I took a long break between posts this year. I’m sure you noticed.
So where have I been? Among other things, my acting hobby took over for a while with a sudden rush of auditions, resulting in a few days filming (“Toy Gun” and “A Storm In Their Stars“). Audition readings to prepare, lines to learn…
OK, that’s a few days. And the rest of the time?
I drove myself into my two very different WIP novels “Faces of Janus“and “Private Vices“.
Faces of Janus
This near-future story is part of the Paradisi Chronicles series of books, where multiple writers’ stand-alone stories combine to develop the overall fictional universe. “Faces of Janus” runs partly in parallel with Tristan James’ “Paradisi Escape“ with shared locations and characters, so the writing is a different creative experience. And great fun!
I came across a massive gap in my story’s timeline (oops!) and had to do some serious rewriting to fix it. It’s now seamlessly repaired and onward I progress. I’m now only a couple of chapters away from beta-reader readiness.
I submitted the first 10,000 words to the experienced Manchester Speculative Fiction writing group‘s critique team at the Mancunicon Sci-fi Convention and the crit folk (I hate to say “critters”) gave it a warm welcome.
Private Vices
I’m running this “paranormal noir” novel (for want of a better term) past my Luxembourg writers’ group, chapter-by-chapter, so it’s being revised as it progresses. Again, first draft completion is imminent, with many chapters in second draft thanks to my team of valued writerly friends.
Eastercon
There was Eastercon (see previous post). Here’s me at the convention, reading from “Homo sapiens inferior” (included in the “Existence is Elsewhen” anthology).
Short Stories
In the background, I am still writing and submitting short stories and receiving reassuring acceptances.
NINETY!
And then there was more travel to the UK, to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mum!
A busy few weeks… A successful and satisfying few weeks… I hope, dear reader, your 2016 has started as well as mine and it continues right through to the end — and beyond.
Andy McKell, Speculative Fiction Author 
Congratulations, my friend! Great to learn all about your many successes and progress… on and off the pages! It’s so good to hear from someone else who works at writing several things at once; many of my friends look askance when told I’m working on a coouple of novels and a ‘scattering’ of short stories all simultaneously. The variety stimulates creativity, for me at least. And good to see you back blogging! Hope you continue to have a great 2016.
LikeLike
Many thanks, James.
I usually plot-hop when I reach an impasse in one storyline, working on a different project while my subconscious does the heavy-lifting breaking through that impasse.
The main thing is to “finish what you start” and not just let a blocked plot-line kill the whole project or leave it to wither away.
And keep up the great success trajectory you’re on!
LikeLike