Dawn's Rise - A Novel

I've just finished the second draft of my novel entitled "Dawn's Rise". The blog will chronicle my attempts to get this novel published, and I will possibly also post various snippets from the novel.

I first started working on this novel after being laid off in October of 2002. After a few weeks I kind of got stuck. I had thrown one of my main characters out into the solar system and I had no idea how to rescue him.

Then in January of this year I was laid off again. I started working a contract while I looked for a permanent job. I started riding the bus, and since I needed to bring my laptop to my job, I began writing during the hour-long trip to work and home. The first piece I worked on was a story about an angry youth I had also started some years ago. I made some progress on that story but it finally bogged down.

The concepts behind Dawn's Rise had been rolling around in my head over the five years since I first started it. The original title had been "10 plagues". I wanted the story to include as many disasters as possible, including a few that I invented. I also wanted to include that concept of "Space elevators" which are space stations tied to Earth. I also invented a new society based solely on commerce, without any governments or laws.

Another major change in my life since I began writing this novel is that I've taken up running. I now run for five hours a week over four days. Between riding the bus ten hours a week, and running five hours, this gave me enough time to really think through the plot of the story. Running especially gave me the freedom to concentrate on the story without any distractions. I began coming up with great ideas and twists, and began exploring my characters. I soon came up with the entire story arc from where I left off to where it now finishes.

I started my new job 3 months ago, and I just finished my first re-write of the story. I'm still not happy with it, I know it could be vastly improved. But given the fact that I now work full-time, I've done my best to create a readable and enjoyable piece. If anyone out there would like to preview the story and give me advice, I'd greatly appreciate it (and give you a nod in the credits page and this blog)

Wish me luck, and look for Dawn's Rise on bookstands....sometime before January 18, 2101 when the story actually begins :)