Category: Canticle of Dawn

Stick a Flag in March

March 28th, 2012

Stick a flag in March. Two days ago, I already hit my 50,000 word mark for the month. I’m about 8,000 words ahead, which is a pretty nice padding. Hope I won’t need it. I’m spending the last days of March trying to widen that lead, but also finishing up another edit of the 2^ndCanticle Kingdom book so that it can go off to the editor I hired.

It is the last chance to submit to the Christmas Short Story Anthology. The deadline is March 31^st. Check out “current projects” for more info. I have a bunch of great submissions, including an epic historical piece about Good King Wenceslas, who was apparently much more interesting that I had ever considered.

Please be sure to check out my audio series, especially if you liked or would like to read “The Canticle Kingdom”. I think it will make it a much deeper experience. The second one that I’m narrating is called “Phineas Frakture and the Dolonites” and it shaping up to be an interesting adventure with great characters.

http://bigworldnetwork.com/CanticleofDawn.html

http://bigworldnetwork.com/PhineasFrakture.html

If you’d like to play a game of “Where’s Waldo” with real people, I’m singing in LDS General Conference this weekend with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You can stream it live, or watch the videos after the fact at http://www.lds.org. Leave a comment if you were able to spot me!

Stats:

Running Total: 158090

Month to Date: 51,758

Yearly Percentage to Go: 73.7%

Writing Tip of the Week:

When bringing a project to a close, make sure it is going to make the reader’s happy. Not all ending have to be rainbows and roses, but make sure that there is something that made the journey worthwhile. Someone, typically your main characters, should have made progress, and at least something about the world should be better or more hopeful than before. You want your reader to feel at rest at the end of your story at least to some degree.

Writing Update:

The big finale of Wandful is in the bag, and I’m trying to decide which project to work on next. I’ve been hearing that dystopian novels and paranormal romances are less in demand these days. (Good thing I’d only ever write one of the two.) I have a whole stack of ideas I’d like to try, which I feel is a good problem to have.

I’m also considering what new web series I might try to write. I’m doing this current one and one more for my Canticle series, after which the reader is taken up to the time of the first novel. I’m thinking about giving the same treatment to “The Last Archangel”, especially because Xandir obviously has a long and interesting backstory at which he only hints at in the novels. More on that as it develops.

‘Til I see you again, write bravely and live well!
Two Hundred Posts and Counting

March 20th, 2012

Happy 200th post!

A couple of really exciting things today. The first is that my next web serial debuts today! It is called “Canticle of Dawn” and is a continuation of the story begun in “Canticle of Night”, though it picks up some years down the road. It takes place completely inside the box that is the Canticle Kingdom, and delves deeper into the events that shaped what happens in the novel.

Please check out the first episode, and “like” it on Facebook if you do like what you read and/or hear. Who knew narration could be so fun?

http://bigworldnetwork.com/CanticleofDawn.html

Speaking of narration, I am also narrating another series called “The Adventures of Phineas Frakture”, which is a fun Steampunk adventure. It also debuted recently. Here’s the link to that one as well:

http://bigworldnetwork.com/PhineasFrakture.html

I was also featured on a guest post, which you can check out here:

http://apryl-baker.blogspot.com/2012/03/introducing-author-michael-young.html

Thanks for having me, Apryl!

Stats:

Running Total: 144,907

Month to Date: 38,575

Yearly Percentage to Go: 75.8%

Writing Tip of the Week:

When writing dialogue, make sure you keeping pacing in mind. If you have a lot of speaking without talking what the speakers are doing, the pace is going to feel quick. This kind of pace can tire out the reader if you use it too much. However, if you talk a little more about what the speakers are doing and their interaction with their environment while they are speaking, you slow things down a bit. I think your writing should have a little bit of each so that the rhythm of conversation ebbs and flows much like it does in real life.

Writing Update:

I’m writing the final climatic scene for Wandaful, and I think I’ll have that one done in a week or two. I had a great idea of another novel drop into my laugh this week, and I think it grown out of me following the elections this year much more closely than usual. I’ll post more thoughts about that project once I set them into place.

‘Til I see you again, write bravely and live well!
February is a Win!

March 6th, 2012

Put February in the Win column! I passed 50,000 words again, and I’m up for another great writing month in March. I had a crazy week revising my two parables for my “Parables for Today” submission. I guess that book is coming out this Summer. I’ll post the details as I have them.

Stats:

Running Total: 106,332

Month to Date: 12,343

Yearly Percentage to Go: 82.3%

Writing Tip of the Week:

A good editor is worth his or her weight in…first edition rare books. (You thought I was going to say ‘gold’ didn’t you. I really do try to watch the cliché thing.) When looking for an editor, find someone who will really tell it to you straight and give you ‘tough love’ when you need it. I have a really tough editor help me disassemble and reassemble two of my stories this week and though it hurt a little, I ended up with a superior finished product.

Writing Update:

“Canticle of Night” is finished! The entire thing can be read and listened to. My editor thought the story came to a satisfying conclusion, but if you do want more, I’m starting up the next “season” called “Canticle of Dawn”. It picks up years later in the Canticle Kingdom and tells the backstory of some of the pivotal characters from “The Canticle Kingdom” and continues the story from “Canticle of Night”. They have told me that they would like to turn it into an eBook and an audio book soon.

If you want to listen to or read “Canticle of Night”, please visit my page at http://www.bigworldnetwork.com/CanticleofNight.html

Category: Canticle of Dawn

Stick a Flag in March

Two Hundred Posts and Counting

February is a Win!