PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 29, 2016

WELL...
Chapter 5 of what will be HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE BOOK 3 has come back from my friendly neighborhood beta-proofreader.
Did get started on Chapter 6 while I was waiting, but it just has not been a good writing week for me.
Too much personal stuff to attend to that keeps taking away from writing time.
So how does this week look?
I honestly don't know right now, but I'll certainly keep trying and we'll see what happens.

For now, take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
30 October, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 22, 2016

Well, I knew last week would not be an ideal writing week going into it, but things did turn out better than I thought they would.
Finished Chapter 5 of the story in progress for HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE BOOK 3.
My friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader won't be able to look at it before late Tuesday at the earliest, but still...

The plot is tighter too, because I have a clearer idea now of not only how many of the clues will turn out to be false leads, but I have stumbled across another twist to make the reader wonder how this will all turn out in the end.
Still uncertain whether this story will turn out to be a novella (half the volume) or the entire book, let alone am still lacking a title for this caper.
Then again, that's part of the wonders of writing.
You don't want to go into a project with so rigid a plot that you don't have room for new ideas if one comes along.
But all the pieces will fall into place in time.

Better get back to writing now.
See you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
23 October, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 15, 2016

Sorry folks.
Not much progress to report this past week.
Lot of errands, chores and other tasks that needed to be attended to.
Such is life.

Did manage to get over a 1000 words on the third HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE book.
Yeah, even by my standards that isn't much.

Today, tomorrow, and this coming Friday aren't looking all that great either at the moment.
Then again, they say life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.
Just wish I knew who "they" were so I could have a looooonnnnngg talk with them.

In any event, take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
16 October, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 8, 2016

So let's see now.

Over 11,000+ words.
Into Chapter 5 of HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: BOOK 3.
HOWEVER... (don't you hate when that happens?)
The scene after the opening where Hugh confronts his attacker doesn't work for me.
Not that it's a bad scene, just that I'm uncertain of the timing, for it might be too soon, provided it should occur at all.
Hate to sound cryptic, but there's not really much more I can say right now without giving plot points away prematurely.
For now, I'll push the scene in question to the end of the manuscript, where some other notes and tidbits are sitting idle at the moment, and pick up where I left off on Chapter 5, right after Hugh versus his attacker.

Art by David Russell

Now, a situation like this isn't unheard of for an author.
There was a big sequence in HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: CATCH A RISING STAR where, in the middle of everything else that was going on in that novel, Hugh helped Ca D'r catch a thief in the Galveza Hotel, but it got excised from the final manuscript between putting the word count over 70,000 and not really being germane to the story.
But it's sitting in a file waiting for it's turn.

Better get back to writing now.

Take care, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

9 October, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2016

Okay, let's see where I'm at right now.
Still working on HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE Volume 3.
As far as I'm concerned, the first 3 chapters are done.
Have reviewed my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader's notes on Chapter 4 and revised accordingly, but not sure what she'll think of the new version until I send the manuscript back to her again with Chapter 5 finished.
Still don't have a title for this adventure, let alone know whether or not it's going to be the first caper or the entire book, but that's no biggie at the moment.

Head problems off early before they grow!

Now, for those of you wondering, while Nancy Hansen is my friend and friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader, reading and kibitzing on each other's manuscripts is not a one way street.

It's just that I prefer to have my work reviewed completed chapter by completed chapter so that no mistakes sneak past and pile up to become a major problem later, while she prefers to wait until a specific project is totally completed before I get to beta/proofread her work.
From what I hear, she re-reads all her previous day's writing each morning before going on to that day's wordsmithing.

I do that too. So what she's getting is like the second or third draft of each chapter, while I have no idea how high the draft count is on her manuscripts when I receive them.

Just a quick behind the scenes look at the work methods of two different authors for those interested.

I have to get back to writing now.

See you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

2 October, 2016