Today I finished working on the rough draft for “The Lone Blue Strand” and then spent time outlining what will be the revision. I hope to take care of that first revised draft tomorrow. The challenge for this story is going to be keeping it within the 3,500 word limit that Penumbra stresses. I was able to do it with “Mechanicis Solis” and that was a story with a similar setting in a steampunk-driven world. For me, steampunk needs description to help ground the reader into the world. That’s difficult when you’re pressed for words, but the result can be beautiful, tight language if done correctly. Now, with “Mechanicis Solis” the story was a bit too steampunk-ish for Penumbra’s “gaslamp fantasy” themed issue last year, but the theme this time around is simply “Isolation.” And I think I’ve got that part nailed with this story.

I’ve got a number of goals I want to finish prior to the ending of the month, so it’s my hope that tomorrow we can kick it into high gear and get a lot written.

• Nonfiction: 279
• Planning and outlining: 809
• Short Fiction: 2400
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 30,743

Total Salable for Month: 7,290

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 80,966

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 18,234

I’ve finished brainstorming and roughly outlining “The Lone Blue Strand” steampunk robocop story, and began work on the rough draft. We’re six handwritten pages in, or approximately 1,800 words. As with most of my rough drafts, I’ll likely abandon the writing entirely and focus more on the scenes and imagery I get out of the initial effort.

• Nonfiction: 84
• Planning and outlining: 1,104
• Short Fiction: 1,800
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 28,343

Total Salable for Month: 7,290

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 78,566

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 18,234

I’m about halfway through the revision of “Putting a New Face on an Old Place” and I’m not sure where the story is going, to be honest with you. Have you ever had that happen? Even with an outline and everything the story just isn’t going where you thought it would? This may have to stew around in my brain some more.

On a positive note, I’ve done a little bit of brainstorming on Penumbra’s “Isolation” theme for this month, and I think I’ve come up with an idea. It’ll be in a steampunk setting and feature the sole survivor of a civilization fallen to war/plague/whatever: an automized human constable. Think of it as a tribute to the aspects of Robocop that I liked best, which were the psychological, trying-to-reclaim-what-was-once-his aspects. Won’t be a thing like Robocop, I assure you. But, it’ll be in the spirit of that: a character no longer fully human attempting to regain or protect something. And no, it won’t be her humanity she’s trying to regain or protect.

• Nonfiction: 201
• Planning and outlining: 000
• Short Fiction: 2,076
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 26,543

Total Salable for Month: 7,290

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 76,766

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 18,234

The first revision of “Pearl Diver” is finished, and the second revision is underway. That should (hopefully) be finished tomorrow morning, depending on how the work day goes. Once that’s finished, it’s on to the first revision of “Putting a New Face on an Old Place” and beginning brainstorming for Penumbra’s “Isolation” theme. If I’m fortunate I can start the rough draft of a story for that as well, but I won’t hold my breath on it.  That could prove to be a tall order, but it’s always good to dream!

• Nonfiction: 118
• Planning and outlining: 000
• Short Fiction: 2,408
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 20,519

Total Salable for Month: 4,800

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 70,742

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 15,744

Today was another underproductive day.  I can’t say “unproductive” because a little bit was accomplished.  Mostly brainstorming on a few short story ideas that have been stewing in my brain for the last several months without me realizing it. I’ve committed very little of these brainstorming activities to paper, which is something I’ll need to rectify before I forget it all again.

I did get started on the revision of “Pearl Diver.”  I’m tempted to mark what I wrote as “salable” as I’m taking my time with getting the wording correct.  Also, the rough draft came out a lot more solid than I had originally thought it would.  But, who knows?  I may scrap and rewrite it several times, so I’ll keep it as simple fiction additions for now, and only once she’s off will the salable part come out.

Yesterday I found out that “Zombielock” wasn’t going to be a good fit for the UFO Anthology.  Alex Shvartsman gave me a rare personalized rejection notice and offered some suggestions on what my second submission ought to be.  It was also good to know that the story did make it far into the process before its ultimate demise.  That’s heartening considering this is a professional anthology.  Here’s hoping one or two of my other ideas take form in the next few weeks!

“Zombielock” has been sent elsewhere, so we’ll see how she fares elsewhere.

In other news, I have a few recently-written works that I haven’t tried to send out for publication in awhile because I’ve lost whatever faith I had in them.  It’s my goal to set aside some time this week to go through at least one of them and see if I can improve on them and send them out again.  Hopefully full rewrites won’t be needed, but that option is on the table.

• Nonfiction: 335
• Planning and outlining: 300
• Short Fiction: 513
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 18,111

Total Salable for Month: 4,800

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 68,334

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 15,744

Today I started making headway on “Putting a New Face on an Old Place.”  I changed protagonists around in the morning and re-outlined the story.  The bulk of the rough draft was written in about 2,300 words, enough that I have a good idea of what’s working and what’s not.  For instance, the story was originally a back-and-forth conversation between two people, the protagonist and the person who’s trying to get the protagonist to change and make a decision.  I’m thinking of adding a third person, one who’s trying to keep the protagonist on the current, dire course.  In a way, both characters will be externalizing what’s going on in the protagonist’s head, as the protagonist understands a change is needed.  He just doesn’t want to do it.  Not initially, anyway.

I also came up with a couple of ideas for humor-based stories I may try and flesh out at a later date, or sooner if the story in the previous paragraph just doesn’t pan out.

Today I was supposed to start my revision of “Pearl Diver.”  It didn’t happen, and I have no excuse other than poor time management.  I knew we had a church function following the regular service and we were also headed to the movie theater in the afternoon which turned into a dinner date.  The Wind Rises is well worth seeing, by the way.  Different from Miyazaki’s other works in that it’s a biography/docudrama rather than a complete work of fiction, but the animation is still top-notch.

• Nonfiction:
• Planning and outlining: 450
• Short Fiction: 2,300
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 17,598

Total Salable for Month: 4,800

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 67,821

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 15,744

Weekends are always strange.  There seems to be a lot more free time to write and yet often less gets done.  There are errands to run and chores to do and other things to take care of that just don’t get done in the week.  Before you know it, it’s night time and you’ve only finished one of two daily projects you wanted to tackle.

The rough draft for “Pearl Diving” has been finished at roughly 2,850 words, and the outline for “Putting a New Face on an Old Place” has been accomplished, although I think I’ll want to revisit that tomorrow before I get started on the rough draft of that.  There are some soft parts of the plot that need firming up before I want to sit down and spend time on a rough draft.  I don’t think the story will be all that long, either.  Likely it’ll be right at 2,000 words or so, which is shorter than I originally anticipated.

• Nonfiction: 190
• Planning and outlining: 1,350
• Short Fiction: 2,850
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 15,298

Total Salable for Month: 4,800

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 65,521

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 15,744

I’m glad yesterday was as productive as it was, because today the ol’ day job interfered.  Put in a twelve hour day and didn’t have a whole lot of time – or energy – to produce anything.  I did start reading – and editing – “UnCivil Engineering.”  It’s my hope to get it finished and out the door tomorrow at the latest.

Ok, on to today’s numbers:

• Nonfiction: 91
• Planning and outlining: 000
• Short Fiction: 785
• Novel Fiction: 000
• Salable words: 000

Total Fiction for Month: 10,048

Total Salable for Month: 000

Total Fiction for Challenge Year: 60,271

Total Salable for Challenge Year: 10,944