WRITER'S BLOCK MY ASS

Maybe I'm different, but I don't get writer's block.  I just get lazy.  I know what I want to write.  I know what I want to rewrite.  I think about it 24/7.  If I just get off my ass and get in front of the computer, I'm writing.

Now don't get me wrong.  I'm one lazy mofo, but I know what I want to write.  If I'm working on my story on the computer, I'm pluggin'  I may grind the gears trying to find the right word or phrase.  I might have some difficulty figuring out how I'm going to describe something or finding the right words to express a thought.  But there is no writer's block, just laziness and lack of effort.

Think about it.  You're a writer.  You have an idea.  You write about it.  Done.  Oh, if it were only that easy.  My mind is my worst enemy.  'You don't have to write right now.  That's what the weekends are for.  You're stuff is good enough as it is.  You'll find an agent.  They'd be lucky to have you.'

Well, ain't happened yet.  Until then, I have to write, and rewrite, and submit, and write some more, and submit some more.  Maybe it will never happen, but it will.

Until then, don't bother me, I'm writing a book.

TODAY I WILL WRITE SCIENCE FICTION

There, I wrote 'science fiction'.

But seriously.

Today I will breathe.
Today I will wake.
Today I will think.
Today I will hope.
Today I will work.
Today I will write
Science Fiction.

HALTERES- THE PLANET; THE CHARACTER

Following the advice of my good friend, Shannon, I'm going to give you a little more insight into Halteres.  I know it goes against what innumerable 'experts' advise, but Halteres is the main character of...Halteres.

It is protagonist.  It is antagonist.  It is setting, conflict and theme.  Without Halteres there would be no...Halteres.

Now I obviously can't tell you everything about Halteres.  I want you to discover that by reading the novel (Halteres).  I can, however, try to explain why it is so important to not only the novel's content, but to the very existence of the novel.

I can't tell you exactly when the structure of Halteres first occurred to me.  Maybe I could go back into my archives and journals and random notes and find its initial sketch.  For now, I'll just put it at about ten years.  Other elements of the story have histories that extend far beyond that, but we're talking about...Halteres.

For years, the unique structure of Halteres has been floating around in my mind like a sub-atomic particle trapped in my cornea.  As with any worldbuilding enterprise, I began to sculpt the world.  I began to landscape it.  I began to populate it.  Then, I began moving the pieces and creating a story.

And always, Halteres dictated the plot.  It created the obstacles and opportunities for the players, and it presented endless possibilities for creativity.

I can now tell you with much certainty that Halteres holds the same power over me that it does the characters in the novel.  It is a literary conduit for a power I could not conjure myself.  In the story, its structure is what allows the Kynoi to exist in its form, what allows the Arca Trochia to thrive, and what induced the singular conception of Nyk.  In my creative life, it has provided the fertile soil in which to plant my ideas.

THE VISION

Everything they say about getting published is true. 

It takes a long time.  How long?  I don't know yet.  I haven't even gotten a nibble from an agent yet. 

There are a lot of hoops.  How many?  I don't know yet.  I haven't gone through all of them yet.

It takes a lot of hard work.  How much?  I don't know yet.  I haven't begun to put my full effort into this project.

It takes a lot of perseverance and a sturdy integument?  How much and how sturdy?  I don't know yet.

What I do know is I'm not giving up.  I live every day for this project.  I get out of bed every day because I truly believe this novel will be...it must be.

Don't get me wrong.  There are tides of doubt that roll in like biorhythms.  Sometimes (many times) I wonder if it is worth the time and energy.  Then I consider the alternatives.

I was born to write.  Too bad I'd been sidetracked by more mundane pursuits most of my life.  I am still an infant when it comes to writing.  My writing mind is infantile, but so is its ability to grow.

Everything they say about learning is false.

You are never too old to gain new understanding.  It is never too late to start.  You can change.  You can change the world.

HALTERES- SETTING

Halteres takes place in the future.  How far?  Let me say this; far enough to allow the occurrence of several (at least three) epochs of punctuated equilibrium across the entire universe.  But how far is that?  I can't tell you, but I will give you a hint...

Halteres orbits its star, Hestia, in perfect alignment with the solar system plane.  Due to Halteres' unique structure, its axis remains upright and fully perpendicular to the plane.  Halteres' closest celestial partner, Clach Nearth, orbits slightly farther away from Hestia and slightly askew of its plane.  Every 30 years, the two planets reach Syzygy.  Nyk and Brims were conceived during the last Syzygy, and the next one approaches.  This one will be different.  Both Halteres and Clach Nearth are scheduled to align on Hestia's plane during the next Syzygy.  This...will be big.

Halteres takes place in our universe; in the farthest reaches of the Glyptis Cluster of Galaxies, one rich in nebulae and bordering vast regions of open space.  Near its edge, is the Sympan Galaxy, and at its core, a Class K Red Dwarf called Hestia.  Within Hestia's habitable zone lies Halteres and Clach Nearth.

All of the main players in Halteres are extraterrestrials.  No humans exist in this adventure.  However, if we look at the 'main' characters, I'll say fourteen, all are sentient, eleven are hominoid, one arthropoid, one artificially intelligent, and one is the Kynoi.

There is more than one way to reach Halteres; one is by reading this blog and eventually the novel, the other has yet to be revealed.

UPDATE #5

Hello all!  Just writing to keep you all updated.  I've made some changes to the layout of the blog.  On the right you'll see images that are representative of some of the locations in the book.  Eventually, I would like to requisition some really awesome concept art 'cause I don't draw too good.  But for now, it gives you an idea of the diversity and complexity of the worldbuilding I've been doing.  (Thanks for the suggestion, Ryan!)

Also, I've completed several versions of a synopsis; 1 page, 2 page, 2+ page, and long ass version.  I can't post them here, 'cause they's got sperlers!!

I'm still SO EXCITED to get this project out to the public.  I truly believe that it's an incredibly fun and vivid read.  My heart and soul are in this novel.  I hope you'll join me!

NEW QUERY- V6.0

Query- V6.0

Dear Agent,

Nyk was conceived to be a leader; the most powerful individual Halteres had ever known.  Yet Nyk ruled no one, and no one ruled Nyk, until the Kynoi introduced itself.

Now, the Kynoi, source of the energy that flows through every living thing, needs him.  Only Nyk can gather the necessary components to make its return to Halteres possible.  Only Nyk can serve as the Nexus so the Kynoi can once again be whole.

Across Halteres, a conjoined binary planet unique in the known universe, the Kynoi beckons.  Magnificently cursed individuals respond to the power that binds them.  The Comrades of the Kynoi, a multi-species troupe of gifted misfits, begin to coalesce.  Their singular purpose; to recover Nyk and bring forth the Nexus.

There is another who awaits the event.  A being who wishes to exploit Nyk and the Kynoi for more nefarious designs.  For Archon, the arrival of the Kynoi will unleash a power that extends far beyond Halteres; a power that may leave the entire planet decimated in its wake.

Nyk and his Comrades must journey across the farthest reaches of Halteres in hopes coming together and understanding the secrets of the Kynoi.  None of them will be prepared.  None except Archon.

HALTERES is a science fiction/fantasy of 110,000 words with series potential.  It is complete with appendices that include a glossary, technical information and maps.  This is my first novel.

Thank you for your time and consideration.