Status of the Empire: Forging ahead on Chapter 25

Abandon hope all ye who enter here...When writing becomes a way of life, there is no hope, you just have to keep writing and hope the pain goes away...

Working on Chapter 25 and really enjoying it. Tucker and Dain, the two new rebels characters, are shaping up nicely.

Here's a snippet from a scene I'm working on.

In the Ether: News from BookNet Canada

The hits just keep coming for the print industry. According to BookNet Canada, which is the national book sales tracking system, the market for physical books was down 10.9% in units sold and down 10.8% in terms of dollar sales. Fiction suffered the biggest drop at 16.9% in units and 15.4% in dollar value, while nonfiction was down 7.6% in units and 9.9% in value.

BookNet CEO Noah Genner contributes the drop to various factors, including the tough economic conditions, the inroad of ebook sales and no on has yet found the next big blockbuster hits. He couldn't say how much of an impact ebooks have had on sales figures. They're forming a panel to measure digital sales and estimates it will take a few years.

My suggestion to them...they'd better make it quicker because, at the speed at which things are changing, by the time they're ready, it may already be too late.

The Great Empire Giveaway Contest on Goodreads

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Empire

by Elizabeth Lang

Giveaway ends August 06, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Status of the Empire: Writing Follies

Have you ever had the feeling that you've forgotten something? You're packing for a long trip and something nibbles at the back of your mind, some tiny something that you know you've missed?

I have been working on chapter 1 of The Rebels. For the last three weeks.

Don't get me wrong. I haven't been suffering from writer's block. The amount of effort I've put into it has been as much as I would in a normal writing week. Which is quite a lot.

I've written, revised, edited, moved around like puzzle pieces in search of a home, and each version smells sweeter than the last, but that little niggling goblin was still hacking pieces out of my brain, trying to get my attention.

The action was explosive. Like a rollercoaster ride complete with minor ordinance. The heart; Adrian's heart finally shone through in glorious color.

Descriptions, usually the bane of my writing existence, were splashed with artistic, if not brilliance, but at least acceptably recognizable shapes.

But there was still something missing.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Image via Wikipedia

When we reached the final episode of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it felt like an imminent parting with old friends was just around the corner. It was sad, bittersweet, full of tears and yet a feeling of satisfaction. This was storytelling and movie adaptation at its best, capturing the spirit of the tale and splashing it on the screen in brilliant, heart-lifting and heart-wrenching Technicolor.

That's the expectation I brought into "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." High expectations, lots of questions and a need for fulfillment and closure. Perhaps it was unfair, but after 7 movies, they should know what their audience wants.