Day: May 2, 2009

Rewriting and revision

~ Scott W. Baker ~ 7 Comments

As I mentioned in a few posts, I’ve been rewriting an old gem I found on my hard drive from at least five years ago, probably more. I think I just finished that rewrite, at almost exactly midnight on May 2nd.  I’ll probably want to edit more in a few days, but I’m pretty pleased with the results.

I didn’t cut the massive opening sequence I had considered axing.  It seemed to start kind of slow, but it was more the fault of excessive wordiness than anything else. Maybe I’ll stick it in Baen’s Bar to get some feedback.

In ways, “Secondhand Rush” is simpler than “Leech Run” which got slapped around.  It’s simpler in that the protagonist’s motivations are perfectly clear from the beginning.  His needs are simple, his life is simple, his goal is simple.

The story’s structure, however, is oddly complex.  It violates Jordan Lapp’s rule that a first person POV story should have no scene breaks.  I, in fact, jump periodically to other characters to eavesdrop of their conversations.  The story wouldn’t work without miranda7 and LucAs [sic] popping in and out.  It’s the nature of the narration that it happen that way.  Trust me, it works.  Some people may not like it, but it works.

miranda7 and LucAs also converse a lot like my students do with text messages.  It’s a byproduct of their living situation (they are downloaded into computers for immortality).  It may make their dialogue tough to read, but it’s always short blurbs and it fits the story.

I’m proud of this little creation.  Sad that I shelved it so long ago.  It wasn’t ready for the public and I wasn’t ready to fix it.  I’m curious to see its reception.  If I don’t declare otherwise here, I’ll have “Secondhand Rush” up in Baen’s Universe Slush by the end of the weekend.

In related news, I have put my Critters membership on hiatus.  I still love Critters, I just don’t have time to keep up my crit count.  That, and I’m considering joining the “sff online writing workshop”, maybe next month when school is getting out for the summer.  (Tarcie, I haven’t forgotten.)  Hopefully I’ll have another story ready by then.

goal update

~ Scott W. Baker ~ Leave a comment

I have good news and bad news on the goal front. Good news: I accomplished every one of my school-related goals. Even those pesky tests are finished (don’t ask how they did…*shudder*). Bad news: Not one of my personal goals was accomplished. The kitchen looks better, “Secondhand Rush” is in the middle of an overhaul that might well cut the first couple thousand words (see my next post for details), moles are alive and well, invisible fence is still a worthless underground wire, and the laundry has claimed my bedroom in the name of its king. Most unhappily, not one word of new story has been written. I can use my real job as an excuse again, but the jobby-type job is not going away. I have to do better. I don’t have to do better every week, but my aims were low and I did not achieve them.

Next week will be better after Tuesday.  I’ll even be able to do a bit of writing at school (don’t tell my principal).  My mother and grandmother are coming to visit next weekend, followed by my best friend’s bachelor party. And then: Mother’s Day.   Some combo, huh?  I’ll be bipolar by the end, possibly even schizophrenic.  But that basically gives me seven days to clean the house for Nana (who will try to clean for me if it’s not perfect…clean her way).  We’ll see.  But I vow, writing will be accomplished.

(Drat!  Ended in passive voice!)