New Goal: Finish Present MS by end of Summer

I've been working on this manuscript for years, actually. I've decided to try to get it completely done by the end of the Summertime. My working title is 'For Those Who Believe.' I would tell you all what it's about, but I've learned over the years that if I do so, I end up thinking my work is stupid and abandoning it.

So for the sake of truly finishing the work, I shan't tell you just yet what the story is about. Maybe I'll tell you more about it when the ms is completed.

On accomplishing my goal before fall; and a quick BTW...

I may well accomplish this goal before the next month is out. Not to jinx myself or anything, but since I've committed myself to the goal, I've written two chapters, one per day, on 'For Those Who Believe.' I haven't done the 'one chapter per day' thing in several years, so I'm pretty happy about the fact I'm getting back into the swing of it again.


By the way, a quick question, if I may:

'For Those Who Believe' is, of course, the working title of my present Fantasy work. This title is also based on a verse in the Bible. Though I do not presently remember its exact location, I do know that Christ coined the phrase. I also know that, though the King James Version of the Bible is not copyrighted, the wording of my title is not taken from that version. (The KJV says "All things are possible for him that believeth.")

So my question is, what can I do to make the connection between what Christ said and the subject of my WIP, without violating the Copyright restrictions involved with quoting from a copyrighted Bible source--if I'm not mistaken, what I've quoted comes from the old New International Version, which was originally copyrighted in 1973 by the International Bible Society.

You see, I don't want to call it 'For Him That Believeth,' partially because the main character is female, but also because 'For Him That Believeth' doesn't really have the authoritative aspect that 'For Those Who Believe' does.

Does anybody have any suggestions on this? I thank you in advance for your answers.

Three chapters closer....

I thought you'd all like to know that in the last four days I've written three chapters on my WIP. It's really coming right along.

I took the day off yesterday, and am planning to write Chapter Four later today. My plan is to write a chapter a day until I get the work done. So far, that plan is working very well.

Anyway, I thought you'd all like to know how my manuscript is coming along.





I hope you all have a good day today.

Actually, I may have spoken too soon....

LiamJackson said:

Sean, regarding your copyright question, I'm clueless. I not sure that titles fall under the same provisions that restrict content. Maybe a note to Jaws could help.

Glad to learn that you've hit a rhythm with the chapter a day.

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It looks like I've skipped a beat or two. Yesterday I started on Chapter Four, but by the time I got to the middle of it, the infamous Writer's Block hit me.

I'm going to try to finish Chapter Four today, and then tomorrow if I can, I'll start Chapter Five and go back to the once-a-day rhythm I'm used to following.


Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Talk to you later.

An Update....

'For Those Who Believe' is coming right along. I have finished Chapter Six now.

I've been having trouble with my one-chapter-a-day thing. It seems like every time I am just about ready to work, someone calls me up on the phone or knocks on my door, saying, "Would you be willing to do this or that for me today?" Or they just want to stand outside my door and tell me their agenda for the upcoming week. It is almost as though people are doing this because they know Sean Schaffer is working right now on his book, and hey, everybody knows writing isn't important! Sean can do that some other time.

Now, I know it's not really a conspiracy, but it sure feels like it sometimes.

Anyway, I'm doing about the best I can with the manuscript, but I'm still working with the hopes of completing it by the end of Summertime. As Summer hasn't begun yet, I think I may still have a chance at this. So, cool.


Talk to you all later.

Jamesaritchie said:

In this case, you won't be violating any copyright by using "For Those Who Believe" as a title. Just because a book is under copyright doesn't mean you can't use a short phrase from that book as a title.

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Cool! Thank you for the info; I appreciate it very much.

Thanks again.

Update on WIP

Hello everyone. I thought I'd give you all an update on my work.

I'm stuck.

The stress these last few days has been almost unbearable. To my body, at least. I went to the hospital Friday complaining about chest pain. Thankfully, the doctors told me it wasn't a heart attack, but rather a case of Chest Wall Pain.

The doctor told me it could be caused by stress or any number of other things. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so my guess is that that's what's been causing it.

For this reason, I've been having to take it easy the last few days. Therefore I haven't done much work on 'For Those Who Believe' in the last several days.

However, I have come to a point of change in the work. My outline is virtually useless now, as the work has taken a turn which hopefully will not only lengthen it, but will also make it far more interesting and a better read.

I love it when the pieces all start falling together, and I'm willing to wager that's what's going on now. But first I have to rest up, keep taking my aspirin when the pain hits, and using my cane for balance when I need it.

Anyway, I'm pretty much at a standstill, but that's only because I haven't been thinking about the work itself. Not to worry, though, for I will, Lord-willing, be back to work at it probably in another few days.


Talk to you all later.

I'll be out of the office for a few days....

SeanDSchaffer said:

The stress these last few days has been almost unbearable. To my body, at least. I went to the hospital Friday complaining about chest pain. Thankfully, the doctors told me it wasn't a heart attack, but rather a case of Chest Wall Pain.

The doctor told me it could be caused by stress or any number of other things. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so my guess is that that's what's been causing it.

For this reason, I've been having to take it easy the last few days. Therefore I haven't done much work on 'For Those Who Believe' in the last several days.

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This morning, I'll be off to the Hospital to find out what's really going on. I don't think Chest Wall Pain is the issue. I think honestly I might be having real heart trouble because the pain I had last night was severe. So I'll probably be off the site and the Net for a few days until I can figure out what the blankety-blank's going on with me.

I look forward to coming back and talking to everybody when I get out of the Hospital. I'll talk to you all later.

Thank you Matt.

MadScientistMatt said:

I'm sorry to hear that. I wish you well.

As for how to connect the title to the book, maybe start it with one of those pages with a single quote on it, and include the full verse? I've forgotten what these pages are called, but they're not too uncommon. Most Bible translations have a quoting policy explained in the copyright notice. You would probably only have to put the book, chapter, verse, and something like (NIV) after it.

Good luck with the book. I hope you get well soon.

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Thank you kindly for the advice, Matt. I'll definitely take a look at the page you mentioned.

As for the problem I had last night, I found out what was going on today. The doctor at the Hospital told me I had suffered an Anxiety Attack. Its symptoms are much like those of a heart attack, but they don't focus in the heart itself. Rather, they focus on my ribs, which are apparently very sore. It's actually caused by stress. I'll probably just rest up the next couple of days like the doctor instructed and then go on about my business....although I won't be quite as active from now on.

Thank you for the well-wishing. I appreciate it very much.

Well, I'm feeling somewhat better now....

First, thanks to all of you for the well-wishing in this hard time for me right now. Second, I'd like to say I am feeling somewhat better. I've started using a cane and walking much more slowly, and I'm pretty much relaxing all the day through each day.

The book is going nowhere right now. My physical condition is a tad bit more important to me right now than my WIP.

Besides my physical condition, I've reached a point of Writer's Block. I can't formulate the story further at all. I suppose this is a good thing in a way, as I've been through so much stress lately. The Writer's Block as well as my physical problems have both given me time to get some much-needed rest.

Right now my ribs are pretty sore, although I am taking aspirin for the pain. The doctors told me aspirin was all right because Tylenol makes me sick to the stomach and I don't have any Ibuprofen sitting around, so not to worry about the aspirin being a problem.

I just wish I could think about the book, even in the slightest bit. But if past experience tells me anything, the book will come together best if I'm willing to let it flow and not try to force it.

So it may take awhile longer than my original goal of the end of the Summer, but that's okay. I'm getting better physically, and mentally, and that's what will in the end make the job of writing my work and telling the story effectively, easier in the long run.

Anyway, I though I would update you all on what's been going on, and I will talk to you all later.

Goal Change

In the past, I've stated on this thread that my goal is to finish a manuscript I have entitled 'For Those Who Believe' by the end of the Summer.

I have decided, for the time being, to set that ms aside and work on another one.

The ms I'm working on now is entitled 'Flight of the Rocnah'. I wrote the original first draft when I was just entering High School. I've been wanting to finish it for years.

A friend, who himself writes, tells me he believes this work has potential to be a good published work. For this reason, and for the reason that this work is special to me, I have decided to begin work on writing my Final Copy of this ms and hopefully I can have the Final Copy finished by the end of July. I shall keep you all updated on my progress.

Already, I am almost done with Chapter One, which so far is more than ten pages long (Courier font, 12 point size, double-spaced). I checked the word count and it is over 50,000 words. I believe wholeheartedly that I can make it into the viable fantasy book that I have always wanted it to be.

Therefore, I plan on working on this ms for the rest of the Summer.


I'll talk to you all later.

Update on Goal Change WIP

I haven't written in a few days, and after a bit of time on the TIOB, I was physically exhausted by early this evening.

Thankfully, I have for the first time in a couple days, taken up the pen, if you will, and started work once more on my WIP.

As I write this, I've written three and one-third pages into Chapter Two. It's coming along quite nicely, and I'm feeling more energetic and finally, more like a writer again.

I thought you'd all like to know about that. Talk to you all later, and I'll be sure to keep you all updated.

Well, here's how it stands right now

It's looking like I won't be able to finish either For Those Who Believe or Flight of the Rocnah like I was hoping to, at least not by the end of the Summer. My reason is that I have had a brilliant inspiration for a brand-new story and I want to develop it as richly as I can before even writing a first draft. So this will probably be my last post on this particular thread, and if I come up with a new goal soon, I'll just start a brand-new thread.

Thank you all for the wonderful encouragement you've given me. But I have to be true to the muse within me, and this is the first time in a long time I've been inspired to write a brand-new work of this epic scale.


I'll talk to you all later and I look forward to telling you about my new work's progress, probably within a few weeks.