October 2020 - Update

Omphalotus olearius or what is commonly known as the jack-o’-lantern mushroom. While it is an incredibly beautiful mushroom, ingesting it would not be wise as they are poisonous. I spotted these in west-central Missouri in early October. The bright orange color lured me in for a closer look!

Highlights for October:

• The Blighter’s Shadow’s first draft remains at the halfway mark. I worked out outlining future chapters and continued on a chapter with a new character that I can’t wait for you to meet.

• The Alterator’s Light audiobook remains in the production stage. I’ve been able to review large sections of the book, and I am really impressed at what Susanne and Buck have been able to accomplish. The audiobook will be more than worth the wait.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts on Sunday, November 1, and this will be my fourth consecutive year to participate.

• I enjoy the month so much that I am serving as an unofficial municipal liaison with two other members of the writing group I am part of. Click here for more information about the writing group. Click here for more information about NaNoWriMo. Sadly, we are not planning any write-ins in person due to COVID-19, but we will have numerous virtual write-ins throughout the month.

November will involve only writing. Editing what I’ve written during the month will not occur until later this year and into 2021. 50,000 words is the goal for NaNoWriMo! That is the average length of many novels, which equates to around 200 pages. The goal is more than attainable, but it requires a great deal of focus and sitting down to write each day throughout the month (including Thanksgiving). I used to write a few pages and then edit those pages. That process slowed me down considerably. By just focusing on getting the story down in its first draft, I can let the words flow nonstop. Keep in mind, it takes many drafts to reach the publishing point. The Tower of Dread took nearly 10 drafts! But I enjoyed every minute of the process.

The next month will involve more fine-tuned outlining for the chapters I will finish in November. My outlining process consists of a wide-view version for an entire novel or story. I then narrow down my focus for each chapter, which usually includes a more-detailed half or full-page outline for each chapter.

Exciting News: The novella The Tower of Dread is available! Click here to get your copy! 

Please be sure to check out my website for continuous updates on my progress.

If you have questions for future newsletters/updates, please be sure to send them to [email protected]. I have numerous media links for your convenience: on Twitter at @brigmanauthor, on Facebook at Dan Brigman, Author, or on my website, www.danbrigman.com.

Thanks again for your support! Besides taking the time to read my updates, please visit the following links to create a review of The Alterator’s Light, The Point of Woes, or The Tower of Dread if you’ve read those stories.
Reviews are quick to create! They offer potential readers insight into what you thought about the book. They also help get the word out about the stories and the author.

For Amazon, please click here.
For Goodreads, please click here.
You can also check my work out at BookBub by clicking here.