Blog Archives
Re-evaluating Forever Mal
FOREVER MAL is to be the sequel to my first book, MY SUMMER OF WES, and it’s not going so well at the moment. I’ve written previously that it was going to be from Wes’ point of view. Unfortunately, and with my editor’s help, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is not working. Mal’s point of view was so easy to write and he was such a vibrant character. Mal saw how amazing Wes was and showed we readers why he fell in love with Wes so quickly and thoroughly. I’m just not finding that same spark in FOREVER MAL, despite how much I enjoy seeing Mal through Wes’ eyes.
So, I have two choices: 1. Try again to find Wes’ voice or 2. Give the story to Mal. Both of them would boil down to starting over. That is nothing new, really. Authors write first drafts that might not resemble the final work all the time. I’m actually kind of OK with that idea. Part of me is more comfortable with Mal since I know him so well already. And I have an edge in that there’s a whole story to work from. I can get behind #2 and smile about it.
The point of this post, then, is to let you know that I haven’t forgotten, it’s still going to happen, but I need more time to do this right. How much more time? No idea. Definitely a few months for me, then a few more for my editor and publisher. My goal? Before December 31st 
Oh This Is Gonna Be Good
It’s been a little while since I posted anything, but I promise I have a good excuse! Three, actually.
- I’ve finished the first draft of a sci-fi m/m story I wrote about a little while ago that I’m calling A Healing Touch. It’s under the word count I wanted and a little out of focus right now, so I’m going to dive back in as soon as I catch my breath. There’s a recovery period, you see.
- My editor sent me her thoughts on Forever Mal. Again, it’s a first draft that needs more oomph, so I’ll be diving back into that soon too. It’s been a while since I was in that world — I’ve been in space (see #1) — which will require a refresher course in the form of reading My Summer of Wes and a boatload of notes for me to become Mal again.
- I’m working on 2 projects for submission calls. One is for a gay-for-you anthology in which a retired widower notices his recently divorced neighbor in eye-opening ways in a short I’m calling Different Is Good. The other is a cross between Batman and 007 who’s trying to clean up the city and resist a bad guy whose very name brings this warrior to his knees every damn time that I’m calling Moon Eye’s Angel.
My 1st Check
I haven’t received it yet, but I did get the statement just a few minutes ago.
OMFG
There are more digits than I was expecting on there, truth be told. I won’t say how many, but sales are over 490 and it’s only been 14 days. Considering I’ve been unwillingly working part-time for two months and struggling to make that work, I’m really loving you guys for giving this to me right now…and now I need a tissue.
Thank you!
P.S. I sent Forever Mal to my editor last night : )
Forever Mal
So, I’m about 85% finished with the sequel to My Summer of Wes that I’m tentatively calling Forever Mal. Where MSOW was totally from Mal’s point of view, FM will be from Wes’s. Something interesting happened in the very first scene that set the theme of the story for me: Wes desperately hopes for but isn’t convinced that Mal wants the committed relationship he wants. I hadn’t realized Wes had such a problem until near the end of MSOW, and then he went and thought about it in the first few paragraphs of his own story. Surprising guy, Wes. Mal has some significant stuff happen too, most notably with his parents and his studies. I think the ending will leave readers with a good feeling that these two will be good together for a long time. If not forever…
