As many people know, I have strict rules when it comes to starting new projects. First, I make myself finish everything I start (and learn a lot from the stories that give me trouble) This makes me slow to start new things before I feel that they are solid stories. I might do a few notes, but once I hit outline or first draft, it will go all the way to the end of that version. I might do the outline one year and the actual novel the next year. I might do a first draft one year and do the edits a year or two later. This always gives me projects at various stages. If I start a project, I finish it within the year.
What surprises people, given my rules about finishing, is the number of projects I have going at once. There is only two times a year when I'm down to one project: January 1 and December 31. Also remember that I write every day and I dedicate time to it that others spend watching television and such. Television holds no lure for me these days, except an occasional show on DVD. I would much rather be writing.
So here we are coming close to the middle of the year. What have I got going on? Oddly, not as much as usual, but that's partly because I just got a major project done. I am about to publish a new novel on Smashwords today. Devlin's Team, File 2: Farewell to Summer is the second in a long set of books about a top Inner Worlds Council Security Agent. She finds trouble, even when she isn't looking for it.
Devlin has arrived on Summer where she expects to do nothing more than keep watch over Cha and Dancer. However, even before the two arrive, she's found trouble of a different kind. Even though the people of Summer are leaving as the world begins a long, inhospitable winter, there's still time for deceit, lies and murder.
I have written three short stories this month for the Forward Motion Story Dare. I hope to write at least a couple more.
I am working on a new fantasy novel titled The Legend of Tom Luck. I've been writing it in about 500 word jumps, though not every day now. It is up to about 30k and is interesting to work on that way.
I am in the final edits of Badlands, a science fiction novel, but I held back on it because I knew there was something more I needed. I think I've finally pieced together the problems there and I can get back to work on it. From the start again, I think, but I expect this to go quickly.
I am about to tackle a young adult contemporary mystery that I wrote years ago and even had edited, but I had to put it aside because I could not get the opening the way I wanted it. I think I see it better now and what it really needs is just cut back off the start. At any rate, Waiting for the Last Dance is next up on my 'massive rework' list.
Marisha Fortier is only days from high school graduation. Living in the exclusive community of Deervale, she is surrounded by security and riches. Deervale, however, isn't without trouble. Over a year ago, a drug-related auto accident left Gian, the boy next door, in a wheelchair. And now Akio, the person who was driving that car, has returned to Deervale for her father's funeral.
Gian is recovering, and Akio has spent months in hospitals as well -- but can Marisha deal with the return of her former best friend? Can she bring herself to believe that Akio is not a monster? As Marisha tries to reconcile her conflicting emotions, she finds herself drawn closer to Gian, and inexplicably becomes the target of someone's wrath as she begins to question what happened on the night of that accident.
The other work is building a massive background for a new science fiction series that does not take place in my Inner Worlds Council universe. I'm enjoying playing with new ideas there. No huge hurry on that one, but I do have the basics of the first novel in place.
I am also working on the Two Year Novel Course book which I hope to write for NaNo. This one is an odd little urban fantasy/ science fiction combination. I've been having fun with it so far.
And last (yes, one more) I have a new idea for a fantasy novel that's starting to grow in my head. This one has promise and I'll probably start committing to the background work in the next few days.
So yeah, maybe that is more than I thought. I guess I better go get to work.
If you want to get to read about nearly twenty other writers, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Be sure to read tomorrow's post by Sharon Kemmerer
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