Author. Imaginist. Creator of Worlds.
Welcome to the Nexus!
David Earl Whitaker is a multi-genre author whose first book, "Flight of the Nosoi," is currently in search of an agent or publisher. He has several other works in progress.
From this Nexus, you can visit the world of Nosoi, or you can catch a glimpse though the portals to several others. Many ways are barred to mere mortals, but, in time, the barriers will break down so exploration can begin.
News:
Promise vs Payoff
The process of having readers read things before the book is done to find out if what you wrote landed correctly, or is misleading or confusing, or any number of other issues. It turns out that, while the progress is working well in The Way, the promise and tone is misstated. So… I’ll be revising chapter 1 in the near future to set those up right.
Back To School!
Yes, it’s that time of year, again. This year with extra special distractions due to my favorite first child going off to college! Yikes. Still working on The Way (nearly done with Part 1), and wrangling a couple more readers for Project Koshchei. And thinking about newsletter solutions.
Newsletter Incoming!
One of the biggest things I got out of Worldcon last week, besides that wonderful train ride, was that every author, especially indie published, needs a newsletter. So… look for that in the coming days (I didn’t say how many days!).
Worldcon Redux
Whew! We just got back from Worldcon and had a great time. Five days of networking and panels about writing, publishing, fandom, and more. Even got into a couple of table-talks, where six attendees get exclusive time with an industry professional. I sat in with Thea Prieto and Sara Megibow, where I learned a lot. At this point, I’m steering myself toward indie publishing, while keeping my options open. I’ll continue to query Nosoi even as I start looking into cover artists and platforms. Exciting things in the works.
The Train
So. . . when we planned this trip to Worldcon, my wife and quickly agreed that we wanted to take the train (Amtrak Empire Builder) from St. Paul to Seattle. It’s a vacation we had been thinking about for a while. Well, turns out, the train can be late some time. This time, because of flooding in Wisconsin and crew expiration, it was 12 hours late! We still had a good time, but didn’t get to Seattle until after 10 last night with the con starting bright and early this morning. So much for sightseeing. The funny part, though, is that I’m sure we’d do it again. The train in fun and relaxing, as long as your schedule is a little flexible.
The Way Part 1
Making good progress this week on part 1 of book one of The Way. Only 2 chapters left in this round of revisions, and hopefully I can get that done on the train to Worldcon next week. After that, I may take a break to review Project Koshchei, or I might start in on part 2 of The Way, book one. The latter will take some sorting before I know what needs to be done, though, so we’ll see.
Band Camp!
It’s that time of year, again, when the local high school band spends a week away from home learning this season’s show. That means it’s time to be a band parent again. I’ll dust off my photography equipment and support the band by plying my former trade and experience. Now, where’s that Lightroom shortcut, again?
Worldcon!
Heading to Seattle for Worldcon in a few weeks. This is the first trip I’ve made to an out of state con, and I’m kinda excited. Some names I’m looking forward to seeing: Brandon Sanderson, Martha Wells, Seanan McGuire, Larry Niven, Robbin Hobb, and a few more. And that’s not even getting into the non-writing things. If you’re going, reach out so we can meet up!
The Way’s Big Picture
Spent the last few days organizing and plotting the main arcs for the several books of The Way. Kinda exciting to see how all of the little pieces I’ve been working on will fit together, and it has been a good motivator to doing the writing. Still a lot to do, but progress is being made. Looking forward to having something to share.
CONvergence
Spent the pats 4 days at CONvergence, a large local fandom convention. Lots of panels, gaming, cosplay, and more. This year’s theme was games, so bonus panels on game design and marketing, which was fun. Otherwise, a healthy slate of writing panels, and gaming, and some volunteering. Good time. You should go next year.