We’re up to 27 entries so far in the Great MHI Patch-Off. I’m leaving it open until the end of August, because frankly, most folks haven’t read the book yet. I’m amazed by how good the entries are so far and also how many there have been. These are awesome guys.
In writing news, I’m at 124,000 words in The Grimnoir Chronicles: Hard Magic. I’m in the final action sequence, but it is an epic event, from four POVs, with lots of stuff going down, so I’m not sure how long it will be exactly, but at the rate I’m going, I feel like I should have the 1st draft of TGC:HM done in the next few weeks.
I still need to come up with about another dozen fake historical quotes from people from the 1850s-1930s. I enjoy making those up, but right now I’m just writing, which is different than tweaking quotes, so I’ve got to go in the direction the muse takes me.
I’m eager to get the 1st pass done, so that I can let it sit and percolate. Usually what I like to do when I finish a book is to let is sit for awhile while I work on something else. That way when I go back and read it again, I’ve got fresh eyes, plus my cadre of the elite Reader Force Alpha will have had a chance to pick through it and tell me where I was stupid, forgetful, lame, boring, illiterate, had my head shoved up my butt, was smoking crack, hadn’t gotten enough sleep, forgot how to spell, or other such things. They’re the best of the best, and they like to hurt my feelings.
Meanwhile, another bit of my custom 5.56 Race AK project is done. Super Machinist Mike Bond has finished my aluminum forearm, so I get to pick it up soon. I will post pictures. Now all I need is the trigger group, stock, pistol grip, muzzle attachement, optics, and finish, and I’ll be done. Plus, I think I’m going to go order one of those Magnolia adapters so it can take AR mags. This should be a fun one.
I need a Reader Force Alpha. No one is mean enough to me about my writing.
In other news I’m anxiously awaiting shipping of my copy of MHI!
Just a few more days, Farmgirl, just a few more days. 🙂
And then I shall mug the deliveryman, rip into the packaging like a starving jackal, and proceed to snarl at anyone who interrupts my reading…..
I’m contemplating taking the day off from work like I did with Halo 3…
Heh. Wait until y’all read MHI 2.
(That’s right. I threw down a Y’ALL. Look how folksy I am!)
And how does one get ON “Reader Force Alpha”?
Can’t WAIT to tuck into MHI…
Nightcrawler, ya’ll ain’t that folksy, but if you start using phrases like “it was rainin’ like a cow pissin’ on a flat rock” then I’ll let you have the folksy title. 😛
LOL…sounds like something my dad would’ve said. Such a rainstorm is called a “gulleywasher”.
Strings: to get on Reader Force Alpha? First of all, you have to submit a thousand word essay stating why you think you’re good for the job. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are all taken into account.
Secondly, a $100 submission fee needs to be sent along with your essay.
This process is waived if you’re an unmarried female between the ages of 20 and 30. 😉
*snort* I’m a bad, bad person. LOL
Could be worse, though. Larry? I swear, given his own devices, he’ll kill off all of his own characters just to hurt his readers’ feelings. Half of the proofreading process is spent trying to convince him not to slaughter his own cash cows in every chapter.
“Larry, NO. You can’t kill your main character in the 2nd chapter. It’s a first person book. There’ll be no-one to narrate the rest of the book. Yes, I understand the reader will never see it coming.”
By that logic I should already be a member of Reader Force Alpha….
I do need an RFA of my own, plus maybe a little time with Larry’s muse… mine is slacking, of late.
I’ve only read the first 7 chapters as posted online, yet, I’m wondering how long it will take for MHI to develop into the Star Trek/Star Wars/Dungeons & Dragons fantasy lines where anyone could write a story, plug in character names from another series and ride the gravy train to a little profit.
Then again, maybe Larry could head that off by setting up a website where he invited persons to participate in a ‘group book’ along those lines?
Larry, let me know if if you need/want an MHI website. I’m no designer, but I have hosting space available.
Daniel
Pagan Blacksmith, much thanks for the offer, but I’m okay on that front for right now.
Besides, if I had as much geekery about MHI as Star Trek/Star War/D&D, I’d be totally cool with that. In fact, I would sleep well at night… ON GIANT PILES OF MONEY! BWA HA HA HA!!!