One Over X News

The Wolfcat Chronicles

My friend and fellow blogger Jeff posted a comment to the previous blog. Not so subtly he reminded me to post a little more often so that I might gain and maintain more readers.

Jeff knows how busy I have been since April between my day job, playing the role of dad for three teens and staying up late editing and revising all the 'wolf stuff'. Well The Wolfcat Chronicles is now completed. I am pretty happy with the storyline and I feel that I have corrected all the major flaws that I saw the first time I read through each of the ten books in order. I revisited the ending, the final battle, added in a whole 'nother chapter. The whole process resulted in a net addition of about 200 pages of text 6X9 12pt. In that format when it is all assembled into one volume with breaks between the constituent books the sum total page count is 2,263, or ten books averaging 226.3 pages each.

I mention the stats for a reason. Whenever a writer submits a manuscript to a publisher, the would-be author is pretty-much satisfied with the story, that the plot is complete and that there is at least something important and possibly even relevant that is conveyed within the pages of the book. That is not to say that the finished product when and if it is published will even remotely resemble the original manuscript. There are many variables, one of which is final copy approval which a new writer rarely ever has. Another is how many editors looked over the original. Hopefully one editor worked the entire manuscript. Behind every great author there is a competent editor.

Nowadays people are pressed for time. They want books that are clever, humorous, fast reads. That happens to be contrary to the subject matter and the way that I write. Therein lies a major hurdle that I have had to overcome. Most people want to read a book that is no more than a couple hundred pages long. I wrote a story about wolves and such and it happens to be 2,263 pages. Really there are two other plotlines I could turn into additional stories (at least) and possible another series of books. Some of that material already exists in my second series, Two: The Power of X.

One Over X was always envisioned as a series, just as Two: The Power of X was designed to complete certain plotlines from the original series of books that I wrote. What I wrote that was considered 'wolf stuff' was initially a side project. Imagine that I can actually multi-task - write a new series of books while I am revising another series of books. There were many long pauses in the progress of From The Inside To The Closer. During one of the more extended ones in the summer of 2000, I wrote the foundation piece that I referred to as the 'wolf stuff', 413 pages in rough draft. This was the infamous 'book' that some months later I emailed to the one who had inspired the character Ela'na. I wrote it for her. I had told her that I was a writer and that my first book was in the process of revision. She asked me in passing to write her a wolf story. So I did.

Upon receipt of a 413 page attachment to an email was, her response was classic, "You really are a writer!"

I have told you in previous blog posts that I suck at writing endings. I think many writers do. I also suck at beginnings. I suppose I am competent enough writing the middle parts of a book. If anyone has a need for that skill set, you know where to look. I will not hold my breath waiting for calls.

The 413 page book was 8 1/2"X 11" 12pt. After editing it a little further (during another extended delay in the process for publishing my first book) it grew of course, add here, delete there. When it was transformed into a 6X9 11pt format it was around 700 pages. I was proud enough at it to send it off as an attachment to an email to my publisher. He replied with an email that contained only a very large font question mark.

Anyway that was the origin of the 'wolf stuff'.

Inspiration comes from often unexpected places. Every writer knows this. Some have to wake up in the middle of the night and jot down the visions they have seen in a dream. Others have to tune out the world for a period of time every single day and linger uninterrupted to merge with the cosmic consciousness of the 'giver of ideas'. Me, I am weird. I hardly ever dream anymore. I haven't had a nightmare since I was in my mid-twenties. But I write something every single day and have done so for over twenty four years. So maybe I have my dreams while I am awake.

Regardless how weird that might seem, this blog serves as a way to maintain a space for that process to continue. So, yes, Jeff thanks for reminding me that the writing something every day was part of the reason that I started this blog. It takes another writer to tell me something that I already knew but had sort-of stepped back away from because I was otherwise occupied. I won't yet commit to daily blogs but several times a week is doable, I think. If nothing else there is enough inspiration in the world for a good rant or two. I will post excerpts from my more structured attempts at writing as well.

Be of good cheer, what I have been working on it worth the wait - if only I can get it published. I may have to go to another publisher with it. I have even discussed with my present publisher and he understands it. I will also publish it under my first name alone, hey I might as well as it is weird and unique enough that I might as well take advantage of it in due compensation for the misery it has caused me for a lifetime of people having no clue how to pronounce it.

People who knew me in college called me Brent. I really don't have a middle name and it is a long story which I have covered previously in this blog. Brent became an alter ego for me and I eventually used it in my writing for that purpose. Brent is the madman within me. Brent is the guy who would take the dare to jump out of a window 12 foot above the ground. Brent is the guy who would be a fitness freak and on a whim join the military.

Brent has been a large part of my life but he is the crazy side of me. Brent and I have a respectful relationship even now. Still, he thinks I am the one that is insane. Imagine that!

I stopped using Brent as a name when I was working in Asia for a few years. It was amazing to me. Brent, a perfectly normal upstanding English name when rendered into the broken English of an Asian barmaid came out as 'Blenta' or even worse 'Blenda' - which was precisely the same way they would pronounce the female name Brenda. To my overall amazement and utter chagrin, they pronounced my first name, Elgon exactly correct, even on the first try which is something no American that I have ever met has been able to do.

I grew used to using Elgon as a name in Asia so when I returned home, I continued to use it.

So, this has turned out to be a get reacquainted sort of blog. 'It is good, it is all good,' as Duke Nukem used to say.

Yeah, imagine me quoting Duke Nukem. There's a sign of the impending doom of the world as we know it.

Laugh. It probably isn't as bad as you think it is. In that is the case then you lack the imagination to really appreciate the fullest extent of just how screwed-up this world has become!

Take deep breaths, eat your veggies and be kind to kamikaze squirrels that run out in front of your car first think in the morning as you are driving the kids to school.


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posted by Unknown @ 11:01 PM