Back on Task At Last

Hello Friends,

After writing my last post, I found myself more frustrated than ever about my recent lack of progress on the book. I tend to be a goal oriented person, and I had planned to have long since had at least a rough draft of this manuscript completed. With this in mind, I decided to come in to the office today and take some of my weekend to devote to one of my favorite past times.

It seems like forever since I have picked up this work, and I have had to take some time to re-familiarize myself with where I left off! I decided the first thing to do was to type the last portion of the story board I had completed in on the computer. I felt that would refresh my memory some what, and it needed to be done sinc I only had the hand written copy I had prepared the day I did the actual task.

After that was complete, I still felt that I wasn’t “back in the right frame of mind” to begin writing. So, I decided that if I couldn’t write new material I could at least edit some of the old. I pulled out the latest copy of the first ten chapters that I had run off, and started reading the story from Chapter One. As I started reading, I was glad that I had taken some time away from the book.

I found several errors that I had over looked, and was able to tighten up several things in the story that I had missed in my last couple of edits. In my zeal to make progress I had over looked some simple things that just hurt the read ability of the story.

So what have I accomplished today???? I fixed a few problems, but most importantly I have re-oriented myself with the story and the characters, and am now back in the correct mind set to press on with my writing. Expect new progress and in the days to come. I am also working with a friend to do a website and may do a teaser chapter on there, so you can check out the book as well.

I’ll be writing more soon,

L.D. Holtner

Update (4-24-08)

Just wanted to do a little update and a further clarification. Chapter 11 is in progress as is Chapter 13. And for the clarification: Dead Reckoning was the original title I had decided upon for Book 1 and my goal was for a 5 book series. After careful consideration and thought, I came up with some alternate titles therefore Dead Reckoning is not a given, but is still my number one choice. As for the series being only 5 books, that is my goal, but I think ultimately sales and my readers and fans will determine the length of the series.

Now for a small correction…The correct name of the movie I watched was 30 Days of Night. I just made a simple mistake. One I rarely make for I am an avid movie fan and a Josh Hartnett fan as well. And that is just part of the reason I settled on Alaska. I have had the fortunate experience of visiting Alaska and I am not sure where I heard this phrase but it does apply: Alaska is the most beautiful, dangerous place on Earth. Its uniqueness and landscape made it an easy choice in the end.

Look for a my detailed bio to be posted in the very near future.

Well that is all for now and remember to email me anytime at ldholtner@yahoo.com.

LD Holtner

Email Address

Just fyi, my email address is ldholtner@yahoo.com.

 

LD Holtner

No Major News

Just wanted to let everyone know that there is no major news to report on at this time. The book still stands at 10 completed chapters and I expect to have Chapter 11 wrote by the end of the week.

I would also like to take this time to clarify a couple comments that I had written earlier. The title of the book is not a done deal. Dead Reckoning is just a working title for the time being and who knows it may end up as the title, but that is not a done deal. And secondly, my goal is for a 5 book series, but could be even longer, only time will tell on that matter.

I would love to hear from everyone and anyone.

LD Holtner

Progress……Of Sorts

Hey Readers,

I know the past couple of days have found us post free, but today I have found a little time and will catch you up on the work I did yesterday.

The major thing that got done was some story boarding. The story board is now finished out to the end. The book has come out to around 21 chapters, and is going to be at my best guess somewhere between 225 and 250 pages. After finishing the story board there are couple of changes that will need to be made to the first completed 10 chapters in the book.

First of all is the method I am using to give some charachter depth to some of the “bad guys”. Other than the main two guys we didn’t know anything about our badies except their first and last name, a little about what their expertiese was, and that they get killed in some dramatic fashion by our hero. I have taken a new sort of approach of giving the bad guys depth. I am using a stream of consciousness of the one who is involved at the confrontation at the time, and writing an entire chapter from his perspective. This gives him the opportunity to “reflect back” as events unfold. This gives the reader not only a better understanding of this particular character, but of the relationship between this bad guy and the others and the relationship of the bad guy group as a whole.

The other small accomplishment I made yesterday was to write a couple of paragraphs on chapter 13. The hope is that by next Friday the book will be rough drafted chapters 1 through 13, with 8 more left to go. Its hard to believe, but the end is almost insight. I know how the book is going to end now and I have a pretty good idea of the journey the characters our going to take on the road to that end. It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that this was just a mental concept, and now my first attempt at a book (whether for better or worse) will soon be done! I hope only for the best, and until next time………..

 

L.D. Holtner

The Transitional Phase

Hey Again Readers!

I haven’t added any new material to the book since the last time we talked, but I have made some important decisions and done some very important brain storming about what to do with certain characters.

As with any action book or story, this one culminates in a final showdown between the main bad guy and the hero. However there are various secondary characters that have to be “gotten out of the way” so that the ending of the book can be logical. For example, where was “John Doe” during the climax of the book? Why was he there?  Why wasn’t he assisting or observing the main character?

I have come up with a satisfactory solution for this probelm for two characters who were “In the story’s way” before. Not a great deal of progress, but every little bit counts.