Starting Feb 1, I will begin writing the Houses of the Blooded novel.
I’ll be drawing inspiration from all three of the popular forms–pillow book, opera, and theater–to create something… very different. This will not be your typical fantasy novel.
The book will have an Overture and four Acts; structured like an opera rather than a novel. Choruses, stanzas, the whole lot. I’ll be using the Seven Fools and the Servant characters. Part of ven opera is guessing which characters fill those iconic roles. Is Lady Shara playing The Rake or the Swordsman? Clues for both answers until the truth is revealed. And once you know the truth, you know how it will all end.
Planning from now until February 1, then I start writing. The goal will be 3,000 words a day for thirty days (official last day of writing will be March 1), giving me 90,000 words. A good chunk.
I’m also using Stanley Kubrick’s Non-Submersible Units to outline the book, Elmore Leonard’s Hooptedoodle for the voice and Chuck Palaniuk’s egg timer to keep me writing.
I’ll keep you updated as we go.
Ten more days. I’ve got most of it plotted. Just a matter of cleaning up the outline before we begin. And having someone out there waiting for the words keeps me honest.
I’ll probably fall behind. I’m counting on that. But a stated, public goal reminds me of what Harlan Ellison said about the secret of great writing.
“Keep writing!”