Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for The Talkers are Talking

I’m so excited to announce that The Talkers are Talking has met its Quill goal and will become a part of the collection!!  I just want to say thank you to all of you lovely, wonderful, generous and supportive readers.  I couldn’t have done it without you, and now as I start the long road to publication, I promise to do whatever it takes to make Talkers the best it can be. More updates to follow (also in regards to Breaking the Bechdel Syndicate- hell yea people, we are really making a formidable group against manic pixie dream girls and other depth-less female character tropes), but for now, thank you, thank you.

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    Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Project Human



    Look what got a temporary cover (only because I don't have the rights to the picture) and a title!!! Next up: a blurb. Should have a rough one in a month or so, and I'm hoping to start writing the official draft (as I already have random scenes and a sketchy summary) in the summer! I'd love to have at least 100 followers by then, so please rec this to anyone who might be interested!

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      Thomas J. Arnold sent an update for Exile, Magus

      I hadn't intended to send out an update today, but something occurred to me.  I've been doing most of my posting about potential plans for the future of Exile, Magus over on a Goodreads forum which not all of you may have been to.  With that in mind and me still wanting as much feedback as possible from all of you I figured that I would share a link to the group:  https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17928984-ended-but-regrouping-let-s-get-exile-magus-into-quill

      That's all I've got for today.  Next Sunday I'll have a full book recommendation update.  Enjoy the rest of your day and the week to follow.

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        Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Children of the Wise Oak

        I’ve attained the dizzy heights of 40 pre-orders. Yay. Go me. 
        Quill is still in reach, but will be hard work.

        Meanwhile I have been editing. I’ve been told there is a bit too much description, and I appreciate the criticism.
        I originally intended the book to be educational as well as interesting. I have since decided to abandon all attempts at education in favour of keeping the pace up. 

        To that end, I have been fairly ruthless. A great deal of description, especially background explanations as been expunged.
        Some descriptions remain, but they are tighter now and more built into the action. This came from a writing tip I saw on Twitter. 
        "Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." Chekhov 

        The process is still ongoing but has resulted in the loss of about 300 words so far. 
        Getting it below 55,000 words seems like a sensible goal. So 231 to go. 

        Meanwhile, could I ask anyone who hasn’t pre-ordered to dig deep, and anyone who has, please recommend me on Twitter/Facebook/carrier pigeon/smoke signals etc. 

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          Thomas J. Arnold followed Project Human
          Project Human
          A rogue android prototype joins forces with a human girl in a brewing political war. First in a YA speculative fiction/dystopian duology set in the year 2120.
          Thomas J. Arnold followed Christopher Huang
          Christopher Huang
          A fan of Golden Age detective fiction. (Check out my second book, "Unnatural Ends"! It’s more intere...
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          Thomas J. Arnold liked the forum thread, Present tense not working for me
          Some of the greatest writers used the present tense to great effect. Here is an excerpt from E. B. White found in several writing books.

          "On many days, the dampness of the air pervades all life, all living. Matches refuse to strike. The towel, hung to dry, grows wetter by the hour. The newspaper, with its headlines about integration, wilts in your hand and falls limply into the coffee and the egg. Envelopes seal themselves. Postage stamps mate with one another as shamelessly as grasshoppers."

          The passage is vivid. I would like to capture words as surely as he does, but many people take exception to present tense, so I feel as a new author it is wise to return the safe past and save the dangerous tenses for a day when they are necessary.

          Lost Generation hops heads frequently, but as I polish to the work, I also focus each chapter's point-of-view. My goal since the end of the first Sword & Laser contest is to impress and shock my readers. They have put their faith in me, and I must deliver.
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            Thomas J. Arnold liked the forum thread, Present tense not working for me
            Nah it's not only you. I find present tense a bit awkward and it kind of screams Rookie Writer. If the story is immersive and the characters compelling like @A.C. Weston said I stop noticing after a while.

            Tense-switching is a pretty big turn-off for me though. That and head-hopping. Nothing wears out my red pen faster than tense-switching.
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              Thomas J. Arnold liked the forum thread, Present tense not working for me
              Present tense is off-putting to some, but I don't think it is that strange. It depends on what kind of story you are trying to tell and how you want the flow. I started my story in past-tense, then as an experiment changed it to present tense to compare. I liked it, but I feel I will switch it back. It's all a matter of taste. Some great classic works use present tense very well.

              When I wrote my draft, I often slipped into present tense when the action heated up. The switch wasn't intentional, but it pushed me to try the whole thing that way.

              I think writing fiction is similar to composing music. You must pick the right tools and techniques to create your image, but you must also be considerate of the sensibilities of your audience.
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                Thomas J. Arnold liked the forum thread, Present tense not working for me
                I like present tense. I think it helps immerse the reader in the story. It takes getting used to, of course, but I think you'd stop noticing it after a few dozen pages. At least, I do.
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