:::UPDATE:::
September 14, 2007
:::UPDATE:::
September 12, 2006
A fellow blogger asked me what this book is all about, so I thought I'd refresh my pitch for those who might be curious. Rabbit Years is a literary novel––a concept book about a young man who inheirits a small fortune when his mother dies, then realizes the money brings him bad luck, and bad fortune to anyone he gives the money to. So he tries to get rid of it by gambling it all away, at the urging of his uncle, a degenerate gambler. It's a book centered around the Chinese zodiac and laced with one family's unique superstitions. How's that sound?
Maybe I should just say, "Rounders meets Joy Luck Club."
Also the "The Panama Hotel" is flying along. If all goes well I'll wrap it up early, sometime around the end of October.
:::UPDATE:::
August 17, 2006
I've renamed this book Rabbit Years. I'll blog about why later in the week. But, I've put this on the backburner. It's a little strange to write 320 pages and decide to sit on it, but I need to. I only get one chance to be a debut novelist, and the reaction to the early chapters of my second book are overwhelmingly stronger than this particular manuscript.
The concept is still strong. Two agents asked for partials. But I'm starting the book in the wrong place and need to address that whole problem.
In the meantime, the plan is to have a draft of "The Panama Hotel" done by Christmas.
:::UPDATE:::
June 25, 2006
I'm working on the 4th and final draft––which is basically a new 1st draft. The current incarnation caught the eye of a few agents, and got me into Squaw Valley, but I just wasn't feeling it. The back of the book is working, but the front was bumpy. I figured out why, added a new wrinkle, and am feverishly plowing ahead.
I need to have it done by early August (for Squaw Valley) and have promised partials to two agents by the first week of July.
:::UPDATE:::
April 24, 2006
Finished the 3rd draft. It's almost query time. I'll repost the first few chapters when I get a spare moment.
In the meantime, here are a few flash fiction appetizers:
and something a bit longer,
:::UPDATE:::
March 22, 2006
My wise-reader dug the book. Was hooked midway and loved the ending. That's the good news. The bad news is there were loose ends I needed to tie up and the beginning was slow. So the 3rd draft begins this weekend. In addition to tightening up the front, I'm adding more backstory, giving a minor character more to do, and am changing the entire book's setting to allow more cultural flavorings. Oh yeah, I'm thinking about changing the name too. Looks like I'll be busy for a few weeks.
:::UPDATE:::
February 22, 2006
Finished the second draft. Now I'm wandering around in that post-deadline malaise, not knowing what to do now. I have some short stories I really need to get out the door, more research to do on WIP#2. Itching to back-burner #2 and start on #3. I have a basketball game tomorrow night. A much needed break in my sedentary week of writing.
:::UPDATE:::
February 2, 2006
I'm about halfway through the 2nd draft. Hoping to wrap it up in about two more weeks.
:::BREAKING NEWS:::
December 30, 2005
I finished it.
The first draft anyway. And right on schedule to boot. I've promised myself I wouldn't touch the thing for a couple of weeks, so I'm putting the 2nd draft off until the last week of January. In the meantime, I've started writing (and researching) my new book, Kinder. (Rhymes with Bender).
It's an odd thing. As soon as I printed out my final first draft manuscript suddenly I was itching like a junkie to start my next book. I didn't light a ceremonial cigar (I don't smoke, but you know what I mean) and I didn't even really celebrate in any way.
I guess I like the craft and process of writing more than I thought.
:::BREAKING NEWS:::
December 12, 2005
I'm on the home stretch. At around 220 pages. I should have the first draft done by year's end, then am taking a week off in January for the rewrite. In the words of Cyrus from The Warriors, "CAN YOU DIG IT!"