Tag: novel

Deep Breath

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Ok, I have to admit that there is an element of sex work in this scifi dramedy novel I’m working on. Figuring out exactly where to introduce it and put it has been the toughest structural part of working on this novel.

These days, I’m imagining my female romantic lead of this scifi dramedy looking like Rachel Sennott.

The key thing was that I initially introduced it too soon it — stripping — too soon and it kind of was a downer, specifically how I introduced it.

But gradually, with a lot of help from AI as my manuscript consultant, I finally figured out the best way to approach things. I’m punting the spicy stuff until the second half of the novel, specifically the “bad guys closing in” part of the novel — the second half of the second act.

I’ve pretty much nailed down the first half of the novel, but the second half continues to be very much in flux for various reasons.

Now, in the past when I had stripping as part of the plot of a novel — specifically the Stieg Larsson homage I worked on for years and years — I couldn’t even get an actual human literary consultant to look at it. The moment they realized what I was doing with the novel, they pretty much told me it was trash and why was I even doing it to begin with.

But this go round, I’m hoping that at least, should I figure out where to find the money, that I can get them to at least read the first few chapters. Maybe?

I have my doubts. Literary types just refuse to take me seriously because they think I’m a drunk kook. And I will admit that at times in the past I have resembled that remark. But I’ve sobered up a great deal. The kookiness, however, remains and I just can’t help who I am.

I’m Definitely Putting My Creative Stick Where The Puck Will Be

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The premise of this novel is zooming towards becoming a reality at a far faster clip than I might have otherwise imagined. So much so, that I have to prepare myself for a movie of some sort to come out — probably just about when I’m about to query in spring 2026 — that steals a creative march on me.

I say this because the idea for this novel is now, officially, in the zeitgeist. It’s like I predicted the conditions that this novel is based on so well that reality literally is catching up.

A lot of screenwriters are going to think the same thing at the same time — probably starting right about now — and the race will be on to write the first scifi dramedy based on all these androids that are now being built and produced.

But despite the risks, I’ve vowed to myself to keep working on this novel until someone comes out with a novel or screenplay that is so close to what I’ve come up with that I absolutely can no longer, in good faith, continue to work on it.

Though I will admit, I definitely feel some heat to actually get this novel done sooner rather than later. I definitely think spring 2026 is the sweetspot for trying to get this novel queried.

I Think The Female Romantic Lead Of This Scifi Dramedy Novel Now Looks Like Rachel Sennott as I Write it

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I used to think my female romantic lead of this scifi dramedy novel I’m writing looked like bombshell Emrata. But the character, in my mind, is evolving. I think she now looks more like Rachel Sennott.

Not that it matters, of course. Lulz. I have to accept that, barring something amazing happening, this novel is pretty much just me mentally masturbating. But it is a lot of fun writing it.

The High Concept For My Scifi Dramedy Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

If I were forced to think of an “elevator pitch” high concept for this novel, I would say, “Annie Hall meets Her meets Ex Machina with a dollop of The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

That, at least, is the goal.

My writing, even augmented by AI, is only so good. So, lulz. I have to accept that I going to fall far short of my goals in some respects. And I know that I’m “comping” this novel to three movies. I just love movies and don’t really think in terms of novels when working on a novel.

And, to be honest, if i was 25 years younger, I probably would be in Hollywood, slaving away as a screenwriter. But, alas, that is not to be. I’m stuck where I am at the age I am.

An Update On My Scifi Dramedy Novel For October 28th, 2025

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Really, my only complaint at the moment about this novel is I keep letting myself drift towards my goal instead of hunkering down and actually working. I could probably wrap this draft up in a few weeks if I just did that.

But, as it stands, I keep drifting towards my goal and it seems like it will be probably spring 2026 before I get to the point where I ready to query. And even then, it could take months, if not years of querying before I get anywhere near to traditional publishing of this novel.

While I’m waiting, I’m going to work on a different novel, I suppose.

I’ve learned a lot about novel writing working on this scifi dramedy. And that has a lot to do with AI. I just can’t afford a personal editor or manuscript consultant, so I lean into the ability of AI to be those things for me. Claude LLM, in particular, is really, really good at being an editor.

Anyway, I think — think — I have the “fun and games” part of this novel figured out. The “bad guys closing in” part of the novel may be a lot more difficult to deal with for various reasons. But I have a pretty good sense of what I want to do with it.

And, I think, I may have the third act figured out as well.

Someone May…Care?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I keep a very, very close eye on my Webstats and something strange happened recently — a person from LA looked at my “replicants” tag. Given the nature of the novel I’m working on, this is causing some creative existential angst.

Is someone going to steal a march on me? Is someone going to come up with a screenplay identical — or nearly identical — to the premise of my novel? I just have to, of course, write such fears off as a hazard of being a creative person.

And given how personal and unique my novel is, I hope — hope — that even if someone comes out with a screenplay SIMILAR to what I have with this novel, it won’t be so similar that I have to stop working on the novel.

If anything, if someone else came out with a *somewhat* similar concept, but my idea was still as personal and unique as it is now, it might be seen as a “13th Floor Vs. The Matrix” type situation.

The moral of the story — don’t overthink things. Shut up and write.

Update On My Scifi Dramedy Novel For Oct. 23, 2025

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Things are going fairly well with the novel right now. I have only four or five more scenes left in the first act before I can start working on the “fun and games” part of the novel.

That is, of course, if everything goes according to plan.

If things are going to collapse, it usually is in the transitional phase between parts of the novel that it happens. But I really need to stop drifting towards my goal. I really need to focus more and actually get work done on this novel even when maybe I’m not…feeling it.

It’s really tough, though. I’m so used to just drifting towards my goal — hence why I’ve been working on a novel of query-level writing for so long — that meh. Sometimes, it’s tough.

But maybe things will change. Maybe I’ll find some way to summon up some focus and actually buckle down. Wish me luck.

An Update On My Scifi Dramedy Novel For Oct. 22, 2025

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I did not get nearly as much work done on this novel today as I should have. I was just feeing meh and did not want to do anything all that productive. But there’s a chance I may get a second wind this evening and get more done.

I’m trying — trying — to write at least three scenes out a day. That’s the goal.

And I’m getting pretty good at doing that. But I have a lot more scenes to write and there’s always a risk that the whole thing will collapse in on itself AGAIN and I’ll have to start from scratch.

Usually, the whole collapsing in on itself happens because I realize something about the novel’s structure that causes me to stop believing in it.

Anyway, there’s always tomorrow. I’m growing more more nervous that if I don’t get this thing done by spring 2026 that something will happen to dramatically change the context of the whole effort.

My dream, of course, is to sell the novel in 2026, make enough money to get the fuck out of this tyrannical MAGA country and never look the fuck back. But that would be like winning the lottery.

As it stands, I’m probably going to be dodging bombs and bullets like everyone else whenever the country implodes because of fucking Trump. Uh. He’s America’s Hitler.

Update On My Scifi Dramedy Novel For October 21st, 2025

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m currently cruising towards the end of the first act for my latest attempt to write this scifi dramedy novel. My biggest irritation at the moment is I really want to show the first few scenes to some people, and yet, no.

It’s kind of bad luck to show people what you’re working on before it’s beta-draft ready. I say this in the context of in the past whenever I’ve shown any of my work to people either I don’t really like what they have to say one way or another or the whole thing collapses after they’ve looked at it so their advice is moot.

Ugh.

But my goal at the current moment is to just finish the first act. Usually, the most problematic issues with filling out an outline comes with the transitions between acts. For some reason that’s when I’m most likely to realize I’ve made some horrible structural mistake and I have to start all over again.

Anyway.

I really need to stop drifting towards my goal. I really need to focus and see working on this novel as something akin to my job. Until, that is, I have to get a real job.

Which is a very real possibility because of fucking Trump.

But I still have a few months — I think — before my life will change so dramatically that that becomes a necessity. As such, I really need to put up or shut up. I need to shup and and write, as they say.

I Can’t Keep Drifting Towards My Goal With This Scifi Dramedy Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

My goal is to query this scifi dramedy novel by late spring 2026. But I really need to buckle down and actually do the work, otherwise I’m going to just keep drifting towards my goal.

That’s what happened with my homage to Stieg Larsson. I drifted for years and years, only to finish a novel that wasn’t any good. It was so bad I did not feel comfortable querying it.

So. I’m going to try — try — to focus more. I’m going to try to actually get this novel done at a quickened pace instead of just daydreaming.

One issue, of course, is how moody I am when it comes to my writing. I just sometimes just don’t feel like writing. Usually, this happens when I bump up against some portion of the novel that just isn’t very inspiring.

But hopefully this go round I can push past such moodiness. I feel kind of sheepish about how long I’ve been an aspiring novelist with little to nothing to show for it. And, yet, I know this go round I really believe in what I’m writing and as long as we don’t have a civil war or revolution or the Singularity doesn’t happen, I should be pretty safe.

All I need to do is actually do the work.