First Sentences, Jury Duty, and New Beginnings

Jury duty has been survived.  Was pretty much on call all week until they made me come in today.  Some coffee, metal-detecting, and a forced watching of "Night at the Museum" later (including having to listen to Ben Stiller blaring out of speakers while in the restroom)  I survived being picked for two possible trials and am free from Fresno County's tyrannies for the next year.

July 4th is of course this weekend...which for you non-Americans means I get to enjoy explosions and gunfire and dogs and cats trying to sit on top of my head, not exactly prime writing situations, but after that on the 5th I will begin work anew on Gush!  Which is awesome.

Gush is based on a short story I wrote in 2009 called "Down the River" about two women involved in a magical death race who concoct a plan to win the race by "running" a river that bisects the course zone.  The idea of turning it into a full fledged novel was always one I liked and "Down the River" was expanded and outlined and became "Gush" during my 2010/2011 brainstorming period for stand alone novels to write.

I wrote the first chapter which takes place during the start of the death race and made two false starts at continuing work on it, both of which went backwards in time to when our two leads met and then when our two leads returned home for the pre-race festivities.  Both times I felt like I was overdoing character motivations and missing the point and thus tossed out the chapters I'd written.  Instead I've come to the conclusion that the story must be about the race and only what happens during the race and that everything surrounding it will be left to clues and mystery and the occasional character comment.

So it really does feel like I'm starting the novel all over again.

Which is great, because I love starting novels!  I'm getting to start 3 of them in the next year, plus 3 more novelette/novellas and there's a bunch more novels I have sitting in the queue to get done in the next few decades.  Something I do even before I "start" is open up the Word file, type in the title, do some formatting and maybe even outlining, and then come up with a first sentence for the book.  Perhaps it stays the same all the way to release, perhaps it will be changed, but it is there as a placeholder.  The story exists outside of my head, have to put in the work one day and give it a shot at being finished.

So to honor all the new beginnings here's some first sentences for you from future books that will hopefully one day be completed, for you fans to salivate and gnash your teeth over.

Gush:  Ullie's feet itched to be away, but the thick lines of pennants blocked any hope of getting an early start on the Great Course.

Where Do Dreamers Go to Die?:  Have you ever woken up and felt like you were in the wrong dimension?

Scalesword Overdrive:  Sparks of unused magic drifted outside of the trolley's clasped window, the ward-lines surrounding the glass crackling each time a spark drifted too near.

Driving Miss Vicky:  Every time Tyson Bonnie descended the ladder, he was never sure what he would find below.

Shadow Running:  Today was the day, today was the day that Eva Reti lived or Eva Reti died.

No Man's Land:  "There's the pearly fucking gates, Mini," he told his passenger.

Rii Enslavement Book #1:  The slave's first mistake is getting caught.

The Five Gods Series Book #1:  He knew exactly how he was going to die, he was going to die choking, gasping, and pleading for one more breath.

Eat the Future:  Aricia's legs hung over the side of the walkway, dangling like skinny, brass-colored worms.

The Foul Mouth and the Artificial Court:  Can't say I'm a fan of getting arrested.

Will be writing for the next few months and not posting many updates.  Everyone have a fun summer!  Stay cool!  Kill ants!  Watch good movies!  Read good books!  Be the Batman!