Tag: progress

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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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Writing

Progress Update 3/26: A Boy From Ostora #1

After I got a bit of distance on A BOY FROM NORRU, I brought the manuscript to fresh eyes. I received incredibly valuable feedback that has helped me to reshape the opening chapter. Now, it feels much stronger, especially in the first 500 words. This is the most crucial section of a manuscript when querying agents; if you don’t impress an agent in those first two pages, there’s little chance of them reading on. As such, I feel more confident about sending out further queries. I plan on querying very selectively over the course of the next month. And I’ll continue searching for ways to improve upon the manuscript, even though it feels quite polished to me.

I’ve been reading a lot of big names in epic fantasy lately, authors that I’ve put off reading for far too long. The Blade Itself was phenomenal and contained some of my favorite characters in all of fiction, namely Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta. Oh man, he is deliciously messed up. I’m also most of the way through The Name of the Wind, which reminds me in many ways of LeGuin’s Earthsea series. I haven’t done any research, but I have confidence that this was a direct inspiration for Rothfuss. Other names I plan to read in the coming weeks are Jemisin, McCaffrey, Jordan, Asimov, and Clarke. Again, criminal that I don’t already have these names under my belt. But ugh, there’s so much to read! And so much to write.

The beauty is, though, I get to experience the varied magics that each of the greats in the genre possess. I get to experience them for the very first time. I’m sure when I’m older, I’ll envy my younger self that privilege. So for that reason, I refuse to blast through them too quickly. I’ll take my time and enjoy the art.

Science fiction and fantasy are awesome.

In terms of my own writing, I feel it’s time for me to begin work on another manuscript. I desperately need to reenter the process of churning out new words. I’ve been missing that for too long. While this blog provides a good excuse for me to regularly create new content (rather than simply revise the old), it’s not enough to sate the creative hunger. Thus, I’ve begun writing the sequel to A BOY FROM NORRU.

The working title is A BOY FROM OSTORA. Although the first book does work as a standalone novel, I do imagine it as a series. And while there’s no chance of me selling the sequel without first selling the original, I think writing a sequel will be a good exercise for me. It’s something I’ve never done before. And who knows, maybe having an initial draft of the sequel will inform my revisions on its predecessor. Or, maybe having a draft of a sequel will help me sell the series. Only time will tell. But for now, my passions lie with this story, so I’ll continue working on it.

I’m still doing worldbuilding and outlining while I feel out these first couple chapters, so I probably won’t be in the full swing of drafting until later this week.

Fortunately, I’m privileged to have some time away from work (the kind of work that pays the bills, that is) in order to pursue all this writing and reading. Additionally, I’ve been at the gym every day, which has been huge for my mental health. I’m getting more work lined up right now, but I’ll enjoy this freedom to pursue my passions while I have it.

In the few hours of relaxation I’m giving myself every day, I’ve been watching science fiction and fantasy movies that I’ve put off watching, too. For example, I’d never seen Alien, nor The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Both were fantastic. Some other movies I’ve got on my list are: The Fifth Element, Galaxy Quest, Blade Runner 2049, Mad Max, Waterworld, and Aliens. With an ‘s.’

Oh, and I’m going to a Renaissance festival in a couple weeks. Every second of my time is spent towards some sort of SF/F endeavor, and I’m not complaining.

– AJG

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Writing

Hook Your Readers With the “Ice Monster” Prologue

At the beginning of your story, you need to set up all of the cool stuff that’s going to happen in a hundred pages. You do this with exposition. However, if you’re going to lose your readers at any point, it’s most likely to be here. Take too long with your exposition or lore-dump too quickly, and your readers will abandon your story before you can get to the good part. So brevity is important in this section.

But you can only cut so much exposition without sacrificing payoff later down the line. So how do you buy yourself some time? How can you promise to your readers, “I’m going to tell you a really cool and really exciting story, if you’ll just bear with me for a moment?”

Consider a concept which I’ve learned from a lecture from Dan Wells: the “Ice Monster” prologue. This strategy gets its name from A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. If you’ve read the book or seen the show, you know that we open on three men travelling into a dangerous land and dying at the hands of ice monsters. The prologue is beautifully written, and it promises that we’re about to read a story involving action and magic. Thus, we are willing to take some time and learn about more mundane, factual matters in the pages following. We stick through the introduction to Winterfell, the Starks, and Westeros as a whole because of what the prologue has promised us. And about a hundred pages later, Martin gives us another action hook. I would be surprised if anyone didn’t finish reading the book after this point.

This tactic is incredibly common, and numerous examples can easily be found. As such, this has become somewhat of a trope in the science-fiction/fantasy genre. But tropes are popular for a reason.

Let’s take a look at another example. Would we stick around with Luke Skywalker at the beginning of A New Hope if we spent the first thirty minutes of the movie learning about his life as a moisture farmer on Tatooine? Maybe, but far more captivating is first getting an introduction to our villain, Darth Vader, as he cuts down rebels on Leia Organa’s starship. We’re promised action, adventure, and cool laser swords. What’s important here, too, is that our prologue intersects with our main character very shortly. R2-D2 and C-3PO arrive on Tatooine after the action in space, so we know that Luke will be involved in the action soon. The movie promises us, “Hey, more cool stuff is going to happen. But bear with us while Luke learns about the Jedi.”

I’ve employed this concept in my current manuscript, A BOY FROM NORRU. My main character Alix Pelior begins as an apprentice spaceship mechanic to a demanding master. He wants to leave his life of grueling labor, but his overthinking scares him into inaction. That all changes when he accidentally stows away on board the ship of an infamous smuggler-thief. Now, if I began the story showing Alix’s day-to-day life, that could be an interesting opening. However, the excitement really begins with his meeting the smuggler. So how do I infuse the beginning with more action?

Before shifting the scope to Alix, I start by focusing on the smuggler-thief in a heist gone awry. There, we’re introduced to the main plot conflict, which Alix will eventually have to deal with. But I need to lay out the exposition before I can get there, so I indicate to my readers, “This is going to be a fast-paced, heist-filled romp through space, but first, bear with me while I tell you about this kid.”

I intend on utilizing this same tactic again in future manuscripts. Hopefully, this concept helps you in your own writing, whether in short or long form, whether for novels or for stage or screen. And as always, keep writing!

– AJG

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Progress Updates

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 Updates

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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Life Advice Writing

Reading “Debt”

You could read 50,000 words every day for the next ten years, and you’d only scratch the surface of the literary world. You’d be well-read by anyone’s standards, sure, but there would still be so much left to read. There are so many books. And many people don’t have over three hours a day to spend on reading. Even more people, I would contend, don’t have the patience to read for three hours every single day.

Yet in spite of this, we feel that we should be well-read. That we have no excuse for not having read the classics from War and Peace to The Count of Monte Cristo to East of Eden. Plus the pop psychology books being shared on social media, like Atomic Habits. Plus the works being adapted to television as of late. Fire and Blood, The Golden Compass, The Eye of the World, The Silmarillion, Foundation, and the list goes on.

We know reading is good for us. We know its something smart people do, and we consider ourselves smart people. It’s something we always say we will do as soon as we have the time to get around to it.

But maybe we start a book, and we’re able to focus for all of fifteen minutes before our phone distracts us. That’s okay. That’s a totally fine starting point. It doesn’t feel that way, though. We’re smart; we used to read a book a day back in elementary school. Never mind that we had fewer responsibilities, and never mind that those books used significantly less complex language than the ones we’re trying to read now. We’re adults, and we should be able to do this. In fact, we already should have done it, so the task should get done quickly and easily.

When it doesn’t, we get discouraged and abandon reading entirely.

Psychologically, it’s like the debtor who won’t start paying off loans because the small payments they can make feel like too little. So they let the debt continue to pile up rather than chipping away at the issue.

In our case of reading, though, the “debt” is entirely imagined. We don’t owe anyone any amount of words. We don’t have to have a deep knowledge of the entire literary canon to be an avid reader. Nor is intelligence contingent on reading alone. Yes, books can whet the mind and can teach so much, but there are other qualifiers that make someone smart.

We are not “lesser than” if we don’t read as much as we’d like.

And as soon as we accept that, the pressure disappears. Reading becomes enjoyable rather than a chore. We can be present, and we can chip away at our reading list one book at a time. It won’t matter how long it takes because the process is a delight. It becomes habit, and soon, we’ve read so much that we could pay off all our reading debt.

Except the debt never existed in the first place.

– AJG

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Progress Updates

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 Updates Writing

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 Updates Writing

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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Countdown Articles Writing

4 Spooky Writing Prompts to Warm You Up for NaNoWriMo 2022

Tomorrow is Halloween. Hear nerds around the world rejoice, for cosplaying will be socially encouraged for the next 24 hours. Hooray! Shortly thereafter, hear writers around the world clack at their keyboards, for National Novel Writing Month begins on the first day of November.

Have you completed your plotting, your world-building, your outlining? Do you already know what your main characters’ favorite fruits are? Good, good. But are you ready to write approximately 1,667 words a day? If not, why don’t you warm up with some fun Halloween-themed writing prompts? Set a timer for thirty minutes, and don’t stop writing. When the timer goes off, wrap up the story, and go back to edit if you like. Or don’t! NaNoWriMo is about first drafts, nothing more.

Here are four spooky prompts to get you warmed up.

1. The Necromancer

You come from a long line of dark wizards. Over the past few years, you’ve perfected a resurrection spell. Now, you can finally ask your great-grandfather where he left the family book of spells–and why he hid it.

2. Parsecs From Home

You’re on a space ranging mission in a vast, unexplored corner of the universe. To your surprise, you see another spacecraft in the distance. However, your bioscanners tell you that there are no life forms on board.

3. A Bigger Fish

All sorts of monsters have been spotted outside your village of late, but there have been no casualties thus far. When a werewolf is captured and interrogated, you find out that the monsters are not coming to your village. No, they’re running away from something. But what?

4. The Amnesiac Prisoner

You wake up in the dungeons of a dark castle situated atop a cliff. Distressingly, you have no memory of how you got there, and your jailer is not particularly talkative. Your memory begins to return when you place a hand on your chest, for there you feel the bulge of a key, sewn under your skin.

I’m far from experienced when it comes to writing short stories. In fact, every time I try, I inevitably seem to find myself plotting another novel. Nonetheless, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. has some wonderful creative writing advice that I feel applies especially to writers of short fiction. Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action. With that in mind, go forth and conquer!

– AJG

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