October 30th, 2009 by Neal

October 28th, 2009 by Neal

I was playing guitar on some new strings (went out and found a cool local guitar store today), caterwauling, and as I was cranking away my chair arm snapped. Like, in half. I was lucky in that the backing held, but strangely, the plastic arm rest gave out before the bolt holding it in.

I’ve had this seat for quite a while. I use and abuse writing chairs like a sumbitch, and this one’s no exception. I had one before this I rode until it started lilting almost imperceptibly to the left, in that way where you have someone else sit down and they’re like, “No, you’re crazy. You’re crazy.” And yet, you spend twelve hours in the thing, all of a sudden it’s like a pea below fifteen matresses.

I didn’t really have a very good desk until three Mexican dudes who couldn’t speak English ran a stop sign and wrecked the old car. Threw out my back, got me a decent little settlement (I think I cleared 1500 dollars for two months of pain, if I recall right. I bought a clear glass desk I use to this day, and it’s on its last legs too. Missing end caps. Rust. I’ve just annihilated this fine piece of equipment in six years.

I tossed the first chair after about two years, wrecked it totally, then spent a good chunk of change on the second one. I think the first one was a hundred fifty bucks, this last one was two hundred sixty if I recall correctly. More ergonomic, stronger in most respects, more hardly. I saw it new somewhere recently and almost wept at its purity compared to what I am in now. Imagine a shoe after walking on it for a year.

I figure this one might be salvageable with a little Gorilla Glue. I heard a crackling the other day, tried to find where it was coming from, no dice.

October 28th, 2009 by Neal

And still punching the keys. This may be a four draft novel. God, I hope so. That’d be nice.

October 27th, 2009 by Neal

The work goes well. I am editing much faster now. There’s more structural stuff than I figured there would be, but it’s usually brief and easily fixed.

I figure I’ll goof with the graphic to make the illusion of anticipation, just for kicks. Ergo I’ll set a new goal of 95K, because it seems to be slowly working that way. I’m at 85K as of today.

At the current pace I’ll be done by the end of November, and I will then spend December on the graphic novel. Heeya!

In other news, if you want to get the collected trade of Female Force, the book is now OUT. I didn’t write the Palin epilogue, and the order of the books were for some reason rearranged (they should go Hillary/Sarah/Michelle/Caroline, and there is a continuity between the four), but all of the issues are there, at least, and it’s a good way to get them together!

But if that doesn’t float your boat, or if you’re looking for any one on their own, let me know, I have a few lying around, and would much prefer to send you a personalized copy, given that it’s more fun and personal.

October 22nd, 2009 by Neal

I’m shaking, and emotional, and that can only mean another draft in.

I am in love with my ending now. Really, well and truly, arrogantly in love.

Total count for the end of the second draft is 83,942 words.

Back to work tomorrow, but fuck yes, people. FUCK yes.

October 20th, 2009 by Neal

Eighty thousand words plus some. That means:

The graphic is done being used for this book, mwu ha ha. I have reached my minimum goal.

I will continue to pop on and update the draft progress, but the circle is, uh, complete! Wootah!

Total count right now is 81,025 and rising, and I still haven’t extended the ending as I plan to with three or so scenes. Hell yeah. LIGHT AND GOOD, HOT AND SPICY, SWEET AND MEATY!, as Jeff Altman used to say.

Line of the day:

Fucking dollar store hoods think they own this damned town.

(Not followed by “NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!”, because trailers in parks lack lawns, silly.

October 19th, 2009 by Neal

So, I’m actually way ahead on the word count, now that I’ve looked at the last book. BCS draft 2 ended at 73,000 words, draft 3 ended at 82,000, so if things progress, then I very well could end up with a 90-95 thousand word book. Which is awesome. It’s right about at that sweet spot I wanted to be at without going too long.

I think I can do it, man. I think I’m ready. I’m gonna nail it! I’m gonna pull it off!

No kobeyashiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

PAH PAH!

October 16th, 2009 by Neal

This monster draft should be done by the end of next week. It’s only been a month, why am I busting my own chops? Gah!

October 14th, 2009 by Neal

From today’s editing:

I hand him a beer. “Just don’t get more stupid on me. The world’s got enough stupid to fill all the barcaloungers in the mid-west, okay?”

He holds the beer and admires it, looking at the sun reflecting on the green glass. “Thanks! I’ll try.”

“That’s all we any one of us can do, kid.”

“all we any of us.” I don’t know where I got that, but I know I’ve heard it before. It’s hicktastic. And it has no comma, too. I know, because I debated it for ten solid minutes.

October 13th, 2009 by Neal

The slog of the last week has been shaken off. I think going over the plot with a few people and realizing that it doesn’t suck (which is harder to see when you’re this close to it) helped me get a better attitude, along with waking up a little earlier, given that I’d been waking up later (which I’m trying to avoid doing more and more, not out of a desire to conform, but mostly so my schedule lines up with the people I love).

I am now about 2/3 done with the novel’s second draft, and I anticipate at this rate I may finish this mostly grammar/expansion draft by the end of next week, not factoring in the odd scenes which may push it over. We shall see.