Finished Broken Trails, Chapter Twenty-Nine. I backtracked to chapter twenty-seven to start, scanning over it.  From here on out, the novel’s mostly about the mechanics of the race—it’ll be difficult to toss in the foreshadowing of Lainey’s emotional issues.  I’ll probably have to read it from start to finish one more time, just to be sure I’m keeping the feel of the novel cohesive. Total wordcount today is 2602.

I also edited chapter thirty, and set up thirty-one for the next round.  I’m not counting it for today’s total for the reason listed above.  I need to have a go over it again, just to be sure.

Saw the season premiere of Heroes on NBC.com last night.  Ah, a carnival of real freaks!  Of course!  Funny how the guy running it – Robert Knepper – also acted in the Showtime series, Carnivale, huh?  LOL!

There’s an auction for Kim Pritekel on AUSXIP.com (click here.) I’ve added a signed copy of Warlord Metal and On Azrael’s Wings.  Go.  Bid.  The woman’s a good writer, and losing her eyesight would interfere with that talent.

New words!  WOOT!  1262 wordcount for a new scene in Chapter Twenty-Five of Broken Trails, wherein Lainey’s first qualification run (the Kuskokwim 300) is detailed. She eats snow. Not by choice.  LOL!

Started editing the next scene of that chapter, as well. Not finished yet. I need to show more of the residual awkwardness between Lainey and Thom Fuller, the result of Lainey’s drinking binge the previous month. I’ll continue on Saturday. (Tonight is Poison Night – arthritis meds – and I’m going to be worthless on Friday.  Friday will be my official day off of writing from here on out, I think.)

I’ve been reading the Blood Books by Tanya Huff lately.  Working on number four – Blood Pact.  I like them better than the television show they inspired.  (Was it True Blood? Don’t remember.)  Saw the first episode of that series and, while it followed the book quite well, I didn’t get into the characters or the sense of anticipation.  The book covers several days, so I think the loss came from cramming so much material into the one or two hour block required for TV.

Last night after work, I did some editing on my website.  I discovered that while there was a link to a short story called ‘Dancing,’ it had never been uploaded to the site.  The information page for On Azrael’s Wings also had the wrong excerpt (it showed Castle Walls, instead,) so I changed that, as well.

23 February 2007: We are pleased to announce that D. Jordan Redhawk has signed her story, On Azrael’s Wings, to be published in Fall 2007.

Eight chapters edited today.  The book is complete!  YAY!!

In fact, I’ve already shipped an email and attachment to my publisher.

I feel so relieved…

... Eight left to go. The biggest issue I’m running across is the need to adjust for a single POV per scene. Seems I still hadn’t gotten the hang of that when I wrote this baby in … ‘03 / ‘04?

I think this thing might be completed by the end of the week!

My wife brought up the idea of a reward. She asked what I’d get when I finished. * shrug * She’s suggested that this might be part of my problem when it comes to writing. I don’t reward myself in a way that’s special, and need to.

Wonder what kind of reward I should give myself for finishing this thing?

Do you know what happens when you don’t use your library card for over three years?

Answer:  Nothing.

Man, was I surprised to discover I didn’t have to get a new card!  It’s been forever since I’ve visited the library.  But, it seems I’m swimming in cash in December, and scraping the rent together for January every year—the library was the way to go if I wanted to add to my To Be Read list.

On Azrael’s Wings Update:  Chapters twenty and twenty-one have been edited today.  Looks like I have about eleven more to go, overall.  I have no plans to insert new scenes along the way, but am open-minded.  If the book’s need calls for a new scene here or there, so be it.  I’ve been diligently working on it, even on my work days, though I’m not certain I’ll get through to the end by Friday.  We’ll see how it goes.

And now for the excruciating, gut-wrenching HORRIBLE news I heard today…  Coffee People is CLOSING!  UGH!  They’ll keep their five airport kiosks open, but they’re closing MY shop downtown.  What the hel am I going to do??

I know, I know…  It’s just a silly coffee shop.  But I’m addicted to their Velvet Hammers.  If I have to take a flight out, I’ll go four hours in advance so I can enjoy a coffee.  Who cares how long it takes to get through security?

Plus there’s the nostalgia aspect.  Did you know that parts of nearly ALL my novels have been written at Coffee People on SW Park?  The only two that didn’t were Only One and CyberEpic.  I remember the freezing cold rain of winter ‘98, warming up as I hand wrote Tiopa Ki Lakota and Warlord Metal there.

• sigh *

I suppose I’ll survive.  Ah, well.  Urban Grind in the NW is closer to my apartment anyway…

Love a word count of 2301, don’t you?  Two new scenes completed, and chapter eighteen is in the bag.  Wanna know the best part?

That’s the LAST of the new scenes!  WOOT!

I should have the rest of the editing done by the end of the week.  (And that’s WITH the two days of day job I have to get back to.)

I completed writing the rough draft in 2004.  After it idled most of 2005, I asked some friends to beta.  “More Action!” (Thanks, Step!)

Maybe this will be my fourth published book, eh?

Spent yesterday goofing off and reading. Went to bed early and missed the New Year’s arrival.  Ah, well.

After a half hour of reacquainting myself with On Azrael’s Wings, I’ve already dumped plans for one scene, deciding to go with a different one instead.  Time to get to work.  I want to finish chapter eighteen today…

Here’s to a spectacular New Year to everyone!

The total for that chapter, anyway.  Today’s actual tally is about a thousand words as I completed the fight scene I began yesterday.  Originally, it was going to be from Ursula’s POV, but I thought it would have more merit from Azrael’s. At least the reader can now grasp why Azrael is being such a butt toward Ursula at the moment.  This unexpected assassination attempt will break through Azrael’s distance, and get her past her bad self for the rest of the book.

The next chapter (or at least the next scene) is Ursula’s POV from the attack. I’m not going to harp on what’s already happened, just have her recall the terror and the blood coupled with the sight of Azrael facing her with bared steel.  (EEEKS!)  That will bleed into a discussion with Midia over the whole mess.  Whether or not it’ll take another full chapter to cover it all remains to be seen.

Break time!  WOOT!

Yesterday’s final tally was 2130 words.  I’m still working on today’s, but I’ve hit over 1200.

I had errands to run today, and needed to check in at work to make certain payroll was ready to go for tomorrow morning.  (My crew get so ticked off when they don’t get a paycheck!  Go figure!)

So that’s my excuse for running a little behind.  Might not make it at all, actually.  At least not the completed chapter.  Only one scene I’ve been working on – some introspection on Azrael’s part over her recent bad treatment of Ursula, leading into a surprise assassination attempt by a group of morons who think they can take her.  I would have written more at Coffee People, but I discovered the sudden need for dice.

(Redhawk Fight Scenes 101—use role-playing games for scenes that require attention to multiple details.  Keeps the whole scene realistic enough; you just have to fudge the rolls for the outcome you plan for.  If the hero gets out alive, make ‘er work for it.)

I’ve mapped out where all the fighters and non-combatants are, and figured out the next series of parries and attacks. But something like this takes a lot more time to … choreograph, I guess is the word.  If I slog through, it’l be midnight before I finish it to my satisfaction.

Which means yesterday’s series of planned goals will be a day off.  Still… I’ve done more writing in the last two days than I’ve done the last two months.  I’ve just got to stick to my guns and get the damned words down.  (I really, really, REALLY want to finish this book before going back to work!)

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted here!

My left ear is healing up fairly well (despite one set back a couple of weeks ago.)  As there was still some packing inside the ear, we decided not to do a hearing test at my post-op appointment.  I’ll go back at the end of January to see how much has been taken care of.

To tell the truth, I think I’m hearing better now than I have in over ten years.  The bass level is outrageously loud!  Treble is good enough for me to pick up ‘ss’, ‘ch’, ‘kk’ sounds.  In fact, if I don’t wear the hearing aid in my right ear, I can still carry on a conversation better than when I had both hearing aids on full volume!  WOOT!

(I realize that eventually my noisy neighbors, the complex stairs right next to our living room, and my wife’s snoring will be annyoing as hel.  But right now, I still get a ‘SQUEE’ moment when I identify a new sound.)

On the writing front … HAH!  Writing?  What’s THAT?

Now that the holiday party season is over, things will mellow out at work again.  Part of my problem over the year has been my own ‘writer’s block.’  I think I’ve just been more interested in doing anything else BUT write in some cases.  Plus what I’ve said before about working organically rather than from an outline …

As it is, I’ve got nine days off of work (of which I’ve already wasted two.)  Then I go in to prep payroll for next week.  After that, I have three more days off, work two, then two days off.

So On Azrael’s Wings is open on my iBook, and I just finished editing the new scenes for chapter fifteen.  I’ve deleted one new scene I was scheduled to write because I couldn’t find any relevance for it to the rest of the novel.  In fact, I might delete the last scene I wrote for the same reason in the end.

That leaves me six new scenes to complete and fourteen chapters to edit before I can submit the novel anywhere.  The edits will be fast and furious, I can guarantee that.  I just have to slog through the new scenes …

Yule was last Thursday.  It was fun.  Spent time with my wife, going over photo albums, remembering good times, talking about family and friends who are no longer with us.  Then we opened presents, watched the Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, and held the vigil with our Solstice candle.

Tomorrow begins the majority of the feast prep work.  We’ve already received several RSVPs from friends in the area to join us.  It’ll be interesting this year.  I can’t turn off my hearing aids when they bug me too much!  LOL!

The last day… sniff

Believable and Lovable Evil

How do you write believable villians taking over your story?  Can you make them evil and still lovable?

Mary Rosenblum, David D. Levine, Todd McCaffrey, phyllis irene radford

– motivation is primary for a villain.  He is a hero in his own book.

– “Fanaticism isn’t about faith.  It’s about control.” radford – evil ruler – usually in power long before the story begins – in power because the people allow him to remain in power – WHY? – if motivation is primary, choice is secondary.  He chose to be the bad guy – WHY? – not so much a villain as an anti-hero – Story idea – Main Characters are enemies for valid and known reasons.  Storyline follows one who becomes more sympathetic with the other, seeing that the villified and demonized enemy just ain’t so… – “The villain does the wrong thing for all the right reasons.” Levine – build up the villain.  The hero will grow to overcome what the villain does.  The bigger the villain, the bigger the hero.  (Note: spend more time explaining Shonal in Azrael.  Create a REAL villain for Sanguire. – using the Achille’s Heel isn’t a very satisfying conclusion or confrontation (which I used in Castle Walls.) – setting up conflict – two people each want something VERY badly … and each oppose the other.  As far as romance goes, it helps to boost this in the beginning between the MCs, but it has to be lessened to allow a romance to develop. – Warprize and Warsport by Elizabeth Vahn (sp?)

I attended one other panel about the economics of immortality.  It was… kinda boring.  The questions the panelists focused on were about extending human life into the 150’s rather than immortality.  With my work on the Sanguire and such, the whole conversation was pretty worthless to me.

Such ended Orycon 28.  Now I’ve got a year to go for 29!  UGH!

Weeeee!  Guess what I’m doing this weekend?

Yesterday I spent the morning helping the guys finish the room sets.  Then I spent a good portion of the afternoon attending panels.  I’m going to note the panels and some odds and ends notes here to keep them on file for future reference…  Prepare to be bored… or not…

The Effects of Space Travel on Earth Religions

Will a Christian, Jew, Muslim or other Earth religious believer, have trouble tolerating the religions of Aliens?  Will Earthlings need to reevaluate how they believe about “being created in God’s image” if the other beings look differently than they do?  What hapens if Earth was seeded and we run into the society responsible?  What about those aliens that display powers that some fundamentalists consider to be evil?

Mick Shepherd Moscoe, Judy Lazar, Elton Elliott, Richard A. Lovett

About the only direct quote, per se, I recieved from this panel was from Judy Lazar.  She said there’s a direct correlation between lifestyle and religious development.  Those societies that have chaotic lifestyles, fraught with uncertainties, tend to develop deeper and stronger mythos and dieties to explain their world.  Those with milder lifestyles have no use for such trappings, and their mythos tend to reflect that.

Notes, Ideas, Questions:

– created in ‘God’s Image’ (future title?) – aliens = angels? – theology = alien method of control? – aliens also have theology of being in ‘God’s image’ – which is right / true? – could result it war? – tie the rapture into alien visitation – disappearances of true Christians are actually abductions… – an UNbenevolent diety responsible for creation – no God, but a devil responsible – God an King, a monarchy – what about using a different political system to base a religion upon?

Law and Social Order in World Building

How can a writer design the basic legal structure of an alien, futuristic, or fantasy civilization? How do laws, courts, and government organizations arise from the basic legal structures and concepts, the constitution (formal or informal), common law, and other sources of justice? What are some of the options a writer has in making their civilization unique?

Rory Miller, Richard A. Lovett, Sara A. Mueller, phyllis irene radford, Andrew Nisbet

Again, no quotes from the panelists were interesting enough for me.  I took what they said and let my mind wander here and there, scribbling down things that came to me.

– dichotomy between law and societal taboos – illegal to beat and harass, yet acceptable for children to thump and terrorize one another through school. – some taboos aren’t truly taboo unless they’re witnessed in other cultures – some things are only illegal if witnessed. – laws exist because of criminal definitions – DEFINE THE CRIME! – defining the crime will determine the society’s view on it, and reveal deeper issues and taboos involved in it.

How to Reproduce Your Artwork

You have finished your masterpiece, now how do you make the prints? What reproduction options are out there and what works best?

Jeff Sturgeon, John R. Gray III

Unbeknownst to most of you, I used to be an airbrush artist.  My first year in ‘business,’ I was only a hundred bucks in the red.  I airbrushed SF & F type people and sold it at conventions like this one.  I began writing when I had to pack up my airbrush study from lack of space.

My arthritis has made returning to airbrush an impossibility, but I’ve decided to learn digital artwork, using a tablet and pen connected to the computer.  Hence the reason I attended this panel.

– Jeff Sturgeon highly recommended Epson printers and high quality Epson archival paper for prints. – John Gray uses Canon printers. – both use small labs to print larger than 11×14.  Both use Pro-lab in Seattle.  (Research for Portland area!) – CYA not RGB – Keep in mind there’s a difference between what’s on the screen and what prints up.  Do a print proof first to compare your idea and the reality.  Tweak artwork to match. – Research print proof types. – small booklet of artwork? Cafe Press?

When the Heroine Isn’t 18, Blonde, and a Size 3

Why do some authors and filmmakers think a lab coat and glasses on a young blonde heroine can convey the same level of expertise as a grey-haired male scientist? Is it credible for the young post-doctorate researcher to also be a martial arts black belt in her spare time? Writers will talk abouth the why and how of writing female protagonists who break the mold.

Madeleine E. Robins, Alma Alexander, phyllis irene radford, Judith R. Conly, Dianna Rodgers

– give the heroine only what she needs to do what she has to do.

– Azrael – too beautiful, too much like Xena in abilities? Create more scarring? – flaw the character! – look into Alma Alexander’s books

And that was that!

Started to sit in on another panel, but it wasn’t going where I was interested, so I bailed early.  Today’s panels include artwork and writing oriented stuff.  Tonight is a concert by Heather Alexander…  I’m debating whether or not to stay for it.  I hear she’s good, but it’ll be way past my bedtime…  LOL!

Oh, yeah!  I picked up a sword in the Dealer’s room, too!  WOOT!

Pleased to report another 500 words written on new scenes for On Azrael’s Wings.

Last scene I even worked in a reason for the title, LOL! Up until now it was a play on the name of Azrael being that of a Christian angel. But this novel is a fantasy one with a completely different mythos for a background. So, I added another goddess, had Ursula have a dream about Azrael flying and protecting her with her wings. Bingo!

This scene is their arrival at the governor’s palace of Diosa, a largish city. The army is still on their way home, picking up swordsbrothers and sisters as they go along the garrison circuit. (I’ve expanded their travels from the original storyline to give the two MCs time to truly fall for each other.) I think the romance is coming along nicely now.

On the auction front, take a gander at the offerings. Things are starting to heat up there! Total collections and bids are over three grand! YAY! Let’s drum up some more! Two more days until the auction ends. After that, donations will remain open until November 12th. Even $5 is welcome!

A scene has been written!  Brand new!  How off the presses!  Only eight more to go before I can continue the Azrael edits.!

WOOT!

Can you tell I’m pleased?