Website News: 12/21/2014
NOT a picture of Princess Tom
It’s been a REALLY long time since I wrote a website news update, mostly because I don’t update my blog much. It still looks the same as it has for a couple of years now. However, since my blog is SUPPOSED to be about my writing career (haha) I guess now is a good time to announces some news (I probably have been spending most of my time talking about non-writing related subjects).
First off, as I write this, I have five more pages until I finish my third draft of The Lost Elf: Liberation. It’s proven to be the most difficult one to write so far, probably taking me the longest. Awakening and Reptilian Encounter were easier for different reasons. Awakening was book 1 one and it was easy to get inspired. I was still discovering the character of the elf and building the foundation of the character. Reptilian Encounter was fun and a bit light-hearted. I was able to put some humor in there, which helped a lot.
When I began to write Liberation, I was off to a good start, but I ended up feeling that it was getting boring. Battle and fight scenes can be exciting, but when you have a lot of them to write, the latest battle starts to feel like a rehash of an old one. That is why I used book 2 as a way to relax a bit from the hectic events from book 1. Sure, I did have a fight scene in Reptilian Encounter, but that was it. For Liberation, my original vision included a lot of fighting. There were small villages to be freed, towns, and finally the capital. How many ways could I describe battles without getting repetitive?
I kind of got stuck and so I took a break from the story. I also felt like there would be too much action going on. When I came back to it, re-reading my original outline, I decided I needed to diverge from it. I have the whole series of The Lost Elf mapped out, but it was clear that Liberation needed a change. After adding a surprising twist from the point I had stopped, I had my solution. Lead the elf into a new and difficult situation, something unexpected. I also added a big reveal about the character. I think that avoids the necessity of describing lots of battles and keeps things interesting. While I am revealing more about the elf character, he won’t be totally back to normal until probably book 5 as I do want to stretch out his amnesia a bit longer, but I can start to morph the elf into a more normal and less child-like character. He’s no longer in a state of confusion so constantly.
I’m looking forward to getting a start on book 4. It will take place in a wintry land with a new race for the elf to interact with. I’m also going to add a new enemy to the story. The elf will get a break from fighting demons again. I’m thinking of a spooky feel for this one. And, for a teaser, he just might learn his name this time. Or at least something just as important about his identity. ;)
While that is certainly good news for those of you who follow and read The Lost Elf, that’s not really the big news for this post! I’m officially announcing a new writing project! I’m writing a new short story, in the comedy genre, called: Princess Tom. I was having dinner with my friend Mark, of the Mushakian variety, and he mentioned how well I seem to write romantic comedies. I do love humor and I fancy myself a comedian, though I don’t do stand-up or tell jokes. My two short story romantic comedies were a lot of fun to write. So, I thought maybe I ought to write another one, since it has been a while. All I seem to write now are science-fiction, fantasy, and serious stuff.
I’m thinking of not having a romance in this one. If you are dying to read a romantic comedy, may I suggest Little White Lie or My Imperfect Life? ;) Haha, I wrote those! Anyway, Princess Tom is a story about a video game designer named Tom who is asked to help save a software company from going into bankruptcy. The company has a child friendly image and Tom is tasked with making a more “adult” game for their adult fans. Tom is the master of making popular and violent video games. The tittle probably seems strange, but it is actually linked to the serious part of the story. Tom was bullied as a kid and Princess Tom was an unwanted nickname. As they say, comedy is tragedy plus time. Tom hasn’t dealt with his childhood trauma and hopefully he will be able to do so.
As with all of my main characters, they share a part of me and my experiences. However, Tom deals with his experiences differently than I did. He has an obsessive need to be masculine and seeks to fit an extreme stereotype of what it means to be a man. While this can be traced back to the bullying he experienced, this is a problem that has moved beyond that.
I’ve been having a lot of fun writing this story and I already have six pages finished. At the rate I’m going, I’m almost thinking about making it into a novel. That’s assuming I have enough material to make it long enough! I chose to use third-person, past tense for this story. I imagine the narrator as Malcolm McDowell. It makes it fun to imagine him telling my story. I decided to let the narrator own the story and he is very much an important character in the story. I remember reading some great classics when I was a kid and some of the authors did something similar. I’m trying to recreate that in my own style.
The level of inspiration I have for this story seems different from what I am used to. Usually when I begin a project, I’m dedicated to it for a little while, but then I may lose interest or get distracted. When I do lose interest, it’s not that I don’t like the story anymore, it’s just that my motivation drops. I may feel like doing something else in stead. I sometimes have the temptation to start a new project and I could end up having several unfinished projects if I let myself. Haha, well I do have two unpublished novels that I haven’t worked on in a while ;) Rest assured, The Lost Elf will not suffer such a fate! What I can say about Princess Tom so far is that I am loving writing it and I don’t feel like taking a break from it. I’m writing every day so far and I may not stop until I’m done! I hope so!
