June 2020 - Gary David Gillen

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan is the fourth book of The Wheel of Time series. Our heroes leave the city of Tear and split into groups. Min learns about the volatile situation at the White Tower of the Aes Sedai at Tar Valon. Perrin, Faile, and Loial travel to liberate Emond’s Field. Nyneave and Elayne follow the Black Ajah to Tanchico. Rand, Mat, and Egwene head to the Aiel Waste to confront their destinies. Can Rand learn enough about his powers in time to defeat the Shadow Rising?

Summary

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan begins soon after the Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan ended. Tear has been taken and Rand wields the sword that is not a sword, Callendor. The first chapter of the book serves as a prologue, covering four different points of view.

Chapter One starts with Min arriving at the White Tower of Tar Valon. During the Dragon Reborn novel, Moiraine sent Min to explain the events that occurred in Falme to Siuan Sache, the Amyrlin Seat, the leader of the Aes Sedai. This introduces the reader to one of the four main plots of this novel, the volatile political situation of the Aes Sedai.

Chapter One continues with short scenes introducing three of the opposition characters in this book. Elaida is from the Red Ajah of the Aes Sedai. She is located at the White Tower in Tar Valon. Dain Bornhald is a Whitecloak. He is at Taren Ferry in the Two Rivers near Emond’s Field. High Lady Suroth is a leader of the Seanchan. She regrouped the Seanchan at Cantorin Harbor after their defeat at Falme.

Three groups leave Tear at different times. Perrin, Faile, and Loial follow the Ways to liberate Emond’s Field from Shadowspawn and Whitecloaks We meet the citizens of Emond’s Field for the first time since book one. Nyneave and Elayne take a Sea Folk ship to get to Tanchico to search for the Black Ajah. They meet a Seanchan ship’s captain named Egeanin, who is different than she seems. Rand, Mat, and Egwene head to the Aiel Waste to confront their destinies.

The four stories each conclude, setting up the events for the next novel in the series, The Fires of Heaven.

Recommendation

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordon is a great novel, but it is different than the first three novels in the series. The first three novels all ended with most of the main characters achieving success together in a specific location. Eye of the World ended at the Eye of the World, The Great Hunt ended at Falme, and Dragon Reborn ended at Tear. This novel is like the breaking of the Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. There are four groups followed in this novel and each group comes to a climax at the end of the novel, but they will remain apart to pursue their individual goals in the coming novels. That is disappointing but necessary to tell the greater story. This world is big and now the readers will see more of it by following multiple storylines.

There are two parts of this novel I thought were brilliant. The whole series of chapters about Perrin’s journey and struggle against the Shadowspawn and the Whitecloaks at Edmond’s Field come to a satisfying conclusion. Chapters 25 and 26 cover the Aiel Ancestor History Sequence. The stories were complicated and resonated.

The first season of the Amazon Prime Video will adapt the first two novels of the series in 2020 or 2021. I will be interested to see how they adapt this novel in a few years.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9539.The_Shadow_Rising

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book three of the Wheel of Time.

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book two of the Wheel of Time.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book one of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Introduction

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell is a book in the five-book Write Great Fiction series published by Writers Digest Books. The subtitle of this book is techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish. The author did not become a novelist until he learned how to create plots for his novels. A plot is a design for a novel. In the book, the author gives his advice about how to develop a satisfying plot for your novel.

Summary

I will detail my top three points raised in this book.

In chapter one, the LOCK system is how the plot is made simple. L means create a compelling Lead. O means create a compelling Objective that the character wants or desires. C means your lead needs Confrontation from an opposition. K means it is necessary for the book’s ending to create a satisfying Knockout for the reader.

In chapter seven, scenes are the essential building blocks of the plot. There are four chords or beats in writing a scene. The chords are action, reaction, setup, and deepening. The chords are mixed to create the scene.

In chapter nine, the character arc is what deepens the plot. The plot causes the character to change, and that change is what the reader desires. Change attacks the character’s core self. The layers of self are beliefs, values, dominant attitudes, and opinions. The deeper the change, the more profound the difference.

Each chapter ends with suggested exercises to expand on the chapter’s lessons. Appendix A has a helpful checklist of the critical points raised in the book. The sections are about plot, structure, plot ideas, beginnings, middles, endings, scenes, complexity, plotting systems, and revision.

Recommendation

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell is a useful book about writing. It is short and easy to read. I found three points that were the most interesting to me. The checklist in Appendix A is also helpful. His advice is sound but like other books I have read. The author has many books on the craft of writing and I plan to read more of them.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16903890-write-great-fiction—plot-structure

Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold is his non-fiction book on the craft of writing, subtitled how to write science fiction and fantasy. Where should you start as a new writer? Use this book.

Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody takes the books of Blake Snyder and applies his teachings to writing novels. She presents complete beat sheets and genre breakdowns of current and past novels. This is the link to my review.

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Another similar book on writing is How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz. This is the link to my review. The book from 1981, but the advice is still great.

How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz

Writing Progress Report June 2020

Writing Progress Report June 2020.

This is my Writing Progress Report June 2020.

What’s going on, Ollie?

Writing Progress from May 2020.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for May 2020 linked below.

Writing Progress Report May 2020

Updated eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating to leave 51 posts to update.

In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished second draft edits for Chapters 26 and 27 in August, chapters 28, 29, and 30 in September, and chapters 19 and 20 in October. I reviewed chapter 21 in November and chapter 25 in December to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters and I completed third draft edits on Chapter 2 in May 2020.

In May 2020, I submitted chapters 29 and 30 of Assassin in New Marl City to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from May 2020 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in May 2020.

In the past, I submitted the stories; The Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

I have submitted Flash Fiction Stories; Get to the Point, LARP Film noir, Space-Dog Confession, Wormhole Generator, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed to magazines.

I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Daily Science Fiction in May 2020.

Also, I submitted “Wormhole Generator” to Flash Fiction Online in May 2020.

Also, I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Strange Horizons in May 2020.

Magazine submissions for 2020 are 6 unique stories submitted 8 times with 0 accepted, 3 pending, and 5 rejections.

In May 2020, I wrote the Flash Fiction, “Principled Rouge” from a computer-generated prompt.

Events from May 2020.

I planned to attend the Ice and Fire Conference in Mount Sterling, Ohio on April 23 to 26, 2020.

They postponed the conference because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the conference from October 29 to November 1, 2020, and I plan to attend.

This is a link to the Ice and Fire Conference website.

Home

Writing Goals for June 2020.

I plan to write three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for June 2020.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In July 2019, I started the third draft edit for my earlier Chapter One and used it in the first pages workshop at Confluence 2019. I plan to complete third draft edits for chapters 3 and 4 in June 2020.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.

Add submissions to Fireside Magazine in June 2020.

Writing Goals for June 2020 continued.

Put the novel, Assassin in New Marl City, into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

In June 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating to leave 43 posts left to update.