Originally published at todd-wheeler.com. You can comment here or there.

Another NaNoWriMo has been completed. Congratulations go to Rick O. for completing more than 50,000 words in the month of November. Nice work, Sir!
 

Many thanks to writing pals Jack, Tim, and Peggy. Special honors go to Peggy who topped 35,000 words for not only her first attempt at NaNoWriMo but her first attempt at writing a book length piece of fiction. Congrats!
 

That is what I love about this crazy event. It inspires people to write, to tackle an objective they've always wanted to do but never got around to trying.
 

My own attempt did not get to 50k, though I did get north of 35k. I still like the idea for the book as well as the characters who have developed in interesting ways over the past 30 days. Just remains to keep plugging away.
 

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by here to offer encouragement. It helped more than you could know.
 

( Read more... )

Originally published at todd-wheeler.com. You can comment here or there.

Doubled up on write-ins over the weekend and the words flowed like water. As a bonus, got to hang with Jack on Saturday and Peggy on Sunday, chatting about all kinds of writerly things.
 

Outlook for further write-ins looks dim due to my schedule. Which means I'll have to do it the old fashioned way: writing alone, butt in chair, words on the page. Every. Single. Day.

Originally published at todd-wheeler.com. You can comment here or there.

My story entitled "Dreams Like Snowflakes" has been accepted for the anthology Retro Spec: Tales of Fantasy and Nostalgia. This book will be produced by Karen Romanko who also edited Sporty Spec which included one of my stories.
 

No word yet on a publication date as the anthology is still accepting submissions. Details can be found on the Retro Spec page at Raven Electric Ink.
 

( Read more... )

Originally published at todd-wheeler.com. You can comment here or there.

The NaNoWriMo magic widget is up and running in the right hand column. I'm a bit behind the pace but rather happy with the words I've strung together.
 

Last Saturday I attended a write-in at the MIT Science Fiction Society. Very nice space, if a bit cramped. Tough to take a good picture since it is two rooms filled with shelves which are packed with speculative fiction. The MITSFS website claims to have "over 90% of all science fiction ever published in English." Seems a bold claim, but who am I to challenge the math of those much smarter than myself.
 

In front of where I was sitting was a cart of books to be re-shelved. Rather pleased to see three titles that I not only have read but own: The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson, Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (though bit of a head scratcher there; would that be fantasy? Magic realism?), and Earth In Twilight by Doris Piserchia!

Originally published at todd-wheeler.com. You can comment here or there.

Day one of NaNoWriMo went well with a total word count of almost 3,600. Once the organizations widget-ry is up and running, I'll put up some kind of statistical thingy (technical term) to show progress.
 

In the meantime, here is a YouTube video of a band my sister plays in called The Slighted. As is typical of music videos, the drummer doesn't get sufficient screen time.
 

( Read more... )