Post your Progress Thread

**Rocket Sheep** · August 14th, 2007, 02:09 AM

Just a pinch of PKD Paxnoctis? Why stop at a pinch?

**kalitara** · August 14th, 2007, 04:36 PM

Okay! We got our ISBN and registered with the Library of Congress. We'll have a few preview copies in paperback, if anyone is interested let me know.

Otherwise you can read the preview ebook of Rowan of the Wood. The official release date is in October, when you can order it through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

LINK: Rowan of the Wood - Free Ebook

We've seen the sketches for the cover, and we'll be finalizing that soon. I'll post it in here when I get it.

**PaxNoctis** · August 14th, 2007, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Rocket Sheep

Just a pinch of PKD Paxnoctis? Why stop at a pinch?

I'm not good enough to introduce more than a pinch without it turning into blatant fanservice ;p. The man is practically sci-fi's Pynchon.

~Pax

**Rocket Sheep** · August 15th, 2007, 04:10 AM

It is hard to follow in those large footsteps.

In the Aus SFFH scene at the moment a group of lovely people have decided to snapshot the local authors (they did the same in 2004 or 2005?). Anyway, they thought it'd be fun to do it again and compare the new interviews to the old or maybe hold onto them and compare them to interviews of the future.

It's really fun, about 8 interviews a day are popping up on blogs all over for a week, until they're all collected and stored with the original 2004/5 ones.

I missed out on the last round but my interview for 2007 is here:
MacDibble's 2007 Snapshot.

**Optimutt** · August 15th, 2007, 06:55 AM

Wow. I'm amazed by all the progress that everyone's making, either publishing, getting the Library of Congress additions, 10 pages a day, you have no idea how proud I am to be posting on this thread with such producers! It's been a while, though. Nice to see you all doing so amazingly well.

Yesterday, I finished my 250k novel: "The Assassin of Youlba Part 1: A General Problem". I'll begin shopping around for agents and publishers today. Ten years ago, an invading army left Daniel’s home a wasteland. Just when this survivor reaches the end of his rope, he encounters two people from another land: a simple merchant and a pacifist warrior who invites him on his mission. During a journey to a horse farm where Daniel learns to ride, to a covert gold-mine, through snowy plains, and into conflicts with giant cats and a barbarian tribe responsible for another civilization’s genocide, the pacifist challenges every belief the young survivor ever had. This is not a children’s book as it deals heavily with the notion of deception, shape-shifting creatures who manipulate others for fun, as well as an exploration of myth as broken down into: “his story,” and how the victors choose to account the “truth.”

If you're interested, I've posted the Prologue and first three chapters on the Stories link of this site. Thanks everyone for all the encouragement you give. This place really helped me out with a few very tough spots in the story.

**Merancapeman** · August 15th, 2007, 07:10 AM

Wow, it's been a while since I've visited this old town. And what have I got to show for my time gone? NOTHING, except my education. Does that matter here? NO! I guess I've written a few more pages of work on my novel, but I've been doing a lot more note-taking with it than anything. Is that healthy? I've been reading other books and trying to learn from them, but only with actual writing can you truly perfect the art. Unfortunately, I haven't written much in my novel and I'm quite upset with myself. Surely, it takes nothing but determination from the writer himself, but I cannot help but ask: is it healthy to stop writing for a few years? Can my talent truly be diminished with time? I'm a little scared that going back will only discourage me even more. If I ever publish the book, there will be some spot in there where I mention I started writing it at 13 and didn't publish it until six to eight years later. How pathetic... :P

**Optimutt** · August 15th, 2007, 08:24 AM

What's pathetic about it, Merancapeman? From my point of view, anything that distracts us from our writing adds spice to our writing when we get back to it. In other words, as we sit and plug away, we're focused on the written word, but when we're not there, we're living, and life is probably the best distraction from anything, as it enriches our experienecs with new dilemmas, diversification, and sights. Don't belittle the education, for it is necessary. When you do get back to work, do it with enthusiasm and excitement, look at the white page not as a gruesome blanket of white that threatens to lull you to distraction, but as a challenge that once explored will give you a sense of wonder and joy.

**Merancapeman** · August 15th, 2007, 08:49 AM

True, true. I suppose if a writer wants to write, he writes. Yet, I've been finding the urge to write unbearable, and my time is used up with other things. The prospect of writing excites me, but for some reason I never act on that desire. I write a little poetry now and then, but it feels as though I'm being pulled away from what I should be doing, which is writing in my book. I suppose my torment is of my own making and I should just suck it up.

**~*~WiShInG~*~** · August 15th, 2007, 05:21 PM

wow you guys are amazing...i can't believe you can all write so much...
i started a story for my english cousrework a while ago...and scraped a B but...it really sucks, to how i imagined it in my head. So now i'm trying again to make the magic happen, its hard so i would greatly appreciated your critisim and helpful suggestions....

i'm editing it loads now so the first part i posted is going to change a lot, and i've posted again a part that i have edited....

heres the url http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17656

its on another threaf on here but i thought i'd give you the url aswell....

all comments welcomed

**MrBF1V3** · August 15th, 2007, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by MrBF1V3

Also, I submitted a story to a flash fiction contest before I read further down the page that the contest closed three days ago.

(I hope they forget my name.)

They extended the deadline until the second week in Sept.

Check it out.

http://www.bbtmagazine.com/ffcalpha-...ones/#more-190

If you comment make sure to tell the truth -- that this is the best story you've ever read.

Also, if one is interested the rules are somewhere in that forum, the contest is: "1,000 words in which someone dies and it's funny."

I'll let you know if I win. You never know.

B5

**Holbrook** · August 16th, 2007, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by MrBF1V3

They extended the deadline until the second week in Sept.

Check it out.

http://www.bbtmagazine.com/ffcalpha-...ones/#more-190

If you comment make sure to tell the truth -- that this is the best story you've ever read.

Also, if one is interested the rules are somewhere in that forum, the contest is: "1,000 words in which someone dies and it's funny."

I'll let you know if I win. You never know.

B5

I liked it, nice twist at the end.

Fingers cross for you.

**Nightblade** · August 16th, 2007, 07:03 AM

I think I'm getting somewhere. I work long days now but I've been forcing myself to write 2-3.5 hours a day and regardless of whether it's bad writing or not. I've managed to finish off 65k worth on my current military scifi story which is great since I've never been able to write in this fashion before. It's been tricky but I feel satisfied that I'm getting somewhere, the worst part is stalling on words and being too demanding of the first draft.

**Optimutt** · August 16th, 2007, 07:27 AM

Blueshark, something that might help you when you stall for words is www.dictionary.com. A quick thesaurus search usually dashes the stall with a double-shift of productivity that gets you right in gear again.

As for that little bit of flash fiction, Mr. MrBFV1V3... I shant tell a lie. This is the best story I've ever read.

...Well... not quite, but it certainly is a great piece.

**PaxNoctis** · August 17th, 2007, 12:47 AM

Well, my muse has apparently come off her 2 week bender, and is back to doing her thing in a major way. I've been writing and revising non-stop since like, 10:00 this morning.

What do I have to show for it? Well, the prologue and chapter 1 of Mirrors (my wierdo, martial-arts-movie fantasy piece) are revised enough to be decent. 2 new chapters written in the same story (about 10 MS Word pages), and 10 pages started of Really Bad Novel (yes, that's the real title). Nominally, it's a book about zombies, but really it's a character study about family and love and hate, with zombies in it.

Neither of these are good enough for what I consider publication material, so both are and will continue to be be freely available online.

Phew! I wish I could have a day like today everyday. I'd be a full-time writer by now.

~Pax

**Elspeth** · August 18th, 2007, 07:10 PM

Yippeeeeee!!!!
By the end of next week I think I'll have made it to 50k! Or at least close to. Wahoo! (Ok, excitement may be a little over done, but that will be the most I've ever written.)
The story is still going strong, and I still feel like its writing itself. It's great! Most of the time its hard work writing, but this story just keeps coming. I've never had it like this before, occasionally the story will go really well for a few pages, but it never lasts. Crossed fingers that this will keep up!
One thing I've learnt though, I tend to have to avoid reading when I have a story in motion; if I don't, I'll pick up the book and read rather than write! Maybe its self control, who knows.
Anyway, have to go, homework's calling. (Groan).
Still wishing you all good luck!