The Rising Enters Pre-Production

Jo McCunn via Compfight

My next SF novel is going to be called The Rising. I’ve started the process of mapping out the plot and developing characters for the novel. In the movie business all the work done before principle photography is called pre-production. So for me, my novel is in a pre-production phase right now. Sometimes this lasts for many months, so I can’t say for sure exactly when I’ll start writing it, but probably not before the final edits on my last novel are completed.

Since my writing time is limited, I can’t spend half the day doing one and half the day doing another. I must chose one task at a time. Starting in September, my time will be spent doing the second draft of Starveyors. Then that novel goes to the editor and so on. You could say that Starveyors will be in post-production, meaning editing and formatting for final sale. My goal is to get as much pre-production work on The Rising completed before September, so I can jump right in and get going on it by late November.

The Rising was initially going to be a small story. Perhaps even a novella. But it has taken over a bit and inflated into novel size. It is set a few years after Starforgers and includes many of the same characters. So if you enjoyed Starforgers, you will probably like The Rising.

One of the key threads in the book happens to be a trial where a Silicant is convicted of murder. Thus part of my pre-production involves reading legal thrillers and watching movies with a legal theme. Two films that I have watched already include Anatomy of a Murder and The Verdict. I will probably re-watch A few Good Men, 12 Angry Men, High Crimes and To Kill A Mockingbird. The later film will be in my reading list along with The Firm and The Caves of Steel. If you can think of a particularly good legal thriller let me know, especially if it involves androids.