The Fionavar Tapestry, Tigana (my ultimate favorite book of all time), The Lions of Al-Rassan, Ysabel - and a few more books), Mary Higgins Clark (sorry, but I absolutely love her mysteries), Lisa M. Goldstein (who hasn't written a book in years), Stephanie Kallos (Broken for You - go buy a box of Kleenex, set aside a weekend, and totally immerse yourself in the shining brilliance of this novel - truly, truly phenomenal), Carol Goodman (The Lake of Dead Languages, Ghost Orchid - just to name a few) and so many others as well.

What am I trying to say with this blog entry? Absolutely nothing. I'm just encouraging people to read, read, and read some more. Go outside your normal reading, take a chance on a different genre. Read until you can read no more. Explore the literary world - every genre; pick up a book because of it's cover, flip through it's pages - you just never know where brilliance might lurk.

S

Perfection

I absolutely love Project Runway. It's just about the only reality show I watch. In the current season on Bravo, they are down to the final four: Kenley, Leann, Jerell, and Korto. In the beginning, I liked Kenley. I think she's a great designer. I'm not so hot on her as a person any longer. The more the show progressed this season, the bitchier she became; to the point that she is now rude and disrespectful . . . to everyone.

I'm all for having confidence in yourself. As a writer, if I don't believe in my work, how can I expect anybody else to believe in my work? I'm not so vain, though, to think that everything I write is perfection. Sometimes, I write some pretty crappy stuff. I admit that I write some pretty crappy stuff at times. It's all a process. Nobody, no matter what they believe, is perfect. Nobody, at least in my humble opinion, creates perfection every time they write or design a dress. Kenley, however, believes that everything she does is perfect and gets highly defensive, and disrespectful, when faced with criticism of her design. There comes a time when any artist - writer, musician, painter, fashion designer, etc. - must step back from their work and face it with a critical eye. If that critical eye does not exist, no matter the artist's confidence level in themselves, then true art does not - in my opinion - exist. I feel that it is only when we recognize the crap we sometimes produce, that we truly grow as artists - writer, in my case.

Is there a point when disrespect is acceptable? Perhaps in the face of harsh criticism? I guess it all depends on the situation. I know Project Runway, like all reality shows, is cleverly edited to present as much drama as possible. Perhaps Kenley is not as rude and disrespectful as I think. All I know, is that such disrespect - even in the face of criticism - is not necessary. I know I don't always handle criticism well, I get defensive; but I do not disrespect the person providing the criticism. I step back from the situation, analyze the criticism, and then - sometimes - think, "hey, that person was right". Perhaps Kenley needs to step back a bit and realize that even the best artist in the world does not always create perfection. In the end, we're only human.

S

What I Did - Yesterday and Today

Well, obviously what I did not do yesterday was update the blog. I had the best intentions, and probably added a few more paving stones to a very hot place, of updating the blog yesterday. It just didn't happen. I did write yesterday, though not as much as I intended. Today, has been a different story. So, between yesterday and today (so far), here is what I did:

• Started Chapter Nine (yesterday)
• Finished Chapter Nine (today)
• Started/Finished Chapter Ten (today)
• Total Words So Far = 16,577

The story/plot is progressing nicely. It's still the rough draft, so there will be lots of work to do regarding story/plot/characters as I progress into the other drafts at some future point in time. As any reader of this blog should know, I don't do outlines. I have a general idea of what I want to accomplish from beginning to end. The middle is the hard part. Seriously, it's not really hard. I just sit down, write, and tell the story I want to tell. I try to maintain my daily writing goal. I try to make sure that the story is always moving forward. Hey, backslides happen every now and then. That's why writing is a multiple draft process.

BTW - finishing this project in a month might not happen since I am going on vacation part of next week. I'm trying to stay ahead of schedule to make up for the down town. Maybe I'll still be on schedule when I get back from vacation.

S