A New Kind of Fiction Writing

A New Kind of Fiction Writing

I have been a little quiet the last couple of weeks as far as writing and my latest writing project. I will continue to be so until next week. But, I will support this.

I am doing a new kind of fiction writing. I used to be a panther and used to type things up as I go.

How many novels do I have published using this approach? One.
One in four years, I might add.
Do you know know how many I've written cover to cover, but haven't published? About twenty.
Do you know how many I have written to about the halfway mark? About one hundred.
Do you know how many I got to the one-third mark? Hundreds.
Do you know how many genres I've tried? All of them.

See the problem?
I do not finish.

I have the commitment, but I tend to write myself in a corner I have no idea how to get myself out of or through. Consequently, I've decided to change how I write entirely.
I have decided to do some book planning for a couple of days. But, I am using a steno pad and a PaperMate Flair in blue and black ink as I plan. (Check. Done.)
Then, I outlined the total book, spiral pad, marker pens. Check. Done.
Now, I'm writing the rough draft on write-up pads with marker pens.  It will take 11 spiral pads for each book, let me add, and I have no idea how many marker pens.

Also, I'm only allowing myself to write 1,500 words per day. No more.
If I have any time left, I use it to study my writing craft more through reading novels and studying them and evaluating them.

So far, I've gotten more done than I have in five years and I think it's the best idea and most solid of writing I've ever done.

I'll keep you updated. It's exciting.

Also, I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo with this novel, which starts July 1st.

Camp NaNoWriMo and My Spiritual Memoir

In July, I'm taking part of Camp NaNoWriMo (Camp National Novel Writing Month), where people around get together and write a book in 30 days. Yes. A book. They write part of a book or an entire book during that space of time.

I try to take part in Camp NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo every year during the months in which I can participate: April, July, November.

This year, I plan on working on my spiritual memoir.

You can find my spiritual memoir and view my progress here--starting July 01, 2014. So, stay tuned.

(NOTE: Click on the bold words above and in this post to go to those links.)

Writing Status

Day 1 of writing was June 01, 2014.

Writing goal per day is 3,637 words per day, 7 days per week.

Total word count goal is 200,000 words or so.

As of right now, I have 8,751 of 11,803 words due today of 200,000 total words.

Writing Marathon, Camp NaNoWriMo, and a New Epic Fantasy Series

Writing Marathon
I've started, as of yesterday a writing marathon, where it's my goal to write at least 3,500 words per day June 01 to July 24, 2014. That's 55 days of writing like a madwoman, as I've coined this crazy adventure.

Camp NaNoWriMo
Also, it's my plan in July to join Camp NaNoWriMo from July 01 to July 23, for I will then be on vacation for almost three weeks. Camp NaNoWriMo is Camp (like what you do with a tent, fire, smores, ghost stories, gazing at the stars kind of thing. Camp National Novel Writing Month where crazy people like me camp out and write a novel for a solid month and forget about everything else--housework, cooking, socializing, you name it. We write a novel. Period. End of story. (Or, at least we try.)

A New Epic Fantasy Series: A WITCH'S DIARY
Yesterday, I started to write a new inspirational epic fantasy series. Over the next 55 days, I'm going to try to write book 1 of this series. (Please, Lord!)

Also, don't judge the book by it's title or the series name (or cover for that matter). It's meant to be a tease or hook and grab attention.

Christians: It's not what you think. Stay tuned. More information to come. It's about the dangers of turning to other religions when we don't even realize that is what we're doing.

Non-Christians: This is series talks aobut all of the major world religions, along with several races, and whether it's possible to develop peace among the different religions or spiritualities, races, nations.

~**~

(Top image credit: Microsoft images online 2009-2014.)

(Bottom 2 Images Credit for Book Cover:
The largest picture of a building, arch, water, and bridge: Image courtesy of sattva / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
The old book in the bottom left corner: Image courtesy of dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Updated June 02, 2014 855 a.m. 

CAMP NANOWRIMO, Writing Progress, and Skydoor's Book Description

This changing the idea for a book in the middle of CAMP NANOWRIMO was probably not my best move. But, I felt almost dirty for what I tried to do in writing the Bible story, and the story of the life of Jesus, in a different time and in a different world. I didn't want to write something that was so obvious and intentional about showing I was doing so either.

This now puts pressure on me to write more and write fast.

Yesterday, I lost a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted this book and series to look like, and it's frankly still a little fuzzy, so I didn't even get the daily minimum word count done (which is now 3,000 words per day for the month of April for CAMP NANOWRIMO).

So, today, I need to write 4,000 words minimum, let me add, in order to get caught up. No pressure. However, it's more complicated than that. I will need to spend the rest of the month getting caught up since I changed my story. After all, I have a grand total of 2,000 words so far and need to be at 11,666 in order to reach my goal at the end of this month.

Book and Series Description
Eighteen year old Cecily has just regained her memory, but not all. She really isn't from Earth, USA, Las Vegas in today's year. Rather, she is from another world, in another dimension, and she is the heir to the throne from her land of Cranvor.
Years ago, she, along with her two most trusted protectors and advisers, were sent to Earth to hide. They all took on different ages on Earth in order to hide and blend in and hopefully not be caught by her enemies who searched the universe, and all of its worlds and dimensions, for her. She started over again as a first grader and it was graduation day from high school when she regained her memory.
The one she was matched with to marry one day would find her when it was time, when their world was either most ready for her to take the throne, or most desperate. When he found her, her memories would be regained. He wasn't just her match, but they loved one another deeply. She remembers she was matched with someone, but does not remember him at all, and frankly doesn't really like him now. But, she sure likes her knight and the one least likely. Never mind how Josiah accidentally overhears everything going on and becomes intertwined in this adventure to find the four who are also living on Earth since they, too, were in hiding.
She is to return to Cranvor, but there is a series of things she must do before she can even think of taking the throne. When Wizard Rufus set the three to Earth, he also hid all of the most important relics of the kingdom of Cranvor and the very things she needed to take the throne most successfully. A group of six must go on a quest throughout Cranvor in order to find these relics and take the throne.
As they go on the quest, Cecily learns just how corrupt the crown and nobleman have become, and the desperation of the people to find a way to save them from the darkness of their world. The old ways have been abandoned since they felt everything good had abandoned them. The people did not know what was done to save them.
Several choices have to be made and a quest helps her to regain more memories, figure out a new way to rule, which goes against the history of the kingdom of Cranvor's old nobility. After all, she learned about the world history from Earth and has learned a great deal of what works and what doesn't, what endures and what doesn't, and the best way for the people to live freely and thrive. Hence, Cicely find her way as she establishes a relationship with the five who join her on the quest. She falls in love with her world and all of the people as well.
However, none of this is easy. She has every adversary out there who want to see she fails or dies. The dark of Cranvor have everything to lose when she returns and they sense an uprising.
Also, she has to survive leaving Earth before she can even think about going back to Cranvor.

UGh! (Ugh! UGH! UgH!): A New Idea and CAMP NANOWRIMO

A new book came to me over the last three days.

And, the truth is, MATTHAN seemed a little blasphemous to me. I want to write an epic fantasy that deals with world religions, politics, adventure/quest, treasure hunt, and a love story all rolled into one.

So, here is the new book and series:

I will do this for CAMP NANWRIMO as well. I just need to write more and write faster.

You can find the book here:
http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/agodlyvision/novels/skydoor

This will be a retelling of the King Arthur, Merlin, Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur, Quest for the Holy Grail, but in a different way. In a different time. In a different world.

Welcome to the world of Cranvor.

CAMP NANOWRIMO Writing Marathon

I'm starting my 4 day writing marathon--now.

Anyone care to join me?

I'm writing for several more hours each day and will try to double my minimum writing goal each day (hopefully more, though). We shall see.

My minimum writing goal for today is: 12,356
My writing marathon goal is: 14,656
Ideal goal for today is: 15,056
This is for:

"MATTHAN

THE CHOICE SERIES, BOOK 1"

Etc. Etc. Etc.

MATTHAN
I think this is a new genre of Epic Dystopian.

LOOKING FORWARD TO MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
I've dedicated Monday through Thursday of next week to a writing marathon of at least twelve hour days.

Matthan: What Kind of Book is Matthan? What is It About Anyway? (A Book Description)

Matthan: What Kind of Book is Mathan? What is It About Anyway? (A Book Description)

"MATTHAN

THE CHOICE SERIES, BOOK 1"

Think: "Divergent," "The Mortal Instruments," "The Hunger Games," "Twilight," "Legend," and "Wool," meets a man named Jesus and his life, but in a different time and in a different world.

It's a New Adult Dystopian, Christian Fiction, with a little bit of a love story.

This is the story of Myka (female) and how she is to make a choice as to what of the eight belief sects she will devote her life to since she's of age and is the year of requirement (Tilgath) for her to make the Choice. She is part of a group of eight who are also of age, and are to make the Choice, and they travel to each of the eight regions to live life as each of them for 53 days over the course of a year. 
They have four instructors or tutors and are taught how to also act as security for each of the regions while they are there, and are also taught about each of the belief sects.

One of the belief sects is a new one and is one most frowned upon because it is so new. It's the Matthanite belief sect, where they follow Matthan. He is supposed to be the next world leader and there are lots of rumors going around about him, both good and bad. Myka is drawn toward this sect, and in doing so, she risks it all, along with her heart, for the one she has fallen for is against that sect.

What choice will she make?

CAMP NANOWRIMO and Writing Progress

Well... Yesterday was a bad day for writing. Around eleven or so, I hit a walk of exhaustion. It's pollen season here, and I didn't get much sleep the night before, and I became so sleepy and exhausted, I realized something had to give. My concentration was also shot. Therefore, I didn't get much writing done at all. Sigh.
But, there is one lesson (of many, mind you) B, my husband, has taught me:
Be kind to yourself.
So, I moved to the sofa and did what I could do and curled up with a good book. I finished it and half of another. Both were Young Adult Dystopian. Consequently, I fed my muse and was able to rest.
There are days you have to listen to your body and let go of all the things you planned. This is even more true with writing. If I didn't, my writing would have been lackluster at best and that would have made me feel frustrated. Taking a break, even though I am in the middle of a writing deadline, gave me rest, which leads to a fresh perspective.
Last night, I didn't get that much sleep again. Sigh. Just couldn't sleep. So, I am tired today, but my mind is fresh. I have the feeling today will be at least a decent writing day (whew). Already my writing has been a great deal better and I am inspired.

CAMP NANOWRIMO Writing Progress (Matthan Writing Progress)

Yesterday was Day #2 of the National Novel Writing Month of April. I'm writing the book:

"MATTHAN

THE CHOICE SERIES, BOOK 1"

It's a New Adult, dystopian novel, a Christian Fiction book, and is a parable about the life of Jesus and the Bible, set in a different time and in a different, parallel world to earth. The whole idea is to present the bible in a different time and world, with different names and in a different setting to show how the Bible can be applies to our lives anywhere, any time. That being said, this series, as you read it, you won't know that's the intent. It will read like a New Adult Dystopian Fiction.

My goal was 4,729 words.

I wrote 6,187 words. (Yay!)

Today, my goal is 8,487 words, in which I'm about to get started.

Again, I hope to give you a synopsis of the book soon.

CAMP NANOWRIMO Writing Progress

Yesterday was Day #1 of the National Novel Writing Month of April. I'm writing the book:

"MATTHAN
THE CHOICE SERIES, BOOK 1"

It's a New Adult, dystopian novel, a Christian Fiction book, and is a parable about the life of Jesus and the Bible, set in a different time and in a different, parallel world to earth.
My goal was 2,300 words.
I wrote 2,429 words. (Yay!)
Today, my goal is 4,729 words, in which I'm about to get started.
I hope to give you a synopsis of the book soon.

The First Line

The first line of Matthan is:

DEATH, AND HOW YOU VIEW it, determines life and how you live it.

CAMP NANOWRIMO Countdown

CAMP NANOWRIMO starts tomorrow! I'm so excited. Can't wait. 

CAMP NANOWRIMO

I have started to work on my CAMP NANOWRIMO book early. What I'm going to do is whatever my final word count is on March 31, 2014 and I will add 50,000 and I will change my writing count goal at that point on my CAMP NANOWRIMO page at that time.
So, I'm not cheating!
I just know this book will be more than 50,00 words, so I can get started now. (And, I'm not cheating!)

My daily word count goal is 2,300 Monday through Friday.

Today is the first day of my writing this book and I've met the first word count goal and have 2,300 words written. Now, whatever I write in addition today, it's my goal to add 2,300 to that total for tomorrow, and so on. This will give me the opportunity to get used to the April word count goal and rate. I will know how hard I need to write in order to accomplish this goal by the time April arrives.

Note From Author

WELCOME TO A WORK OF BIBLE STUDY FICTION

This is the first description you’ll see when you open my blog. It’s at the very top of the page:

“Bible Study Fiction = Christian or Inspirational Historical Fiction + Bible Study = A different kind of fiction reading experience and a different kind of Bible study experience * By Stacy Duplease”

Then, there’s a section to the right, near the top of the blog, that has this header and text:

“MORE OF A BLOG DESCRIPTION: A Christian Historical Fiction series, plus a Bible study, about the life of Jesus and the lives of those who knew Him or knew of Him * The Bible study is at the beginning and end of each chapter, along with at the end of the book. * Also a writing Christian or inspirational fiction blog” - See more at: http://biblestudyfiction.blogspot.com/#sthash.LhmsU8tb.dpuf 

OKAY... SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THIS BOOK?

You might wonder: “Okay... What does this mean for this book?” I know I would if I were you. Therefore, let me try to explain in the rest of this note.

IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK ONLY AS A WORK OF FICTION

If you only want to read this book as a work of fiction, then read only the fiction parts. I will make sure to give a header to let you know what is a Bible study and what is the fiction. So, skip the sections that are the Bible study if you want.

However, you’ll get a great deal more out of this book if you read both the Bible study and the fiction sections. Might I suggest if you want, read it all the way through as a work of fiction, then go back and read it as both and take part in the Bible study? This would be the best way for you to get as much out of this as possible.

WHAT IS THE FICTION BOOK ABOUT ANYWAY?

It’s about the life of Joseph of Arimathea during the Holy Week, with flashbacks of the life of Jesus. This story is told through his eyes, from his perspective, and is in first person.

WHY AM I WRITING THIS BOOK? I WANT TO KNOW JESUS AND THE FOUR GOSPELS

I’ve decided to commit to the next six years of reading the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John monthly. I started this on March 26, 2014 and will do this at least through March 26, 2020, if not longer. I’m calling it: “6+ Year Four Gospel Project.”

Why have I made this commitment? I want to get to know Jesus as much as possible.

WHY AM I WRITING THIS BOOK? PART 2: MY DIRECT ANCESTOR

Last month, I discovered something that was rather astounding. I have been working on my family tree and discovered Joseph of Arimathea is my direct ancestor. He is my 75^th??? great-grandfather. Consequently, I started to work on the “6+ Year Four Gospel Project” as I found a passion to even more get to know everything I can about Jesus.

It also made me want to get to know who Joseph of Arimathea is exactly and I keep wanting to get to know his story. I cannot imagine getting to know it more than through imagining it and asking a lot of “what-if” questions. Hence, that’s what I’m compiling here in this volume and series of books about the lives of those who knew Jesus Christ the Messiah and knew of Him.

BIBLE STUDY INSTRUCTIONS: WHAT YOU NEED

At a bare minimum is:

1 PRAYER JOURNAL: Please get a prayer journal or set one up on your computer to use as you go through this book. After all, there is not a workbook that comes with this book. You’ll be expected to use your prayer journal as a workbook, as well as a prayer journal.

2 At least three versions[1]of the Bible (so, 3 Bibles), but preferably nine or more (I’m not kidding.), with at least one of them being a Study Bible so you can look up cross-references.

Ideally:

3 Access to the internet.

BIBLE STUDY INSTRUCTIONS: PRAYER JOURNALING

Prayer journal as whenever I instruct, but also whenever something jumps out at you as you read. Take notes. Jot down questions, things you want to remember, and any thoughts that come to mind. Interact with the material, the fiction as well as the Bible study material.

END OF DAY AND VERSE OR PASSAGE PRAYER JOURNALING QUESTIONS

These are the questions to answer in your prayer journal each day at the end of the day. But, also as you read one verse and when you read a passage of the Bible.

Why? It’s because interacting with the text (my words and fare more importantly of the Word of God) means you’ll take ownership of it and will be more likely to apply it to your life and remember what you learn.

Here are the prayer journaling questions:

1 What jumped out at you and grabbed your attention?

2 Why did it jump out at you?

3 What does this mean for your life?

4 What did you learn about Jesus, whether you already knew it or not?

5 How can you apply this to your life as something to do or something not to do? Make a plan to do this immediately.

6 Is this a verse or passage[2]of Scripture[3]you want to ponder some more throughout the day? Why? Would you want to ponder it after today as well? Why?

7 Is there something in the reading today you would like to ponder some more today? Why? Would you want to ponder it after today as well? Why?

8 What did God say to you?

9 What did you say to God?

10 Write a summary prayer about #1-9.

WHAT BIBLE RESOURCE LINKS ONLINE DO I RECOMMEND?

They are mainly:

1 http://www.biblegateway.com/

2 http://biblehub.com/

3 http://www.studylight.org/

4 http://www.biblestudytools.com/library/

INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER: LET’S BUILD A COMMUNITY

Interaction between you and me and you and others is something I hope to foster here. Let’s build a community to support one another and be there for one another. Moreover, let’s pray for one another and hold one another accountable to what we read and learn. Let’s have some discussion as well.

So, how will we do this? I hope you’ll check out my blog at: http://BibleStudyFiction.blogspot.com

Attach a comment at the end of any blog post. If you do, your comments will be shared with the world and will not be kept private—unless you mark it as PRIVATE. How you mark it as private is in your text, type something like this out. “I want to keep this private, please. Do not publish online.”

You can also add a comment in the comment section The contact form) on the right hand side of the blog, toward the top.

Or, you can send me an email to: agodlyvision@gmail.com.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, comments, concerns, questions on upcoming books, I would most certainly welcome them.

But, far more importantly, it doesn’t matter when you start to read this book. Meet on my blog and join the community found there. We can be there for one another. Again, let’s pray for one another, dialogue, and hold one another accountable.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS UNIQUE JOURNEY

The combination of a Bible study and fiction makes this not like any other Bible study done before in the Christian Book Market. Sure, some novels have questions in their fiction for Bible study, but I will add a great deal more. For instance, I will include: commentary, Bible study material, questions, thoughts, cross-references, life application, etc. In other words, I will incorporate far more of a Bible study than any other fiction written to date, with additional Bible study material.

The other books were written to be novels—with added bible study material. They are wonderful! I love them far more than anything that doesn’t have bible study material. In fact, I think all Christian novels should have Bible study material. Otherwise, is it really Christian? (But, that’s just me. I’m biased.) I am not saying not to read them. No. Not at all. I just think that in today’s worked. With how busy we are, we can save a lot of time and hassle, never mind money, if we combine novel reading and bible study.

What set my books apart from the rest is I will have just as much Bible study as I do fiction. This is what matters to me and I think it will help us be able to figure out how to apply to our lives today—once we fully understand, grasp, picture what happened in the Bible and what it meant in that day. This makes it easier to grasp it and figure out what it means to us today.

However, this half and half proposition means work on your part as you go through this journey.

30-MINUTE+ COMMITMENT: Needless to say, I will expect more of you than these other delightful novels with Bible study material in them.  This will require a commitment of at least half an hour each day.

This is an unique journey because we’ll explore the Bible for ourselves in a fresh way where we try to imagine what it was like back then. We will learn what the Bible says about what happened, then we will imagine from there what we might have thought as someone looking in, as well as the character whose eyes we will look through, and in this case it’s Joseph of Arimathea.

Are you as excited as I am to begin? It will be an unique reading experience of the best of both worlds, fiction + Bible study, rolled into one. Now… Shall we get started?

---

[1] Version of the Bible: A version of the Bible is the same as a translation of the Bible. The two words version and translation are synonyms and are one in the same.

[2] Passage of Scripture: It’s more than one verse.

[3] Scripture: These are synonyms of one another and mean the same thing: Scripture, Bible, Word of God, Commands, Truth, God’s Love Letter to Us, etc. 

Writing Progress

My writing progress of "JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA" is:

1,013 words of 2,300 due today. 

CAMP NANOWRIMO CONFESSIONS

I've tried to participate in Camp NanoWriMo and NaNoWriMo several years in a row, and since 2009, but have only won twice. Needless to say, I'm trying to break the cycle this time around.

CAMP NANOWRIMO and "JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA"

For the month of April 2014, I plan on participating in CAMP NANOWRIMO, which is where in 30 days, I plan on writing 50,000 words of this Bible Study Fiction novel. This means I plan on writing 1,667 words per day for the month of April.

This novel is a piece of historical fiction, but will be a Bible study as well, and is about the life of Joseph of Arimathea.

You can track my progress on CAMP NANOWRIMO here:

http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/agodlyvision/novels/joseph-of-arimathea 

It's Download Time

It is that time again. The latest download of my book, ELIZABETH is ready for you to download at my store on the Smashwords link below.

As a reminder, it is free. Check it out.

Stacy Duplease
Geneaologist and Historical Fiction Writer

dba Remembering Your Present, LLC & Family Treez Etc

Family Treez Blog and Website: http://familytreezetc.blogspot.com

Email: familytreezetc@gmail.com
Bookstore: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction