Chapter Four is now finished.

I admit this is slower than what I would have liked but also not bad considering the holiday traveling, the eating, the sports and movie watching, and the partying I was privy to this year.

The chapter did not deviate from what I wanted it to be. The setting changed a bit, moving from an office to the nave of a Catholic Cathedral, but other than that it stayed true to the outline and my own inner vision. Bran is on the hunt for answers, and those he has grown to care about most are turning on him in unexpected ways. I find it gratifying twisting him; after all, he is a hated character in my book.

Now on to the next chapter. Chapter Five is the first Cardinal point of view chapter. I am excited to write it since it will be the reader's first introduction to him as well as opens up the world and what is going on—to the reader at least. I only give away enough to satisfy the reader, leaving Bran to figure it all out on his own. Events from the Prologue will begin to make more sense in the larger story's construct with Chapter Five, and it has some good fantasy elements I think readers will enjoy.

So, in a moment, I will be going next door to my favorite pub to sit down and outline the chapter.

After that will be Chapter Six. Chapter Six is the first true Richard McAllister point of view chapter. It will do similar things as Chapter Five; it will broaden the reader's understanding of the world Bran is stepping into.

And then in Chapter Seven, Bran steps into it. And all Hell breaks loose.

I have also finished rewriting the Prologue. It is much stronger now. My ex-girlfriend is an editor on Seattle's largest book publisher and her red pen flowed a few weeks ago onto my pages. Now I have incorporated her thoughts where I saw fit, as well as rewriting it to be less Brooksian. I plan on posting the Prologue as soon as I can find the time to put it into Adobe In Design to make it look purty.

I hope those of you who read this are either writing something fun or reading something great! This is probably my last finished chapter of the year—although I may surprise even myself in that regard—so have a safe New Year. Be kind to each other and give your dreams wings. Only you can do both.

Labels: The Dagda King

Today, I drove from Seattle to southwestern Washington to celebrate the holidays with my family.

I write this with an actual point. Driving is one of those activities where all the driver has is the road and their own thoughts. For some people, a drive of several hours is torturous. But for me, I use the time with my story. The story won't be ignored if I am not doing something, and that is the case when I drive.

While driving, I have the opportunity of dreaming again. Leading up to this book's outline, I did a lot of research and dreaming. It was time where I would think my way through story problems or add other subtexts that might create a stronger book. Dreaming is one of the most important things a writer can do; to me, if a person has writer's block, it's because they haven't dreamed enough and their mind is trying to catch up with the craft.

It's been bothering me for two weeks that I can't post my Prologue. I am proud of it and I want people to read it but I can't post it, knowing the similarities people will unavoidably see between it and Terry's work. Critical analysis of my work is pretty important to me, because feedback can only help sharpen my writing skills; oftentimes a person is far too close to their work to see the trees from the forest. I left Seattle today with all of that in my heart, trying to find a way to maintain the Prologue but eliminate a reader's disposition for seeing Terry in my story.

On the drive down from Seattle, I figured it out.

I mulled over the problem for about half the drive. It's a three hour drive, so that's a long time to be within my story with no distractions—no phone, no computer, no television, no books. Just my story with me at the wheel.

Then it hit me like a sledgehammer between the running lights. My problem is no longer a problem. And I'll be able to post the Prologue sometime and not feel worried about it.

Dreaming afforded me this. I think all writers should have that one thing that takes them away from the world and allows them to think clearly about what it is they are writing. It's very positive and constructive and can really make a difference. Driving does this for me, as well as showering (although I hate my water bill every month, I'll tell you that!).

For Terry, it is traveling. Or driving or going to the symphony. For other writers, it is something else. All I know is it is important, almost as important as the writing I think.

So find what it is for you that helps you get into your story, that helps you analyze it and improve it while not sitting at a keyboard. You'll be happy you did, if you are a dreamer.

Labels: Craft

I finished Chapter Three tonight.

I should have finished it several days ago, to be honest. But I had Terry and Judine's surprise anniversary party to attend on Saturday (was fun seeing Terry's old editor, Owen, who flew in for the occasion), Sunday was taken up with shopping and football, and Monday was spent working almost all day. That left me with last night and tonight, but the chapter was one of those that almost literally wrote itself.

It is another Bran chapter and the climax of the first three chapter arc. Going in I knew it would be one feisty action chapter, and it lived up to my expectations. Remarkably, not much changed from how I originally imagined the chapter in my outline to what made it on the page, but one unexpected element happened near the end and I like how it sprang up out of nowhere.

For those keeping score, here is the break down of words per chapter:

Prologue: 3197 words
Chapter One: 4059 words
Chapter Two: 3244
Chapter Three: 3633

And before anyone asks, yes I am going to keep doing this tally and yes it is important to me. I think a lot of writers who are unsure in the craft have a tendency to pontificate beyond what the story needs. By observing my word count, I am attempting to keep this growing writer in check. Of course, my lower word counts could be a result of what I spoke about in last post, but I still think it is a good idea to watch one's own work from a different angle.

Chapter Four is a Bran chapter as well and will be the beginnings of the fallout from Chapter Three. In it, I get to explore two of the coolest architectural buildings in Seattle. I'll begin outlining it tomorrow and start writing it on Friday—unless I decide to drive home for the holidays on that day. Then it will be just a lost day when it comes to my story.

After Chapter Four, I get to have some fun though. Chapter Five is the first real Richard McAllister point of view chapter, and Chapter Six is the first chapter from my Cardinal's point of view, who still does not have a name but will very soon!

Cool Things: More people who have read Fell Hammer's excerpts are demanding I make the book available as a download, which I am still considering. JK Rowling sold a tiny little book for 4 million dollars and gave it to charity. Christmas is only a few days away, and that means Christmas cookies! And George R. R. Martin has finally finished A Dance of Dragons—just kidding!

Labels: The Dagda King

I finished Chapter Two last night.

It happened in a flurry, just one of those chapters that wrote itself. I was excited to write it, and I knew I was excited to write the first part of it. It's a fun scene and I think it will amuse people.

But what made the chapter easy to write was something unexpected that happened. Without giving too much away, Bran had to make a choice half way through that on its surface means nothing to the reader -- and really meant nothing to me at the time. When I came to the choice, however, I saw an opportunity and put just a bit more thought into it.

At that exact moment, the choice took on a depth in the story I had not previous imagined. It was like a lightning strike, and with that energy guiding me I wrapped up the chapter very quickly.

This illustrates something that I feel is important for those naysayers of outlining: just because you think your story through before you sit down to write doesn't mean these creative moments don't hit you like an electrical storm. Every time I sit down, even though I have my outline, I still don't know what is going to happen when I start writing. I still get new dreams and thoughts while I write, and those are a spur of the moment thing that help grow the story in exciting and unfamiliar ways.

On a side note, the chapter is 3244 words. For those keeping track, the break down is:

Prologue: 3197 words
Chapter One: 4059 words
Chapter Two: 3244

As you can see, there is no rhyme or reason to it. Chapter One is longer simply because that is my introductory chapter of Bran and there is a lot going on in it. I might be able to weasel that one down in edits later though. The other two are, however, what I feel will be indicative for most of the book—far shorter chapters than what we saw in the epic fantasy.

Chapter Three is already outlined. I did it Sunday night when I outlined Chapter Two. I'll be getting on it tonight probably, since it is an action-packed chapter and I love writing those!

Hope all of your shopping is going well! Don't be stressed! And try to relax this time of the year! It's supposed to be fun.

Labels: The Dagda King

I finished Chapter One Friday night. I am happy with how it played out. It introduced Bran, and as I mentioned last time I am almost overwhelmed by how much I do not like him as a person. That was my intention all along, but he's has grown into his own breathing character and he's not one I like.

Which means, I hope, that there will be enough conflict between him and the reader that really good character development can be possible.

Another item of note: my chapters are shorter in this book than in the last. I'm not sure if it is because I am a tighter writer now as I learned a lot last time, or if writing a story set in the real world takes fewer words than writing a wholly made up world. I have a feeling it is probably a little of both.

Last night, I outlined Chapter Two. It's the first Bran chapter where the boundaries between this world and the other begin to blur in shocking ways. I took my time with the action in Fell Hammer; in this book, I get right to it and don't let up.

Tomorrow I will go to work, come home, and write until dinner. Then one of my friends who is a professional editor will meet me and we'll discuss the Prologue. I sent it to her last week, she's read it, and we are going to discuss some areas she thinks can be improved. She liked it a lot, loved the last few paragraphs, and will probably rip me apart. Wish me luck!

Labels: The Dagda King

On Friday, I finished the Prologue to The Dagda King.

I am quite pleased with it. It is the opening of the story with a character named Richard McAllister. He is a homeless knight living in Seattle, a man who has lost much—including most of his faith in God as well as his fellow man. He is derelict by choice, in a role no man should have to fulfill.

To say more would ruin the story.

I had a fun time writing the prologue, but for reasons you might find odd. When I began writing Song of the Fell Hammer, I really had no idea what I was doing. I sat down at the computer every day to write and I had no real experience to draw from; every day was a struggle to find my voice, to discover how stories should open up and develop for the reader, to have faith in what I was attempting to do.

This time around, however, I feel comfortable sitting in my writing chair. And after the month of research it took for me to learn what I needed to know about my story's foundation, sitting down and writing was far easier than it was the first time I sat down to write the prologue to Fell Hammer. It could be because I know this story more intimately than the epic fantasy; it could be because of what I've learned in the last two years. All I know is I feel free and unfettered. I feel confident in my abilities. And it will have to remain that way for me to learn more of the craft while finishing another book.

Today I outlined Chapter One.

It also takes place in Seattle, with my main point of view character, Bran Ardall. It is an introductory chapter, where the reader discovers who Bran is and how he relates to those he cares about. He has quite a dysfunctional family. If I do my job right, most readers will question whether this character can ever be a hero—and they should question.

Because I'm not too certain he is.

Labels: The Dagda King