First sentences and first chapters are always challenging. I can only gauge how other people select books by how I personally select a book. I pick up the book, read the first page fairly carefully, scan the next 15 or so pages and decide. That first page has to grab me. I want to know right away what is the genre and what kind of plot can I expect. After all, a book isn’t just a monetary investment, it’s an investment in how you are going to spend your time and what you are exposing your mind to. Yesterday, I worked over an hour on the first paragraph of “Morn:The Beginning”. It still isn’t quite right.

Need to self-impose deadline for “The Forrester Journals” or maybe… “Morn: The Beginning”.  After all, we need to establish that this is a series, and this really is the beginning book for Morn – at least as far as Earth colonization goes. Ergo new working title “Morn: The Beginning”.

Aim for 300 double spaced pages:

·        100 pages pre-hybe

·        100 pages post-hybe but still on ship

·        100 pages on Morn

New material – 1 hour minimum each day. Re-write – 2 hours

Deadline for 1^st draft – February 1, 2009

Pre-write: Much of the pre-write has already been done with the entries on the site and the thought process that has gone into this.  For example, I know the book is going to relate the pre-journey, post journey & early settlement of Morn. I already am setting up Dr. Paul Staimler as “evil” and friendship with Tony Bartlett. I have introduced minor characters such as Theodore Crane and “Gussie” who can be pulled on later.  This book will be the transitional novel between Morn & Earth & also lay a lot of the groundwork for future sequels. It is not a book to be rushed as actually it is a foundation piece of what is to come.  Also, it will be a new book – therefore subject to new criticism.  If I self-publish  - which seems likely, I will not have the benefit of editors devoted to the project. I will have to pay extra for line edits which will cost extra $.   I have opted to pay for a press release & mailing to media contacts in place of illustrations for the sites. One of the challenges of self-publishing is budgeting and figuring out how to spend dollars. Of course, since The “First Battle of Morn” hasn’t even come out yet, I don’t have anything coming in. Therefore, every dollar spent is spent on investment with hope of future return but no guarantees.

I am now working on links in Morn glossary & who’s who. I have also reduced the point size to 10 from 12.  Today:

·       Finish structuring new pages

·       Add all links

·       Glossary

·       Re-do John Forrester site with smaller point size & change look of journal entries. Comic sans font just doesn’t look right. Maybe a currier font against a light green would look better – as if Captain Forrester typed his personal entries into a portable device.

Sarah’s friend, Julian, showed me how to create links within text boxes. He also advised against too long pages in sites. He suggested that for Forrester Journals that I create pages entries 1 thru 10, 11 thru 20, etc.  I guess the same would hold true for the glossary.  Of course he also suggested hiring a professional web designer – but I really don’t have the cash for that right now. Today I’m going to restructure all sites with links (including journal) to link back and forth.  Actually, that was one of the things that son Blair was asking about. Working at the 79^th street library today. Sort of crowded and unpleasant but they have good wifi connections.

Today I take a Jitney into the city to help Sarah with her babysitting. She is starting to come down with a cold – not the best thing for a singer. I will make her chicken soup. I need to complete the Westhampton Beach School Reflections entries for their contest before I head to the city. It’s a beautiful day. I will try to go for a run. However today I must complete:

Forrester Journals 2 entries

Morn Glossary

·       Blue Forest

·       Great Mantle Forest

·       Medallion

After First Battle of Morn, I will publish Children of Time.  Then, I will publish The Journals of Captain John Forrester which is a bridge between Earth and Morn.  The journals will not be complete, so the readers will have to buy the book to see how everything ends. As soon as the book is out, the journals will come off the site.  However, a new book will start on the site….

In fact, each book will have its start on one of the sites – with entries added each day. Now, of course, the final product may be somewhat different as entries are really only a first draft. The idea is to involve the readers in the creation of the sequels.  In other words, there will always be a sequel started somewhere for the readers to see.  The Morn site will always be growing and expanding. The journals site can have other peoples’ journals which can form the basis of books. The chronicles site can have Morn folk tales which can form the basis for books.

I should plan on books being 200 or more pages.
****After much back & forthing with technical support, I have learned that I should not copy & paste lucinda font into my text entries as it might not be readable by all computers. Therefore, I will have to change all my Forrester entries into another font that is better supported.  Too bad. I really liked the lucinda font. It looked like handwriting - which is what I wanted for some of the journal entries.

It would be very simple to become paralyzed and frozen to the TV as the stock market continues its downward lurch. In fact, that’s what I am drawn to do. That’s what all my friends are doing.  However, I must remember that the easiest course of action is not always the most productive or even healthiest. There is nothing I personally can do about the state of the economy. I need to focus on the specifics of what I need to do today:

·       John Forrester entry (do not post)

·       Morn Who’s Who

Nethila

Mordens

·       Morn Glossary

Transport

Desig

·       Morn sequel - premise & preliminary outline

 Today, I received the first proof of the cover. The back cover is OK. The front cover – not so good. The artist really didn’t understand what gorbuls look like.  She gave Grizzum lobes that looked like dread locks.  I scanned a sketch to show how I wanted the gorbul. If they can’t get the gorbul right, then we’ll leave the gorbul off the front cover for now & work on the sketch later for the website.  Back & forth with Booksurge on this, but I want to get it right. I have decided to join Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. This might be a good venue for reviews & exposure as well as just basic info on scifi trends.

I believe I have posted enough on the Forrester Journals for now. What I will do is keep adding on to my word doc file. Then when I publish the site, I will be able to add to the journals on a daily basis or depending on interest. What I need to work on now is the Morn glossary & the Morn “Who’s Who”.  I also need to start sketching a family tree of the important people in Morn and how they are all related. Ultimately this will be scanned and uploaded to “Who’s Who” page. I also need to focus on the sequel to First Battle of Morn Today:

·       Forrester Journal Entry

·       Morn Glossary

Slithgard

Tilth

·       Who’s Who*

Torin

Forrester, James

*The challenge with both the glossary and the “who’s who” is not to give anything away. Both must read as if they were real entries into a factual document. However, if I provide too much detail, there will be no surprises when reading the books.

I have started a file for themes & sequels.  Forrester Journals act as a transition between Earth & Morn. Then there is early Morn & colonization. Later Morn (First Battle of Morn) & what comes after. There is also Gorbul mythology which will be on Morn Chronicles website. Perhaps also Songs of Nethila which will be mainly poems & chants about Earth & freedom.

·       Morn Who’s Who

·       Forrester Entry

·       E-mail list

I am looking forward to seeing the cover proof of the book.  Assuming that the proof is a go, publication of the book is about 3 weeks away. In the meantime I need to keep working on the Forrester Journals and Morn World as those sites are going to be activated at time of book release.

Today

·       Entries into Morn glossary

New Hope Project of 2125 (Earth Calendar)

Settler Revolt of 31 (Morn Calendar)

·       Start Morn Who’s Who:

Torin

Nethila

John Forrester (link to Forrester site)

·       1  Forrester entry

·       Start working on an e-mail list to broadcast the book.

Proof for cover coming sometime in October. I presume within two weeks.  At that time, I’ll have more of a clear cut idea as to pub date.  Found terrific sci-fi site howyoucansave theworld.com  which is, I believe, part of the sci-fi.com site which is the sci-fi channel website. Lots of different blogs going with lots of hits on the site.

Today: Work on Forrester Journals. Experiment with uploading royalty-free photos of space.  Might try to upload a cloudy planet (can’t be recognizable as Earth) for mornworld site.