"What it is like to go to war"

I crossed the 50K line on my Nanowrimo a few days ago. I still haven't verified my win yet. I'd like to see if I can get it all written before I do that. I think I have another 10K left to write.

They are currently embroiled in climactic battle of the story.

A week or so ago I started listening to Episode #199 or the "Mental Illness Happy Hour" podcast. Paul Gilmartin mentioned a book at the beginning of the podcast called, "What it is Like to Go to War", written by Karl Marlantes who was a marine officer in Viet Nam.

After the first three hours I had to turn it off. It was too intense in the description of combat and killing. I came back to it a few days later and have since finished it off. It was extremely moving and touched a lot on the psychology of war and killing.

I went back to my Nanowrimo manuscript and rewrote two scenes which I had written based on my limited knowledge about battle. I've ramped up those scenes with some of the psychology Marlantes discussed in his book and I think it gives a better idea of Chuck's personality and feeling as he is drawn into mortal  combat with evil.

"What it is like to go to war" is available through Audible and I'm sure it's available on Amazon.

Nanowrimo Starts Tomorrow

I was working on my Character Motivations this morning. I finished my outline yesterday and ended up with over 7K words.

David Farland's Daily Kick in the Pants yesterday talked a bit about writer's block for him was usually that he hadn't fleshed out his characters and their motivations. I figured since I had another day before the madness would begin, I would do just that.

My story this year is called, "Shooting Stars 2: Drawn into the Mist".  "Shooting Stars 1: A Teenage Vampire Love Story from a Boy's Perspective", will be released in early to mid-December. I thought it would be good to get started on the second in that "Trilogy", in the odd chance that someone, other than family and friends, actually buys in and looks forward to the next in the series. I will admit, up front, that the first book ends, but it is obvious that a second must follow. And I'll clue you in now, it will take a third to resolve. I will probably write that book in the summer, just as soon as I get #2 published.

So. Back to the Character Motivations. I know my primary characters well and am pretty clued in on what they are after. It's the secondary characters that they interact with in this book that I wanted a better clue about. While I was working on the motivation of these background people, and what brings them into contact with my primaries, I fell upon the plot for the fourth novel, (in this trilogy). (I know that jokes been used, but I like it to much to not apply it to my own story.

Look for Shooting Stars on Amazon in early December. This has been a favorite story of mine since I began it and all the feedback I've gotten from beta readers has been equally as positive.

Check out "Flypaper Boy: Coming of Age" available for Kindle and Print-On-Demand at Amazon. And get on my mailing list by sending an email to norvaljoe@gmail.com.

Thanks.