Update on my attempt to be a published author

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thewormoftheworld'send
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Update on my attempt to be a published author

Post by thewormoftheworld'send »

Hello Earthfriends!

The novel-writing has been progressing slowly. Maybe it's due to living with all these disorders - internal and external problems plague me constantly. If the only thing Covenant had to worry about in reality was leprosy - no, he had social problems, too. Supposedly, there was still a social stigma in the US in 1977 regarding those with leprosy. I don't know if that's how it really was then. I suppose it's plausible that somebody with leprosy in 1977 US would be ostracized.

So, I have these two novels in the works. Editing is uncomfortable and slow. I want to improve the rough drafts, but it's difficult and I don't have $1200+ to spend on an editor at Fiverr. Cheaper editors don't do very much and often renege on their promises. They say they'll do this and that, but then they only do "this" and not "that."

The copy of chapter 1 (first novel) that I posted here previously was crap, but hopefully I improved it. I had an author read it, and all she had to say was that it's good but I should describe eyes more often. Some people just have a thing for eyes. It's not like I'm writing a romance.

While I'm not writing or editing (I rarely do either), I spend time plotting the sequel in my head. The sequel must contain the same themes as the original work which contains mythological characters. So I was thinking of bringing back Cain, who recently escaped from Hell and is perhaps more evil than ever. He was aided in his escape by Samyaza the arch-demon. Cain will be one of the mid-bosses to defeat. I describe him as having red hair and a long red beard. He unconsciously twists parts of his beard between two fingers, creating intricately twisted designs out of clumps of hair. Cain will be in charge of a feral pack of wild dogs. That may sound like an SRD rip-off, but I got the idea from a recent news story about grey wolves.

I've been considering doing a twist on the ending of "The Power that Preserves." Instead of waking up convinced that the Land is real, my MC will wake up in a mental hospital only to find out that the whole thing had been a delusion. But it feels like a cheap ending that doesn't explain anything important.
Tales of a Warrior-Prophet has gone Live on Amazon KDP Vella! I'm very excited to offer the first three chapters for free. Please comment, review and rate, and of course Follow to receive more episodes. Two hundred free tokens may be available for purchases. https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/episode/B09YQQYMKH

Read my Whachichun Tatanka (White Buffalo) Blog: https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/8175040473578337186
FB: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteBuffalo.W ... unTatanka/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/white_buffalo
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thewormoftheworld'send
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2156
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:40 am
Location: Idaho
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Post by thewormoftheworld'send »

It just took me over an hour to convert this:

Watersong led us through the trees to a small building that looked like the entryway to a bunker. She passed her right palm over a plain metal plate. An invisible door opened silently, revealing a lit spiral staircase leading downward into an infinite void. I couldn’t find a source of the light; it seemed to emanate from the walls themselves. I prepared myself for a long walk into the abyss, but it wasn’t necessary, as we were already moving in a smooth glide without acceleration. The walls were flowing past us, and when I looked down, I saw that the stairs gave the illusion of being an escalator, except without links and tracks, leading down into a dizzying darkness. The stairs joined smoothly to each other, but the walls and ceiling were completely detached from them. The only other movement was a slight breeze on my face.

After a few minutes, we were deposited gently on a solid metal floor without any sensation of deceleration. At least, I thought we were, for when I looked around, Watersong and my companions had gone missing. Or perhaps from their viewpoint, I was the one who had gone missing. The spiral staircase had transformed itself into a bare metal cube instantaneously, containing only myself and a sourceless, pleasant light.

I was unsure of what I was supposed to do, if anything. So I examined the walls for any seams or cracks that might be the clue to an exit. I ran the palm of my hand over the walls and floor, but no exit revealed itself. My battleaxe did nothing but make a metallic sound when I struck it against the metal walls and floor. Surely my fate wasn’t that I remain sealed inside this room until I die from dehydration, unless sheer boredom struck me down first.

Into this:

Watersong led us through the trees to a small building that looked like the entrance to a bunker. She passed her right palm over a plain metal plate. An invisible door opened silently, revealing a lit spiral staircase leading downward into an infinite void. I couldn’t find a source for the light; it seemed to come from everywhere. I prepared myself for a long walk into the abyss. But it wasn’t necessary, as I found we were already moving in a smooth glide lacking all sensation of speed or acceleration. Looking down, I discovered that the stairs gave the illusion of being an escalator, but manufactured smoothly without links, tracks, or joints. It led down into a dizzying darkness. To my surprise, I found that the walls and ceiling were completely detached from the stairs. The only other sensation was a breeze on my face, from which I estimated that we were advancing at an unhurried pace.

Without any sensation of deceleration, we were deposited safe and sound on a solid metal floor. At least, I thought we were; for, when I looked around, Watersong and my companions were gone. Or perhaps, from their viewpoint, I was the one who had gone missing. The spiral staircase had transformed into a plain metal cube that contained only myself and a sourceless, pleasant light.

I felt trapped, helpless and alone, without my companions. I was uncertain if I should try to escape or bide my time until something happened. I chose to examine the walls for any seams or cracks that might hold the clue to an exit. I ran my palm over the walls and floor, but no exit revealed itself. My hand detected only cold, smooth metal without seam or defect. I struck my battleaxe against the walls and floor, only to find that it did nothing but produce a resonant clang. The ceiling hovered somewhere over me at an indeterminate distance. Surely my fate wasn’t to remain sealed inside this cell until I perish either from dehydration or sheer boredom.
Tales of a Warrior-Prophet has gone Live on Amazon KDP Vella! I'm very excited to offer the first three chapters for free. Please comment, review and rate, and of course Follow to receive more episodes. Two hundred free tokens may be available for purchases. https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/episode/B09YQQYMKH

Read my Whachichun Tatanka (White Buffalo) Blog: https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/8175040473578337186
FB: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteBuffalo.W ... unTatanka/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/white_buffalo
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