Hi all! I'm so excited to write this post today. I'm finally going! To the place I've been writing about.
A little background before we get there. I've mentioned my epic experience with my WIP a couple of times here at Across The Board, but just in case you missed it... I started writing my first (and only) book back in 2005. So thirteen years ago, give or take. I know. That's a really long time. It wasn't a constant writing every night thing. In fact I've trashed four different drafts (I had a lot of learning to do), started five different jobs, moved six different times during that period-- just a lot of transition. But I did finally finish a rough draft (which is worth a lot more than an unstarted/unfinished one, right?) a month before my son was born (so 3 years ago)-- and I honestly haven't done much with it since. I have slowly been going through and editing, slowly being the key word.
I can't exactly say why. Well, I guess I can. My writing routine (pre-kid) was 8pm to whenever I had 1,000 words down. Well, that routine has been replaced by another. Dinner for the kid, bathtime for the kid, bedtime for the kid, and by then I'm spent. He was also a pretty sick kid, so it's been a tough go all the way around. But everyday he's getting easier to handle-- and I'm feeling the itch to finally finish this project that's been hanging over my head for the past century. And I'm hoping I'm finally doing something that will give me the motivation to start. I'm finally going to Space Camp, which is where my Middle Grade novel starts and finishes.
For those of you who don't know, Space Camp is kind of an overnight, junior astronaut training program for kids (there was a movie made about it in the 80's), but it's also a place you can visit/tour/ride rides on a daily basis. I'm writing this post while I'm on vacation in Destin, Florida. Well, on the way back my wife and I have decided we're going to drive two hours out of our way to visit Huntsville, Alabama so that I can do some book research and hopefully get the motivation I need to finish my book. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I've studied Space Camp through Google Earth so many times I've lost track. But to be on the ground, in the place that I've imagined/written about so many times is going to be amazing. I'm definitely going to take a ton of pictures and report back on next month's post (That Moment When You Finally Get To Visit The Place You've Been Writing About: Part 2).
Anyway, below is the premise of my MG novel if anyone is curious:
Working Title: Mac Magellan and the Gathering of Galaxies
Premise: The first child born in outer space ends up at Galaxy Camp, Space Camp's counterpart in the stars, where he must protect a peaceful gathering of aliens from an ancient evil born of black holes
So if you all have ever had a similar experience, where you've gotten to physically visit a place you've imagined in your mind/written about, please share in the comments below. And as always, thanks for stopping by!
I can't exactly say why. Well, I guess I can. My writing routine (pre-kid) was 8pm to whenever I had 1,000 words down. Well, that routine has been replaced by another. Dinner for the kid, bathtime for the kid, bedtime for the kid, and by then I'm spent. He was also a pretty sick kid, so it's been a tough go all the way around. But everyday he's getting easier to handle-- and I'm feeling the itch to finally finish this project that's been hanging over my head for the past century. And I'm hoping I'm finally doing something that will give me the motivation to start. I'm finally going to Space Camp, which is where my Middle Grade novel starts and finishes.
For those of you who don't know, Space Camp is kind of an overnight, junior astronaut training program for kids (there was a movie made about it in the 80's), but it's also a place you can visit/tour/ride rides on a daily basis. I'm writing this post while I'm on vacation in Destin, Florida. Well, on the way back my wife and I have decided we're going to drive two hours out of our way to visit Huntsville, Alabama so that I can do some book research and hopefully get the motivation I need to finish my book. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I've studied Space Camp through Google Earth so many times I've lost track. But to be on the ground, in the place that I've imagined/written about so many times is going to be amazing. I'm definitely going to take a ton of pictures and report back on next month's post (That Moment When You Finally Get To Visit The Place You've Been Writing About: Part 2).
Anyway, below is the premise of my MG novel if anyone is curious:
Working Title: Mac Magellan and the Gathering of Galaxies
Premise: The first child born in outer space ends up at Galaxy Camp, Space Camp's counterpart in the stars, where he must protect a peaceful gathering of aliens from an ancient evil born of black holes
So if you all have ever had a similar experience, where you've gotten to physically visit a place you've imagined in your mind/written about, please share in the comments below. And as always, thanks for stopping by!
9 comments:
I did the opposite. I wrote a book set in a place I visited, but like years later, so I forgot a lot about what it looked/smelled/felt like.
I'm loving this project, Jonathan. Best of luck.
I remember reading an excerpt you posted of your book here a little while back, and it was really good! Keep at it!!
Hmm so far all my books have taken place in fantasy/sci-fi worlds, so alas, I haven't been able to visit any. Although I did write one contemporary fantasy where a character lives in an insanely expensive residential building in NYC. That was when I was working in NJ, and I was writing based on Google maps haha. I now work about 2 blocks from that building, which feels a little weird, TBH. Suddenly, it's not a just setting anymore...
Yay, Jonahtan! I'm so glad you finally get to visit there. I can't wait to buy your book and read it - then let my daughter read it :) My first two books are set in Colorado. I don't live there, but we've visited several times and we love it there. If we were to move anywhere in the US that'd be the place. My current WIP is set in a small Indiana town. I wonder where I got that inspiration...
Thanks, Kimberly! That's hilarious-- and must've been a little frustrating. I love my project too (love/hate, but still love)!
Thanks, Mary. Appreciate it! Really going to start digging into this thing. Funny about that building-- and also funny that I wrote a short story about a crazy bus driver who worked in your neighborhood when I'd never actually been there myself!
It was awesome, Carrie! Can't wait to tell you all about it in my next blog post. Small Indiana town, hmmm... ;)
And I can't wait for you to buy my book either! LOL!
Oh I love that! I want to set a novel in Paris, which I've been to several times but I obviously need to go a few more times to make sure I'm getting it right, right?
Yes, it definitely does!
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