No Writing Community

 Welcome!

Just a quick chat today on writing alone. That is, having few to no supporters of your writing endeavors. 

Let's get down to it. It hurts to know nobody cares about the world and the people you've brought to life. The countless hours that span months, years, or even decades, of work you've poured into your writing. Especially when those bodies belong to your closest friends and family members. The people who should be your loudest cheerleaders. 

To gush about a major breakthrough in your plot, or the tremendous progress I've made, only to be met with a distracted, "cool," is almost enough to make me throw in the towel sometimes.

That's why, as of this week, I've decided I'm just not going to seek validation, approval, or even a hint of support from people who obviously think what I'm doing is a waste of time. If they want an update, they'll ask. I'm still waiting. But I'm not holding my breath. See the difference?

Then comes the challenge of book dedications. I'm at the stage where I've had to start thinking about this. The first book's dedication was a no brainer. Gabe, my partner of 18+ years, has been nothing but supportive. He's helped me countless times to work through a story problem, rename a character, brainstorm, you name it. The first book is for him. The rest? 

Parents might seem the obvious choice. Therein lies the problem. My mother has been an avid supporter of all my creative endeavors. Dad, not so much. If there's no money to be made in it, he's not terribly interested. Once in a while he surprises me, but most of the time I get little more than a grunt. It's clear to me he thinks I should be focusing my time and energy elsewhere. 

But I'm not a child anymore. I'm approaching forty, and it's time to let that mess go. Hence, I have decided not update him, or anyone else who doesn't expressly ask, on any but my most profound book progress, despite the fact we talk multiple times every day. And, hence, I started this blog as an outlet to share my thoughts on my writing, track my progress, etc. Maybe nobody will ever read it, but it gives me the impression of having an audience, and that seems to satisfy. 

My point in all this rambling is simply that you may have to do this alone. If you do, just know you're not alone in that. I don't want you to quit just because your cheering section is silent. Write this book for you, and for that maybe one person out there whose life it's going to touch. They're out there. I know I'm far from the first person to give this advice, but I'm definitely one of the oldest, so you should take it! With age comes wisdom, and all that. 

So, know I'm rooting for you, even if you can't hear me, and know that what you're doing is not a waste of time, no matter how many people may try to convince you otherwise. 

All my best.

Your salty genre fiction writer,

BCM

What's Next?

You may or not be aware that the Foundling series started as a freestyle roleplaying game in an AOL chatroom back in the day. Foundling, in its current iteration, resembles the original story... well, not at all. For better or worse. (I think better.)

Here's the thing. The story is done. It has an ending. And yet... am I done? 

For several years now, I've been toying with the idea of turning this duology into a trilogy. Scenes have come to me. They expand the story, and explain what happens next. Is it necessary? Probably not. Do I desperately want to write this third book? Yes. Emory and Noor have so much more to say. So many consequences to deal with, wounds to heal, fences to mend. 

I should be drafting Project: Arcadia right now. I want to write a fantasy novel. I'm excited about this project. The book cover is done, and I love it. (I make DIY covers in Canva for inspiration.) And yet, my heart is pulling me back to Noor and Emory, begging me to expand their story and address the natural ramifications of the events in the duology. 

I'm thinking it might be a companion novella, rather than the third book of a trilogy. Hell, I'm thinking of writing a canon fan fiction! 

We'll see. I'm not opposed to working on more than one project at a time. As long as I'm writing consistently, I'm winning. 

Question of the Day (even if this post is over a year old by the time you read it): Do you make DIY book covers for your works in progress? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Your Basic B. genre fiction writer,

BCM

Novels Update - June 2023

 Hello, lovely reader! So good of you to join me today. 

I just wanted to jot down a quick update on the progress of my YA sci-fi/dystopian/romance duology, The Foundling Chronicles.

Though I've been working on this duology most of my life (literally, since 2000), the hard truth is, I didn't have the first clue what I was doing until just a couple years ago. And, even now, I have merely the first clue. ;)

Am I embarrassed to admit that? Well, somewhat. For years, I've wanted to move onto other writing projects--my list of future book ideas is as long as my arm--but every time I tried, I'd get 20-50k words into the new project and then abandon it to return to Foundling. Rinse, and repeat.

It wasn't laziness or lack of focus so much as it was life getting in the way of my writing. I won't bore you (or horrify you) with the details. Suffice it to say, this year, I finally decided to prioritize my writing.

This year, I started and completed the most recent drafts for both Foundling and its sequel, Blackbird. I've finished my first round of revisions for both. I designed e-book covers for both books (subject to change). And, finally, on June 20th, 2023, I ordered paperback proof copies of both books. 

To top that off, I'm 25,000 words into a new fantasy novel. On that note, I've always wanted to write fantasy, but I never could come up with a concept that wasn't just basically someone else's idea, regurgitated. While the fantastical elements in this novel are not strictly my own invention, I do believe I've put a unique enough spin on them. And, if not, well then this book will just be for me. 

So, suffice it to say, 2023 is shaping up to be the best writing year of my life. As of today, I have written 151,000 words of prose. I mean, who is she? 

For tracking purposes:

02/05/23: Started latest draft of Foundling 
02/23/23: Finished latest draft of Foundling (64k words)
02/26/23: Finished high-level edits and ordered proof copy of Foundling
02/28/23: Started 2nd draft of Blackbird
04/17/23: Paused Blackbird 2nd draft to start outlining Project: Arcadia (Fantasy)
05/13/23: Started drafting Project: Arcadia
06/10/23: Paused Project: Eagle to finish 2nd draft of Blackbird
06/17/23: Finished 2nd draft of Blackbird (62k words), and resumed drafting Project: Arcadia
06/20/23: Ordered new proof copies of Foundling and Blackbird
06/21/23: Reached 25,000 words in Project: Arcadia draft

I'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much for reading!

Your lowly genre fiction writer,

BCM

Introduction

 Welcome, honored guests. 

This blog will be a place for my to track my goals, updates, and thoughts related to writing. If that's your cup of tea, I'd love to have you join me. 

For those not in-the-know, I am in the process of writing several novels of speculative fiction, all of which I intend to eventually self-publish. I hope to attempt traditional publishing at some point in the future, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

Since this is just an introduction, I will leave it there. 

Question(s) of the Day: Are you a writer? If so, what genres have you written in so far? 

Thanks for reading! 

Your humble genre fiction writer,

BCM