Work In Progress.

At the moment, I am working on the next 2 chapters of Part 4. I've been thinking of the outline like I did with the first part. It would certainly help by removing any unknown parts, guiding me in the direction I want to go in case I forget. I forget often. I find myself talking like Floki from Vikings and wondering what I am up to.

They are looking at you, precious.

Part of this, I have been trying to come up with a better summary for the series, something that I can put on the master post. I know I can do better than the crappy one I have. It doesn't even begin to cover the complexity of the first story, let alone the entire series.

Here's my second draft, it's far from complete, though:

50 years after first contact, the world has changed to accomodate the new life/revelation. Charlie Bennett grew up in a society obsessed with their first alien visitor. Fawning over this man-turned-superhero became sheer, mindless adoration. Watching the rise of this cultish following has left him bereft and apart from his family. What began as a simple dislike has grown into outright hatred of the man and everything associated with him.

It's into this world that Charlie finds himself barely surviving. Forced to live the life he never wanted, he's making the best of the situation. But his isn't the only life left unhappy. Protests and acts of civil disobedience are on the rise. Caught up in the growing tide of rebellion, Charlie finds his life dashed upon the rocks, left in ruins.

Swept along, he finds an unfamiliar ally, a hand that reached out and caught him. With this stranger, Charlie may come to realize he's not so alone.

Baby, it's gonna be late. I was up all night trolling conservatives on twitter with bad jokes to take the piss out of them and their little bullshit victory in Nevada. Making fun of the enemy, that's true social justice. I even got in a dig at that twit Suey Park.

It meant I didn't get around to writing on the next chapter like I wanted to, and I'm working on it now. It will be up by tomorrow morning.

Your author is tired and feeling brain drained. After weeks of deliberating, I have decided on this year's work list.

I will finish the following:

All 5 novels of the Average Joe series.
The Post-Apocalyptic novella starring Ned(jabi) that I posted the teaser for earlier.
An army invasion/occupation with aliens thrown in for fun novella.
The Blue-eyed Bents Knotting novella I posted the teaser for.
Shane's novella, aka the other superhero story.
An unnamed werewolf short story.

I will start the following:

Terradygm, a series about artificially created humans in a post-space colonization earth where humans are on the decline.
A knotting novel about a man who meets his alpha match.
The winged southern gothic novel.

Everything else I will work out as I get the time or the mood strikes me. There are no definite dates. This is just what I am setting for my yearly goals. Shit I should have had set by Jan. 1st. Oh well, better late than never. We'll see how well this list goes. I am so tired of not getting anything done.

I deleted my previous projects post. It was outdated and no longer served its purpose. My current projects included more than just those listed. The new projects post will be listed according to current planned writing sequence.

1). Chapters 3-4 of Average Joe sequel. These might be the last new chapters for a time as I am unable to meet my sunday dates. I am swamped with massive guilt and it is making writing impossible.

2). Dreams Taken Root (current title): ABO novella about an average office worker hiding a big secret in a society where registering your gender is mandatory by law. His newest job brings him in contact with his first, real-live Alpha and things begin to change.

3). Begin Editing An Average Joe. Chapters 5-6-7 of sequel. Each 3 chapters will be a story arc, expect 13 chapters in part 4.

4). First Novella In Terradigm Sequence. Post-technological apocalypse, Earth relies heavily upon her colonies and the lab-created human successors, Homo Corvenus. Young man discovers the price for which his parents earned their upper-class status and what happens when he cannot fulfill that price.

5). A Slow, Southern Man: Young man from New York loses his family apartment to gentrification and goes to visit his penpal. Finds a world of mythological creatures and southern gothic horror/romance.

6). An Abduction By The Sea: A book keeper on his wedding day is fitted for armor instead, as the village's old enemies are marching for their town. After trouncing them, he returns home to find the village being sacked by sea folk and is taken as hostage. He escapes during a stop for water, makes it home, but finds little of what he knew remains. Only, he's not alone.

7). Cresting The Hollow: The goal is to finish the story.

That is the list as it stands so far. I might change my mind in the future, thus, this is not a sticky post. In the meantime, I will also continue my teasers and writing exercises.

Any questions? Any requests?

While was debating whether to start the next part of An Average Joe or begin editing the first novel yesterday, I did a writing exercise and actually produced a teaser for one of my other works. I got sidetracked by house work and cooking, so the next chapter will come out later this week, and I have the first major edit to An Average Joe part 1 plotted out, I just have to write it. Needless to say, it sets up the rest of the story and it's not that big a scene. A small addition and so much shit makes sense. I feel like a chump that it's taken me a year to realize it. Anyways, that's not why we're here.

The Silence of Surrender
by Heinrich Gothrykke

Summary: In the isolated town of Fireoaks, the populace is divided along class lines. Time was, everyone longed to belong to The Community. Reject the old ways and embrace modern living, it seemed the easiest thing. Parents teach children, the cycle continues, society advances.Only a few, the Bent, turned away from the inevitable evolution.

No one knew where they came from, rumor had it as either aliens or some atomic mutation. They embraced the wild side of living, lawless animals. Their slovenly appearance and manners mark them as little better than beasts. Many a respectable girl was lost to their lusts, never to be heard from again.

Everyday for Roan is a reminder of the fading world he doesn’t belong to as his circle of ‘friends’ dwindles through acquiescence to their parents or the pull of Bent desires. All he wants is to make it through unnoticed by either.

Category/Warnings: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult, Knotting, High School, Creepy Vibe.

( Read more... )

At the moment I am clear headed and willing to write. This seems as good a time as any to come up with a writing group. The exact details of where and who with are still up in the air.

What is known:

1). I am thinking of a place that will allow for locked from the public conversations that has a chat function as well. A separate chat room might also be a thing to look into. It depends upon the hive mind.

2). What this group will do. Simple. Writers provide support to other writers. Discussion of projects, complaints about the system, moral support, offers to read over works, brainstorming sessions, feedback. The essential functions for your average writer.

3). Membership is limited only to writers.

4). What is discussed in writing group stays in writing group for proprietary reasons. Copyright notice all your project discussion posts will be the motto. This will be started off right, we want everyone to know that their works will be protected.

5). No publishing credentials needed for membership. Having only the intent to publish something is required.

6). Participation is mandatory. Even if it's only to pop in and say 'well, the idea you presented needs a little tinkering, here's why blah blah explanation blah, now I'm off to rescue starving orphan hedgehogs in Liverpool, ta', you have to share something.

7). Personal information is not-required/nor-discouraged. I like to share a little with my readers, an explanation most of the time for why something did(n't) happen. You won't be kicked out for posting "OT: I've got to tell you about this massive bitch that ruined my week/why I won't be writing tonight!"

8). Don't be that bitch to other writers. Use tact. Don't ask personal questions you wouldn't be willing to answer. Don't hound others where a gentle reminder will do. No flames.

9). Leave politics out of it/to your personal journals.

10). Be prepared to debate. A lot of writing is based on philosophy. Not sitting around thinking up grand thoughts that are useless in everyday life as idiots would have you believe, but the true idea of understanding things. As writers, we seek to understand people, ourselves, the world around us. It's not something we can help, it's a natural instinct, in fact, it can become a personality disorder. *twitches* If a debate becomes heated, we can and will talk it out.

Which brings us to number 11). Be mindful of how you say something and learn when not to speak is the best course of action. If you don't like something someone writes, don't approve of their style/genre/kink/pairing/hair color, make sure it's not because of your 'moral beliefs' before you say something. If is your personal 'morals' that motivate your feelings towards something, bring it up in a constructive way that invites discussion about how it will effect the reader. Do not try to convert the writer to your way of thinking! Remember, you're not always right, and your judgement does not set precedent.

12). NO PERSONAL ATTACKS! You don't like something someone said, the way they said it, make it a general debate. Don't lay into them with the burning fury of a thousand quasars to ensure that no mere mortal shall ever doubt thy divine presence again and shall rue the day they dared to oppose thee!

Divinity: Doctors think they are gods because they bring people back from the dead. Writers know they are gods because they create entire universes in their dreams. Cats find both simply amusing.

My next teaser is already in the writing phase. You can expect it sometime soon as I get the kinks worked out. I am extremely nervous. This is my first major female character in a year.

Of course, things aren't as simple as 'Girl in a story. The end.' This is me, we're talking about here.

This is a plot I've been kicking around since last summer. I wanted it to be my Halloween fic, but never got the chance to write it. After it was pointed out that several plot points were unreal, I had to skip on it. Now seems the perfect time to try a female protagonist.

It's about a woman who comes back from a camping trip to clear her head to find that her town is entirely empty. It's not one of those post-apocalyptic plots, this is a small town where everyone just disappeared in a week's time. She's having strange dreams, hearing voices, seeing movement out of the corner of her eye. Is this paranoia? Are her fears getting to her? Was it a toxic gas? Was there some form of evacuation?

You'll have to read to find out.

As part of my attempt to draw in readers, I am writing a series of shorts based upon my longer works. Some will be mini-versions of the story, others will be scenes from the story.

Tonight, I finished the first one. Based in a post-apocalyptic world where aliens have pretty much decimated the human population in their war, people survive by wandering. They gather in camps from time to time, but never for very long or in large numbers. Concentrations of people tend to draw the attention of the combating forces and human casualties are the side-effect. Ned is trying to survive, but there’s more than just the known factors against him. Meeting a stranger may reveal the reason behind everything and a possible way to survive it all.

This shot story will come out soon, along with several others. I plan on posting one a day for two weeks when I have enough written.

As a writer, I can't stress enough how important it is to have someone you can confide in about your writing. They provide you with a sense of accomplishment and a shoulder to cry on when things aren't going well.

"Good," in a mellow tone is not supportive. It's a dismissal.

I hope you have someone who find someone who doesn't treat your writing like it's just one more thing to put up with. Creativity is fragile enough, my dears.

I'm unable to focus on writing. There is an end to the third part, though.