Only around 400 words written today, between 8am and 8:30am, but I’ve got today’s Future Jeff cartoon to draw before heading to my normal/real life job. The good news is, as you can see from the photo, I’ve hit the 30,000 words mark. Go me! Until next time… keeeeeep writing or reading or both.
Just a quick update. I’m getting on pretty well with the first draft of ‘No Way Back’, my relationship breakup/time travel novel. Thanks to my accountability buddy, Caroline Herbert, all the way over in Canada, my work rate is better than ever. I’m up to just over 10,000 words now, after only a few weeks. I think I’ve finally found the best method for me, which is a little bit of writing every day (with time off for good behaviour on a Sunday). ‘Infectious enthusiasm’ is an overused term, but in this case, it most certainly is not. Caroline’s passion for her writing and novel (‘The Things We Find in the Apocalypse’) has spurred me on to get back into my own writing, so I just wanted to acknowledge that in this post. Thanks for listening, and keeeeeeep writing ✍️
Hello again. I’ve not posted any updates for a while, but rest assured, I have been working hard. I’ve started writing my new novel, which is a cross between ‘The Time Machine’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and possibly ‘Bridget Jones Diary’, although, having never read that last one, that description might not be entirely accurate. I’ll give you plot details in future posts, but for now, here’s the first draft of the prologue.
A Beginning of Sorts
Hi. I’m Rhys. Rhys Baker. It’s been a rough few months – or is it years? – it’s hard to tell with all the time travel in my system. Anyway, a few months back, or whatever – that’s when all my troubles started. Maybe your life’s been even worse – I can’t really see how – and my story will be a welcome distraction from your pain. If so, I’m glad to be of service. I think.
Sometimes, events are beyond our power. We like to believe that we ultimately have control over our fates, but, as my tragic tale will prove, control is as much an illusion as the belief that our pain lessens with the passing of time. In fact, although I couldn’t have known it at the, well, time; time is the very thing that caused all my pain in the first bloody place. I kind of did it all in the wrong order. Don’t worry; you’ll get what I mean, eventually.
I’ll start at what I thought was the beginning…
JOHN D. PAYNE IS WRITING 