That’s all for now. Check back.

Today I had to finish my rescue scene which while I am sure will be tweaked in next draft came out great. Though I had Alclien do weird trick on a horse that I am not sure is possible while it is moving. Anyhow, I am not worried. That is what second drafts are for. The jump to the next chapter was good where I stopped my first writing session. The second session I picked up in the beginning of chapter 18. I had to deal with how the last chapter ended that took up most of what I wrote, then we were on our way then next big scene. I stopped right as my next bullet on my outline starts. Tomorrow is going to be awesome because I should be able to mark of two bullets as done. I know for sure one will be marked off as written. Only time will tell. Overall my writing was great today, other then the rough start, everything just flew by.

Check back again to see how my next session turns out.

Thankfully, I did not have to go with that. As I wrote the ideas came, it is better then what I had in mind after I finished writing Tuesday, but I am certain it will be reworked in the next draft. Man was it hard to write, and I am not sure I like the words written. While I have a direction in how to resolve this situation, I just hope that will make it easier to write. It is going to be interesting to see how this situation actually comes out. But hopefully I won’t find myself delaying writing it. This is why I wrote with outlines before. When I come up with a great idea, I need to know how it ends before I know how these characters would go about doing that.

While these words were not good, the scene written does provide a look what Zack and Ryan are good at. Also this shows why Ryan is not just a tag along character. He has a purpose and can be useful. That has been something I have thought about him in earlier drafts, was he was just there to keep him in the story; Now he has a reason. Zack lacking in combat abilities shows a different strength that will become more important later in the series.

That is all. Check back often to see how the next session turns out. Hopefully it will be tomorrow, but after working a full shift I may be too tired to write. Even though that is an excuse, we shall see.

I am good for now, check back tomorrow see my thoughts on my words I write.

Tuesdays Words:
        While the chapter will probably be completely reworked in the second draft, I was happy. It had been a few weeks since I wrote, while I felt I was forcing it, I got what I needed. I relied heavily on an old draft for what happens. In the old drafts I wrote in 2009, there were two scenes that took place in this inn. In this draft they are only in the inn once so I had to merge both scenes into this scene, but it was not that bad since a little of the information from the first scene was placed in an earlier scene. I only had to take a small portion of what was left and fit into this scene. I actually removed an entire part of second scene Ryan the best friend of Zack hits on the girl who has served them. More then likely I’ll put this somewhere else, if not I can put it in a later book. Writing these scenes I know the girl Riela will have a bigger role. Not a huge part, but instead of only seeing her in this book, she will pop up in the other books. Kind of a cameo maybe I’ll even give her a fight scene. Who knows. The boys and Alclien are going to rush out of the town they are in after the events that take place when I write today. So I am sure Riela will get one last appearance.
        Other then the feeling that I forced the words, you get to see a look into Zack’s head on what he thinks about his best friend. I am can say it is not really nice, but we also get to learn a little about Ryan in these scenes. This chapter will be reworked and I think will flow better in the second draft, these little nuggets will be fleshed out more then.

Sunday Words:
        Today surprisingly the words came very easily to me, while I had to read the scene from an older draft, just to remember what happened. While pretty much the same happens, just writing for first person. Also I removed some of the stupid actions, and gave them more logical reasons. I am sure the words I wrote today will change in the second draft, but how much I am not sure. I think it came out really well. Took me about two hours to write the 3000ish words. I didn’t finish the scene, I got to a good stopping point and will finish it tomorrow. If I could write as many words I wrote today, I’ll have this draft in 13 days. Hopefully it won’t take that long, I really need a day of 6 to 7,000 words. Maybe that will be Tuesday when I don’t work. Only time will tell.

One other update is that the last few days between working on the maps for Marks of Eilira I have finally had a break through on Valeo formally Forbidden Realm. I have been trying to update everything how the story has grown, but ran into some problems with what to keep what not to keep as well with bigger ideas I have with my all my writing universes. However, I have solved those and updating profiles for characters. One problem was several character’s were completely useless until later in the series. I have found ways to work around that bring the elements sooner while keeping the original story ideas enacted just changed a little. Overall, their better. Also, I had some problems with time jumps in the series being to big and how certain characters will get to the age they are when they are introduced at very young. That I solved with a unique idea, which will also help with other parts of the series which were going to require a same length in time jumps.

Some problems with Valeo was that I wanted it to be an Manga/Anime series but thought I am focusing on novel so I’ll write them as novels. However, but they won’t work because I want epic long battle fights, which would work for Manga and Anime. Having to figure out how long part of the series would be I went through the cast of Characters I have for Forbidden Realm and giving them a purpose for the series. It won’t be what they are actually after at the beginning of the series but everything that happens with them in the series will have to allow for the to head for the goal. When they achieve that they will be able eligible to be killed off; not they will be just eligible. This has added fuel to my creativity and can’t wait to have all the character profiles updated where I can then see different events on their story arc’s and plan out beats of the first chapter. Ancestors Crisis and Xeon are going to be harder because I don’t have a full timeline of events to work with like I do Forbidden Realm.

Another thing I am doing is giving each character a fighting style, this way they are not all fighting the same away. This will only help increase the fights that these characters are in as well add for more drama. Every excited, while this is all good Marks of Eilira is my main focus. Once I get the maps done which I should in the next day or to, finish that. Then in the gap between putting that first draft aside I can really focus on Valeo.

Well that’s is all for now. Please comment on below on what you think of my post. If you have no clue what I am talking about check out my page on all of my current projects for details.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Tim

As for the 1898 words I wrote, I thought that were pretty decent. I am know when I reread it in January I’ll find a lot of stuff that needs to be reworked or even rewritten, but as of writing I thought they came out good. I got exactly what I wanted the scenes to be, and not give too much away. I really liked how the character Alclien’s personality was portrayed to what happened. It really shows what kind of person he is and how he got to the position he is in. While I am enjoying the characterization of Alclien, Ryan needs to be fleshed out a little more, I think that will come in a few chapters when he gets to finally see some action along side Zack.
There is not much else to say, then that. Tomorrow I’ll start chapter 15, and hopefully catch up to where I was on the draft of this story I wrote back in 2009.

What do I mean by this, after I write I usually posted on twitter my word count for the day, and how long it took to write. Sometimes I’ll add how I thought what I wrote was, when I was writing the first book in the former Facade Crusade’s series that no longer exists; most of what I wrote I was not happy about, too many questions about the series, the characters. Also what was coming out I was just not happy with. Compared to Book one of Marks Of Eilira; from the moment I started writing in September, I loved what was coming out. Not all of it, but enjoyed it wanted to press on. While I should have finished this draft a month ago, laziness and other distractions prevented me. One starting a new job at Wally’s World… If you have never heard of Wally’s World its a nickname for Walmart.

Back to my thought, while I will have my thoughts on what I wrote that day, instead of keeping them in my head, I will flesh them out here on my blog. How I think it is going, how much improvement might be needed when I write the second draft. This will allow me to post on my blog, but also keep a record of concerns of what might need to be improved but also what I thought was good. This way at the end of January when I come back to read through this draft to make notes I will have my thoughts right after writing most of the draft and what I think upon reading it with fresh eyes.

While this is being post at three in the morning, I did not write yesterday Wednesday 23rd, you know I got distracted. However, that distraction will be returning to blockbuster later today. Since I do not have anything to comment, I’ll fill you in on updates on this book and my writing process.

Since September when I start writing this book again, I have thought about how I am going to make sure I finish it and what will I do when I have worked out most of the problems. I could try to get it published, which I fully do intend to do at some point; However I have no idea where I am writing ability is. I can say it has greatly improved since I wrote the last draft of this book, but on a professional level. I have said this before, but I think I finally have the drive to do it now. After writing the second draft and polishing (making grammatically readable) I will spend the money from a professional editor, whom I have no clue, to read this book and give me detail feedback on it and where I stand.

Talking this over with my friend Chris, I have in my head and slowly putting on paper my plan for the next year. I want to have book one of Marks of Eilira published in e-book by this time next year. You may ask why not published through an publishing company. Long story short, from readings from authors who know the business are predicting that in the next five- ten years self-publishing your novels as e-books on Amazon and other sites will be how publishing companies find new authors. Because if you have great writing you will stand out among the hundreds of thousands crappy books. If you disagree with that okay. I really don’t have time to go in beyond that. Publishing this book as an e-book is not the only thing. At the time of the publishing, I plan to launch and author website to help promote the book and myself.

Now to get to this publishing, I am going to have to spend money the third draft and hopefully the final draft other then a polish, will be based on what feedback I get from the professional editor. Based on what I get, I may have to make changes to this plan; which is fine, but I need to have a goal and if the results of my feedback means making changes then okay. However until I know I will need to make changes to the goal is set. Now comes finishing the draft I am on.

I am not good at meeting goals I set for myself, because what happens if I don’t meet them. Nothing. Because I set them I can change them. This will not work, I set a goal to finish this novel by Wednesday. With seven days before my deadline, I have roughly ten to twelve chapters left to write. Now Tuesday I did write and I actually looked at my old draft to see where I was in the story at this chapter and I am actually not as far as behind as I thought. Which makes me happy because that means it will be about ten more chapters instead of twelve or more. Then I have distractions like school work I need to get done, and work. We are entering into Christmas season and hell month is about to start. Which won’t really matter if I complete this by Wednesday, because then I’ll won’t pick it up until well after Christmas is over.

There are other distractions, like thoughts of other stories in my head, watching the three shows I follow, working out, and oh yeah video games. I don’t play much anymore but Elder Scrolls five just came out and it is awesome and very distracting. How am I going to make this deadline, Randy Ingermanson who I get a free e-zine through every month (which you can signup for at http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/index.php. He said to get things done another author friend of his who he they have coauthored a few books together, keeps him accountable and makes sure he is getting things done. One way is if he doesn’t show up to work, sitting at his computer in his living room by nine am on the dot, he has to pay his friend ten dollars. Wow ten dollars, well when think about if he was late ten times in a month that’s a hundred dollars he paid out. Well I am trying that, while I don’t have a specific person keep me accountable, I have told several people about this, come Wednesday if I know the draft will not be done by the end of the day I will hand ten dollars to someone who I know.

So far this has not kept me working, because I didn’t write at all yesterday because I worked and played video games all day. Maybe it will take handing out that ten dollars to help me. I will continue to pay someone ten dollars every few days I go over that deadline, not every day, because I really can’t afford that, but maybe I should do it every day. That should get me writing. I think am good for the blog, check back to see my thoughts on the words I wrote and how I am coming a long.

The site tracks this and will send work to these users based on how helpful you are. Myself I reviewed four pieces yesterday gave great details on what worked what sucked. So far each one of them thanked me for my notes and thoughts and I got above expectations or yes to. This is great because my future posts will be sent to people like myself who actually give helpful feed back. In a few more posts I should be getting lots of helpful feedback on my writing instead of those who breeze through it just to get it done. Heck the reviews I did I breezed through, but still gave tons of thoughts and suggests I am not about to read through it slowly I am not getting paid to do it, but I will give enough feedback to help the writer out.

The second reason this site is useful, as you tag in your posts the type of genre it is, youth, fantasy, etc. The site assigns people who write in the same genre as you do. This site not only gets you people who give as much helpful thoughts as you do but gets people who do that who write and read the same genre. At first you might have to deal with people who don’t read the stuff you write, but after a few submissions you will get the people you want reading your work.

I highly suggest you check it out, best part of it , it is free. Sure you can go pro and get some extra advantages, but the main services you don’t pay for. Check the site out, and give it a try.

http://www.reviewfuse.com/

I could have started to write this book a while ago, along with the first book of Marks of Eilira. I have was holding off, because I was planning to go get a masters in Creative Writing. However those plans have since changed, there was no reason to work on a book only to have to stop or slow down with due to school work. I had planned to write one of the books as my final thesis, but again since I am not going for that now I have no excuse not to write them. I have decided to work out a writing schedule that I am writing every day, meeting my 1000 to 2000 word count. The Chronicles of Skylar Grant story will continue to be that what I write daily, except for when I write for my book. The schedule is not setup yet, but I plan to use my days off not just to write but to develop other writing projects.

Once I finish Celestial Child, I will put it aside and move on to book one of Marks of Eilira. When that book is finished, the plan is to come back to Celestial Child read through what I wrote and work on the second draft. Then move on to the second draft of book one of Marks of Eilira. Sometime after book books are finished I will select one of them to go off to get a professional critique. That is all I have for now, you can look forward to the next chapter of Skylar Grant soon.