More or less Human

Hello everyone. My name is Yves Hacault, and this is my second time participating in the write-a-thon. I’ve been writing for years now, and though I’ve worked on a lot of projects, finished a few short stories and almost finished novels, I’ve never been able to finish a novel. I always get distracted by editing.

I’ll write a chapter, then go back to another and change something, then change something else in the next because it no longer works, and then it’s a never ending circle of editing.

Last year I wrote over 60 000 words in the time of the write-a-thon, this year I’m trying for twice that amount. I’m trying to write an entire novel in the time it takes this write-a-thon to end, and i’ll worry about all the editing later.

Well, that’s it for now, until next time.

Another Piece of Team More Than Human

So, a bit about me.  My name is Jason Heitkamper.  I live in St Petersburg, Florida where I was born a solid 34 years ago.  I’ve moved around quite a bit when I worked on the road but I ended up back here.  My intent is to be in Seattle by the end of next year, finances permitting.  I am currently employed a surgical technologist and an instructor of surgical technology, jobs that I deeply enjoy (and it is so nice to be able to say that).  I am now published author as an anthology containing a (very) short story of mine recently hit the electronic shelves.  It’s a strange feeling to have something out there with my name on it, half hopeful and half terrifying.  I owe that to my wife’s constant support and willingness to let me pursue this whole writing thing.  I am not at the point where I am willing to cut out my day job but I know that I have the option if I ever feel the need to dive into writing full-time.  Support at home really takes the pressure off, you know?

So, what am I doing for the write-a-thon?  I am working on a novel-length piece of fiction about a woman who offers up her soul to save her young son from dying after a car accident only to discover that having no soul has horrible consequences that force her into isolation.  The story follows her efforts to solve a series of mysterious killings that seem to target soulless like herself.  It’s urban fantasy in the vein of The Dresden Files or Blackbirds, both of which I highly recommend.  Beyond that I’ve been toying with a few short pieces dealing with monster-hunting teenagers and a derelict space freighter.

I have only recently learned of the Clarion workshop and write-a-thon through a writer’s blog that I follow.  I am always looking for things to help keep me on task with my writing and I’ve been struggling recently with a severe lack of time due to understaffing at my instructor job so this seemed like a perfect fit.  I have every intention of applying to the workshop next year, as an opportunity to work in that kind of environment would be something of a dream situation for me.  I am looking forward to interacting with the other members of team More Than Human, both giving and receiving advice.  There is a social aspect to writing that I’ve never really focused on but having people to bounce thoughts off of is a great asset.

Emma is More Than Human

This is my first year participating in the Clarion Write-a-Thon. It could not have come at a better time, as I am in the process of completing the manuscript of my first novel, tentatively called “Adore”. The Write-a-Thon has given me a tangible deadline to finish writing and revising before I move on to seeking representation and, hopefully, publication.  If I complete the manuscript but haven’t met my word count goal I plan to work through a couple of short stories that I have started and outlined. I am proud to be part of Team More Than Human, where I hope to support and be supported by my fellow writers-in-arms.

Adore is the story of a young woman with a violent and mysterious past who learns she is part of a race of ancient, powerful beings living among the humans of earth. As the pieces of her life begin to fit together and the clouds shrouding her past dissipate, enemies begin to emerge from the shadows and she realizes that with great power comes great, and deadly, responsibility.

In crafting “Adore” I have drawn from my longstanding interest in Norse and Greek mythology, Roman history, and the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche and Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have crafted a new race of fantasy beings set in a modern world where “there are no gods… no monsters. Only [them]”.

I am currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, though I have also called Idaho, New Jersey, and Texas home. I share my house with dogs, cats, a guinea pig, and a long suffering human husband. I have worked as a veterinary technician, bouncer, shop girl, and in the buying department of a successful retail furniture chain. With “Adore” I hope to add “published author” to that  illustrious list.