The final update of the year! An insane year writing-wise and it looks like next year is going to be even more intense with projects galore.
Writing!
NaNoWriMo was a blast! I really challenged myself to hit my daily goals without the use of additional helpers to tackle the little things like my kids, grocery shopping and Black Friday shopping online.
I definitely felt the crunch at times but it was well worth the effort to see if I could make a go of it with my limited availability writing-wise.
So what came out of it this year?
The entire first season of DSA is drafted! Books 4 through 6 were my goal for November and I managed to eke it out on the last day. I have a ton of notes to go through and additional threads to weave now that all six books are written. My plan is to spend January through March cleaning up all six so I can pass them off to my alpha readers.
But wait, there’s more!
I might be insane. Might. I try to take it easy when I can but it never works for me. I have to keep moving forward, keep pushing myself to build story.
As of today, the entire SECOND SEASON of DSA is outlined. All six books are plotted with character arcs and subplots spreading from seeds in the first season. I am loving this world and don’t want to leave any time soon.
There is a map now for the entire series. I have the opening and closing scenes for Season 3 Book 1. I know the twist coming at the end of Season 4 Book 5. A rough path lies ahead and I feel terrible for the things the characters will be forced to face.
But I would be lying if I didn’t enjoy every new note, every interesting twist I never imagined previously.
I think you’re going to love it.
Reading
This week I’ve been diving into research for a new project. It’s a long-term book requiring quite a bit of foresight and knowledge before putting pen to paper. Not my usual style, not my usual subject matter to some degree, but the idea was so fascinating when it was presented to me by a friend that I wanted to see if I could do it.
I’m hoping to have an outline built out of my notes by the end of the year before the massive self-edits on the DSA consume my life.
Other than that, the majority of my reading has been with my daughters. We just reached 1993 in the Spider-Man comics. It is an absolute treat to be able to share these stories from my youth with my kids. There are so many gems in there. David Michelinie’s run on Amazing Spider-Man is absolutely one of my favorites. Alex Saviuk’s pencil work on Web of Spider-Man was another highlight for me.
However, the top praise goes to J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema for an utterly beautiful run on Spectacular Spider-Man. Issues 178 through 200 are one of the greatest collaborative accomplishments to this day, in my opinion. They brought a humanity to every character and really brought out the pathos in every situation. The culmination in 200 is still one of my favorite comics of all time.
People denigrate the 1990’s for being extreme or void of actual content. Not these books, folks. These books defined who I am and I was glad they held up against the nostalgia factor.