March 2007
Hello everyone,
February was a vacation month, and I didn't get any noveling done. I did spend three weeks in China and Tibet (which is part of China depending on who you ask) for my honeymoon. We took 30 of our friends and family, but that is the subject of a humor piece that I'll write once I've recovered from the emotional scars (just kidding).
While over there, I came up with approximately 1 zillion novel ideas that I won't have time to write. Ah well, most of them are probably bad anyway. I'm sure they'll sneak into my stories somewhere.
I did add some more writing samples to my website. So if you are getting bored waiting for my newsletters, go check them out.
In other writing news, I'm gearing up for the Writers Weekend in New Jersey (3/24 and 25). I'm doing the Science in Science Fiction talk again, and of course I'll be pushing A Clockwork Murder. I'm adding a subplot to it in order to get it up over the magic 80,000 word mark. I've also written the first draft of a sequel, and I am plotting up the third book in the series. I want to be able to tell them that I have a whole package, since some of the comments I got back last round were "I like the voice, but I don't know if you can carry it through a whole novel."
With all the people on the trip, I didn't have much time to read, but I did manage to finish Next by Michael Crichton (lots of great story ideas, but sadly he didn't pick one to flesh out, he mishmashed them all together). Hard Rain by Barry Eisler (I think it was that one, whatever the 2nd novel in that series is called. It was fun, but great. I'll probably get the next book eventually, but he tends to spend too much time in travel-writer mode). And finally Kiln People by David Brin (I loved it. Best SF I've read in a while. I love his take on the whole "download your brain" idea.)
That's it for now. Have a great spring!
--Todd