Update:
We are in re-writes of the available work for A Resigned Decanter.
I was feeling a little clogged up, and so decided it was a good time to review
what I've done so far for the book.
Only two pieces were cut, and everything else needs minor adjustments.
Since the review has begun, my mind is clear and full of fresh ideas once more.
So, it seems as though this project isn't far away from the end of phase 1.
On a more morose note, without a constant practice of generating a novel, I am sinking into a sort of depression. I have my film reviews on Examiner, freelance gigs in irregular intervals, but unless I am working on a story I feel disfigured and and atrophied.
Nutshell: making some progress, but very frustrated.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Edurance Match
A Resigned Decanter:
The poetry book is moving right along, as they say. Building more poems, and we're getting close to a complete collection, I feel. On the downside, I've begun re-looking into self-publishing, and it appears as though my top choices have changed their policies (unless, I did not fully understand them in the first place, which is viable). It seems there simply will NOT be an easy-route or a quick-fix; it's going to cost money I do not have and more time, which none of us have. I've contemplated launching a kickerstarter page, however there is little I can offer as compensation for investors to the project. There are a few artist friends I was going to ask contribute pieces to the poetry book, and I would only hope they'd offer additional pieces as rewards on kickerstarer. Although, these artist have not even been tapped by myself, and of course that would need to occur first before making claims online about exclusive pieces. I could offer one-nighters with myself, but hardly think my girlfriend would appreciate/approve of that. At any rate, you never know what kind of sicko would buy me anyway. It's simply a "better safe than sorry situation" regardless.
Concealed Weapons
Every day I allocate less to no attention to my debut novel, the less accomplished I feel. Poetry books are not my goal, posting on poetry forums is NOT how I want to spend my free time - that's all a matter of generating buzz. Don't let my frustration fool you; there are plenty of good and great poets I've found on the few poetry sites I've been posting on, and like the general idea of poetry, but I'm a novelist, and not a poet. Poetry is where my writing talents shine the least, I feel; I'm less dedicated to it.
- - - There have been no updates to Concealed Weapons since the hatching of A Resigned Decanter, and I do not see the advantage of it until the poetry book is published. If I cannot self-publish former, then I couldn't publish latter. I've read of authors taking ten years to publish their first novel, and now I understand how. If you were to pit professional athletes versus authors, I would sincerely bet on a draw. It would boil down to an endurance match, and don't you ever thing writers are excused from the burn.
Posting on poetry forums have demanded conjuring up work that is off the subject-matter that A Resigned Decanter is focused on. Meaning: DOUBLE WORK!
What little has been posted can be read here, if one were so inclined.
Now: Sleep
Tomorrow: Who knows anymore.
Gari
The poetry book is moving right along, as they say. Building more poems, and we're getting close to a complete collection, I feel. On the downside, I've begun re-looking into self-publishing, and it appears as though my top choices have changed their policies (unless, I did not fully understand them in the first place, which is viable). It seems there simply will NOT be an easy-route or a quick-fix; it's going to cost money I do not have and more time, which none of us have. I've contemplated launching a kickerstarter page, however there is little I can offer as compensation for investors to the project. There are a few artist friends I was going to ask contribute pieces to the poetry book, and I would only hope they'd offer additional pieces as rewards on kickerstarer. Although, these artist have not even been tapped by myself, and of course that would need to occur first before making claims online about exclusive pieces. I could offer one-nighters with myself, but hardly think my girlfriend would appreciate/approve of that. At any rate, you never know what kind of sicko would buy me anyway. It's simply a "better safe than sorry situation" regardless.
Concealed Weapons
Every day I allocate less to no attention to my debut novel, the less accomplished I feel. Poetry books are not my goal, posting on poetry forums is NOT how I want to spend my free time - that's all a matter of generating buzz. Don't let my frustration fool you; there are plenty of good and great poets I've found on the few poetry sites I've been posting on, and like the general idea of poetry, but I'm a novelist, and not a poet. Poetry is where my writing talents shine the least, I feel; I'm less dedicated to it.
- - - There have been no updates to Concealed Weapons since the hatching of A Resigned Decanter, and I do not see the advantage of it until the poetry book is published. If I cannot self-publish former, then I couldn't publish latter. I've read of authors taking ten years to publish their first novel, and now I understand how. If you were to pit professional athletes versus authors, I would sincerely bet on a draw. It would boil down to an endurance match, and don't you ever thing writers are excused from the burn.
Posting on poetry forums have demanded conjuring up work that is off the subject-matter that A Resigned Decanter is focused on. Meaning: DOUBLE WORK!
What little has been posted can be read here, if one were so inclined.
Now: Sleep
Tomorrow: Who knows anymore.
Gari
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Resigned Decanter
It's been a good long while since my last update on 'Concealed Weapons.'
That's because, honestly, here are no updates.
I've decided to publish a book of poetry first; something tangible to point to while trying to talk up the novel. Building a Journalistic repertoire is fine and dandy, but it makes it harder to sell your novel to a crowd, when that material is
perishable - it's only relevant and good for limited time. Committing material for a book takes a bit more classic quality.
This is by no means an attempt to weasel out of the hard work it will take to edit, publish and sell 'Concealed Weapons,' but a (possibly ill-conceived) business strategy. All I want to say about the poetry book, for those who haven't heard me mention it yet, personally, is that it will be titled "A Resigned Decanter."
The resulting concept being Something that once held a powerful element inside, but is now running out of said element and becoming, itself, useless.
How close are we to finished: 50%, at the very least. New poems flow out of my tiny mind everyday, and as long as the tap is pouring, I'll be filling the decanter.
Thanks!
Gari Hart
That's because, honestly, here are no updates.
I've decided to publish a book of poetry first; something tangible to point to while trying to talk up the novel. Building a Journalistic repertoire is fine and dandy, but it makes it harder to sell your novel to a crowd, when that material is
perishable - it's only relevant and good for limited time. Committing material for a book takes a bit more classic quality.
This is by no means an attempt to weasel out of the hard work it will take to edit, publish and sell 'Concealed Weapons,' but a (possibly ill-conceived) business strategy. All I want to say about the poetry book, for those who haven't heard me mention it yet, personally, is that it will be titled "A Resigned Decanter."
The resulting concept being Something that once held a powerful element inside, but is now running out of said element and becoming, itself, useless.
How close are we to finished: 50%, at the very least. New poems flow out of my tiny mind everyday, and as long as the tap is pouring, I'll be filling the decanter.
Thanks!
Gari Hart
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Pie
ARGH!
As I proceed with re-writes for Concealed Weapons, the question continues to grow whether the process is worth it. The novel is antiquated; no longer applies to how I feel mostly. Releasing it would be a poor representation of my point of views and writing capabilities. True, the narrator is supposed to be immature, but the syntax shouldn't be so.
This could all be on the account that there has been virtually no feedback. Who wants a slice of Gari Hart's work?
As I proceed with re-writes for Concealed Weapons, the question continues to grow whether the process is worth it. The novel is antiquated; no longer applies to how I feel mostly. Releasing it would be a poor representation of my point of views and writing capabilities. True, the narrator is supposed to be immature, but the syntax shouldn't be so.
This could all be on the account that there has been virtually no feedback. Who wants a slice of Gari Hart's work?
Monday, May 2, 2011
It's my first day
Clearly, I indeed require a proof reader. However, many people have volunteered in the past, only to let me down: never actually reading anything, reading only one page, or even telling me it's fine, when I go back to re-read it and find several mistakes. Sadly, this makes me weary when people offer to help out now, and I ultimately turn them down. Although, it feels like I am getting better at it. Who knows anymore, really?
My progress was rendered defunctive for just over seven days recently, but appears to be back on track for now. I still can't get over the gut feeling this piece will forever have the stench of amateur, like I'll repeatedly being pleading, "It's my first day." Wiping the slate clean and rebuilding from the foundation up would be the only way to save this novel. "Save" here meaning be a 'Good' book opposed to a 'Decent' one, which is where it stands now. This may sound entirely counter-active, but I am comfortable with people saying, "Well, it wasn't his best work, but it has it's moments." Your first impression should be a deep impact, I know. But in order to reach that point, I feel it would be done more effectively with A Dearly-Won Harmony than Concealed Weapons.
But, what do you want? It's my first day.
My progress was rendered defunctive for just over seven days recently, but appears to be back on track for now. I still can't get over the gut feeling this piece will forever have the stench of amateur, like I'll repeatedly being pleading, "It's my first day." Wiping the slate clean and rebuilding from the foundation up would be the only way to save this novel. "Save" here meaning be a 'Good' book opposed to a 'Decent' one, which is where it stands now. This may sound entirely counter-active, but I am comfortable with people saying, "Well, it wasn't his best work, but it has it's moments." Your first impression should be a deep impact, I know. But in order to reach that point, I feel it would be done more effectively with A Dearly-Won Harmony than Concealed Weapons.
But, what do you want? It's my first day.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Syntax
Do other authors spend excessive amounts of time over a single sentence, or am I simply obsessive? I have this happen frequently; the notion of the line must stay, but writing it can be tricky, and I rephrase it over and over and over. It's a single line - a twenty word sentence, which simply doesn't sound right no matter how I put it.
I feel these situations wouldn't be made easier by a proof-reader, either. It is more a personal statement than about the perfection, if that makes sense.
The rewrites are still in the early parts of the novel, or at least that's how I see it. Of course, I wont consider anything "real" progress until I'm on the final few chapters. If you called it idiotic or melodramatic, it wouldn't be too far off.
;-P
-Gari
I feel these situations wouldn't be made easier by a proof-reader, either. It is more a personal statement than about the perfection, if that makes sense.
The rewrites are still in the early parts of the novel, or at least that's how I see it. Of course, I wont consider anything "real" progress until I'm on the final few chapters. If you called it idiotic or melodramatic, it wouldn't be too far off.
;-P
-Gari
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Rainbows with black spots.
Pressing on with the re-writes despite the distractions, I've regrettably had to cut a page out of one chapter. I say "regrettably" because the page is still pertinent to the character development, although it the particular chapter it's in, it seems to stray away from the point. When first constructing the chapter, I think I meant for the narrator to be more unfocused. Originally, the narrator was unfocused at pretty much all moments, but that changed greatly. However, to illustrate how off the subject things went, I was able to remove the portion without requiring any change in the rest of the chapter; No bridge work.
As I've stated previously, this time around I'm endeavoring to read this book as an audience and not an author. Sometimes, it's like looking at a line of B&W photos with a kids drawing in the middle. You say, "what the hell is that doing here," you push it out of the way, and everything works again. That's actually a misrepresented analogy; I love kids and their drawings :-) The point of view is also helping me prepare for arguments. Many things are in this book that have the potential to cause negative splash-back. I've known that from inception, but now see it - like everything else - in a new light.
And, for what it's worth, I'm going to conclude this entry with a chapter listing to Concealed Weapons.
1. Just Words
2. The Vanishing Point
3. An Unheralded Arc
4. Friendship
5. Forgive and Forget
6. The House of Cards
7. To Infer Verity
8. Incubus
9. Connected With The Disconnected
10. Superficial
11. Carnage Diorama
12. Virgin
13. Shopping
14. Resident Of The Looking Glass
15. Hand In Hand
16. Precocious Skills
17. Consequence
18. Portmanteau
19. The Sprout From The Seed
20. Jack-in-the-box
21. The Game Theory
22. Street Assassin
23. Be Prepared To Get Your Hands Dirty
24. Emily
25. Reliance Falling
26. Between Two Worlds
27. No Future
As I've stated previously, this time around I'm endeavoring to read this book as an audience and not an author. Sometimes, it's like looking at a line of B&W photos with a kids drawing in the middle. You say, "what the hell is that doing here," you push it out of the way, and everything works again. That's actually a misrepresented analogy; I love kids and their drawings :-) The point of view is also helping me prepare for arguments. Many things are in this book that have the potential to cause negative splash-back. I've known that from inception, but now see it - like everything else - in a new light.
And, for what it's worth, I'm going to conclude this entry with a chapter listing to Concealed Weapons.
1. Just Words
2. The Vanishing Point
3. An Unheralded Arc
4. Friendship
5. Forgive and Forget
6. The House of Cards
7. To Infer Verity
8. Incubus
9. Connected With The Disconnected
10. Superficial
11. Carnage Diorama
12. Virgin
13. Shopping
14. Resident Of The Looking Glass
15. Hand In Hand
16. Precocious Skills
17. Consequence
18. Portmanteau
19. The Sprout From The Seed
20. Jack-in-the-box
21. The Game Theory
22. Street Assassin
23. Be Prepared To Get Your Hands Dirty
24. Emily
25. Reliance Falling
26. Between Two Worlds
27. No Future
Saturday, April 9, 2011
An Unheralded Arc
The bombs continue to fall!
Something I had wished to avoid is now a reality: I've hit a chapter that needs to be re-written from front to back. I was honestly thinking this final read through would be easier, but it's proving to be detrimental to my emotional health. The silver lining of this cloud, however, is that the chapter in question is crystal clear now. This chapter has always felt like it stopped the flow of the book (early on, I may add), and I always approached it from a more technical angle - searching for better adjectives, expanding on ideas, etc. But now, I see these few pages merely lack a focus; it's going too many directions. It is almost like a short story within a book. The anchor of the chapter is now apparent, and it should be simple to write.
My personal deadline seems less and less feasible. This is due to my socially inflated schedule of the past week. Luckily, my popularity only comes in waves, and this forthcoming week, presently, looks nearly vacant. All I have to do is keep it that way.
-gari
Something I had wished to avoid is now a reality: I've hit a chapter that needs to be re-written from front to back. I was honestly thinking this final read through would be easier, but it's proving to be detrimental to my emotional health. The silver lining of this cloud, however, is that the chapter in question is crystal clear now. This chapter has always felt like it stopped the flow of the book (early on, I may add), and I always approached it from a more technical angle - searching for better adjectives, expanding on ideas, etc. But now, I see these few pages merely lack a focus; it's going too many directions. It is almost like a short story within a book. The anchor of the chapter is now apparent, and it should be simple to write.
My personal deadline seems less and less feasible. This is due to my socially inflated schedule of the past week. Luckily, my popularity only comes in waves, and this forthcoming week, presently, looks nearly vacant. All I have to do is keep it that way.
-gari
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Details on the novel.
Hopefully, this blog will address any curiosities one may have about my novel, which is slated to be self-published by June 2011.
Synopsis
After prompted to see a situation for what it is, a callused killer realizes a key aspect of his life wasn't what it seemed. With long repressed emotions and memories now surfacing as the effect, the killer questions if anything he has experienced was how he inferred it at the time. Searching the alcoves of his mind, he finds a desultory puzzle of recollections, which could either lead him to enlightenment or perdition, as he struggles to put the pieces together.
Title
This novel is called "Concealed Weapons." The title serves as a dual-meaning. Due to the literal context of the protagonist being a hired gun, naturally the title refers to his hiding of various weapons to avoid detection from the law. Metaphorically, the memories he is forced to re-face and come to terms with would serve as the concealed weapons against himself. The original title was "On The World's Stage", but after the rough draft the story was given an entirely new ending, and the title no longer matched (all for the better). The name went from that to simply "Concealed," and then quickly to "Concealed Weapons."
Allegory & Influence
I started outlining this book in a more morose period of my life, a few years back, when nothing seemed right; it felt like I'd made every wrong move and was being punished finally. So, the book started off like a pity party, and it shaped up to be very self-indulged - which, everyone who considers what they do an art tends to be self-indulged anyway ;-). While adding more content to the plot and filling in the characters a bit more, it became apparent to me that most (if not all) people hit a point where they question what they've done and how they ended up where they have; sometimes that moment comes as sort of a pre-midlife crisis. That notion gave me the inclination and insight to write the novel as more like a universal statement that no matter what you do it can feel hackneyed after a while, and few people are actually happy with their situation, and everyone has many things they wish they could have handled differently.
Future Projects
After Concealed Weapons in the on the virtual shelf and generating almost no revenue, the next novel I'm working on is called "A Dearly-Won Harmony." It's a dystopian piece about corrupt government. Corrupt government is probably the foundation for any dystopian story, but I feel I have a new spin to it.
Thanks!!!
-Gari
Synopsis
After prompted to see a situation for what it is, a callused killer realizes a key aspect of his life wasn't what it seemed. With long repressed emotions and memories now surfacing as the effect, the killer questions if anything he has experienced was how he inferred it at the time. Searching the alcoves of his mind, he finds a desultory puzzle of recollections, which could either lead him to enlightenment or perdition, as he struggles to put the pieces together.
Title
This novel is called "Concealed Weapons." The title serves as a dual-meaning. Due to the literal context of the protagonist being a hired gun, naturally the title refers to his hiding of various weapons to avoid detection from the law. Metaphorically, the memories he is forced to re-face and come to terms with would serve as the concealed weapons against himself. The original title was "On The World's Stage", but after the rough draft the story was given an entirely new ending, and the title no longer matched (all for the better). The name went from that to simply "Concealed," and then quickly to "Concealed Weapons."
Allegory & Influence
I started outlining this book in a more morose period of my life, a few years back, when nothing seemed right; it felt like I'd made every wrong move and was being punished finally. So, the book started off like a pity party, and it shaped up to be very self-indulged - which, everyone who considers what they do an art tends to be self-indulged anyway ;-). While adding more content to the plot and filling in the characters a bit more, it became apparent to me that most (if not all) people hit a point where they question what they've done and how they ended up where they have; sometimes that moment comes as sort of a pre-midlife crisis. That notion gave me the inclination and insight to write the novel as more like a universal statement that no matter what you do it can feel hackneyed after a while, and few people are actually happy with their situation, and everyone has many things they wish they could have handled differently.
Future Projects
After Concealed Weapons in the on the virtual shelf and generating almost no revenue, the next novel I'm working on is called "A Dearly-Won Harmony." It's a dystopian piece about corrupt government. Corrupt government is probably the foundation for any dystopian story, but I feel I have a new spin to it.
Thanks!!!
-Gari
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The sound of the gun.
Rewrites are underway.
I feel both positive and negative about how it's going so far. It feels good to refresh some of the text, although by this point there shouldn't be too much of a need for it. In my head, this either means the novel simply is NOT ready, still, or that I will never be satisfied with it anyway. Hello Synecdoche, New York.
The deadline is going to have to be pushed back, I fear, maybe. This, I suppose, would be a perk to self-publishing: Set your own deadlines.
Blerg!
Back to work.
-Gari
I feel both positive and negative about how it's going so far. It feels good to refresh some of the text, although by this point there shouldn't be too much of a need for it. In my head, this either means the novel simply is NOT ready, still, or that I will never be satisfied with it anyway. Hello Synecdoche, New York.
The deadline is going to have to be pushed back, I fear, maybe. This, I suppose, would be a perk to self-publishing: Set your own deadlines.
Blerg!
Back to work.
-Gari
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Falling through the cracks of step 1
Day two and we're already behind schedule. Of course, it's all my fault, presently; too many other projects I'm working on while simultaneously seeking new employment.
Blerg!
Fortunately I do not have social plans until Friday - and even those are in question. Which means I have three days to catch up to where I should be. In relation to this blog, by Saturday I plan to have entry dedicated to the details and outline of the novel posted.
My brain feels scattered; I've done for the evening.
-gari
Blerg!
Fortunately I do not have social plans until Friday - and even those are in question. Which means I have three days to catch up to where I should be. In relation to this blog, by Saturday I plan to have entry dedicated to the details and outline of the novel posted.
My brain feels scattered; I've done for the evening.
-gari
Monday, March 28, 2011
Charpter One
At this point, I've decided to self-publish my first novel. It was completed and ready for submission in May 2010, and I've been attempting to acquire an agent since then who'd like to represent me, but with little results. Due to the technologically advanced society we live in, where paper novels seem to be on the way out, it has become hard to discern who is not a good author and who simply doesn't convince the agents they're profitable. Writing, in any variety of the art, is a life-long uphill beating. There is no easy way to go about it, and certainly nothing but a slim chance of sustaining financially from your work.
Enough bitching. Today, I'm setting up a time frame to be orderly in the efforts for one final rewrite and edit, select the self-publishing company, submission and marketing. Currently, my deadline for the final draft is April 22nd, 2011.
The novel will be called "Concealed Weapons."
That's all for now.
-Gari
Enough bitching. Today, I'm setting up a time frame to be orderly in the efforts for one final rewrite and edit, select the self-publishing company, submission and marketing. Currently, my deadline for the final draft is April 22nd, 2011.
The novel will be called "Concealed Weapons."
That's all for now.
-Gari
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