2011 Update

There's been a lack of posts these past few months mainly because there's not been a lot of activity moving my novel closer to publication. But allow me to catch everyone up on what all is happening.

First of all, the Gideon Cain anthology did come out and what feedback I've heard from it has been positive. But something I would certainly crave is more reader reaction to the anthology and, of course, to my story in particular. I'm sure that's true for any fledgling author. I do believe there's a lot of really golden potential in the Gideon Cain property and I hope to see more done with it in the future.

Perhaps something I can do this year on this blog is put together some Q & As with some of the contributing authors.

Another new, exciting development started taking shape back in the fall. In my day job as a

video producer, I had a client step into my edit suite one day and flip out over some drawings I had scattered around my desk.

He was sitting on an idea for a new online and outdoor advertising campaign for a client of his but he needed the right artist to bring it to life. He wanted to feature his client's pet bulldog in a comic strip.

So I whipped up a few samples, including the image you see here, and he got very excited.

We're still in the pre-launch stage but we hope to get things rolling very soon. This looks to be a fairly long lasting gig that will keep me happily chained to a drawing table for most of the coming months.

When the site launches, I'll announce it here.

But this blog is about my writing novels in my "Galahad's Doom" series. The first one is entitled "My Brother's Keeper" and the follow up is called "Marching As To War". There's been movement on both in recent weeks.

No, I'm no closer to having my cover art finished for the the first book, but that's a blessing because I've been able to continually revisit that manuscript and improve it with each polish.

But I could be looking at doing some real work on it with a thorough revision thanks to my friend and editor extraordinaire, Sam McDavid. Sam has read the book and has been very generous with his praise. He's got a very high opinion of the story and is encouraging me to really shop it around to major publishers.

BUT.... since the story is so good, and the wait has been so long, the prose should be perfect. Sam is good at catching things that could and should be improved upon and challenging me on details. For that I am thankful, and I'm encouraged by his positive feedback, but I look to have a lot more time that still needs to go into this first book than I thought.

As for "Marching As To War", I was finally able to get some writing done on it back in November. Knocked out between 5 and 6 thousands words, completing 3 or 4 scenes. That book stands at around 40K, but before I go much further on that I'm going to really be looking at my outline to make sure this book is shaping up the way it needs to.

In all humility, the first book did surpass my own expectations and came out a lot stronger than I ever thought I'd pull off. Reader opinion may differ once the book is out, of course, but I feel like it turned out so well that now I have to question what I have planned for the 2nd and 3rd books: do they adequately deliver on that standard set by the first one?

I don't know.

But I'll find out.

New Anthology Released This Week

This coming Friday is the official release date of Gideon Cain: The Demon Hunter. This is a character-based anthology of short stories written in the style of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane stories.

I was privy to the brainstorming sessions that gave birth to this character and concept and was excited about reading the stories other authors would come up with. But quite unexpectedly, a story idea for it popped into my head and two days later I had a finished story.

I wrote that story in February of 2009 and I'm excited to see that it will finally get published this week.

In the process of writing my Gideon Cain story, I discovered and became a fan of Solomon Kane, the Puritan avenger featured in several stories by famed pulp writer Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan the Barbarian). Upon reading The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, I discovered that Howard had composed several poems that told their own stories. Taking a cue from that, I also composed a poem that recapped Gideon Cain's backstory.

I have no idea if my poem was selected for inclusion by the editors, I will find out when I get my first copy. But I do hope it's there.

Anyway, here is the Official Press Release:

GIDEON CAIN - THE DEMON HUNTER

Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers have teamed up with noted fantasy, science fiction author, Van Allen Plexico to bring to life a brand new sword wielding adventurer; Gideon Cain – The Demon Hunter. Originally conceived on an internet forum, this swashbuckling, globe trotting avenger is the result of half a dozen creative minds pooling their ideas and imaginations into bringing forth a tortured hero cast in a classic pulp mold.

During the famous Salem Witch Trials (1692-93) British born Puritan soldier, Gideon Cain aided the inquisitions, believing them to be just. Soon thereafter, God revealed to Cain that he and the righteous citizens of Salem had been duped by a cunning, ageless demon from Hell known as Azazel. The guilt of his actions weighs heavily on his conscience and rather than be driven mad by it, Gideon chooses to make atonement. Taking up his sword, the blade inscribed with holy runes, he bids farewell to his wife and children and departs on his sacred mission. Now he wonders the earth doing God’s work and destroying evil in whatever shape or guise it appears; his one consuming goal, to find and destroy Azazel.

Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to be bringing pulp fans this great new character written in the tradition of Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane. Here are seven exciting, action packed tales of the Demon Hunter by Scott Harris, Brian Zavitz, K.G.McAbee, Ian Watson, James Palmer, David Wright and Van Allen Plexico. Design and interior illustrations by Art Director Rob Davis with a painted cover by Davis and Shane Evans.

The book also features a special introduction by co-creator, Kurt Busiek. (Marvels – Astro City)

Airship 27 Productions, Pulp Fiction for a new generation.
ISBN: 1-934935-74-3
ISBN 13: 978- 1-934935-74-3
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers
Release date: 08/13/2010

Character Sketch: Darkswift

It's been a while since I've posted any character sketches. In earlier posts, I have shared my drawings and thoughts on the main hero, Galen Griffon; his brother, Lucas; and chief adviser to the throne, Glamis. This time, I thought I'd share some sketches of one of my favorite characters. In true Swords & Sorcery tradition, this character is an elf. As he rarely shares his true name, he generally goes by the name given to him by his master: Darkswift.

In short, Darkswift is a ninja. Not really, but that idea is my guiding thought as I write the character. He's an acrobatic, blade-flashing martial artist. Actually, I started out thinking of him as a combination of a ninja and Jedi Knight, but without any magical powers. But since it wouldn't do to call him a ninja or a Jedi, I came up with the name mokeshi.

The story in My Brother's Keeper makes reference to a far-off realm known as Hanopin. In this world I've created, Hanopin is my Asian analogue. It's sort of an amalgam of China and Japan. I arrived at the name by referencing China's Han Dynasty and by playing with the Japanese word for Japan, Nippon.

The mokeshi warriors are also referred to in the book as "Shadow Knights of Hanopin". Like all candidates, Darkswift trained at the Mokeshi Temple, enduring grueling trials until he had earned his rank. However, at the end of his time in Hanopin,Darkswift discovered a truth kept hidden by the temple master. The nature of this discovery will remain my secret for now, but suffice it to say that it will have ramifications for Galen that won't be felt until the second book, Marching As To War.

The sketches you see here on this post are lifted from my sketchbook. He's a very kinetic character, always flipping, spinning and kicking.
Some of these sketches are nothing more than an attempt to capture some of that moving energy. It has taken me a while to settle on a definitive look for the character. It is partly for this reason that not a lot of description is given within the pages of the book, other than to say he's wearing traditional Hanopinese clothes.

However, in the very first sketch you can see where I roughed in colors. Darkswift is a character that exists in shades of gray, figuratively speaking, so I decided to translate that literally by the clothes he wears.

He is a long time friend to Glamis. He was raised in a non-religious clan and then trained in Hanopinese philosophy at the mokeshi temple. He's a lethal killer and dangerous foe. However, he has learned something about the nature of Truth that has challenged the way he views the world.

Again these rough sketches are just attempts to settle on a look for the character and to get a sense of how he moves. The pony tail you see in a couple of the drawings is gone. The top sketch is the most definitive look I've got for him at the moment. But I do hope readers like him because he's fun to write and Glamis is busy secretly preparing him for a crucial role in the looming war.

Plot vs. Character

I got a problem.

I got a lot of plot.

Where the first book clocked in right around 100K words, the second one is just getting going good and it's already at 29K. I'll be lucky to keep this under 150K and there's a danger of it soaring above 200K.

My problem is a bit structural. As I wrote in earlier posts, I'm trying to align the books in this series with the division of the three dramatic acts of the story. By nature, this would tend to make the second book the longest since that's always the case with the Second Act.

I've got a lot of plot to cover but I don't want the word count to soar out of control. Now I can keep the word count low if just mechanically get through the plot as quickly as I can. But I don't really want to do that.

There's always a balancing act that must be performed juggling the needs of plot and characterization. If all I do is crank out a plot description then I don't think the readers are going to stick with me. I can't be afraid to spend a few extra words-- or paragraphs-- on fleshing out the characters.

There is a need to allow readers into the heads of certain characters, or to take the time to explain a bit of backstory or description of a character. For the characters to come alive on the page they each need their own personality, their own voice. I've got to find those things then allow them the space to express themselves.

But I got a lot of plot.

If I'm not careful, the final word count could prove to be way too big.

And to make matters worse, I keep coming up with new characters. For example, I decided that I needed a naval warship and crew to serve as the hook, the reader's POV, for all of the naval action that will be depicted in the book. So next thing you know, I've spent two pages introducing a ship's captain, first mate and helmsman; including a history for each of them so readers feel like they know them.

Now think about it: I spent ten years thinking about the characters and plot of the first book, but I just came up with all of these guys an hour ago. So now, perhaps, you can see why the writing on this second book is taking so much longer.

Then again, when the plot picks up later in the book and it's in the thick of a bunch of naval battles, the time spent early on investing in these characters will (hopefully) cause the reader to care more about what happens.

Word count vs. reader investment.

Plot vs. Character.

I'm going to need an editor.

Update

It's been a few months since I've updated this blog. I'll try to be better. I've got several more character sketches that I want to post. Maybe I can get to them in the coming weeks.

But I do have some news to report. It's not necessarily good news for folks ready for the first book to come out, but it is news.

Short version: I still have to wait an indefinite amount of time before my cover artist can get started on my commission.

But I'm okay with that. I had told him in December that I wanted to have books in my hand ready to sell by the end of May. He responded that he could meet that but that he would have to change his planned approach.

I thought about it, but I told him not to do that. I wanted him to take the time and do it right, to do it in a way that he could be proud of. His original plan was (is) to do a large oil painting, a piece that could be a featured item in his gallery and generate sales of prints strictly on its own strengths.

I decided I'd rather wait a few more months and have that remain the approach he took. And he was very happy to hear me say that.

One reason he remains very busy in his schedule is that he is involved in the production of a major Hollywood movie (starring Nicholas Cage). He is providing artwork that will actually be seen in the movie, this isn't just developmental stuff. In addition to this, his schedule with Marvel Comics remains busy.

The best thing about all this delay is that it will cut down tremendously on the amount of time that will pass between the publication of the first and second books. I have found it a lot more difficult to get into a good writing groove with the second book than I ever did with the first one. I trust I can work through it and eventually start cranking out pages at a good rate.

And, speaking of writing the second book, I just spent a week on the road doing some work in Florida. I managed to knock out about 4,000 words on the second book, including a very important scene that will basically drive the rest of the series.

So good news: progress is being made on the second book and when my cover is done for the first one it is going to be awesome.

New Releases from White Rocket Books

Readers of this blog should be familiar with the name Van Plexico. He's not only a friend and fellow author but the founder and publisher of White Rocket Books. It his through him that I have seen my work published.

I first "met" Van online around 1998 by way of his fantastic website, Avengers Assemble, dedicated to my favorite Marvel Comics series. As it turned out, Van was from a town not far from where I was living at the time and had actually bought comics from the same store I did during the time he was attending Auburn University.

A couple of years ago, Van called upon the various Avengers experts that have entered his circle since starting the website to compile a book full of analysis and opinion on Marvel's series. This book was called Assembled!, and the profits from it have been donated to HERO Initiative, which is a charity set up to assist former comic book creators. I had the honor of contributing a chapter to that book.

Then, earlier this year, a follow-up called Assembled! 2 was released. Alas, I did not contribute to this one but it is full of wonderful insight to The Avengers and a worthy companion to the first book. However, I was thrilled to discover my name in the book. On the very last page, there is an advertisement listing other books available from White Rocket.

There, listed among the work of other authors, is "My Brother's Keeper by David Wright". Well, I wasn't expecting that! Thanks a lot, Van, for throwing that in there!

I understand, though, that at the time you laid that page out you probably thought the book would be out by the end of this year. But, hey, nothing wrong with a little advance promotion!

Van started White Rocket Books in order to publish his own original series of superhero novels, The Sentinels. This first three books in the series were picked up by a larger publishing company and the follow-up short story anthology, Alternate Visions, included a pair of my stories.

Now, Van has released the latest entry in The Sentinels series, called The Shiva Advent. I have just finished reading this book and I am impressed with the pace of the story and the ease of the reading. If you are a fan of comic book superheroes, particular teams such as The Avengers, then The Sentinels will seem familiar to you. This book really seemed to find its stride immediately, pushing the book forward with a constant sense of momentum while at the same time revealing more about the main characters. It was a breeze and a blast and it has only left me wanting more Sentinels action right away.

There are, at the moment, five more novels planned in the series with a possibility of more short stories as well as some tales in fully-illustrated traditional comic book format. "Superhero prose" is a category that has seen a lot of growth in the last three or four years, and Van is right at the front of that movement. And I'm thrilled to be associated with White Rocket.

He's also got another novel out there and some Sherlock Holmes stories published and plans for a whole lot more, but I think I've promoted Van enough today!

Latest Update

I have been in contact with the artist I've commissioned to paint the cover for My Brother's Keeper. As I've mentioned before he is, to put it very mildly, of quite some renown in his field and remains in high demand. In other words, he is very busy and he hasn't gotten to my cover yet.

He thought his schedule would be opening up during the summer, but now it looks like he's pretty well booked with his biggest client through the end of the year. I was hoping I'd have the book ready for Christmas, but that doesn't seem likely at this point. Right now, I'm hoping for March.

This doesn't really bother me at all, to you the truth. It's a blessing in a couple of different ways. First, I've recently revisited my manuscript after not looking at it for five or six months. This fresh perspective has given me an opportunity to make corrections and revisions that otherwise would have not been done. I see it as a luxury to be able to do this.

Secondly, with the first book not coming out until next year, I will have plenty of time to get a good head start on the second book and therefore greatly reduce the gap between the two. This is definitely a good thing since I've made so little headway on the second book this year.

I always assumed I'd be looking at about a year between books, but this delay will certainly change that.

So that's good news. The bad news is this blog continues to just tease at the book and I didn't anticipate that. But in the weeks and months to come I'll look at posting more artwork giving some glimpses of more characters. And also if anyone reading this has any questions at all either about my story or just my approach or technique in writing, please email me or leave a comment.

In the meantime, I'll keep looking for time to write and any updates I get on the art will surely be posted here.

Problems Solved, Pondered and Helpless.

Yay! At long last, I have written an opening to my second book, Marching As To War, that I am happy with.

It took two false starts and a lot of head-scratchin', but I finally figured it out. I have found a way to introduce a bit more dramatic tension to the opening chapter that adds some early action and yet still accomplishes plot-wise what I need it to.

I feel like I've finally gotten the characters out of the starting gate and it should be easier to write from this point forward.

A problem solved.

As I undertake this book, especially the opening chapters, I have a decision to make. Do I write this as a second stand-alone novel that may be read by people that have not read the first book? Or do I treat this as the second Act of the same book?

In other words: while I am releasing three books separately, I do plan on compiling them into one edition later. And that's really the story's true form, one complete work. So, when I re-introduce characters, locations and concepts for the first time in the second book, should I include enough description and explanation to help readers jumping into the series late, even if this means it will seem redundant in the final collected edition?

A problem to ponder.

The good news is I have now knocked out roughly the first 14,000 words of Book 2, and I'm ready to push forward, satisfied with what I have planned. The bad news is I don't have any time in my life to set aside for writing.

The one piece of advice I see from professional writers the most often is to keep writing, keep writing and keep writing. A pro must have the discipline to write a certain number of words per day. I get that. But I have other concerns.

I have a day job as a producer of documentaries. We are currently very busy with three projects going on simultaneously. And in addition to covering high school football on a weekly basis, I also have a fledging side business of producing wedding videos. That business has required a lot of my time and money these past few months and I am already seeing fruit from that so I expect to be kept busy with that enterprise from this point forward.

And, of course, I must make time for my wife and son, both of whom wish I could make twice as much money as I do now yet stay at home and never have to work. I promise they're not Democrats. Suffice it to say I am blessed to have a family that desires to have me spend time with them, I'd sure hate the alternative.

So I am left with a huge novel to write and no time to dedicate to the task, other than what I sneak in on airplanes and in hotels when I'm away on business. Which isn't often enough for this book to get finished in the next five years.

A helpless problem.

Yet somehow it must be solved. Maybe the wedding business will take off so successfully that I can pay other people to work for me. Or maybe my first book will be so loved by publishing houses that I will be offered a huge sum to give up everything else and write the sequel full time.

...uh-huh... and maybe pigs will grow wings, Obama really was born in America and college football will adopt a playoff system...

Write right, Wright p.4: "Keep It Interesting"

"Drama is real life with the boring parts taken out." -- Alfred Hitchcock

"Try not to write the parts that readers tend to skip." -- Elmore Leonard

Every chapter, every paragraph, every word should have a purpose. Every choice an author makes should serve the function of furthering the story. Before you write something (or you're editing a draft), ask yourself what is it accomplishing.

There is only one hard and fast rule in writing fiction: Don't Be Boring. Any other rule can be broken, but if you fail to entertain or engage the reader then you have failed as a writer. I would say every scene in your book needs to accomplish one of same three aspects seen in the Three Act structure. Namely, any given scene should introduce something, complicate something or resolve something.

I'm continuing to struggle with the opening chapter of my second novel. I know, in a general sense, everything that will happen in the book, but I am far less certain on how to present it than I was with the first book.

The first one was fairly well thought out in my head as I had spent years coming up with the story. The second and third parts of the series are far less concrete. Don't misunderstand me, I know where it is all going, but I don't have specific scenes thought up except for a couple of action set pieces.

So here I am this summer trying to get the second book off the ground, but the above quotes from Hitchcock and Leonard keep haunting me whenever I read back over I've written. I've taken two shots at it so far and they both seem wordy. I want to start the book off as exciting as possible and still convey the vital story information, but I think it's bogging down.

If I can just get the characters out of the starting gate then I think the rest will start to flow a little easier.

We'll see.

Farewell, Sir Olin

My father, Charles Olin Wright, died on Monday, June 22nd. To my dismay, he never got to read my novel.

Dad was the one who instilled in me a love for reading. We were always reading novels. My interest in sci-fi and fantasy novels came from him, though his reading tastes were much broader.

Through his books I discovered dragonriders of Pern, Cave Bear Clans and all of Saberhagen's Swords.

He was very interested in my novel, always asking for updates while I was writing it, hoping I'd finish it before he lost his battle with all his physical ailments.

Last year, during the summer, he was bound to a hospital bed for a couple of months. At that time I gave him everything I had so far on my book because I didn't know if I'd ever finish it before we lost him. I handed him what I had, which proved to be about half of the final manuscript, and he devoured it in just a day or two. I made a big push and finished the book in February of this year.

I asked him then if he wanted to read the final manuscript or wait to read the published book. He opted for the latter and that day never came. Earlier this month I gave him the entire manuscript, but his health had taken its final turn and he was never in condition to read it.

It remained unopened on a shelf in his hospital room.

If he had just opened the front cover, he'd see the Dedication Page and discover the book was dedicated to him. Galen Griffon is the name of my main character and his father is named Sir Olin, taken from my own father's middle name.

In the book, Sir Olin was a knight in shining armor in service to the Church. I can think of no better description of my dad.

Here's hoping they have a great bookstore in Heaven.

Farewell, Sir Olin.

Three Acts in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Let's talk a little more about your basic three-act dramatic structure using an example most of us are probably very familiar with: the original Star Wars trilogy.

At its simplest, the three-act structure consists of:

I. Introduction

II. Complications

III. Resolution

The Star Wars movies are fun examples because everyone knows them and their structures are very obvious to anyone that cares to look for that sort of thing.

Let's look at Star Wars, the first movie, also known as A New Hope:

Act One takes place on Tatooine. We are introduced to all the key characters. Not only that, but right away- in the very first scene-- we see space ships, laser guns and robots. This establishes the kind of world the story will take place in, thereby setting the storytelling rules. This is vital. Because this is established early, then we don't blink an eye when a little while later we see strange alien creatures and a laser sword.

Imagine our reaction to a lightsaber thirty minutes into a movie like The Godfather or Beverly Hills Cop. It wouldn't work because of the storytelling rules set up at the beginning of the film. This is my main problem with Field of Dreams, which everyone else in the world seems to love. The supernatural element of the appearance of ghosts happens way, waay too far into the movie and there's been no establishment of those sort of "rules". To me, it's like Don Corleone using the Force. It doesn't work for me and, so, I hate the movie. I can't get into it.

Regardless, in A New Hope we not only firmly establish the milieu and genre, but we are introduced to all the key players while we are on Tatooine, the desert planet. The first Act ends in the climax of Luke, Ben and the droids escaping the planet with Han and Chewie on the Falcon. See how obvious that is? They leave the planet, end of Act One.

Act Two takes place on the Death Star as they seek to free Princess Leia. Again, it builds to a climatic scene in which Ben is killed by Darth Vader. This also functions as a "pinch fight", meaning it is a direct conflict with the main antagonist serving as a way to build tension toward the final Act's showdown. They leave the Death Star, end of Act Two.

Act Three is the trench battle around the Death Star. Of course it ends with the Death Star destroyed and the Good Guys win the day. But an important element in making this ending work is that it does involve a showdown with Darth Vader. Vader is established as the Main Bad Guy in the opening scenes of the movie, there is the "pinch fight" with Ben at the end of Act Two and therefore there must be a final showdown at the end of the movie. There must be, that's how it works.

Quickly: the other two movies. The Empire Strikes Back. Act One: Hoth. Act Two: Dagobah and Bespin. Act Three: Luke on Bespin.

The Star Wars movies are truly that simple in discerning the dramatic structure. In Return of the Jedi, Act One takes place on Tatooine, at Jabba's Palace. Act Two takes place on Dagobah and Endor. And Act Three is a rousing three-way climax between a spaceship dogfight battle, a ground battle on Endor and Luke's lightsaber fight with Vader.

But what I like even more about the trilogy is that you can "zoom out" so to speak and see all three movies as telling a single Three Act story, each movie serving as one Act in the play.

A New Hope: Introduction

The Empire Strikes Back: Complications

The Return of the Jedi: Resolution.

I hope to follow this pattern, to some extent, with my novels. Each book needs to stand on its own, structurally, but also I want the three novels together to serve a larger Three Act story.

A couple of more items: the final act's resolution needs to be true to your theme. The theme in Star Wars is one of redemption. When Darth Vader finally overcomes his evil ways and throws the Emperor to his death, he is redeemed. That final showdown is resolved in a way that deals directly with the idea of redemption.

Also, I believe a story is better served when there is not only an external conflict (the Empire versus the Rebellion) but an internal one as well (a belief that there is still good in Anakin). It is the internal conflict that often makes the main hero more relatable to the audience. The final act's resolution should address both of these. Again, this is something I hope to accomplish with my books.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

"Ryan was nearly killed twice in half an hour."

Those were the very first words by Tom Clancy I ever read. I had picked up a novel called Patriot Games and said I'll read the first page and if I like it, then I'll buy it. I only had to read that first line. My reaction: "Yep. I'll take this one!"

I love it when a book throws you right into the action at the very beginning. I do this with My Brother's Keeper. After a cryptic, foreshadowing prologue, readers are introduced to Galen smack in the middle of a sword fight. I like it. I think it works.

Now I began writing the follow-up novel but I ran into a problem: I didn't have that kind of strong opening for Galen this time around. The book opens with a couple of intriguing bits of action involving other characters in the prologue, but as I opened up Chapter One with Galen I didn't have anything real strong.

I considered revising the ending of the first book so that I could start Book 2 in a more interesting place. But that would have hurt the first book's ending. That ending needs to be what it is, structurally speaking.

By that, I mean each book in the series corresponds to an Act, so that the trilogy will ultimately tell a single Three Act Story. I want the first book to end at the end of Act One. It needs to. Anything else will be anti-climatic and take away from the sense of resolution I've been able to give the book.

So what did I do?

Well, perhaps unwisely, I just plowed ahead and wrote the opening Galen scene with what I had planned. Meaning, no real action, just a quiet little scene with dialogue introducing a couple of the characters. I didn't like it as much as I liked Galen's opening in the first book, but what could I do? My story is what it is.

Right?

Yeah, that's what I thought. So this past week I spent a few days on business in Baltimore and I was able to write the full first chapter of the second book (which will be entitled Marching As To War). I was happy that I actually made progress on the book, something I haven't done in a couple of months.

But then I expressed my misgivings about the opening with my buddy Sam McDavid. And wouldn't you know it? Sam gave me some great suggestions that will solve the problem. So thanks a lot, Sam, for making me throw out everything I managed to accomplish in Baltimore. I'm back to just the prologue and now I have to start all over again. Great pal.

But seriously, I know what Sam and I came up with for the revised opening is a great improvement so I know I'll use it, even though it creates a couple of problems I'll need to iron out. So I'd like to report that I got some writing on Marching As To War done this past week, but that meager step forward has a date with my Delete key. I'll take two steps back and make sure I nail an opening that will grab readers from the very beginning.

"Galen was nearly killed twice in half an hour." Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Short Studies

Things have slowed down a bit on the writing front. I'm still waiting on the cover artist's schedule to open up and I haven't written much on the second novel in the last few weeks. But in the meantime...

...I love short stories.

First, the are fun to write. I've mentioned the pair of stories out in Van's superhero anthology, but I've got another one due out sometime this year that I'm even more excited about. I'll talk that up once it is available.

But they are really fun to read and quite educational. For anyone aspiring to write, well-written short stories serve as great studies in story structure. It is important to understand the three-act or five-act structure and short stories are easier to decipher what the author is doing structurally.

I have recently picked up collections of O Henry and Edgar Allen Poe that I look forward to digging into. And Sir Arthur Conan Doyle penned many Sherlock Holmes short stories that are just gems of tight little stories. I have that collection as well.

In between my own writing and my regular diet of comic books, I'll be spending time with these guys as well as other classic authors. Thanks to a few gift cards and a "3 for 2" sale, I have just stocked my shelf with not only Henry, Poe and Doyle, but also Alexandre Dumas, H. G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, H. Rider Haggard and probably a couple of others I'm forgetting.

It was through the study of short stories that I was able to get my head around story structure. Once I knew that, I could easily apply my plot to those requirements and soon I was typing away.

My First Autograph

I can now say I have signed my first autograph. I find that hilarious. It's strange the things that happen in your life sometimes:

I once made the Atlanta news attending the funeral of UGA IV, the University of Georgia's mascot.

Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and the X-Men, once told me "You're my hero."

I've been the onstage cameraman for Kenny Rogers and a rapper named Li'l Romeo.

I've directed Bart Starr and Mia Hamm.

I've even had a goat slain in my honor as an entire village sang my praises.

But none of those are as strange as attending a Sci-Fi/Fantasty Convention.

At one of these events, you can easily find yourself with a guy dressed as Chewbacca on one side of you and the actress who voiced the 1980s cartoon character Jem on the other side. Or you might see a panel discussion labeled "Hard Science" moderated by a girl dressed in faerie wings.

Those are actually two examples that really happened to me at ImagiCon in Birmingham on March 29th. And while it is a place to buy anything from old comics and Star Wars toys to replica swords from Lord of the Rings, it is also an opportunity for small-press genre publishers to market their books directly to the public.

My novel will be published by White Rocket Books, the company created by Van Plexico. And as it happens, Van was invited as a guest and was set up with a booth space for White Rocket. So I headed downtown to catch him there, hang out for a while and help with a comics-related panel.

And although my book isn't out yet (I'm still waiting patiently for the cover art), the short story anthology The Sentinels: Alternate Visions is available and Van was selling it at his table. While I was there behind the table with Van, a guy came up and bought the final copy. Van had brought 5 or 6 copies to the show, along with all the other books from White Rocket, and he sold out of the anthology early on Saturday.

So when the guy bought the book, Van signs it and then slides it over to me because two of my stories are in it. Suddenly, I'm staring at the title page of the book with a pen in my hand. I tried very hard to keep the grin off my face as I signed my autograph. For my fan. (Okay, more like "customer", but still...)

I don't know how prepared Sci-Fi Convention attendees will be for a book like mine with such strong spiritual content, but it also has plenty of swords, castles, creatures and catapults to interest fans of that genre.

Regardless, once my book is out I'll probably do more of these types of events as one way of marketing and selling it.

So I can look forward to signing more books for fans.

Even if they are dressed like Spock.

Character Sketch: Glamis

Here is the first look at a supporting character from my novel. This guy's name is Glamis Gryme. He is the chief advisor to the king with the title of Counsellor.

What is not generally known to the public of this Christian kingdom is that Glamis is actually a wizard. He is forced to keep his magical abilities a secret for political reasons. As the chief advisor, Glamis is clearly the true power behind the throne handling most of the decision-making for the kingdom's affairs.

Serving the king, however, is not his true priority. He has a secret agenda that he considers to be in service to the greater good.

Glamis is impatient by nature with little tolerance for those he perceives as intellectually inferior to him and for any who may hold prejudices against wizards.

Visually, in designing Glamis, I wanted to stay away from the stereotypical appearance of wizards. The long robes, pointy hats and long grey beards of characters like Merlin and Gandalf were all things I did not want to see on Glamis.

So he got a short beard, with only a touch of grey on the chin. And instead of flowing robes, he wears complicated, multi-layered garments as might be seen on members of royal courts. And I made the decision that his color palette would be a range of purple, spanning from near-black to lavender highlights. Mostly, the hues are subdued, deep violets. In the book, I usually describe them as wine-colored.

When I drew the above sketch, I didn't mean for him to look so much like General Zod (Terrance Stamp) from "SUPERMAN II", but that's exactly what happened. I decided that was okay, but realized I didn't have a firm idea on exactly what the outfit would look like, so I started looking at period movies for ideas.

Even though the historical era might not quite match up to my story, I found what I was looking for in Geoffrey Rush's character from the movie "ELIZABETH".

So this image here is something I cobbled together in Photoshop. That's Terrance Stamp's head (as General Zod) on Geoffrey Rush's body (from ELIZABETH). I doubt the Shakespearean collar would be a part of Glamis' look, but the broad shoulder pieces falling off similar to robes, the various layers and textures, and the jewelry all fit well with the design I have in my head.

Working in prose, I don't really have to get this detailed with my character designs. But by doing this, I assure myself that I'm writing consistently from a concrete visual design. This eliminates having to constantly look up my previous descriptions for the sake of consistency.

Book 2 Underway

I have now gone back through the manuscript for more tweaks and ironing out contradictions. I have also written the "Acknowledgments" and the "About the Author" pages. I might fiddle with the map a little bit more, but other than that, we can start on formatting the pages. All that's left beyond that is to wait patiently for the artwork and then design the cover.

Once that is done, "My Brother's Keeper" will finally see the light of day.

With this book largely in my rear view mirror, I've already turned my attention to Book 2. The second book will be called "Marching As To War". I was quickly able to break Galen's story down into individual beats because I've known for a while now exactly what would happen in the second book. In the last week I have sat down and figured out the story beats for all the various subplots and supporting characters that we will follow.

What I must do now is integrate these six or seven lists of story beats into a logical timeline so that it all works chronologically. This is the fun stuff. As soon as I blend all these plotlines into one master list then the book is essentially written. It then becomes a matter of realizing each scene in an entertaining way and breathing life into the characters.

I leave town on Saturday for about six days. I hope to have all my prep work completed by then and spend some time actually writing the book while I'm gone.

My Short Stories

There is not a lot of news to report in regards to the novel. The cover artist has been forced to delay getting started for reasons that are not only understandable but kind of exciting in their own way. I'll explain further once the artist has been announced.

In the meantime, I have been going back over the edited manuscript and figuring out the story beats for all the subplots in Book 2. I hit the road for a business trip on March 7th and I plan to have my stack of index cards ready by then so I can start working on the second volume during that trip.

But how would you like to read a couple of my stories right now? A pair of my short stories have just been published in the super-hero anthology The Sentinels: Alternate Visions.

I wrote the first one two years ago and I knocked out the second one last September. Both make references to Van Plexico's Sentinels series, but neither require having to read his books first. I'm pleased with both stories, I hope you enjoy them as well.

You can buy a copy directly from White Rocket Books or download the e-book for only $4.95 at the Lulu.com site.

It's exciting to see your work published and I have to thank Van for giving me this exposure. The Sentinels has been a successful enough series for a larger press to come in and buy the rights to it, so here's hoping the anthology can find the same audience.

Exciting Progress

Two major developments to report: the first round of copy editing is completed. I will now be going back over the manuscript, taking my own pass at catching errors and contradictions. Joe Crowe was extremely helpful and generous, so everybody give him a big hand.

The good news is Joe says he liked it! (yay!) He's the first person to read it and I either did not totally waste my time writing this thing or else he's just extremely kind. (Maybe both.) I could ask him for a review quote for use on the back cover of the book, but I'm afraid it might say something like "Great use of semi-colons! Complete command of apostrophes!" so maybe I won't do that.

The second major development is in regards to the cover art. I have agreed to terms with an artist that will be doing a painting for my cover. And, trust me, that particular understatement is a case of extreme restraint. I cannot express how excited and thrilled I am to have this particular artist working for me. His name might not be known to the general public at large, but to a certain percentage of the population his name is legendary.

He's had at least a 40-year career and I've personally been a fan of his work for over 20 years. Never in my life did I ever fathom that I could have him do something like this for me. Thank the wonders of the internet for allowing me to even track him down and correspond with him.

I won't announce the name just yet. But it's a done deal and it will happen. And regardless of whatever may be on the inside, at least my book is going to look fantastic!

So with a fully painted cover coming from one of my favorite artists, my excitement and enthusiasm for this project is not only renewed but off the charts. However, this does mean waiting a little bit longer before the book is available. I had been considering doing an advance edition with a simpler cover, but not now. I don't want to reduce the impact of the book coming out with the real cover right from the start.

In upcoming posts, I'll go into a little bit of how this book will be published and made available. I also have plenty of other character sketches on standby, waiting to be scanned in and shared.

Where Things Stand Now

Since I posted last week, the main development has been I've entered discussions with a particular artist from whom I hope to commission a cover painting. I'd rather not name the artist at this time because there's no deal in place yet, but suffice it to say he's a long-time professional and I'm a huge fan of his work.

To have the cover of my novel consist of a painting by this artist will be an unexpected thrill for me. I have spent time in the last week playing with design and composition ideas that I might want for the cover. No final decision has been made yet, but I can promise that it will not look anything like the mock-up I posted here a couple of weeks ago.

If this comes together like I want it to, this book is going to look fantastic!

In the meantime, the manuscript is still in Joe's hands for copy editing. Knowing my typing, it might take him a while. As I've skimmed through my copy, I've already noticed a couple of small details that need revising, but I'll hold off until I get the corrected copy from Joe. 

I have also created the interior illustration of the map. I rendered the whole thing in grayscale because it will be reproduced in black & white inside the book. I think it looks good, but I don't know how it will print. When I get my proof copy, I might discover the need to tweak the illustration.

I have also typed up some of the extra things that will go in the book. I've written the dedication, the acknowledgments, the "about the author" blurb and I've taken a shot at the descriptive text that will go on the back cover.

And to top it all off, I have spent a little bit of time the last couple of nights going over my outline and the notes on set action pieces that I have for Book 2.

It Is Done

Great news! I finished the book over the weekend! 

It was a tremendous feeling of accomplishment as I relished writing the epilogue scene. And then there was the final sentence. It was unplanned, I didn't know I wanted it until it poured out of me into the keyboard. A perfect little period at the end of a long journey.

The word count came out to about 97,000 words. It took me from November 27th, 2007 to February 8th, 2009. It's actually short for a novel by most publishing standards today, but I'm fine with that for a couple of reasons. One, this book is merely the first act to a larger story. I plan on collecting all three books into a single volume once I'm all done. Two, this is the story I wanted to tell. For better or worse, I wrote this book for me. I like it, I think it's fun. Hopefully, others will like it but I know that when I put a book out there to the public that I'm opening myself up for criticism from people that don't care I'm a first-time novelist.

Anyway... what's next?

The manuscript is currently in the hands of a copy editor. I want to give a big thank you to Joe Crowe who has generously offered to edit the whole thing at no cost. Joe is a copy editor by profession, working for the Birmingham News newspaper. He is also the Senior Editor and humor columnist for RevolutionSF.com.

Joe will catch all my spelling and grammatical errors as well as let me know if anything needs re-working or clarification. When I get it back from him, I'll also read it for contradictions and errors.

Even with the manuscript out of my hands, I have been busy this week. I've been working hard trying to commission artwork for the cover. I have approached painters specializing in fantasy work and I have approached artists who work in comics. I have received a lot of interest, as you might imagine when you step into the world of freelancers. 

Three artists in particular that have expressed interest have me excited based on the quality of their work. I won't mention names yet, but if negotiations are successful I should have a very exciting announcement to make very soon. 

As that's going on, I will soon also complete my own interior illustration of the obligatory map that most fantasy novels seem to feature. And then I have to turn my mind toward things like the book's Dedication, Acknowledgments and all the little things like that.

The main thing that will delay the release of the book is the artwork. That will take the most time. Everything else should be done by the time we get that in hand.

Maybe it's time to set up a website and start taking all those advance orders that I know we'll get...