I was overwhelmed at the idea of the story until I started using yWriter to organize the story into three acts and into scenes in each act. I have scenes set for the first act and can already get a handle on what’s going on instead of trying to fathom  the story as a whole.

Even if the story doesn’t work for the project, I’ll have written a story.

Yesterday I wrote two sentences for the ‘compassion’ story for Winston Crutchfield’s benefit book for Compassion 365. Last night I decided I had the wrong viewpoint character and changed him to a her and wrote the rest of the opening scene, or most of it at least. It is a horror story, and I am working compassion into it, just hopefully in  a way that people wont expect.

I’m in the process of editing a story I finished that was for a winner of last year’s Podcasting For Water winner (who won a story by me about them, or his son in this case.) I had planned on about 1000 words, and it’s over 2k at the moment. I don’t expect it getting any shorter, since I think I need to add to the story to make it any good. I’m fine with the plot, but the main character needs developed so the conflict is dangerous and personal to the viewpoint character. I set up a situation that hinders the main character, but not very well, so when I tried to tap into it at the end, it made some sense, but I couldn’t put the emotion I wanted into it, plus the fix at the end felt anti-climactic to me.

I don’t know if I’ll catch up on the 12 stories finished this year, but I know I can catch up on the miles ran. Getting my time organized and using Remember the Milk and Google Calendar and putting those on my desktop with SMS reminders is really helping my get things done (as opposed to forgetting to do them.) Like the Mad Poet says, 2010 is not the year to step back, it’s the year to step up. I think I’m making that happen.

(Thanks to my Star Wars Game Master Jason for the tip of Remember the Milk)

I plan to make this available on the Kindle also.

For promotion I may give away review copies and run some other giveaways. Keep an eye out here for details.

I did a few other changes, the program suggested and aside from just better description, one part of the story near the end has a much stronger narrative now, plus a hilarious joke.

All that is left is correcting typos and making sure I stayed in the proper tense, then I think it will be good to go. It will be over 3300 words.

While listening to the Clockwork Cabaret I heard about the Phono Vault. They sell the kinds of music steampunk music you might hear on the Clockwork Cabaret (even some on vinyl!). If you sign up for their newsletter, you get a free song a week. This week I got The World Turned Upside Down by Charlie Kahn. It’s quite an enjoyable listen.

While perusing the wares of a dusty bookshop I discovered a curious thing. On a pane of glass flickered the words Steampunk Magazine! I ran my fingers over the glowing glass and perused the magazine. Inside I saw many wonders on lifestyle, mad science, theory, and fiction. The layout and style of the magazine have the feel of the Victorian era. I browsed the latest issue, #6, and found stories about Lizard towns and madness engines, an interview with a steampunk rock band from London, an article on alchemy, and much more. All the issues are available for free online. There is also available A Steampunk’s Guide to the Apocalypse, which will be very useful in a catastrophic event.

I took a stroll in the Steampunk Workshop and took a gander at a fine looking Wimhurst Machine.

A telegram arrived and I learned that at the Oxford Museum of the History of Science, an Art of Steampunk exhibit had opened.

As I walked down a country road, a house passed me by and they invited me in for a cup of tea. I was able to rest while still moving in my intended direction!

That’s about all I had this week, come back again to see more of the wonders I discover!

This would be an awesome thing to do more often. Wife gets to go out with friends, daughter gets to run around and get tired out, and I get to write a lot all at once.

Of course with NaNoWriMo coming up, this can’t be done every day, so I’ll have to work in the normal home environment for the most part. It’s good to know that sometimes the words can just flow out though. Been a while since I managed that.

I find myself spreading out my writing over the web. Hopefully this means when I start my own podcast for free, and my planned story subscription service (something like Jeremy C Shipp does), I’ll have ready audience with open ears.

Ge3x telling some jokes.

Pam singing

Will Reading

Malfuctioning Lowbeams playing guitar.

I had to actual leave before it was over because we had to get dinner. I didn’t expect it to last as long as it did.

Speaking of dinner, had another blessing, got two Burrito’s from Moe’s for less than $4 with some coupons. It’s nice to have a decent meal that cheap.

I heard back from P.G. Holyfield on my Stories of the Children submission today. He asked for a rewrite! This is very good.

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