Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
One Step Closer...
Did the second editing pass on "The Shape of the Truth" today. It took a little longer to do than I anticipated. But that's what you get when you have to do multiple things at once.
(Hey, I live alone and my cat doesn't want to help out around the apartment.)
Still, I'm feeling good about the story. One more editing pass and I think it'll be fine.
(Hey, I live alone and my cat doesn't want to help out around the apartment.)
Still, I'm feeling good about the story. One more editing pass and I think it'll be fine.
Friday, February 8, 2013
What Passes For An Outline...
While at work today, I figured out some major plot points for "Rae", which should help me get the story finished. Now, rather than outline the rest of the story, this is what I do...
I just make notes about plot points. From there, I figure out the actual plot as I'm writing.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Revision to WITH EYES OPEN...
I've made a revision to WITH EYES OPEN...
There's been no change to the book itself. I've changed the cover. I've found a site that hosts public domain images - Public Domain Images - http://www.public-domain-image.com. I found an image there, did a little tweaking and came up with this:
Still a little plain but it's better than the original cover.
This also gives me the opportunity to put together an even better image for CAMPFIRE STORIES. I have to do some searching.
There's been no change to the book itself. I've changed the cover. I've found a site that hosts public domain images - Public Domain Images - http://www.public-domain-image.com. I found an image there, did a little tweaking and came up with this:
Still a little plain but it's better than the original cover.
This also gives me the opportunity to put together an even better image for CAMPFIRE STORIES. I have to do some searching.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
CAMPFIRE STORIES...Marching Toward Completion
I've begun preparing the next collection, titled CAMPFIRE STORIES, for publication. Last night, I started the final editing pass thr'gh the stories, beginning with "The End of Seconds".
With a couple of exceptions, these are all the completed stories that I've tried to have published. Yes, four of the stories were published for zero financial gain. That's why I'm collecting them into this anthology and epublishing them. I'll get them out to the public one way or another.
There are five stories that aren't in this collection. The first two, "With Eyes Open..." and "A Voice in the Darkness" were collected in their own edition, imaginatively titled WITH EYES OPEN... (currently available on Lulu, iTunes and NOOK). The third, "A God to Dance With" is part of the next collection, titled A BRIGHT SYMMETRY (currently on hold pending the start of editing in March). The fourth, titled "Wanderer", is a major part of a novel that I really hope to get back to one day. The fifth, titled "Brianna and the Three"...let's just say it's a special case. It doesn't just need editing, it needs complete rewriting. So it'll have to wait for a future anthology.
The stories in CAMPFIRE STORIES are arranged not in the order they were written but in chronologic order as they occur in the timeline of my fictional universe. This is the sequence:
"The End of Seconds" - 13.7 billion years plus 1 day ago
"Games of Life and Cold" - Sometime in the past
"If You Listen Softly..." - 2005
"All My Yesterdays, Remembered" - 2009
"Symmetry" - 2010
"Signpost" - 2114
"Last Light" - 2189
"The Shape of the Truth" - 2196
I'm also going to try a different company when I publish CAMPFIRE STORIES. It's not that I have anything against Lulu. I just want to examine my options.
By the way, when I say I'm editing, I'm talking old school...
Now, if you'll excuse me...I have to start editing "Games of Life and Cold".
With a couple of exceptions, these are all the completed stories that I've tried to have published. Yes, four of the stories were published for zero financial gain. That's why I'm collecting them into this anthology and epublishing them. I'll get them out to the public one way or another.
There are five stories that aren't in this collection. The first two, "With Eyes Open..." and "A Voice in the Darkness" were collected in their own edition, imaginatively titled WITH EYES OPEN... (currently available on Lulu, iTunes and NOOK). The third, "A God to Dance With" is part of the next collection, titled A BRIGHT SYMMETRY (currently on hold pending the start of editing in March). The fourth, titled "Wanderer", is a major part of a novel that I really hope to get back to one day. The fifth, titled "Brianna and the Three"...let's just say it's a special case. It doesn't just need editing, it needs complete rewriting. So it'll have to wait for a future anthology.
The stories in CAMPFIRE STORIES are arranged not in the order they were written but in chronologic order as they occur in the timeline of my fictional universe. This is the sequence:
"The End of Seconds" - 13.7 billion years plus 1 day ago
"Games of Life and Cold" - Sometime in the past
"If You Listen Softly..." - 2005
"All My Yesterdays, Remembered" - 2009
"Symmetry" - 2010
"Signpost" - 2114
"Last Light" - 2189
"The Shape of the Truth" - 2196
I'm also going to try a different company when I publish CAMPFIRE STORIES. It's not that I have anything against Lulu. I just want to examine my options.
By the way, when I say I'm editing, I'm talking old school...
Now, if you'll excuse me...I have to start editing "Games of Life and Cold".
Sunday, January 20, 2013
01/20/2013 - A BRIGHT SYMMETRY - Finally Finished
It's taken me the better part of a decade (longer if you consider when the first story was written), the collection A BRIGHT SYMMETRY is now complete. I finished the last story, "Intermezzo", earlier tonight.
The final word count:
Only Time.........................1967
A God To Dance With......7724
Really Real*.....................4232
Intermezzo........................1978
The Arc of Heaven..........18306
Interlude*..........................6935
...and Forever....................1798
* Both Really Real and Interlude will be getting new title.
That brings the total word count to 42,980 as of now. That'll change as I get into editing. Yeah, it's shorter than a novel. Since this will be going through epublishing, I'm not concerned about it.
The final word count:
Only Time.........................1967
A God To Dance With......7724
Really Real*.....................4232
Intermezzo........................1978
The Arc of Heaven..........18306
Interlude*..........................6935
...and Forever....................1798
* Both Really Real and Interlude will be getting new title.
That brings the total word count to 42,980 as of now. That'll change as I get into editing. Yeah, it's shorter than a novel. Since this will be going through epublishing, I'm not concerned about it.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
"Rae"
My current focus, along with BEFORE THE DAWN, is the completion of all those stories that I started but for some reason abandoned. There are any number of reasons why they were abandoned; I lost the plot line, or I lost interest in the story, or I got distracted by another project and never got back.
So I'm focusing on getting those abandoned stories completed...and there are a fair number of them.
The one I've recently started is titled "Rae". Set in the year 2200, it centers on EarthGov Security Special Agent Kevin Martin and his partner, Probationary Agent Rachael (Rae) Mercer. Assigned to investigate a murder on a colony world, they soon find there's much more to it...especially when Kevin is accused of nearly beating Rae to death, an act he has no memory of committing.
Here are the two main characters:
So I'm focusing on getting those abandoned stories completed...and there are a fair number of them.
The one I've recently started is titled "Rae". Set in the year 2200, it centers on EarthGov Security Special Agent Kevin Martin and his partner, Probationary Agent Rachael (Rae) Mercer. Assigned to investigate a murder on a colony world, they soon find there's much more to it...especially when Kevin is accused of nearly beating Rae to death, an act he has no memory of committing.
Here are the two main characters:
Rachael
Mercer (Rae)
Name: Rachael Mercer
Race: Human
Age: 28
Date of Birth: 23 December 2172
Place of Birth: New Paltz, New York, NorAm, Earth
Citizenship: Rae is a citizen of Earth
Legal Status: No criminal record
Relatives: Unnamed parents
Height: 5’8” (172.72 cm)
Weight: 126 lbs (57.15 kg)
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown (tinted blue)
Religion: Agnostic
Intelligence: Above average
Strength: Normal
Speed: Normal
Stamina: Normal
Durability: Normal
Agility: Normal
Reflexes: Normal
Profession/Rank
(Current): Government security agent, adventurer
Profession/Rank
(Former):
N/A
Current Alias: Azure
Former Alias: N/A
Personal Weaponry: Waller-Jameson
CZ75 Phased Plasma Pistol, various others, as needed
Usual Base of Operations: EarthGov Security, Division Five, a division
of EarthGov, Oneonta, New York
Friends/Allies/Confidants: Leah Buchanan, Cheryl Dolan, Kevin Martin, Alexandra Sinclair, Bryan Styles
Enemies:
Skills: Rae is a skilled agent who graduated in the
top ten percent of her class at the Academy
Special Abilities: Rae is a latent telepath. While she can’t directly read minds, she can
sense the emotional state of the minds around her. She can also distinguish one mind from
another, which she refers to as “picking up a vibe”.
Source of Special
Abilities: Genetic mutation
Interests/Hobbies:
Kevin
Martin
Name: Kevin Martin
Race: Human
Age: 30
Date of Birth: 16 February 2170
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, NorAm, Earth
Citizenship: Kevin is a citizen of Earth
Legal Status: No criminal record
Relatives: Unnamed parents
Height: 5’11” (180.34 cm)
Weight: 170 lbs (77.11 kg)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Religion: Catholic (not devout)
Intelligence: Above average
Strength: Normal
Speed: Normal
Stamina: Normal
Durability: Normal
Agility: Normal
Reflexes: Normal
Profession/Rank
(Current): Government security agent, adventurer
Profession/Rank
(Former): N/A
Current Alias: Perseus
Former Alias: N/A
Personal Weaponry: Waller-Jameson CZ75 Phased Plasma Pistol,
various others, as needed
Usual Base of
Operations: EarthGov Security, Division Five, a division
of EarthGov, Oneonta, New York
Friends/Allies/Confidants: Leah Buchanan, Cheryl Dolan, Rachael Mercer,
Alexandra Sinclair, Bryan Styles
Enemies:
Skills: Kevin is a skilled agent and an expert
marksman
Special Abilities: N/A
Source of Special
Abilities: N/A
Interests/Hobbies:
There is one other character I want to mention, Division Director Alexandra Sinclair. Since all my stories take place in one time line, stretching from 13.7 billion years plus 1 day in the past to about the year 7784, you'll see Director Sinclair again...with a different position.
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