A New Novella

If you follow me on twitter, you know I am busy writing a novella. This, when completed, will be my second short story. The goal is forty-thousand words, and is a historical fiction piece. The setting and plot? I’m not sharing.

I am trying my version of the Stephen King-method on writing. The first draft will be written with the door closed (no readers), and then I will take a break from the piece. King recommends a few weeks. After that I begin to revise, and once the second draft is completed, I will seek editing opinions from trusted readers. Unlike my first short story, I intend this novella to be published, and trust me, I think I have a great idea. Of course, these rules could fluctuate a bit—I have never been a fan of systems.

So far, I have written the midpoint, and I am in the process of plotting—story mapping for you muggles. Of course, I have been writing solo scenes to help flesh out my characters, and short bios. Most importantly, I do believe I have my protagonist’s big lie down—the story’s arc.

More from me:

Beat the Boy; Destroy the Man 

W. Alexander Dunford  I will never forget the television’s blue light that night fifteen years ago. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Blood Diamond played. Outside, beneath black skies, rain pelted our windows and the house’s bones braced against high winds. Thunder shook the walls.  It was Father’s idea to watch the movie. He loved violence, and I loved…

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This is exciting stuff!

Using my blog to hold myself accountable for this project is critical. My last short story was twenty-five thousand words, and I wrote it for, believe it or not, a class on novellas last year, and it took me eight weeks. So, dearest followers, buckle up and enjoy the ride; I will be showing you an inside look of the writing process; you get to join me on an ambitious but fulfilling project.

I have to do this around school, and taking care of the kids. My goal is to be done by my son’s second birthday—late July.

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