So Close…

This was a mind twisting but productive weekend. Watched some movies and a smidgen of the Olympics. Read some on The Gunslinger. Got a decent bit of editing done on Blood Curse.

So, I’ll start with the last first. As of this morning, I am 24 pages away from finishing revisions on Blood Curse. I’d forgotten, even from the recent previous round of revisions, how many mini adventures I’d packed into the last third of the book. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this last read through and revisions round. Formatting and commissioning a new cover are not far away now! Then I can start preliminary revisions on Demon Bayou 2nd edition.

I recently started re-reading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I read a good chunk of it a couple of decades ago, but never finished. I know I got as far as Wolves of the Calla, but I don’t remember if I read further than that.

Between the book, the editing, and the range of movies I watched, you’ll get a better picture of why I said this weekend was mind twisting. I’ve watched Let Him Go with Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, Disney’s version of The Swiss Family Robinson (which is marginally true to the book,but leaves much out), and Disney’s version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I’d really like to watch Mysterious Island again just to see if they kill Nemo in that one. Why? Because the events take place during the American Civil War Era, therefore before 20,000 Leagues, which takes place in 1868, after the war. I admit I’ve yet to read those two books and would like to see how much liberty the screenwriters took.

Anyway, that was my weekend.

Transitional Turmoil

Absolutely no progress was made this past weekend on Blood Curse. Why? I finally got around to installing my new computer, which has been sitting in its box for a couple of months now.

Although I did move the old computer downstairs to the library and hooked it back together, it is not wifi capable, and I haven’t transferred files from it to the new one yet. I do have the means to do so. I just haven’t had the time.

Also, I have a beef with Microsoft. I understand the need to update and improve OSs. However, STOP MOVING THE FRIGGING FURNITURE! It is extremely irritating to have to keep learning new ways to perform basic functions. They made it hard to delete files in Windows 10. In Windows 7, all you have to do is right click on the file then select “delete” from the drop down menu. In 10, you have to use the file navigator (formerly called “libraries”), click on “home” at the top of the window, click on the file, then click “delete” from the top menu bar. And, whatever you do, don’t click “free up space” in the right click menu unless you want to send it to OneDrive.

I am not a technophobe. I just don’t have time to keep having to relearn things that should be simple every time something gets updated. You can see how easily it can be frustrating.

Hopefully next weekend will be more productive.

Peeking Out from the Writing Cave

Photo cribbed from FB

Time for a progress report and other good news.

I made very good progress on the final revisions/edits on Blood Curse this weekend, which was a pleasant surprise. Last weekend, I made absolutely NO progress, and it was a long weekend. I sometimes think I perform better under pressure (self imposed) and time constraints than I do when there’s plenty of time available.

Anyway, I have less than 100 pages left to edit of the manuscript. In its current format, it is 304 pages. That page count will vary between the draft, the ebook, and the print versions.

I did correct a minor detail this morning. I originally had Viktor saying to head south from Dorada’s island to reach open water. However, I changed the location of her island from the Caymans, which weren’t rocky enough, to Islas de Los Roques, which are just north of the South American coast, back before original publication. Neither I nor my editor caught that I didn’t correct the statement of direction when I made the change. Now he orders the ship northeast instead of south.

I realize this old mistake didn’t really hurt the story, but it bothered me to find it. I truly want to keep any Real World references as accurate as possible. I feel I owe it to my readers, especially the ones who WILL fact check me, and to myself to maintain the best quality I can.

In other news: I have even more incentive to finally carve out some time to do some promo videos. I’ve been interacting in the comments sections of several BookTube videos lately. This has already garnered me some promotion space on one of the channels I follow. The Brothers Gwynn have a unique way of announcing premiering books each month by showing a compilation of authors pitching their books and giving release dates.

I will be participating in this once I’ve nailed down a specific release date for Blood Curse rather than the vague “sometime this Fall.”

I also need to create Instagram and Twitter accounts for the purpose of querying some of the reviewers who run the various BookTube channels. Most of them don’t use FB.

I’ve made significant progress on 1st round edits of The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe seasons 2 and 3. At this rate, I’ll need to start drafting season 4 before long.

The most enjoyable part of all this editing, both on Blood Curse and The Adventures of Pigg & Woolfe is re-reading and re-familiarizing myself with manuscripts written a few years back. In the case of Blood Curse, the original draft was started in 2006, and the first publication (in ebook) was 2011. I think it’s a good thing for authors of series to go back and read the earlier books again periodically. It helps them see where they’ve been and better visualize where they’re going, both in their writing skills and story continuity. While some may bemoan the skill level of their earlier works, they can also look back and visit with old friends with a fresh perspective and, hopefully, fondness — and then whip up freshly revised 2nd editions to hook new readers. (Insert mercenary grin here.)