Midnight Run
10/15/2020
Welcome back!
Lots of stuff going on, so let’s get to it.
A reminder - if you have read THE BLACK SKY and enjoy, always appreciate some kind words or plentiful stars at places like Amazon and GoodReads. The more ratings and reviews, the easier it is for new readers to find the book.
Updates on THE RED SKY
Last time I shared how I kept the back half of THE BLACK SKY organized via the butcher block paper. I decided to go digital this time with THE RED SKY based on trying out a few different options. I thought maybe a notebook might work, but I type faster than I can write, plus editing is easier, so that got scratched.
I also looked at some spreadsheets that writers use to breakdown plot, character, etc., but had a hard time getting all the info to line up in a useful way for the way my brain works. And make no mistake, this is all about how your individual brain works. Incredibly successful and prolific writers all work differently - there is no formula or standard process.
I thought about going with Post-It notes so I could color code scenes by location and move them around as needed, but realized quickly I would take over an entire wall of our not-so-big house. Then, the final solution - Google Slides. Turns out, writers have been using the digital Post-It notes in Google Slides to recreate this concept, but without the space restrictions. Brilliant!
Here’s a screenshot of what it looks like:
More updates to THE RED SKY playlist on Spotify. New additions include Nine Inch Nails, Tim Hecker, Windy & Carl, Fennesz, Brook Blair and Will Blair, and Colin Stetson.
In addition to music, drawing inspiration from other mediums is important. Like with THE BLACK SKY, I’ve created a YouTube playlist for videos that I can reference for particular scenes or certain ideas.
Here’s the first one:
Easter Eggs
Back in the 9/15 newsletter, I explained the first clue in THE BLACK SKY easter egg hunt. Now I’m going to actually show you the first one.
If you go to the Solear website, you’ll see across the top there is a list of categories.
Each one of these leads to a description of the various business Solear owns and operations. Take Aerospace, if you click on that link, it gives you boring corporate jargon about their aerospace division. Everything seems normal, right?
If you read through, you’ll notice at the end there is a typo - two periods.
Huh, that’s weird, right? Well, if you click the second period you end up here. Not only do you find information, but you also see “#2.” Meaning, you’ve found the 2nd easter egg.
There you go, an easter egg uncovered.
Stuff I’m Into
Currently Reading - I’m halfway through The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal - progress!
Currently Watching - Ugly Delicious (Season 2) on Netflix, Counterpart on Amazon, standup specials by Hannah Gadsby (Douglas), Jim Gaffigan (Obsessed), and Ali Wong (Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife).
Recently Listened To - Blue Hearts by Bob Mould, By The Fire by Thurston Moore, 10 Songs by Travis, Roisin Machine by Roisin Murphy
What are you watching, reading, listening to at the moment?
Stay safe!
Tim