January 2021 - Gary David Gillen

Writing Progress Report 2020 in Review

Writing Progress Report 2020 in Review.

This is my Writing Progress Report 2020 in Review.

Nothing like a warm fire on a chilly day.

Writing Progress from January 2020 to December 2020.

I wrote 44 blog posts for garydavidgillen.com in 2020 with the last post in 2020 for Rhythm of War linked below. I have written 200 total posts on my blog from August 2016 to December 2020.

Link to my review of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Updated 86 posts between March 2020 and December 2020 on my website to improve their SEO rating to good, to leave no remaining posts to update. Project Completed as planned!!!

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 the second draft edits in December 2019 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. I finished the third draft edits for Chapter 1 in June 2020, Chapter 2 in July 2020, and Chapter 3 in August 2020.

Writing Progress from January 2020 to December 2020 Continued

From January 2020 to June 2020, I submitted Chapters 1, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 of my novel titled Assassin in New Marl City to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

From July 2020 to December 2020, I submitted Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

I submitted three stories to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Library in 2020. I submitted All Potions Sold Greenhouse, Four Humors, and Chapters 1 and 2 of my novel Cuba Liberto.

In 2020, I submitted nine stories to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library. I submitted Hanibal Washington’s Fall, Dear Allie, Am I Going Insane?, Patient X, Principled Rogue, Bowling Ball Story, Fort Weimer, Thanksgiving?, and Giraffe.

Writing Progress from January 2020 to December 2020 Continued

I made sixty posts on my Goodreads account in 2020 for 275 posts.

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

The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.

Final magazine submissions for 2020 were 7 unique stories submitted 19 times with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 19 rejections.

Events from January 2020 to December 2020.

I attended the ConFusion Conference in Novi, Michigan, from January 16 to 19, 2020. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsors ConFusion. This was the last one I attended in person because of COVID-19.

https://2020.confusionsf.org/

The next conference I planned to attend in person was Cleveland ConCoction from March 20 to 22, 2020.

They canceled it because of COVID-19. I plan to go to ConCoction in 2021, but I don’t know if they will hold it.

This is a link to the Cleveland ConCoction website.

http://www.clevelandconcoction.org/

Events from January 2020 to December 2020. continued

I attended virtual Dragon Con Atlanta from September 3 to 7, 2020, and attended eight events. This conference is a great opportunity for me because Atlanta is far away, and I am not likely to attend this con in person.

Link to Dragon Con’s website.

https://www.dragoncon.org/

They held a virtual conference called C’monfluence the Novelization 2020, from October 2 to October 4. The Guest of Honor was Martha Wells. I attended the conference virtually. They canceled Confluence Conference in Pittsburgh because of COVID-19. I plan to go to the next Confluence from July 23 to July 25, 2021.

Link to Confluence’s website.

http://confluence-sff.org/

I attended the virtual Gotham Writers Conference from October 16 to October 18, 2020, sponsored by Gotham Writers Workshop.

https://www.writingclasses.com/

Writing Goals for January 2021 to December 2021.

I plan to write 48 blog posts for garydavidgillen.com in 2021.

The title of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapters 7 to 18 in 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In 2021, I plan to submit two stories to the Wednesday Writing Workshop at South Euclid, Ohio library.

In 2021, I plan to submit 12 stories to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 to 30 in 2021.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, Game Dome, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines. I plan three submissions for January 2021.

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.

Writing Goals for January 2021 to December 2021 continued.

In 2021, I plan to make 60 posts on my Goodreads account.

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.

Planned Events for January 2021 to December 2021.

At this point (January 2021), it is unclear whether they will hold any cons in person in 2021.

I’d like to attend Cleveland Concoction in March, but their website does not have any information about their return.

If the Cuyahoga County Library presents a Western Reserve Writers conference in April, I would attend, but there is nothing on their calendar so far.

I had planned to attend Ice and Fire Con (Sterling Heights, Ohio) from April 28 to May 3, 2021, but they postponed the con to 2022. I bought tickets for the 2020 con and plan to use those tickets in 2022.

Planned Events for January 2021 to December 2021 continued.

Marcon Columbus has dates posted for May 7 to May 9, 2021. I have attended this con many times and would like to attend it in 2021. I plan to have my COVID-19 shot well before this date, so they may hold the con and I will attend.

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con in 2020. They have not decided yet if the 2021 Con will be virtual or in person. Either way, I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

Capclave (Rockville, Md) held a virtual con in 2020 that I missed. As of now, they scheduled a con for October 1 to October 3, 2021. I would like to attend the con in 2021 if it is virtual or in person.

https://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave21/

I attended the virtual Dragoncon Atlanta in 2020. The dates are September 2 to September 6, 2021. If it is virtual in 2021, I plan to attend.

https://www.dragoncon.org/

I attended the virtual Gotham Writers Conference in 2020. They have not decided yet if the 2021 Con will be virtual or in person. Either way, I plan to attend.

https://www.writingclasses.com/writers-conference/index

Writing Progress Report 2020 in Review.

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows eight storylines for the forces of Light. The Forsaken also plot to pit the forces of Light against each other. Rand travels by portal between Cairhien and Caemlyn, trying to merge his power and planning for Elayne to become the queen of both countries. Mat is at the head of the Band of the Red Hand and Rand points his forces at the Forsaken Sammuel in Ilian.

Perrin feels the ta’veren pull and heads to Caemlyn to help Rand. Egwene learns from the Wise Ones and faces her destiny. Nynaeve and Elayne are part of the Salidar Aes Sedai. Min travels to Caemlyn to convince Rand to support the Salidar Aes Sedai. When the Forsaken plot pushes Rand to the edge, will the Lord of Chaos rule or will Rand succeed?

Summary – Prologue

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan follows eight characters and features various Forsaken.

The prologue of the novel is 72 pages in the paperback and covers eleven different points of view.

Forsaken Demandred hatches the Lord of Chaos Plot with other Forsaken. There were a total of Thirteen Forsaken who swerved the Dark One during the Age of Legends. Though Rand and others have killed a few. (or have they?)

Nynaeve and Elayne are part of the Salidar Aes Sedai in the town of Salidar in Altara. The Salidar six rule the Salidar Aes Sedai. They want to elect their Amyrlin Seat to reclaim the White Tower from Elaida, the White Tower Aes Sedai Amyrlin Seat.

Perrin and Faile rule the Two Rivers in Andor. Perrin feels the pull of ta’veren to aide Rand.

Summary-Prologue Continued

Gawyn Trakand (Elayne’s brother) leads the Younglings (former Warders in Training) serving the White Tower Aes Sedai of the Amyrlin Seat Elaida in Tar Valon.

Katherine Alruddin Aes Sedai is part of the White Tower Embassy to Rand. She is part of the Black Ajah and conspires with a noblewoman from Cairhein against Rand.

Sevanna of the Shaido Clan of the Aiel plans her revenge against Rand.

Morgase Trakand (Elayne’s and Gawyn’s mother and the rightful queen of Andor) had fled Andor to enlist the aid of the Whitecloaks (in Amador) to regain her throne. (The Forsaken Ravin had taken her kingdom. Rand eliminated Ravin, but no one knows Morgase is still alive.)

Lord Captain Commander Pedron Naill of the Children of the Light (the Whitecloaks) offers Morgase a price for his aid to help her retake Andor. It is a price that Morgase is reluctant to pay.

Forsaken Mesaana converses with Forsaken Semirhage and Forsaken Demandred.

Forsaken Osan’gar and Forsaken Aran’gar are reborn at Shayol Ghul.

Summary–Groups of characters

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan follows three groups of characters. The first group is the ta’veren; Rand, Perrin, and Mat, all from the Two Rivers. The ta’veren are agents of Light for the Wheel of Time. Rand is the Dragon Reborn, the main hero for the Light in the Wheel of Time. He is fated to face the Dark One and the forces of darkness at the Last Battle. Rand has the backing of the Aiel clans from the Waste (except for the Shaido clan). He has brought the clans to the Westlands. His coalition includes Tear, Cairhein, and Andor.

Mat is his best general, in charge of the Band of the Red Hand. Rand sends Mat with the Band toward Tear to occupy the thoughts of the Forsaken Sammuel who rules Ilian. Perrin rules the Two Rivers, but the pull of the ta’veren causes him to seek out Rand.

Summary–Groups of characters Continued

The second group of characters is the Two Rivers Aes Sedai; Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne. The Aes Sedai use the female part of the One Power. Egwene studies with the Wise Ones, Aiel who use the One Power. She came with Rand and the Aiel to Cairhein. She will face her destiny with the Salidar Aes Sedai. Elayne and Nynaeve are Accepted with the Salidar Aes Sedai.

The third group of characters is Rand’s girlfriends. The three women vie for Rand’s attention. Elayne has professed her love to him, but they have been apart for a long time. Aviendha is the Aiel assigned by the Wise Ones to watch Rand, but they have a romantic relationship. The complication to their relationship is that Aviendha knows Elayne’s love for Rand and doesn’t want to take his affection for her from him. Min is from the mountains near the Two Rivers and has the gift of foresight. She loves Rand but doesn’t know if he returns her love. She comes with the Salidar Aes Sedai embassy to Rand. Min wants to see where her relationship with Rand can go.

Summary–Best Plot Points

Three Plot Points stand out in Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan.

Nynaeve and Elayne are Accepted (the level above Novice but below full Aes Sedai) with the Salidar Aes Sedai. They get knowledge about the Age of Legends from their captive Forsaken. Nynaeve has been contemplating how to use the One Power in a way that no one expects can work. This action has been foreshadowed since early in the series. She tries the action in Chapter 29, Fire and Spirit, and in Chapter 30, To Heal Again. These are two great chapters.

Egwene trains with the Aiel Wise Ones. She follows Rand and the Aiel to Carhien. She must figure out how she fits with the Salidar Aes Sedai. Chapter 37 When the Battle Begins covers the character’s reaction to the event that ends the previous chapter. The chapter has six points of view of characters who react to that pivotal event. The interplay between their reactions is excellent.

This whole novel, all 1011 paperback pages, leads up to what happens at Dumai’s Wells. Step-by-step Rand is boxed into a corner. What he does and the aftermath of his actions are epic and worth the page count.

Recommendation

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan ends with an epic climax at Dumai’s Wells. I thought three plot points were excellent. Nynaeve’s triumphant use of the One Power, Egwene’s fate with the Salidar Aes Sedai, and Rand’s brush with the insanity that led to the epic conclusion at Dumai’s Wells. But it took too long to get to those plot points. About half the chapters before Chapter 29 could have been shortened or cut and the storyline would not have been affected. The Morgase subplot is not furthered or completed in this novel and could have been dropped here. (For example, Perrin did not appear at all in The Fires of Heaven.) The best parts make reading the rest worth it.

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

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35231.Lord_of_Chaos

This is the link to my review of Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, Book Five of the Wheel of Time.

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time.

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

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

Writing Progress Report January 2021

Writing Progress Report January 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report January 2021.

The Presents underneath the tree. Merry Christmas!

Writing Progress from December 2020.

I wrote five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for December 2020 linked below. Posts on my blog are up to 200 total beginning in August 2016.

Writing Progress Report December 2020

Updated nine posts in December 2020 on my website to improve their SEO rating to good, to leave no remaining posts to update. Project Completed as planned!!!

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 the second draft edits in December 2019 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 finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.

In December 2020, I submitted Chapter 6 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In December 2020, I submitted the story “Giraffe” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from December 2020 Continued

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

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

I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Strange Horizons in October 2020.

On December 1, 2020, I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Cast of Wonders.

Final magazine submissions for 2020 were 7 unique stories submitted 19 times with 0 accepted, 1 pending, and 18 rejections.

Events from December 2020.

The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan, from January 15 to 17, 2021. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association is the sponsor for ConFusion. They cancelled the Conference for 2021 because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.

https://2020.confusionsf.org/

Writing Goals for January 2021.

I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for January 2021.

The title of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapter 7 in January 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In January 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 and 5 in January 2021.

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. I plan three submissions for January 2021.

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.

Writing Goals for January 2021 continued.

In January 2021, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

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.

Planned Events for January 2021.

https://2020.confusionsf.org/