Tag: scifi

Getting A Little Excited

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m breezing through the transformation of the first draft of the scifi dramedy novel into the second draft. At least at the moment. That’s because I’m able to reuse a lot of text that I generated in the first half of the novel.

Things are going to get much, much more difficult when I reach the second half of the novel because I just was more interested in stress-testing the outline that actually worrying about making sure scenes were long enough.

So, I’m going to have go through and really work to make the scenes of the second half proper length and that is going to slow me down some. But, and this is a huge but, I think I’m still on track — maybe — to query this novel in spring 2026.

Maybe.

If that is the case, then I have to start thinking about post-production stuff like querying, getting and agent and…a lawyer? I am totally broke, so unless I can figure out a way to get someone I’m related to do spot me for the costs of a lawyer to look over a book contract…oh boy.

And, yet, on a psychological basis, this is the farthest I’ve ever gotten with a novel so far. I really think I may wrap this baby up sooner rather than later.

Hopefully. Maybe.

But I continue to worry about my bonkers social media output being enough to either make “serious” liberal white women literary agents run away in dismay when they do due diligence on me.

I can’t help who I am, so, lulz?

Continued Musing About My Querying Prospects

Barring some unexpected twist — which is always possible — I’m finally on track to be in querying shape for this sci-fi dramedy novel I’m working on by late spring 2026.

It won’t be easy, but it feels doable.

I’m about to dive into the third act of the newest draft. My hope is to blast through it using the outline as my guide, wrap that up around early January, and then circle back to deepen and polish a lot of the half-formed scenes I left rough on purpose. No one but me will ever see this version, and I needed the freedom to solve the big structural puzzles before worrying about finesse.

What’s been on my mind lately, though, is how my social-media footprint might affect my chances once I start querying. In my head, most agents are liberal white women, and I worry that some of my louder, crankier posts from years past might make someone wince.

I’ve been a rambunctious loudmouth most of my life, so I’m sure I’ve irritated someone somewhere enough to get myself “canceled.” But honestly, I just want to see how far I can get in this process. That’s the whole goal.

And if I can get even one person — someone who isn’t related to me — to read the whole novel and tell me anything at all about it, I’ll be thrilled. In the past, I’ve handed people my work only to be ghosted.

Ugh.

But onward. One step at a time.

Just About To Reach The Midpoint Of This Scifi Dramedy Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

One issue is I just don’t know what draft I’m working on with this novel. I think this is a beta-ish version, but it might be a first draft. But I think if I just don’t overthink things, this can be a beta draft that I just do a lot of work to on a technical basis before I show to other people.

Really, the only issue so far is sometimes I’ve gotten impatient and leaned into what AI has generated a little bit too much. That’s the thing I have to fix before I show it to anyone else.

I have to go in and rewrite all the “AI-talk” out of the text so people won’t just roll their eyes and assume that any of the good parts that exist AI wrote. Just doing that could take me a month or more of hard work to fix all the instances of em dashes and so forth.

But, in general, I really have written most of this novel myself. I’ve just used AI — specifically Claude LLM — to guide me towards what I probably would have written already.

One thing I’m a little bit uneasy about is how saucy this novel gets at points because of the whole sex worker element to it. That was a big obstacle to getting anyone to take seriously my previous novelistic efforts.

But, thankfully, the whole stripping part of this novel happens way, way, way later in the game in this novel than the other thriller novel I was working on.

Update On My Scifi Dramedy Novel For October 30, 2025

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Claude LLM is really, really good at being a manuscript consultant. It has helped me a great deal. I see it as an enhanced, advanced word processor with me continuing to do the hard work of actually, like, writing and stuff.

I continue to feel like I’m spinning my wheels to a limited extent. I have totally changed the order of the plot in some respects just the morning. And I’m beginning to worry about scene bloat. And, yet, I am in the first half of the second act and that’s supposed to be the longest part of the novel.

So…lulz?

The real test will come in the second half of the second act. I have a lot of ground to cover then and I’m really worried the novel’s scene count will balloon. I’m hoping for no more than 120,000 words, but if I start to creep up to 160,00 like a Stieg Larsson novel I may just have to grit my teeth.

But one major flaw of how I develop novels is I don’t really know word count until the very end of the process. And, in a sense, think that’s probably for the best. I just need to shut up and write, as they say.

I really hope this damn thing is no more than 140,000 words. If it’s 160,000…oh boy. That is going to be a tough sell.

Anyway, if you need any creative writing to do, I highly recommend Claude LLM to be your consultant. I say this in the context that I can neither afford nor get actual human literary consultants to give me the time of day.

They think I’m a freaky weirdo that they don’t want to work with.

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.

A Now, For A Momentary Pause

I’ve wrapped the first act of my sci-fi dramedy’s second draft. The milestone feels significant enough to warrant stepping back before plunging into Act Two’s deeper complications.

My plan is straightforward: read through the complete outline, then review what I’ve actually written. This should give me the perspective I need to tackle the rest of the novel with clarity rather than momentum alone.

I’m also considering character studies for the major players. It’s foundational work that often gets skipped in favor of forward motion, but might be exactly what this story needs.

The pause brings up familiar anxieties about craft. I can construct a solid narrative, but there’s a persistent sense that I’m missing something—some technique or insight that separates competent storytelling from compelling work. It’s the kind of self-doubt that either paralyzes or motivates, depending on how you channel it.

I’ll use these few days for broader reading too. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a project is step away from it entirely and let different voices and perspectives shake up your creative approach.

The timeline is loose but intentional: back to full-time writing by late September, possibly early October if the reflection period proves more valuable than expected. The key is recognizing when the pause has served its purpose rather than letting it drift into procrastination.

Sometimes the work requires working. Sometimes it requires not working. Learning to distinguish between the two might be more important than any particular writing technique.

Finished The First Draft Of The Scifi Dramedy I’ve Been Working On

After several false starts with other science fiction projects that never quite found their footing, I’m excited to announce that I’ve finally finished the first draft of my sci-fi dramedy. This one feels different—more focused, more intentional.

The concept emerged from wanting to explore the sweet spot between two films that have stuck with me: Her and Ex Machina. There’s something compelling about android narratives that I feel hasn’t been fully explored yet—specifically, the potential for a more intimate, relationship-driven story in the vein of Annie Hall. I’m not claiming to be anywhere near Woody Allen’s caliber as a storyteller, but that’s the general tone I’m aiming for: thoughtful, character-driven, with touches of humor alongside the deeper questions.

Now comes the traditional advice: set the manuscript aside for a month to gain perspective before diving into revisions. In an ideal world, I’d follow this wisdom to the letter. Unfortunately, my timeline is compressed. Life has a way of intervening, and I know that significant changes are coming in late spring 2026—right around when I hope to begin querying this novel. Given these circumstances, I’m planning for a shorter break: perhaps a few days, maybe a few weeks at most.

The practical reality is that I can’t afford to let this project sit idle for an extended period. Between the natural pressures of time and the knowledge that my circumstances will shift dramatically next year, momentum feels crucial.

For now, though, I have a stack of books waiting and a queue of films and shows I’ve been meaning to catch up on. This brief respite might stretch my break to a few days, or possibly longer if I get particularly absorbed in my reading and viewing list.

Either way, the first draft is done. That’s something worth celebrating.

Now, To Begin Mulling The Second Draft Of This Scifi Dramedy Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m no where near finished the first draft of this scifi dramedy novel I’m working on and I’m already brooding over the second draft. Once I’m done racing through the first draft, I’m going to do a lot of brooding about how to take things to the next level.

Things are going to go a lot slower once I can’t use AI anymore. But I’m hoping that my native creativity will be strong enough that by, say, maybe the end of spring 2026 I will have a beta draft done.

Maybe?

That is just about when my life is going to change in a rather dramatic fashion one way or another. My life is going to be upended a great deal between now and next spring so it will be interesting to see if I still have the wherewithal to finish a novel.

At this point my goal is simple — I just want to write a novel good enough that I can query it. That’s it. That’s all I want.

Now In The Second Half Of The First Draft Of The Dramedy Scifi Novel I’m Working On

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So. I’ve zoomed through the first half of the outline for this scifi dramedy novel I’m working on because of AI helping me. Now, I’m in the second half. Usually, when I do such things on my own, this is the moment when everything collapses and I have to start from scratch.

Hopefully, this is not going to happen this time.

But the same problems of me not getting any younger and also knowing my life is going to be turned upside down soon continue to linger. And, yet, I can’t really focus too much on that, right?

I have a novel to work on.

All I hope is that the novel, after I rewrite it without the aid of AI, will be good enough to query. That’s all I want — a novel that is good enough to query. Everything else will be icing on the cake.