Archive for the ‘Progress Report’ Category

An Editing Metaphor

Posted: March 5, 2015 in Novel, Progress Report, Reflections, Writing
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The other day on my Facebook page I wrote a post about how I was doing some editing that day and I then…compared it to plucking a chicken after you’ve slaughtered it. Yeah, hearing it in my head it sounds really weird. But you’ve got to hear me out, it’s got merit as a metaphor. It even got a like or two after I posted it.

Then again, that like might’ve come from my dad, so…

Anyway, let me explain my reasoning for comparing editing to plucking a freshly-dead chicken (still sounds weird in my head). An author writes a book, edits it so that when the reader gets it it’s not full of boring speech, grammatical errors, plot holes, etc., and then turns it into a neat little consumable package that readers can pick up in stores or on Amazon for their own perusal. Similarly, a farmer will raise a chicken from the moment it hatches, feed it, make sure it grows, and once it’s ready, kills it, prepares it, and then sends it in a neat little consumable package so that grocers can eat it at home.

See my metaphor? So now that the first draft has grown to full size and been slaughtered with a butcher’s knife been written, I’m in the process of editing it. And if editing four other books has taught me anything, editing is a lot like plucking a chicken and getting rid of all the other bits you don’t want to eat. Yeah, every word, every description and every flourish of the pen (or keyboard) seem absolutely necessary when you’re writing the first draft. But then you give yourself a little bit of time to distance yourself from this book you’ve just finished and then you see that there are parts that need work. Some things could be phrased much differently, others could be shortened or expanded upon. And a lot of the work you slaved over, you just decide to get rid of it. Why? Because on reflection you find that it’s extraneous or doesn’t make sense to you anymore. So you nix it.

See, that metaphor does work! At least, I feel it works, especially in my case. I put in all these big words and beautiful flourishes and lots of explanatory stuff, and on the second draft I realize (or my beta reader points out) that a lot of it is weighing the book down. Sometimes you have to pluck them out if you’re going to make the story ready for sale in your local supermarket in bookstores and on Amazon.

What metaphor do you use for editing?

Oh by the way, Rose is coming along great. I’m a little bit over a third of the way through my novel-that-doubles-as-a-thesis and will start a new chapter after this post. And can I just say, I forgot how scary and unpredictable my antagonist can be. He can be very strange, and you never know what’ll set him off. I’m definitely trying to emphasize that in the second draft. I think people will like him very much when they meet him. Or they will fear him. I seriously hope they fear him.

The Job Search These Days

Posted: February 28, 2015 in Living and Life, Progress Report
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Two months ago, I wrote about how the job search was going for me and some opportunities I’ve been presented. I’m writing an update on how said search for employment is going for me now that I’m midway through the semester and graduation is a little over eight weeks away (jeez, that close! I better rent my cap and gown soon).

As you can probably guess, my dream job is to write full-time. Unfortunately, while I do have a growing audience of people reading my books, at this point in my career it’s not feasible to take up writing full-time if I plan to actually have a roof over my head. After that, I’d really enjoy being part of the writing staff for Doctor Who, but unfortunately that seems to be an invitation-only sort of gig and at this time I’m not on Steven Moffat’s radar (though if he’s interested, I’ve got plenty of ideas for stories I’d love to pitch to him). So I’m currently looking for jobs that fit my abilities and are probably easier to obtain than being a BBC staff writer.

Thankfully, a few jobs that I’ve applied to are looking pretty good. Remember in my last post I mentioned a government program that helps people with disabilities get government jobs? Well, that led to a phone interview with a certain civilian branch of the military that went pretty well and I might be able to get a position with them. I won’t know anything till April or May at the earliest though, so I’m waiting to hear back.

I also applied to a few more jobs, and they look promising. I’m currently waiting to hear back from a number of places, and this coming week when I can I’ll be doing some more applications. I’m also applying to jobs in Columbus and in the general area, so my fingers are crossed that one of these will pan out. And I’ve signed up to possibly go to Israel with Masa, a program that takes college students and graduates and immerses them in Israeli culture for several months through college courses, graduate studies, and even internships. That could lead to so much if I end up going on a Masa program.

You know, I’m relatively lucky that finding a job while I finish up my last semester is one of my few sources of stress. I’m really glad and lucky that I’ve gotten so much experience while working with the financial aid office and I’ve done and learned so much in my life I’m sure it’ll be helpful in years to come.

But still I feel a little anxiety as graduation gets closer. People are interviewing and applying and getting hired around this time, and I worry that I might not be able to get a job by graduation and have to (gasp!) move into my dad’s house and continuing looking for work from there! I don’t want that to happen and I don’t think it will, but you fear it might, especially in the current job market when just having a bachelor’s degree isn’t any guarantee of meaningful employment.

Well, I’ve got to keep trying. As people keep reminding me, the first job search is usually the hardest. Just keep trying and something will stick, and from there it’ll be…well, it’ll be something. Maybe not easier, but it’ll be something. And who knows? I might even hear something from someone reading this blog and that’ll be the one I get! You never know.

In the meantime, I’ve got a thesis to edit, so I’m going to do that and call it a night. Tomorrow there’s homework, more editing, and maybe a job application to do. So wish me luck, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to need it during these next couple of months.

Spring Semester 2015: Half-Time Report

Posted: February 25, 2015 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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It’s as close to a halfway point as we’re going to get. Normally semesters start on Wednesdays, giving the semester sixteen weeks, plus a week or week and a half for exams. For some reason this semester it started on a Monday, so it’s fifteen this semester, plus exams. We’re halfway through the seventh week of class, so I say time to update people on how my last semester is going.

And going it is, rather fast. I’m having trouble believing it’s the last week of February. I’m also having trouble believing how cold the weather is, but I guess that’s part of the deal when you live in Ohio. Anyway, school is going well. If you don’t know, I have three classes this semester. Business and Professional Writing is taught by one of my favorite teachers, so you know I’m enjoying myself. I’m also learning a lot that I can apply to my professional life, like some tips for job searches and resumes. I’ve already applied some of it by making slight modifications to my resume, and I keep modifying it depending on where I’m applying for a job. Whether or not those modifications are helping, I’ll write an article on that later this week if I get the chance.

History of Magic and Witchcraft in Europe is, as you can probably imagine, full of interesting stuff to learn. It’s not like reading demonologies or the court records of particular witch hunts. It’s more like learning how certain beliefs evolved, how people formed their views on witchcraft and how it came to be demonized. Right now we’re diving into the Malleus Maleficarum, the definitive work on witch-hunting of the Middle Ages. Trust me, it’s heavy stuff. And believe me, I’m getting plenty of inspiration for my own writing, as well as plenty of opportunities to go “Nyah ha ha ha!” like a witch.

History of Magic and Witchcraft in Medieval Europe. If you pass, you get a pointed black hat (I wish).

Restoration and 18th-Century Literature is also pretty interesting. The class is mostly focused on depictions of masculinity in plays and poetry of the era. It’s pretty raunchy stuff (believe it or not, we even read a poem about a living sex toy called Signor Dildo. Hilarious stuff!) and a lot of what we’re reading is pretty comedic. We even read a play I read my first year at Ohio State. It was quite the flashback. Sadly though, the teacher of this class has come down with a sudden illness and has had to cancel class a couple of times because of it. He’s currently rearranging the syllabus due to the missed days and he may have to give up some teaching duties, so I’m hoping and praying he gets better soon. He’s a good guy and I enjoy the subject matter, so I hope he doesn’t have to take off too much time for his health.

And finally, my thesis is coming along great. I’ve been working on the second draft of Rose, and I got two chapters done last night.  I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I should be ready for my thesis defense in April. I’m meeting with Manny and Paul tomorrow after work to talk about progress in our theses and maybe our defenses, so I guess I’ll have something to write about after that.

Am I forgetting anything else? Well, I guess I can say that I’m on track for graduation in about ten and a half weeks. Still a few things to knock off my checklist, but I’ll get them done before too long. Also, work and home life are going well. I know I’m forgetting something…not the job search, I’m writing about that later this week…oh yeah, now I remember:

After the semester started last month, the Ohio State Buckeyes took on the Oregon Ducks in the National Championship and defeated them 42-20! This is something I’ve been hoping would happen since I started at Ohio State and I’m delighted and proud to say that it happened in my final year. I’m going to have to get a commemorative T-shirt or sweatshirt one of these days. GO BUCKS!

Well, that’s all for now. Lots of editing and other stuff to do. Have a good evening, my Followers of Fear, and stay warm if you’re like me and you’re stuck in a place with lots of snow and chill.

Rose: First Draft Finished!

Posted: January 27, 2015 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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All done with the first draft.

All done with the first draft.

Well tonight’s a great night for me! I’ve finished the first draft of Rose, the novel that has doubled as my thesis. I’ve already blasted “Voodoo Child” by Rogue Traders throughout the apartment, did my own choreographed dance to the song, and then had a drink with my roommate. And now I’m working on this blog post, feeling high as a kite about this achievement.

I was hoping to get this chapter started earlier today, but events didn’t allow for it. Still, I’m happy to get it done tonight, nearly six months after starting work on Rose. It’s great to know that it’s finished. Now all I’ve got to do some editing and I’ll be ready for thesis arguments in April.

The total amount of pages for Rose (8.5″ x 11″, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman) is 174 pages, an average of about 8.3 pages per chapter, and 50,994 words total, about 2428 words per chapter on average. That’s the length of a mid-sized novella according to the definitions I use. Not a full-length novel, but I’m good with this length. I had a feeling that it’d be around the size of a novella anyway.

Well, I’m going to go to sleep. This is a great night for me, but I’m dead tired and I need to sleep if I’m going to be able to spread the good news tomorrow. I think I’ll take a break in the next week or two from working on Rose before getting started on the second draft. Might edit a short story or two. God knows I’ve got a couple to edit still, and one for a contest soon. Plus some blog posts that I’ve been meaning to write. Boy, I’m going to be busy.

But for now, bed. Goodnight my Followers of Fear (or if you’re reading this in the morning, Good morning). Pleasant nightmares. And wish me luck with this project as it goes into its next phase. It’s going to be interesting where this ends up.

Also, scroll up. There’s a new page I’ve just set up, Stand Alones & Other Works. Rose is a stand alone novel, so it’ll need its own page. And I think Daisy and Strange Portals should be listed somewhere, so I’ll make sure they’re listed on that page. Please check it out if you get the chance. Especially if you have no idea what Rose is about and would like a basic summary to get an idea behind it (summary subject to change over time).

Once again, good night my Followers of Fear. And thanks for your support. I’m always glad you’re there to have my back. See you in the morning!

What Happened Saturday Night: Fourth Draft Finished

Posted: December 31, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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As I mentioned in my last post, I was taking a break from Rose to write, edit, and rewrite some short stories. I started by doing the fourth draft of What Happened Saturday Night, which has gone through quite a number of changes since its first draft. I have to say, this might be the best draft I’ve done so far. It took it a long time to get to where it is now, but I think my classmates would have enjoyed this draft much more than some of the other drafts I’ve turned in this semester. That’s the hope, at least.

In any case, I managed to keep this story about a young girl becoming a werewolf at the same time she discovers her sexuality on the two main characters and on their interpersonal struggles. I also got to explore the sensation of being a wild beast on the hunt, and I think I got the ending just right. I may do some more edits on it before I send it off to someone to critique or to a magazine (haven’t decided which I should do first yet),  especially with a small part of the climax, but I’m hoping that this might be the last time I have to do serious editing to the story.

I hope to submit this one to an LGBT literature magazine, of which there are apparently many, and some of the ones I looked at seem to specialize in a wide range of genres and formats. Maybe an editor from one of them will take a look at What Happened Saturday Night and think it’s the perfect match for their magazine. We can only hope, right?

Well, I’m going to do some reading as research for the rewrite of The Murderer’s Legacy, which I’m thinking of renaming to fit with the new direction I want the story to go in. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear and stay safe out there. Don’t party too hard. That’s my job!

Rose: Two-Thirds Through the First Draft

Posted: December 29, 2014 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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When I finished Chapter 13 last night, I didn’t think I’d get through Chapter 14 so quickly. Chapters usually take several days for me to finish, especially when I’m busy or distracted. And I’m usually both. But this morning when I sat down to get some work done, somehow I was able to get fifteen-hundred words written before lunch. And I finished up the rest during the afternoon. Not sure what was different, but I suspect it was because I meditated before starting work (some days I’m so busy I don’t get a chance to do morning meditations. Guess it really does make a difference).

So now I’m two-thirds of the way through Rose, the novel I’m writing for my senior thesis. The story revolves around a young woman who dies but is resurrected in a strange, new body by a man who claims to be her lover. Not all is right though, and things only get stranger and more horrible as time goes on. It’s quite creepy so far. At least I hope it is. I’ll leave it up to the critics to decide if it is. Anyway, I’ve finished Chapter 14 today, so now I only have 7 chapters left of the first draft. Which makes me pretty excited, always great to know that you’ve got the end of a big project coming up soon.

And now for the page and word counts. In terms of pages (8.5″ x 11″, double-spaced, twelve-point font Times New Roman), Rose is currently at 116 pages, an average of 8.3 per chapter. Word count is currently  36,032, with an average of 2573.7 per chapter. At this rate, it’ll probably end up being more of a novella than a novel (I define a novella as 20,000-60,000 words, and a novel as anything upwards of sixty-thousand). I can’t guess at how long it’ll be at the end of the first draft, but I’m thinking that at this rate it’ll be somewhere between forty-two and forty-eight thousand. Not bad at all, I like to think.

Anyway, I think I’ll take a break from working on Rose, at least until around the time the semester starts. I have some time until then, so I’ll keep applying to jobs like mad and work on editing and rewriting some short stories I’ve had on the back-burner for a while. I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish. Hopefully it involves a few short stories that are worthy of publication and perhaps a job offer.

Also, the sale on all my books will be over at midnight, January 1st. After that, the prices are going up. So check out The Quiet Game, Reborn City, and Snake while you still have the chance. And if you end up reading them, please let me know what you think. I love feedback, positive or negative, so let me know in a comment or a review.

The Job Search These Days

Posted: December 24, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report
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It probably won’t surprise many of you that I am looking for a job for after graduation. In fact, I’ve been applying left, right and center since around October or November, applying for writing and editing jobs, as well as government posts, entertainment positions, a few political gigs, some nonprofit work, and many office jobs. How’s it gone so far?

Well, I’ve had some rejections, and I haven’t heard back from more than one place. I treat it a lot like getting published in magazines. You have to keep trying, and you’ll eventually get a hit among those many, many misses. That’s why I keep applying everywhere I can, and why I don’t get discouraged. But I have to admit, looking for a job is difficult, especially when you consider that I’m still four-and-a-half months from graduating (one place told me that while my resume looked good, they needed someone now, so I was out of the running). Can’t blame them for that. And a lot of jobs that seem right up my alley are looking for people with more real-world experience. I guess even with three-and-a-half years in the financial aid office, you’re not automatically the best fit for these many jobs, huh?

Still, there’s reason to hope. As it gets closer to graduation, I think more places might see me as a good candidate given that I’ll be available sooner. And I applied for a program that helps people with disabilities get jobs in the federal government, and the interviewer I talked to said I seemed like a good candidate, so when I hear back from them next month I think I might get some good news. There’s reasons to hope.

I just hope wherever I end up that I enjoy the work I do to some extent and, if I have to move for work, that I can afford the job. Columbus is pretty affordable, but places like New York, California, Washington DC, they can cost a lot of money. Hopefully I won’t go bankrupt trying to live if I get placed there!

Well, we’ll deal with that when I find a job. In the meantime, I’m just doing what I’ve been doing these past couple of months: writing and blogging, studying, working, and when I have a moment, applying. My dream job would be to write full-time (plenty of authors who want that, am I right?), but until that’s more feasible, I’m looking for good alternatives. I’m sure there’s a good fit out there for me, I just have to keep looking and someday I’m sure I’ll find it.

What was your job search like for you?

What tips do you have for looking for a job?

Also, if you hear of any jobs out in your area that you think might be a good fit for me, I’d really appreciate it if you told me. It’d mean a lot to me.

Also, there’s only one week left of the holiday sale of all of my books going on right now. If you want to buy or download my books for a good price, now is the time to do it before price go up again. And if you like what you read, please let me know, either in a comment or in a review. Positive or negative, I love feedback, so I’d be happy to hear from you.

That’s all for now. I’m dividing my day up between working on my various projects and binge-watching shows I have to catch up on. Have a good day, my Followers of Fear.

Autumn Semester 2014: The Wrap-Up Report

Posted: December 22, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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A look at central campus. Isn’t it pretty?

Well, another semester has come and gone. I finally got all my grades back, so it’s time to report how my semester went.

All in all, I had a pretty good semester. It was busy (I’m still catching up on everything I DVR’ed), what with five classes and a thesis to work on. But I somehow kept up with it all, through weekends that were too short and weeks that went too fast and assignments that ate up time like Scooby Doo with a pizza. Still, things went pretty well this semester. I kept my average above a 3.0, and got decent grades. I also started eating better and look for more ways to exercise (thank you Biology class for scaring inspiring me to take better care of my health) and..what else? Oh yeah, as of today I’ve got twelve chapters written for my thesis Rose. Not bad. Hope to get two more done before the New Year. Wish me luck!

I think the area where I improved the most was in writing. Having constant feedback while you’re working on your thesis and taking the most stimulating creative writing class in your academic career, all at once, can do that to you. Some of the things I learned to do is that, when introducing a story full of characters, if you’re introducing them in a fantastic world, don’t go into too much detail and don’t expand into the whole universe too quickly. You’ll confuse the reader. Also, if said universe is based on religion or mythology, make sure that even the most unfamiliar reader can get into it. And finally (and perhaps most importantly), even if the story is full of werewolves, demons, ogres, and every other monster under the sky (or in it), your characters are human or probably humanoid. It’s a human story, and all the other stuff revolves around that human story, not the other way around. Keep that in mind and you’ll write a waaaaaay better story.

As I learned the hard way.

Well, the lessons were hard earned, but I’m taking them to heart. I hope that for future stories I can implement them and make much better, way-more-likely-to-get-published stories.

Anyway, I’ve got a little under three weeks till spring semester starts, and it should be interesting. I’ve only got three classes plus my thesis for my final semester (yeah, it’s my final semester. Four and a half months till graduation. God help me get a job before then). I’ll have plenty of time to study and to work on my thesis and–dare I hope for it?–relax with some TV in the evening.

The classes are pretty different from each other, and some of them have me pretty excited. I have a Restoration and 17th century British literature course (might prove tricky, but I’ve survived worse, such as 19th century British literature!), I’m taking a business/professional writing course with one of my favorite teachers, and–ooh, this one’s fun–for history, I’m taking a new course, taught by a new teacher, about the history of witchcraft in medieval Europe! Yeah, you read that right. My dad and one of my best friends are scared that it’ll turn out to be a how-to course. No need to worry, since I already know that sort of stuff. Mwa ha ha ha!

Well, that’s all for now. I’m going to try to enjoy my vacation as much as possible, watching the Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl and the Doctor Who Christmas Special (not in that order, though), working in the office, and writing as much as possible. Wish me luck and have a good rest of your night, my Followers of Fear.

Also, there’s about eight days and fifty-something minutes left of my holiday sale. All my books, in paperback and e-book, are on sale through the 31st, so make sure to check them out while you still can at a discount price. You won’t want to miss out on them. Don’t believe me? Then ask my reviewers!

Buckeyethon 2015: I Have Reached and Surpassed My Goal

Posted: December 11, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Social Activism
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I’ve been meaning to write about this all week, but…well, you know how it is! Busy life! Especially right before finals. Well, I have a moment before a final this evening, so I’ll take advantage of it right now.

As you know, I’ve been raising money for Buckeyethon again this year. Buckeyethon is an annual charity drive that raises money for research into juvenile cancer. I’ve raised money for it the past two years, and I’m raising money again this year. I was a little worried that I’d have trouble reaching this year’s minimum goal because it’s a bit higher (the university is trying to hit one million dollars this year), but I’m happy to say that a lot of people pulled through and helped me not only reach, but surpass the minimum goal! That’s right. As of this writing, I’m at $298, which is more than the previous years combined. Can I just say one thing? Cowabunga!

Also, I’d like to name and thank the many people who donated. You not only helped me, you helped the many children and adults out there who are suffering from their own cells gone awry. By donating, you are funding treatments that will go a long way to stopping cancer and allowing these people to live full and wonderful lives. These are my great benefactors:

  • Sarah Strasser
  • Chad Foust
  • Vicki Miller
  • Angela Misri
  • Michael Ungar
  • Wendy Mohr and Wendy Ungar
  • Anna Wilkinson
  • Michele Ungar
  • Diane Stemper

All of you, thank you so much for your patronage.

Of course, just because I’ve surpassed my goal doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near done. I’m still collecting through late January/early February, so you have till then to donate by clicking on this link. Every donation, no matter how small, helps to combat the threat of cancer, so every donation is greatly appreciated.

That’s all for now. Once again, thanks to all my donors for your help. It means a whole lot to me.

“Buried Alive” and “Travelers of the Loneliest Roads” Have Been Published In “Strange Portals” Anthology

Posted: December 7, 2014 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Some exciting news to share with you all. I’ve been holding off until I had some more details, but it’s out now and I’ve got to share it with you all.

Last month I received word from colleague and fellow author Joleene Naylor that she was putting together an anthology of horror/paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy short stories for a holiday season release and she was looking for submissions. Despite my crazy busy life I did some editing on two short stories of mine, “Buried Alive” and “Travelers of the Loneliest Roads”, and sent them in. I’m extremely pleased, grateful, and proud to say that they both got into the final anthology!

I’d like to thank Joleene for this awesome opportunity (you should seriously check out her blog, the link for which is above), and I’d encourage you to check out the anthology “Strange Portals”, which contains works from several different authors, including AK Stein, Adan Ramie, Roxanna Matthews, Jolene, myself, and many more. Right now the anthology is only available from Smashwords as an e-book (the link to download it is right here), but it’ll be available for Amazon soon (and I’ll be updating this post when it is, so keep an eye out for that update). Did I mention it’s free to download? Well, it’s free to download. So that’s even more incentive to check it out.

Well, that’s all for now. I’m really excited, as you can understand. I’m even listening to my go-to celebration song, “Voodoo Child” by Rogue Traders, playing now, that’s how excited I am. I’m taking the rest of the night off, my Followers of Fear. You have a good one, okay?

*Update: As of December 9th, the Amazon link was posted. It costs $0.99 because Amazon never does anything free, but what are you going to do? Anyway, the link is here if you want to check it out. I certainly will.

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