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Several of the stories I've written have been in a sort of shared universe. I say "sort of" because the stories are all prequels, featuring characters that are part of a novel that I've been writing in fits and bursts for at least a decade. I've written scattered sections, rewritten those sections, and given up many times. Then, for the 2015 National Novel Writing Month, I decided to start from scratch. For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a yearly challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I knew I wasn't going to be able to write the novel I wanted in only 50,000 words, but I felt it would at least get me started.
So I dumped my original drafts, and spent the month of October doing something I'd always scoffed at in the past. I wrote an outline. In my youth, outlines had been something I scoffed at, a waste of time that a "real" writer didn't need. I hadn't used am outline when I did my first NaNoWriMo in 2011. But I saw that I needed to organize my thoughts, work out a coherent plot before I got started.
So I wrote an outline. And to my surprise, it was a big help. It was very bare bones, but it helped me visualize the novel, work out the high points I wanted to hit in each chapter. I found myself filling it in as I wrote my novel.
I also set up a hard and fast rule for myself. I have a tendency to dither over a first draft. I'll go back and tweak a conversation, or pour over some exposition. But this time, I told myself I wasn'the going to do that. Like Gen. Patton, I would always be on the advance. There would be plenty of time to revise later. The important part was to get the novel written in one whole piece. Then I could hem and haw all I wanted.
I wrote all through November, and hit my 50,000 word mark. It was enough to get me about 3/4 through. I was proud of myself. I had ridden a wave of creativity for a month, despite a couple bumps and bruises on the way, and I had a really good jump start. I decided to take December off for a number of reasons, but was committed to finishing the first draft in January.
Then I hit Writer's Block. Hard.
I knew where I wanted to go, and what to accomplish. But I couldn't figure out how to get there. I floundered. Worse, I lost confidence. My big beautiful novel withered before my eyes.
Which is why I've decided now, over a year later, to publicly state that I am going to get back on track with this novel.
My plan is to use this blog to chronicle my journey. As soon as my first draft is done, I'll post it here, ways l warts and all. I'll go over the bits that I need to work on, the bits that I think are good and just need to be tightened up. I want to go over the novel chapter by chapter, and document my changes.
Let me explain a bit about my novel for those who don't know about it. It's part of a planned series called Sons of Destruction, named for the protagonist's team. I don't have a title for the novel itself yet, so far I'm just referring to it as "Sons of Destruction" or "S.O,D." The setting, characters, and plot, are loosely based on a Role-Playing Game I was a part of over ten years ago. We culled the rules, characters, and other ideas from a number of sources. They bore only a superficial resemblance to the original, so don't expect this to be a "serial numbers filed off" fan work. I've changed names wherever there might be a copyright issue, such as characters whose names were borrowed from other works (a distressingly common activity among new Players).
The novel takes place in the late 27th Century. It is very much a Space Opera, because I happen to love Space Operas. In the SOD Universe, magic is real (and explicitly called magic), though generally ignored by humans. Humanity exists side-by-side with alien races. Some are similar enough to humans to work alongside them, others are "alien" in every sense of the word. Faster-Than-Light travel is achieved using Gates, mysterious devices found at the edge of star systems left behind by unknown aliens.
The novel follows a group of mercenaries calling themselves the Sons of Destruction, on their first job. These are not idealistic heroes like you might find in Star Wars or Star Trek. Rather, the S.O.D. are hardened veterans, rough-around-the-edges sorts who don't fit into regular society and work as mercenaries because violence and death are all they know.
More characters join later on, and the S.O.D. grows as an organization as the series develops, but at the start there are four members.
Alfred "Disaster" Sharp: Former member of a society of soldiers-of-fortune, Disaster grew up in the military lifestyle, and has spent more time in space than on planets. He left after being denied the leadership position he craved, and decided to create his own mercenary company. Disaster is characterized by bloodlust, and likes to use his engineering skills to modify his weapons. He also has cybernetic implants he uses to enhance his abilities, including metal eyes and a prosthetic right hand.
Corgan: An orphan who grew up on a low-gravity domed moon colony, Corgan must wear a sealed exoskeleton to survive in normal conditions. His youth was spent as a guttersnipe, stealing to live. Taken under the wing of a mercenary, he was honed into an assassin. When his former team was wiped out, he found a new group of companions and formed the S.O.D.
Date Tadakatsu: Born on a colony based on 16th Century Japanese society and technology, Tadakatsu's past is a mystery. He rarely speaks, but it is plain to the people around him that his heart is filled with an unnamed rage. Eschewing modern weapons, he combines superhuman speed and reflexes with a nearly indestructible pair of swords to take down more advanced opponents. He is proof that you should not bring a gun to a sword fight.
Ari Parse: The first nonhuman member of the SOD, Ari is from a race that superficially resembles canines. Ari's penchant for human suits, as well as his supercilious attitude, makes him seem comical at times. His inability to make facial expressions gives him a cold air, at least to those who don't know how to read the positioning of his ears. All this conceals Ari's true strength, his powerful psychic abilities. An expert mind reader, he is capable of planting ideas in people's heads. He is the least combat-capable of the four, though in his own way, he is just as dangerous as the others.
I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish the first draft, there's still a point or two I'm stuck on, But I have copious notes, I'm still working on the outline, and I'm hoping that once I get past the point I'm at now, things will move much more quickly.
Time will tell. But please keep an eye out here, I'm hoping that this blog will keep me motivated.
-E. Maxfield Moen
