Tag: Megan Fox

At The Midpoint: Things Are About To Lurch Forward With The Alpha Release Of The Third Draft of My First Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Very soon — no later than tomorrow afternoon — I’m going to sit down and start to flesh out the second half of the alpha release of the third draft of my first novel. Things *should* move pretty fast now. I hope. I know this story really well now — it’s about a part-time stripper’s obsession with owning a small town community newspaper.

Corrie Yee is the basic phenotype of the heroine of my first novel.

Now, obviously, this is…an unusual concept for a novel. But, lulz, I’m weird, too, so fuck you. (wink.) I get the sense that it’s possible that all my very conspicuous talking about the status of this novel is generating a teeny-tiny amount of attention / buzz somewhere deep in the bowels of the infotainment-industrial complex.

Nothing serious, but someone in Greece — obviously someone on vacation — made a very pointed Google search that found some old copy of the novel that I posted here on this blog. Also, there was a picture of the phenotype of my heroine — Corrie Yee.

My heroine has a sleeve tattoo similar to this one that Megan Fox now sports, even though I came up with the idea first.

I have no idea what any of this means. It could be good — maybe some VIP finds my novel idea intriguing — and it could be bad — a movie producer is going to “steal” my concept and then next thing you know, A24 is coming out with a movie that is pretty much the same story as the one I’ve been working on for so long.

S1-D13-_-Pang-_-mysterious-postcard-RCL-work-day-1Download
S2-D13-Pang-_-interview-surprise-tells-DM-they-need-to-talkDownload
S3-D13-DM-_-will-stay-away-from-Cargo-as-part-of-a-lapdanceDownload

That latter idea is extremely paranoid on my part — I mean, lulz, no one cares about anything I have to say. And I don’t know, while I suppose it’s *possible* my idea is good enough to hang a screenplay on without all the fleshing out I’ve done for the novel….I don’t know. I just don’t know.

I hope to write a heroine as intriguing as Lisbeth Salander.

It could go either way.

All I know is I’m going to keep working on this fucking novel until something absolutely, on a concrete basis, blocks me so it’s impossible and I have to piviot to something else.

Even if someone was going to write a screenplay based on what little I’ve posted about the actual premise of this novel online, it would take them time to write and produce the movie. That would give me some wiggle room, I suppose. But I vacillate widely between thinking obviously I’m doomed and thinking there’s no downside to what’s going on.

Here is my angry rant about what happened to me in Seoul in staring in late 2006, which inspires a lot of the novel I’m writing.

Somehow.docxDownload

So.

Having said all that, I hope to zoom through the second half of the novel in the coming days. Once I finish the alpha release of the third draft, I’m going to take a HUGE FUCKING BREATH and game out canon and character development. The beta release of the third draft will be the one that I either give to an editor or just using to start querying. (After I let some people read it, of course.)

But things should move really fast now. Really, really fast. So fast that there is still a pretty good chance that I might even finish a SECOND novel in the series this year.

At The Midpoint of The Third Draft

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

After a lot more months than I expected, I am finally at the midpoint of the third draft of my first novel. I hope to zoom through the rest of the novel to the point that I can go through and add some uniformity to the novel in some form of Third Draft, Beta Release.

Nathalie Emmanuel in this photo looks exactly like the heroine of my novel.

THEN, after THAT is done, I will try to find an editor of some sort. I don’t know how am I’m going to afford that, however. In fact, if it takes too long, I may just start querying without worrying about an editor.

My heroine sports a sleeve tattoo similar to the one Megan Fox has now.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that two things will probably only happen if something really weird happens that I can’t predict — a find an editor and I get an agent. That’s because the odds are against me when it comes to either one of those goals.

So, if I somehow manage to get either one of those things, something really unexpected and weird will have happened.

Just…*About*…At The Midpoint Of The Alpha Release Of The Third Draft Of My First Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Editor: I need a stiff drink. Too bad I’m sober.

Anyway, I’m just a few scenes away from reaching the midpoint of the alpha release of the third draft of my first novel. This novel is a lot — A LOT — more spicy (and funny!) than Stieg Larsson’s original Millennium series of books. And while I just am not as good as he is when it comes to structure and POVs, I do think that, in general, the story flows a faster clip than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Nathalie Emmanuel pretty much looks literally like my heroine in this picture. So much so I’m worried someone is going to steal a march on me creatively!

And, in a sense, I do feel that I’ve finally, FINALLY, developed and written a novel that has the same vibe as The Girl Who Played With Fire. It’s not fan fiction — it’s its own thing — but the influence that novel has on my work is pretty obvious in the sense that if you pick up my novel after having read the original Millennium series of books you’ll think, “Oh, I get it, this is like a Stieg Larsson novel set in America.”

That is the general goal of things in my mind.

But, in real terms, my novel is creatively its own thing other than a few stylistic choices and a few Form Follows Function things I was kind of forced into doing because of the genre.

My heroine has a sleeve tattoo like Megan Fox sports now, even though I thought of the idea first!

In fact, the biggest difference between my work and Stieg Larsson’s is something pretty basic — our personalities. He seems like he was way more serious than I am and had a far more twisted creative sense than I do. I love to laugh and socialize and it’s a real struggle for me to stay serious — or think about dark things — for too long.

Anyway. No one cares.

They Shoot Writers, Don’t They?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The issue of finding an editor for my first novel is now beginning to weigh heavily on my mind. I find myself wondering how difficult is going to be to get one.

The heroine of my novel looks like Morena Baccarin.

Three issues are at the forefront of my mind. The first issue is can I get one if they do due diligence on me. I’m afraid, like with manuscript consultants, they they will take one look at me and think I’m too much of a crank for them to want to have any professional relationship with me.

Another issue I’m worried about is, well, am I going to have the funds necessary to pay for an editor in the first place. It’s going to take me months to find enough money to pay for an editor, which will delay things a great deal.

My heroine sports a sleeve tattoo much like the one Megan Fox now has, even though I thought of the idea first!

The third issue is how long it will take the editor, once I get them, to clean up my copy and fix any editorial errors on my part. It’s definitely looking like I could finish the novel by my deadline of July 22 and it will STILL be sometime next year before I can query.

Wish me luck.

Am I Going To Make My July 22 Deadline For This Novel?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I can only write so fast. And, what’s more, I have to factor in the idea that I don’t want to “overheat” my creative self by writing too fast. So, I find myself just chilling out every once in a while, rather than speeding through the novel.

The heroine of my novel looks like Morena Baccarin.

But having said all that, I still think I’m probably going to make it. I think at some vague point between now and July 22 I’m going to finish the first novel. I have two other novels I’m working on — one is a sequel to the novel I’m working on and a pandemic scifi novel.

It’s going to be interesting to see how things work out. I have to focus on getting this first novel done. Everything is pretty well gamed out at this point, I just have to do the writing without burning myself out.

My heroine sports a sleeve tattoo much like the one Megan Fox now has, even though I thought of the idea first!

Of course, the fact that I no longer thing has put a different spin on things. On one hand, I am a lot more protective than I was during my drunk phase, but on the other….oh boy. It’s a lot more difficult to get anything done.

A Bit Of Hope

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Now that I’m careening towards the querying my first novel, the issue of potentially finding an editor is at the forefront of my mind. It is *possible* that I *may* have found an affordable one that I can use once I finish the novel.

The heroine of my novel looks like Morena Baccarin in my mind as I write her.

I showed the person the first scene of the novel and I was impressed with how well they did. Their input is exactly what I need to take this novel to the next level. Before I actually used them as my editor, however, I would like to have a Zoom call with them to establish the lay of the land.

My heroine sports a sleeve tattoo much like the one Megan Fox now has, even though I thought of the idea first!

But, in general, just the fact that it’s possible I may be able to afford an editor before I begin to query makes me very, very happy. Of course, the fact that it could be the spring 2025 querying season before I start to query — just as the Fourth Turning happens or AI makes all human-generated art moot — has not escaped my attention.

But you have to have hope.

The Point Is To Tell A Good Story

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So, my first novel isn’t going to be a murder mystery thriller. It’s a novel essentially about a power struggle over a community newspaper that will serve as the cornerstone of what could be a open-ended seven novel project. But, given how fucking old I am and how even if I stick the landing I could be in querying hell for years — I’ll just be glad to finish A Novel.

The heroine of my novel looks like Morena Baccarin.

As such, I’m zooming through the third draft of my first novel.

Though, I will note one annoying thing about all of this — way too many people get all excited and promise to read a chapter here or there only to ghost me. I can never figure out if this means they hate what I gave them and don’t want to give me ANY opinion, they realized they just didn’t want to anything and ghosted me or there’s some third thing going on that I don’t know about.

Anyway, I’m very pleased with the state of this first novel and I’m really beginning to think about the second novel in the seven-novel project as well as a few scifi novels that will serve as a “back up” option in case something happens with the main creative track.

My heroine sports a sleeve tattoo similar to this one that Megan Fox has now. Even though I thought of the idea first!

I still refuse to even think about self-publishing. While I play pretend and give myself five years from the point when I start to query to get traditionally published before I self-publish….I know that’s just a dumb thing I tell myself instead of the truth: I’m never fucking self-publishing.

I’m Going To Have To Lean Into Character With This Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Because of the dramatic restructuring of my first novel, I now have a lot — A LOT — more space to go into character. This is both good and bad. It’s good because the novel is now more character driven, but bad because, well, it takes time to think up characters and their motivations.

The heroine of my novel looks like Morena Baccarin.

And as my storytelling ability gets better and better, I will occasionally pause and mull how hard it will be to make the novel both a page turner and have really well-though-out characters.

In my quest to think through my characters, I may watch Fleabag again in an effort to figure out how Phoebe Waller-Bridge did what she did. I think I can learn a lot from her that respect. What makes a good character? What makes one compelling enough that people get upset or emotional when something happens to them?

My heroine has a sleeve tattoo similar to the one Megan Fox now sports.

I have a long ways to go and short time to get there. The thing is — for a number of years, I’m been so busy working on just establishing some stability with the story of this novel that I’ve totally been oblivious to the importance of character.

Now, like waking up from a dream, I find myself realizing how important character is to this novel and how I need to start fleshing out my characters ASAP.

So, we’ll see.

I Don’t Know What To Tell You About This Megan Fox Sleeve Tattoo Thing & My Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So. Sex bomb Megan Fox…apparently has a sleeve tattoo now? Maybe? Is it a fake one just for a part? I dunno.

Megan Fox….with a sleeve tattoo?

This is only important to me because my heroine…has a sleeve tattoo. It’s colorful and elaborate like Fox’s too. But there is one specific difference between the tattoos that makes any direct comparison between the two different pieces of ink difficult to do — my heroine has the name of a newspaper on her arm in big black letters.

So. I dunno. If Fox’s tattoo is fake and is for a part, then that obviously makes things more complex. But if she just got a tattoo because of her relationship with Machine Gun Kelly then…lulz? I don’t see there being any creative issue with the real tattoo and my imaginary tattoo.

I don’t think so. But it is surreal and…eerie…that something that is so important to the plot of my novel would come so close to being….real in such a conspicuous manner. Of course, people might say, “Oh, so just like Megan Fox?” which will make me angry because I came up with the idea first!

But you just can’t put the world on hold. Things keep moving forward and its inevitable that, given how long it’s taken me to write this novel, that some Real World event would put a different spin on things.

UGH.

Querying My First Novel Will Be Brutal

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Tomorrow, the day after my birthday, is kind of my January 1st. I have vowed to myself that this will mark a new era in my life where not only do I lay of drinking so much, but I also really buckle down with the novel.

I’m watching House of Cards a decade after everyone else.

I have something of an idyllic situation on my hands when it comes to developing and writing a novel and it could change literally at any moment. Then I’m going to look back at this moment in my life and be smarting that I didn’t take more advantage of it when I had the opportunity.

And, yet, having said all that, I know, just know, that once I transition from the delusional la-la land of developing and writing a novel into the cold, hard reality of querying that I have to prepare myself for A LOT of disappointment. I’m already preparing myself to piviot to a few scifi concepts while I query.

The biggest problem I can sense about this novel is it’s just not dark enough. Not enough fucked up, twisted things happen. But, having said that, I have come up with more than one reason for people to keep reading during the really long first act — there’s intrigue and lots of sex — some of it kinky, if consensual.

My heroine has a sleeve tattoo similar to this one on Megan Fox, even though I thought of the idea before I saw this.

I like the idea of talking about kinkier sex in a mater-of-fact, consensual way, even though it’s easy for it to be all rather funny. But, I can’t help myself. That’s just my nature — to be kind of droll instead of dark, twisted and scary.