Project Lemuria

Slowing down

2012-02-11T02:08:00.001-08:00

As I've mentioned in my previous post, the second half of my book needs to be rewritten. Too many things made me sense or were contrived. Tension lacked in places, etc.

At the moment, I make a living out of being a programmer. My team leader taught me that when writing programs, it's far better to plan it out and get it right the first time instead of improving upon a piece of code later. I believe this applies to most other things in life, including writing. With my future projects, I wonder if I should spend more time outlining. For Project Lemuria, I spent a little over a year planning the tale and its related lore. I admit, perhaps I felt fatigued toward the later stages of planning, and so I chose to soldier on. Next time, I would consider taking as long as needed to perfect that outline. Many writers disagree with this but I elect to follow the method I believe in. I feel I have earned the right to make my own decisions.

There are other factors, of course. My craft has improved throughout the writing process. When I look back, obviously I'll want to make changes. That's inevitable, however, so I'm not fussed about it.

Progress Report 2012/02/11

2012-02-11T02:03:00.000-08:00

It's been around two weeks since I last posted a progress report. During this time, I'd been chipping away at the modifications list I had mentioned. The page was once several pages long. Now, there's only a few paragraphs left.

Unfortunately, this by no means imply that I can soon resume editing like all is well. I'm consistently absorbing material related to writing. Novels, seminars, etc. My craft has been improving. I've decided to do one more round of edits on the first 25 chapters, which I once claimed was done. This round will be far easier than the previous ones. Still, 25 chapters will take me time to complete.

Next, we're talk about the chapters after that. I've been feeling uneasy about them for a long time. Inside, I recognized they fail to live up to my standards. I had no idea what needed to change, though. As I endured the editing phase, solutions started to come, and now it's time to take action. Almost every chapter after 25 require rewriting.

A pile of work has just collapsed upon me. This will cause major delays with my project. I had planned to finish the manuscript by 2012's end. Before, I questioned whether that would happen. I can now say there is zero chance this will occur. This project will now be done by the end of 2013 at the earliest. I wish to emphasis at the earliest.

Of course, I can shorten the time frame by pushing myself further. Instead, though, I chose to maintain this pace that allows me to stay motivated. I no longer believe in working until I'm fatigued, then working some more. This is a lesson I learned from my day job. If a project will take a particular time to complete, then so be it. I will admit this major delay is upsetting. That's the craft, however, so I will simply continue to write every day.

The Sea

2012-01-28T00:57:00.000-08:00

I recently finished reading The Sea by John Banville. Recently, I've been reading mostly fantasy books, so this literary type of novel served as a pleasant change. I felt the protagonist's thoughts were honest and not contrived. Despite not having some goal about saving the universe, the story still kept me entertained, because it was about people. Also, Banville sure has a broad vocabulary. One of the broadest I have read in a while, in fact. I choose not to judge whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

If you enjoy literature, this is a book you will likely enjoy.

Formats

2012-01-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

A while back, I reviewed Metro 2033 the novel, and I said I'd read some reviews on it. Just now, I did exactly that, and I found an alarming number of reviewers who picked up the book because of the video game. In this generation, that's worth thinking about. Video games, movies, etc. There are many ways to pull people into your book, and these should be taken advantage of. Until my book is done, these have little meaning to me. It's still worth thinking about, though.

On a side note, I mentioned Metro 2033 was riddled with typos. Many people have brought this up as well. I neglected the fact that this book was translated into English, so the translator should be faulted, not the author.

Progress Report 2012/01/23

2012-01-23T03:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Neil Gaiman posted his greetings today, too. It's great to see writers showing respect for other cultures. To show appreciation toward my readers, I should study other traditions some more, too.

Anyway, back to the progress report. Last week, I edited the encyclopedia as well as the location data. This week, I plan to finish off some miscellaneous documents. I'll then move onto applying tweaks throughout the manuscript. It looks like I'll be stuck on chapter 25 for quite a few more weeks. This is a time for patience and discipline.

Progress Report 2012/01/15

2012-01-15T01:46:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in an earlier post, I've been editing my design files. Last week, I went through all the character documents, and I've started updating the Second Atlantis encyclopedia, as I call it. In addition, I've been writing commentary notes into each file. These help me remember the project's history. How things have changed, etc. Also, it helps me spot potential design flaws and remedy them.

This week, I plan to finish updating the encyclopedia, and then I'll begin editing the location related documents. It's nice to take a break from editing and do something like this. This results in some delay, but the reward is worth it, especially considering the design data is quite outdated by this point.

Progress Report 2012/01/08

2012-01-08T01:20:00.000-08:00

I've finished editing chapter 25. The next chapter is one that requires a major change, so first, I'm going to tweak my outline. Before that, there's yet more work to do.

As I'm writing, I always jot down notes on improvements to make, and now, the list is getting long, so I need to apply the updates. This will take around two weeks.

Because of all the changes, most of my character and design profiles are also outdated. I've chosen to update them as well.

I predict these changes will take close to a month in total to implement. It'll improve the work, so I have no issue with that.

Research via reviews

2012-01-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

As I was reading through Metro 2033, I felt like the story had some nice themes that are worth exploring. To find out what other readers thought of this book's content, I plan to look up some reviews. I never do this normally. After all, why read a review when I've already read the book? As a student of the craft, though, I figured this might be beneficial. It will help me understand how other readers absorb ideas expressed by the author. I plan on doing this more often in the future.

Metro 2033

2012-01-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've finished reading Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. It was a nice thrill ride, but to me, it's particularly special because this book kept me company during my Hong Kong trip last year. When I look at that book on my shelf, I'll always remember reading it on the plane, in the hotel, in McDonalds, wherever. Books is such a wonderful thing.

Atlantis and the Cycles of Time: Prophecies, Traditions, and Occult Revelations

2012-01-02T03:17:00.000-08:00

I've finished reading Atlantis and the Cycles of Time: Prophecies, Traditions, and Occult Revelations, by Joscelyn Godwin. It's an informative book, but it could have served my particular needs a little more. A lot of the data has no use in my story. Though there are some parts that can be used, I decided they would complicate the lore too much. For instance, the book contained many different names for the ancient races. Not only is the number a concern, those names were too hard to pronounce and memorize for my tastes, too. The rest of the information, I've already gathered from other sources and included into my book.

It's all fine, though. I no longer demand to gain much from resources at this point. All I'll do is continue to study to the best of my abilities.

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T02:34:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012, everyone! I hope you'll all have an amazing year.

You might be expecting me to talk about my resolutions for 2012. The thing is, I set and chase after goals throughout the year, so resolutions mean little to me. Still, allow me to think about some writing related goals.

Let's reflect on last year first. In 2011, I said I would publish a short story. That never happened. I did send stories to a couple of places, but nowhere near enough. Here's the deal. I thought I was going to receive a valuable critique for my short story from a particular source, but that critique never arrived, so I wasted a lot of time being idle.

Speaking of critique, here's another thing I'd like to pursue this year. I plan to make use of Writer's Digest's critique service. Once I receive their feedback and make any changes I deem necessary, I will resume my search for publication. It looks like my goal for this year is mostly the same as 2011's. Allow me to set some dates. I will submit my short story to Writer's Digest by the end of January. Next, I will make the necessary tweaks February's end. I will then continue to submit my manuscript until it is accepted by a publisher. For goals that are beyond my control, I never set dates, so that's how it is.

As a final note, I would also like to get involved in my writing seminars, whether online or offline. I find I've been learning less and less from these classes, but I must keep hunting for improvement. There's a never ending amount of work that needs to be done.

Research

2011-12-26T02:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been reading yet more books on Atlantis and Lemuria. I'm glad this is the premise I chose. The claims about these culture vary from source to source. Whether it's all a myth or not should be the first question. This is of no concern to me, because I recognize I'm composing fiction.

I feel comfortable with making whatever choice necessary to tell the best story. For example, every book has different ideas on what the Atlanteans wore. If I listened to all of them for the sake of proving that I've done research, I'll end up with a jumbled mess. Instead, I opt to pursue a minimum set of themes in order to express my thoughts succinctly.

The books I'm reading often say one race is evil, while another is serene. For the sake of telling a clear tale, I admit I do stereotype to a degree. Overall, however, I want to suggest that the world is not so black and white. With every race, there are good people and bad people. I enjoy using fiction to reflect on reality.

Length concerns

2011-12-26T01:52:00.000-08:00

Once again, with the chapter I'm currently editing, the number of pages dropped from ten to five. There's so much unrefined junk that needed to be removed.

This is beginning to concern me. If this keeps up, I will fail to meet the minimum word length required to produce a first novel. We're looking at 80,000 to 100,000 words here. At this rate, by the time I finish, I fear I'll be down to 60,000 words or even less. Fortunately, I have plans to add new scenes, but they might not be enough.

Of course, I will continue to cut excess parts without mercy. Even if it'll take extra time, I'm confident I'll be able to add scenes that warrant existing.

Progress Report 2011/12/26

2011-12-26T01:48:00.001-08:00

My break started a while ago, and I have yet to let a day go by without editing, so I'm pleased about that. I'm well into chapter 24 right now. By the week's end, I expect to be done with that, and I also hope to have started on chapter 25.

Analysis

2011-12-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I love reading about analysis of stories. The writer's reasoning for making certain decisions, etc. Of course, I would also love to analyze my own fiction. How characters feel about particular things, and so on. I've never taken action, though, because I felt arrogant about self analyzing a work that nobody knows about yet. Recently, however, I've been starting to see the benefits of taking on this kind of task.

The writer knows best about her characters, there's no doubt about that, but sometimes, even she could know a little deeper, and the best way to achieve this is to explore it. If a reader asked you how this character felt during so and so scene, and you're unable to answer, that's not a great situation. To avoid this, perhaps it's good to do some digging of your own. Dig deeper than what the work requires. That's what it's all about. It's easier said than done, of course, because you'll need to devote time to recording these thoughts. Let's see if I can get something arranged.

Fiction consumption

2011-12-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

There's something to learn from every kind of storytelling medium, so I consume as much of them as possible. I also try and keep things in balance. Looking back through the year, I've read about ten novels, played through ten video games, watched ten movies, read ten magazines, etc. You get the idea. I enjoy this kind of approach, and I plan to repeat it next year.

Progress Report 2011/12/22

2011-12-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'm done with chapter 24. During the editing process, I deleted over half of the chapter, because there was too much junk in there. Now, both chapter 23 and 24 are too short, so I'll probably merge them. This means chapter 25 is now 24, and I'm back to editing chapter 24 again. In this case, my goal of completing chapter 25 by year's end is no more. That's okay, though. I'll just get after it every single day during the break, as I always do.

To tell or not

2011-12-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

When I come across a novel, game, movie or show I love, the thing I enjoy most is learning about how that product was developed. Those behind the scenes footage that come with DVDs, etc. I love them, because they give me a lot of inspiration.

A while ago, I read a quote from an author. Unfortunately, I read so many quotes that I can no longer remember who it was from, but this person told us to never expose what's behind the background, as that will take the audience out of the experience. When you see things like that, you realize none of it is real.

For some time, I considered taking on this approach. As in, acting to people like my fiction is real. Within a short time, I recognized how pretentious that is. Even if it's a story I love, if the author kept insisting that her characters exist, I might feel like she's insulting my intelligence. So, for now, I choose to let people know about the thought processes behind my works.

Progress Report 2011/12/16

2011-12-15T13:21:00.001-08:00

Last night, I finished editing chapter 23. I completed it earlier than I had expected, so that's always good. This morning, I started going through chapter 24. Let's see how much I can get done this weekend.

Progress Report 2011/12/09

2011-12-10T13:26:00.001-08:00

I've finished editing chapter 22, and I've given chapter 23 a second read, so now it's ready to be edited. Because it's a short chapter, I aim to complete it within this week. If I work hard, it looks like reaching up to chapter 26 is possible before 2012. That's what I'm getting after right now.

Progress Report 2011/12/04

2011-12-04T00:43:00.001-08:00

I've started editing chapter 22, and I must say it's been stressful, because I almost had to rewrite the entire chapter. Too many elements made no sense. I anticipate much more of this in the journey ahead. Though it is depressing, passion and intensity will pull me through.

This week, I will complete editing chapter 22.

Progress Report 2011/11/19

2011-11-29T01:13:00.001-08:00

Last week, I forfeited a significant chunk of chapter 21. Let's just say that scene failed the test. Because chapter 21 became too short, I merged it when chapter 22. Anyway, I'm just about done with editing chapter 21. Once that's done, I'll begin editing the next chapter.

Progress Report 2011/11/21

2011-11-21T03:14:00.001-08:00

I achieved my goal of finishing chapter 20 last weekend. This week, let's see how far I can get with chapter 21. Earlier this year, I aimed to finish chapter 30 by the end of 2011. Now, it's clear that this is impossible. That's okay, though. I'll just keep at it as always.

Holidays

2011-11-15T13:35:00.001-08:00

I rarely go on holidays, because I'm obsessed with getting work done. Though I often whine about my routine lifestyle, deep inside, I know it's what I'm all about. Still, I understand that visiting foreign countries provide many opportunities for finding inspiration.

Now that I'm back from this trip, how much did I gain? Not as much as I would like. Of course, I jotted down notes during my break, but thinking back, they were things that I would've came up with even if I had just stayed at home.

I believe I've given it my best efforts, too. As in, I activated all five senses while visiting new places. Yes, foreign countries are different, yet, in order to gain inspiration, more differences are needed. For example, trains are still trains, no matter where you go. I've been on a bullet train before. Yes, it's fast, but guess what? It's a train. If I'm looking for ideas, I find visiting art galleries more productive, and I'm always looking for ideas, so for now, I have no desire to travel that much. It's fun, but I live for fiction.

Hong Kong chapter

2011-11-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

This is just a quick note for myself. I edited the whole of chapter 19 while I was in Hong Kong. Sitting in my tiny room, typing away on my netbook. Sometimes, early in the morning. Other times, late into the night. Behind me sat piles of luggage, but I paid them no attention. My focus was on chapter 19.

So, in my heart, I will forever term this the Hong Kong chapter.

Progress Report 2011/11/16

2011-11-15T13:26:00.001-08:00

About a month had passed since I last posted here. Why? I could say it's because I was on holidays. That's just an excuse, though. I could've been posting during my break, so this is just failure on my part.

Fortunately, I did better with my novel editing. Before my trip commenced, I said I'd edit up to chapter 20 when I return. During my break, I finished off chapter 18 and edited the whole of chapter 19. That's one chapter below my expectations, but I'll accept that and move forward.

Thinking back, I've approached my holiday with a questionable mindset. I treated the break as if it would be a one month writing session. That's incorrect, though. There are places to visit, people to see. I come home later than I would in my day job. Also, I return more tired. I looked down on the physical demands of touring a country.

Anyway, as soon as I arrived home on Sunday morning, I started editing chapter 20. My goal is to finish it by the end of this week. At this current pace, it's very possible.

Old gem

2011-10-10T03:27:00.000-07:00

While I was packing for my trip, I found a stash of old drawings I did during my uni days. I had no idea I actually kept them, so it was a pleasant surprise.

In 2006, I actually finished editing a previous novel. The book took around four years to write, and during that time, I grew a lot as a writer, and perhaps more important, as a person. So, by the time I completed the novel, I no longer had faith in it. It was filled with immaturity, and I chose not to look for an agent, because I was shamed by my own work. Writing a novel demands a lot of stamina. This early novel burned me out, so instead of moving onto my next work, I became stranded for a while. I wrote a bunch of short stories, etc. Just a confused writer, I suppose.

Anyway, as a part of this distraction, I was going to build a Flash game. The game revolves around two men who drowned in the ocean and was saved by a sacred submarine. Inside, they found a woman named, well, actually, I can't remember her name. As you might be able to guess, though, she was the prototype of Finyomu. Being able to find the above picture reminded me of where this whole project originated from.

A lot of my first ideas found their way into Project Lemuria. The glowing spots on the clothes. That theme of seeing the surface, etc. The story's ending was largely retained, too, but I won't spoil it here. Seeing that picture really motivates me to keep working on this project. It's a piece of paper I'm going to keep for life.

Self denial

2011-10-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

Above are the novels I'm bringing with me to my trip. I've literally put them into my bag just seconds ago.

Recently, I proposed an effective method of avoiding distractions. Namely, instead of relying on your willpower, simply deny yourself access of that distraction altogether.

I own a Playstation Portable, which is perfect for holidays. However, I'd like to read more books. During the past few months, I've picked up some new books, and I'm falling behind on my list. So, I've chosen to leave my PSP at home. That way, I have no access to it at all. I really look forward to reading these novels and seeing what I can learn from them.

Priorities

2011-10-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

People say Hong Kong is a great place for shopping, and, of course, I do have a wishlist compiled. But for a writer, a mindset like that just isn't good enough. I need to set my priorities straight. When a writer goes on a trip, her focus should be on seeking inspiration. The best way to do this would be to absorb the experience with all of your senses. Not just seeing what's around you, but paying attention to the sounds, the scents, the textures of all that you touch. That's one of fiction's essences, so I'm writing this quick note to remind myself about my priorities.

Progress Report 2011/10/09

2011-10-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

I aimed to finish editing chapter 15 before leaving on my trip. Well, I'm heading off in two days, and I've finished editing chapter 17, so that's awesome. I've copied all my writing files onto my netbook. Let's see how much I can get done during my break.

One more year

2011-09-27T02:09:00.000-07:00

When you read this post's title, you might think, "Oh, only a year until your book is complete? Awesome!" Unfortunately, I'm saying that I need an extra year to finish my book.

As of late, I've been making better progress than ever. As my close friends know, I've taken a break from basketball. Less practice time means more writing time. Despite this, I'm still going to need another year. I've got several new chapters to write. Also, after this round of edits, I'll need to read through the manuscript again at least one more time.

When I plan ahead like this, the journey can seem daunting. So, the best thing to do is to just focus on what I can do now, which is to edit chapter 17 to the best of my abilities.

Progress Report 27/09/2011

2011-09-27T02:05:00.000-07:00

My goal was to finish editing chapter 15 before I head off on my trip. Just now, I completed my edits for chapter 16. If time permits, I'll aim to sneak chapter 17 in, too. Also, I've just purchased a Samsung Netbook, which means I can edit during my commutes now. Of course, this also means I can edit while I am overseas. What, did you think resting was allowed?

Well, okay, I probably won't be editing while I'm in Japan.

2012

2011-09-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

You know how people keep saying the world will end in 2012? When I hear that, I can honestly tell you this is my immediate response--but my book isn't finished yet! Even before being scared of dying, etc, I'm think about this. That's when you know the ambition is there. Still, of course, dying is really scary!

Silence

2011-09-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I've decided that listening to songs while writing just doesn't work. I get too distracted by the lyrics. For years, I've been listening to background music tracks during my writing sessions. After all, writing a novel is a time sucking endeavor, and I'm trying to stay sane during this process. However, I've decided this just proves my lack of mental toughness. If you're truly passionate, you should be able to write under any circumstances. I've been trying to write with no music on, and I find that my productivity goes up, so that settles it. From today onward, I'm writing in silence.

Working harder

2011-09-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

Even though I've been editing around a chapter a week, I've been feeling down, because I think I need to be working harder.

As you might recall, I recently attended a Writer's Digest webinar recently, and I gained a lot from it. Now, I just realized all the archived sessions are available for, I think 80USD or something. That's not the issue here. I'll gladly go broke if it means I can improve my craft. The trouble is that I take way too long to go through this tutorials. That webinar I spoke of, I downloaded it from about a month ago, and I literally just finished taking notes from it last night. It's not good enough. If I listened to the webinars during my work commutes, things would move much faster, but I need to take notes, and more important, when I listen to talks while walking, I always drift off. That shows my mental toughness needs work. It needs to become a habit, and I need to get on it today.

Another issue is, every second that I spend doing something unrelated to writing, I feel bad. I need to settle down before I go insane, and I also need to start making more sacrifices.

Progress Report 2011/09/15

2011-09-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

Last night, I finished editing chapter 14. My goal now is to have most of chapter 15 edited by this week's end, so let's get after it.

Progress Report 2011/09/11

2011-09-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Chapter 13's done, and I've begun editing chapter 14. It's another long one, so let's get after it. I'm going on holidays next month. My goal is to edit up to at least chapter 15. Also, I've got another todo list piling up. It'd be great if I can clear that before I go, too.

Progress Report 2011/09/02

2011-09-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

Now that Sydney's warming up, my productivity has also improved. I've just been in a fine mood. So, I've edited chapters 11 and 12. Chapter 13 is a short one, so I'm just to rip right through it.

All right, to be honest, I was sick earlier this week, and I edited a huge chunk of chapter 12 while I was at home, that's why. Oh, well, I hope I won't get sick again for a while. I really need to make use of this warm weather.

Even though I managed to write even while I was sick, this little event did remind me of something. We really can't afford to say, oh, I'll do it later, or anything like that. Whenever you're feeling fine, you've got to push and achieve, because tomorrow, you might catch a cold, and that's going to throw off your schedule. I'll keep that in mind.

How to Take Your Short Stories to the Next Level

2011-08-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

Hello people. I just wanted to share this link I found on Writer's Digest. It's a series of links to articles on short story writing:

http://tinyurl.com/4xggqjc

As for how I'm doing, I've been chopping away at my list of manuscript modifications. All right, catch you later!

Foreign language

2011-08-17T04:25:00.000-07:00

In my tale, Mujorn is stuck on the foreign land of Second Atlantis. Unable to read the native's words, he finds the place intimidating. I just want to quickly mention where this idea came from. See, when I was little, my brother and I played a lot of Japanese video games. Back then, I knew zero Japanese, so I had no idea what anybody was saying in those games. That clueless feeling gave those games a frightening vibe. I've never visited a country that communicates in a language foreign to me, but I can imagine it must be quite a challenge. That's the feeling I wanted to express in this work.

Dark House

2011-08-17T04:23:00.001-07:00

I've finished reading Theresa Monsour's Dark House. As always, easy to read and good entertainment to read through after a day's work.

Next, I'll be reading Atlantis and the Cycles of Time by Joscelyn Godwin. It's in my bag and ready to go. Let's see what new findings I gain from this text. Recently, I've been shifting between novels and research books. It helps me stay balanced and motivated.

Themes

2011-08-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

Just like any other kid, I grew up reading stories with lessons behind them. You know, the moral of the story, that kind of deal. There's nothing wrong with them. Giving kids gentle nudges in the right direction is cool. Even today, once in a while, I'd read a young adult's novel for fun. A lot of them are easier to understand, and I find them comfortable to read. Of course, these books all influence me in some way, but I need to be careful here.

Okay, so when we're talking about lessons, often, that's related to the story's theme. I'm down with that. Themes give a tale essence. So, what's the theme of Project Lemuria? That would be greed. Now, when I think that, my first thought is, okay, we want to teach readers the right thing, so let's suggest that being greedy is bad. The thing is, the world of adults doesn't operate that way. You say it's greed. I say it's ambition. You get the idea.

Throughout my journey of writing this book, these issues have really cut into my sleep. In the end, I chose to accept that I don't know the answer. There's something pleasant about that conclusion. It's acknowledging that a writer is only one person, and it would be arrogant for her to be preaching anybody. Instead of enforcing a theme, it's more elegant to explore it. Let the readers finish the tale with their imagination. I think that's the best way.

The writing process is helping me grow as a person, and that's what it should be all about.

Progress Report 2011/08/17

2011-08-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

I've just finished editing chapter ten. So, that means I'm about 1/6 of the way there now. That's awesome. Now, I've piled up a list of modifications I need to make again, so I'll be doing that throughout the upcoming week or two. Yeah, constant delays, but if it makes the work better, I'm down.

Sentence structure

2011-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've finished Theresa Monsour's Dark House. Like I've mentioned, as always, her sentence structures are so unique. Traditionally, sentences consist of a subject, an action and an object. As for Monsour, often, she'd go, "He woke up. Went downstairs." The second sentence is a fragment, but you understand what's going on, because the subject was mentioned in the previous sentence. So, doesn't that make it okay? I'm a fan of writing with efficiency without losing meaning. In that case, this passes my test. Just something to think about.

Progress Report 2011/08/08

2011-08-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I said I added some extra scenes into the manuscript. When you read that, it doesn't feel like a big deal, but all together, those scenes were over two chapters long. Still, somehow, I managed to edit them all last week. Of course, I'm pleased about that. I admit I feel a bit burned out, though. Oh, well, let's see how I go with chapter ten this week. If I finish, I'll be around 1/6 of the way there! Let's get after it.

Relatable designs

2011-08-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

Many cartoons nowadays feature non-human characters. For example, animals, or even cars. Have you noticed something, though? The designers always make them resemble humans. At the very least, they'll have two eyes and a mouth. Why? It's because that makes them easier to relate to. Empathy and sympathy are two core emotions you want your audience to maintain, so there's something to think about the next time we design characters.

279 Days to Overnight Success

2011-08-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

I've finished reading 279 Days to Overnight Success, by Chris Guillebeau. As you can guess from the title, the book teaches us that there's no such thing as an overnight success. Consistency is the only thing that will get you to where you want.

This book doesn't offer any writing techniques, but it does contain tips on how to promote yourself. I'm nowhere near the promotion stage yet, but I've added plenty of points to my bible, so that makes this read worthwhile already. This book isn't just for writers, though. The author spends a lot of time talking about how you can make a living from blogging. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I'd recommend checking it out. Heck, it's free, so there's no excuse, right?

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/overnight-success/

Just want to give a quick thanks to Chris for sharing this article with us.

How and why

2011-08-01T04:33:00.001-07:00

As my close friends know, I keep a bible for everything I care about. They're my written guidelines to success.

Because I'm a believer of efficiency, I do my best to get straight to the point with these bibles. To meet that goal, I never mention the reasoning behind any particular technique. In fact, I don't even give it much thought. Instead, I just jot down the exact instruction. You know, don't ask why, just shut up and do it kind of deal.

Recently, I discovered a basketball technique that boosts my shooting accuracy. The thing is, I don't understand why it works. It's scary, because this technique goes against what most coaches teach, yet the result shows that it's effective. So, I started to reason with myself. Let me think about this. Why does it work? After thinking for a while, I came up with a legitimate reason. Next, I figured it's time to practice and practice until this new motion becomes second nature. To my surprise, that was hardly needed. After convincing myself why the technique works, I find I can execute the move naturally.

It seems to me like if you understand why, you can master a technique much faster. I used to believe that you should train yourself physically before you bother with the mental aspects, but perhaps I was wrong. You can spend hours and hours training everyday, but if you're not using your head, it's just a waste of time. Conversely, if you're able to develop the right mindset, you're already ahead of the competition. Of course, the two must go hand in hand. I can come up with a potential idea, but if I don't get out there and test it out, I won't know if the idea is actually valid. This is an approach that can be applied to anything in life, and I definitely plan to implement it into my craft.

Too flawed

2011-08-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in a previous post, recently, I've become worried that Mujorn, the main character, is too unlikeable at the start. I'll always believe in creating realistic characters over likable characters. For that reason, I have no trouble with giving characters flaws. However, I think I've gone too far with this. I'm so focused on making them rough that I've, well, made them too rough. So, I've decided that I need to add some scenes to show Mujorn is in fact no a bad guy at all. This needs to happen naturally, though, so for a long time, I didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, I've just worked it out. After outlining these new scenes, I sat down and typed them all out. This happened last Sunday, and I in fact typed over 4000 words in one sitting. That goes to show how excited I am about these additions. Not only do these new scenes make Mujorn more sympathetic, they also managed to resolve several other issues. I won't go into details, but before, during an early scene, Finyomu makes a decision that is completely unethical. Even I found myself unable to forgive her. In that case, the readers would probably want her dead, which isn't what I want. The new scenes resolved this issue as well, so basically, I'm pumped. I guess this is why I have so much white hair. Too much thinking.

Now, I need to spend this week editing the new scenes. Then, I'll insert them into the appropriate places in the manuscript.

Progress Report 2011/08/01

2011-08-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

It's been about two weeks since I last posted, and I've edited two chapters during that time. As you can guess, things are progressing smoothly, but now, there's going to be a little delay with my work flow. I'll explain in the next post.

Dark House

2011-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Dark House, by Theresa Monsour. Man, this is the perfect book to read after Edgar Cayce's Atlantis. As I've mentioned, Atlantis was a challenge to read. Theresa's books, on the other hand, well, her writing is just one of the easiest to understand out there.

When I was younger, Theresa was one of my favourite authors, because she follows the fundamentals so well. Her specialty is short sentences. I can read a single paragraph by Theresa and tell it's her work. There isn't another author in my head who possesses that kind of unique style. Having said that, sometimes, you could say it stands out too much, and it distracts from the story. I don't think so, though. To me, it's just easy to read. During my earlier years, I used to mimic Theresa's style, because I believed that was the ideal way to write. These days, I've established my own form. I've added my own rhythm, expressed my own brand of emotions. Still, Theresa's cool for sure, and I look forward to sinking right through Dark House.

To Have and Have Not

2011-07-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

All right, so I've finished reading To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. Many writers say it's important to read contemporary works. That's an excellent point, and I definitely do read a lot of current books, but you know, once in a while, I just can refrain from going back. All my friends know I'm pretty old school in that way. There's a special essence about old books that gives me a warm feeling. A lot of techniques you see in those books, you won't really find anymore, because they're no longer standard. Breaking the forth wall, vastly different story structures, etc. That's classic and that's fun. At the same time, it's so exciting to see some other stuff has already been established since those days, such as characterization.

Overall, it was a fun read. Now I feel refreshed and ready to get back to reading some more recent titles. Thanks, Hemingway!

Atlantis

2011-07-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

I've finished reading Atlantis, by Edgar Cayce. For those who don't know, Edgar was known as "the Sleeping Prophet". In his sleep, he could connect to an alternate dimension that supposedly contained data on countless things about the universe. He offered suggestions to those who were sick, and the ones who followed his instructions did indeed recover. Of course, this caused many others to seek his advice. During his life time, he conducted a series of readings on the ancient civilization of Atlantis. Those readings were recorded into this book.

Of course, I'm reading this for research, but it's also fun. I think to any reader, the notion of a lost civilization is romantic. Anyway, I was ready to gain some new knowledge, but I ran into an obstacle. You see, during his dream state, Edgar's sentence structures were pretty difficult to understand, and there's about 200 pages worth of his readings in here. So, the process was quite draining. Because of time constraints, in the end, I chose to just power my way through it. If there were bits I didn't get, I was more than happy to move on.

Edgar mentioned many things I was already using for my book. The destruction of Atlantis due to the Atlanteans' materialism, and, of course, the motherland--Lemuria. By far the biggest thing I gained from this book is learning about the Atlanteans and Lemurians' beliefs. In my book, I have characters who can perform all kinds of spells using chants. For a long time, I wasn't sure what they should actually chant about. I wanted it to sound poetic, but come on, I'm no poet. Anything I wrote just sounded phoney, and it embarrassed me to even read it. Now, after reading Atlantis, I picked up on some terms, like Law of One, the Third Dimension, the Forth Dimension, etc. They were explained, too, which helped a lot. I jotted down all these terms and have been using them for the characters' spells. In the book, I never explain what they mean, but I believe the meanings can be deciphered, which makes it even more fun.

This book helped me solved a large piece of my books' puzzle, so I was definitely glad I read it.

First impression

2011-07-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Often, we judge people based on first impression. It's human nature, and I need to give that more thought.

So, Mujorn is the protagonist of this book I'm writing. Of course, as the author, I know he'll grow to become a very decent person. But, at the start, he has no special skills, swears a lot, and have little confidence about anything. Would people really want to follow his journey? Possibly not, so that's a concern. I've tried to be as honest as I can when it comes to expressing his thoughts. You know, things like fantasizing over being a hero but taking no action in reality. When you read that, it seems pathetic, but face it, you've had thoughts like that before, and I believe stories are all about portraying emotions in a heartfelt fashion.

Still, I'll start thinking about how I can make Mujorn a more follow worthy protagonist. Keep in mind that I won't change him for anyone's sake. If he's a grumpy guy, then that's who he is, and to those who don't like him, that's too bad.

How to Plot and Structure Your Novel

2011-07-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've attended How to Plot and Structure Your Novel, a webinar offered by Writers Digest.

First, the actual event. The audio quality was a little average, and the speaker was interjected at the end, because she's gone over the allocated time. Things like that made it slightly jarring, but that's fine, because the information she gave was pure gold. Things never got sidetracked. It was around an hour of info dumping, and in this case, you can't ask for anything better.

I received the query letter critique today. Now, I never expected an essay length response, but I expected more than just a couple of sentences. The pros don't help me get better, so let's talk about the cons. She said my POV is a bit jarring, but there was no elaboration, so I have no idea what to do about it. This just further persuades me to find a proper editor to look at the work before seeking out an agent. Though I've been doing this for years and years, I've never tried to get published, so the road ahead is a long one. As long as the story's there, things will be fine.

Sadly, Cheryl said she wouldn't accept my story if this was a formal inquiry. That's also okay. I expected to be rejected by an endless list of agents when the time comes, anyway. That is the path of a writer.

Overall, would I attend another Writers Digest webinar? Yes, but I'd be very selective about it. With writing books, it's quite affordable to buy a stash at a time. There's this local bookstore I visit. I think I've got 80% of the writing books they have already. These webinars are pricey, but they do offer solid data I can add to my bible. I just need to select only ones with the best topics.

Progress Report 2011/07/16

2011-07-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's been about two weeks since I last did a progress report, and I've edited two chapters during that time. So, I'm pleased, and I'm going to keep up this consistency.

Room Visit: Wynhark

2011-07-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

Before leaving Second Atlantis, we're going to ride a thunderbird to the Birdling Valley and check out Wynhark's room.

*

All right, come on in. Keep away from the plants--they'll eat you. Those plaques? They're trophies from my hunts. Yeah, a surfacer like you wouldn't recognize these animals. Take my word for it; they're beasts you wouldn't be able to handle. Oh, oh, oh, here's one you'd recognize. It's a human skull. An Atlantean's, to be exact. Damn, that was satisfying. Take a look at these weapons, too. They might look rusty, but they served my ancestors well.

Well, there's one more room I can show you. Actually, no, I'm not going to. Okay, that's all, then. I'll call Qu to give you a ride back. No, no, no, just wait here until Qu shows up. If you wander out into the valley by yourself, you'll probably be killed within minutes.

Room Visit: Jatrola Xupelli

2011-07-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

As Jatrola's flying us back into the Silver Sector, we ask her what her room is like. She spent most of the time ignoring you, but eventually, she responded, probably just to satisfy our curiosity and make us shut up.

*

Fine, fine, I'll tell you. Even for an underling, you talk way too much.

Look, I don't have my own room, all right? I'm just a servant, so I share a bedroom with the rest of them lowlings. But if I did have my own room, I'd start collecting scrolls related to sorcery and stack them on a shelf. I'll need an extra bed for Lady Vaetriss, too. You know, for when she comes over to play. Actually, I might have to go and ask her. Whatever my lady wants, I'll provide.

Okay, we're off. Get off, and get out of my face.

Room Visit: Sesmyn Eslilgur

2011-07-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

On the way out of Vaetriss's home, we bump into King Eslilgur.

*

What do you think you're doing in my temple? Are you are surfacer? If you are, you do know you're never leaving this place again. An Atlantean? But you look like a dwarf by our standards. I find that hard to believe.

My room? I can't just let you walk into a king's place. Besides, you'll be killed within five steps. The place is filled with traps set up to keep me safe, so don't try to sneak in or anything. You think I'm paranoid, but it's a necessity for a king. There are more guards outside my room than in any other place, and I have plans to assign even more guards and traps. It's no place for a commoner like you. The walls have paintings of my ancestors, but that's not any of your business.

All right, get out of here before I have you executed. I shouldn't even let you live, considering how you've sneaked in here, but I'm feeling generous today, so be grateful for it. I'll get Xupelli to fly you back, but don't ever show your face here again, or you'll lose that head.

Room Visit: Vaetriss Eslilgur

2011-07-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the sunkens don't really have rooms to speak of. It's not their fault, though. Oh, well, let's ride a raft all the way into the Golden Sector and see if Vaetriss will show us her room.

*

Hey, I can show you my room, but you'd better hurry before the guards show up. What? You're scared? Come on, don't be such a turtle shell. Get in, already.

Well, do you like it? Yeah, those walls are pretty shiny, but you'll get used to it. Those plushies on the bed are cute, aren't they? They're supposed to be sea creatures. Anyway, they're really cuddly and nice to touch. You can check one out if you want.

Those flutes and panpipes on the walls? They're replicas of instruments used by history's greatest players. Yeah, of course you don't recognize them. I don't expect much from surfacers. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to be mean.

As you can see, my table's filled with all kinds of amulets. I always put them on when I'm playing music. You know, I heard it enhances your powers, or something. I think it works, but I don't know.

Uh oh, I think a guard's coming in. What? No, I'm not going to let you hide in my closet. You're going to have to get dragged out, I'm afraid. Sorry! I'll see you around, I guess.

Whoops, that didn't turn out too well.

Room Visit: Finyomu

2011-07-02T02:25:00.000-07:00

Well, Omukan was kind of cold there, wasn't he? Of course, Finyomu lives in the same house as him. As she shows you the way out, you decide to ask her what her ideal room would be.

*

I am sorry, but what is a room?

I see. So it is some kind of private space within a home. That sounds pleasant, but I dare not wish for it. Father always said not to be greedy. I am content with what we have now.

You had better get going. It is past the sunkens' curfew. May Goddess Amaterasu shine light upon you. Farewell.

Room Visit: Omukan

2011-07-02T02:18:00.000-07:00

Next, we're going to ride a watcher down onto Second Atlantis and pay Omukan a visit. He's living in the sunken slums right now.

*

Come in. Get it over with. No, no doors. Crawl in through hole.

Not much to see. Haystacks in corner for sleeping. Wooden table for dining. Water bucket for drinking. That robe on the wall? Just some old cloth. Other clothes hung outside, as you saw.

No, will not ask for more. Surviving. That is enough. Get out.

Room Visit: Rodney Gill

2011-07-02T02:07:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, this room visit takes place before the novel's beginning. Rodney Gill is still living on the surface, so let's climb those apartment stairs and pay him a visit.

*

Hey, you're that person I'm supposed to show my room to, right? Yeah, okay, come on in, then. Don't wander around the house, you hear? I'm too busy to give you a full tour. Yes, that's my mum and dad, and yes, I'm still living with my parents. You got a problem with that?

Okay, here it is. I'm working on a painting at the moment, as you can see. It's my best work yet. I'm sure the art gallery will accept this one. Even those ignorant curators will know this one's something special. What, you can't tell what it is? Are you stupid or something? It's a hero carrying a sword. Yeah, people keep saying he kind of looks like me. Look, it just turned out that way, I don't know.

And to the side is my bookshelf. Yeah, I'm pretty serious about art, as you can tell with all my books. O-of course I've read them all. Shit, are you doubting me?

Hey, watch those beer cans on the table. Some of them aren't empty, so don't go knocking them over.

Shit, what're you doing? Don't go looking under my bed! Is that what you do every time you visit somebody's room. Fuck, that's just rude. They're just old magazines, damn it. What the fuck?

Okay, I'll have to see you out now. I've still got this painting to work on, so I don't have much time for these dumb tours.

Room Visits

2011-07-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

In video games, often, you get to visit the protagonist's room, headquarters, or whatever the case might be. You can learn a lot about a character by visiting her room. The best part is, the characters' traits are shown rather than told to you. Unfortunately, during a story, it's often hard to find an excuse for a room visit. For one, in my book, you never even visit the protagonist's house, let alone his room. So, let's just do it as a side thing. We're going to visit the room of every character in my book. I'm going to term this the room visit series. Of course, there may be potential spoilers, so do be careful. Also, something else. These visits take place before the novel's events occur. So, it's a prequel of sorts. Keep in mind also that I'm still in the process of editing the book, which means some of my decisions may not be finalized. Oh, well. Let's see what we can learn by doing this exercise.

Progress Report 2011/07/02

2011-07-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Happy July, people! This Thursday, I finished editing chapter six. After taking a day off, I've now commenced editing chapter seven. So far, I've been editing about a chapter every one to two weeks. Let's aim to keep that up.

During my lunch breaks, I've also begun to research existing authors' websites. I'm taking notes, so let's see how my own site will end up when the time comes. Of course, many of the sections don't apply to me until I become published. That's fine, though. If you want to reach a particular status. First, you must act as if you're already there. Within reason, no doubt. It's just a balance between confidence and reality.

What writing's done for me

2011-06-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

I don't just use words to generate fiction. Writing has also helped me in my pursuit for success in life.

Here's something you might not have known about me. For the past few years, just about every day, when I get up, I'll write down the list of things I want to achieve for the day. By write, I mean pen and paper. Just that process of writing down your goals help put them into your subconscious. For one, you no longer need to fuss about them, because they're written on paper, so you free up your mind for other matters. Also, I find that once the goals have been written, nothing can stop me from achieving them. It is as if those words foretell the future, and I have no choice but to obey. Each time I tick off a goal, I feel a surge of satisfaction, and that feeling motivates me to keep striving.

Next, I maintain a guidebook for everything I care about. Obviously, writing is one. I also keep a guidebook for my basketball pursuits, then there's one for my day job, etc. Here's how it works. Every time I learn something new, I'll add them to my guidebook. Once in a while, I'll tweak them and remove anything I no longer believe in. Now, you might think I refer to these guidebooks very often. Actually, I hardly ever do it. So, why bother keeping them? Again, the process of writing those techniques down help me establish them into my subconscious. After a few practice sessions, they become second nature, and that's what it's all about.

So, as you can see, I'm grateful to writing in many ways, and that's why I do what I do.

Growth

2011-06-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

We're all passionate about something, but I've noticed we often experience similar troubles.

First, a lot of us seem to want validation more than critique. As in, we want to hear that we're already masters of our crafts, and there's no need to put in any more work. That's understandable, because getting critiqued can hurt, but you know how the cliché goes--what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I'm human, and I get upset when I fail, but deep inside, there's always excitement as well, because I know that I'm about to level up, and that's what it's all about. Day in and day out, you ask yourself, "How can I get better?" There's no such thing as good enough. This especially applies when you're attending webinar, etc. Why would you pay money just to be patted on the back? When you think about it, it's quite odd.

Second, we have an issue with skepticism. Often, when we hear a new idea, before we even give it a try, we reject it. Again, it's an understandable reaction, because embracing new concepts means change, and changes means work. However, the only way to improve is to change. It's not about just blindly practicing. Instead, it's about changing.

Third, we often don't make the effort to seek out new information. You can work hard on your own, and that's fantastic, but often, doing research will help you improve much faster. Get out there and talk to people. Seek for feedback, etc. Sometimes, you need to pay money for research, and if you're serious about the craft, that's something you should be willing to do. Again, a lot of the times, we just go, "Oh, nah, that's a ripoff." Indeed, often, you might end up getting ripped off, but you might also be turning away from opportunities to grow.

What it is that you're passionate about, let's get about it today.

Attending a webinar

2011-06-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've attended several writing related webinars in the past, but never one featured on Writer's Digest, because, the truth is, they do cost quite a bit. Now, I'd like to tell myself that I'm willing to fork out as much money as needed to pursue my dream, but reality does come into play. Still, I'm serious about the craft, so I need to make it happen.

I've just finished applying for How to Plot and Structure Your Novel. The webinar costs $89, but as part of the deal, you get to submit the first 250 words of your manuscript and query letter, and they'll both be critiqued. I look forward to the experience and just gaining as much out of it as possible by asking tons of questions. Once it's all done, I'll report on it. If I find the experience worthwhile, I'll definitely return for more. Wish me luck!

70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

2011-06-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another book I finished last weekend--70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes by Bob Mayer. The thing is, when I finished reading it, I thought, "Wait, haven't I read this before?" Sad, but to this day, I still don't know, because I've burned through so much writing material. That's fine, though, because I still learned a couple of new things from it. If you're a beginning writer, this book will give you a huge boost to your craft, so it needs to be picked up right now. Even the experienced writers might learn a thing or two from it. Overall, I'd recommend it for sure.

The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide

2011-06-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I read The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide by Mark Coker. It teaches you how to promote yourself in this digital era, and I learned some new things from it, so I'd recommend it for sure. Pick it up and start taking notes.

To Have and Have Not

2011-06-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've been reading To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. A lot of writers say to read new works, because it's all about keeping it touch. That makes sense, but I still have to turn back and read the classics once in a while. Indeed, often, there isn't much to gain from them, because their styles are different to the ones of today. Still, I like being able to appreciate how things turned out to be the way they are now. We all learn from our predecessors, so they should always be embraced.

Dark Space

2011-06-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

I've just finished reading Dark Space by Marianna de Pierres. Man, I love her writing style. Her writing is fundamentally sound, yet still easy to read. As for the story, that was fine, too. The pacing is good, and it depicts reality well. Here's what I mean by this. When someone dies in real life, often, it's so sudden that you don't even get a chance to say your goodbye, yet in a lot of fiction, there's always some melodrama taking place as someone dies in her lover's arms, or something. In Dark Space, this is not the case, so you never really get pulled out of the experience.

Anti-heroes

2011-06-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

There's a reason why anti-heroes have been around for so long. It's because they just work. Writers always talk about making the protagonist likable. I say just let her be natural. Allow her to do what she wants, then leave it up to the readers to decide whether they want to embrace her. All right, before we proceed, let me issue an warning. The below may contain some spoilers for the video game Mafia II, okay?

In Mafia II, you control a gang member. If you're a traditionalist, you might think that wouldn't work. After all, most people wouldn't like criminals. I ended up growing quite fond of the protagonist, though. He might kill people for a living, but he still has principles. For one, he doesn't feel good about selling drugs to people, because he knows it messes with lives. Also, despite picking fights with people left and right, he cares for his mother and sister, and would do anything for them. Internal conflicts like these make characters more appealing. In real life, that's what we're like. Often, we'll do one thing even though we actually wanted something else. Humans are complex creatures, and they should be portrayed that way. It sounds daunting, but with experience, it's possible. Again, it's about pacing and rhythm.

Just remember, those out of character moments are often the most memorable.

Too tense

2011-06-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

When talking about writing, people always stress the importance of having tension. It makes sense, because, let's face it, when you're just walking along the street, and you see two people fighting, that catches your attention. It's human nature to watch, but it's also human nature to keep your distance. This is because tension becomes stifling when it surpasses a certain level. If we're giving out writing advice, I think this should be mentioned more.

Often, when a story's setting is appealing enough, I don't even need to hear about the villains. Instead, I just wished the author would give me a tour around the world she's created. It's like the Shire in the Lord of the Rings. Invite me to Bilbo's party. Let me hang out with the hobbits.

On the other hand, many books out there feature dystopian worlds. That's all well and good, but sometimes, I'm not in the mood for it. Let's say it's a Friday night, and I've just finished enduring a full week of work. When I come home, I want to party, even if it's inside a fiction.

So, let me consider where my project stands in this topic. To be honest, the world I've created is mostly depressing. Fortunately, our heroes do visit some brighter places later on. When I get to those chapters during my edits, I must make an effort to give those environments some more life. The point is, there's nothing wrong with having some peaceful moments in a story. Having good will help emphasise the bad. Life runs in a rhythm, so if you want your stories to portray life, then your tales should also have ups and downs.

Unimportant characters

2011-06-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

First, a warning. This post may contain spoilers for the video game Front Mission Evolved.

A while back, I played through the latest installment of Front Mission. Its story seemed to hold promise, because many of the characters had unique quirks. One guy is obssessed with Sun Tzu's Art of War. This bad girl thinks gunfire and explosions sound like music. I thought these characters will be well fleshed out. Unfortunately, most of their development stopped there. Some of them would make their grand appearance, only to be wiped out several missions later. Upon realising this, I almost wished they had no personality to begin with. That way, there would be no expectations, and hence no disappointment.

This is a common topic of discussion when talking about writing. If a character is unimportant, should she even have a name? To me, the answer is no. The human brain can only hold so much, and when I read a name in a book, I make an effort to remember it, thinking its important. If that character never appears again, I'll feel like I've wasted my time. My book will end up being around a hundred thousand words long, and it has just seven names. Wait, that's a lie. There are a few extras, but I hope I've presented them in such a way that it's obvious they won't stick around. Of course, I'll avoid getting into details. Sometimes, it's hard to avoid using names, because it can be distracting to use pronouns for extended periods. Still, you just need to do your best.

Self promotion

2011-06-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Based on my research, it seems like nowadays, to be a writer, you must learn to self promote. It makes sense, because we're living in the digital era. In the past, even if I liked a book, it was hard to find out more about the author. These days, I type in her name, and I can probably find pictures. You need to be an entertainer speaker, etc. I can embrace that. Presentations is something I've never really been shy about. Thinking back, I should thank the education system for pushing me into doing so many speeches, etc.

Anyway, I never gave this much thought, because I haven't even published one book yet. However, as of late, I've been receiving advice saying that you need to establish a community even while writing your first novel. That way, when you write those query letters, if the publishers and agents know you have an audience, your chances of being accepted will increase.

One thing I'll need is a website. Although I'm a digital media graduate, I'm ashamed to say I don't trust my own skills in web development. I've always lacked talent when it comes to designing layouts. We'll see. I might have to find someone. No, I can probably pull it off. I'm sure things will work out.

I'll also need a blog. One that looks better than this current one. Again, this takes time, so I'll need to let it run its course.

Another thing I need is a Twitter account. I've got one already. Two, in fact, but I write rubbish in them, because they're just tweets between friends. If I'm doing a writing account, I need to make my tweets more valuable. It'll happen at some point.

Before any of that, I need to do research. I must visit existing authors' websites and take notes. What kind of pages do they have? Let me visit their fan forums. What are those fans into? A lot of work needs to go in here. So, here's my plan. For the next few months, during my office lunch breaks, I'll visit authors' sites and commence my research. Then, during the Christmas break, I'll start setting up my own stuff. The thing is, this will take so many hours out of my writing time, which I'm not a fan of. Sacrifices will be needed. Less reading, games, going out, whatever. I know what I want to do and I'm going after it. This isn't good enough. The plan is too vague. Let me bust out pen and paper and start plotting this out.

Foreign languages

2011-06-20T04:26:00.000-07:00

Fantasy books often feature foreign languages. Being a fantasy nerd, I'm into that.

Even though I was raised in Hong Kong, because I've lived in Australia for so long, my chinese isn't good at all. In the past, I used to be shy about talking with strangers in cantonese, because I know I'm bad at it. Now that I'm a bit older, I've been learning to just have a go. I think most people would appreciate your effort rather than look down on you for it. Well, it's not like I have a choice, as I'll be visiting HK in a few months.

So, to follow that up, I've set a little goal for myself. I'll be staying in HK for about a month. During that time, I've decided that I'm going to grab a Chinese book to read. Of course, I read in English most of the time, so I think it will be a fun experience. I'm hoping that it'll somehow give me some new insights into writing in general, but if it doesn't, that's fine, too.

Titles

2011-06-19T13:43:00.001-07:00

A while ago, I tried to look up a book with a generic name, and as a result, Google threw back a bunch of generic results, which didn't help my search. I can't remember what book it was, but it did teach me something. Unless your book is popular, you'd want to give it a unique name, one that doesn't research many results on the search engine. This is why to this day, I still haven't decided on a name for my current project. For instance, let's say I named it something stock like Underwater Adventures. Okay, let me look that up right now. "About 1,550,000 results". Yeah.

Of course, you don't want to decide on a name that has no relation to the story just for the sake of standing out, but it's worth thinking about.

Progress Report 2011/06/19

2011-06-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, I finished editing chapter five. Let's keep it going. I've actually got a couple of posts I want to write up, but it's almost bedtime, so I'll leave them for another day.

5 Free E-Books Every Writer Needs

2011-06-11T02:39:00.000-07:00

I came across a great post on the Writers Digest blog. It's "5 Free E-Books Every Writer Needs". The best thing is, it's all free, and you can find them here:

http://tinyurl.com/6avv4zq

I'll be spending the next few weeks reading through this information. If you're a writer, you should, too, because it's all about getting better every day.

Progress Report 2011/06/11

2011-06-11T02:38:00.000-07:00

I've just finished editing chapter four, so that's another one ticked off the list. That's about it, really. I'm enjoying my long weekend right now. Tomorrow, I'll begin editing chapter five.

Progress Report 2011/06/07

2011-06-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've finished going through my list of things to tweak. Well, there's still a war scene I need to rewrite, but I'm nowhere near ready, so I'll keep my mind active and just continue to edit in the mean time.

I'm just about done with editing chapter four. A long weekend is coming, so you know how I'll be spending it.

Lately, I haven't been posting much at all. That's because the editing phase is by far the most time consuming. If I have time to blog, I figured I should spend that time writing instead. Oh well, I'll be here whenever I can.

Progress Report 2011/05/30

2011-05-30T03:57:00.001-07:00

There were three new scenes I had to write, and they were all written last week. I'm pretty pleased about that. This week, I'll aim to clear the remaining items on my modifications list. Then, I'll resume editing.

Pretty cliché

2011-05-23T03:36:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, my friend and I was looking at the cover of some video game. I can't even remember what game it was now. Anyway, there was a girl on the cover. I asked my friend what he thought of the game. He said it sucks how the girl isn't hot. I replied, yeah, it's true, but maybe the developers wanted to portray a realistic person rather than a fantastic one. My friend said if the girl isn't hot, then it sucks, and that was that.

So, that conversation was all in good fun, but it did give me something to think about. See, when you introduce a heroine in a novel, if you spend too much time describing how pretty she is, then it gives off that stock vibe. In fact, even the mere mentioning of this could be a risk.

Here's another story from many years ago. After watching the first Harry Potter film, a friend of mine said that Hermione was as pretty as she had imagined. Now, from memory, the book never said anything about her being pretty, and that's fine. Let's face it, when a guy reads the book, his imagination will take care of that business.

I like to think of it this way. If you've got a close friend who's of the opposite gender, you're not really going to think he or she is hot. That person's just a friend of yours, and that's it. I'd love people to become friends with the characters from my works, so I try to offer them that same treatment. I hope that makes some sense. You just want people to appreciate your characters for who they really are. When you accept someone's flaw, somehow, that attachment can actually be tighter.

Nonetheless, when I read through my first draft, I find that I've still talked about the girls being pretty. In all honesty, that temptation will just always be there. So, I've stripped those all out, and I've actually gone as far as to give them all some imperfection. Maybe it's a statement of mine. I don't know. In any case, I've done my best to make this all natural, so I hope people will embrace these honest feelings.

Bosses

2011-05-22T06:45:00.003-07:00

As a kid, I played a lot of RPGs, and I'm still playing them today. Anyway, recently, I recall playing a game where some boss took around three hours to beat. Is that an overkill? Definitely, but at the same time, for that reason, I remember the fight to this day. I'm not a fan of, you know, epic for the sake of being epic, but the reality is, sometimes, when an event lasts for a long time, that's enough to make it memorable.

After thinking about this, I read through my manuscript and considered if the final confrontations are noteworthy. They're fine, but they could definitely be better. To be honest, when I was writing my first draft, I think I grew fatigued by the time I reached the tale's climax. Also, I feel like to this day, The Lord of the Rings' Sauron has affected me a bit. He's the main villain, yet in the novel, he never really showed his face. In a way, that makes him terrifying. I guess I wanted to achieve the same effect, but I failed to do so. This isn't a novel that calls for that set up.

So, I've decided to edit the final scenes and dramatize them some more. At the moment, the villains surrender a bit too easily. A bit of exaggeration is in order here. I want to twist the bad guys a little further. Bring them to a point where they can no longer turn back.

Of course, it all sounds so plain here, but this all needs to be done naturally. The only way to achieve this is with maturity and experience. Now, let me go and give this a shot.

Well, actually, I'm going to sleep now. I'll do it tomorrow.

The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy

2011-05-22T06:45:00.001-07:00

This week, I finished reading The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy. I got some cool knowledge out of it. This book is one of the reasons I've got a new list of things to tweak right now. As a sci-fi and fantasy nerd, I just devoured the stuff in this book. If you're also a fan of those genres, you might be interested in doing the same. A pretty fun read!

Progress Report 2011/05/22

2011-05-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've spent this week going through my list of things to tweak. The small edits are all finished, and I've also done a bit of research. I've still got three fairly large sections to write, though. There's nothing to it but to do it.

Progress Report 2011/05/14

2011-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

I've just finished editing chapter three. Now, I would proceed to chapter four, but the thing is, I've been reading The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy, and a bunch of new ideas have crossed my mind as a result. I've got about two pages' worth of tweaks I need to do, so, I'll take around two weeks off to go and do that. It sucks how these delays keep happening, but I guess it's not right to call them delays. These all improve the tale, and I won't let these opportunities go to waste.

Staying motivated

2011-04-28T06:51:00.001-07:00

I've worked out a new tip to staying motivated, so I figured I'll share it with you here.

First, I'm a gamer. Now, I've noticed that when I get hooked into a game, it's because the game is offering an endless list of small goals for me to purchase. For example, maybe your character levels up very easily. In that case, I find myself going, just one more level, just one more level, or maybe it's, just one more mission, just one more mission. You get the idea.

It's the same thing with writing. I find James Patterson's books pretty addicting. So, I wonder, why is that? Sure, the plot isn't bad at all. The guy's famous for a reason. Then, after doing some thinking, I believe it's because his books tend to have very short chapters. With that, I find myself going, just one more chapter, just one more chapter.

So, here's the secret. To stay motivated, I think giving yourself a series of short term goals will help a lot. When the next goal is always in sight, you just want to reach for it. Don't get me wrong, those long term, big picture goals are essential. Guess what, though? Big goals are made from a series of short goals, and if you want to stay inspired, it won't heard to set those small goals down onto paper.

How do I apply this to my writing? Well, I've spent the past few days dividing my chapters up. You see, when I edit, I go through one chapter at a time. By making the chapters shorter, it takes less time to finish editing one, and every time I do, I feel a little special inside. This hooks me to that nice feeling, and I start going after it. Also, because I enjoy novels with short chapters, this means I'll love my book a little more, too.

Let's get after it.

Urgency

2011-04-25T03:12:00.001-07:00

As I've mentioned, I had food poisoning last week. It never developed into anything fatal, but it was possible, so that alone was pretty scary. This ordeal reminded me to work with a little more urgency. Actually, I've always known this, because I'm a basketball player, an in sports, there's only so much time you have before you grow old and can't play anymore. Still, it was a nice reminder. I've already got a long list of books that I want to write, and the truth is, you just never know when God will decide it's time for you to go. So, we really shouldn't assume we'll have all the time in the world, because you just don't know. I need to work hard, but without rushing things, of course. Then, when it's time for me to move on, I hope I can look back and say I'm pleased with what I've managed to get done.

I'm not sure what you're passionate about. Whatever it is, maybe you'd want to consider doing your thing with a little more urgency.

Progress Report 2011/04/22

2011-04-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

Around a week ago, I started editing chapter one. Because it's a still a new phase, my motivation is high, and I've been making great progress. Unfortunately, several days later, I was hit with a bad case of food poisoning. This was the first time I've had food poisoning, and I had no idea it'd be this bad. It felt like a life and death situation. During that time, I did not feel like writing. When I don't want to write, you know it's really bad.

Oh well, that's all behind me now, so it's time to resume writing. Of course, I'm a week behind schedule now. I won't make some naive attempt to catch up, though. That's just going to burn me out. Instead, I'll just look forward and keep working consistently. The Easter break is here now, so let's see what I can do.

Oh, right, this is meant to be a progress report. Let's see, I've finished editing chapter one, and I'm well on my way in chapter two. All right, let to go to work.

So it begins

2011-04-11T03:52:00.000-07:00

It's currently 8:53pm, the 11th of April, 2011. I'm about to commence the final edits of my novel. All the way back to chapter one, which feels a little daunting, but that's the craft. It's a long road, but the goal is definitely within reach. Let's go get it.

Many emotions

2011-04-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

Often, in a book, the protagonist will say something like, "I looked at her face and saw a mixture of shock, hurt, anger and sadness." You know, something along those lines. Hold on, is that actually possible? Have you ever looked at someone's face and interpreted all those emotions? I don't think I have. Now, the writer obviously knows how the characters are feeling at any given time. The narrator however, shouldn't be able to read minds. So, when I read that kind of stuff, it takes me out of the story a tiny bit, I suppose.

What do you think? I guess I'll go and ask my writing comrades.

Progress Report 2011/04/10

2011-04-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

This week? I did very little! It's alright, I planned for it to happen. You know, I've completed the preliminary edits, so I figured I'd give myself a week off. Still, I made some modifications to the manuscript, but in total, I've probably only worked about three-four hours this week. Well, it's a new week now. No more excuses. Butt on chair and let's put some serious hours in. You go and work hard too, okay?

"The Loose Cannon" finished

2011-04-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

This morning, I attended Matt Wallace's webinar, The Loose Cannon. I got some nice tips out of it, so it was worth the attendance fee for sure. This is the thing. Information is money, people. If you're serious about your craft, whatever that may be, you need to hunt down the best information. Often, that means folking out a bit of money, and you need to be prepared to do that. I've spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on writing resources, and I can say that without them, I wouldn't be at the level I'm at today. The learning never stops, so we need to keep seeking.

Anyway, during Mur's podcasts, Matt acts like such a jerk, so to be honest, the idea of interacting with him was a bit scary! It turned out, however, that Matt is a pretty nice guy. I had a feeling that was the case. That "bad cop" thing is fun, but I figured it's just an act. So, it was good times for sure. I love being able to interact with established authors. They have lots of information, and I want to snatch all of them.

Every attendee submitted a short story to Matt. Matt said he'll send a critique to each person in the coming week. I look forward to getting ripped apart. Once I make the necessary changes, I'll shop the story out to the market again.

Well, that's all. I'm off to add Matt's teachings to my writing bible.

Progress Report 2011/04/01

2011-04-01T01:11:00.000-07:00

A while back, I said I wanted to finish my preliminary edits by the end of March. Well, I've just finished reading through the final chapter. That's cool! Now, let me check the date.

The first of April? I've failed!

Just kidding, guys. As if that even matters. So, yes, the preliminary edits are done. I need another week or two to clear my to do list. After that, it's time for the final editing phase. I make it sound like the journey is near its end. Unfortunately, no, the final edits demand the longest time, by far. That's why I've reserved twenty months to get it done. It sounds like such a long time, but from experience, I can say that I'll have to work hard and consistently to complete this.

So, I guess I'll do exactly that.

Progress Report 27/03/2011

2011-03-27T00:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy, I've just finished doing the preliminary edits of chapter 35 in one sitting. So much for three hours of work every Sunday. I've been sitting on this chair for five hours now. Sometimes, you just fall into a zone. So, yes, I'm pretty happy. There's only one more chapter left. That's exciting stuff. Of course, there's still much more work to do after that, and I'll be ready for it.

The Loose Cannon resumes

2011-03-24T02:03:00.001-07:00

A while ago, I said Matt Wallace was running a webinar called The Loose Cannon. He'll be critique all of the participants' works, etc. I've talked about this already, so I won't repeat myself.

After the incident in Japan, the webinar was postponed. Yesterday, I received an email saying the event will take place next Saturday. The excitement is back, and so is the anxiety. Wish me luck, people. I'm going to get ripped to shreds, but come on, shut up, and take it. That's the way athletes should handle things. I'm not just a writer. I exercise, and I'm a sportsman. This junk is nothing to me. Show me what you've got, buddy. I'll going after it. Hard.

Listen up

2011-03-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

Roy Peter Clark has hosted a podcast named Writing Tools. In the show, he ran through a series of tips that'll help people become better writers. Now, there's actually a book version of this. I've seen it on Kinokuniya. The podcast version is free, though. So, I figured I'd listen to that, and if I like it, I'll buy the book to show my appreciation.

The trouble is, I'm terrible at focusing on audio presentations. I listen to podcasts while I'm walking to work, etc, so that probably doesn't help, either. See, when you're reading, your brain isn't really capable of handling anything else. When you're reading, you're sitting down, and doing nothing else, right? However, when you're listening, say, to a friend, sometimes, your mind will drift off. Surely, that has happened to you before. The same thing happens to me when I'm listening to podcasts. Your mind just starts drifting, etc. Most of the time, I'm listening to sports podcasts, etc, so even if I lose focus, it's not a big deal. It's just entertainment. With podcasts like Writing Tools, though, I really need to focus, yet I fail to do it.

So, if anyone has any tips, send them my way. That's about it, really.

Picking on mistakes

2011-03-19T21:40:00.001-07:00

I've been doing my preliminary edits, and, as always, I've been finding plot holes that don't make much sense, and so I need to fix them. That's okay. It's part of the process. I do wonder, though. How can I improve in this area?

Well, I could try this. From now on, when I read a story, I'll try to find plot holes in them. In the past, I don't do this, because I don't like to disrespect and pick on writers. As a writer, though, I guess this will help me, so I'm going to do it. So long as I'm not reading their stories with the aim of putting them down, it should be fine.