Work in Progress #25: Progress Report, October 2024

Hello, all you beautiful people!  How goes it?

It’s October already.  How did that happen?  For most people, October signals the start of Spooky Season, where in the run-up to Halloween, people spend 31 days watching scary or Halloween-themed movies.  Some people watch ones they associate with their childhoods (my wife likes Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and The Nightmare Before Christmas), where some people watch stuff that will chill you to the bone (Paranormal Activity and Insidious).  I tend to not do either.  October is two things for me: the convergence of baseball playoffs and the start of a new NBA season, and prep time for the November Challenge.

If you’re a writer, chances are you’re familiar with the November Challenge.  That’s what I’m calling it since I’m not participating via the suddenly controversial organization that runs it.  More on that in a different post.  Anyway, the goal for the November Challenge is to write 50,000 words of a novel in a month, and typically, people use October to gather their thoughts, characters, plots and pants.  I’ve never completed it, but I came damn close a couple of years back.  Maybe I can recapture some of that magic this time around.

Anyway, here’s a look at what’s coming up this month:

-       Still editing Empire Towers.  I find myself slowing down on this pass, actually reading the story for enjoyment, rather than just to pick it apart.  It’s been long enough since I completed the draft that it feels like it was written by someone else entirely.  And that person isn’t a bad writer.  I’m trying to get through as much of it as I can this month, because I’m putting it away for November.

-       I’m going to be dreaming up a plot for my noir sequel, Urban Decay.  I’m hoping to have all four books in the series done before any one of them gets out.  Anyway, Urban Decay picks up a few months after Urban Legend, and features an all-new antagonist, nicknamed Mother, who styles herself as a warrior nun.  Mother builds a Fight Club-esque murder cult and it’s up to our intrepid, mask-wearing, ex-cop hero to stop them all.  Okay, maybe I do have a plot in mind.

-       MLB playoffs started last week, and the Yankees had a first-round bye!  Best record in the American League, no big deal!  They continue the ALDS tonight against the Kansas City Royals, and the Yanks are already up 1-0 in the best of five series. In other news, the Mets advanced in the playoffs too!  They won their best of three first round series against the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1, and are currently tied in the NLDS against the Phillies! I’m going to mention the Mets for as long as the Subway Series remains a possibility.

-       The NBA is around the corner!  Preseason has begun, and the regular season begins at the end of the month.  It looks to be a pivotal season for my beloved and beleaguered New York Knicks; they closed the offseason with a blockbuster trade, sending franchise cornerstone Julius Randle to Minnesota for big man Karl-Anthony Towns.  I have my thoughts on it, and I’ll share them soon.

And that’s about it!  October has a bunch of things to look forward to, and I’ll be enjoying it all, warm cider in hand.  Cheers!