PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 24, 2015

While I am still working on Chapter 19 to ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON and am still uncertain at this moment whether or not 19 or 20 will be the final chapter of this novel, I have had to pause and switch gears for the moment.

My editor's hat, sort of

I am now wearing my editor's hat as I format and proofread an anthology for my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader Nancy Hansen.

As I post this, I am only a couple of pages away from finishing the second of three stories, so I will be back on ALPHA 2 later this week.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior
25 October, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 17, 2015

AH, THERE'S GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK!

Okay, I know some of you folks out there might be tired of hearing about Chapter 18 over and over for the last few weeks.
You know what?
So am I, but there comes a point in every writer's creative endeavors (or at least, there should be a point) where they always want to make sure that what they've written is the best they humanly can produce.
With that in mind, Chapter 18 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON IS done!

However, while revising and tweaking the chapter, I came up with a much better cliffhanger than originally planned.
So now, even though I am working on Chapter 19, I'm back to honestly not knowing whether or not there will be a Chapter 20.

This book has undergone so many rewrites and revisions that just goes to prove writing IS hard work!
Part of it is my responsibility. I'm striving for the best novel I can create since I personally consider Book 2 the lynch pin of the entire ALPHA series.

Project Alpha (Book 1) told our hero's origin and first adventure.
Book 2 picks up where Book 1 ended as our hero takes and...
Sorry. You'll have to wait and read the novel for yourself in 2016.

I have, or thought I had, Alpha's story plotted out at least through the end of Book 5.
However, I discovered that I had too much material that I wanted to include in Book 2 that has since been reluctantly set aside, so Book 3 will now be the second half of Book 2's adventure, pushing all the other plots back by at least one book.
But I will promise each and every one of you out there one thing right now.

BOOK 2 WILL NOT END WITH THOSE DREADED WORDS:

TO BE CONTINUED!

The latest word on THE LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION: THE TOMMY HANCOCK BENEFIT ANTHOLOGY from Airship 27, according to Captain Ron Fortier himself, is that the project is roughly three images and some final production away from a (hopeful) Thanksgiving-ish release just in time for the holidays.

There are so many people rallying around and creatively contributing to this cause, that the projected page count for the print volume stands at an estimated 1000 pages!
Unless Ron was joking about that.
Then again, 63 writers, 4000-5000 words per story, each tale with one illustration...

Of course, that won't matter to those of you with e-book readers. But any way you look at it, that is A LOT of good short story reading ahead!

More on this as we get closer to an actual release date.
For now, I better get back to writing.

See you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

18 October, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 10, 2015

"Let's do the time warp again!"—The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year!

Okay.

GOOD writing takes time!

Chapter 18, Take 3 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON is still with my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader. Nancy Hansen promises me that I will have it back sometime in the early part of this coming week. Meanwhile, she is spending the weekend canning vegetables for winter.

Not sure why they call it "canning", since she's putting everything in jars, but anyway...

I do have the first draft to Chapter 19, the FINAL chapter of the manuscript almost finished, but want to wait and see what my F.N.B/P thinks of 18, so if I have to make any revisions that might affect 19...

Therefore, I have spent the last couple of days working on one of the two short stories that I actually committed to in 2015.

Not that I haven't written a few already this year.
One of them has even already been published!
FRIENDLY REMINDER: it was "The Sound of Obedience" in the second GHOST BOY anthology, available in print and e-book formats from Airship 27.

Thankfully neither of my two original commitments have an actual deadline.
While I still owe Airship 27 a Sherlock Holmes mystery, the one I'm working on at the moment is my first foray into comedic adventure (think The Princess Bride), that unfortunately I can't say much more about right now.

It has proven a blast to write, and I'm only on page 5 of that manuscript.
But I will be going back to ALPHA as soon as I get Chapter 18 back.
Still believe that I will have the manuscript done and submitted to the publisher by Thanksgiving for a 2016 release date.
If not, definitely BEFORE Christmas!

In the meantime. I better get back to writing.
Take care, and see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
11 October, 2015

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2015

FIRST AND FOREMOST...
Tommy Hancock has had his surgery and is at home recovering.

Now then...
Chapter 18, Take 2 has just come back earlier this evening from my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader, while I was working on Chapter 19 of ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.
Still not sure if Chapter 19 will be the finale or if there will be a Chapter 20.
Either way, am nearing the end of the manuscript at last!
Will go over her review of Chapter 18 tomorrow when I'm fresh.

In the meantime, see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
4 October, 2015