DRAFT 5: COMPLETE!

Yes, ALL OF IT. Exciting, right? Final chapter and epilogue are DONE. Now what should I do next? I think Kim, editor supreme, wanted to look at it again. She’s two drafts behind at this point and she needs to see how I implemented her suggestions.

There wasn’t too much to change in this final part of the book. It’s about half wrap-up for book two and half set-up for book three. The set-up isn’t so difficult since I have one draft of book three done already.

So I’ll keep going through the book to polish things up, while Kim looks at it. There are also a few details and interactions that I forgot to add this time. I really should write them all down in one place; right now they’re just margin notes scattered around on my Google Docs manuscript. 😅 Continue reading →

AP 2, DRAFT 5: CHAPTERS 28-35 COMPLETE!

Yes, eight chapters! I made up for my slacking last month. To be fair, some of these final chapters are a bit short in order to highlight the intensity of the events. But still! Just one more chapter plus epilogue and this draft is DONE!

Most of the changes here are due to everything I’ve altered in the rest of the book up until now. One of those changes is a character death. You see, I changed the state of this character from either alive to dead, or dead to alive. See what I did? No spoilers!

This character will not be in the finale either way, but whether they’re dead or alive affects everyone else and some of their dialog.

And, honestly, I might change my mind about it again. Wouldn’t be hard, but I’m kind of wanting to keep it the way it is now. But which is it? Alive? Or dead? And WHO!? Continue reading →

AP2 DRAFT 5, CHAPTERS 26-27 COMPLETE!

What!? Only two chapters in September? And the blog post didn’t get done until October!?

I was previously doing five chapters a month! What happened?

Well, these two chapters are more complex now. In earlier drafts all the characters were together in one spot as the finale unfolded. Kim thought this was a problem, since some characters were just kind of reacting to things instead of participating. Y’know, like Krillin in Dragon Ball Z.

I was resistant to change these chapters, since splitting up the characters is what I did in the previous book. I don’t like repeat performances. (And it would be a lot of work, too.) 😄

But change it I did! Now there are characters in three locations, all dealing with different challenges. It’s a better way to do things, but it isn’t easy. All three groups eventually need to converge again, so I have to space things out PERFECTY. It would be silly for one group to finish their challenge and then take a nap until it was time to meet up. URGENCY! 😱 Continue reading →

AP 2 Draft 5, Chapters 21-25: COMPLETE!

Y’know, I’m beginning to notice that this book is a bit longer than the first one. The first book has 27 chapters. This one currently has 35. (Not including prologue and epilogue.)

It’s not because Abandonment Party 2 has tons of filler; I wouldn’t waste time writing unimportant chapters. This book is longer because I know you’re READY for it. I know you’re HUNGRY.

The first book was introduction. That’s why it’s ‘short.’ But now that you know how magic works and who the characters are you’re waiting to see how it all takes off from here.

‘What happened to this world? Why did everyone die? What sort of wild story is behind it all?’

Now you’re ready to be rewarded for your patience and experience it for yourself. You’ll be like ‘eight more chapters than the original? HELL YEAH!’ Continue reading →

Draft 5, 16-20 COMPLETE!

Still not as much progress as I’d like, but at least there are no major problems with the story that I need to solve at this point.

And I won’t spoil anything, but some very good character development for Dark happens in these chapters. Well, I guess that spoils something if you thought he was going to die at the beginning of the book. 😅

Let’s just say I’m reassuring the people that would think that Dark stays the way he is forever. I don’t know if there are people like that out there, but I sure would be if I were reading this series blind.

I’m not saying he pops out of his armor and every question is revealed. But some great stuff starts to happen here, and it is worth the wait.

Now, what have I been playing? Ah, yes. The Steam Summer Sale arrived again this year. Time for a big one. Continue reading →

AP2 DRAFT 5: Chapters 10-15 COMPLETE!

The early chapters have their share of action, but this is where things really start ‘rolling’ as the dads say. Sorry. June is Fathers’ Day month, so I had to think of some dumb gag.

Again, most of the work here is just fleshing things out. There are multiple new characters from multiple new nations, and I’m adding slang, customs, and belief systems to keep them all feeling different.

All of this contrasts well with the first book. The first book had VERY little culture, and that was intentional. The characters were rejecting society. Parlay rejected his world, because they rejected him. And Mean rejected her world because she felt she never had a choice.

Now everything is going to be turned around. Culture is going to be forced upon the characters. Many cultures. How will they respond? Will they accept it or will they attempt to escape again? And to where?

Stay tuned! Continue reading →

Abandonment Party 2 Draft 5: Chapters 5-9 COMPLETE.

Again, mostly minor changes throughout.

I suppose I can mention one thing without too much spoilers: exclamations!

Y’know, those things characters say when they’re shocked or frustrated. Kim kept bugging me because ‘oh no’ and ‘dang’ didn’t sound alien enough. So I found a way to change a bit of the slang in this book.

There are quite a few new characters that will use the new exclamations from the get-go, but Mean’s dialog will be affected as well. You could say she’s going to get in touch with her other-worldly roots and start saying more UNEARTHLY things.

This will be set up in the chapters I just finished, and it won’t be THAT big of a change. Just a little spice. She won’t be singing Klingon opera or anything. 😄

Now let’s talk about the games and shows I’ve been watching. Although, SPOILERS, it’s the same show I’ve been watching all freakin’ year. 😑

Monster Train 2: My birthday was the ninth, and I got gift cards galore! My brother also gifted me the new Doom: the Dark Ages game, but my computer won’t run it. No ray tracing. Such a tragedy.

But that’s okay; the sequel to Monster Train is here! 😎

The first game was one of the most unique card battle games I’ve ever played, and the sequel leans into the creative insanity that made the first one so good. I mean, look at this:

Continue reading →

Draft 5, Chapters 1-4: COMPLETE.

I was hoping to be further than four chapters, but I’ve been running into some real-life trouble lately. Nothing serious, just that annoying thing where I have to work longer hours so I can have more money. 🙄

If you live in the United States, you know how it goes with tax time. Also, my truck’s radiator needed to be replaced.

Sheesh, I thought my writing would have made me a billion dollars by now. Who knew being a nobody artist was tough on the wallet?

Anyway, most of the edits so far have been ‘world-building’ additions. As I said before, I’m going to include more lore about the planet in this book. I even tell you about the different days of the alien week and their names. Isn’t that fascinating? 🤯

Okay, time for the reviews. Continue reading →

ABANDONMENET PARTY 2 EPILOGUE AND ALL OF DRAFT 4: COMPLETE!

BOOK COVER: COMPLETE!

Yes, they were both finished at the same time. Maura Watkins did an AMAZING job and put everything on the cover exactly as I asked. And yes, I’ll just say her name instead of being vague. Her name will be credited, after all.

And speaking of vague, it is time for the final vague poem of the book:

A crone and elder creep along the wretched ceiling;

masked actors bow and keep the sour fruits a-peeling;

executioners gather here, at creation’s end;

it’s rather far, the hateful grudges those siblings send. Continue reading →

Chapters 35 and 36: Draft 4: COMPLETE!

Yes, two chapters. I just went ahead and finished them both instead of stopping to write a blog for January. Now all I have left is the epilogue. And the vague spoiler-free poem about the chapters.

Get up, everyone! Look for your friends.

Where could they be? Is this how it ends?

There are holes in the walls and lights destroyed on the ceiling.

Many strings and chains in weird places; these sights have me reeling.

A stage, once empty, now sounding with cheers and celebration most hardy.

Take a bow players! It’s curtain call for the next Abandonment Party. Continue reading →