PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 27, 2016

Well, another "fun" (note sarcastic quotes) week has come and gone!

Wound up spending most of Tuesday at the local DMV, but at least I got out of there the same day I went in!

Thursday was mostly errands, and it seemed like I didn't sit in my desk chair for more than five minutes in any given stretch before I had to take care of something that pulled me away from the computer this weekend.

What all this is leading up to is that there is still two chapters left in my review of the manuscript to PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON, before I send it on to my friendly neighborhood beta proofreader.
Word count has been reduced from 71,041 words to 69,589 words, making the book 1,452 words tighter than it was.

Hopefully, it WILL get done this week.
Famous last words? I hope not!
Meanwhile, take care, and I'll see you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
28 February, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Well folks,  as I celebrate the 150th post on this blog, another interesting week has passed for me.

Was actually going pretty good until a water line came loose in the basement, instantly making that area an indoor pool and, considering how cold it was outside at the time, I temporarily had to join the Polar Bear Club if I wanted to fix it.

Shut off the water. Reattach the disconnected section because the pressure caused it to work loose. Reattach everything else. Turn the water back on and be thankful I got it right the first time.

Gene Kelly at his finest!

All the while trying to stay warm while thinking that under better circumstances, I could have restaged the title number from Singin' In The Rain.
Fun. Fun. Fun. (Note the sarcasm.)

Yet, I did manage to get some serious work done too.
There are only five chapters left to proofread on PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON!
Have pared my word count down from 71,041 words to 69,792 words; making the manuscript 1249 words leaner and better.

Barring anything unforeseen, like I plan all these <censored> interruptions to begin with, I SHOULD have the rest of the novel gone over this week before sending it to my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader for her final pass.
HOPEFULLY I will be totally done and on to other projects by Saint Patrick's Day.
Then it will just be a question of when Pro Se Press publishes and releases it.
In the meantime, have a great week, and I'll see you around the Internet.
Lee Houston, Junior
21 February, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 13, 2016

ALPHA!

Despite the weather interruptions, still working on the final edit of PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.
Completed reviewing the first ten chapters while fighting power outages and trying to keep the wood stove going to stay warm.
Started with 71,041 words.
Have currently reduced it to 70,431 words.

Now, 610 words may not seem like a lot to some, but doing my best to tighten up the manuscript and make it even better than it originally was.
Of course, I still need to let my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader go over it too before I submit the novel to Pro Se Press, but I am getting closer to doing that!

Meanwhile, HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to those celebrating, and I'll see you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
14 February, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 6, 2016

Well folks, I kept trying to work.

At least on writing, if not continuing the final edit on PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON, before submitting the manuscript.

However, errands and other life commitments took away most of Tuesday and Wednesday this past week.

Then the bad snowstorm and the lack of electricity took away Friday and Saturday.
Did some more handwriting on a rough draft for what will eventually be my Sherlock Holmes story for Airship 27, but ALPHA is strictly a computer task and without power...

Hoping for a better week ahead, despite the weather predictions for the next couple of days being more snow just as bad as what I've already had.

In any event, see you around the Internet.
(I hope.)
Lee Houston, Junior
7 February, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 30, 2016

STILL wearing my editor's hat going over PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON.
Have trimmed some sentences, and even moved a few paragraphs around here and there.
Started at 71,041 words.
Currently at 70,855 words after four chapters; for 186 less words.
Still 16 chapters to go as I post this.
Will the work be done by next weekend?
I honestly don't know.
But what I have gone over is now reading much better than the first draft.

See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
31 January, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 23, 2016

Still wearing my editor's hat, but have finished going over the second Lazlo Dragon volume of Companion Dragon Tales for my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader Nancy Hansen.

There are some pretty funny tales in this volume, as anyone who has read Lazlo's debut in A FAMILIAR NAME can attest.

Once Nancy finishes going over my work, she will be sending it on to Pro Se Press for future publication. When exactly that will happen remains to be seen, for at that point it's out of our respective hands.

Have started going over the completed manuscript for PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON!

Alpha

Besides wanting to make sure the novel reads well as a coherent whole, I wanted to see if I can tighten up my prose any. It started at 71,041 words and at the end of the first chapter, I have only trimmed 12 off so far.

I'll admit, it's kind of hard to edit your own work, but it's a task that must be done to make your creative endeavors the best they can possibly be. Which is why after I make my "final" pass, my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader will be going over it one last time as well.

As for what actually happens in Book 2...
Well, it does pick up events shortly after the conclusion of Book 1: PROJECT ALPHA.
Otherwise, you folks will just have to wait and see for yourselves when it (hopefully) comes out later this year from Pro Se Press.

But to make that happen, I better get back to work now.
See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
24 January, 2016

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING JANUARY 16, 2016

I spent this past week in Victorian England, working on the Sherlock Holmes story that I promised Airship 27.

I freely admit that it did take me a while to develop a plot that would be worthy of the famous consulting detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for I have read and seen both good and bad adventures featuring the English sleuth, and certainly do not want my tale to be amongst those in the latter category.

My Editor's Hat ;)

However, while that adventure is far from finished, this week I must return to the present and will be wearing my Editor's hat for the foreseeable future.

First, I am going over the stories within the second Lazlo Dragon volume of Companion Dragon Tales for my friendly neighborhood beta/proofreader Nancy Hansen, then I shall be making my last pass over the manuscript for PROJECT ALPHA, BOOK 2: WAYWARD SON to make sure it reads as a coherent whole and tighten what I can, for the first draft came in at over 70,000 words; and I didn't even get to do everything I originally had planned for that novel!

Any way you look at it, I've got a busy week ahead of me.
See you around the Internet!
Lee Houston, Junior
17 January, 2016