Category: Progress Updates

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Progress Updates

Progress Update 4/23: A Boy From Ostora #2

About a month after starting the first draft of A BOY FROM OSTORA, I am 23k words into the manuscript. Not bad at all! The previous installation in this series, A BOY FROM NORRU, currently clocks in at 50k words. So, if this were the original, I would be about halfway done with the first draft. However, I do see the sequel running a bit longer. I’m allowing myself more allowance in world-building for this story, where I aimed for brevity in the original.

Once I finish drafting A BOY FROM OSTORA, I’ll likely step away from these two stories and write something new entirely. I’ve been reading so much adult fantasy lately, but I haven’t written any since March of last year. That’s what I plan to focus on next.

Speaking of anniversaries, this October will make two years since I last worked on one of my favorite personal projects, titled SCOURGE-WALKER. I wrote the whole 90k-word manuscript in about a month and a half. While the overall story is a little weak, I had some character and worldbuilding ideas in there that I’d love to revisit. Perhaps I’ll return to that manuscript in October. But that’s six months away, so I have time to consider.

In the last month, I read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (which I absolutely adored) and Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (which I absolutely despised). I need to do more research to understand why the Dragonriders of Pern series is so beloved. My guess would be that it was revolutionary for its time. However, I have no interest in reading a story that glorifies an egotistical abuser. Not sorry. And even beyond the fact that the story excuses F’lar’s reprehensible actions, I didn’t find the story at all compelling. If the story were rooted more in Lessa’s personal conflict, it would have been more interesting and less sexist.

But I digress. If you’re looking for a story that’s inclusive and has none of the above problems, read The Fifth Season. That book was so good. So, so good. Enough said. I also read Frankenstein last week, which holds up very well. Shelley’s prose is superb.

In the coming month, I hope to make substantial progress on A BOY FROM OSTORA. I would normally set a word count goal, but I’ve been applying to jobs, and I don’t know what my schedule will look like once I land one. Plus, I’ve got fitness and reading goals to hit! So rather than feel like I need to force out as many words as possible, I’ll just focus on writing well and writing consistently. What more can you do?

– AJG

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Progress Update 2/26: A Boy From Norru #5

A BOY FROM NORRU is finished and clean. I’ve completed several drafts, and I’ve gone through rounds of beta readers. Revisions upon revisions have been made, but the manuscript is done. I am confident that I cannot improve upon the narrative any further for the time being. Of course, a literary agent or acquisitions editor would likely have plenty of advice on how to make the story even better. I hope that I get the opportunity to receive such advice.

As such, I have begun the process of querying literary agents. The process is difficult and sometimes draining. I’ve revised my query letter and synopsis as many times as I’ve revised the manuscript itself. The work never seems to end, but I’m extraordinarily grateful to have the opportunity to send out that work. Only time will tell whether or not the manuscript sparks any interest. Until then, I will keep at it.

Some weeks ago, a composer friend of mine approached me about working with him as a librettist. He wants to put up an opera at his university, and he wants me to write the text. I’ve already completed a first draft. When I’m done with the querying process, I’ll get feedback on the current draft of the opera, and I’ll start on the next. I’m very excited to see where this project goes.

And if I don’t see any positive responses from agents by the time I’m done working on the opera, I’ll probably start on another manuscript. I have more ideas than I do time to write, and I’m eager to get more of them on the page. In the meanwhile, I’ll continue to attend meetings in both of my writing groups. Over time, I’ll likely bring in more of A BOY FROM NORRU to these meetings, and I’ll see if time and perspective give me inspiration for improvements.

Currently, I’m reading Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. I haven’t read any Sanderson in a year and a half; it’s nice to return to Roshar. Once I finish the fourth installment in The Stormlight Archive, I’ll be caught up on the series, and I’ll be able to participate more actively in the fanbase. Plus, I’ll be ready for the late 2024 release of Knights of Wind and Truth. After this book, I have several middle grade novels queued up. But there’s also so much contemporary adult fantasy that I want to read. So much to read, so much to write, but so little time! That’s the constant dilemma.

The world of literature is an exercise in patience.

Ah, but I love it. And I’ve grown so much as a result from it. As usual, the plan for the next month is to keep on reading and keep on writing. The only thing that changes is what I’m reading and writing. Here’s to waiting, and here’s to hoping.

– AJG

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Progress Update 1/29: In-betweens and Other Things

And so, we come to the close of the first month of the year. To you, dear reader, I give my hopes that January has proven everything you desired.

My beta readers have given me further feedback on A BOY FROM NORRU, and I’ve made some final touch-ups. I’ve also read a few books on literary agents and writing query letters, so I’m coming to the query process with a more solid foundation than ever before. I’ve drafted query letter after query letter, and I finally have a clean template that pops. As for my synopsis, I’m coming close to a final draft, but it still needs some touching up.

Aside from working on queries and continuing my reading in the middle grade space, I’ve also been doing copywriting work. I’m learning a lot from practicing this form and from studying an extraordinarily useful copywriting textbook. The skills I’ve gained here have also helped in writing queries. But most importantly, I find the work quite fulfilling. Like writing novels, there’s a satisfying puzzle-solving aspect to it.

What’s more, I’m exploring the world of grant writing, in case that is a route I want to pursue. The course I’m taking is somewhat lackluster, but I hope to have a broad knowledge of the field by the time I finish. My main goal is to know whether or not I’d be happy doing this kind of work, and to have a decent idea of where to start. I think this course will at least provide me that.

And I’m pursuing a couple of other job opportunities in the meanwhile. We shall see if anything comes of those.

Overall, I’m doing a lot. And I’m taking all the right steps for me right now. Sometimes, it’s difficult to see the fruit of my burdens. But I am committed to inching closer to my goals and making progress one day at a time.

– AJG

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Progress Update 1/1: My Favorite Middle Grade Novel

I finished the second draft of A BOY FROM NORRU on December 17, 2022. Shortly thereafter, I distributed copies of the manuscript to a handful of beta readers. The feedback I’ve received has been largely positive thus far. As I suspected, the story’s greatest strength is that it moves. It’s action-packed and holds the reader’s attention.

Obviously, it’s not ready for querying yet. I’ll need to take some space from the manuscript before I can return to polishing. But since it seems I won’t need to rework any major story elements, I won’t need to take as much space from the project as I originally thought. I’ll wait for all my beta readers to finish, hear their opinions, and get back to work. In the meantime, I’ll start drafting query material.

Since I’m currently taking space from this manuscript, I’d like to talk about something else in this progress update. Last year, I read 27 books. That number would be higher, but I’m a bit of a slow reader (I like to take my time and catch all the little details). Moreover, epic fantasy books take a long time to read.

I read a lot of middle grade last year, since I’m writing middle grade. Some of those books were absolutely incredible, but one in particular that stood out above the rest.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (2000).

Oh man, I could not put this book down. I don’t think I experienced just-one-more-chapter syndrome so acutely since childhood.

This is the story of two runaway brothers, Prosper and Bo, who are being pursued by a private detective. By chance, they fall in with other vagrant children led by Scipio the Thief Lord. The band of orphans is offered an incredibly high-paying job, but as secrets are revealed, everything starts to fall apart. And with the detective hot on their tail, the odds are stacked against them.

The book takes place in Venice, Italy, and the setting acts as a dynamic character of its own. The city’s ancient beauty provides a colorful backdrop for the suspense.

The story unravels so beautifully. It’s exciting and inspires awe, but it’s also grounded and real. I won’t say any more, for I don’t want to spoil too much of the magic. But I cannot recommend this book enough. It is precisely the kind of book I want to write, and that much is clear in A BOY FROM NORRU.

Happy New Year, and happy reading!

– AJG

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Progress Update 12/4: A Boy From Norru #4

Four months ago, I began plotting A BOY FROM NORRU. And three months ago, I moved to Austin. An eternity seems to have passed in that time, and yet, no time seems to have passed at all. Life has felt that way a lot since the lockdown in 2020.

I finished the first draft of the manuscript five weeks ago. In the two weeks following, I stepped away from it and read a whole lot of middle grade. I’m still reading middle grade now, but my main focus has shifted to revision.

In the past three weeks, I’ve worked through roughly thirteen of the book’s twenty-two chapters. Most of this editing has been in an effort to clean up the writing. But there are also some major contradictions in the plot that I’ve worked on resolving. And character reveals for which I’ve needed to add foreshadowing. And several other things of the like.

I feel more and more confident in this manuscript the longer I work on it. Obviously, there are moments of supreme doubt, but that’s a given in this craft. Overall, though, the quality of the story has continued to improve. I’ll need to take a bigger step away from the manuscript between the second and third drafts to get more perspective. And I’ll need the perspectives of beta readers, too. I hope to get out beta copies before Christmas.

Thanksgiving was wonderful; I am so grateful to have had so much time with family. And right now, I’m writing this post from Dallas. I’ve made a short, last-minute trip up here to visit some loved ones. The timing worked out surprisingly well for a trip so highly unplanned.

On the drive up here, I started listening to the audiobook of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I’m about halfway through, and I’m eager to see where the story goes. I’m also reading Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente, and I’m about halfway through that book as well. The fairytale opening of that story was magical and beautiful; I can only hope the ending of the story sparks a similar joy.

Out of the middle grade novels that I’ve read in the last month, I think the best have been Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson and The Secrets of Star Whales by Rebecca Thorne. However, I am certainly biased in my opinion. These are also the novels most similar to the ones I am writing. At least that proves I’m following the advice of writing the kind of book I’d like to read!

I had a moment of gratitude a couple weeks ago. I spent the day writing, and I spent the night reading. When I finished, I sat back, and I thought to myself, “If I did this every day for the rest of my life, I would be content with that.” Maybe I’m blinded by youthful naiveté. But most people don’t find the thing that they’d be happy to do forever, and I think I have. Which is cool.

Now, I just have to get to the point where I can support myself through my art. Easy peasy, right? Haha.

Ha.

Wrapping Up

Revision, reading, revision, reading. I’m so close to getting a clean, cohesive draft of this story, and I cannot wait to share it. But these things take time, and I need to maintain my patience. Rushing to the finish line will do me no good in the long run.

But with any luck, I’ll hit my goal by Christmas, and I’ll get to enjoy the festivities with a weight off my chest.

And then, I’ll start working on query material for this one, or I’ll start up a new project, and the process will begin all over again.

– AJG

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Progress Update 11/6: A Boy From Norru #3

Election day is on Tuesday, November 8th. Don’t forget to vote! I voted early last week.

Last month, I set a 24k-word goal for A BOY FROM NORRU. In order to meet this goal, I needed to write an average of 6k words a week. All was going well; I was on track to hit this benchmark. I’d written 19.5k words in three weeks–over a thousand more than I needed. And then, something happened that prevented me from writing the 4.5k words remaining.

I… finished the first draft of the manuscript! Which rules, especially since I previously set the end of November as my target date for the first draft.

The first draft of A BOY FROM NORRU clocks in at 49,500 words. Middle grade novels fall within 20k to 50k words, so I’ve landed right in the upper range of this. However, exceptions are granted to science fiction/fantasy novels which require worldbuilding, so I’m not worried about exceeding the upper limit by a few thousand words in future drafts.

I’m quite satisfied with the story. It’s fun; it’s punchy; it’s lean; it’s action-packed. And I think it has a pretty good twist. When I set out to write this story, these were my top priorities, as they’ve proven some weak points of mine in the past. Specifically, I’ve struggled with tension and pacing. Not so here.

Obviously, the story still needs a lot of work. In the next month, I will clean it up and reconcile plot holes. Then, I plan on giving out some copies to a small group of friends and family for beta reads. I’ll be taking space from the manuscript in the meantime.

In the week and a half since I finished the first draft, I’ve been focusing on reading. I finished A Clash of Kings and continued to tear through some middle grade novels. I have several more middle grade novels in the queue that I’ll read while I revise.

Wrapping Up

Revising and reading! That’s what the next month entails.

I’ve finally settled into work and living in Austin. Things feel comfortable, and I have a nice routine. Out of the nine weekends I’ve been here, friends have stayed with me eight. I’m not complaining; it’s been awesome. But there’ve also been many late nights on weekends, which wears on the body. But the visits are starting to slow, so I’ll have more time to decompress and take care of myself soon.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Wishing love, health, and happiness to everyone out there.

– AJG

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Progress Update 10/9: A Boy From Norru #2

Oh, man. The last month has felt like a lifetime.

As I predicted, I started a new job shortly after posting my last progress update. I’m working nights, which leaves my days open for writing endeavors. However, work keeps me on my feet, so I come home with lots of energy. So I stay up later, and consequently, I sleep in. In order to increase my monthly writing output, I’ll need to reconcile this.

I find that I write best in the morning, especially after visiting the gym. I’m averaging 3-4 gym visits a week. This number is satisfactory to me, and I’d love to keep it consistent. Between the gym, my job, and exploring Austin, this is the most active my life has been, maybe ever. Which is cool.

Speaking of exploring, boy do I love this city. There’s so much nature, so much culture, and so much to do! I’ve been quite fortunate in making a ton of connections here already, so I’ve had no shortage of plans.

As for my reading, I’m about halfway through A Clash of Kings. Yeah, I’m late on ASoIaF by a long shot, but I’m hooked. I love Martin’s prose. When I finish this book, I think I’ll set aside a few days to spend in the downtown Austin library. There, I’ll tear through some more middle grade novels for inspiration and research.

Which brings me to A BOY FROM NORRU. I’ve written 18k more words of the manuscript, which is stellar progress. Hopefully, now that I’m getting more settled into a routine and figuring out what works for me, I can bump that number up even more in the next month. Ideally, I’d love to have a first draft by the end of November. We’ll find out soon if that’s realistic.

The last book I wrote, MIRI MEDERA, INTERPLANAR POTION-MAKER, was the first that I revised to the point of “completion.” By which I mean I edited the manuscript to the point where I felt comfortable querying literary agents with it. Now, as a result, I find myself taking more risks in my current project. I feel better about putting my characters in uncomfortable situations without knowing how they’ll get out. I have the experience to know I can go back to make additions, deletions, or even to reorganize the whole dang thing.

In short, my experience in revision has made me more confident in discovery writing.

Wrapping Up

In the next month, I hope to reach an even better level of flow between my writing, my job, and my social life. This goal will remain a primary focus of mine for the foreseeable future. I have many friends who plan on coming to visit ATX this month, so I certainly won’t be bored.

And I’m going to try something. This month, I’m setting a 24k-word goal for A BOY FROM NORRU. That writing is in addition to my weekly blog posts and my personal journaling. That’s 6k words of progress on the manuscript every week for the next four weeks. This seems reasonably ambitious. Check back on November 6th to find out if I reach my arbitrary benchmark or no.

Onward!

– AJG

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Progress Update 9/12: A Boy From Norru #1

What I’ve Done

A month ago, I posted my first ever progress update, and I’m happy to say that I’ve kept pace with the goals I set for myself in that post. My middle grade sci-fi novel has a working title: A BOY FROM NORRU.

At this point, I’ve finished the pre-draft plotting, and I’ve written over 11k words of the story. This means that, when you include the content I created for this website, I wrote about half of my typical output last month. Which is phenomenal, considering most of my attention recently I’ve spent on my move to Austin.

So, so, so much work goes into moving. Obviously, there’s the big stuff, like actually moving yourself and your items. But then there’s the smaller stuff that you don’t consider ahead of time, like learning what days trash collection comes through your neighborhood. Each of those smaller tasks creates a small headache. And those little headaches add up to one big migraine.

But as with most ventures worth undertaking, the reward doesn’t come without the effort.

By the time this article goes live, I will have lived here in ATX for a week! And despite all the painstaking details of pulling up my roots and replanting, I can’t wait to see what the future brings. I’m almost completely settled in, anyway. There are only a few more things I need to finalize.

What I’m Doing

With any luck, I’ll have shifts scheduled at a new job within the next week. I’m moving forward with some opportunities to this end, and I like my odds. More importantly, I like the places to which I’ve applied. Assuming all goes well, I will feel a legitimate passion for my day job, and I’ll grow as a person while I do it. Both are privileges that will not go unnoticed.

In terms of writing, I plan on spending the next month continuing to write the first draft of A BOY FROM NORRU, along with my normal blog posts. Of course, I don’t know that I can expect to meet my previous average of 30-40k words per month any time soon, what with the other responsibilities I’ve taken on. But with a new lifestyle comes a new norm. And word count goals are only helpful so much as they bring inspiration and discipline. Not when they discourage me.

I’m still keeping up with the queries I sent out for MIRI MEDERA, INTERPLANAR POTION-MAKER. And I’ve received several form rejections from literary agents, each one a badge of honor. Candidly, I will say that A BOY FROM NORRU is much more high-concept and commercial so far. Which, as an unpublished author, means I may have more luck pitching it to agents. Not to say that I’ve given up on Miri; quite the contrary. I’ll make sure she has her time in the spotlight.

Wrapping Up

In short, I moved, and I’m writing. The latter will be true for as long as I’m alive, so I suppose it doesn’t warrant reiterating. In the next month, I intend on finding a decent flow between housework, my day job, and my stories. Oh, and I’m gonna enjoy the city. Can’t forget that.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read a bit about my current endeavors.

– AJG

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Progress Update 8/14: Website Launch

What I’ve Done

Yesterday, I launched my author website. Woohoo! And now, back to the grindstone.

Much of the past month I spent applying to jobs in Austin and querying literary agents with MIRI MEDERA, INTERPLANAR POTION-MAKER, a project which you can read more about here. With those tasks and my website complete, I can return my focus again to writing.

Well, that and moving. See, I’m not technically based in Austin just yet, but I’ll be out there in the next month or so. As of now, I’m still in Dallas.

What I’m Doing

For my next project, I intend on writing another novel for middle grade audiences—this time, one set in a science fiction setting. In preparation for writing this story, I’ll need to queue up some more contemporary middle grade sci-fi on my reading list. I did the same with middle grade fantasy before I wrote my last project, and it served me well.

Some pop-culture inspirations for this coming story include Cowboy Bebop, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, as I’ve repurposed story elements from each. And of course my usual favorites from the science fiction canon: Star Wars, Dune, The Martian, Ender’s Game, and the like. Recently, I’ve been playing the classic BioWare Star Wars games set in the Old Republic, including the MMORPG, which I’m sure will influence my worldbuilding to some degree.

Speaking of worldbuilding, I intend on setting this story in a universe that I created some time ago for a different, more adult project. The BBEG in that story was going to be a lich. Space lich! How fun would that be? I’ll get around to that story eventually, too, so I won’t give away the twist just yet. The space lich twist.

Of course, I’ll have to make some modifications to the setting so that it better suits a middle grade audience. For example, I originally didn’t want a human race to exist in this universe. The only sapient mammalian race took traits from the big cats of our world, specifically lions. Upon revisiting this, I think I’d rather not attempt to explain the anatomy of several non-human main characters in a sub-60k word story. That doesn’t sound very interesting at all. And so humans shall run rampant.

Although I won’t have time to explain all the internal logic of the universe either, my old setting will provide a backbone and an underlying logic to the lighthearted adventures of these ten to twelve-year-old protagonists. Do my readers need to know that my FTL jumpdrives are powered by crystals produced from matter-antimatter annihilation? No, but I’ll sleep easier at night knowing it myself.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it. The next month or so for me will consist of storyboarding, the early phases of drafting, and moving to Austin. If you’re interested in keeping up with my progress, check back regularly for more blog posts, and keep an eye on my books page.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read a bit about my current endeavors.

– AJG