First Real Post. Pen names, Working Titles and NaNoWtfMo

Update number one. First update on this blog. Old updates and gallery of inspiration and other bits and pieces are at https://bertsbookmarksbook.tumblr.com/.

Big news is I decided against all sanity to enter https://nanowrimo.org/. Challenge is to write 50000 words in one month. We'll see how that goes. I'm going to focus purely on the second half of my WiP as I have nothing drafted for that. I've put a big dig into planning that out. Lots of minor tweaks to the main plot and really fleshed out and formalised two subplots. Have found my concentration on getting things to work eroded the thematic aspects I wanted to hit, but detailed planning work has let me reintroduce them and make them more central to making the action in the world work.

As you can see if you are in this site I have actually got a working title, “Children of Tithes”. Not sure whether or not to stick with it but will make do for now.

The other huge-ish thing is I've decided I will try to adopt my birth name as my pen name. Not used to using it all but Robert I Heathwood has a much more serious Sci-Fi epic fantasy ring to it than Bert Olio. Have used variations of Bert Olio on the web since 1994 this is quite a shock to my system. Only past employers, my Mum, and people I haven't talked to since high school will realise it's me. Also found out that I died during World War 1 as a member of the Irish Light Horse, or that was just another one of the multitude of Robert Heathwoods my family has produced over the last 150 years. I know royalty are famous for it, but is it normal in other families to recycle the same three first names generation after generation?

Have read “Invasive” by Chuck Wendig. Reading “Into Everywhere” by Paul J. McAuley.

Best read of the week was Turkey City Lexicon – A Primer for SF Workshops

Binge read Chuck Wendig blog posts, binge watched TED-X videos on sustainable architecture.

If you're doing NaNo hit me up at https://nanowrimo.org/participants/bert-olio-olio

Oh and here's a pic of Iz with her birthday copy of the amazing Ben Hatke's new book, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King