Blog - Page 10 of 31 - Gary David Gillen

Writing Progress Report July 2021

Writing Progress Report July 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report July 2021.

On June 19, 2021, I took a hike at the Sand Run Metro Park in Akron, Ohio at the Seiberling Nature Realm. This picture is of Sand Run Stream.

Writing Progress from June 2021.

I wrote two blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for June 2021, linked below.

Writing Progress Report June 2021

In June 2021, I submitted Chapter 11 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In June 2021, I submitted my story Erebus to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, 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 on July 2020.

Writing Progress from June 2021 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in June 2021.

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.

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.

Events from June 2021.

No events attended in May 2021.

My next planned event is Cleveland Inkubator from July 12, 2021, to July 24, 2021. It will be a virtual event.

Writing Goals July 2021.

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

The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. I plan to complete writing Chapter 12 in July 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

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

I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in July 2021.

In July and August 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in September 2021.

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 September 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.

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.

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 July 2021 continued.

In July 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 July 2021.

My next planned event is Cleveland Inkubator from July 12, 2021, to July 24, 2021. It will be a virtual event.

Literary Cleveland sponsors the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in North East Ohio. The group sponsors writing workshops, author interviews, and a monthly group meeting mixer.

http://www.litcleveland.org/

Marcon Columbus had dates posted for May 7 to May 9, 2021. I have attended this con many times and would like to attend it in 2021. They officially moved Marcon to occur from September 2, 2021, to September 6, 2021. I plan to attend.

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con in October 2020. They canceled their in-person con for 2021, but they plan to hold a virtual con in October 2021, and I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven

Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, Dream Park Series Book 4.

Introduction

The Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes is set in 2085. Bodyguard for hire Scotty Griffin gets an offer of a job for Kikaya II, the dictator of the Republic of Kikaya. Ali Kikaya, the dictator’s son and heir, wants to take part in a LARP (Live Action Roleplaying) game set at Heinlein Station on the Moon. The dictator wants Scotty to take part in the game and be Ali’s bodyguard. Scotty left the Moon and his ex-wife, Kendra, under suspicious circumstances. Scotty takes the job. When terrorists kidnap the gamers, can Scotty face his demons, unravel the terrorists’ s plot, and save them all?

Summary

The first few chapters of The Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven introduce the main characters of the novel. Douglas Frost is a contracted construction worker on Heinlein Station on the Moon. He once lived in a country taken over by a dictator and renamed the Republic of Kikaya. He wants to go home. Scotty Griffin is on assignment in Geneva, Switzerland guarding a celebrity. The assignment is ending, and he wonders what he will do next. He once worked on the Moon but left under suspicious circumstances. He gets an offer he can’t refuse.

Wayne Gibson is working at a third-rate LARP Fantasy Park in Las Vegas. He was once a hotshot on the LARP circuit but lost his nerve and reduced to working behind the scenes. Angelique Chan tracks him down. She knew him when they played LARP and wants him to play the first LARP on the Moon with her.

Ali Kikaya is the heir to the dictatorship. He wants to play in the Moon Maze Game. Kendra (maiden name Tuinukuafe) Griffin is the manager of the Moon Maze Game. Xavier is the best player on the LARP circuit and most likely to win the game.

Recommendation

It was fun going back to the Dream Park series. It is unnecessary to read the other novels of the series first, though it helps with the background material. This novel reads fast, the action does not stop, and the resolution is earned. I don’t think that this novel followed the formula from the others. The first three novels focused on a group of game players. They began their game, and a complication occurs which must be solved by completing the game. In Moon Maze Game, it was difficult for me to figure out who the novel was about. If Scotty is the protagonist, then the novel is a science fiction thriller with a game thrown in. Sometimes it’s good to change a formula, but I wanted a game-focused novel like the previous ones in the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10439988-the-moon-maze-game

This is a link to my review of Head On by John Scalzi. The book is a science fiction mystery like the Moon Maze Game. In Head On, FBI agent Chris Shane cannot physically examine a murder scene because Chris has Haden’s Syndrome. Chris interacts with the world with an android. Chris must solve a case involving the death of someone with the Syndrome.

Head On by John Scalzi

Writing Progress Report June 2021

Writing Progress Report June 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report June 2021.

I call this machine a Grass Roomba.

Writing Progress from May 2021.

I wrote two blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for May 2021, linked below.

Writing Progress Report May 2021

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 on July 2020.

In May 2021, I submitted Chapter 10 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In May 2021, I did not submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from May 2021 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account on May 2021.

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

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.

Events from May 2021.

No events attended in May 2021.

My next planned event is Cleveland Inkubator from July 12, 2021, to July 24, 2021. It will be a virtual event.

Writing Goals June 2021.

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

The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. I plan to complete writing Chapter 11 on June 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

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

I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop on June 2021.

In June and July 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in September 2021.

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 September 2021, plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.

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 June 2021 continued.

On June 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 June 2021.

My next planned event is Cleveland Inkubator from July 12, 2021, to July 24, 2021. It will be a virtual event.

http://www.litcleveland.org/

Marcon Columbus had dates posted for May 7 to May 9, 2021. I have attended this con many times and would like to attend it in 2021. They officially moved Marcon to from September 2, 2021, to September 6, 2021. I plan to attend.

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con in October 2020. They canceled their in-person con for 2021, but they plan to hold a virtual con in October 2021, and I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

Write Away by Elizabeth George

Introduction

Write Away by Elizabeth George details the author’s teaching method as a creative writing teacher and her writing methods as a bestselling psychological suspense writer. Her thesis is that writing is an art and a craft. The art lives inside the author, but the craft can be taught. Learning the craft of writing puts the author in the proper frame of mind to explore the inspiration of the art of writing. The first part of the book covers those craft ideas using concrete examples. The second half of the book shows examples from the author’s writing illustrating how she constructs her novels, the writing life.

Summary – Part One

She divided Write Away by Elizabeth George into five parts. I will cover each of the five parts and explain the fact I find most interesting in each part.

Part One summarizes the craft. The story has four components: Character, Setting, Landscape (aka World-building), and Plot. The two key concepts are Character is Story and Dialogue is Character.

Part Two is The Basics. The building blocks of the story are Idea, Viewpoint, Voice, Dialogue, and Scene. After she gets an idea, she turns it into a step outline, then a running plot outline. She gives an example of a step outline from her novel A Place of Hiding. The Goodreads link for the novel is: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31367.A_Place_of_Hiding

She gives an example of a running plot outline from her novel In the Presence of the Enemy.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77097.In_the_Presence_of_the_Enemy

Summary – Part Two

Part Three is Technique. She says good writing comes from craft and using craft comes from knowing how to use the tools of language. In this part, she examines specific considerations for writing suspense.

Part Four is Process. She reviews how she developed the ideas for her novel, In the Presence of the Enemy.

Part Five is Examples and Guides. The author summarizes examples of other author’s guides to writing. She examines The Seven-Step Storyline, The Hero’s Journey, Gustav Freitag’s Pyramid, and Three- Act Structure.

She replicates her Character Prompt Sheet, which she uses as a prewriting activity. Then she reprints her initial character sketch for Eve Bowen from the novel, In the Presence of the Enemy.

Next is a list of places where people work. Finally, she has a list of actions which she calls THADs. THAD is Talking Head Avoidance Devices. They are things for the character to do to avoid he said/ she said static dialogue.

The last chapter is named The Process in a Nutshell. It is a step-by-step list with references to the applicable chapter in the book.

Recommendation

Write Away by Elizabeth George is a brilliant book on writing. I first learned of this book from reading the recommended list of writing books on K. M. Weiland’s website. I’m glad I picked this book up. Elizabeth George is a plotter. Plotters make detailed plot outlines before they write, while Pantsers write as their fancy takes them and fixes the story in revision. In my opinion, all writers are somewhere on that continuum. I consider myself a Plotter and was interested to follow Elizabeth George’s method. I’m glad I read this book and plan to use some of the advice in my next project.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Write Away by Elizabeth George.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1848441.Write_Away

I read Write Away by Elizabeth George because K. M. Weiland recommended it on her website. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/ K. M. Weiland also wrote a book on writing called Structuring Your Novel. I read that book and wrote a review linked below.

Structuring Your Novel by K. M. Weiland

Another similar book on writing is On Writing Well by William Zinsser. This book the classic guide to writing non-fiction. It is littered with quotable quotes and excellent advice. Any writer would find help with this book.

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

Writing Progress Report May 2021

Writing Progress Report May 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report May 2021.

Mother’s Day was May 9, 2021.

Writing Progress from April 2021.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for April 2021 linked below.

Writing Progress Report April 2021

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 on July 2020.

In April 2021, I submitted Chapter 9 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In April 2021, I submitted the story “Bear and his Boy” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from April 2021 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account on April 2021.

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

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.

Events from April 2021.

Ice & Fire Con is a convention themed around George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series and HBO’s Game of Thrones. They canceled the cons for 2020 and 2021. They held Ice & Fire Virtual Con from April 22 to April 25, 2021. I viewed the youtube videos on the Ice and Fire youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTy_8FAINB4OTrXnQ77nw0w

http://www.iceandfirecon.com/

Writing Goals May 2021.

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

The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. I plan to complete writing Chapter 10 on May 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.

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

In May and June 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit them to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in July 2021.

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 May 2021, plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 and 5.

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 May 2021 continued.

On May 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 May 2021.

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con on October 2020. They canceled their in-person con for 2021, but they plan to hold a virtual con in October 2021, and I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn Drennan.

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn Drennan, Book #9 of the Babylon 5 Universe.

Introduction

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn Drennan is a tie-in novel for the Babylon 5 TV show. The author connects three stories not covered in the show. What happened to Minbari Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair on Minbar, what happened to Sinclair’s fiancé Catherine Sakai, and how did Marcus Cole become a Ranger. This novel shows what brought Jeffrey Sinclair, Catherine Sakai, and Marcus Cole together to fight the Shadows.

Summary

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan tells the stories of Jeffrey Sinclair, Catherine Sakai, and Marcus Cole that were not covered in the Babylon 5 TV show. There were three questions answered in this novel that was not detailed in the show. Why was Jeffrey Sinclair removed from Babylon 5 and assigned as the Ambassador to Minbar? What happened to Sinclair’s fiancé, Catherine Sakai? How did Marcus Cole become a Ranger?

Marcus Cole owns a mining company on the colony world of Arisia III. A deadly encounter with the Shadows changes his life plan.

Catherine Sakai is a planetary surveyor for the Universal Terraform Corporation. She spends weeks and months on missions discovering resource-rich planets on the Rim. An encounter with Shadows leads her to a new mission.

Jeffrey Sinclair is the Ambassador to Minbar assigned by the Earth Alliance. No one on Minbar will tell him his expected role. He can’t contact Babylon 5 or Earth. The key to his position comes from the Minbari’s belief that Sinclair has a Minbari soul. He ends up becoming involved with the order of the Rangers. The Rangers’ mission is to look for the return of the Shadows.

Recommendation

To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan combines small ideas from the TV show to create a plot. In the show, Marcus mentions that his brother’s death led him to become a Ranger. It bridges the gap between three stories involving Jeffrey Sinclair. First is season 1 episode 22, Chrysalis, when Sinclair left the series at the end of season 1. Second is Season 3 episodes 16 and 17, War Without End Parts 1 and 2, when they reveal Babylon 4’s fate. Last is a three-part comic series named In Valen’s Name, which ties up remaining loose ends. They use Catherine Sakai’s occupation and her potential encounter with the Shadows.

I liked this novel. It explained some unanswered questions left from the series. I would have liked a clearer explanation of Catherine Sakai’s fate. They implied her fate, but not definitively.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/797210.To_Dream_in_the_City_of_Sorrows

My review of The Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos, Book #7 of the Babylon 5 Universe. Can Anna Sheridan escape Z’Ha’dum and can John Sheridan unravel a plot to destroy Babylon 5?

Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos

Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab, Book #1 of the Shades of Magic Trilogy.

Introduction

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab is a fantasy novel. Kell is a rare magician that can travel between different cities on different worlds, all named London. Grey London is our London with the least magic, Red London is Kell’s London with more magic power, White London has even more magical power, and Black London had the most magic power but has been isolated for years. Kel smuggles tokens between each London. He gets a powerful token that leads to a mission with a Grey London thief named Delilah Bard (please call her Lila). Will Kell control the powerful token, or will the token lead to the destruction of all the cities named London?

Summary

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab begins with Kell transitioning from his native Red London to Grey London in the year Eighteen Nineteen. Kell is a special Antari mage who uses a token from the London he is trying to travel to, to pass through a blood portal to that London. He brings messages between Grey, Red, and White London. He is in Grey London to deliver a message to King George III, who is feared is growing mentally unstable. Just delivering messages is not enough danger for Kell, so he also smuggles tokens between the three Londons for favors from collectors. Kell is the adopted son of the rulers of Red London and the childhood friend of Crown Prince Rhy.

Kell gets a token that should not be possible, one from Black London. Lila Bard is a thief from Grey London who dreams of being a pirate. She steals the token from Kell but has no clue what she has stolen. Kell is worried that the token means that someone has opened the passage to Black London. He is forced to gain Lila’s help to return the token to Black London and seal the passage forever, or powerful magic will destroy his beloved Red London. Characters from White London thwart them. The rulers of White London are the twins, Athos Dane and Astrid Dane. Holland advises the White London rulers. Holland is also an Antari mage and can pass through the different Londons.

Recommendation

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab is a great beginning to the Shades of Magic Trilogy. There are fourteen Chapters in the novel. The Chapters are all named. I like that the names all focus on the most important event in each chapter. Each chapter has between three and six scenes, all divided by using the Roman numeral. Each scene is from the viewpoint of one character. The chapters feature alternating viewpoints. Most of the scenes feature Kell or Lila. There are eleven other viewpoint scenes. I liked the structure of the novel. The novel comes to a satisfying end which leads to the world opening up to Kell and Lila’s next adventure.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23211076-a-darker-shade-of-magic

This is my review of Hope and Red, Book #1 of the Empire of Storms Trilogy by Jon Skovron. It is a fantasy novel that has an interesting magic system and has a similar vibe to A Darker Shade of Magic. They published it the year after A Darker Shade of Magic. Red is a pirate and Hope is a warrior. They plan their revenge on those who wronged them.

Hope and Red by Jon Skovron

Writing Progress Report April 2021

Writing Progress Report April 2021.

This is my Writing Progress Report April 2021.

The James A. Garfield Memorial Monument at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. I toured the cemetery on April 3, 2021.

Writing Progress from March 2021.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for March 2021 linked below.

Writing Progress Report March 2021

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 March 2021, I submitted Chapter 8 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In March 2021, I submitted the story “DNA Test” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from March 2020 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in March 2021.

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

In January 2021, I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Fireside Magazine. It is still open.

Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times with 0 accepted, 1 pending, and 3 rejections.

The Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores Magazine suggested the critters workshop to me. My new plan is to submit all stories to the critters workshop before sending the stories to magazines. With the workshop feedback, I will make the last revision before submission. I plan to send in stories starting in March 2021. In the critters workshop points are earned with adequate critiques of other workshop stories. To submit stories, the author must maintain a 75% critique rate. That means three critiques per month average.

I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to the critters workshop in March 2021.

http://critters.org/index.php

Events from March 2021.

Ice & Fire Con is a convention themed around George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series and HBO’s Game of Thrones. Ice & Fire in-person cons were canceled for 2020 and 2021. Ice & Fire Virtual Con will be held from April 22 to April 25, 2021. I plan to attend.

http://www.iceandfirecon.com/

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 shots in April 2021, so they may hold the con and I could attend.

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con in October 2020. They canceled their in-person con for 2021, but they plan to hold a virtual con in October 2021, and I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

Writing Goals April 2021.

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

The title of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to complete writing Chapter 9 in April 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In April 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 April 2021.

In April and May 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit them to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in June 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 April 2021 continued.

In April 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 April 2021.

http://www.iceandfirecon.com/

http://marcon.org/

I attended the virtual Confluence Pittsburgh Con in October 2020. They canceled their in-person con for 2021, but they plan to hold a virtual con in October 2021, and I plan to attend.

https://confluence-sff.org/

Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos

Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos.

Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos, Book #7 of the Babylon 5 Universe.

Introduction

The Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos is a tie-in novel for the Babylon 5 TV show. It tells the background to three stories that were not covered in the show. What happened to Anna Sheridan at Z’Ha’dum, John Sheridan taking command as the captain of the Agamemnon, and the events surrounding the dedication of Babylon 5. The novel brings these three stories together. Can Anna escape Z’Ha’dum, can John defeat a plot to destroy Babylon 5, and will Commander Sinclair keep order on Babylon 5?

Summary

The Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos begins with Anna Sheridan, who is the focus character of the novel. Her story is the one the reader wants to know the most since they did not dramatize it in the TV show. The novel begins in November 2256, just before the dedication ceremony for Babylon 5. The events of the novel include December 2256 and January 2257. The pilot episode of the show begins immediately after the events of the novel, and season one begins in January 2258.

The novel’s plot follows three separate parts. Anna Sheridan’s journey to Z’Ha’dum, John Sheridan’s taking command of the Agamemnon, and the events on Babylon 5 itself.

Anna Sheridan is an exo-anthropologist and a consultant for Interplanetary Expeditions. Interplanetary Expeditions sponsors scientific missions to distant planets. Anna’s mentor is Dr. Chang, who asks her to come on a mission to explore the ancient ruins on the planet Alpha Omega III. They take the spaceship Icarus to Alpha Omega III, but they don’t know that the planet is also known as Z’Ha’dum and is the home planet of the Shadows. They are accompanied by the mysterious Mr. Morden, an archeo-linguist. Mr. Morden is important because of his subsequent role in the TV series. They are not prepared for what they find at Z’Ha’dum.

Summary – Continued

John Sheridan is assigned as the captain of the Earthforce spaceship Agamemnon. The crew of the spaceship suffers from low morale because of the policies of their former captain, Captain Best. John and Anna plan to celebrate their wedding anniversary together, but Earthforce assigns John a vital mission that ruins their plans. John must get through to his new crew and foil a plot to destroy Babylon 5. The first four Babylon stations were destroyed or missing, so protecting Babylon 5 is a vital mission for Earthforce. John wants to complete his mission and go see his wife after she returns from her mission to Alpha Omega III.

In orbit around Alpha Omega III, we meet the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. On Babylon 5, we meet the Minbari Ambassador Delenn, Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. Kosh sees the Icarus land at Z’Ha’dum. Sinclair investigates the knowledge the Earth Alliance has of the Icarus’s mission. Delenn tells the Earth Alliance to avoid Z’Ha’dum in the future. Garibaldi investigates potential threats to the upcoming dedication.

Recommendation

Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos tells a great origin story for John and Anna Sheridan. The ending was perfect and sad, but linked up seamlessly with the TV show. The reader knows something that was not known before reading the book, and that was the purpose to add this novel to the lore of the show.

It surprised me when Kosh appears in Chapter 11 and calls Delenn. The first ten chapters were all in either Anna or John’s POV. The author added Sinclair and Garibaldi in Chapter 12. There are only 18 Chapters in the novel, so these characters are late additions to the story. Garibaldi’s part would have hardly been a “C” story in the TV show.

I would have liked to see the Babylon 5 crew through John Sheridan’s eyes. Put him inside Babylon 5, rather than having him watch the dedication. I think that would have been more interesting than seeing Garibaldi put down a lessor plot from inside the station. Keep the novel as a novel of Anna and John before we meet them on the TV show.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1111834.The_Shadow_Within

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi is the first novel in the Old Man’s War series. It is a book in the space opera category and similar to The Shadow Within. This is the link to my review.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, book #1 of The Expanse, is a space opera set in the near future when the solar system is settled. It is a book in the space opera category and similar to The Shadow Within. In Leviathan Wakes, Jim Holden becomes the captain of the Rocinante, and Detective Miller is on a missing person case. Their paths cross and the fate of the solar system lies in their hands. This is a link to my review.

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.

Introduction

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is a traditional fantasy. King Roland of Delain has two sons. Prince Peter is his heir who is the perfect prince and ready to lead. His younger son is Prince Thomas, who is too young and malleable to Flagg, the court advisor, and magician. Flagg secretly assassinates the King and frames, Peter, for the murder. How will Peter clear his name, defeat the ancient Flagg, and claim his rightful throne?

Summary

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is his first traditional fantasy novel. King Roland earned his kingdom by slaying a dragon. The dragon’s head is mounted on the wall in the King’s study. Peter was his firstborn son and heir. Queen Sasha died giving birth to Thomas. Flagg is the court advisor. He is a magician and a master of poisons who has been the power behind the throne for generations. Flagg thinks Peter would make too strong of a king, so he plots the fall of King Roland and Prince Peter to elevate the boy Thomas to the throne. He thinks he can control Thomas and lead the kingdom into chaos. Flagg’s plan involves the sinister poison, Dragon Sand.

The king is dead and Peter is imprisoned for the regicide in the Needle’s top, a tower prison. Thomas is King and Flagg controls him. Dennis is Thomas’s butler and his devoted servant. Peter’s best friend is Ben, he thinks Peter is innocent, and Ben finds the exiles north of the kingdom. Naomi of the exiles is a tracker who has a pack of dogs, including the dog Frisky.

Flagg is happy with the state of his plans. He has a two-headed parrot as his familiar. Thomas learns more from Flagg than Flagg ever expects he can. Peter’s escape plan involves his mother’s dollhouse and threads from many cloth napkins. Ben also has a plan to free Peter. Dennis learns some truth and delivers a letter to Ben. Ben, Dennis, Naomi, and Frisky make a plan and head to the castle.

Either Flagg will bring chaos to the Kingdom of Delain, or Peter will escape and claim his rightful kingdom.

Recommendation

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is the author’s spin on a classic fairy tale. On the dust jacket, the author says he started writing this story to give a book to his young daughter who didn’t want to read his other stories of “vampires, ghoulies, and slushy crawling things.” The plot follows: the prince is wronged and must redeem himself to win his kingdom. King spins the story in his way. Flagg is a complicated villain, though he makes an unforced mistake at the end of the story. The only thing I wanted was to bring Naomi into the narrative earlier. I think a love triangle between Peter, Naomi, and Ben would have tied the story together. David Palladini enhances the story with excellent interior drawings. I added a picture of the title page below. The novel was light and interesting read.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/655707.The_Eyes_of_the_Dragon

The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King