BYTE is ready

I'm finished with my latest short story. BYTE is my first attempt at crafting a sci-fi story. At 3,000 words, the story should be just the right size for a new author trying to break into larger markets.

I'm writing BYTE's query letter today.

MOUNTAIN'S MERCY 4.0 is currently in the works. I've already written much of what I'll need to make the improvements. I have only two more (new) chapters to write. I think the changes will strengthen the plot. Incidentally, the additional chapters will increase the total size of the novel to 100k words.

Happy Birthday To Me

My birthday.  I used to think that sharing a birthday with Elizabeth would be a good thing.  I don't anymore.  Whose birthday is it?  Neither of us gets to relish a special day.  Neither gets to put their foot down and say, "I want to do THIS today, because it's MY birthday."

I'm changing things.  Next year, I'm going to celebrate my birthday on May 29th instead.  Liz can have April.  It seems like a fair compromise.

I had an epiphany when I woke up this morning.  In her editorial of Mountain's Mercy, Lindsay Ribar's final (and most biting) suggestion was to cut Riohn from book one, and introduce him through a series of flashbacks in book two. 

My hesitation to follow this advice has ground my productivity to a halt.  The change would require a massive rewrite.  The notion was hard to accept for several reasons beyond of the obvious amount of work the change would entail.  

First, Riohn already has flashbacks.  Do I really want to have flashbacks within a flashback?  *Shudders*  Next, Riohn has more chapters than any other character; how do I back fill that many missing chapters?  Most troubling, how do I reconcile the timeline?

For months I've tried to ignore Lindsay's advice.  I edited Mountain's Mercy to reflect her lesser suggestions, but left the basic structure intact.  

I forewent surgery in favor of band aids.  

The problem is, the more I delve into the storyline of of book two, the more Lindsay's logic hounds me.

By eliminating Riohn's chapters, I'll be able to devote greater page counts to Marin and Clara's stories.  Clara's storyline always felt unfinished.  This way, I'll be able to delve more deeply into her conflict.  Despite how much I like Marin's personal storyline, I was unable to introduce the high level conflict in her story that will affect the other characters.  

Lindsay was right.  By cutting Riohn, I'll be able to introduce the main plot sooner.  Why should I hate the amount of work this will entail?  This is a labor of love.  Knowing how to strengthen my book invigorates me.

As for timeline issues, cutting Riohn from book one helps me tackle a huge problem in book two: What do I do with Riohn while he is convalescing at Garbrooke?  Answer: I introduce him through a series of deliriums in which he recounts how he arrived at Garbrooke in the first place.  I make him a mystery.  On a positive note, this means that much of book two is already written!

Resolved: I will cut Riohn from Mountain's Mercy, introducing his capture in the epilogue.

The First Post

This is the first blog post of Russell W. Miller. I had originally tried blogging on my webpage, but it gave me no option for Friends to post responses.

I was asked about the painting on my webpage (www.russellwmiller.net). Riikka Jänkki, a Finnish artist, created THE CASTLE (pen & ink and watercolor). I contacted Riikka and she was gracious enough to allow me to use her work on my webpage. If you like the image and want to cut, paste, or otherwise use the image, please contact Riikka and at the very least let her know that you appreciate her talent: riikka_jantti@yahoo.com