Since I kicked off Evolution’s Hand Book 1: Executive Action back in December 2020, I’ve tried hard to get out of my own way. Over the last couple of weeks, I detected that my inner doubts found a way around my defenses. Wha’s up with that? Also, pre-production work continues on Wayland’s Hammer Book 2 Resistance Movement. Am I ready to start writing yet? I established a record for amount of time spend on pre-production work with Wayland’s Hammer Book 1: Conventional Forces. Is that record in danger? Before we get into those, let’s take a look at the key performance indicators.
Last Week’s Progress By the Numbers
I still hate all the zeros! Even though they are completely appropriate at this stage.
Last week, I struggled with a lack of confidence in Resistance Movement. My old “demons” had figured out how to use disguises. I think I mentioned I’ve been listening to Robert McKee (affiliate link). He didn’t say anything I haven’t heard before. What he did was clarify the relationships between concepts.
I could see how my previous stories would benefit from adjustments. I could see how my thought processes were imprecise. That undermined my confidence. I felt like I was underserving my readers. But we’ve talked about this: every book I write should be from a more skilled position than my previous book. In other words, every previous book should seem lesser in my rear view mirror.
But my “demons” decided they’d hijack Robert McKee’s authority to convince me I didn’t know what I was doing. I could not make progress on the plot or themes.
Honestly, I might not know what I’m doing. I don’t want to make any assumptions. But I have come to know this: Dean Wesley Smith is right. Specifically, when plotting and writing, have fun. Cultivate the creative part of the brain. Leave the critical brain function for proofreading.
It’s not only that some advice isn’t for me. It’s that some advice applies in one context, but not another; another piece of advice, the opposite. Robert McKee is absolutely right, but I need to keep him in mind when I need critical thought. Dean Wesley Smith is absolutely right, but I need to keep him in mind when I plot and write (which are actually two aspects of the same operation, at least for me).
I caught the “demons” this time. I think. The problem is, the demons are my own mind. I am, in essence, going head to head with myself. And damn it, I can be awfully tenacious.
What was it that Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody said? “Constant vigilance?” He was right.
Weaving the Plot for Resistance Movement
I spent this week building the world for the next two books. I finished sketching the political environment for Sirius’s colonies. In doing so, accidentally discovered a key thematic element for Owen Payne’s arc. Then I started getting into the minds of Owen Payne, Gerhard Wimmer, and Moritz Lehner. Typical stuff. They’re the three main POV characters, and this is how I attacked previous plots.
Something huge was missing. The linkage between Lehner and Wimmer felt flimsy. So, I dove into Thorsten Gruber’s perspective. He’s the leader of the SS, and he’s Lehner’s boss. Turns out, he’s now the antagonist’s antagonist. I figured out what he was up to and why. I discovered his plan. But I also learned he’s a layered thinker. He’s a leader-of-men. So I had to cast a new character to be his new second in command. Someone who came from Yellow Fleet and (now) Minister Graf. I won’t go into why, because it’s important to the theme. That helped me flesh out the political environment on Bilskirnir.
I’m glad I’ve finally been able to start plotting!
I also came up with a new featured location. I like to have one or two of those for each book, because it’s fresh for readers and fun for me to explore. And after all that work, I found myself ready to begin building Wimmer and Lehner’s intertwined arcs. I’m about half way done. Once I get to their Midpoints, and I know how both will end. I’ll start on Payne’s plot soon, because I need for his plot to intersect theirs, and I want that activity synchronized.
The previous book took a lot longer to plot. If I can finish the plot this week, the record I set with Conventional Forces will remain intact. Here’s to hoping that record remains for years to come!
Progress against Last Week’s Goals
Here’s how I did against last week’s goals:
- Continue developing the plot for both Wayland’s Hammer Book 2: Resistance Movement and Book 3: Lines of Operation at the same time. In progress! I decided not to do both books at the same time. I think that desire was a result of me undermining myself.
- Continue incorporating the alpha/beta feedback into Dreams of Deucalion Book 3: Bait and Bleed. Ongoing! I still need to incorporate the excellent beta feedback I for from J. Flowers for Dreams of Deucalion Book 2: Flanking Maneuver.
- Evaluate the beta feedback for Dreams of Deucalion Book 3: Bait and Bleed. Done!
- Contract the proofreader for Dreams of Deucalion Book 1: Special Recon. Done!
- Prepare for June’s marketing push. In progress!
Goals for the Week in Progress Report 2025 Week 22
Here’s what I hope to complete this week:
- Continue plotting Wayland’s Hammer Book 2: Resistance Movement.
- Incorporate the beta feedback for Dreams of Deucalion Book 2: Flanking Maneuver.
- Contract with a final beta reader for Dreams of Deucalion Book 3: Bait and Bleed.
- Complete preparation for June’s marketing push. I might have some special news next week.
What Do You Think?
How do you tell the difference between Imposter Syndrome and a valid critical analysis? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
Imposter Syndrome can be a nasty source of demotivation, but it can also be a fantastic source of drive. Although I’m no writer, I am familiar with the feeling that I get by because of sheer luck from time to time. Whether it’s a senior developer helping me out with something, or my finding the exact resource I needed, sometimes, it can feel as though I’m stumbling through my work. Similarly, as a photographer, whenever I capture those shots that I’m proud of, a part of me also thinks, “blind luck, the landscape and the camera did all the work”. Then I start wondering what I can do better. However, this is the opposite side of the same coin becuase I’ll also ask, do I know what I did correctly this time? How can this be applied to next time?
In this sense, the voices in our head might feel antagonistic, but they can also prompt the question of 1) what needs to be improved, as well as 2) what things you achieved that came about because of deliberate application of skill and experience. From this perspective, it forces us to look at ourselves and simultaneously examine points of improvement, as well as appreciate what we did get right.
As a case in point, a couple nights ago, I went out and shot a Milky Way photo that, quite frankly, I hadn’t believed to be possible for a freshmen. The picture was sharp, well-exposed and featured enough ground to make for an interesting foreground subject (i.e. mountains and a waterfall). I’m a novice photographer, and that was a shot I’d expect my seniors to take. When you zoom in and look closely, there’s a bit of star-trailing, and reviewing the photo, I could’ve also featured a little more waterfall and a little less sky. All of these are valid criticisms of that photo. However, the rest of the photo also comes as a result of past mistakes: when I went out for the first time, I foolishly left my camera on autofocus, and the last time I went out, I hadn’t been thinking, so I left my ISO and exposure times too low. So, while my picture isn’t perfect by any stretch, the fact that it did come out okay means I learnt at least something from the past.
I imagine the same to hold true of writing, and your remark, that “every book [you] write should be from a more skilled position than [your] previous book”, absolutely holds true. Everything you build now is based on something you’d done previously, and when you learn new things, those lessons will apply to anything you do later on. At the same time, don’t undersell your achievements, either: when you succeed now, it is precisely because you took old lessons and applied them judiciously in the present. In other words, keep on writing and learning 🙂
Your photo sounds awesome! It’s been forever since I was able to get out to look at the stars. Now that I live in the suburbs, only the brightest stars and planets are visible.
I think you’re right. That was the idea I was trying to get across by referring to my inner “demons” and how I’ve come to interpret those voices — as my own attempt to correct a mistake I know I’m making.
I will confess, however, that I need to work on the whole acknowledging-what-I’ve-done-right part. That’s a challenge!