Call it a draft already.
Jan 24th 2008
So I’m printing the first draft. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever printed. 200 pages on 8.5 x 11 paper. I even jiggered the margins so it would be smaller. It’s a big moment. The thing is a big brawling mess. I’m pretty sure my toner cartridge is going to completely blow it’s wad.
Hey, lookie there, there goes page 100. Halfway there.
Some of the chapters are little more than an outline — a description, or a key bit of dialog. But all the pieces are there. Rough and incomplete as it may be, I have written a novel. I know that the first draft of everything sucks. (Quite intimately) But it is a first draft. Huzzah.
Now it’s time to read it through and see if I can make anything good out of this gangly pile of words.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Congratulations, Patrick! The first draft is always the hardest.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Is it too soon to pre-order?
Don’t give up!
February 5th, 2008 at 3:42 am
alright! good job man! So… did Edna have to change her name?
February 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I’m still on the fence about the whole Edna thing. Sure, it’s a lot of names that begin with E, but does anybody care/notice after the first page?
February 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Random thoughts:
The 24th was my birthday. Thanks for the birthday present.
I thought Nixon abolished the draft.
Is it chilly now that you have a draft?
Evil. Mu ha ha ha ha ha ha! 200 pages of pure evil.
I’d say i can’t wait, but what’s the alternative? It’s like saying birthdays suck and refuse to have anymore.
February 5th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
The whole Edna thing never really confused me in the story, looking forward to listening and/or reading the book.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Oh my gods novel! I had no idea! Get it done! Please! I love you!
February 15th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Good job!
On the whole Edna deliema, I say keep the name. I know that text is much different than podcasts, but it is a short name and memoriable. I really like it, and think you should keep it.
You may want to test it though, by letting someone read the script to the original podcast and ask them latter if they remember her name.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:40 am
I always thought that the Ed”win” Ed”na” thing was cleaver nod to her role in the plot.
The whole distant yet personnel relationship they shared, with Edna being the only one Edwin really respected.
The overwhelming age difference and Edna’s resemblance to Winston Churchill ruling her out as any romantic interest, as well as the way she puts him in his place when he wants to lark off and play golf all day places their relationship in a paternal light which is illustrated in their sharing of the Ed- prefix in their names.
But I particularly the “na” !
Ed-Win = protagonist
Ed-Na = might as well slap a red shirt on her and call her ensign.
Of course shes going to die and give Ed-win the main character a chance to move the story along!
Particularly as he disobeys her last wishes and isn’t a ‘good boy’.
That’s how we know that there are going to be some decent twists to the story.
Her death breaks Edwin’s ties and permits us to quickly move on and deal with the real meat of the story!
This breakdown in their names is a brilliant nod to the readers that they are intelligent enough to recognise and have the foresight to see how events in this typical set up go on to break convention and propel an efficiency consultant on the main stage. Which fits perfectly with the meta narrative of the “succeed in Evil” universe.
Where resourcefulness and professionalism of Edwin trumps the flamboyance and egomania of those more typical “super” stereotype characters.
It also sets him up perfectly for the relationship “that woman” which I hope comes when he eventually reaches “some place warm”.
If I can be critical anywhere I think that Edwin’s reading of the Divine comedy at Toppers - over the top - betrayal is a little premature.
After all there is nothing, a least in the podcast, to suggest that he is struggling with the question of how to deal with Topper.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:07 am
Well, it has been a few months since you’ve “called it a draft.” We’ll all love to know where you are now with it.
(In otherwords: *poke* *prod* ‘Is it alive?’)
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:58 am
I am also rather curious about how much progress you’ve made in the last three months.
I found out about Succeed in Evil sometime in May of last year (around when Edwin 2.0 died), and have gotten hooked on it ever since. I must admit that it didn’t take long for me to start enjoying Edwin. He’s just a magnificent bastard that I can’t help but love. And I haven’t been able to hear anything new about him for about 3 months.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
The only thing I find lacking in your work to date is the lack of quantity. I enjoy Edwin, as well as the short stories of yours I came across in Voices: New Media Fiction. Do you currently have any ETA or status update for your loyal fans?