I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down

by Patricia Hamill

I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down.

I think that's standard fare for fiction writers, and I can attest it's true for myself, even though I haven't actively written a story for a couple of years now.

The lack of writing these odd thoughts, random musings and ridiculous scenarios hasn't stopped them from invading my thoughts in my day to day life. Sometimes I blurt them out to a mix of chuckles, confusion, or awkward silence. I'd like to think the chuckles win out.

Still, I think this flair for thinking up the impossible and improbable or imagining "what if" scenarios with only a tenuous link to reality are what make fiction possible.

But it's the writing it down that I struggle with.

I see a lot of writers who carry around a little notebook, not letting a single one of these gems go by, but the habit has never stuck with me. Instead, only a few make it onto a post it or stick around long enough for me to take a harder look at them.

I tried my hand at a diary once, and I imagine the notebook would be similar. The first week or two, solid notes every day. Then it skips a week, or two, or a month. Pretty soon, it's three years later and I've found the thing under the side table in the living room housing a family of spiders who, in all honesty, are welcome to stay there because it's not worth the cringe factor to evict them.

So, writing it down is a challenge. I wrote this statement down (the one at the very top), and that's why I'm expounding on it now. So yeah, maybe I should do that more.

And that brings me to the last point. 

Thinking it up and writing it down are critical, but you have to go back and look at it again, do something with it.

Even if I did write every idea in a notebook, how likely would it be that I would open the thing, flip through, and look at what I wrote? And if I didn't do that, how likely would it be that I would turn one or more of those random thoughts into a story or article?

To both questions: not very.

So, what do I do? 

I only write a few of them down, usually the ones I can't get out of my mind or that seem to resonate with myself or others. And then I make a point of going back and doing something with them, whether that be an article, a story, a meme, or a random post on social media.

When inspiration strikes, the key is to go back to it, to use it, to share it with the world.

If you don't, it's lost to all but you and the spiders, and the spiders don't care.


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P.S. If you're not a fan of spiders, my apologies. If you are a fan, no worries. No actual spiders were harmed or displaced in the writing of this article.

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I read too much! is going on break for the next few months.  Subscribe to the blog or follow me on Twitter so you'll know when it's back. Happy reading!

Fiction is a thought experiment

by Patricia Hamill

Fiction is a thought experiment.

This came to my mind during a recent Toastmasters meeting, and I had to write it down, though it's not likely a new or unique epiphany in the grand scheme of things.

But think about it. We use fiction to explore the world (both as writer and reader). We experience things we would never have experienced, both good and bad. We imagine new technology, or superpowers, or a new love. We solve murder mysteries or save the day from a mad scientist. We're young again, or we're old.

And back to the idea of a thought experiment, fiction has an influence on the real world. Look at Star Trek and cell phones. The little flip communicators look a lot like our original flip phones. And fiction, particularly science fiction, continues to lead and guide emerging technology, inspiring current and future scientists and inventors to challenge the very scope of what is real and what is possible.

And then, back to fantasy fiction, sure, we may not have elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits running around, but there's meat to these stories. Often, you'll find battles and fight scenes. The writer experiments with different strategies and imagines how they would play out. Some of them are plausible. For a fight scene, the same thing. It's essentially the application of a martial art in a fictional situation.

When I practiced karate regularly, we would do something very similar when practicing our forms, not just going through the movements, but through imagination, building purpose behind each action. An opponent strikes, and we block. Our head turns as another approaches, and we shift our feet and adopt a defensive stance. The first opponent comes in for another strike and we execute a side kick to send him back so we can focus on the new one. All in the mind, but enhancing the learning of the martial art.

And in fantasy, particularly the epic kind, are political machinations. There are a finite number of existing and past countries to study, some well documented and some not, but fiction is limitless and can be experienced from any perspective, not just that of an observer. Through fantasy, one can be a king and explore the benefits and drawbacks of such. One can imagine a coup in the works or fight one off, depending on the perspective. One can fight adversity or be the cause of it. Dictatorships, democracy, autocracy, monarchy, all are fair game in fiction.

That being said, dystopia is one of the more prevalent political experiments I've noticed in this day and time, reflecting the observations and worries of our young people and adults alike. Most of it presents the dystopia as a thing of the present, and then the protagonists, who are often young adults born into the mess, fight to correct the course of their world, usually succeeding, but not always.

All of it is a thought experiment. A way of learning about and understanding our world through storytelling. Both inspired by and inspiring our reality.

And the best part is? Anyone can join in. Just pick up your pen and imagine...

Tour Stop and Guest Post by Aaron Safronoff, Author of Sunborn Rising

Today is my stop during the blog tour for Sunborn Rising: Beneath The Fall by Aaron Safronoff. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 27 June till 10 July, you can view the tour schedule here.

And now, I'm excited to share with you this guest post by Aaron about books, particularly that most debated element of them, their covers.

Guest Post:

Big thank you to Lola for setting up this tour, and to I Read Too Much! for inviting me to post! Always a joy to talk books.

People judge books by the covers. They do. In fact, they often happily admit it in face-to-face conversations, and I applaud their candor. I agree. The cover and its contents might not match as the saying goes, but that’s the extent of accuracy of the old adage.

Visuals matter, both in function and form, and judgements begin there. It’s probably just human. I mean, we even taste with our eyes, as though all of our other senses are informed by what we see. If you’ve ever eaten Jelly Bellies you know that information isn’t always reliable, and that seems to bring us full circle to _not_ judging. But Jelly Belly doesn’t eschew the visual vocabulary; they expertly utilize it as their staple intrigue, a jelly bean that tastes nothing like the conventional candy. Beyond the initial twist they develop their own vocabulary because they know how important it is. As an author, I don’t want to ignore existing vocabularies, I want to understand them. I don’t want anyone to pick up my book thinking it’s chocolate pudding when it’s tabasco, unless I want people to make that face when they’re reading my book. ;-)

The front cover begins the story, the illustration as essential as the title.  In fact, the font, the paper, the chapter headings, and even the margins affect a reader’s experience in profound ways. I only possess an amateur understanding of those factors, but to illustrate the point, so to speak, Comic Sans elicits a different emotional response than say, Times New Roman, or Corsiva, and Wing Dings are right out. ;-) Entire professions revolve around understanding typeface because it’s so important to get it right in the world of publishing. As a storyteller, I embrace each element of the total package, and where my knowledge falls short, I do my best to ask questions, and frequently tap the shoulders of friends and colleagues for advice.

At the end of the day, the philosophical debate regarding the pros and cons of a quick to judge culture forks orthogonal from developing a modern franchise. It’s important to remind people to look deeper than the uncontrollable, superficial aspects of one another in life, but a book cover is neither fated, nor genetically determined; it’s something we create as artists and storytellers, and I care about it as much as the chosen words.

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And now for more about Aaron's book! Looks like a great story for folks young and old.

Sunborn Rising: Beneath The Fall (Sunborn Rising #1)
by Aaron Safronoff
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: all-ages, Middle Grade and up
Release Date: May 2016
Publisher: Neoglyphic Entertainment

Blurb:
Cerulean.

A distant world of Great Trees floating on an ocean surrounding a star.

The flotilla forests cycle light and water through their boughs into their lush canopies. But the once vibrant treescape has grown dark, slowly, subtly over many generations. The civilization of creatures living among the boughs believe the darkness is normal. That is, until one willful young girl named Barra discovers the hidden journal of her late father.

Pouring over her father’s writing, Barra learns of a mysterious plague, a creeping vine choking the flow of light and water into the canopy. Her father warned the Elders. He urged them to take action. Those were his last words.

Together with her two best friends, a Rugosic named Tory and a Kolalabat named Plicks, Barra will explore every bark, wood, and leaf of the Great Forest to relight her world and complete her father’s story, even if it leads her beneath the Fall.

You can find Sunborn Rising on Goodreads

You can buy Sunborn Rising here:
- Amazon
- Amazon paperback
- Amazon hardcopy

View the book trailer for Sunborn Rising here on youtube

Meet the Characters

The World

About the Author:
Aaron Safronoff was born and raised in Michigan where he wrote his first novella, Evening Breezes. In his early twenties, he moved to California to attend culinary school. He fell in love with the Bay Area and has never considered leaving, although he did eventually leave the school.

During his ten years in the games industry, he worked at various levels and for several disciplines including quality assurance, production, and design. All the while he was writing a novel, short stories, plays, and poetry. His career in design introduced him to amazingly intelligent, fun, and creative people, many of whom he considers family today.

Safronoff self-published, Spire, in 2011, and won the Science Fiction Discovery Award for the same in the summer of 2012. By the end of that year he decided to drop everything and free fall into fiction. In the following three months he completed work on the sequel to Spire, Fallen Spire, edited Evening Breezes, and published both.

Today, Safronoff is co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment and working on his fifth novel, the second book of the Sunborn Rising series. In his spare time, Safronoff enjoys reading a variety of authors, Philip K. Dick, Cormac McCarthy, and Joe Abercrombie among them. He enjoys living near the ocean, playing and watching hockey, and video games. He has a deep love of music and comedy.

You can find and contact Aaron here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram

Sunborn Rising links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Instagram
- Youtube

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Sunborn Rising. These are the prizes you can win:
- 5 signed paperbacks of Sunborn Rising by Aaaron Safronoff

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grammar: Does the word 'so' need a comma in front of it?

So I just learned a neat trick for figuring out whether or not so needs a comma in front of it. Just pop the clause it begins in front of the sentence and, if it’s nonsensical, no comma.

In other words, if the so only meaningfully fits between the two clauses it joins, then that’s a coordinating conjunction. But, if the so clause works at the beginning, predicting something because of something else, for example, it's acting like a subordinating conjunction, so no comma is needed. (Note that the article on Grammar Girl, linked below, never actually says it is a subordinating conjunction. It just says that it acts like one.)

Another thing I noticed was that most of the subordinating-like instances hide an invisible that right after so (or close, such as in so long that), so if you can insert a that in the clause, you probably don’t need the comma. Fun, huh?

So, to recap, if you find a so you're unsure of, move its clause to the beginning or insert a that right after it. If either action makes it sound weird, then so is a coordinating conjunction in that case, and you need a comma.

Examples:

He wanted to go to the party, so I went with him.
Doesn't make sense if you say: So I went with him, he wanted to go to the party. In this case, so is a coordinating conjunction.

He told me there would be a snack bar at the party so I would go with him.
Here you could state this as, "So I would go with him, he told me there would be a snack bar at the party." That makes sense, so you would treat it like a subordinating conjunction, no comma. It also passes the insert that trick: He told me there would be a snack bar at the party so that I would go with him.


Here are a couple of grammar articles I found helpful with regard to so and other conjunctions. The Grammar Girl one was my primary reference for this post.

Grammar Girl: Weird Coordinating Conjunctions: Yet, For and So

 

Grammar Bytes: The Coordinating Conjunction--Recognize a coordinating conjunction when you see one.

Funny how most of my books start in fall...

I was doing some formatting and preview loading for most of my books yesterday and noticed something interesting. Most of them start in fall.

Shadows of Valor #1 has Edwin, the main character, racing along a leaf-strewn road right at the beginning. The Freeze, even though the season is indistinguishable from winter due to, well, the freeze, begins right before winter, so, the fall. Fearless, the zombie book, starts right before Halloween, hmm, a trend. And, even funnier, so does Avalee and the Dragon, which starts during a festival, you guessed it, in the fall. Oh, that yet-to-be-named vampire book I've been tinkering with starts at a state fair, which tend to run in the fall.

You may be wondering why this is. I did so I've been considering it, and all I can guess is that perhaps it has something to do with when I actually start writing these stories. All but Shadows of Valor and the in progress vampire book were started in November, when leaves are just starting to turn, the air is getting a bit of bite to it, and the occasional frost drapes the morning landscape. SOV started in winter and the vampire book started in October, hence thoughts of the fair.

Ok, so maybe I need to initiate my writing projects throughout the year because my inspiration is obviously affected by what's going on in real life. That's a good thing, right? Or, perhaps I should take some time to plan out a few stories that start in spring or summer.  We'll see.

Then again, maybe I just like the fall.

Trigger Happy Publishing a Book with the Wrong Cover

Hello folks, I was at it again yesterday. Spent the whole day creating a cover for one of my books, posted it on Facebook for opinions, and then overrode sanity and published the book on Amazon with the untested cover.

And then the feedback rolled in...

And I realized maybe I should have waited for that feedback.  So, Avalee and the Dragon is again unpublished pending a more patient development and crowd testing of the cover, and I am reminded of why I asked for feedback in the first place.

So, here's the cover I made. Not going to pretend it doesn't exist, but I figure it might be a good reminder to myself and an opportunity for others to learn from my mistakes.

I like this cover. I think it's pretty and bright, and the picture is something I took, so no worries about anyone else having it on their covers. Sure, and that's why I did it. After all, if you don't like the cover you come up with it is definitely out. The point is, your own opinion as the creator of the book and as the creator of the cover (if you're both) should not be the only one you consult.  I almost did this right, sharing this with friends and asking for opinions. So, how did I come to the conclusion that this cover wasn't right? Well, here's what I got from my friends (and I know they're good ones because not a one of them told me this was fine).

1. What's the significance of the flowers or the yellow? This is called Avalee and the Dragon, right?

I'm paraphrasing this feedback from a few posts from someone whom I know is not afraid to give some good feedback. What this reveals is perhaps the most important flaw of this cover. It doesn't really reflect the title, and since the title does reflect the story, it doesn't really reflect the story either. The cover really needs to communicate what the story is about, give a feel for it either in details or symbolism that is closely related. If someone is asking what your cover means, that likely means your cover isn't ready or just plain isn't right for the story.

2. One generous offer from another author to help me tweak my covers.

Paired with number one, I was beginning to see that perhaps I'd missed the mark. If someone offers to help you with your covers instead of saying, "That's a good cover," you have probably missed the mark, especially if that someone has designed some rather awesome covers of their own for books that are actually selling. I asked for some advice instead, and I got it. Makes me appreciate this guy very much, that's for sure.

3. An enthusiastic reference from one family member to talk with another who is an amazing artist.

Yep, all the signs are there. That cover is totally wrong for my book. Again, no "that's awesome" or "wow, great cover." But a suggestion to get some assistance is similar to what number two's response indicated. I either need help, or I need to put a heck of a lot more thought into this cover.

4. Silence and silent likes.

No one came out and actually said that cover was terrible, but I can connect the dots. Particularly since, other than the tactful and helpful feedback and offers from one through three, no one else said anything. I got a couple of likes. But no one outright said they liked it.

So, here's what we have, a pretty cover that I like, but it confuses potential readers and, to other authors and even family, screams, "I need help."

I'm glad I asked. :-)

(Now that I look at it again, that's awfully yellow, isn't it?)

Shadows of Valor is complete! On finishing a trilogy...

Yeah, I know I've posted about this before, but I'm still excited about it. Even more so now, because I just received my first review for Fight for Valor on the Michaelscifan blog.

 

You know, it's very scary putting out a book. But what's even more scary is putting out the final book in a series or trilogy. There's this overbearing feeling of potential failure, that people will be disappointed, that as an author you'll drop the ball. I've seen this happen with other trilogies. I spent much longer finishing and then editing this one than with any other. I redesigned all the kindle covers so that they had a common feel but were distinct from each other. I read this thing from front to back more than a dozen times, to check for errors, to gage the flow, to confirm, at least to myself, that the story was fun to read and interesting. Finally, I took some deep breaths and hit publish.

 

And then I waited. I posted some links and put half of my books on sale in celebration. I asked for reviews from just a couple of folks who liked the first two books. And last night, late, I saw the first review. I feel like that one person reading and loving my book has made it all worth it.

 

Will everyone love it? Probably not. But I know one person did, and that just makes my day.

 

 

And, if that wasn't enough, he also reviewed my other newish release, The Freeze. I must say I'm pretty excited about this one, too. I think my only regret is that I didn't flesh The Freeze out more. A common thread in all the reviews so far is that it missed opportunities. A good lesson I plan to take to heart. But, still, folks do seem to like it, and that's awesome.

Here's the link to Michaelscifan's The Freeze review.

The many meanings of 'I love you'...

That's right, the many meanings. I bet you thought there was only one meaning. Someone says "I love you" and that's that. But in real life you might find it means something a little different each time it's said. So here are a few ways I've heard this used in my own house.

I love you (Ok, I have no idea what you just said.)
I love you (Bye.)
I love you (Whatever, you win.)
I love you (Whatever, I win.)
I love you (...)
I love you (Absentminded endearment at work, school or over the phone...Does not mean anything.)
I love you (You are weird.)
I love you (I can't believe you said that.)
I love you (I can't believe you did that.)
I love you (I forgive you.)
I love you (Do you forgive me?)
I love you (I think you said something, but I'm not sure it wasn't a sneeze.)
I love you (Where is the thing I'm looking for? I'm pretty sure you misplaced it or hid it.)
I love you (You're going to get me in a fight.)
I love you (That was a close call.)
I love you (You are funny.)

And, last but not least...

I love you (I love you.)

So, the bottom line is I don't think you can just say I love you without context and really know what it means. I'm curious to see what you might come up with to convey one of these meanings. Share in the comments. 

Exercise and editing, a great combo and here is why...

Today I went for a run. It's been a while since the last time I've done that. Usually, I practice karate or take walks, but today I ran. It was invigorating, even though I'm sorely out of practice. What does this have to do with editing?

Well, a lot actually. First off, exercise is an energizer, particularly helpful if you're going to be something sedentary and tedious (like editing). It's also a mood booster, so you'll feel good and that might help motivate you to get to work (cheerfully). And of course, it's good for your body. So you can stay healthy, not only fit, but well (As in not sick as often, and who wants to edit when they're sick? Not me.).

So, I ran today, and now it's time to edit.

I'm feeling good.
I'm motivated.
I'm energized.

What have you done today? Answer in the comments...

Finished with another book, or am I?

Yesterday I wrapped up a very promising 3rd draft of last year's NaNoWriMo story, The Freeze.  I had that feeling, that I'm done feeling. A rush of emotions. Happiness, relief, but then doubt and weariness.

Why?

Because one thing I've learned since I started self-publishing is that when you think you're finished, you're usually wrong.  No, take that back, you're definitely wrong, particularly if you are celebrating finishing your final draft.

So, you might ask, what's left to do?

Good question. Here's a quick list to give you an idea, and perhaps to give me one as well.  A checklist of things I have yet to do.

1. Get a second look at the thing.
Honestly, I haven't done this in the right place yet. Getting a beta reader to look at your story should happen after you are confident it's ready for public eyes.  Maybe this time, eh? I really should.

2. Format for publishing.
This gets tricky, particularly if you distribute through more than one venue, like I do. I've found that each one prefers, or even requires, a very specific set up. Some require standard front matter. You have to obtain an ISBN # and put it in the right place, or an ASIN # if you're publishing on Kindle. And, while you don't necessarily have to do it, you probably should write a quick note for the end of the book. Yeah, that's not really fun, but think about how you feel when you finish a good story and find that the author has tacked that personal touch at the end. I know I like it.

3. Come up with a back cover blurb.
 This can also be the description you will post with the book on websites. For me they are either the same or very similar. I don't think I've yet mastered the art, but writing reviews has made the task easier. My goal is to write a single paragraph, short and sweet, that shows what the story is about and why the reader should want to read it. In any case, this needs to be ready before you go to publish. All the venues I use require you to post one, and some don't have a save progress option; it's all or nothing with those, so have it ready.

4. Craft a cover.
Ok, so this one's tricky. So far, I've done all my own covers, but I must say that you'll probably get better results if you hire someone with a solid portfolio and graphic artistry skills to do it for you. Then again, if you're like me, you don't have a budget for that just yet.  So, I will be doing it again.

Right now, I'm looking at my topic and at my other books and thinking, "Holy cow, did I really just write another book that lends itself to a blue cover?" Sure, blue's my favorite color, but honestly, I'm not doing this on purpose.  Can't make it white or the edges disappear on the selling pages.  Le sigh.

So, yeah, you need a cover before you publish as well, and like the content, the cover needs to be formatted differently for different venues.  I usually use the same one for Kindle and Smashwords, but the print one has to be a specific size and quality. And it has to be set up a bit odd because the top, bottom and right edges will be chopped off. That's a pain.

Photoshop helps, but not as a means to stitch together different pictures or fix a fundamentally flawed one.  I use it to layer background color, image, boxes (on which to place the text), and text onto the cover. Don't get caught up in fancy fonts or complex images. Simple is good. Readable is good. Shrink your cover to the size it will be posted on Amazon. Can you still read it and tell what it says? And, like the content, ask a few people to give you their opinions.

5. Get ready to publish the book.
This is where you'll actually start uploading all the content, the cover, and the blurb. Personally, I like to load the book everywhere and save, but not publish. Then I like to order a print proof and do one more round of line editing. Whatever I catch there, I fix in all three formats: print, kindle and smashwords. It's amazing how many things you'll find in the print version of the book you thought was perfect. It's worth the few dollars you'll spend on the proof and the shipping. And yeah, this is another reason why I say I'm not done when I think I am. I know better.

6. Set a date and promote.
Yes, time to let people know the book's coming. There are a few ways to drum up interest. You can sign up for blog tours, book blitzes and schedule interviews. You can take out ads.  You can recruit some ARC reviewers and get them to post their opinions before release date.  So far, I've not been very good at this part of it, mostly because I just want to skip right to publishing.  Because of that, I won't go into detail here.

7. Publish the book.
At this point, you are ready. Everything's in place. It's release day (or just prior to). You've announced/promoted. You're happy with the book, the cover and the blurb. You know where you're publishing. Now, just log in, hit publish and wait. Wait, because with self publishing, your book usually has to go through a review before it posts.

If you've done this before, you'll have a good idea how long it takes for each venue. Like for Amazon, I'll hit publish the night before release. For CreateSpace, I'll hit it 2-3 days before release. For Smashwords, well, I just post it on release day and the book filters out to the various booksellers over the course of a week, but it's available on the Smashwords site right away.

8. Promote the book.
And promote yourself and your brand. Talk with people. Chat with readers online. Write a blog. Share short stories and poetry. Write reviews and participate in the author community. Mention your book when context allows, but don't shout "buy my book" in every message board and chat room. Basically, this part of it never ends. Some of us are better at it than others. I've noticed that those that are good at it have readers and bloggers and fellow authors behind them, cheering them on and spreading the word. I hardly ever see an author that has achieved that standing on the power of their own, personal promotion efforts. And, it takes time. Have I reached that level yet? No, but I am enjoying the journey there and feel lucky to have met some very interesting people along the way.

So, yes, I'm finished with The Freeze, but as you can see, there is a lot of work left to do. I'll keep you posted.

PNDS: Post NaNoWriMo Depression Syndrome

Yeah, I made that up. But, here's the thing, maybe it should be a real thing. Every time I finish a story, particularly for NaNoWriMo, there's this huge surge of euphoric accomplishment. Yay, I did it! Look, I made it!

And then PNDS hits. A void has formed where once the story lived, not just were the story held my attention, but where it lived. The characters, the setting, the trials, now nothing but a vacuum in my heart. I miss them, and I find myself trying to fill that space with other things: trying to read all the books I set aside, writing blog posts (or mostly just looking at a blank page trying to recapture the magic that created an entire novel, and failing), watching movies.  Anything to fill that void.

The effect seems worse after NaNoWriMo, probably because of the tight deadline, the all consuming trial of compressing what normally takes months into just days. The creative abandon, the rush of seeing a story come to life so quickly. So much energy put in, and then it's just gone. The energy is still there, the urge to write, but the story is finished.

It's odd and pervasive. How can finishing a story be such a downer? And really, the only thing I can do about it, the only thing that really works, is to start another. Maybe that's why I have a backlog of drafts that need editing. Editing is great, but it's not the same as writing. It doesn't fill that void.

Luckily, though, the effect seems short lived. The result is another story started or long put off editing kicked into overdrive. I just have to push through a rough week or so after the story wraps while I ask myself, "What now?"

So, I'm curious. How do you feel after finishing a story, or any big project, really? Let me know in the comments.

Woot, 2014 NaNoWriMo Target Hit!

I am thrilled, to say the least. Finished with eight days to spare and two thousand more words than I'd estimated. Whew!  Now, to rest for a little while and think up an nice ending for the story. Final battle and narrow escape, all good. Now to draw the conclusion.

No idea when I'll publish this...

NaNoWriMo Status Update: Great Progress, Still Stressed

This year is the first time I've actually started my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) novel on November 1st, and I'm hoping to finish early.  I base this on the fact that I've managed to finish on time the last two years, while starting late.

So, how am I doing? Pretty good, just about exactly on target for the challenge, but then again, my target is to finish early.  I've figured out that based on my formatting, I need 60 pages of rough draft to hit 50k words. I'm at 18 right now. I want to finish about 20k per weekend.

That means I just need to knock out 2 pages today, right? Wrong. Why? Because now that I'm going, I don't just want to finish early, I want to finish way early. Le sigh.

So, status. I'm at 15239 words of 50k. I'm on target to complete right on the 30th and pretty close to my side goal of finishing early if I knock out a couple more pages today. And, I'm stressing because I want to see if I can round this weekend off to 20k words or more (that would be 10k words today).

Hmm, why can't I be this motivated when I write books any other time of the year? Don't know, but despite the stress, I dig the game. I guess that's why I keep coming back for more.


So, who else is playing along with NaNoWriMo this year? What are your goals? How are you doing? And, most importantly, are you having fun?

NaNoWriMo 2014: Avalee and the Dragon

An idea has hatched.

My NaNoWriMo story this year will be called Avalee and the Dragon. Here's a short description.

Avalee's village is peaceful and safe, a great place to live, but the long shadow of Dragon's Mount is a constant reminder of the price the villagers must pay every ten years.

I have a ton of ideas floating around for this one, but I think I can get 50k words out of it and have fun doing so.

Wish me luck!

NanoWriMo Plans and Book News

So, next month's NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month), and based on last year's attempt to dodge that siren's call, I'm probably going to be spending my month writing.

Last year, I said I wouldn't, then on around day 17 I decided I would. I still can't believe I finished in time, but The Freeze is in the 3rd round of edits and nearly ready for some beta reading and cover design. Already I've chopped about 4k words, so it's no longer a 50k book, but that's ok. The challenge is to write a 50k first draft in November, not a 50k final draft.

Anyway, it's a ton of frenzied, nerve wracking storytelling and, of course, I'm going in without a plan. I have so much trouble even thinking of a topic ahead of time, and I've got to hand it to those who manage to do that and come up with an outline. I admire them for that.

So, what do I do to get ready? Well, I make sure I have a notebook (that I won't likely use), I forewarn my husband, and I tell everyone to ignore the absent gazes that might overcome me from time to time. I also run through ideas in my head, particularly on the way to work when I'm fresh.

I probably won't be reading a ton of new books when I'm actively writing, but I will keep reading, and I will keep up with my family time and my hobbies. Just because I'm writing doesn't mean I have to lose sight of everything else that matters in my life.

That being said, who else plans to take the NaNoWriMo challenge this year?

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Book news:

All four of my published books are 99c on Amazon right now. Fearless is now out in paperback. The Freeze is on track for release in December. Shadows of Valor 3 will likely be released in Winter of 2015 (still on the 2nd draft). Finally, I'm about 30% in on a vampire story. It has no name yet, but it's been fun to write so far.

That's all for now.

It's Been a While, Here's What I'm Up to

Today I've decided to post a little status update instead of a book review. Primarily, that's because I don't have any book reviews lined up.

What I'm reading...

I'm currently reading Only the Cold Remains by Curran Geist, which the author sent me a copy of since I read and reviewed the first one for him.  I must say, it's keeping me turning the pages. I was up until 4am this morning.  Good thing I'm on vacation.

Anyway, the other thing I'm reading is the Wheel of Time series (yes, still). I'm stuck about mid-way through book 5, The Fires of Heaven. Not because there's anything wrong with the book, but because I've read this series about a dozen times and now that I have ebooks, reading new, shiny material is much cheaper and easier to do than ever before.

I'm seriously considering taking my chances with skipping the next several books and just reading the last one in the series. I'm only rereading these because I want the full experience and want to know who's who in the last book. Robert Jordan tended to create minor characters early on and then make them major several books later. Very easy to move into the "huh?" zone.

On a lighter note, I just ninja re-read Twilight. This makes about four or five reads this year.  I don't know exactly why I like this book so much, but I do. It's my favorite of all the Twilight Saga books, too.  Anyway, I think I might have picked it up this time so I'd have something light to read to balance the dark and scary in Curran's story.  I like having several options open, based on whatever mood I'm in.

What I want to read next...

Ok, so this one's a little more vague. I tend to make snap decisions about what to read next. That's why I don't post "this month's reads" or anything like that. However, I did pick up a new story on Kindle yesterday (free at the time) that I'm looking forward to reading.  So, I'll be reading the first Andy Smithson adventure by L.R.W. Lee.  I found the link to it from one of the author's Twitter postings (@LRWLee). I tell you, her snippets, quotes and quirky adventure sayings have really piqued my interest.  One of my favorite authors to follow at the moment.

What I'm writing...

NOTHING! Why? Because I just finished writing the draft for Shadows of Valor #3. Yeah, yeah, I probably should have mentioned that first, but I do like to save the best for last.  So, I'm not done with it, but I've moved from the writing phase to the revision and editing phase. As I posted to Twitter earlier today (@PatriciaHamill2), editing is how you take your writing from meh to wow.

Now that I'm done with the Shadows of Valor #3 draft, I'll also have some time to finish up revisions and edits for The Freeze, the YA dystopian romance I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2013. That one is super close to done, and I'm very excited about it.  The only thing that's causing me to wring my hands is the romantic scenes. I tend to write pretty clean stuff, but I got a little carried away.  Still, I've read steamier scenes in other YA books, so I don't think it's quite too much. I might have to break my habit of ninja publishing and recruit a few beta readers when I'm done with it.

So, I have two books in editing mode, that's my cue to stop writing.  So far this process has worked. I've managed to publish two books per year for the last two years. This year looks like I'll be able to do the same.

What's going on with my other books...

Er, nothing.  I suppose I've gotten somewhat lax in my self promotion and book promotion.

I do plan to publish Fearless in paperback a little later this year, around Halloween, or maybe a little earlier. I think it would be neat to offer it up in time for people to start reading it in time with the journal entries.  Then, they could just read the entries for each day.  Of course, I don't think I could hold back that long. I've read it dozens of times (mostly during editing), and it usually takes me about two days to do so. I'm amazed at how much of myself I managed to put into this zombie story. It's fiction, but it's almost real to me.  Maybe that's why it's scored such good reviews. The best stories are told from the heart. I also edited the heck out of it, which probably helped at least a little. 

As for Shadows of Valor and Forgotten Valor, I might have to put them up for some read and reviews and do some tweets to build some interest in the series.  Now that the last book is in editing, I feel much better at promoting the series. I had this horrible self-doubt up until now. I didn't want people to read the first two and then not be able to finish the story. I think this comes from being a pantser. I like to let let the stories tell themselves and develop as I write, and the end game was always a little fuzzy for me. I also don't want the last book to be a let down. I've read plenty of trilogies and series that ended in a whimper. I tell you, it's a lot of pressure, especially for a perfectionist like me. I can tell you I've really enjoyed writing this story and I've enjoyed re-reading it as I did so. I really hope you pick up a copy some time and let me know what you think.

Links:  

Here are a few links to help you find my books in the format you want.

• My books on Smashwords: .mobi, .epub, pdf, others
• My books on Barnes and Noble: .epub and Paperback
• My books on Amazon: Kindle (.mobi) and Paperback

NaNoWriMo 2013- The Freeze is Complete at 50310 Words

This morning at 2:30am, I finished The Freeze, my second NaNoWriMo novel. It's a fantastic feeling, wrapping up a 50k word novel in 30 days, and this time, I did it in 14.  Talk about procrastination.  But it was fun.

Just for fun, here is what my mini descent into the crazy writing frenzy that is NaNoWriMo looked like this year.  Obviously I'm a weekend warrior when it comes to writing, but this time I took it to the extreme. I had a couple of 8k days and even a 10 and 12k day. Coming to the end of one of those is like coming to edge of an insanity cliff and looking over the edge.

NaNoWriMo 2013-The Freeze

I was good and only wrote 3k on Thanksgiving, spending the day cooking and the evening watchin Punkin Chunkin on Discovery with my family.  But on Black Friday I avoided the stores and sales in favor of a pie induced sugar high and a 12k word writing marathon (actually 10k on the 29th and 2k after midnight).  I must have found words for the perfect ending three or four times in those final few hours, only to check my word count and realize my work was not done yet, a symptom of NaNoWriMo. The book isn't over until you reach 50k.

So what did I write about? A frozen future where residents of a city, led by a prepper named Mr. Prowler have taken refuge in an underground tunnel system. A young girl, Andrea, sick of writing sappy, optimistic essays for what the adults call school, decides to try her luck on one of Mr. Prowler's scavenging crews, who go topside to sweep the abandoned city for cast off supplies and materials.  With the help of a boy she likes who happens to be Mr. Prowler's son, she joins the team as Chaz.  But getting on the team isn't at all what she expected and she soon finds herself separated from the team, lost in the frozen city and alone.

NaNoWriMo 2012- Fearless (The Zombie Logs)

Of course, this year I knew I could do it. This wasn't my first trip down this road, and last year I spent 20 of the 30 days of NaNoWriMo delving into my version of the zombie apocalypse. Why? Not because I like zombies or zombie stories. Quite the opposite in fact. I wrote Fearless (The Zombie Logs) to combat the desire to hide out in the computer room whenever my husband watched The Walking Dead. It was therapeutic. It was also fun, sad, and the first book that actually had a scene that brought tears to my eyes when I wrote it. I also gave myself some writing constraints just to make it a bit more interesting. One, I never say the word zombie anywhere in the book. Two, the whole thing is written as a journal from the perspective of a young woman who managed to survive the outbreak and who finds herself the leader of a small band of survivors. Three, I only name three characters over the course of the book, though to hit my word count I did a run down of who's who at the very end. Still, I surprised myself.  Even with all these constraints, the characters took on realistic identities, humor and tragedy blossomed from the pages, and I even managed to fit in a little romance.  

The downside, though, was that I had a totally weird timeline since I didn't have a calendar out when I wrote it.  I'm working on taming that timeline in my current editing run for this book. In fact, I've got everything labeled with the correct date and now I'm just running through it making sure I haven't talked about it being Christmas in the middle of April or Thanksgiving in the middle of October.  Details, details. 

That's all for now. I'm giving myself the rest of the day off to recover.  Tomorrow? Well, tomorrow I'm back to editing. 

Did any of you NaNoWriMo this year? If so, share your experiences with it in the comments.  What was your best word count day? How much caffiene did you ingest? Etc. Etc.

While you're at it check out MichaelSciFan's interview with me and enter to win a free ecopy of Forgotten Valor.

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October Theme: Short and Shortish Books!

If you've been following my blog for long, you may have already guessed I tend towards the more massive offerings. This month I'll be doing something a bit different.  The focus will be entirely on short and shortish books: novellas, short stories, short story collections, etc.

For authors, short stories of various lengths provide a great way to practice writing, to get your work and your name out there, and to build a volume of work in a rather short period of time.  They're also great for getting recognized in competitions, such as those available on Writer's Digest.

For readers, short stories provide a glimpse into another world, a quick escape, and an introduction to an author's style.  They also make great bedtime stories, even for adults, and yes, some of the stories I'll feature this month are definitely not something you'd read to a kid.

To kick off my month of shorts, let's run through what makes a short story a short story.

Ack, the dreaded writer's block strikes again!

Here's another legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

Have you ever had writer's block?  It's a sinking feeling when you draw a blank and everything you write, if you manage to write anything at all, seems wonky.  But, there are things you can do to snap yourself out of it, the first of which being: Just Write! 

 

Here are a few more tips that work for me.

February 22, 2013

Yes, I've been hit, and hit hard, with the dreaded writer's block. This isn't the first time and probably won't be the last time I've managed to write myself into a corner, where every new word seems to drag the story in a direction I don't want to go. It's like hitting a brick wall.

So, what do I do when I hit a wall? Here are a few things I'm doing this round:

Here's to progress.

Legacy post from my Goodreads blog.

This quick update from December catalogs how I was doing on my goals for attracting an agent.  Since then I have expanced distribution for Shadows of Valor, not The Golden Ship.  It has been published on Smashwords.com, which distributes to popular ebook retailers like kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.   

December 15, 2012

Here's to progress.

My plans for attracting an agent include: 1) writing more books, 2) getting those books published, 3) gaining followers, and 4) writing a blog.

I can say I have made quite a bit of progress since I first thought up my plan to attract an agent.

I've completed one book, drafted another and am working on the draft for a third. All these in addition to The Golden Ship, the book that first made me consider getting an agent. Shadows of Valor is, of course, already published and I've mentioned it in a few posts already. The Zombie Logs is a draft ready for editing and revision. Finally, the as of yet unnamed Shadows of Valor #2 is in progress, perhaps about 80% complete (give or take depending on where the story takes me). So, that's one.