Matthew S. Rotundo's Pixeltown

You know I mean business about starting to draft a new novel when I get to naming my characters.

Seriously.  Names are usually one of the last things I do.  I’m not sure why, really.  That’s just my process.  And not to say that I consider it an insignificant task, either.  I often agonize over character names, and I usually learn something about them as they are christened.

As Petra Rising is the third volume in the series, I don’t have as many personages upon which to bestow monikers, but I do have a few new folks—mostly minor but nonetheless important players.  So the great Naming proceeds, to be swiftly followed by—gasp and swoon!—actual fresh verbiage.

I have to admit, folks, I’m nervous.  In addition to the usual first draft jitters, there’s the fact that I haven’t played in the Petra universe for several years.  And this will be the concluding novel of this story arc, which is a new thing for me.  Can I stick the landing?

Time will tell.  Soon.  Magic Meter is coming.

Write Club update:  Personalized note from Shimmer.  Not a good fit, basically.  Response time, six days.

Deep breath . . .

The subplot issue that I was working on last week?  I think I have it resolved.  Kind of.  Enough for me to believe it’s not so insurmountable, anyway.

It’s been that way thus far with Petra Rising.  The obstacles I’ve discovered while making my notes, some of them quite daunting at first, have all just sort of worked themselves out.  I’m telling you, friends, there’s life in this story.  (Cue Victor Frankenstein voice:  “It’s alive!  Alive!”)

(Ahem.  Sorry about that.)

So it appears that I have the first act fairly well in hand, and I have a pretty good idea about the ending.  The second act is a tad murky.  But what the hell; I’ve started with less than this before.  One more week, and then drafting begins.

(It’s alive!  Alive!)

(Ahem.)

Write Club updates:

Tier one bounces from The Dark and Clarkesworld. Response time, less than 12 hours each.  Speedy!

And a form reject from an agent on a novel query.

Onward.

So I figured while I was paused on my notes for Petra Rising, I might as well take the opportunity to update my database and get some manuscripts back into circulation.  Which is what I did.

Now I’m back to my notes, trying to work out a subplot issue.  But I think I’m ready for a bold prediction:  the new novel will roll on April 1st.

That’s right–April Fool’s Day.  There’s actually some precedent for this:  I had started the first draft of Petra Released on an April 1st, too.  So if it’s worked before, I figure it will work again.  Time will tell if the joke is on me.

A few more weeks, then, and we’ll see the long-awaited return of Magic Meter.  I’m sure the anticipation is killing you.

Write Club updates:

A tier one bounce from Fantastic.  Response time, two days.

And a bounce from an agent on a novel query.  Response time, one day.

So it goes.

Onward.