Time to Shift Some Gears

So I came to a conclusion the other day. And for most people this will appear to be no big deal, but for me it's kinda huge. For the past eight or nine years I've been working towards being a horror writer. It's be a road that I have not been too serious about and my work (while getting better) has never been where I thought it should be.

Now don't get me wrong. I love reading horror works, I love watching horror movies. Some of my favorite books have been and always will be horror.

It's just that writing the stuff I always felt like I was wearing the wrong pajamas. They fit, and sometimes they were a little comfy...but for the whole part they just didn't quite fit right.

So I wrote a Steampunk story and turned it in to my creative writing class. The kids went nuts over it...they loved the idea (though they tore the story apart).

I think the novel I'm going to write over NaNoWriteMO will be Steampunk in creation. I think it's were I need to be. It's more of a natural fit. You would think at my age realizing what you really are would be easy. And yet after each layer I always seem to find another farther down.

WIP Wednesday

I am so itching to start working on my list of steampunk ideas, but I've got the type of personality where I like finish the projects I've already started. So I've got to finish "Mutant Freaks Must Die" - a little tale about alien invasion, smoking adolescents and one very capable high school janitor who saves the day. I keep repeating like a mantra "only ten more pages to go...only ten more pages to go."

Anyway...here's what I wrote last night.

"What do you think it looks like moron," Chastity demanded. "It's clearly some sort of alien crap."

"Yeah right," the sophomore said sarcastically, "alien crap which turns people into giant bugs when you smoke it. That's insane!"

"Insane or not," I countered. "I think she's probably right."

"HA," the girl snapped back before adding. "Take that!"

"Will the two of you shut up for a second," I suddenly yelled. "I'm trying to think."

All Things Wizards and Zombies

I have really, really, really been trying to stick to my thirty minutes of writing a day (at least).

I still have twenty pages left of "Mutant Freaks Must Die" and then the rewrites of my Steampunk story.

After that I would like to finish another Steampunk story I have written (something my creative writing class has shown quite a bit of interest in...and let's face it I can't let the little 'uns down. I mean they are just soooooo cute).

The idea is to get all this done before November so I can hit the Steampunk Novel full force for NanoWriteMo.

Problem is...if you could call it a problem...my two young adult novels have been making the rounds at school. A kid will finish one book with great ideas, then another kid will want to read it and then they'll have rewrite ideas. And the thing is...they're all really good ideas. So here I am rewriting, while playing hunt the agent, while trying to keep up on my other stuff.

Then you get stuff like, oh I don't know...this thing called life which tends to get in the way.

Still it's all very exciting.

My friend Lauren gave me a gift of Zombie Zinfandel, or "Zombie Zin" for short.



I've promised that when "Zombacolypse!" gets published she, the wife unit, her husband unit and I will all break into it together.

Now I've really got a goal.

WIP Wednesday

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. The good news is I've been busy writing, listening to Billy Squier and taking care of my epic 'TO DO' list. (Update soon to follow).

Anyway...I finished the Steampunk story (the kids workshop it Monday...I'll let you know how that comes out) However I now need to start my third story which has been tentatively titled either "THE JANITOR" or "MUTANT FREAKS MUST DIE!"

Her name was Mai, my one true love, my everything, my wife. I had met her while on a lecture tour in Japan. She was visiting with her ballet troup from China. The first time I saw her was when she was dancing, like water in the moonlight. The last time I saw her she lay dying next to me, the steering wheel of our Volvo crushing her delicate ribcage to a pulp.

I sat up in bed with a start. The crack of thunder which had awakened me still rumbled in the distance. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom as the rain continued to tapdance across the roof of my trailer. It smelled of jasmin in the cramped bedroom, but I knew that I was just imagining that. Mai's perfume had smelled of jasmine...but of course Mai was dead. buried months ago and yet I continued to dream of her every night.

Anyway...hoped you enjoyed.

Later.

WIP Wednesday

While I've been sticking pretty well to the writing every night plan, right now most of my time has been taken up with the Steampunk story as it is due for creative writing class sometime next week. The problem is, I'm trying to keep the page numbers under fifteen pages (mostly for the student's sanity) however I'm already eight pages in and I've just gotten out of the exposition! I think we're looking at a twenty five page tale here. Hmmmmm.

Anyway here is the latest...

The roomful of medical students held their breath as Doctor Kellar gently reached down and with a practiced flick of the wrist removed the patient's skullcap. The top of the woman's head slid from the doctor's hand and struck the hardwood floor with a loud crack that echoed across the silent theater.
Doctor Kellar gasped in horror, as Mr. Groom leaned forward to get a better view.
Filling the young woman's skull was not the fleshy grey matter they had expected. Instead a series of small cogs and wheels, like one would find in a timepiece, lay before them spinning and ticking away peacefully.
Suddenly the young woman's eyes snapped open, as she looked up at the doctor with curious detachment.
Her mouth opened, and in an inhuman voice that echoed from deep within her she screamed, "Why are you tampering with my soul?!"
One of the students gasped, as the woman screamed again, "Why are you tampering with my soul?!"
Doctor Kellar leaned forward, the reflection of the mad woman's face filling his round spectacles.
"Fascinating," he whispered just before she reached out and twisted her fingers around his throat in a steel grip.


As usual...any comments or suggestions are quite welcome.

Quick Update Before Bed

It's been a long day, but for those of you who don't know...Sunday was my birthday.

I made a promise to myself that I would try to write for an hour every night (as a kinda birthday present to myself).

The wife-unit agreed to help and she has a whole stack of DVD's checked out from the library.

So after dinner I get to retire to write and she retires to watch television shows.

In theory it should work out perfectly.

Tonight, despite being very tired I put the theory to test and worked on my Steampunk story (as of yet untitled). It's coming along quite well. It's a little darker than I would have liked, but then I lean towards the dark.

Anyway, my goal is to post some of it tomorrow for WIP Wednesday.

Keep your eyes out for it my friends.

Until tomorrow then...

This Pig's going to bed!

Lack of Motivation Is Gonna Be The Death of Me

So there are six things I need to be working on right now as far as writing goes.

1. The forty page post-apocolyptic story I'm only ten pages into.

2. The "Bacon" horror story, which I'm two pages into.

3. Submitting to "Dark Places" which sent me an email on Friday reminding me that I had not submitted. (Which was VERY kind of them and VERY unprofessional of me)

4. Finishing the audio script I want to submit to "Dark Voices"...(though I'm not sure if they're still up and running...something else I need to check into).

I took the day off yesterday for my birthday...which is today...and the way things are going I'll probably take today off as well.

Best kick myself in the butt tonight and tomorrow.

Ugggh...I'm soooooo bad.