PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 25, 2015

Writers write, so do authors auth?

Seriously, is the difference between the two terms just a question of prestige, or is it something more?

I'm at my computer every moment I can possibly be when I'm not dealing with the other needs and prerequisites of life like sleeping, shopping, house cleaning, etc.
Yet no matter what I do, sometimes it just doesn't seem like enough.

Case in point.
Because Nancy Hansen, my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader; is still unavailable right now, I've been concentrating on that invitational short story. I'm almost at the 10,000 word point (out of a potential 15,000 words max) and should be done with it by Mother's Day weekend.

When I'm done with the short story, I will get back to ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON. Hopefully by then she'll have the opportunity to review the last couple of chapters to BOOK 2, when she's not trying to honor her own commitments.

As they say, life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

In case you're wondering, I don't need her to go over the short story, because that's for a different publisher, who works under a different editorial process than Pro Se Press, where ALPHA and my other creation HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE call home.

Which kind of brings us back to my original question.

Do authors have the luxury of things like staff and personal assistant(s) to help them deal with whatever might keep them away from writing?
Or authing?
Or, despite the fancy career title, are they just like us writers who have to deal with everything one day at a time?

Oh well. I better get back to creating now.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
26 April, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 18, 2015

Okay. Let's see what's been accomplished this past week.

*Had to put my editor's hat on for a while and go over a revised short story for that superhero anthology I'm helping Jim Beard with for Mechanoid Press.

Things are going pretty smoothly with that project, although there is no official release date yet.

*I'm approaching the halfway point on that short story I was asked to write for Airship 27.

Barring anything unforeseen, that should be done by the end of the month.

*I'm in-between chapters on ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.

My friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader is unavailable at the moment, so I've been concentrating on the aforementioned short story because I'm racing toward the climax and the finish line on the novel, and I certainly don't want to make any mistakes this late in the game.

So overall, things have been pretty good this past week.

Hope they were for you too.

I better get back to writing now.

See you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

19 April, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 11, 2015

First and foremost, this is my 100th writer's blog post.

I would like to thank all my readers and fans who have visited on a regular basis to see what I have been up to creatively from week to week.

Without you, this blog, let alone my writing, would be for naught.

Now then...

Art by Marc Guerrero

I finally got the latest attempt at Chapter 15 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON back from my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader. The delays were not her fault, for there is a lot going on in her life as I type these words, but that is a subject best left for her to discuss.
As far as the chapter itself is concerned, I will be going over it this week. I do have Chapter 16 written, but felt it best to get Chapter 15 resolved before sending off the next one for her review.

I honestly don't know what the issue(s) have been with 15, especially since this my fifth attempt at it. Lot of research and locale investigating required too.
Considering everything that has happened so far and what will happen before the end of Book 2, I'm trying to make WAYWARD SON as believable as possible.

Remember, BOOK 1: PROJECT ALPHA was our hero's origin story and first adventure. BOOK 2 sets the foundation for the future of the series.

Promo poster for Book 1 by Sean E. Ali

Yes, I know there has to be some suspension of disbelief in a work of fiction, but if you ask the readers to do that too much, it will have the opposite effect on your work. They will put the book aside and go on to something else.

But I haven't been idle while waiting for Chapter 15 to come back. I'm now 6,000+ words (out of 15,000) into that invitational short story I've been asked to write, and should have it done before the end of the month.
People have been asking me for more details on that, but I'm not sure how much I can say at the moment.
I will admit that it's a period piece, and does involve a subject I know a lot about.
If that's not enough information, you'll just have to wait until I can speak more about it.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.
Thank you once again for being here, and here's to the next 100 posts and beyond!
Lee Houston, Junior
12 April, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING APRIL 4, 2015

HOPPY EASTER! 

My friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader says I should get Chapter 15 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON back by the end of this week.

Chapter 16 of ALPHA 2 is just about finished, but I don't want to hit another snag this close to the end, so I'm trying not to get too far ahead of her.

Meanwhile, I've been working on that brand new short story project I was invited to participate in, and that should be done by the end of this month.

Otherwise, I've taken today off for personal reasons, hence part of the reason why this post is so late being put online, but I will be back at "work" tomorrow.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
5 April, 2015