Author: Catherine Schaff-Stump

Well, I am. I wrote about 1000 words yesterday in putting together the Klarion Scroll chamber scene. It needs polishing, but the pipe is laid.

Two more scenes for chapter 4–Isolde’s re-emergence and the beginning of the custody battle. I hope to do one each day this weekend.

Catherine

Enjoy!　

　　Stephanus picked at the egg salad sandwich on his tray, running his finger along the edge, making the salad cream even with the bread. Isis meowed at him from the bottom of the bed. “You don’t have to stay,” said Stephanus. She meowed at him again. “It’s no good saying anything to me,” said Stephanus. “I don’t speak cat.” He leaned over to scratch her head and she purred. “Well,” he said to her softly, “I speak that much cat.” Isis rubbed her head against his arm. “You know,” he said quietly, “I could take Eurydice and Ammut. We could leave. He couldn’t take us away then, and we wouldn’t cause anyone any more trouble.” Isis’ eyes, bright and open, reflected the sun that had broken through the clouds. “That might be for the best. The safest, any how.”
　　　Isis’ ears perked as the door inched open. Isis padded off the bed, toward the door, tail raised like an antenna. A girl, hair pulled back in a severe ponytail, peered in. “Who are you? What do you want?” said Stephanus. He hoped she hadn’t heard him talking to the cat.
　　　”Shari Pitch,” she said. “I wanted to see Errol’s cat.”
　　　”Shari Pitch,” Stephanus repeated. “You’re here for the party?”
　　　”Yes,” she said. “You’re the cousin, aren’t you? I hear you’re sick.”
　　　”I don’t like parties,” Stephanus said, crossing his arms.
　　　”I don’t much either. I do want a look about, however. This is a very big house.”
Continue reading “Outtake chapter 4”

About 11 pages into chapter 4. Really working on that kid dynamic. I’ll post at workshop as soon as I’m done here.

Also, had a graphics designer in today to talk about stationery and website. Now I have to get him some copy together, and talk to ye old web hoster about posting it for his school project. I will see Mark this weekend.

It will be nice to get this material together. I hope to have Substance ready to go by May, and spend the summer working on Blood.

Catherine

A friend who is working on her own publication has an agent wanting to see her first hundred pages. VERY nice! Go, SQ workshop. Go, Julie!

And I’ve just read through the first three chapters of Substance of Shadows, and yeah, it’s good and like it was before. The soul of it is still there. Yo’s advice to read it was right on the money.

Chapter 4, you say? In progress.

Catherine

Suggested chapter 1-3 revisions done. Tomorrow I work on chapter 4 from the brief beginning I have made, until it is done. Won’t get to it until tomorrow evening, but there you go. That’s the plan.

Catherine

I’ve outlined through chapter 10 in the new version of Substance of Shadows. It looks like 2 chapters will have to be pretty new, and the rest are actually revisable. This should get us through Esme and Errol’s trials. I’m all about preserving the feel of the first book. I’ve come up with some replacement characters that I think will make the plot work very nicely, and I’m looking forward to writing scary old Aunt Isolde. So, tonight my goal will be to add new comments to chapters 1-3, that I’ve received from the workshop, and if there’s time, begin working in earnest on chapter 4. So, I’m on the up of the roller coaster of the writing process at the moment.

I’m craving some recognition for my work, and of course, I won’t be getting it any time soon. 🙂 Writing is a lonely business, one that you need to be intrinsically motivated for if you’re trying to publish.
Continue reading “Update on Outline, Thoughts about Publishing”

…is a balding 40ish science teacher with eyes the color of rainy day heaven and a smile that recreates the universe each time he uses it.

He’s not a writer, but my Bryon is a great plotter, and yesterday, while walking, and talking over my tension problem with my kids in the book, he said, “Well, what about…” and gave me this really lovely idea.

I’m anxious to try it out. I think it will work. Yes, I want to excite your anticipation, but I don’t want to promise great things in case I can’t deliver.

🙂

Catherine

I feel like I’m slicing up a baby. Mine. The first version of SoS was pretty good, and I sometimes feel like I’m cutting out the heart of it. Makes me wonder what kind of editor I’ll actually be of my own material when the time comes for publication.

The outlining process through chapter 10 was pretty okay, but I find I’m lacking a tension in the kids’ daily lives. I may have to rethink what I’m doing there, and I’m actually getting an inkling of an idea. Just a spark, so I’m hoping to fan it.

What does this story want to be, now that it’s becoming something different? How can I get it there without feeling like I’m breaking it?

Catherine

I began chapter 4 yesterday.

Over the last several days I’ve had some plot epiphanies bubble up through the gumbo of my subconscious, and so I’ve decided that my project for this week will be to outline the book. I’m hoping for about 400-450 pages in about 20 chapters. I know that the average first novel is about 350-400, so that’ll be subject to change, depending on what happens in the outline.

Today, I outlined the first 3 chapters that I have, to take stock, and beginning tomorrow, I’ll see what I can do about sketching a time line in the chapters to see how much time I want this book to cover. Once I have the major plot movements located, I’ll fill in with interpersonal details and ideas.

So, how far will Substances of Shadows go? Certainly through the demon trials of Esme, Errol, and Eurydice. There will be family history as well, with some glimpses into the Elaine/Isolde dynamic, and some questions about Geoffrey, Marcellus, Flavia and Melisande. Since it’s a first book, I know I need to focus on making the story as complete as possible, leaving those interesting exploration points unexplored, unless they relate to the movement of this plot.

I think the outline is a wise idea, so it doesn’t just ramble wherever it wants to, specifically since I have some bench marks in this rewrite I want to make sure I hit.

More to come, of course. So far, we have 67 pages. Only 313 more or so to go. 🙂 At least some of them are already written.

Catherine

Right. Done torturing Amanda, and Errol’s had a little conversation. Only one more outtake to write, and that will be the big climax of the story outtake. I’ll go back to it after I’ve worked a bit on chapter 4, let it stew just a bit. I also have some editing to do for chapter 3.

This week I’ve written another 14 pages, although I’ve made great gains on figuring out Isolde. Some nights it’s a chore to write, but I know I’m on the right track doing it–it revitalizes, rather than wears you out.

So, tomorrow, some chapter 4 stuff, and then back to the ending, then I can give everyone who asked what was promised.

Catherine