A Singularity

Writing Sessions

Word Count: ~800

Actually it might be more. Hi! Its been awhile. I’ve been writing, mostly. Perhaps not as much as I should or as diligently as I’d like. I’ve written 3,593 words on everlasting since my last update, and fleshed out around five pages of Matrix since then. Also been keeping up with my free writes for the website, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. That’s been taking up my hour and a half or less long session of writing twice a week. If I get any more done, I’ll probably need to start scheduling more time.

Writing sessions have been chaotic affairs. As per norm they mostly encompass me or sometimes Daniel. I’ve found no one else interested in joining regularly. I’m starting to get to the point where I’m going to need critique on my work, so I may have to resort to looking for writing groups in my area, which will be hard for me. We’ll see though.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 111, 434

I emailed Mur Lafferty of I Should Be Writing regarding if I should keep working on Everlasting or just skip to writing the ending and get to editing. Her advice, of course, was just to push through. Which is what I am doing. Writing today came rather easily. I’m trying not to judge or edit as I think about it, but I so want to sit down and plan out a better outline and flow for this story. I’m not even sure I like the ending I have planned anymore. Since its been two months and I’ve only written 3000+ words, I obviously haven’t been writing much on it, which means I’ve been taking a break. Actually I wrote a short story, which now needs editing. But obviously that break didn’t do much to help my motivation. I just need to keep chugging along.

Short Story: Station

Word Count: 6,799

Its working title is Station. It actually came out of a writing prompt from Writing Excuses. I was attempting to write some  Free Writing and it ended up running way longer than a free write but I was enjoying it. So I wrote it. I’ll go back to edit it sometime soon. After I’ve made some more headway in Everlasting.

The basic plot point is a space gas station attendant is bored because she took an extended week-long shift. Due to a strange but well-known astrological effect, all communication with the planet is cut off for the entire week. So no ships were going to refuel at her station. She was basically there in case something went wrong. She planned on using the time to catch up on her entertainment media and get some alone time, only to find out someone had erased all her media. So after a few days of going stir crazy, she wishes for something, anything, to happen. And that’s when something does.

It is a far future transhuman sci-fi story. I’ll probably talk about it more when I get back to editing it.

—

So that’s it for me. I’ll try to post more regularly.

Part one is here. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~

A Fateful Meeting, Part 2
By Nojh Livic

“Thank you. As I was saying, I am here to inquire about the tutoring position,” Marla repeated, offering a smile and leaning forward slightly in an attempt to model eagerness. She even let her hands slide from her lap slightly. Lilly did not look as surprised as she had at the door but the expression on her face did suggest that she was unsure what to make of Marla’s statement. So Marla continued, “I read in the paper this morning that there was a tutoring position for the Warlam family and I thought I might apply. I have brought my associate Lady Trayark to both vouch for my credentials and that I am a sentient citizen in good standing.”

To add further to her claim, Marla reached into the small brief case she had brought from which she produced several papers and held them forward. “I see,” Lilly said as she took the papers. Her eyebrows slowly raised as she read over Marla’s credentials. Resume writing for Marla was a difficult task as most did not want to read several centuries of career history. This particular version focused on her academic research and her prior teaching experience at the Qualsburg University.

“Amazing.” Lilly said finally, after a moment. She set the papers down on the table as the teapot let out a simple and short whistle, followed by the plate below slowly beginning to dim. Lilly began pouring tea as she talked, even taking time to do so for Marla. “Well, even my husband could not find fault with these papers and I admit, given his profession, I doubt he would see a problem with hiring you. However I must ask at least one question and it won’t be simple, I’m afraid, but here it is. Why do you want to be our tutor?”

Marla had expected a question along similar lines. It would have been impolite to ask the direct question. Although Lilly hid it well, Marla gave the mother credit for being more circumspect. As it was, Marla already had a prepared statement but she took a moment to appear as if she was considering and organizing her thoughts on the matter.

“To say simply that I am bored would do my motivations injustice. My current position as a free citizen grants me an excessive amount of time that I did not have access to before the new laws. And while the new laws have provided for me decently enough, I do feel that fetching a wage is of personal benefit not only of the body but of the mind. As to why your family specifically, my experience lends itself to seeking out tutoring positions and your ad in the paper was the only position available. Mostly thought, I would like to tutor your progeny out of a want to feel useful. I’m sure you can surmise how difficult it might be for one such as myself to find a career in service and yet that is what I find myself compelled to do. I hope that answers your question?”

Before Lilly could respond, a young boy of certainly no more than five years of age came running into the kitchen. He had on shorts and boots but no other clothing save for a set of goggles that were pulled down enough to let one eye see through a set, while the other eye remained free. The boy was wielding some type of metal trinket in his left hand, and a wrench in his right, and he was beaming.

“Mama. Mama! I got it to- Wow! A robot!” the boy exclaimed and immediately walked up to Marla, peering up at her. Marla turned her profile slightly to address the boy while she looked down at him. She could see her own reflection in his small brown eyes. A well dressed lady perhaps, were it not for her metallic silver skin.

“No dear, not a robot a, uh,” Lilly stood and reached for her son but her correction trailed off.

“Automata,” Joan supplied helpfully. “Hello there. My name is Joan Nel Haryark and this is my friend Marla. What is your name?”

“Leonard.” Lee said deftly side stepping his mother’s reach. He didn’t even look to Joan, his attention was so riveted on Marla.

“Hello, Leonard,” Marla said, smiling. “What is it you have there? Is that a pressure valve system?” Lee’s eyes opened wide as the silver woman spoke to him and his mouth slide open slightly. Marla slide her eyes to see that Lilly had sat back down and was watching their interaction. She decided to handle this as a hands on interview. To prompt the boy, Marla slowly brought her hands up, palm open. “Would you show it to me?”

Lee seemed to recover at this request and quickly brought the item he was carrying around from behind his back. “Well kinda. I mean, yeah. See I hook this end into the steam chamber and it’ll fill up here…” the boy began to explain his device. It become obvious very quickly that this young boy had built himself the equivalent of a steam-powered potato cannon. By her best estimate of the volume of the primary load chamber suggested that at full power, it would either explode in his hands, or propel an object fast enough to puncture a hole in the wall or even dent her, to say nothing of a human.

“That is a very impressive contraption.” Lilly said with motherly pride, clasping both hands together, the danger of her son’s creation eluding her. Joan too had a face of quiet admiration that Marla knew all too well for she used it any time she was caught in a conversation with one of her father’s newly hired scientists.

“You will, of course, be fully testing the output of the primary load chamber with a gauge before you attempt to operate the firing mechanism?” Marla asked adding a hint of authority to her tone. She focused her full attention on the boy but kept her facial features passive. It helped convey seriousness that some found unsettling. Lilly turned her attention to the prospective tutor with a slight frown at the edge of her lips and Joan’s demure expression faltered as she cast a side glance at her friend.

Lee, however, seemed fascinated by Marla and took a step closer, his eyes wide as she stared into her faintly glowing eyes. ”Uhh. Oh yeah. That’s a good idea. I can calculate the distance the potatoes will travel if I know the pressure exerted,” Lee’s excitement was subdued slightly until Marla smiled. She reached out and gently patted the boy on the head. He beamed up at her.

“Very good. I’ll want to see your notes on the device. Perhaps you could invite me to the test firing once you have it fully tested?” Marla retracted her hand to her lap but continued to smile and tilted her head. The movement was wasted. Lee was already looking down at his device, taking a wrench to the primary nozzle.

“Ooh yeah! We could invite the neighbors too. Can we ma?” Lee asked without looking up.

“We’ll see dear.” Lilly arms were crossed but her frown was gone and she was now studying the interviewee with a bemused expression. Marla had likely made an impressed. “Go on and fix your thing and let the grownups talk awhile longer.” Marla watched Lee scamper off again before she turned towards his mother. She sat up straight and offered the woman an attentive expression with a slightly raised eye socket ridge.

“Can you start tomorrow?”

~~~~~~~~~~

I have a bad habit of trying to create a slow reveal. I really should stop that. Still I think this came off well. Marla didn’t have any real fear of the interview so this was not as riveting as a normal interview but I thought the ticking time bomb of the potato gun add a slight thrill, even if only Marla was aware of it. She was the narrator so the reader was now aware of it to. There is obviously knowledge hinted that but not discussed, such as the laws that have made Marla a free citizen. Anyway tell me what you think?

Writing Sessions

Word Count: ~1,020

So I managed to make it to both writing sessions this week. Which is an improvement over last week where I managed to make it to absolutely none, although I did have a small makeup session on Friday. Writing Sessions have been going well. I’ve been making about a thousand words in word count, then switching over to my video game design. Daniel joined me for writing session today but otherwise I’ve been alone. The restaurant that I frequent has been starting to bore me so I’m considering looking for a new location. Although they have improved the wi-fi recently.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 107,841

So about three thousand words since last update. Everlasting is slowly chugging along. I came to a realization the other day that one of the reasons why I’m still in the “swampy middle” and over a hundred thousand words is because my while my outline seems concise, each entry that would be a scene is instead an entire chapter or at least two scenes worth of action. Or at least I suspect so. It has been elongating my book significantly.

One other thing that has bothered me is that, given how there are three groups of main characters and none of these groups interact until the very end of the book, I’m starting to wonder if perhaps I’m writing three books at the same time, rather than one big book. I know I’ve accidentally started writing an epic given how may characters and story lines I have but could I instead break each of these into three books that all center around the same event and have the same conclusion? Something to consider in editing. I think it is an interesting idea though.

Matrix

So aside from writing I’ve started up another project I’ve been wanting to do for forever. I want to program a video game/simulator of the rules from a tabletop roleplaying game known as Shadowrun. Specifically I would like to emulate the “decking” rules, which in Shadowrun terms is the computer hacking rules. The tabletop game has a significantly fleshed out mini-game where in characters can hack a virtual reality computer grid. Unfortunately in practice the mini-game is too cumbersome for the game master to run while also running the rest of the game. To make things worse, the premise that hacking the matrix takes milliseconds means that in reality, it doesn’t take deckers very much time to do what they do, even though in real world terms, it takes up a lot of time. Plus the mini-game’s rules are actually very interesting rules. Actual players of the game should note I’m referring to the 3rd edition Matrix rules, not the currently 4th edition.

So I want to create a simulator. I’ve started by writing out a design specification where I am slowly defining everything about the rules as defined by the Shadowrun game. I’m planning on expanding from there into a user interface design and major feature design, then get into planning out architecture and doing some iterative programming to try out different designs before I sit down to really program it. Since most of this will be writing, I’ll be keeping track of my progress here in writing time. I may also start-up a new article series Programming Time or Designing Time if the project gets further off the ground.

So as for the design. Part of my problem in starting this project has always been my architecture/programming focus. I’ve always felt that I already kind of knew the game (since I played Shadowrun enough as it was) that I could skip defining every little aspect. Years of software development, however, have taught me that users generally do not know what they want and in this case, I am the user. Already in trying to write down and define how I want the game to play, I’m learning more about stuff and ideas I didn’t think of before. So this design process is a really good first step. Next time I’ll go into more details, I think.

Writing Sessions

Word Count: 1,743

Writing sessions have been going well. I’ve been meeting a one thousand word count pretty regularly. Today I really knocked out my word count which was awesome. Most of that was done in an hour or so. Last session I was joined by Daniel and we discussed how to do some editing, since he has begun editing his NaNoWriMo novel from two years ago.

So I’ve decided that, wherever I go, I’m going to keep the name Anomalous Writing for my writing groups. I’ve decided I really like the name. At the moment I’ve no success in recruiting new members but I”m not sure about how to go about it anyway or if I really want to. But I’ve decided I”ll keep the name.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 104,873

So today’s scene birthed a new idea. So I’ve been back and forth trying to figure out Everlasting’s technology in regards to paper and writing. For one I know I want them to have an equivalent of a printing press. But I’m enamored with the idea that they still prefer scroll like paper rather than cut sheets. I don’t see why the world can’t have both I suppose, but it is something I need to sit down and research. One device I’ve decided I like is the idea of a re-loadable notepad, called a scrollpad. It’s a small clipboard that can have a cylinder on the bottom which stores a roll of paper (think like a receipt roll). It dispenses the paper up where it is collected at the top. People write their entire notes in a scrolling fashion and when the roll is out, load it back into its case, name it, and store it. Seems rather steampunk right? The clipboard also has an attachment for writing device, and perhaps an extra optics attachment or something. Cause attachments are cool.

Writing Sessions

Word Count: 2,000+

I went to my two writing sessions this week. I didn’t write-up a writing time for either of them because the internet at the establishment I’ve been writing at sucks. I’ve been thinking of changing venues since nobody else is meeting me there anymore. With only one and occasionally two people, coffee shops become far easier to do, and have more reliable internet. My writing sessions have been going well. Hitting one thousand words pretty routinely on everlasting. I haven’t done any Science Future yet because that requires internet research. I’m debating taking a hiatus on it since I find myself feet dragging on doing the research needed and there has been little to no feedback from Escape Pod listeners as to if they appreciate it or care about it. Not sure. Also at some point I need to get free writing started again. Hopefully in February.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 103,130

Everlasting is going well. I’m getting about half a scene or so done per writing session. I’ve been letting myself dally in description, which has been nice, and helps keep my word count high. I’m seeing problems with my outline and a lack of character growth but I’ve been reminding myself that, once again, that’ll get fixed in editing. Ironically I’m starting to feel like what I am writing now is the actual middle of the book and what I wrote before was just me trying to find my way to the middle of the book, which is sad, since there are so many words there that will likely be cut. But such is writing.

Writing Sessions

Word Count: 1,054

Today’s writing session was significantly less productive. It only took me an hour to write a thousand words but the writing kinda dragged. It took me a little while to get into it. So when I got to my word count I stopped. Why try and force it if I’ve gotten my word count? Speaking of which, I don’t want to spoil it here so read down below.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 100,711

One hundred thousand words! I have written one hundred thousand words! Woooo! That is WAY TO MUCH! No seriously. For one entire story that isn’t even an epic, I’ve written far too much. So much needs to be cut. I’m almost of the opinion I just need to start over but that’s likely a fallacy. I need to re-read what I’ve written, edit it, glean ideas and perhaps re-write my plot and see what I can save. No point in re-writing if I can just edit it.

Today’s scene was a planning scene. I had a really good section of description which was fun to write but I had to do a bit of editing as I realized I was defining stuff that really needed to be more detail in the next chapter when the people do stuff. I also had to think up some “bad” ideas on the fly for people to reject before they came up with the good idea. Coming up with bad ideas is hard but likely I remembered a Writing Excuses that talked about the concept, which helped me realize what exactly I was and what I needed to be doing.

Writing Sessions

Word Count: 1,907

And we’re back. Again! Okay so way too long between writing session updates. What can I say? Holidays? Sickness. New Routines. Etc. Anyway I started off the new year’s first writing session with a bag. Nineteen thousand nine hundred and seven words on Everlasting. I was just a bit on a roll. Only took me about and hour and a half as well. Perhaps I’m still in NaNoWriMo mode. I’m not sure. I had the “It is okay to suck” mantra in my head today which kept me from going back and look up too much stuff, although I did learn some history about toilets this session. Speaking of toilets.

Everlasting Update

Word Count: 99,657

Yeah. We’re less than four hundred words away from one hundred thousand words. That seems amazing. It is also way too big. I foresee my edits being a huge hack and slash of the plot, when I get to them. Here are a few things I found kind of interesting about getting back to Everlasting after taking such a long time.

1. I was a lot further behind in the plot than I thought I was. Entire sections I thought I had already written were still in the outline waiting to be written. This turned out to be a good thing as it meant I felt like I could “fix them” rather than having to “write them again”
2. Outlines are so awesome. I am totally an outlining person. Being able to see what I had written before as an outline, and what I was supposed to write next, just let me jump right into it without bothering about re-reading too much or forgetting where I was going. Next time I write I’m going to try to fully outline the entire book before I get some serious writing down.

Science Future

There was a Science Future article published last month that I didn’t announce

Science Future: Aggrandize Aptitude

I think this is one of the better ones I’ve done so check it out and tell me what you think. I’m sadly not getting any real commentary on my articles which means I’m probably pushing the mediocre line. Not horrible but nothing awesome either. Or worse, nobody is actually reading it.

Free Write

Free writing is not dead! It is still on hiatus however. With a little luck I’ll get it up and started again next week, appearing Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, basically on days that I’m not writing my novel or for Science Future.

Anomalous Writing

Well I’m hard pressed to say there is a writing group. It is back to being just me and Daniel. The other writing group that had Ryan and Steph is no longer meeting that I can figure because Steph has a new obligation in her life. While I am still in contact with most everybody through the internet, it is very different from having writing sessions with other people. But I’m writing on my own now so perhaps I no longer need a group for that and should instead look for a critique group. I am not sure and don’t feel like putting for the effort to try to find one physically just yet. Maybe once I’ve done an edit of Everlasting or Werewolf Zombie Steampunk.

Writing Session

Session Word Count: 1,251

And we’re back to writing for Everlasting and man was it easy. I think NaNoWriMo reminded me some of the rules about writing a first draft. Just write and don’t worry about it. It also reminded me how much I love outlines because I still have plenty of scenes outlined for Everlasting which made it very easy just to jump back in. My word count before I decided to stop and write this was one thousand two hundred and fifty-one, which I think is the highest word count I have for everlasting over the last three months. So I’m rather proud of myself for getting back into it.

Free Write & Science Future

In other areas of writing, Free Write will be returning sometime in the new year probably in a less hectic schedule of two to three times a week rather than five times a week. So be looking forward to that. Also Science Future will be appearing sometime between now and the future, so keep an eye towards EscapePod for the release of that.

Everlasting Update

Draft Word Count: 97, 750 (Delta: +5,563)

So obviously I didn’t do some updating of word counts before I started NaNoWriMo as my delta is over five thousand. My apologies. Everlasting is still going well. I’m about to dig into the outline and see if I can match where I am with where I want to be when I finish this novel so I can finally be done with it. Ninety seven thousand words is far too big so I’ve obviously gone wrong somewhere but I’m not too worried. Once I have this done I’ll likely be taking a crack at editing Zombie Steampunk Werewolf or starting some small novellas before I come back to fix the problems with Everlasting.

Everlasting Excerpt

Been awhile since I did an excerpt but I felt it was warranted. So here you go:

Writing Group

So my writing group has shrunk back down to effectively myself again with the occasional visit from my friend Daniel. I did intend to try to get in contact with other writers via NaNoWriMo but I was too busy to actually attend any of the events. I am somewhat connected to another small writing group that meets on Tuesdays but I still worry that writing alone is going to hurt my productivity some. It might be an unfounded worry since I am alone now and still writing.

Word Count: 21,255 [14]
Total Word Count: 50,016 (Delta: +2,089)

I won!

So I totally took a hiatus from updating. I’m sorry. Things just got so overwhelming that I was barely meeting my word count and I didn’t feel like trying to write-up posts after spewing forth more and more words. I actually had to play catch up a lot during the last half because I got almost no writing done during the weekends, which always put me back. And of course I think the draft is a stinking pile of shit. But it is fifty thousand words worth of shit that maybe sometime into the future I’ll actually turn into a novel. Sometime far in the future.

Writing Buddies

Everybody seems rather close! Sithwith13 and Jeana_Beana isn’t far behind. A friend of mine who didn’t participate but set himself a goal of 25,000 words attained it the other day so congratulations to him too! To everybody else, keep at it! There’s only a few hours left but you can do it!

What’s next?

Next I start finishing up Everlasting. Hopefully this little break has help me get some of my juice back. Also I’ll be writing Science Future articles again over on Escape Pod. Free Writing might also start appearing again, although likely not as frequently as before. We shall see.

I am officially announcing my candidacy for National Novel Writing Month 2011. May everybody please have mercy on my brain.

I officially won NaNoWriMo 2010 last year. One of my friends then told me was the prize was that you didn’t have to do the following year. Some of you may remember that last year’s novel was the start of Everlasting, then called Zombie Steampunk novel, which still isn’t finished. And while I’m likely breaking a rule by participating in NaNoWriMo and writing something else that is not Everlasting before Everlasting is completed, I am hoping that writing something else, like my Free Writes, will help me find the strength to finish Everlasting’s first draft, which is well over 100,000 words and nowhere near done, which means something is wrong but that something can’t be fixed till I write the damn ending.

But enough about Everlasting. I will be participating in NaNoWriMo starting November first. For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is a month where in writers are challenged to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty-one days, which equates to about 1667 words per day, give or take. This is a rather break neck pace for most writers who are not professionalism, have day time jobs, and like to do other things with their lives. It is a challenge hosted at http://NaNoWriMo.org that anyone can participate in. You’ll find me there under the user name Nojh (once the website is up and fully functional). Feel free to make me one of your writing buddies so we can keep track of each other’s word counts and try to motivate each other. NaNoWriMo organizes local events with coordinators in order to help people meet this challenge which I encourage you to try out because it turns out to be rather fun and very motivational.

NaNoWriMo usually requires some preparation. My first year back in 2009, I decided to start the day before NaNoWriMo began and while I eventually wrote somewhere around 36,000 words, none of it was actually a novel but instead a world bible for a novel. In October of 2010, after having not touched said piece of work for years, I decided to begin again and actually did some pre-planning and started writing the novel, and won NaNoWriMo. This year I’ve started planning even early (19 days!) and I’ve recently decided on a plot for my new novel. Let me give you a brief overview. (continue reading…)