Uncanny blog

Exciting news! My pal Simon has started a writing blog of his own. Simon is a creative writing major who never enjoyed writing creatively... until now! He's off and running on a book about Superheros... I think? He's posted some excerpts and *sheesh*, Simon, did you have start off so good? You better finish this book.

Godspeed, Simon.

P.S. Don't judge him by that picture. He doesn't usually look so loco-eyed...

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 8.1k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
The blankets the witch had wrapped around me were warm and soft. The cart rocked me like a cradle. The old temptation to suck my finger arose long enough to scare me. What would Fin think if he saw me doing that?

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've switched first-person POVs to a different character for this chapter. I need to make sure that I give her a different voice than the other POV. Easier said than done.

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The before-mentioned POV switch is interesting. I think it'll help me flesh out the other characters. If it works I might keep doing it through the rest of the novel.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 900 today, 8.1k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
So as I left Postland – my home, the land I had grown up in – my mind was not concerned with things like growing up or the dangers that might lie ahead; I was wondering if the witch was strong enough hold a two-foot-thick log above her head like I had once seen a farmer do.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm pretty sure I rushed the last chapter. I need to give it a major once-over before moving on.

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Done with chapter 4 already? This thing is moving fast. I need to read a good quest book for inspiration. I think I might pick of The Fellowship of the Ring...

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 650 today, 7.2k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
“H-Hi...” I finally managed, finishing with a nervous laugh that made me sound eight years old. Gods, what a jest I was.

Then – worse and worse – she took my hand. Her skin was amazingly soft. If I had been much younger I would've taken her fingers and rubbed them along my cheek. Then I realized with a start that she had been talking. How much had I missed?

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Things feel like they're moving too fast right now. Developments are popping out left and right. Also I don't have a clear enough idea in my head of what the princess looks like.

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Into chapter 4 here. Fin really meets The Princess in this one. It has to work. Their relationship is the driving force of the plot.

Non-writing post...

Just in case you're wondering what that little "Radio Unknown" widget is in the sidebar - just click it and (if you're on a slow connection) wait for it to load.

For more info visit radiounknown.blogspot.com

Levi reccomends...

I'll admit that I'm a huge sucker for Tintin comics. I think they're masterpieces of the form. They appeal to me on just about every level. They're funny, touching, wholesome and exciting. Not to mention beautiful. Linge claire is, bar-none, my favorite style of comic art. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so because they've sold over 200 million copies world-wide.

So why isn't anyone else carrying the torch? Why is it that every comic that appears these days seems to be written by bitter nihlists, who seem more preoccupied with death and violence then fun and adventure? If not for Mike Allred and Jeff Smith I might have despaired.

Then I stumbled across Johnny Crossbones. I can't say how much I love this strip. Tintin fans, don't ask - just read it. Word is that it's going to be published by Dark Horse. I'll be shelling out the cash the second it hits the shelves. The world needs hundreds more comics like this but I'm glad that Les McClaine is finally giving it a start.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 6.6k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Anberlin

The good:
“I always knew that you were wicked inside but I just didn't know how wicked,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Maybe we've never loved each other like kin should – but I cut the wood and weeded the garden so your old hands wouldn't have to. And I always kissed your cheek even when I really wanted punch your nose. Because - no matter how much you look like a toad - you're my Gram.”

She took a drink from her mug made a bitter face.

“Eck - too strong... And you're wrong there; I ain't your Gram. Lilith dumped you on my door ten years ago. I just took you in 'cause I needed the help – Gad, Fin! did you take all the sugar?”

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I think that he maybe accepts the revelation of his hero-dom too easily. This chapter was fun to write but it feels a little flat to me. There's a lot of exposition and I need to make sure that it feels natural and flows logically.

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Revised Chapter 3 a bit. Fin's Grandma doesn't die anymore and I like it that way. I'm 3 paragraphs chapter 4 now. Tomorrow should really start fleshing it out.

Inspiration for Monday

He fumbles at your Soul
As Players at the Keys
Before they drop full Music on--
He stuns you by degrees-
Prepares your brittle Nature
For the Ethereal Blow
By fainter Hammers- further heard--
Then nearer--Then so slow
Your Breath has time to straighten-
Your Brain to bubble Cool--
Deals--One--imperial--Thunderbolt--
That scalps your naked Soul--

When Winds take Forests in their Paws-
The Universe--is still--

~~~~

My life closed twice before its close--
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 1,000 today (woo-hoo!), 6.2k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
My thoughts turned to The Princess: What would I say to her? “Hello, m'lady, I'm Fin.” No. “Good morning, Hattie. How's your arm?” It seemed that The Hero should sound more... Heroic. I wondered if I should kneel when I met her. Then a terrifying thought came – would I have to kiss her hand? Gods!

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: This chapter came out super fast. I have the sneaking feeling that it's going to suck after multiple readings. But right now I can't see anything glaring.

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I'm already at Chapter 4! Wow. Chapter 3 was like the easiest thousand-plus words that I've ever written. Fun stuff.

Chapter 1 is online

If anyone's interested, I've posted Chapter 1 on my LiveJournal account. Check it out

And yes, it does have the word "breasts" in it. And yes, it does embarrass me! I'm open to alternate phrasings if anyone feels like speaking up.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 430 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
When I woke the cottage was dark and quiet; a pale light shone in the windows. The fire had dwindled to a few glowing embers. Morning was near. Had I slept in the chair all night? I wiped a line of drool from my cheek. How long had that been there? Hopefully not all night.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm becoming paranoid that I'm being repetitive with my sentence structure. I tend to get into ruts, I think...

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I'm on Chapter 3 now. So far it's going better than my other Chapter 3s.

Interesting links

It's been a lot of fun following the happenings on Maprilynne's blog. It's exciting to see a very good writer getting deserved recognition. If you've read the first chapter of her book you'll know that the success is warranted. I know that it inspired me...
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Just in case you're wondering, I'm writing Happy, The End with an Unreliable narrator.
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Ever had an Ah-ha moment??
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It's on my sidebar but it deserves a call-out because The Evil Overlord Manual will make you crack up.
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I think The Second Coming may be one of the best poems that I've ever read. That and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. I read these poems and I feel humbled and inspired. 1) Because I'll never write anything so beautiful. 2) Because who can't read:

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

and not be inspired? Everyone except C.S. Lewis. :-)

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 650 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
She might have looked like some fairy sleeping – one pale arm drawn gracefully across her forehead; one eye gently shut; her long silver hair fanned around her. But the other eye was purple and swollen. Two spidery lines of blood came from her nose and rested on her lips.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm having trouble getting my characters from point A to point B. They just need to take a walk through the woods but I'm not sure how much writing to devote to it. Should it be a sentence? A paragraph? Two paragraphs?

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Almost done with chapter 2! I'm loving this.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 800 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, the rain

The good:
I felt around me and my fingers came in contact with warm flesh – an arm. I examined more then quickly drew back – it was certainly a girl.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Too wordy again. All my first drafts are too wordy. Forgive me E.B. White... Simple is better.

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This chapter is just pouring out. This is the best take on this book yet. I can feel it. Things are finally clicking!

Good writing book: The Elements of Style

The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

If you read one book about writing it should be this. It's skinny, to-the-point and full of priceless writing instruction. It really helped to de-mystify certain aspects of the writing process for me. Oh - and Stephen King recommends it too.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 1,000 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, The rain we had today

The good:
The rain had slowed but the wind was picking up. I began to shiver. I breathed on my fingers to warm them. Branches and brush rustled loudly in the wind. If anyone had an ounce of imagination it might sound like something running through the trees. I immediately straighted up. Something was running through the trees; just in front of me and to my left. At least two separate creatures. I could hear them splashing through the rainwater.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I've been in maybe three fist fights in my life and they were all before I was a teenager. This scene has a lot of hand-to-hand combat. I hope it doesn't come off as fake.

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I'm loving the setting change I made. Things are so much clearer in my mind now. I'm liberated from a vagueness. These two chapters had a slow start but now they're flowing great. Fun stuff!

Bad writing descision #1: Needless characters

I covered one incident of this in My Troll evolved into a flying monkey but this tenancy keeps popping up: I write needless characters into my plot.

I just did this the other day. In my first chapter I had my protag. hook up with a character who had the following attributes:

1. Was annoying to my protag.


2. Did nothing but babble and quickly is ignored by my protag.


3. Runs home after six or so paragraphs.

After I wrote him I had to ask why? I totally understand the need for expendable characters such as:

1. A redshirt that a monster can much on (just to show the danger).


2. A street beggar that our hero can 1) Spit on or 2) Buy a hot meal. The beggar just revealed a lot of character in our hero.


3. A cog of some sort that moves the story forward. (A Horatio to our Hamlet, maybe.)

But I keep on coming up with characters that don't do anything... I've got to stop wasting time on this.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 700 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Charlotte Martin

The good: N/A

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I'm scared that this scene could fall flat. It should be tense. As always with my first draft, I'm using too many words.

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Finished my re-write of the first chapter. All-in-all I'm pleased. I may post it sometime soon.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 600 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
Seized by an inspiration, I took a quick look around, unzipped my jeans, and peed on the writing. I'd hoped that maybe it would run the paint but it actually made the writing darker. Now I was going to have to walk by my own pee-stain every day. Gross.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I feel like Fin is now a more interesting character but I need to make the witch have a good entrance. Right now she's doing nothing. I'm not exactly throwing my reader into the action with this chapter ether...

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Productive day today (by my standards). I get to write the new witch encounter next! I'm looking forward to that one.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 400 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk

The good:
"I first saw it through the tangle of creepers and brush. The house wasn't like those in town; it was made out of dark stones and mortar, with a straw roof. The two windows were foggy red glass instead of clear. In the dim light it looked unsettlingly like some craggy face with huge red eyes and wild hair, glaring through the trees."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: I still feel like my protag. is boring. I'm trying to give him a better entrance. Do I want to have an adventure through this guy's eyes?

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Plowing ahead. Logically I feel better about where this is headed but I'm a bit concerned that I might change this story so much that I'll loose what first inspired me. I've got to be careful.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 300 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk, Sufjan Stevens

The good:
"Fin, stop looking at your feet - I want you to get me some Bitterstalk from Lilith," my Gram said. She counted out three Silver Marks into her weathered hand. "This should be fine... Give 'er a kiss if she's difficult. But not the wet kind – I don't want you to start lustin' after witches."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: My characters are boring! Augh!

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Slow writing today. Not much time in my schedule. Got to get to work now. Hopefully, I'll be able to eek out some more words tonight. I'm enjoying writing this stuff, though.

Take a peak at the sidebar...

I added an outline/teaser that should give you a sense of the plot. Also I added an audiozue widget.

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Weekend Word Count: 1,000 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: Jeremy Enigk (he's going to be the soundtrack for this book).

The good:
I could feel my heart go a little faster now. The forest always did that to me; especially the places where the trees were all bony and bare; or in the deep groves where the ground was so wet that my feet sunk in and moss was on everything – even the rocks. The Ghoulies didn't go there; neither did the Rooks.

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: Total re-write of the first chapter, which is going to effect the other chapters too. Is it bad that I keep having to change the beginning?

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I totally re-did the setting. I was operating in a vague Fantasy, castles, villages, kingdoms setting. Now I'm in a slightly post-apocalyptic/fantasy setting. It's freeing because it's much more specific and compelling. My characters can shoot guns but there's kings, knights, princesses and castles too. This may be a huge mistake but it's helping right now...

Ch-ch-cha-changes!

I've been thinking about the beginning of Happy, The End and I've decided to scrap the whole orphanage setting. Like the troll, it once served a purpose but now it just feels awkward. Especially since I never go back to it after the first chapter. I have to explain this whole system Fin has set up at the orphanage then it gets ripped right out from under him and he doesn't even really care when all is said and done. I originally thought it would be a good setting to give insight to his character but I think the whole beginning would flow much better without it.

I think this is one of the drawback of the Stephen King plot-as-you-go method...

Also, I've been bugged on Fin's motivation for "the quest". Why should he decide leave everything and trudge off into the unknown to kill a villain he's never met? I still am not sold. I'll probably use the age-old "he needs to save the world" as a red herring but I think the real motivation is lust.

I'm thinking of changing the title to The Last Fairytale or The Last Legend. Both sound like a cheezy movie but they make sense in the context of the story. What do you think?

Novel Stats

Metrics for HAPPY, THE END

Daily Word Count: 600 today, 8k total (out of a likely 40-50k)

Inspirations: New age music

The good:
She observed me. Then sighed. “It's too bad you're the hero. You'd make a good sorcerer – always looking for shortcuts. Dark roads open and move with the wind, Fin. Catch them while you can and don't stop to make a map."

Bad writing skill that needs to go away: How do I write about philosophy without sounding like a prig? I don't want my character to start spouting Christopher-Paolini-esque Levi musings that have nothing to do with the plot. Tread carefully here...

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Chapter 4 sucks right now. I went back today and fixed some issues that had been bothering me with Chapter 3. I changed Fin's motivation for going on the quest and I think it works better. Still, I think I need to make it more urgent.