A Week in Writing #167

Last week's Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference really had a very positive effect on me and helped me to focus on my rewrite for Familiar Stranger. I know I've been mentioning this rewrite like forever, but this time I feel like I have a purpose. I've rearranged some chapters, deleted some passages I really liked, but which didn't work to keep the story moving forward and I feel like I'm making smarter edits. I've been trying to do a chapter a day and I'm up to a little under 17,000 words so far.

I don't have a deadline date, but I would really love to be done by the end of the year. As a writer, you always like to think you're getting better and at least with this one, I feel like I am. That's a good feeling.

In the meantime, I think we're closer to wrapping up the next story arc of Powers Squared. This past weekend, we received the final page from our artist for Issue #5. Our colorist has the last four pages and our letterer is more than half-way through the issue. There are still some covers and corrections to go through before they're done, but there is a feeling that we're getting close.

Our search for a new colorist is pretty much complete. We asked four "applicants" to submit their version of a page from Issue #2. We're waiting to hear from everyone we asked to judge, but there is one candidate that I believe we will ultimately go with.

Soon, we'll have to turn our attention to Issues # 6 and 7, the next story arc.

Continued work on Trophy Unlocked. Published Side Street (1949) as our Saturday Morning Review as well as a salute to Noirvember, a month when many review bloggers turn their thoughts to the dark side. Maybe it's the pending holidays that bring it out with reviewers. While we love film noir at Trophy Unlocked, or at least this review does, I'm not sure we're going to be able to participate every week in the endeavor.

With Christmas coming, our thoughts turn to our holiday films and we only have one down so far and limited weeks to see them. In the meantime, there will be new films as well.

Did complete a review of Twins (1988) for future use and watched Godzilla (2014) on the anniversary of the original Gojira's release in Japan, so there is another one to write this week.

The object is to keep things moving forward on all fronts. This coming week, I'm hoping to keep the momentum up on Familiar Stranger as well as continue work on Powers Squared and Trophy Unlocked.

Of course there are always obstacles besides the usual ones: work and commuting. To begin with there is the time change to deal with. In the past that's sort of wierded me out for a few days, so that might effect my usefulness when I get home from work. And on Tuesday night, I'm considering going to a How to Pitch a TV Show seminar which means that will be a night when little will else gets done.

But that's all in A Week in Writing, because if everything went smoothly there wouldn't be much to write about.