Tag: Ozias Prince Enthroned

‘Writing a Novel Is Like…’ (2014)

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The Glass Bridge (Bell Mountain, 7)|eBook

I’m currently trying to write Ozias, Prince Enthroned. Not having all the pieces is hard enough. Now I’m looking at–shall we call them “health challenges”?–looming up in front of me. I finished the fourth chapter set yesterday. Maybe it was a miracle. Distractions are not good for novel-writing.

Writing a Novel is Like…

So please pray for me: I just want to be able to carry on with my work, in an atmosphere of peace and normalcy. I have another Ozias book to write after this one. And after that–

Well, we’ll just have to see.

Here I Am Again

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Physical therapy again this morning. This time they got a few whoops and groans out of me, twisting my leg, stretching it, kneading my hip–aagh! Patty says I’m already walking better: she has a better view of it than I do, so I believe her.

Next on the docket, Ozias, Prince Enthroned. I managed four pages today before it just got too flamin’ hot. Today the good guys hit the bad guys with a satire that lowered the approval ratings. As for our own political scene, where’s Jonathan Swift when you really need him?

Now I need to generate a couple more blog posts. To those who say I work too hard, well, what else am I here for? The book has to be finished before the winter comes along to shut me down again. And after that comes Ozias, King Betrayed. 

Meanwhile, I just got out of my chair without having to hold onto the table, so that’s a base hit for my side.

Onward!

Holy Moly! Progress!

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I have rehab today, but first get the blog started and have some breakfast.

Now, because I was thinking about something else altogether, I got up from the table without holding onto it and went into the kitchen without having to brace myself against the door frame. It wasn’t until I was in the kitchen, rinsing out a dish, that I realized what had just happened.

Ooh, ooh! Let me try it again!

Huzzah! I can do it! I have actually made a bit of progress! Calloo, callay, O frabjous day!

I also want to make some progress on my book–Ozias, Prince Enthroned–so I’ll need to set aside at least an hour for that. So if my blog turns out a little skimpy today, at least I can tell you it’s in a good cause.

Obstacles, Obstacles!

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OceanTime

I am trying to write a book: Ozias, Prince Enthroned, Part 2 of a trilogy. I had to shut it down for the winter. Now I want to get back to work on it–only to run into obstacles and impediments everywhere I turn.

Suddenly I’ve got three physical therapy sessions every week. The next day, I’m stiff and sore all over.

Previously scheduled doctors’ appointments.

Can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep. Worry, worry.

Now that’s funny! When I actually list these annoyances… well, they shrink. It ain’t that big a deal, I can handle it. If I had an upside-down exclamation mark, I could shout defiance in Spanish: “Alcaldes a mi!” (“Bring on your cops!” As in “I don’t care!”)

I depend on God to help me in my work; and so far He always has. My books are written in His service.

So let’s get to work already!

 

I’ve Got to Get This Book Re-Started!

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The Wind from Heaven (Bell Mountain, 13) - Kindle edition by ...

Behold! isn’t the end of the Bell Mountain series; but COVID screwed things up, and there are another two books waiting to be published–and half a book waiting to be finished.

Oceans of Time–Kirk DouPonce is busy with the cover art, editors are busy with the text, and I hope and pray it comes out this year in time for Christmas.

Ozias, Prince in Peril–Now we’re going back 2,000 years in Obann’s history to tell the story of King Ozias, King Ryons’ ancestor, who wrote many of the Sacred Songs and was Obann’s last anointed king until Ryons came along. The book has been written, but I have no idea when it’ll be published.

The weather around here, this spring, has been cranky–and there sits Ozias, Prince Enthroned, only half-written, waiting to be finished. So what I have is a bunch of notebook pages outlining the rest of the story. Weather permitting, I would very much like to start writing it tomorrow!

What’s with all this stuff about the weather? Well, I write my books outdoors. It helps me visualize what I’m writing about. And the physical therapy sessions chew up a lot of my writing time. Obstacles! I had to write a Newswithviews column today, and go to the supermarket–so no Ozias today, and only four blog posts. As my mother used to say, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

I hope I can find the bakery tomorrow.

No, I Haven’t Forgotten My Book

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Behold! (Bell Mountain, 14)

Book No. 14 of the Bell Mountain series

These past few days I’ve been reading and editing that portion of Ozias, Prince Enthroned that I wrote before the cold weather set in–some 30,000 words of it. I guess this must be the acid test: Do I like it, so far?

I do! I wish I had more of it to read. Before very long, the weather will allow me to start writing the rest of it. Meanwhile, we have two finished books to publish: Oceans of Time and Ozias, Prince in Peril. Kirk DuoPonce is on board to create the covers. And of course there are the 14 that are already in print.

I pray I’ll be ready to take up the tale as soon as weather permits.

 

Coping With the Cold

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Yeah, I know: it looks like I’m doing nothing, just some dawdler sitting outside, smoking a cigar.

I’m supposed to be writing a book, Ozias, Prince Enthroned. It’s the story of Ozias’ first year or two as king of Obann. Cold weather stopped me halfway through. I can’t write fiction indoors, too many distractions; but outside, in January, it’s just too cold, the ink won’t come out of the pen.

So what I’ve been doing is telling the story to myself, conjuring up one episode after another. I now know how the story ends, and several of the more important steps toward getting there. I hope to be ready to start writing them down, once Spring is here. I haven’t worked this way before, but it seems to be bearing fruit.

Meanwhile, two books await publication: Oceans of Time, and Ozias, Prince in Peril. My editor, Susan, has recovered from her illness and is back to work (thank you all for your prayers!). Soon we’ll need a cover by artist Kirk DouPonce. And then another cover. Maybe by then the weather will ease up and I can write down what I’ve envisioned for Prince Enthroned.

I’m looking forward to it.

No, I Haven’t Stopped Writing

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Bell Mountain Series

It’s been weeks since I’ve written a word of Ozias, Prince Enthroned. It’s too cold to sit outside and write, the ink won’t come out of the pen; and we’ve had all sorts of tsuris around here lately. But I am still thinking about the book; the Lord has shown me two incidents that will have to be included in the story.

I’ll have to wait for more.

And while we’re at it, let me request some prayers for Susan, my editor at Chalcedon and my friend, who’s been sick for weeks now and needs some TLC from above. Please, Father, restore her health and strength and let her take up her work again: bless your servant with healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Conscience of a Queen

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Queen Maressa… What’s she plotting now?

Sometimes writing a novel takes an unexpected turn and it’s all the writer can do not to fall off and get left behind. That’s when the real fun starts!

I’ve just finished typing up another set of chapters of Ozias, Prince Enthroned. There’s no way I’ll be able to finish writing it this year, it’s too cold outside. But there’s already an indication that it’s going to be good.

When your characters whom you’ve made up start saying, thinking, and doing things that you, the writer, never expected–well, you’ve either lost control, but good, or you’re on to something good.

My wicked queen, Maressa, has an unexpected problem: her conscience is acting up. Crikey, I didn’t know she had one. It was buried pretty deeply, but now it’s gnawing at her.

This is so cool. It’s like the book’s on auto-pilot and I’m just a passenger. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Trying, Trying, Trying…

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It’d take a miracle for me to finish writing Ozias, Prince Enthroned. I don’t believe it can be finished this year. All the same, I’ve been trying my level best to get as much of it written as I can before bad weather shuts me down.

I have to write outdoors. I can’t write a novel indoors, that atmosphere just won’t do. You’d be amazed how many times the phone rings, once I settle down to writing.

The biggest obstacle has been the weather. It just won’t play ball. The second half of September, normally one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, was wall-to-wall rain. We went literally overnight from the sweltering heat of summer to a rather chilly fall–just like that.

It’s raining again today.

Happily, I have two books waiting to be published–Oceans of Time and Ozias, Prince in Peril. That gives Enthroned some needed wiggle-room.

I think I know how the book ends; but I am very far from knowing how to get there.