Category: Progress

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

As a general rule, authors dislike dealing with the edits sent them by their publishers. It’s often a battleground between competing egos. However, I welcome the chance to correct those things that escaped my attention by being too close to the creation. I’m on the third pass through the MS, having already done the full …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Now the serious editing has started: I received the publisher’s editing notes on Monday and I’ve been beavering away at them ever since. Both the creation and my editing of the book were interrupted by several events over which I had no control. And my final editing session was done under pressure of knowing I’d …

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The #Write #Word? Post 21

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Grammar, Progress, Word Choice5 Comments

Struggling to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Me,too. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help other writers. Today’s words: Great Minds Think Alike…, Nod the head, Not in my backyard, Nodus Tollens, Nondescript, A slightly different approach this week: we don’t want this to be too predictable, after all. …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Now the WIP is with the publisher, and I’m awaiting the response, the result of their edit, the cover and design suggestions, I thought I’d review my Science Fiction activity to date. ‘Ten Tales for Tomorrow’, was self-published in January 2011. It’s a collection of mostly dark, sometimes humorous, speculative fiction. There’s variety here; everything …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress6 Comments

Well, that’s it! The book is with my publisher. At 67,269 words, it’s the shortest of my novels. But it’ll be a damned good read (not that I’m in any way biased, you understand). The final part of the editing process for me was a read-through, aloud, from a print run. Many authors neglect this …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress4 Comments

Six chapters to go, and the MS stands at 68,660 words, a record low word count for one of my novels! Thursday, I was driven to hospital by a kind and friendly volunteer from a local service that provides rides for people on such missions. I won’t bore, or distress, you with details of the …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

An ‘interesting’ week. One I realised early was not going to be my finest hour re the WIP. Nevertheless, 27 chapters now subjected to the in-depth part of the edit that includes running the text through ProWritingAid. And chapter 28 is ready for that process, but it’ll have to wait now until I’m back at …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress2 Comments

23 chapters now subjected to the in-depth part of the edit that includes running the text through ProWritingAid. And Chapter 24 ready for that process, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. The MSS now stands at 71,169 words, 198 fewer than last week’s total. The work is going well, with only 16 more chapters …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Progress

So far 10 chapters subjected to the in-depth part of the edit that includes running the text through ProWritingAid, an online grammar checker. My beta reader is just a couple of chapters behind me. I was aiming to have a dozen chapters complete in time for this update, but I hadn’t allowed for a half …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress2 Comments

A somewhat slow start to the final edit before my publisher sees the book. Many time-sensitive jobs to do, unfortunately. Who said ‘retirement’ would bring a less pressured life? Anyway, I finally completed the development work on the website I’m designing for a local charity where I act as a trustee (anyone interested can find …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress6 Comments

The content edit is complete! I’ve now arrived at 71,057 words, an increase of 21,497 since last Wednesday. This means the first in-depth edit is finished. I’m resting from the process tomorrow, perhaps taking a long walk in the Forest with my wife and my camera. Then it’ll be the start of the more detailed …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

More movement! The first content edit is now complete up to Chapter 25, meaning I’ve 49,560 words, an increase of 17,481 since the last report. I hope to have even greater progress to report next week, now I’ve had an opportunity to properly set-up my new PC, and dealt with the basic stuff for the …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Movement at last! Today, I completed the first content edit on Chapter 15, meaning I’ve 32,079 words in the new document for the book. I hope to have greater progress to report next week, now that I’ve completed all the work on migration of files and pictures to my new PC. Of course, there’s still …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

It’s been an interesting week, but then most weeks this year have borne an element of surprise, frustration, despair, joy or paranoia. The important aspect, considering this post, is that I’ve put 8 chapters through the first content edit, reaching a total of 16,555 words in the current document. There’ll be a second content edit …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Mars, Progress

Another week! And things are starting to look up, at last. I’ve managed to get the first 2 chaps of the new book through their next edit. That may not sound like a lot to have achieved in a week, but if you skip down to the very lengthy post you’ll find here, you may …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.