My reading "Ghoststory"

Reading, Finally, "Ghoststory" by Jim Butcher.

I say finally because I waited 'till it came out in paperback--actually I think it'sTrade--and it's been sitting on my pile of new books for a couple of months. I decided to read it out of order.
Jim has some good writing in this one...he does know how to turn a phrase.  And he knows how to punish his character, to make him feel unsure and not be a superman. When I go back over my NaNo Novel that is one thing I will be looking for. Even though my hero is hundreds of years old and has abilities above that of mortal man he is not perfect nor should he be. I need to make him doubt more, get more bruises almost get killed more. I did that a couple of times but in other fights he might be just too perfect.   

Without writing any spoilers with this one or the previous book, I just want that there's something in that previous book me and my wife and probably a bunch of Butcher fans, suspect. If what we suspect is true Butcher is being very coy about it as you would expect. Even though right now there was something that, could say it ain't so. But we shall see.


But in either case I am reading the book way too fast. About half way through already. Of course I've been reading it for a week.

Did it update NaNo

This sounds like the last NaNo update for '12 but it may not be. Most probably no more for a while but there still could be one to five of them over the next few months.


Okay, its verified at 51,387 words. 

Writer's Digest has a webinar on how to end a novel. I can say not like I did, even though it's only the last paragraph or so that is really bad.  Some of the last scene needs some work but it's only that last little bit that was rushed too much.... or so I think. 
Oops, that is a free worksheet not webinar Free



  No epilogues yet and they will add estimated 2,000 to 6,000 words plus I need to go back and add a few sentences on two things I added toward the end, all will add words but I'm not sure about getting it to 80,000 plus. For some reason I want this one to be traditionally published. So I may do a revising month if they do one. 

I also need a better Title  "His Other Job" may not cut it even though it might. It's close. 

One more thing I have two more computer things to do, one is to watch a video for the Dean Wesley Smith online workshop that starts next week and to download a free book critters.org is giving one away about writing and reading SF. by Norman Spinner. 

Yo one more mini update

Well, well I did it.


But I mean I got over 50,000 but I still need to quickly finish two scenes before I feed my novel to their computer for a double check.  Well, I guess I don't really have to but a novel does need an ending to be complete and I want both scenes at least done even if I have to go back and add some to really clarify things.

Don't think it will be over 55,000 as I hoped but still over 50.  And hey I thought Thursday was the 30th but the Status page said I had two days, wow when I send it in tomorrow night I will be two days early not one.

Tiny NaNo update

Well, well the status page says I can finish tomorrow but I doubt I will quite get that last 2,666 words. Especially with that number.  :)

Anyway, 2,200 maybe. but it's going to be close because I have to finish it. I can get the words by Wednesday  but not sure about the conclusion. I did want at least 5,500 but I would have to do that amount Thursday. We shall see, my MC is about to fight the bad guy who will tell him what this was all about. I know the ending...most of it but it's going to be rushed.

'nother mini NaNo update--and stories out

Last night I had to leave my MC in a cliffhanger, I don't know the answer to. 


Parts of this book has been like reading one...I didn't know where it was heading until I got there.

Almost made 40,000 if I had known I was this close I would have written 14 more words tonight. 


And I would have had it and more if I hadn't had to revamp a story I sent out tonight. 

Four out today, one needed some work when I ran it through my proofreader.

My MC overcame a bout with panic from a Phobia of Trolls he got while a Teen and killed the Troll that was after him.

Oh yes, I have an idea of why the bad guys are attacking everyone...better devolp iit I only have one week to be sure of the reason.

And for some reason I want to get this novel up in the traditional way. Last year's is an Indie book maybe...the year before is for sure. A Non NaNo Novel (Say that one five times real fast) is going up the Indie way if I ever get it back from the reviewers. 

Warning, Blog will change

This is just to give a warning that in the next week or so I'm going to see about changing the blog to look more Christmasy. It might be just the colors or I might change the whole thing around.

And I will putting up my yearly Christmas story and hopefully a Christmas Musing early this year. I have a habit of waiting until almost the last moment but not this year.......




Unless I totally forget this and it takes way long than it should.

Another Short NaNo update

Around 35,800 words. With what I wrote so far today it is probably 36,000 now.

Something I meant to say at the beginning but finally getting around to it--nice prograstination activity too--today.

Three years ago when I did this I made a new file for each day of writing. At the end I had to put them all together to turn it in and later to start revising it. When I sent one chapter to someone they found a missing space. I had fogotten to add one day’s file. I thought I was being careful and I thought I read through it.

Last year I decided not to do that and add a --- at the beginning of each new day’s writing. When I would go back to add something to a previous day’s writing I counted how many words and added them to the --- for the new day’s writing. thus 7---or 123---. I would delete the previous days line each new day even though when I started the revision process I discovered I skipped a day here and there. To count a day’s writing I scrolled back up until I found the --- and highlighted from all the new stuff. 

This year I’m doing the same. I debated going back to the original method but decided it was too bulky so I’m doing the lines again. That can be a pain when I have to go back five plus pages to find it so I can count the new stuff. Sometimes I miss it and have to go back and try again. I stop and read sentences along the way to see if I wrote that one today or the day before but sometimes it’s hard to recall when I wrote something. 

  I may have tried spaces inbetween the old stuff and new writing the first time I did NaNo years ago but that took time to find the spaces and to join the two parts and if I recall correctly I missed some of those too.  

Happy Thanksgiving

If you celebrate it do have a good one

Especially if you have family members you have to put up with or not having much. The spirit of the day can still sustain you. Thanksgiving to God is never bad no matter the circumstances. Sometimes that is all we can do because there is nothing else. So think of his Great Love, Mercy and Salvation if need be. Even if you have stay in your room or on a corner all day.


But may everyone have a Good Thanksgiving 

Short NaNo update

I'm a bit over 30,000 words.

Got one short and one long crit done.  I also need another word for Fea-fae or Fairy, Never-Never is taken. I used Otherworld but that is Cliche and maybe overused. Today at a book store I saw two different novels that used Otherworld or OtherWorld. I really need a new one. I kinda would like something with Oz in it but that could be problematic.

Update again NaNo '12

Still going strong. 28,300 and a few less words.  Three days ahead by their graph.

But I will slow down tomorrow and Sunday. Got four crits to do. Two quick short ones and two longer more in-depth ones. The last two I will probably just start. And I need to read each story first. 

Slight problem though:
I need a good reason for a group of people--of various types--for attacking my MC's friends. So far, even though he's been caught at the wrong time and place no one is after him specifically. But I'm not sure why the other attacks. This is well organized and probably taken years to plan but...why?  I want to try think of a reason that is different. I know of a couple of the usual reasons but they are all cliche-ish or over used. 

My reading "Lies And Omens" Lyn Benedict.

Been trying to remember to add this for at least two weeks but finally:


Read "Lie & Omens" by Lyn Benedict. Part of a series--Shadows Inquiries.

I have mixed feelings about this series.

It's not my favorite, it's darker than usual even for UF, I don't like where Lyn goes all the time with the plot and I'm not totally sure I really like the MC. But Lyn is some writer, she knows: how to do suspense, how to put her MC in danger time after time and how to do the Try and Try again thing. One could learn to write better by studying her writing.  Yet with all that said I still enjoyed the book and I would recommend it. 

And It's the model and half the inspiration for one of my WIPs. The way it's going it could take another year to finish that WIP and when I do I will have to go back over it since I'm adding characters and background as I go along. I usually don't do that with novels but this one I am.  It's interesting I thought I had added a certain character on my own but as I read "Lies" I realized that character might be my version of a character in Lyn's work. Oops, I hadn't wanted to do that even as the MC is inspired, as I said, by Lyn's work. I thought that character would add an element Lyn doesn't have. In one way it still does but not as big a difference anymore.  I add here that I don't want to copy her work, I want to make it mine even with some basic similarities with her MC. 

And I wonder if Lyn is related one way or another with another writer. The other half of the inspiration. Both writers use a character with the same problem, and both names the bad guy side of magic users and mythical creatures. Maybe they are the same person or have read the same how to book on plotting