Good morning, Dv8. We’ve been pretty much hermits the last couple of years and it’s hard to get back into the habit of just going out. It takes effort.
Still the long weekend. I decided to go to sleep right when I got home on Saturday Morning. Best laid plans, etc.
I thought maybe I’d get up in the afternoon and write some more. I’m about 4/5ths done with what seems to be trajecting toward being a 200,000 -- word novel. That’s clearly on the long side of things, but for comparison, War and Peace and Atlas Shrugged are both well over 500,000.
My general manager even asked me to come in early to cover for someone who had to leave early, which meant I got to leave early if I wanted. Which I did. At around 7 am-ish.
It still took me until 9 am to get to sleep. I figured I’d get up by 3-4 pm. Which I did. But like I often am, I just want to keep doing whatever I’m doing, which in this case, was sleeping. So I closed my eyes again.
I woke up at around 9-10 pm. Did literally nothing useful. Didn’t even cook. Ate only leftovers… which, I guess, one might argue is productive after a fashion. Harper got up with me, though, so at least we did nothing productive together. Well… later in the evening, she did make a salad and gave me a little bit. Anyway, we watched Nuxanor and Tectone’s livestream about politics in general, which was surprisingly funny and entertaining.
At about 4 am, I was ready for beddy bye again. So I slept again until about now, i.e., a bit after 7 am. At least I cleaned the kitchen when I got up. Now I’m trying to decide if I’m going to church this morning, writing, or yet more goofing off.
A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Sven, and dv8 (and Harper!)!
Sven -- in the thread pic: what are the next words in that iconic song of the 70s by Wild Cherry?
Also Sven -- that sounds like a lot of fun to watch, but Mrs. Sven doesn’t need any more damage.
Mac -- I’ve been publishing the M.O. early since the time change pushed them back an hour. Looking back, the M.O. for Friday was missing, and I posted Saturday’s by mistake. When I went to post Saturday’s I saw that I had already posted it, but a day earlier, hence the “Part B”.
Unspecified Future timeline: The main character is a 4th clone of a shipping magnate. A bit dystopian, though not wholly the focus. Wants to break free of his pre-scripted role. Whatever plans he had to do so are interrupted by a mysterious substrate ghost who appears as a 6-year-old girl, actually a clone, but actually a substrate projection of the original’s first wife, who wants to break free in her own way. They form a sort of found family with one of the main character’s college friends and his wife. There is excitement. There are perceived enemies and real enemies. There are Emotional moments. The character arcs are palpable.
I’m a pantser, so I still don’t know where it’s going. But if you read what I wrote thus far, you’d think it was heavily plotted. But it’s not. I guess I’m trying to avoid the William Gibson “Non-ending” that often happens with books written in this fashion.
Hmm… Maybe I could do that. I’ll let you know. Usually, I just write stuff to read to Harper, but she’s really after me to publish this one. It may be on Amazon soonish, I guess, if I can figure out that whole process. I know one of the steps for amateur writers is to have beta readers. I can see how that would be helpful. Some amateurs like me will blog their book chapter by chapter while they work on it. I’ve even heard of people livestreaming while they write. Which sounds like it would be boring to watch.
After looking, it appears that I don’t have access to that part of the site for creating new posts. I guess I can only edit existing ones.
Of “finished chapters,” which I would classify as maybe 90-99% of where I want them, there are around 200. My chapters are mostly short, with some verging on 10-ish pages, and most only a few.
Hey, do you ever watch shorts where someone machines something interesting? I was watching one this morning and wondering if you would find it interesting or annoying, because you’d know how to do it better??
I used to watch more, but much is now CNC. I am always open to learn. I have actually been watching a lot of blacksmithing videos lately, forging axes or knives.
Thank you! Interesting job. My first thought was that I would have liked making that in plastic, but a lot of machinists are not that comfortable working with that. I cringed a bit when I saw him use the file, but on looking again I see that I could not really see if he is using a file handle or not, so he gets the benefit of a doubt. He is skilled and did a nice job. Making special tools for the job is sometimes key.
That’s a pretty good first chapter. It flows, tells a complete story, sets the stage for what comes next. Descriptive.
Do you always write in the first person?
Mac, can you check Dv8’s access to the forums? Considering what can happen here with SWMNBN, it might be best not to make this overly public? Just a thought.
Am I old? Yes. Last month Mrs Sven bought me new wiper blades for my truck for my birthday. I had to watch a youtube video to see how to install them. Sheesh.
So, guys, are the forums readable by members only? Is that what Sven was talking about? I think only Mac can make a new forum topic, but I can add subtopics to it with my editor permission set.
But the only topic up there now is for recipes, so I wouldn’t want to add a creative writing subtopic to that area.
Thread pic: You got me on this one, Mac.
Happy Sunday, GN. We were heading out to watch this today, https://www.medievalcombat-usa.com/event-details/ventura-melee-megabowl-2026 , but walking around is likely to do more damage to Mrs Sven’s knee so we’ll skip it.
Still… I admire when people go out and do things. I never do.
Good morning, Dv8. We’ve been pretty much hermits the last couple of years and it’s hard to get back into the habit of just going out. It takes effort.
True. I remember when we used to go places on a whim.
Still the long weekend. I decided to go to sleep right when I got home on Saturday Morning. Best laid plans, etc.
I thought maybe I’d get up in the afternoon and write some more. I’m about 4/5ths done with what seems to be trajecting toward being a 200,000 -- word novel. That’s clearly on the long side of things, but for comparison, War and Peace and Atlas Shrugged are both well over 500,000.
My general manager even asked me to come in early to cover for someone who had to leave early, which meant I got to leave early if I wanted. Which I did. At around 7 am-ish.
It still took me until 9 am to get to sleep. I figured I’d get up by 3-4 pm. Which I did. But like I often am, I just want to keep doing whatever I’m doing, which in this case, was sleeping. So I closed my eyes again.
I woke up at around 9-10 pm. Did literally nothing useful. Didn’t even cook. Ate only leftovers… which, I guess, one might argue is productive after a fashion. Harper got up with me, though, so at least we did nothing productive together. Well… later in the evening, she did make a salad and gave me a little bit. Anyway, we watched Nuxanor and Tectone’s livestream about politics in general, which was surprisingly funny and entertaining.
At about 4 am, I was ready for beddy bye again. So I slept again until about now, i.e., a bit after 7 am. At least I cleaned the kitchen when I got up. Now I’m trying to decide if I’m going to church this morning, writing, or yet more goofing off.
Honestly, I’m leaning toward the latter.
A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Sven, and dv8 (and Harper!)!
Sven -- in the thread pic: what are the next words in that iconic song of the 70s by Wild Cherry?
Also Sven -- that sounds like a lot of fun to watch, but Mrs. Sven doesn’t need any more damage.
Mac -- I’ve been publishing the M.O. early since the time change pushed them back an hour. Looking back, the M.O. for Friday was missing, and I posted Saturday’s by mistake. When I went to post Saturday’s I saw that I had already posted it, but a day earlier, hence the “Part B”.
heya, Paddy.
I think: “Play that funky music, now.”
Boy. Buoy. OK, now I get it -- it’s like a visual pun.
Yes, Mac started the day with a visual pun.
A brief summary of your novel, Dv8?
And good morning, Paddy.
Unspecified Future timeline: The main character is a 4th clone of a shipping magnate. A bit dystopian, though not wholly the focus. Wants to break free of his pre-scripted role. Whatever plans he had to do so are interrupted by a mysterious substrate ghost who appears as a 6-year-old girl, actually a clone, but actually a substrate projection of the original’s first wife, who wants to break free in her own way. They form a sort of found family with one of the main character’s college friends and his wife. There is excitement. There are perceived enemies and real enemies. There are Emotional moments. The character arcs are palpable.
I’m a pantser, so I still don’t know where it’s going. But if you read what I wrote thus far, you’d think it was heavily plotted. But it’s not. I guess I’m trying to avoid the William Gibson “Non-ending” that often happens with books written in this fashion.
I guess that about sums it up without giving too much away 🙂
Thanks -- if you have finished chapters, perhaps maybe post them on the Forum here?
Hmm… Maybe I could do that. I’ll let you know. Usually, I just write stuff to read to Harper, but she’s really after me to publish this one. It may be on Amazon soonish, I guess, if I can figure out that whole process. I know one of the steps for amateur writers is to have beta readers. I can see how that would be helpful. Some amateurs like me will blog their book chapter by chapter while they work on it. I’ve even heard of people livestreaming while they write. Which sounds like it would be boring to watch.
After looking, it appears that I don’t have access to that part of the site for creating new posts. I guess I can only edit existing ones.
Of “finished chapters,” which I would classify as maybe 90-99% of where I want them, there are around 200. My chapters are mostly short, with some verging on 10-ish pages, and most only a few.
Sorry Paddy, I did not catch that. I will set them to open an hour earlier.
Heya Mac!
Good morning, dv8, good to see you.
likewise : )
Hey, do you ever watch shorts where someone machines something interesting? I was watching one this morning and wondering if you would find it interesting or annoying, because you’d know how to do it better??
I used to watch more, but much is now CNC. I am always open to learn. I have actually been watching a lot of blacksmithing videos lately, forging axes or knives.
I am called. Will check in later.
Well… I guess I’m hanging out here on the wheel for a while : ) I’ll keep this site up, I guess, in case anyone wants to pop up.
This is the one that made me think of Mac:
https://youtube.com/shorts/BohSEEAPavg?si=hsOSt5tDrXVUaiYi
Thank you! Interesting job. My first thought was that I would have liked making that in plastic, but a lot of machinists are not that comfortable working with that. I cringed a bit when I saw him use the file, but on looking again I see that I could not really see if he is using a file handle or not, so he gets the benefit of a doubt. He is skilled and did a nice job. Making special tools for the job is sometimes key.
Not sure how to do the forum thing, but here is chapter 1:
[…]
If you think it unwise, I guess I’ll remove this for now.
That’s a pretty good first chapter. It flows, tells a complete story, sets the stage for what comes next. Descriptive.
Do you always write in the first person?
Mac, can you check Dv8’s access to the forums? Considering what can happen here with SWMNBN, it might be best not to make this overly public? Just a thought.
First person: Sometimes, sometimes not. But this is a story from the main character’s perspective, so we only know what he knows.
I don’t really have the tech-fu for that, sorry. That might take a Blue Glove.
Am I old? Yes. Last month Mrs Sven bought me new wiper blades for my truck for my birthday. I had to watch a youtube video to see how to install them. Sheesh.
Everyone has to do that. Wiper blade types, along with everything else, have become more diverse and complicated.
So, guys, are the forums readable by members only? Is that what Sven was talking about? I think only Mac can make a new forum topic, but I can add subtopics to it with my editor permission set.
But the only topic up there now is for recipes, so I wouldn’t want to add a creative writing subtopic to that area.
Apparently, forum topics aren’t members only, anyway. I was able to log out and still access them.