Working on it

Not that it matters, but I've temporarily put aside PROMISED LAND and turned my attention to CLOCKWORK AIRSHIP. PL just seemed to be like something rattling around in the bottom of a can that I couldn't get out through the small opening in the top, so I'm going to try and stop thinking about it for a while. Wrote the first two pages or so of Clockwork today but I'm not really sure yet if this is where it begins or not. As usual I've probably bitten off more than I can chew by making it take place in two separate time periods and finding fluid shifts back and forth may be a problem. I'll just have to wait and see. I'm more than sure that as soon as I get rolling on this I'll have to go do another job. Thus is the life of an un-produced writer. Hopefully I can get enough of it down before then that it won't be too hard to get back into it later. This idea has been brewing since 08.19.03 at 17:37 EST according to the time stamp on my notes, so I think it's time I give it a fair shake. The poor thing has been sittin' around in the dark closet of my mind for so long, even I had to try and figure out where I'd put it. I'm writing it like a TV show for now because it will be easier to get it out this way. I have a feeling though it'll have to become something else like a comic script later.

As usual, the hardest part has been coming up with names. Coming up with believable late Victorian Era names is even harder. I just need to get them down right now. I can do a batch replace later if something else comes to me.

I've also been reading Scott Smith's new novel RUINS. Scott Smith has only written two books, RUINS being one of them. Thirteen years ago he wrote on of the best noir/mystery/suspense novels of the 90s called A SIMPLE PLAN, which was also made into an excellent movie. What was great about the book and the movie was they had different third acts, but each worked wonderfully in their own way. RUINS is definitely a departure. It's creeping menace and claustrophobia tearing apart six people in the Mexican jungle. It's a wonderful read so far and maybe when I'm done I'll give it a quick review.