So, a bit over 2 months into this writing hiatus, and things are going quite well. There’s only one embargoed project left to be revealed, which will hopefully be happening a bit later this year, and After the World’s “Army Corpse” is completely edited and out of my hands. Excellent stuff!
The complete removal of internet from the house is my sole secret to any success at this mad enterprise – yes, I’ve been locking the damn modem in the damn car 🙂 thus do words appear. Once the good Mrs Fisch hid it from me with my blessing, which turns out to be exactly what the talented Vandermeers do.
Best of all, my novel “Papa Lucy and the Boneman” is tearing along, like a demon horse with a coffee enema and rocketskates. If I can stick to the schedule, the first draft will be finished very soon, and I should have the second draft done by the end of October. My process involves writing 1st/2nd drafts concurrently, ie each writing session involves revision and tinkering, prior to any new words appearing, which seems to work for me (your mileage may vary, of course). Luckily, I haven’t spotted any major structural woes so far, which I’ll save for draft #3 after October.
So what’s in this opus? Once more, readers get to step into the world of Lanyard Everett, last of the jesusmen, scumbag and deeply troubled individual. I’ve shown glimpses of his world in my Aurealis Magazine stories, but this time around I get to play with the history of the place, the backstory, and some other awesome POV characters just to give this place a bit of depth and resonance. I’m trying for the flavour of Jack Vance, the structure is a bit Hyperionish, if you mix in a bit of Mad Max, Terry Dowling’s Rynocceros, and some of Sean Williams’ Books of the Change. I’ve spotted a lot of these influences creeping into the nascent draft, but I hope to give it my own unique twist, the insanity that I only just had the room to touch on in the short stories.
Having. A. Ball. 🙂
What else has been happening? Have been loving the extra time with the family, lots of reading time and cuddles with my boy, trips to the park and beach, the luxury of time to do errands and chores. Mostly though, I’ve been consistently pouring buckets of words into my various projects, and justifying the trust that Arts SA have put into my sometimes shaky time-management skills. Dudes, I’m coming up with the goods 🙂
I love the on-line universe. Have loved it ever since I went dial-up in 1990-1991. Alas, the on-line universe is also the reason I’m only now getting started with a professional fiction career, as opposed to ten years prior — when I thought I’d be started as a pro. I applaud your wife locking the modem away in the car. Anything and everything you can do to trap yourrself so that it’s just yourself, the keyboard, and the blank screen. How much longer do you have, on the hiatus?
Oh yes, the intarwebz are a glorious ginger-bread house, great for killing anything approaching productivity 🙂 same for video games, I think Brent alone is responsible for the death of 2-3 books 🙂 ah well, better late than never, and at least I’ve got the right attitude now, and a much stronger work ethic.
I knew of a dude who would lock himself into the toolshed with a notebook and pen, so whatever works I suppose!
I’m roughly halfway through the hiatus now, and a bit over halfway through the book, which works well. If I stick to the schedule, I’ll get it all done with plenty of time to spare (best spent in revision and tinkering of course)
Onwards 🙂
Thanks for the write-up on Facebook, Jason! I have to be honest: I envy this time you’ve had off to work on the book. My own efforts to finish my book — destined for Baen — have been carried out “in between the cracks” as it were. I’d like for my life to be less busy. Alas, it keeps finding ways to get busier. Maybe with Autumn now coming to the northern hemisphere and the seasons changing in North America in particular, I can get a bit more done? Fall always seems to be a time of productivity for me, personally. Anyway, like I said, thanks for the quick write-up at Facebook.
No sweat mate, and meant every word 🙂 you WILL go far. I think it’s true what they say, if you want something to be done, give it to a busy person.
You’ll get there, I think by the time your Baen MS is ready you’ll have quite a groundswell behind you, what with readers of your Analog stuff and whatever else you’ve got out by then. I know *I* will be all over your first book like a rash 🙂