Tag Archives: novel

1,000 Word Minimum

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Today was the first warm day in awhile.  I spent the first part of my day hiking in the mountains.  I wrote a piece of poetry up by the waterfall that I hope to upload in the next few days.  I love the feeling of completely exerting my body.  Afterwards, I came to my coffee shop to write.  The coffee never tasted so great.

Today is my 16th day of writing my new novel.  Take a look at my daily word totals:

8 April 2012: 600 Words
9 April 2012: 2,700 Words
10 April 2012: 4,300 Words
11 April 2012: 4,800 Words
12 April 2012: 8,700 Words
13 April 2012: 9,900 Words
14 April 2012: 10,700 Words
15 April 2012: 11,600 Words
16 April 2012: 13,800 Words
17 April 2012: 15,900 Words
18 April 2012: 17,500 Words
19 April 2012: 20,000 Words
20 April 2012: 21,100 Words
21 April 2012: 22,100 Words
22 April 2012: 25,300 Words
23 April 2012: 26,200 Words

I am now squarely in the second third of the novel.  At this point, I will not let myself stop until I finish.  I have decided to implement a 1,000-word minimum rule.  Even if my day is packed, I will schedule time to write and pump out 1,000 words.  I am so thoroughly enjoying where I am in the novel that the past few days have had a few 2,000-word writing binges.  Whatever it takes.

Today’s update includes musical influences.  I always listen to music while I am writing stories (not poetry).  I listen to music mainly for it’s lyrical content, but I won’t deny that it needs to sound good.  Some music, although not much, I listen to remind myself of certain ideals and to rejuvenate my mind.

Flobots
This band is probably the most influential band I have ever listened to.  Their music is political and angry in nature.  I have been to two of their concerts and was completely blown away by their talent and passion.  Nothing moved be more than when thousands of people screamed as one the lyric, “We the people did not want war.”

Air
I first came across Air while listening to the soundtrack to my favorite movie: Lost in Translation.  I borrowed one of their CD’s from the local library and was in awe of their originality.  For my most recent novel, their Talkie Walkie CD is almost always on in the background.  They are well worth a listen.

Early to Write

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I woke up early on a Sunday so that I could get to my coffee shop by nine in the morning.  Now it is ten in the morning and I have already written 1,000 words.  I used to call myself a nighttime writer.  I know I enjoy writing overnight, but that is far to limiting.  If I can control my schedule so that I write every single day, i shouldn’t matter whether it is dawn, dusk, noon, or midnight.  I just need to write.  I finally teaching myself this lesson.

I hope to get past 25,000 words today.  With a goal of 70,000-80,000 words, that brings me to about a third.  The novel is on pace to fall within that range.  I have several spots in my mind where this story could end.  Once I’m within the range, I’ll have to pick on of those points and go with it.  In all my years of watching movies and reading books, I’ve come to find that that best stories don’t really have an end.  The best stories are snapshots of a people’s lived during interesting times–while acknowledging that there was plenty that came before and plenty still to come.  I intend on incorporation that idea in my novel.

Time for some viral videos…

There is a moment when near future technology suddenly become present-day technology.  That moment, when you realize what you world is capable of, is one that I will always try to capture in my work.  That moment of complete awe and envy is a strange emotion that we all feel all too often now.  It’ll only get more and more intense over the decades.

If you haven’t caught the theme yet–I am addicted to near-future technology.  This video depicts the sunny side of the near future…but I still can’t look away.  Having a fully interactive world is something that I can’t entirely wrap my head around.

Write Every Single Day

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Today was full of events.  We went up to the mountains as a family to celebrate my niece’s birthday.  Still, I found the time to write.  Even if it was only 1,000 words, I have found just how important it is to write every single day.  I am now at 22,000 words and am loving where the novel is heading.  When my schedule opens back up (likely tomorrow), I suspect that I will write a huge amount.  Nothing is better than seeing a novel take on a life all its own.  This is why I write.

I went to a poetry slam that got canceled last night.  I spent some time with the organizer and realized I really need to try slam poetry.  I may look into a way to record myself and upload the poetry onto this site. More on that later.  In the meantime, some more “Influences.”  This time, in the form of books.

Feed by M. T. Anderson
Near future literature is unbeatable.  Feed is the untilmate warning to the future of technology.  Almost weekly, I stumble across a news article that reminds me of something from this book.  Anderson did his research.  The future of our world will be incredible, but impossible moral questions are waiting to jump up just around the corner.  I want to be able to form a story the way Anderson is able to.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
I have never finished this book.  Both times that I tried to read it were interrupted by school work.  I plan on reading it later this year.  Nevertheless, it has already influenced me greatly.  McCarthy is the author who made me realize you need to find your own style of writing.  While exploring that, I realized that stream of consciousness is how I need to write.  Following the norm is almost never the way to go.

20,000 Words

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I should hit 20,000 words today.  That’s 12 days to write more than 1/4 of the novel.  Yet again, I am only getting faster.  The beginnings of the story are entirely set up and I am hitting the stride of the plot.  I hope to write at least 3,000 words today (1,000 are already done and I still have an hour before I have to report for work).  Considering I am not doing much other than writing this story, I am going to use these days to build the “Influences” section of my website.  Today I will start with two movies.

Lost In Translation
This movie has long been one of my favorites.  I saw it with my father when I was a teenager.  It stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson (before she was famous).  This movie holds a beautiful balance between plot and character-building scenes.  The development of romance is impeccable.  I hope to be able to write like this some day–holding onto tension to build romance and allowing for the plot to flow freely.

Children of Men
Another one of my favorite films–but for vastly different reasons.  I love near-future fiction.  If you have never visited FurtureTimeline,com, it is well worth the visit.  Anyway, the important thing to remember in near future fiction is that you can only account for certain details.  Certain inventions, disasters, or events cannot be predicted.  Children of Men not only takes this into account, but makes it a central theme–creating a semi-dystopian society in the process.

Burst of Imagination

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I finished writing yesterday with a total of 4,800 words done on my new novel.  So far today, I am at 8,300 words.  I haven’t had a burst of imagination like this in years.  With the plan of keeping the novel in the 70,000-80,000 word area, I am already more that 10% of the way done–and I started working on April 8th.

It’s nice.  The more I practice at writing, the easier it is for it to burst out of me.  One of my more annoying problems with older novels is that they took too long to write.  This is more than just a nuisance.  So much changes take place in one’s life over long periods of times.  Those changes can affect the tone of the writing without meaning to.  By writing quickly, the novel will contain the same voice and I will be able to control when the tone changes.

Even after this mini-vacation is done on Saturday, I will continue to write like there is no tomorrow.  I live in such a way that I can give myself a few hours each day to write.  I want to give this project my full attention.  If I am able to finish it in a short period of time (two months or so) and keep it in the necessary word length, this could simeltaneously be the best and most publishable piece of work yet.

The Reading Log and Blog section of the website have been updated.  I’ll try to update with something new tomorrow.  Until then…I’m going to aim for 10,000 words by the time  my coffee shop closes.

Novel Length

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I don’t have an update for you today.  I promise I’ll get some sort of update for you tomorrow.  Today, instead, I want your thoughts on novel length.  I’ve spent the last three days in solitude and have pumped 5,000 words into a new novel.  With the creative juices flowing, I don’t plan on limiting what comes out.  Still, I can’t help but think about the possibility of getting something published some day.  With that in mind, I know full well that novel length is important.

My first novel was far too long for a Young Adult Novel (or any novel by someone who isn’t already published).  Fire Saviors was 123,000 Words.  My second novel–The Saints–was a publishable length at 76,000 Words.  Too bad it was a sequel.  My third novel was far too short for literary/mystery fiction: Only 46,000 Words.  Although I don’t consider word length all that important compared to content, I know it plays a role.  In order to give my new novel  a solid chance at being picked up, I know it needs to fall within a certain length.

I’m pretty sure that length is about 70,000-100,000.  Ideal length is somewhere around 70,000-80,000.  I want to know what everyone else thinks on the matter.  Do you even think about things like this when you write?  I don’t actively think about selling my work as I write.  I know what I need to do to get published on most levels…I just can’t bring myself to write for anyone but me.  That’s why I have a blog that may–some day–make it harder for a publisher to take me on.

~Richard

Flash Fiction Update

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Happy Easter Weekend everybody. I’m about to head off to my friend’s 22nd birthday, so I will keep this quick.  I will probably be updating a lot in the week ahead.  I am staying in my hometown for a week to take care of the dogs while my parents are in Connecticut.  A lot of alone time means a lot of updating.  Also, I went through all my old poems and pulled out four that I will put up here soon (probably tomorrow or Monday).  Until then, enjoy the new flash fiction.

Dear Blue
While on vacation, I joined my friends at a coffee shop for several hours.  This piece of flash fiction came out of left field after my fourth cup of coffee.  It is one of my more unique pieces.  I don’t usually deal in personification, but I love this flash fiction nonetheless.

Up and Running

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The website is now up and running.  I have sample chapters from my three novels.  I have three short stories.  There are six flash fiction pieces.  Unfortunately, I only have two poems up so far.  More will be uploaded soon.  I have links to my three other blogs.  There are also five columns that I had published in the local newspaper.  I also have links to my ghostwriting and a full list of the books that I have read.

As I upload more in the future, I will update the blog to share my progress on certain projects as well as link the newly uploaded work.  I wrote a flash fiction piece today that I hope to upload sometime within the next week.  I am also working on a couple fiction pieces and non-fiction pieces.  I need to decide which one to pursue in the days ahead.  I have a feeling that a dystopian story is something that I will pursue.

Thank you for all the support.  Let me know what you think.

~Richard

More Writing Updates

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I am exhausted.  After working for several hours, the About Me, Columns, and Ghostwriting tabs are now compeltely finished.  I have put a lot of working into the blog section and will have it up and running first thing in the morning.  After that, the real work will begin.

Tomorrow I will focus on posting my poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and novel excerpts.  Why you are waiting, feel free to look over all that I have uploaded so far.  In the About Me section is a link to all of my work before the age of 18–it is rough but gives you a general idea of where my writing originated.

Thank you to everyone who has followed me so far–adamarmour, stellamarr, mothstoaflame, Jordan, ladyromp, MesAyah, and ClownPonders.  I assure you that I will return the sentiment as soon as I am done piecing this website together.

~Richard

Writing Updates

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I will be working around the clock for the next 24 hours.  The dozen or so “Under Construction” signs will be removed and replaced with writing throughout the rest of today and tomorrow.  I will also give you tentative release dates on the release of my three novels–Fire Saviors, The Saints, and Stitch

Please follow my feed to stay up-to-date.  I will update periodically to let you know of my progress.  Thank you.

~Richard