NaNoWriMo Week 1 & Other Updates

It has been a slow and steady week of writing, as I venture forth with a new novel for this year's National Novel Writing Month challenge.  As day 7 comes to a close, I've managed to put down just over 12,000 words.  Not nearly the most prolific week I've ever had, but it's a good start.  I have set down a solid premise, and started to flesh out some of the characters in this latest installment in the West of the Warlock saga.  Old favorites and new faces are cropping up to make this a serious piece of fiction.

It's too early to tell, but I have the feeling this book is going to be longer than the previous books in the series.  There is more sub-plot to this one, and a lot of side stories exposing the thoughts and feelings of the various characters.  It is shaping up to be more like the books I used to write years ago, some of which are currently in-print and others that remain sadly unpublished.  I certainly hope this book falls into the former category when all is said and done.

Speaking of publication, I'd like to give everyone a quick update about my forthcoming novel, The Curse of Selwood, the 2nd book in the West of the Warlock saga.  It was due to be released last month, but technical issues have pushed its release to later this month.  I have assurances that it will be out by the end of the month, so get ready!  If you haven't checked it out already, you can read the first six chapters for free at Hall Brothers Entertainment.  Then, continue the story by purchasing the full novel in either print or ebook format when it finally comes out.  Remember, books also make great Christmas presents, so think about picking up an extra copy or two for friends and family.

Submissions for The Temporal Element anthology have come to a stop.  I haven't received a single submission since November 1st, and I suspect this may reflect the impact that NaNoWriMo has upon the writing world.  Hundreds of thousands of writers drop everything to write a novel this month, and that means they aren't getting their short stories out to smaller markets like mine.  At present, I have about a third of the stories I need for the collection, and seeing how we're liable to lose the month of November, I've decided to extend the submissions deadline to January 31, 2013.  This new date is reflected in the submission guidelines, and a notice has been sent to duotrope.com to update their listing.  I expect this new deadline will allow for a higher volume of submissions, and among those I will find the true gems to complete this fantastic collection.

So, that's what's happening in my writing world at the moment.  There are a few other things going on in my life at the moment, but those are to be the subject of future blog posts.  Hang in there, and remember to be your own Santa Claus!



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