• Writing Resources

    300 000 Words Written

    Every year I assign myself various goals. Recently I’ve completed two of them… finishing my third novel and writing 300 000 words for the year. The latter occurred sometime yesterday. I knew I would not be as productive this year (the kids are home with me more now) as last but I still wanted to aim for a reasonable production schedule, so I’m pleased. Next year I’ll likely drop my goal to 250 000 words because I plan to complete a couple game projects I’ve been tinkering on in my spare time. I’ll make the final decision at year’s end when I plan next year’s goals.

  • Empire Avenue

    Empire Avenue Stuff and Things

    In my quest to fabricate a purpose for my brand new and shiny brentknowles.wordpress.com blog I’ve decided that most of my Empire Avenue musings will be posted there instead of on this blog (which will remain focused on writing and game design). If something amazingly awesome happens I might crosspost but generally if you care about Empire Avenue stuff you’ll have to head over there. I might port some of my earlier posts there as well if I remember to do so. For now you can find them at http://blog.brentknowles.com/category/empire-avenue/

  • Writing Resources

    It is finished… again!

    I’ve finished the second draft of Novel #3! What does this mean? I have a novel that I could start submitting to publishers (though I am *not* going to start submitting it just yet… more on that, below.) This revision has taken longer than I expected partly because I expended more energy on completing and promoting the Lazy Designer game design book than I had expected. Plus I did more revision work than I had intended. What have I Learned? My first drafts need to improve. I am still spending too much time on the revisions. This revision was finished quicker than the last; I hope for the next novel…

  • My Life

    Read This: Stealing Death by Brent Knowles

    Cynthia’s fingers clutched the steering wheel tightly as she drove the beach road, her headlights barely cutting through the summer night’s fog. Steve wanted to apologize but did not know how. “We’re going back tomorrow,” she said. “I tried,” Steve protested, hating how weak his words sounded. She sighed. “Damn it Steven, you acted like I wasn’t even there tonight. This vacation was suppose to… you promised me that the accident was… was behind you.” “It is,” he said. Cynthia had looked beautiful, the night had been calm, just a warm breeze to caress the skin, and the food had tasted great. But Steve had been distracted. Even when they…

  • Writing Resources

    Read This: Digital Rights by Brent Knowles (Writers of the Future Winning Story)

    The Assistant responsible for the primary thruster arrangement killed itself just ten days after Izzy arrived on the solar station. The panicked chatter of the other Assistants prevented them from continuing with their own duties. Horror, speculation, and worse of all, wonder, flowed across the station’s network. Izzy had to stop it. And it was her fault; it never should have happened. She had been distracted. Later she would blame the ghost, but for now, she simply reacted. Simply acted. Her body twisted and jerked, her fingers puncturing the holographic displays that surrounded her, initiating commands as she fought for the station’s survival. Earth, beautiful, blue, perfect, floated in front…

  • My Life

    Read: A Ragman’s Vow by Brent Knowles

    (Ragman, Issue #14) Below the slum known as the Labyrinth, Ragman sits atop an overturned crate, half submerged by sewage. Rats cover him. “Stop with the puppy dog eyes,” Ragman says to them, “you won’t make me feel guilty about leaving the boy…” The cab stopped. Dan’s fake-leather shoes stepped into dry snow, and he thought of how his own life seemed to parallel the city’s seasons, in pattern, if not in fact. The hustle and bustle of a wonderful summer had given way to a melancholic fall, which in turn was now replaced by an impassive winter. He had forgotten his scarf again, and so he pulled his business…

  • Writing Resources

    Read: The End of the Road by Brent Knowles

    Wanderer looked down in satisfaction as he walked the old mountain road and saw the town below him. The stagnation of the human race was at an end and the survivors were now rebuilding. So ended the apocalypse. Wanderer continued towards this hotel from his past, an old, sprawling structure sitting high atop a cliff, until loud noises from ahead made him pause. A cat’s howl. A woman’s cry. The raucous laughter of boys on the verge of manhood, the cruelest and most dangerous of ages. With a sigh he resumed his pace. He was the Wanderer and he would do what needed doing before doing what he needed. The…

  • Writing Resources

    Read: The Prophet by Brent Knowles

    The helicopter disappears beyond the horizon and Wanderer returns his attention to the laptop sitting awkwardly on his knees, sharing space with a can of cold beans. He digs into the beans with a plastic spork as he views the web site behind his dust-covered screen. A photo of a large man with wide, powerful eyes, stares back at him. It surprises him that these remnants of the old order linger still. Web sites: illusory constructs, full of ideas and utterly lacking in physical substance — devoid even of the paper reality of a book. Of course, they too will fade eventually as power grids collapse and the servers of…