Happy New Year 2014!

Happy New Year 2014!

2013 saw the writing over 150 pages in a new novel and the production of nine short stories.  Even though I haven't been able to get to Writers Under the Arch, I've been writing and regularly editing/revising older works.

The goal for 2014 is two fold.  The first is to get several manuscripts ready for a literary agent.  The second is to finish the rough draft for Straits of Magellan.

I also have other personal goals this year, too.  One is to learn a new language.  I'll start that in the autumn of 2014.  I'd like to have the rough draft of Straits of Magellan done by then so I can move onto other things.  I also have more novella/short story planned after that.  Afterward, I'll be with writing new material.

Again, best wishes for the New Year and good writing,
Blake

November Writing and my Nook died today

I spent November 2013 editing Price of Command and working on my rough draft of Straits of Magellan.  I've fleshed out the novel enough to know there will only be two books in the Kepler cycle, instead of three.  But I outlined the revision of a short story/novella of a Desmon Singh tale.  I'll work on that after I get Straits of Magellan written in late 2014.

I've also gotten into the habit of reading again.  I finished a bunch of military history books.  I'm now in the process of starting a military sci-fi novel by Jack Campbell called The Forgotten Stars:  Perilous Shield.  I've got a bunch of other sci-fi/fantasy reading to do in 2014, too. 

Alas, my Nook Color died on me today.  I was in the process of starting to put my PDF files on it.  I'd only bought and read two ebooks on it.  The damn thing won't charge.  And the battery is dead.  And the warranty has expired.  Just my luck....

Happy Holidays and good reading,
Blake

October Writing Projects

I've spent this month writing.  November is Nanobook writing month.  I'm not participating in Nanobook this year.  I'm taking a slower approach suggested by Chris Bauer.  I'm writing at least a page a day/4 times a week.  I'm now at 18,400 words/110 pages for Straits of Magellan.  If I keep up with the writing.  I should have about 55,000 words done by the end of December 2014.  That's the goal. 

I have been editing my finished work.  I got done revising Kepler Falling for about the tenth time.  I'm now working on Price of Command.  This should be the last time I revise Price of Command before I send it off to be professionally edited.  I'm trying to decided on where I should send it.  A friend of mine once suggested the editors of Romantic Times.  I could also try locally, too.  I just don't want to pay for return postage for the manuscript.  That will be expensive.  I should do that sometime this spring. 

I do have another novel to read and critique for WUTA Big Books.  I won't mess around with that until Saturday.  I'll try and get most of the manuscript read this coming week.  I'm also trying to make a dent in the backlog of books I need to finish.  There are now eight books.  I'm about half-way done with a book on The Arab-Israeli Wars by Chaim Herzog.  I'll post  a review of it on my gaming blog when I'm done with it.

Until then, good writing...
Blake

New Plans for 2013-2014

I revised my writing schedule.  Following the example of Chris Bauer, I write one page a day of new material.  I'll be doing this Monday through Thursday.  The piece I'm currently working on is Straits of Magellan.  I keep doing this for the rest of 2013 and all of 2014.  By December 30, 2014, I should have at least 50,000 word rough draft for the novel. 

The second part of my writing is editing and revising.  I've been doing this with all my works.  I got done reediting Price of Command.  I'll go back and work on Kepler Falling next week.  Last month saw me edit short stories.  I revise about 2-3 chapters a day.  Whenever I get done with a novel or short story, I move onto another piece.  I'm hoping this will improve my editing skills and get my works polished up.  I'm due for WUTA Big Books in April 2014.  I'll have Kepler Falling ready to go by then.  I'll get some real feedback on that novel. 

At the time of this posting.  I have about nine short stories, one novella, and a novel complete.  I'm looking at completing a second novel by the end of 2014.  I have plans for a three novel related series of sci-fi books.  I also have the beginnings of a prequel for Price of Command.  But that work needs to be fleshed out and broadened before I can do anything with it...

Blake 

Should have posted sooner....

It's been over a month since I've posted.  I should have written something sooner.  However, I've been busy dealing with family issues such as parent's having back and eye surgery.  So my apologies in advance...

I did get Price of Command revised.  The manuscript is in need of another go before being set off to an editor.  I also revised Kepler Falling.  Those were my two biggest projects this summer.  I've also been writing a new novel.  The goal is to write at least one page a day.  I'm 85 pages into Strait of Magellan.  I need to write more Chapter summaries this week.  I'll do that tomorrow. 

I've also been revising my collection of short stories.  I haven't been able to read at Writers Under the Arch on Tuesday evenings at the Focal Point.  I miss the feedback.  I'm still doing Big Books.  I attended the monthly meeting session last Thursday evening.  I just had a chance to read the story and give a quick critique.  I'm finding more time to read electronically on my Nook.  I've officially ran out of room on my bookshelves for any new books.  Though I do have a backlog of books to read on the weekends.  I'm reading an electronic book called Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land.  It's a retrospective on the conflict in Vietnam.  But there are other books to read as time permits...

Editing Price of Command

I'm writing to say I'm in the middle of editing Price of Command again.  The comments I received from WUTA Big Books last month have been helpful.  But, it's been slow going with the editing.  I need to do more of it.  And more writing on the rough draft my second novel, Straits of Magellan...

Later,
Blake

Feedback on Price of Command

I meet with my fellow writers on Thursday, July 12th at the Hartford Coffee House in St. Louis, MO to discuss my novella, Price of Command.  I got a lot of feedback.  There were some good points and bad points. 

People liked my man character.  My dialogue is solid and natural.  But it makes up 85% of the story.  The story flowed well. 

However, my readers felt there were too many characters.  Many of my dialogue tags didn't work.  Because there so many characters, people often got lost in the dialogue.  I needed more description.  A few people suggested going back and adding more back story to the novella.  Many of my chapters felt more like an outline.  And they felt the story ended too abruptly.  It was felt I needed to add more emotional reactions to my characters.  Violent things happened and my characters just went along for the ride. 

That's something I'm guilty of.  However, I don't know when I'll be able to go back and rework Price of Command.  I'm hoping to do it in September.  Right now, I've been working on Straits of Magellan trying to write a chapter a week.  I'll see how it goes.  My goal is to have the rough draft done by New Years Day, 2014. 

But I do need to rewrite and revise Price of Command.