The Wood Beyond The World Forum Tales of Netherron update

Update:

My Tales of Netherron, Book 1, Prophecy of the Gods has been finished to a point where I am happy with its outcome.  Does that mean I am finished fine tuning it?  No, I will continue to tweek it for tightness, grammar choices, and getting rid of some tags where not needed.  I will also continue to refine the voice of the story as well as try to eliminate any passiveness that takes away.

 

What it does mean is that I am happy.   I have the word count below the 120,000 word threshold.   When Leah and Zuri first read this work it was up near 150 thousand.  Bill jumped in at around 136 thousand.  Everyone has pointed out the little and major nit-piks and for that I am very grateful as I was too close to the story.    Now while I have reduced the word count, at the same time, I added more internal character thoughts, expanded on images and scenes, as well as rewrote several chapters and even added a few new ones.  Over all, I think the story is so much better than two years ago when I first started shopping this around.

 

With that said, it is once again time to shop it around.  I will be working on the query letters, query synopsis as well as the full synopsis.  While waiting, I am going to also start rewriting book 2, Prophecy of the Elves.  I know Leah and few others are interested in B2 because its new work.  Hopefully, with all I have learned while refining B1, this book will go quicker from rough to finish.  

 

It's been a long journey of part time writing and cringing at bad reviews, as well as the good.   But writing is a journey of understanding as much as it is about the work itself.  As Nathin is so fond of saying, "Knowledge is learned and wisdom is earned, together, they are a powerful weapon."   I now feel like a wise man. 

 

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and comment on B1.   All chapters are posted here in the cafe and I will be leaving them up for the time being.   Anyone still interested in reviewing, please feel free as my words are not yet holy writ and subject to change.

 

Thank you each and everyone,

Nick.   

congratulations Nick  I dont think I have read any of B1 as yet.. but I will certainly check it out.

 

 

cheers

Kathy

Congratulations Nick and good luck with the synopsis.

 I find that is one of  the hardest parts - boiling your beloved story down to one or two pages and still keeping it exciting and new; deciding where the main story really lies and what isn't important.

Gayna

Congrats Nick. As I have taken a step away from ToN for a while, I think it would be cool to just have a good read through so let me know before you take it down. I think I will review as a whole at the end.

 

Thank you Zuri,  and I do look forward to your words.

 

Nick.

As a side note, B2 is more than likely going to have to be totally rewriten in the beginning.  With that in mind, I have posted the prologue and first two chapter.  They are still a little rough but I want to see reactions more than line items reviews.

 

Nick.

From the dark shadows a figure is lurking. He stumbles upon something he should read. And as he starts, people start to tremble.

Be afraid, my friend, be very afraid. I am starting to review B1. Faint maniacal laughter as we fade to the storyteller on the first day of the Spring Planting festival.

Update on me...

 

As some of you all know, I got laid off in Jan.  (Nice severance package, but...)   Anyway, I have had numerous interviews but no firm offers since then.   Going on 3 months now, I have had to make decisions on new directions for my life.   These decisions forced me to face the reality of my life and some personal relationships.

 

While I can not prove age is a direct factor in my layoff or in the interviews, it may be time to think about downsizing.   So... for the past two weeks, that is what I have been doing with my kids help.   I sold my camping trailer since I have only used it once in the last three years.    And since I don't have anything to tow - I sold my Jeep Grand Wagoneer.   With the price of gas... I did not need the extra expenses.   Bought  a nice used Toyota, and have been running on the same tank of gas I bought it with ten days ago.  

 

I have also taken a job with a national storage company here in Manassas.  Its a live on property manager job.   Its about 1/3 the pay I used to make, but the housing and utilities are part of the job.   But there is also the fact that I do not have to commute two to four hours a day to take into consideration.  My time and vechicle maintenence.  The hours are what I call bankers hours, 9-6.   So I will get to sleep in 3 extra hours if I want.   I never got home before 6 or 7 pm anyway so, no changes there. 

 

Anyway, I spent the past week moving into the two bedroom apartment on the property.  Its a bit smaller than what I am used to, but with the kids grown up and on their own, who needs a four bedroom house?  While I was in the process of packing and moving, one of my two computers developed a serious case of "I too am tired and going to take a rest," attitude.   My son, (who now works for a very hush-hush gov. organization doing their computer stuff), thinks my other computer was attacked and many of the bio's and system codes were changed, corrupted or otherwise lost.   I did some reverse engineering, deleting programs until it was down to just the windows and a few other programs left.   It runs better now until I want to get on line with it and then it crashes again.   He says it might be a hardware problem as well.   When he gets a chance, he will look at it and if he has too, reformat the whole system.   I can't even watch dvd's or listen to music on it as is now.   So sudden... and it was so young.  Sighhh.  

 

So for now, I am on the smaller/less powerful computer checking emails and stuff.  But I have not tried reviewing or up loading anymore of the new stuff from B2.   Needless to say, B1 has also been put on hold for now.   Reading some of the reviews I have gotten, I realized I still am not hitting certain emotional factors for the readers, so I am adjusting - or was until all this started.

 

Anyway, if you have sent me a read request in the past two weeks, I promise to get to them as soon as things settle down here.  Also, if I do not respond to threads, do not fear, I am just lurking and will speak out if and when the needs move me.

 

Miss you guys and gals...

Nick.

Nick,

Thanks for the update.  I've been wondering where you were. . . .

Sounds like you've got your plate full at the moment, but that you are taking all the changes in stride.

As for the computer thing, that sucks.  Isn't it funny how dependent we are on these little machines? 

As for the new life style, sounds like less stress, at least as far as the commute goes.  Hope it leaves you lots of time to write!  I will also say a prayer for your ailing computer.

Please keep us posted.

Jeanie