So how the writing is going

Fairly well, despite it all.

“Space B!tch” is with the final editor. I have a cover artist. We’re looking at a September-ish release for 2014.

I have submitted a few short stories.

I have been promoting “Trolley,” here and there, like at RavenCon and Balticon, with a brisk sales increase. Oddly enough, sales of my old “Punk Walrus Saga” book have been doing well as well, despite being out of print.

I’ll be hosting the Cosplay at Anime Mid Atlantic June 13-15, then taking a break in July for Camp NaNoWriMo. Then I’ll be back at Otakon, Intervention, and TCEP in August.

What happened to you?

Well, a lot. First, I lost my account credentials for this account, and couldn’t log in. But a lot of really… really… let me sum up.

Okay, so I was elected President of Katsucon Entertainment, Inc. Then elected again. I got to travel and work at their tables, so I did a lot of Anime cons. I think I went to 8 in 2013 alone, including New York Comic con, where I hung out with Yaya Han of “Heroes of Cosplay.” It was our convention’s 20th anniversary, so there was a lot that needed done and a lot that needed changed. I hired some new staff.

I did more stuff with the DC Rollergirls, including being in the DC 4th of July Parade.

I got some part time contract gigs.

Then I got a new job which sent me to exotic places like Washington DC and Las Vegas. 😀

For HR people. D:

I got a large dog.

Of course, then there was Katsucon 20 itself, which was a big party.

But the biggest news, and the worst, really, was my wife of 25 years, Christine Larson, who encouraged my writing the entire time we were married, passed away from ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) in March. She had been very sick, and I was taking care of her a lot. She had sarcoidosis, which is where her lungs were being attacked by her immune system, and she had already lost a third of her lungs to it. She had to take immunosuppressants to slow the growth, which made her susceptible to pneumonia, which she got in October, and had until early February. Just as she was recovering from that, she got the H1N1 strain of influenza, and died.

At least she got to see her fruits of labor, the JCI, take root at Katsucon.

So after some fenagling and searching through lost emails, I got my credentials back for WordPress. How my next book is going in the next post.

Beta copy of “Space Bitch” out to beta readers

SEE… amazing speling errors! MARVEL… at grammar is the poorly! FIND… thongs the spill Czech her din knot kvetch!

So… Katsucon came and went. Major hotel stress. Hotel acting like assholes. Many years from now, I will be able to tell this story in full without jeopardizing any contracts. It makes me sad how quickly some people will blame the Jews from BBYO, but trust me… they were NOT the problem. In fact, they helped us FIX the problem from both sides, and the hotel had to admit all their mistakes on Monday after the con. That was an uncomfortable meeting, let me tell you. If any good came from this, I got to meet some cool people at the BBYO and the hotel will be pretty decent with us in 2014.

ANYWAY… I was co-chair, then I was elected President of Katsucon Entertainment, Inc., which meant I couldn’t be a con chair anymore (conflict of interest), so then I ran their communications division, and while I still do, being President of the Board and head of Communications, PR, and Marketing is about half the work of being co-chair. My wife took over, and then retired due to her health. This means now I can focus on my book, which I did with all speed because I wanted to get the rage of the hotel issues out of my head. Today, Friday, February the 22nd, I released my first draft beta to my readers!

I hope to get these back by April, have a revised Beta 2 for professional editor, and I *hope* to have this book out May 24th!

Alpha 2 Pass done of “Space Bitch”

So, things didn’t happen the way I expected them to today, and I got a lot more time to edit my alpha pass than I planned for. But this is a good thing, as alpha 2 is done.

There was a lot more weeding than I expected, mostly due to story flow, and a few minor inconsistencies. I deleted several pages of “booooor-ring!” side stories and saved them for the sequel, which is already being fleshed out. But I also had to add more stuff to balance some scenes out, and add some helpful dialog. So the final word count is a hair under 141k. But the action is pretty good. This book will be full of action.

Now it’s being reviewed by my first editor so the beta copies are not as rough as last time. That means, beta editions are coming soon! I know some of you have sent me requests, and most of you will get them.

First pass: Chapter 12 of 29

Boy, I sure can spell creatively… yeesh… but I progressed really nicely for one weekend.  I won’t be able to do much next weekend, as I have Roller Derby bout recaps to do and then mother’s day.  I don’t have a mother, but my wife is one, so we’re taking her out.  The next weekend I will I hope to have the first alpha pass done by the first week of June.

Okay, I don’t want to be all arrogant and stuff, but I am really proud of some of what I wrote.  Right now, it’s not the best book; it needs some work, but man… there are some parts I laughed out loud at.  Some I cried a little.  And some will never see the light of day like a hair clog in a shower drain.

“I wrote what…?  Yee…”

I have managed to get a little under halfway of the actual first alpha before I do another pass of the second alpha.  Once that’s fixed, onto Beta 1 and my editors, who will attack it with rock and scissors.  I hope to have all those done by the end of the summer.  Then negotiations with my publisher, and then a Christmas 2013 release I hope by Thanksgiving.

I *should* have some readings for Balticon.  I don’t have a schedule yet, but I’ll post one when it becomes finalized.

Major first pass of edits have started

I still don’t have a better title.  This one may stick, although it may limit my market.

I am at 127k words.  The first pass is usually when by the end of the book, the characters have been fleshed out a little more, so you make the first part match the second part.  Notably foreshadowing and moments where, “Sarah wouldn’t say that…!” 

Speaking of Sarah, she’s been a difficult character as far as motivations are concerned.  I understand her well, but making the reader see what I see has been difficult.  Otherwise, I think readers might go, “Come on…!  She just stands there and TAKES that?”  Her captain is severely abusive, and one of her shipmates is also very complicated. The perspective switches several times from Sarah to Jen, and making that work has been a little bit of a balancing act.  

Also, in many cases where I had writers block, I leave whole sections as skeletons.  Like:

“I am not sure if being dead to your family is really the same as not knowing who they were in the first place,” Jen said.  “But I suppose that’s not my place to judge.  But what I do know is that… you and I… have one common bond. The desire for love.  And right now… there’s only the two of us against some pretty slim odds of survival.”

Sarah swallowed.  Her constant fear of discovery had prevented her from attending to her needs; she knew that much.  But could she take on any sort of relationship now?  Or would she always wait until it was too late?  And was she even attracted to women?  But as the distance between her and Jen closed, she felt her self-analysis drift apart.  She just wanted reassurance once in her life that someone genuinely cared for her that didn’t need her for just her professional skills.

“You smell like cloves…” was the only thing she could utter in reply as their lips met.

[INSERT TASTEFUL LOVE SCENE HERE, FOLLOWED BY INTERRUPTION BY ELIZA]

“You guys make me sick,” Eliza said. “If there’s one drawback to having a human crew, it’s their disgusting habits to mate.  And Jen’s not even the opposite sex.  You can’t even fucking get THAT right, Sarah.”

This is going to take several passes.

It’s 10:07pm on April 29th, 2012 … and I have just completed my second novel!

“Space Bitch” is currently 125,932 words. Of course, now I have to edit it. So… lots of fun ahead.

I’ll be in my bunk…

The new book is almost done

Working title “Space Bitch” is at 150k words, and I am not even done. I am mostly done, cutting down to the final confrontation. I have a list of programs I’m going to do at Balticon, awaiting times and scheduling.

I still need a better title.

I need your help: I was nominated for a Hugo award. Really.

No, I am NOT lying. I swear! I know this sounds like a gag, but, IF YOU HAVE A WORLDCON MEMBERSHIP for Chicon 7 in 2012, please vote for me. I was just contacted by one of the nominators I’m on the list. The more nominations, the better chance I have. So far, I think 3 people have nominated me. This came as quite a shock. If I get enough nominations, I get on the official ballot.

https://chicon.org/hugo/nominate.php

If you’re not a attending or supporting member of the Worldcons: Renovation (2011), Chicon (2102), or LoneStarCon 3 (2013), your deadline to become one is TONIGHT (the 31st) at 11:59pm. But if you already have one, nominate me by March 11th to get on the final ballot! Then, if I get that, vote for me for the award! I could REALLY use a rocketship in my living room…

The book is:

For Best Novel: Trolley Grig Larson Soylent Publications
(http://www.amazon.com/Trolley-Grig-Larson/dp/1450775217)

Holy crap! I am stunned! Thanks to [anonymous] for letting me know and providing proof.

Balticon 46 has invited me back!

Somehow I managed not to offend the wrong people, and I have been invited back as a panelist and general resident wise-guy. I’ll let you know what panels and signings I shall have in a later post… probably in late April.

Meanwhile, “Space Bitch” is almost done. Right now, we’re at about 90%. I have to work on the ending a little, and then the first alpha edit will start. I don’t know if this will make it by Balticon, I have to talk with my publisher (who is out touring in Texas). I am still working on the title, and I will start working on getting some cover art after Katsucon. A sequel is already partially diagrammed out.

Everything is “after Katsucon” at this point because it’s less than 6 weeks away. That process is going smoothly. Last night Christine (my bride of almost 23 years and other co-chair) told me we’re ahead of schedule. I was at Magfest this weekend, working the table a little, Katsucon a lot, and finalizing deals and last minute updates with the Gaylord. A big crash meeting in a little over 2 weeks away! Yikes! But thankfully, I HAVE THE BEST STAFF ON THE DAMN PLANET and I am humbled and grateful to have therm work with me.