Vacation Week Productivity Results

So, pretty much as I've done every year I've managed to combine a national holiday with a weeks vacation to maximize the number of days I can stay away from work while minimizing the number of vacation days I actually have to use. Holidays like the Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and the uber Thanksgiving two day break work great for this strategy.

One additional objective for this year was to write and release 2 additional chapters in the ongoing Forgotten Empire project.

I didn't make it.

There were a number of reasons. Laziness, a host of great books waiting to be read, the fact I'm nearing the end of the first book, and the next chapter is probably the most critical to setting up the story for the next two books, so no pressure on me at all. If I had to choose I'd say it was a combination of all the above. Let's look at each of them in detail:

• Laziness, hey, I was on vacation, so that has to count for something. You're supposed to be lazy while on vacation. Sit back, smell the roses, recharge the battery, all that stuff. So I did.

• A host of books to read. Oh my, I did some serious reading. Pretty much in order I read:

   1. Heartless (Book #4 of the Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger
   2. The John Rain series by Barry Eisler (Hard Rain, Killing Rain, Rain Fall, Rain Storm, and Killing Rain, and The Last Assassin)
   3. Hammered (Book #3 of the Iron Druid series) by Kevin Hearne
   4. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
   5. Just a Geek, and Memories of the Future by Wil Wheaton

That's what, 11 books for the week? And let's not even count the number of web pages I visited to continue my research in becoming a self-publishing juggernaut. Nope, don't go there.

• The end of the project (Book #1) is coming to an end. As with all projects as I near the end, while I feel charged up to get it done, I'm always conflicted with the fact that I'll soon be done. The two battle it out in my mind and I dither between one state (get it done) to the opposite (this whole project sucks, you should stop before you embarrass yourself).

• Finally, its a critical chapter to the entire series. There's a lot riding on the story reveals in this chapter, its important, and I don't want to mess it up. Sure, it's only a first draft, you can clear it up in the editing phases, but still, the better it is in the first draft, then less work will be needed in the other phases.

Also, to be honest, while I did a lot of plotting and planning for this first book, its still a massive learning experience, and honestly, I'm making up some ideas as I go. Some are working, others are not. The big Macguffin, what Hieronymus is searching for, only just came to me two nights ago just as I lay down to sleep. Before that, I pretty much had nada, zip, nothing. Call it first novel jitters. A learners mistake, poor planning, whatever. Having been here once means I'm going to work harder to make sure I don't hit that wall in Book #2 or #3 or ever again.

It's not like I wasted a lot of time. While the story reveals in chapter 22 are important, there are other plot threads that I could continue just fine, so I did. Chapters 23, 24, and 25 are all half written as well. In fact, the final chapter word count targets were all set for 3500 words, I managed to write 2250, 1680, 1650, 1780 words per chapter for the week, for a total of 7360, or two chapters of material across four chapters. So, I made the word count goal, but not the release goal.

In addition, I awoke this morning with an idea for a side story in the Archer and Hieronymus universe concerning Alethea and Saara and started writing it. Since I've been itching to do a real short story for awhile I dug right in as soon as I could get my butt in gear. By noon I had 1100+ words, and before I started this post, the word count is sitting at 3027. That means I've really managed over 10,000 words for the week, a real first.

Wow, 10k words of writing in a week.

So, the results for the week are mixed, but the trend is good. There's still work to finish chapter 22, The Overseer, it's getting there slowly. Good follow ups to use my energy to write the easier scenes in later chapters so that I am still making progress, even if its not exactly where the roadblock is. And finally, a short story that's just flowing. I was starting to think I'd never come up with anything and then bam, there it is.

I can do this.

Oh, and I was working on a secret project I hope to reveal soon. So stay tuned.

Image: Another one of my artist influences, Jeff Jones, passed away earlier this year. Last year, Frazetta, this year Jones, I hate it. I loved his smooth style and classic presentation. His black & white work was also superb and greatly influenced how I drew woman for years. He will be missed in this household.

Posted Chap 21 - Fleeing

Posted Chapter 21 - Fleeing for review.

Synopsis: Hieronymus has been captured, Archer sets out to rescue him while Magmouskain and the rest of the dwarven party attempt to leave Mithdros Dhuruuk. (~3725 words)

Download PDF here.

Centaur art (not draekken) by Sandara. Loved the color and wildness of this image.

Posted Chap 20 - The Nursery

Posted Chapter 20 - The Nursery for comments.

Synopsis: Archer, Hieronymus, Magmouskain and the rest of the exploring party delve deeper into the tunnels under Mithdros Dhuruuk where they find a draekken nursery chamber. Discovered by the draekken, they are being pursued when Hieronymus suddenly disappears. Meanwhile, Biscuit returns from his day of fishing to find all is not well at camp. (~3750 words)

Status: 82,400 words and 311 printed pages. Also, reduced the target chapter size to ~3500 words instead of ~4000 so that the ending reads a bit faster. Helps that there is more action in the final chapters as well.

Posted Chap 19 - Encounters

Posted Chapter 19 - Encounters from An Empire Forgotten for comments.

Synopsis: Archer, Hieronymus, Magnuson continue searching Mithdros Dhuruuk. Their search moves to the keep and remains fruitless until Archer hears and follows a noise that reveals tunnels into the city not created by dwarves. They enter the tunnel to learn who still inhabits Mithdros Dhuruuk. The Hand find the dwarven campsite and introduce themselves. (~3500 words)

Glossary: draekken

Posted Chap 18 - Exploring

Posted Chapter 18 - Exploring for comments.

Synopsis: Archer, Hieronymus, Magnuson and the others enter Mithdros Dhuruuk and begin exploring it's abandoned interior, until inside the inner keep, the true reason for the expedition is revealed. Meanwhile, the Hand closes in and Biscuit the cook decides to go fishing. (~3550 words)

Glossary: Cenhyylm, Ghormanggr, Shard of Hyudvasa, The Fall of Mithdros Dhuruuk

The replotting/rearranging of scenes helped and I was able to finish this chapter with 2/3 of chapter 19 all ready to go.

No Chap 18 Yet - The Missing Voice

So, the last week has been hard.

As seen in the previous post I sat down and outlined the remainder of book 1 and starting plotting book 2 to ensure that the story transition is as smooth as I can make it. However, now that I know where I'm going, all I need to do is write it. Simply, right? ARGH!

Not really.

Been struggling with chapter 18 all week and just can't seem to write anything that doesn't read like dreck to me. The voice is just not there at all. After much thought I realized that maybe the reason I couldn't push through this chapter was because nothing really happens in it, no fights, no revelations, no reveals of background. Its just a walkthrough of the city and keep, blah. Really need to rework the plot so that something happens in this chapter, otherwise, why is it here?

OTOH, since I have a complete outline, I simply moved onto chapter 19 and wrote that instead, easy and smooth, no trouble with voice, or with things happening, plenty to write about. Two days and voila, almost a complete chapter.

So, the plan is to rework chapters 18 and 19 over the weekend by moving some scenes around so that both have something interesting to say, then write the missing scenes and release.

Brilliant!

Artwork from deviantart.com and copyright ©2010-2011 by JayAxer.

Posted Chap 17 - The Gate

Synopsis: The dwarf expedition discovers their destination, the mountain fortress called Mithdros Dhuruuk. With some work they breach the main gate and enter to explore its forbidding depths. Archer and Hieronymus reach an agreement. (~4200 words)

Glossary: Dryggr, Querh, Rhuub

NIP: Currently I am at 265 printed pages and 71,200 words and feel I am heading into the final chapters, with a target goal of approximately 30 chapters to completion.

Download latest PDF here.

Posted Chap 16 - The Citadel

Synopsis: The dwarf expedition makes its way into the Blackstahl Mountains with Archer and Hieronymus as members. Magmouskain leads them to an ancient citadel seeking clues to the relic, Archer finds a way into the citadel where they find evidence of an ancient conflict, and the expedition leader finally reveals the nature of the relic they seek. (~4400 words)

Glossary: Bravokairn, Brukk, Hyudvasa, Jekul (Jackal), Jhorguld, Mithdros Dhuruuk, Oddr, Urlux, Ursune (BigTeddy)

Download latest PDF here.

Posted Chap 15 - Conversations

Posted chapter 15 for your reading pleasure.

Synopsis: Hieronymus and Archer agree to join Magmouskain's expedition and the Hand arrives in Gulgash forcing them to flee again. Hieronymus makes it possible for them to escape unseen while Archer determines who makes up the Hand. Archer attempts to learn more about Hieronymus as they wait for the expedition. (~4400 words)

Glossary: Ghas

Posted Chap 14 - Gulgash

Posted chapter 14 for your reading pleasure.

Synopsis: Archer and Hieronymus arrive in Gulgash, discuss how they may escape the Hand and go shopping. There, Hieronymus meets Magmouskain, a dwarf scholar seeking a mysterious item that he claims is vital to his clan's survival. (~4300 words)

Glossary: Art, Darach, Dwar, Great Eastern Woods, Magmouskain, The Cobbled Road, Yuu-honshi

Posted Chapter 13 - Desert Encounter

Posted chapter 13 for your reading pleasure.

Synopsis: Feryous casts Archer and Hieronymus out of the caravan while the Hand follow closely behind. (~4200 words)

Glossary: Blackstahl Mountains, Deep Night, Dugalduruun

Status: As of today's release, 238 pages, 53,900 words.

Posted Chapter 12 - High Desert

Posted chapter 12 for your reading pleasure.

Synopsis: Archer and Hieronymus make their way across the barren desert called Urdraxian. Archer listens to legends about the how the desert came to be while Hieronymus makes a new friend in the caravan and has a strange encounter in the ruins of Illishimeer. (~4200 words)

Glossary: Balessith, Illishimeer, lanshee, Klinkarkin, Nakaraj, The Undying One, Waheed

Chapter 11 - The Caravan posted

Posted chapter 11 for your reading pleasure.

Synopsis: Keke helps Archer and Hieronymus depart Choy on a caravan heading into the Urdraxian Desert. Cashille, the Hand, and Vikenti have a meeting, and Alethea determines she doesn't need Hieronymus. (~4200 words)

Glossary: anchan, Savant Bashuir, beaded snake, Feryous, kaffe, Owixi Jungle, Rasym. sunkite, Worldheart

Chapter 10 posted

Posted Chapter 10 - Deep Night Discussions of The Forgotten Empire.

Synopsis: Archer and Hieronymus finally get a chance to talk, but they soon learn they are no longer wanted in Choy. (~3400 words)

Thought this chapter would be a snap but then learned that juggling four people in a conversation was not as easy as I originally thought. Learned a bit about dialog here, so it was all good.

Am now officially 1/4 of the way through writing the book, weighing in at 41,300 words so far. Whew, there's still a long way to go. This chapter completes the Introduction section of The Forgotten Empire, now to move them to the main action.

New glossary terms: Gulgash, Kara

Coming soon, a desert journey, dwarves, sand, fights, and more odd words to learn.

Chapter 9 Posted

Posted Chapter 9 - A Busy Night for your evaluation and enjoyment.

Synopsis: Hieronymus seeks revenge in a card game on Vikenti for his beating, Archer discovers Hieronymus might be worth getting to know after all, and the two meet in a clash of arms that leaves them deeper in trouble then they were originally.

All-in-all, this was a very productive week for this project, for several reasons.

• First, Chapter 9 is the largest of all my chapters so far, weighing in at 5700 words. Partly this is due to the content of the chapter, but also because I've starting to feel more comfortable writing about these characters, which means I'm relaxing my writing style from what I use in my daily tech writing, which is very terse and matter of fact.
• Second, it was a tricky chapter to write as well, melding four different points of view (PoV), of which everyone sees nearly the same events, but interpreted them differently. I've used PoVs in previous chapters, but really liked the stylistic manner in which this one came around. The fight in the alley, of which I'd written a long time ago, evolved much differently then I'd originally planned it. Partly that's due to the new events leading up to this fight scene, and partly its due to my learning more about my characters motives while writing the story.
• Third, in speaking with my brother Kevin about the project he complained about not being able to pronounce all the weird names. So, I've collected and exposed my glossary, all 1700 words of it, for your edification. If you're wondering what an item is or how to pronounce Hieronymus' name, you'll find it here. Going forward I'll do my best to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
• Fourth, I also had some time to work on my maps, as described in my previous post. Still lots of work to do, but I am liking the results.

So, in conclusion, a very productive week, 7400 words by my count, map making, and a growing excitement as this portion of the book ends. Next up, the two adventurers start to roam the world together.

Enjoy

Chapter 8 Posted

In this chapter:

Alethea and Hieronymus begin work on the codex, Archer meets them both and Hieronymus is immediately suspicious of the young assassin, the Hand closes in on Archer.

You may note some continuity issues in this chapter. Unfortunately those can't be fixed until I get a chance to edit the previous chapters to clear up the problem, so please just ignore them and enjoy the rest of the story as is.

Onto chapter 9 which should finish out the introduction section of the book. Am currently at 32,100 words and approximately 133 printed pages, so the first quarter of the book should weight in around 38,000 words and ~150 printed pages. 
A good start.

Chapter 7 Posted

Chapter 7 - The Verdant Swan is now ready for your reading enjoyment.

Archer learns a little bit about the sea while Hieronymus is mugged and the Hand continue to follow Archer.

Had a lot of material to work with here and soon discovered I had too much for the chapter to hold, so moved some scenes to chapter 8 and what looks to be a new chapter 9 to finish off this section of the book.

Enjoy

Chapter 6 completed

When I completed chapter 5 I found I had next to no material to bridge between where I left off my two heroes and the conclusion of when they first meet each other. What to do?

Well, I thought about it for a bit and then started writing. Before I knew it I had more than enough material for chapter 6 and some leftover for chapter 7 as well. Anyway, it all came together beautifully so here is chapter 6 almost 4 days early, and chapter 7 is probably 1/3 complete as well.

Anyway, we meet Alethea (formerly AURORALLAN), the Master Librarian, get her and Hieronymus together for the first time, and show Hieronymus raising concerns with his excessive winnings at the Golden Quail.

Onto chapter 7, Archer arrives in Choy.

Chapter 5 posted

Just posted chapter 5 - Slipping Away for your reading pleasure.

Things are moving along as Archer slips out of the city ahead of his Hand pursuers.

Also, the  temporary name KEETHANNE has been replaced with the real one Correenaura in this chapter, so please don't be confused from its usage in earlier chapters, its the same character.

Enjoy

Chapter 5 draft complete

Finished the first draft of chapter 5 last night. Archer's running from the Brotherhood and finds help in an old friend that has some mystery all his own. Need to let it sit for a couple of days before I do another read and edit prior to posting. Should be up this weekend.

Also, added some additional material to chapter 4. In retrospect I decided that Hieronymus' day ended way too soon so have added a close to his day. I solved my problem on why his message is not responded to as well by the Master Librarian. Not sure how far I'll take that plot line but the one scene works well.