...just had minor family crisis followed by Thanksgiving typical insanity. Back to writing!
Writing is a pretty cathartic experience, and I'm really enjoying it so far, though that doesn't make it easy. Sometimes it's downright frustrating! What's great though are the comments, so I'll share a few I received today. Love them all, even those that berate me (fortunately, 90% positive, so I'm guessing most like it).
Bruce - It's still to early to tell yet were this story is going. However, it is written well, and easy to read.
Bob in Sydney - Boring as batshit, this story should be offered to insomniacs as a guaranteed sleep system.
Dwight - Very good chapters.
MG - Maybe it is too early but for now the characters are a bit lifeless and do not garner any real interest !
CV - I'm enjoying the story - good stuff... Fun. Keep up the good work, and good luck getting to 50,000.
Doug - Hi Dori, I've only read the forward and I found it fascinating. I love a good post apocalypse story and I'm looking forward to reading yours
Fred - My standard,thanks for sharing your work with me/us.I can see it building and am enjoying it to this point. If I figured it out right I'm sending a quote that needs your attention from the last paragraph of chapter 5. (thanks Fred -Dori)
Duane - Truly epic. Favorite and well-written.
Malcolm - This is really good and I am gripped by the
anticipation of how all the disparate strands will
be drawn together. As a 67 year old Englishman who has only ever been near two (friendly) shotguns in my life, I am always amazed at how many Amarican stories descrbe in infinite, loving detail the types of guns that the characters use. I suppose we will never
understand each other. Thank you for a good story
Zine - I love detail, too, but I think you're going way
overboard, e.g., all the weapons jargon in the
first chapter. I think it would take a Marine to
appreciate it all. Just a thought. (was never in military -Dori) Interesting story so far and I plan to keep up!
Anon - Can't wait to see the next chapter.
Yes, I know Rick switches to Jed in paragraph 6 twice. I've submitted the new chapter twice, won't take oh well.
If you've not heard of NaNoWriMo, it's a simultaneous effort by some 160,000 authors across the planet to get off their butt and write a novel in November. 50,000 pages, 30 days. I'm up to 12446 words, but barely have the plot started. I'm not worried, since I'm enjoying it, and that's why I'm doing it, just thinking that this is going to be a 500,000 word novel at the current rate of story development. Ok, may be not, because that's 90% as long as War and Peace. Still, I'd be happier if my style was more brisk, but I like the details, it's what really had me drawn into the works of Tom Clancy, that depth to the story.
Still, even if it's 150,000 words, it won't get published. Publishing houses now have rules that limit how many shelf-inches you can take up as a new author, and I think they only give you 180 pages, if that. Oh well, I'm not doing it to make money.
-Dori
Well, I've started my first novel, and it's a passionate and moving experience. Lots more research goes into this than I would have thought... one goof you will note in EEE is that Richard's trailer is 50 clicks from Vegas and 80 clicks from the mountains, with the mountains behid him. Oops, as I check a map, I don't think there exists such a place near Vegas. Oh well, such is life, and I hope your inability to locate Rick's trailer home on a map is the MOST dissatisfied you are with my novel.
Since I am doing this for NaNoWriMo (see www.nanowrimo.com) I am challenged with doing all I would like to do to map plot, document characters, research details, and still get 3000 words a day done. Oh, and be a Foster Mom and keep my job. Yeah, that too. So, like as not the plot is going to have a few odd twists to it that will get ironed out at the rewrite. For now, I must charge on!