With the advent of the writing forum, the latest Newgrounds writing competition has begun. Monthly Writing Competition 10: January/February: A Tale of Two Stories. Still looking for two more judges. So, yeah, go check that whole forum out and the competition if you're interested in writing. We've got a good bunch of writers on this site, it'll be a shame if we don't do anything with these skills.

Now that I've said all that you're interested in, you're free to go and ignore my petty musings if you wish.

I'm a measly 1,600 words into the rewriting of my novel, "In the Valley of the Tempest" renamed "Stormbringer", as the first in the Tempest Series. I've been starting quite a few short stories lately, none of which have amounted to anything. I started something today, and I hope it doesn't succumb to the same fate as its brothers. However, if I do complete this story, who's to say that it's not going to turn out a philosophical pile of wank or mull about in a universal glumness. Because basically, that's what I'm heading towards. I've had a great start to the year, very social, lots of fun, but these past couple of days have been chaotic, and it's left me feeling a little burned out. And moody. I'm using that to fuel my latest story, so hopefully, it means I'll be able to write something meaningful, if only to myself.

Good luck to all the writers out there, I can't wait to see what more this new forum has to offer.

Also, thanks to those who bothered to read all of this, even if it's just meaningless me-feeling-sorry-for-myself to you.

Ok, so in November I participated in NaNoWriMo and I wrote a 50,000 word steampunk adventure in 30 days. The results can be found here, but if you want to read it as it is now, you've got to be quick because I'm probably going to take it down soon.

As a rough draft, I'm happy with it, but as a proper novel, not so much. So I'm rewriting it with a lot more action and character development and an upgraded plot. There'll probably be a lot more characters and places and stuff and it'll be a lot longer. In fact, I'm planning on taking the time to turn it into a trilogy or series or something. The other day I started writing the first book, Stormbringer. I have a feeling it's going to be good. I've read a lot more into the steampunk genre since I first wrote my novel, and I feel like it doesn't completely fit into the genre, so for now I'll just refer to it as "neo-victorian science fiction".

Hopefully my rewrites (or my rewrites of my rewrites) will be good enough for publication. If that happens, I hope you'll all buy my books. <3

On another note, I'm just about ready to launch the latest monthly writing competition, and I think it's going to be the most exciting one to date. I still require two more judges, but other than that, I should be ready to launch the competition by the end of the week.

Been out exploring the victorian/new south whales countryside and later sight seeing around melbourne for the past week and a bit. Saw in the new year in melbourne and I got off the plane a couple of hours ago. I checked my emails for the first time in a while and came on here for the first time in even longer. I'm back now. Still writing, still hanging around. If my plans so far hold together, then 2010 should be a very exciting year for me, and hopefully it'll be good for all of you too.

zzz

So I was just preparing a list of songs for this thread only to find somewhere between starting my list and finishing it the thread had been locked. So, not to put my careful choosing to waste, here's my six songs:

"Are You In" by Incubus
"Voyager" by Daft Punk
"Lupus" by Augie March
"The Chariot" by the Cat Empire
"The King is Dead" by the Herd
"Pruit Igoe and Prophecies" by Philip Glass

In the Valley of the Tempest is the first novel (first draft) I've completed. Just on 50,000 words and it's all on display for you to read. It's a steampunk adventure fantasy packed full of action. It's flawed. Really, it's jammed full of bland, uninteresting text amidst the at times impromptu plot. But do read it regardless. It's on my blog and I may send .pdf files to a few of you if you'd prefer. However, I'll probably take it down in a couple of month's time for potential revision. Here are the chapter links:

Chapter 1: Voyager

The tempest stirs, the city trembles, a man dies of unnatural causes.

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 10

Chapter 2: Treefingers

Something's in the water. Something bloated and fetid and floating. In amongst the long weeds and foamscum, it floats by.

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 10

Chapter 3: Oil and Water

Taste it. Drink in the purity and wallow in the truth that you'll never taste pure again. No one ever will, because of your fingerprints, of your dry lips, of your tarnished existence.

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 7-10

Chapter 4: The Cold Acre

Winters come and winters go. You can tell by the freezing and thawing of your hands. But when the winters last forever, that's when you come to know nothing at all.

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 10

Chapter 5: Butterflies and Hurricanes

The tempest stirs, the city trembles, and they all fall down. A war is coming, and they ask you this one question; are you in or are you out?

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 7-10

Chapter 6: No Path To Follow

There is the place that shouldn't be, yet there it is regardless. There are the people that shake the world, there, in the place that shouldn't be.

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 10

Chapter 7: Battle Royale

Some ships carry passengers from place to place. Some ships explore to the furthest regions of this world. Some ships just drop bombs.

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 7-10

Chapter 8: The Tempest

The Tempest stirs. The city trembles. No backing out. Success and failure both lie on the brink of tomorrow.

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 7-10

Chapter 9: Rising Up From the Ashes

The Tempest stirs, the city trembles; no more.

In the Valley of the Tempest 9: 1-5

In the Valley of the Tempest 9: 6-10

WORD COUNT: 50,059

I might look into getting the book published through Lulu.com at maybe 50 copies or so. If that all runs smoothly I'd probably give a few books away and maybe sell a few others as my sort of amateur break into novelling.

I hope you guys like what I've written over the course of November. Now I've got plans to start on a short story, working title: 'Coma' of which I'll reveal more about later.

Thanks to everyone who reads my stories and has supported me in my endeavours on this site. You know who you are. ;)

I just thought I'd share what I've been reading over the past couple of months. And what I've got lined up to read.

Read:
Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Breath, Tim Winton
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld
Animal Farm, George Orwell

Reading (primary):
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
The Beach, Alex Garland
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Reading (secondary):
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
Dune, Frank Herbert
A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin
Dracula, Bram Stoker
It, Stephen King
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
The Wild, David Zindell

To Read:
Nineteen-Eighty Four, Goerge Orwell
The Well, Elizabeth Jolley
Notes From Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
The War In Heaven, David Zindell
The Lightstone 1: The Ninth Kingdom, David Zindell
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
The Green Mile, Stephen King
Duma Key, Stephen King
Making Money, Terry Pratchett
Carpe Jugulum, Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett
Across the Nightingale Floor, Lian Hearn
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass, Lewis Caroll
Survivor, Chuck Palahniuk
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy
The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy
Cities of the Plain, Cormac McCarthy

To purchase:
The Adventures of Augie March, Saul Bellow
The Difference Engine, William Gibson & Bruce Sterling
Boneshaker, Cherie Priest (on order)
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Haunted, Chuck Palahniuk

If you've got any questions or comments about these books or other books by the same authors/in part of a series, I'd gladly discuss them with you. I bought Animal Farm today, which is more of a novella than a novel, so I should be able to get through it in a couple of days or so, I think. Also, if you want to suggest good novels I'm all ears. I'm always looking for a good book, and my pile of books to read is always growing, as is my wishlist of books to buy. But I've been reading a shitload lately, which is awesome, I've read some really cool books. Last one I finished was Leviathan and it's a WWII alternate history/steampunk novel, the first in a trilogy, with part two, Behemoth due next year (I think?). I'm really loving the prose of Neil Gaiman at the moment though. It's just phrased so well. I must look into more of his stuff once I've finished American Gods. Even though I'm only 30 pages in. Bravo Mr Gaiman, bravo.

I'd like to think that some of you guys are following my progress through National Novel Writing Month. I'm tearing up the word count with my shit hot steampunk adventure novel. If you're a little confused, I'll fill you in. I'm writing a 50,000 novel over the 30 days of November. You can read what I've got so far here. It's hell good. You won't be disappointed.

So I'm 18 days in and I'm still ploughing through the words, which is MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR THIS GUY. >:( WE HAD PLANS TO SHOW OUR NOVELS TO THE WORLD TOGETHER. Instead I'm following along with a bunch of writers in the South Perth area, and am currently neck-and-neck with one writer, and it's turning into a bit of a word war, which is doing wonders for my word count.

So anyway, all this talk of my word count and I haven't told you guys what it is yet. I'm currently on 29,031. I'll pass 30,000 tomorrow easily and on Friday I should be able to tear it up even more as it's my day off. 20,000 words to go and still kicking ass. Characters are preparing for a war.

Relevant thread you may be interested in.
My NaNoWriMo profile, for those of you who feel like hardcore stalking me and my ever-growing word count.

I'll see you guys on the other side of November, where you can tell me how brilliant my novel was.

Hands down, steampunk fucking rules. It's stylish and balls-to-the-fucking-wall insane. I found this video, a trailer for a book. And if this doesn't get you interested in reading, I don't know what will.

.
/* */
I want to read the book, it sounds so tantilising and brimming with that in your face steampunk kickassery that we all know and love.

HERE'S MY STEAMPUNK NOVEL IN PROGRESS YOU SHOULD ALL READ IT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK RIGHT HERE
and words of encouragement would be great too. I'm currently pushing on 10,000 words. Around 6-7,000 words behind my target if I want to reach 50,000 words by November 30. Am I concerned? No fucking way, I'm just starting to get into the juicy details of my story and I can feel it tingling and coming to life, and the words, they're starting to flow effortlessly onto the page.

I'm starting to crank out material for my novel for National Novel Writing Month. I'm posting the first draft on my blog for you guys to read as I write, so far I've got the first 6 "chapters" of the exposition up. Been trying to get some major assignments done at the same time so I'm having to juggle priorities. Anyway, here's the links:

Chapter 1: Voyager
[COMPLETE]

The tempest stirs, the city trembles, a man dies of unnatural causes.

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 1: 10

Chapter 2: Treefingers
[COMPLETE]

Something's in the water. Something bloated and fetid and floating. In amongst the long weeds and foamscum, it floats by.

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 2: 10

Chapter 3: Oil and Water
[COMPLETE]

Taste it. Drink in the purity and wallow in the truth that you'll never taste pure again. No one ever will, because of your fingerprints, of your dry lips, of your tarnished existence.

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 3: 7-10

Chapter 4: The Cold Acre
[COMPLETE]

Winters come and winters go. You can tell by the freezing and thawing of your hands. But when the winters last forever, that's when you come to know nothing at all.

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 4: 10

Chapter 5: Butterflies and Hurricanes
[COMPLETE]

The tempest stirs, the city trembles, and they all fall down. A war is coming, and they ask you this one question; are you in or are you out?

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 5: 7-10

Chapter 6: No Path To Follow
[COMPLETED]

There is the place that shouldn't be, yet there it is regardless. There are the people that shake the world, there, in the place that shouldn't be.

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 7-9

In the Valley of the Tempest 6: 10

Chapter 7: Battle Royale
[COMPLETED]

Some ships carry passengers from place to place. Some ships explore to the furthest regions of this world. Some ships just drop bombs.

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 7: 7-10

Chapter 8: The Tempest
[COMPLETED]

The Tempest stirs. The city trembles. No backing out. Success and failure both lie on the brink of tomorrow.

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 1-3

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 4-6

In the Valley of the Tempest 8: 7-10

Chapter 9: Rising Up From the Ashes
[COMPLETED]

The Tempest stirs, the city trembles; no more.

In the Valley of the Tempest 9: 1-5

In the Valley of the Tempest 9: 6-10

Enjoy!

WORD COUNT: 48,819

[note] I'll update the links as I post the material.

[*note] For those of you interested, the chapters are all named after song titles. It was an idea that came to me today, and I think they're much better, and more poetic than my previous titles. And they're also a bit more ambiguous as far as plots go.

Ok, to begin with, a little more than an hour and a half ago I finished my last class of my first year of Uni. I've still got a few assignments to hand in next week, but I'm done with classes for the year. One year down, two (and a half) to go. I showed my creative writing tutor my radioplay today, and he was really pleased with it. He said it was "broadcastable". I absoleutely love it when I hear this sort of feedback. Especially from a man who's published two novels and knows a thing or two about the industry.

So, as I often do when I accomplish something, I go out and buy stuff, lately it's been books. Lots of books. Today I bought three. Tim Winton's Breath. Tim Winton's a Western Australian resident, and he studied English at Curtin University. The very university I'm attending now. And he was lectured/tutored (not sure which), by another esteemed Australian Writer, Elizabeth Jolley, whom has a lecture theatre named after her. It could very well be that I've sat in the same room as Winton when he was taught by Jolley. But then again, I don't know for certain. But I know he's having a lecture theatre named after him next to the Elizabeth Jolley lecture theatre. Exciting stuff. Anyway, I digress. Very much so. The second book I bought was F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. A classic, by the author of the short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, of which a recent film adaptation was made. And thirdly, I bought Alex Garland's The Beach. I saw the movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio quite some time ago, on television, I think, and in my recent scourging of the bookstores, I learned that it was based on a novel. $10, can't go wrong, really. I also spent a long time contemplating picking up another Palahniuk title, but I decided I'd leave it for another time, Chuck.

Oh, also, starting NaNoWriMo in two days time, can't wait. In the Valley of the Tempest is a steampunk mystery adventure novel in progress, of which it is currently pages upon pages of notes and ideas. I'll probably post the unedited version of the novel on here, and then edit it, and then try to publish it.