Thursday, May 16, 2013

A Good Writing Day: Gramlich Style


Wednesday, May 15, 2013 was the best pure writing day I’ve had since the late summer of 2011 when I was working on Under the Ember Star. Word count was about 1500 polished words and another 5 to 6 hundred rough draft. Most of the polished stuff came on Wraith of Talera, and I was able to fix a plot hole that had been troubling me and push forward to the end of a very tough chapter. That ending also gave me a jump start in ideas for where I’ll begin today’s writing.

I also did some polishing on a new Ginn Hollis story that I’ve started. It’s going to be a short story instead of a novella, and the working title is “Once Upon a Time Beneath the Ember Star.” It will be a prequel to Under the Ember Star. This is where I also did most of the rough draft stuff. After finishing up four straight days of final work for school last week, and taking a day to rest, I had a hard time getting started back on “Wraith” but this idea excited me and I let myself roll with it. I’m going to try and keep my writing time at about 85% “Wraith” and 15% “Ginn.” Unfortunately, this weekend is going to be full of a different kind of commitment, so after today I won’t be able to work on either story much until next week.

Speaking of this weekend, I’ll be off the internet most of that time so I won’t be visiting blogs or commenting. I’ll probably be checking email on occasion. I know everyone will survive without my input for a few days!

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a little snippet of the new Ginn Hollis tale. This is the first paragraph.

1: Burning Sky
Across the wasteland of sand came a hum, rising rapidly in pitch, building toward a whine. Then a hoverbike burst into view over a dune, fine grit scattering behind it from its fans. Ginn Hollis crouched low over the cycle’s power pack, her head down between the handlebars as she tried to will every last erg of energy from her engines.
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28 comments:

Tom Doolan said...

Good writing days are awesome! Nice start to the story. Hoverbikes are also awesome. :)

Merisi said...

Blessed are such days, whichever gods dole them out!

Wishing you fun off the internet,
Merisi

P.S.: Do I spot a letter missing here "she tried to will ever last erg of energy" ?

Charles Gramlich said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Charles Gramlich said...

Tom, I like me some hoverbikes as well.

Merisi, yes, ever should probably be every. Thankee for the catch.

Geraldine said...

Don't ya just love a good writing day! They are a gift and leave me energized long after I've left my keyboard.

I'm looking forward to reading more of your work after enjoying this snippet! sounds intriguing...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's just a tease!
Enjoy writing today and hope you get right back in the groove again next week.

Ron Scheer said...

Sounds like your right brain has been starved for a chance to shine. . . Your snippet comes pretty close to reality here in the desert where we often get buzzed by helicopters.

Cloudia said...

Am in the thick of a project of my own. I need an open day to get in the zone. Again I admire your productivity


Aloha

Charles Gramlich said...

Geraldine, thanks, I appreciate it.

Alex, I don't think it'll take more than a day or so to get back in the groove, but I kind of regret the loss anyway.

Ron, no doubt black helicopters chasing extrateresstials.

Cloudia, when I get a chance I can be pretty productive. So many things get in the way, though.

SzélsőFa said...

this is good news!
filling a plothole is such a great joy :)

Adventuresfantastic said...

Glad to hear you're having good writing days and there's a new Ginn Hollis story in the works.

While we'll survive without your comments, they will be missed. Have a great weekend.

sage said...

That does sound like a creative day!

Charles Gramlich said...

Szelsofa, absolutely.

Keith, thanks, man.

Sage, and very much enjoyable.

BernardL said...

'Micro Weird: Tiny Tales of the Strange' was a great idea. Those flash fiction length stories really allowed you to put a lot into those tales. I'm not speed reading them either. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernard, cool, man. Glad you are finding them interesting. I enjoyed the variety of those pieces.

ivan said...

Excellent, and congratulations on filling the apparent hole in your plot. Publishers have told me over the years that I might have one, maybe two holes in my plot "and then, one big one!"

Comes to plot, I have been a pantser for years and years, even after getting much fiction published...I'd let it all hang out and eventually edit it into something like a plot.

But now, long in the tooth and short on decent published work, I have decided on conscious plotting. Conscious creative act?

But plots are so easy to steal.

Borrow the other guy's envelope. Heh. Borrow yours?

I fear I have become a Barabas. Maybe even a Baron von Munchausen, that other thief and liar. :)

BTW,

As a once-fired editor,I'd edit your first para to "A keening sound came from the sandy wasteland"
What the hell. I used to write in the days when there was a paper shortage. :)

the walking man said...

Nice start--

Enjoy your week end away. Find pleasure other than what you found pleasure in.

jodi said...

Charles, Good for you! It's weird how the timing of our creativity works.

Charles Gramlich said...

Ivan, every one's an editor. :)

Mark, will do, or try at least.

Jodi, I'm kinda weird.

Riot Kitty said...

Well, cheers! A good writing day is amazing any way you look at it. I must remember to use the word "erg" in a sentence sometime soon.

X. Dell said...

I'm keeping in mind all the things you have said about getting off to a good start. This one is certainly exciting.

Good days? Well we all have 'em. I'm hoping you get a few more soon.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Charles, I need to take a big leaf out of your book and do some serious writing of my own. I have found a lot of inspiration on your blog and through your writing.

laughingwolf said...

got me on the hollis tale already :)

as for the rest, look forward to adding 'wraith' to my collection

do whatcha gotter -

hoping my car finally gets to the shop, been waiting for only 8 months, nearly a full term pregnancy :(

Deka Black said...

You have a hoverbike. That makes the beginning automatically 70% coler . The other 30% is for rayguns ;)

Travis Cody said...

Congrats on your good day. Sounds like this is going to be the writing summer you wanted.

Charles Gramlich said...

Riot Kitty, I urge you to use erg indeed!

X-Dell, back from my trip tonight. too tired to do much tonight but hopefully I'll be able to get going tomorrow.

Prashant, thanks for the kinds words. Glad if I could do anything to help.

Laughingwolf, wow, that is some wait.

Deka, rayguns for sure in this one, and some bladed weapons as well!

Travis Cody, I so hope so.

Jessica Ferguson said...

Good writing days are wonderful. Hope you have many more!

Vesper said...

What a great writing day! Can I be jealous? ;-) No, I'm not! I'm glad you could be so productive.
Love the fragment from your new tale!