A Pair of Posts Today

I have two posts going up today. The first, my usual Monday Magical Words post, can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and C. E. Murphy. The post is called “The Ideal Writer” and it’s about the ways a writer ought to comport himself (in my opinion) in his professional activities and relationships. The second can be found at http://www.sfnovelists.com, the group blog on speculative fiction that I maintain along with a group of over one hundred published authors of fantasy and science fiction. The post is called “My Latest Challenge (And Why this Post is so Short),” and it is about my current project. I hope you enjoy both posts.

Second “Robin Hood” Update

So, it’s been a week.  I started writing last Thursday, and I’ve just knocked off for the evening on this my seventh day of writing the “Robin Hood“ novelization.  I actually only worked half days on the weekend, but still those days count.  My word count stands at just a hair over 25,000.  I’m on page 101.  (I’d put up one of those word count graphs, but I have no idea how long the book is going to end up.)  Never in my life have I written at this pace.  I never imagined that I could.  And in the interest of full disclosure I should say that I haven’t gone back and read any of it.  It might really, really suck.  But I am getting the work done, working toward that January 4th deadline.  I’m not sure yet that I’m going to make it, especially because I plan to take a few days off, starting this weekend, and then again around the holidays, but if I miss it, it won’t be by much.

More as it develops.

Two Days Left In Book Contest!

Two more days left in my pre-holiday book contest. Wouldn’t you like to win a hardcover copy of The Sorcerers’ Plague, the first book in my Blood of the Southlands trilogy? You can give it as a gift, or keep it for yourself, or wrap it and pretend it’s a present for you from someone else. Okay, that last might be a pit pathetic. But still, it’s a good book. And it’ll be signed. By me, the guy who wrote it.

Just follow this link to the contests page at my website. Read the contest question, and then go read the sample chapters from The Dark-Eyes’ War, the third and final Southlands book. Send in your answer to the contest question, and then wait until Thursday, when the contest ends. Simple as that.

Go on! Give it a try. The worst thing that happens (and it’s really not that bad) is that you read the sample chapters and get all excited about the February 2010 release of The Dark-Eyes’ War.

Another Post About Creativity

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and C. E. Murphy. The post is called “Always” and it’s about creative process and how we as writers are perceived by those who don’t write. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and by the way, that new contest is still up on my website: http://www.DavidBCoe.com. But this is the last week. The contest ends Thursday! So visit the site and maybe you’ll win a signed book!

First “Robin Hood” Update

So, I’m on my way.  I spent Tuesday and Wednesday going over the support material that I received from the studio and mapping out in fairly broad terms the approach I’d take to writing the “Robin Hood” movie novelization.  Today, I began the actual writing.  Now, normally I write 6 to 8 pages a day — about 1500 to 2000 words.  That’s a pretty good pace for me.  But that pace is way too slow for this project, given the early January deadline I’m facing.  Of all the elements of this project, the timeline is the part that was scaring me most.

Well, today I wrote 17 pages.  Yeah, 17.  4,300 words.  If I can maintain that pace, I’ll have no problem with the deadline.  Better still, it was enormously fun.  I got to write in the point of view of Robin Hood and Marion of Loxley, of Friar Tuck and King Richard the Lionheart.  How could that not be fun?

More as it develops.

More News

Not too long ago, I told you all about a new project that I’d contracted — a historical fantasy series that I’ll be writing under a pseudonym.  Well, after a summer of relative quiet, things are hopping here in my little writing world.  I’ve just taken on yet another project.  I’m going to be writing the novelization for the new Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe/Cate Blanchett “Robin Hood” movie that is coming out in May 2010.  It’s an exciting opportunity and a rather cool project.  It’s also a chance to publish something new under my real name.  Thing is, it’s on a pretty tight time-line.  I have to write the book in about five weeks, so I might not be posting too much between now and mid-January.

Wish me luck…

A New Post About Series and Story-Arcs

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and C. E. Murphy. The post is called “Story-Arcs and Series, Revisited” and it’s about the differences, in terms of both writing style and marketing, between extended story-arcs and true series. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and by the way, that new contest is still up on my website: http://www.DavidBCoe.com. Visit the site and maybe you’ll win a signed book!

Wanna Win a Book?!

Seriously.  I’m asking.  Do you want to win a book?  Of course you do!  Who doesn’t like free stuff?  And this is really good free stuff.  It’s a hardcover copy of The Sorcerers’ Plague, the first book in my Blood of the Southlands trilogy.  And it’ll even be signed.  You’ll treasure it forever.  Or maybe you’ll give it as a gift (the recipient doesn’t have to know it’s free!).  You know, the holidays are coming up.

All you need to do is follow this link to the contests page at my website.  Read the contest question, and then go read the sample chapters from The Dark-Eyes’ War, the third and final Southlands book — which is something you should want to do anyway.  Send in your answer to the contest question, and then wait for the contest to end.  Simple as that.

Go on!  Give it a try.  The worst thing that happens (and it’s really not that bad) is that you read the sample chapters and get all excited about the February 2010 release of The Dark-Eyes’ War.

Two Posts Up Today

I have two posts going up today. The first, my usual Monday Magical Words post, can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and C. E. Murphy. The post is called “Finding Real Magic in Writing” and it’s about the magical things that sometimes happen to us while we create. The second can be found at http://www.sfnovelists.com, the group blog on speculative fiction that I maintain along with a group of over one hundred published authors of fantasy and science fiction. The post is called “Fathers and Masculinity,” and it continues a discussion of gender roles that has been ongoing at the site for a few days now. I hope you enjoy both posts.

My New Writing Toy

I’ve been meaning to post.  Really I have.  I had resolved to post everyday this week.  But then I downloaded my new writing toy, and, well, it’s made the gathering of my research for the new project much more fun.  And it’s kept me fro doing much else.  The new toy is Scrivener, and I know many of you use it already.  It’s a mac-based program designed for writers who are piecing together a project and blending research information with story ideas.  It’s kind of hard to describe really.  I’ve only had it for a few days.  But I like it, and I’m finding it incredibly useful as I begin to pivot from research to writing.

More as I explore further.