Not Resting On My Laurels (3)

part 1, part 2

This post was originally supposed to be the final part of a min-series about what novel I should work on next. Part 1 dealt with the pimping of my chapbook, my debut novel and a teaser of sorts. Part 2 featured the back story of incomplete novel #1. Part 3 was supposed to be about incomplete novel #2.

However, as all of you are no doubt aware, the best laid plans often get changed at zero minus twenty.

I actually wrote this entire post (by hand) back in late October prior to the release of my debut. But between the release of my debut and the final post of this mini-series, I managed to do some nifty networking on Facebook with a fellow writer/friend.

She recently came out with a new novel and one day she decided to pimp out her publisher. I chose to comment on it, and after a pleasant conversation that featured among other things, types of story and word length, she gave me a proverbial offer that was too good to pass up: help with my next submission.

So, a few weeks ago, I took out a completed long short story entitled "A Shadow Warrior's Redemption" (not sure if I wrote about this previously on my blog. I think I did, but I'll be damned if I can't remember what tags it went under) and got busy doing another round of edits, mostly to tightened up the structure and dialogue.

It's been a wickedly slow process, 'cause as most of you probably have experienced in your world, sometimes real life takes precedence over extracurricular activities, so you do the best you can, when you can.

And if you think that it's gonna get slower once I get done with another round edits, you are correct. 'Cause not only am I editing this story yet again, but I have to write a synopsis for it as well.

For those of you who were around when I was going through my trials and tribulations in trying to write a synopsis for my novel (damn thing took me about three weeks to write, of which 20 1/2 days were spent procrastinating and the other half day PAICAW*), aka condensing 69K words to a four page outline/story; this time, I have to write synopsis for what will wind up to be about 18,500 words and a good query letter.

*Plant Ass In Chair And Write

The interesting thing about this novella is that while there is some graphic sex (yeah, this will be running theme in perpetuity), it's also chock full of paranormal violence, along with themes of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, and with personages of Angels and Demons driving the story.

So to sum things up, I'm not exactly resting on my laurels with my writing. I do have a project in the works (although it's not fresh writing), which will help me stay occupied while I think of a good way to pimp my novel without actually having a print copy to play with yet.