Words

So, I have been redrafting my story and with each draft it gets bigger. When I finished my original draft in September, it stood a little over 27k. I was aiming for 50k and so to get to 27k was ok. My first redraft gave me an extra 10k, leaving the total at 37k. I am slowly getting closer to the magical 50k. Now I am on my final redraft, the plot has been finalized, I'm editing it so that it all makes sense to the reader. I reckon that I will hit 50k if not more.

Got an idea for my second novel. Its been kicking around for a few years in my head. I still need to work on the plot. It was originally conceived to be a film and so I have broken down the film synopsis into the book. Problem is it reads like a film and film is a different medium to books. With books you can get into characters minds, tell the reader what is happening. With writing a film, you tend not to be able to do that, as its something you show. So you write things like this.

SAM cries as she sees her dead lover.

Now in a book you can go something like this.

Sam looked down. Lying motionless at her feet was Charlie, her lover. The gun was warm in her hands. She retched and threw up into a nearby bin. What had she done. She loved him. She killed him.

Now apart from the name Sam. None of this will make it into my book. For starters its set in space, and is all about a little girl lost.

See you.

The year comes to an end.

Hum, you may get some 2007 musings, I have to decide if I want to yet. Watch this space. Or not. I don't actually think anyone reads this, but you never know. If you do read this, then let me know.

So how was Christmas. It was good, my brother gave me, Veronica Mars Season One, on DVD. Now Veronica is one of my favourite shows. Its whity, intelligent, emotional, and above all if you try to work out the mystery, confusing. The show is about a high school girl who, in her spare time solves crimes. So its a mixture of murder and teen angst. Sounds bad, but surprising its not. Plus its has one of the greatest characters ever written for a TV Show. Logan Echolls. He starts out as an annoying idiot, but as the show progress, we find out more about him, and watch as he develops into well you will have to watch and find out.

So, Voyage of the Dammed then. For months; I was looking forward to seeing David Tennant on the HMS Titanic but it turns out to be a space ship. Am I bothered, to use a forthcoming companions catch phrase. No, I am not bothered in the slightest. Russell T Davis wrote a script. I sat there, literally, on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happends. Who would die, who would live, and what is in level 31. If I could write like him I would be rich. Got to have something to aim for.


On the reading stand. Contract by Simon Spurrier. Not going to say anything yet, mainly as I have only read ten pages, but so far so good. Almost makes me want to be an assassin.

See you all next year.

Unless I blog again.

Bye.

Christmas is but a week away

Indeed Christmas is now seven days away, and what fun it will be, what with 70 minutes of Titanic based fun with the new Doctor Who and of course presents. :) Looking forward to the presents, asked my parents for a range of books, which I should be reviewing over the next few weeks.

Other than that, going to spend some time painting my miniatures. I am currently playing through the Return of the King sourcebook from Games Workshop and need to get a lot of Knights of Dol Amoroth painted.

Other than that I am going to be working on two things. Getting my book finished is my number one priority, it now stands at 40,000 words which is a lot, however there is still a major rework to comer, and I think it shall now end up being closer to 50,000 and then I am going to send it to publishers, and or agents. Not sure about the latter, but we shall see.

There is a new competition being run by Shizzam magazine for a 3500 steam punk story. I think I am going to enter, but need to think of some ideas first. Got till the end of Feb, so got some time there. Going to replot my vampire novel. Got some great ideas from a friend of mine and so will be throwing them into the mixer.

The final thing I intend to do over Christmas is work on some TV proposals. I have a great idea for some crime stories in the genre of Morse, and Lewis. So intend to get massive amounts of CSI and the rest of Morse in the sales. (Here’s hoping for a buy one get one free offer :) )

Finally I shall leave you with two links. The first is for the author Dave Bishop, stumbled across his blog by accident, he is want I want to be, and that is a free lance writer, and reading his blog, has given me insight into the writing world. The second is Paul Cornell's blog. Now Paul is a Doctor Who writer, having written Father's Day and Human Nature/Family of Blood and by reading his blog, he has got me into some great shows like Heroes, and of course Veronica Mars.

Its almost Christmas

And that means Doctor Who and presents. So 2007 is drawing to an end, so look forward to my year end review, and we shall see what Santa brings. I am still finishing my book, and should be either A ) presenting to agents or B) direct to companies. We shall see. I know one thing about 2008, and I am going to attempt to enter the TV writing agency.

See you all soon.

Dave.