Results and Timing

Things are going so well we're wondering about release timing. Nederlandse first or the short story compilation first?

We still need to write another short story so the obvious answer is the comp comes out in autumn. But we like the idea of the comp bridging Three Seas and Nederlandse.

What would that short story be? There's really no reason why similar ideas and even plot lines can't be explored and used in two different works. There's really only six story plots anyway, it is said. We don't need a space thingy we can novelize. We need a short story we can write.

As far as the stories already done, they go in as is. Art is a function of time and place and one really shouldn't eff with it fifteen years after the fact. So stupid alien hovertanks stay.

Klazienaveen Feared Less

We'll finish our readthrough of the Klazienaveen Poleitei  chapter today. We won't be going over it again next week. It'll need some sit time. Yesterday after reading, we felt less fear and less trepidation. Still a little wordy if you ask us but overall...

World War 1990: The Smell of Fear

Trepidation even.

Reading the Klazienaveen Poletei chapter and we're thinking, here we go again. Something seems off, we can't quite put our finger on it. The chapter doesn't do everything we wanted it to do. We're wondering if we should axe entire sections. Words, too many words...Too much 'What's happening?' and 'What do you think we should do?' and 'I don't want to do that.' Etc. etc...

But the first half is more or less OK.

Is World War Three Boring?

The Klazienaveen politei chapter reads like an episode of Adam-12, a couple of cops in a cruiser and the things they encounter. Except they encounter World War Three things. Belgian supply convoys, a shot down Soviet pilot, etc. etc. This is, we believe, the minutiae of the job in that situation. It's almost banal. We're wondering if this part of the chapter needs more snap, more pop more....crackle. Or is the banality the point? 

Dutch Slashed Up

We are almost done writing the Klazienaveen chapter, which is not the same as being done with the Klazienaveen chapter.

We may have to cut-nay slash, a few subplots. We'd really like to be done. Let's see how man words we're talking about here?... Whoa!.. 19,000 + words.

[Christ almighty you've got the foundations of...]

Don't say it Ed.

[I won't, I won't-Ed]

Ok. Cops wake up and get briefed. Cops patrol town. Cops deal with various and sundry issues arising form patrolling town. Cops get called to border to help border guard. Cops battle refugees and protestors. Cops go back once they realize Soviet paras drop on town. Cops sit around wondering what to do. Cops decide they have to retake town. Cops fight for town.

At some point you have you have to say, 'There. I said it!'

Dutched up In Klaz

This Klazienaveen Politei chapter is going to be long and it's going to take a long time to work out.  Which we think makes sense. But still...this could be trying. 

Lot's of guys wondering what to do, for a long time. People stepping forward. Doctors coming out of the woodwork. Fire department with a water a truck and hose?

We definitely want to start one of the other chapters soon.

On the Writing Strategic Direction

We've finished the Nederlansde opening blockbuster. It needs work, of course, but we finished it. The scene feels like a reprise of the battle the Canadians fought in Polish Storm. As we have said, when people really like the thing you wrote, they want to read another thing just like it.

We're still going over the Klazienaveen police chapter. It looks ok, but moves slow. Which is fine, but there's a lot of 'what's happening?' and 'what do we do?' and 'we can't do that' etc etc... We may need to axe some paragraphs.

Those of you reading Three Seas, and you know who you are, like what you see. Which is a relief. Lot's of little fixes to make too.

Things going well? What's up with that?

World War 1990: NL

We are still slogging along with the Dutch Politie of Klazienaveen as they watch the Spetznaz take over their town. 

We are seeing problems and fixing them. As usual this means cutting out words, sentences, paragraphs. 

Slim and trim is the rule here.

We have even written a good chunk of the Battle of Klazienaveen.

Did you know the Dutch love fireworks?

We're not sure old man Leyven should be running around with his WWII Thompson the way we have him running around with his WWII Thompson.

Over all it's a grind. 

[Oh you poor thing-Ed]

We want our life back.

[Why so you can do it all over again with Battle of the Three Seas?-Ed]

Exactly.