Geoff Habiger's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
All I want for Christmas...
Being an author is hard work (and don't let anybody tell you differently!). Not only must you craft your story, get your characters to behave and follow along (hopefully) with what you want them to do, and put it all together in a coherent package, you must also do all the other things that they never tell you in "I Want To Be A Writer School". Marketing, publicity, setting up author events, promotion (or, what a good friend of mine calls "pimping your book").
All of that is hard enough if you have the luxury of being a full-time writer. But some of the best advice I ever heard for aspiring and new authors is, "don't quit your day job". So I have to do all the writing and all the marketing and promotion on top of working a full-time job. On top of that, I work a part-time job as a publisher, working to get other people's books published. (I'm senior partner and managing editor for Artemesia Publishing, so feel free to check us out.) (Yes, shameless self-promotion - it works for publishers as well as authors.)
So, Santa, if you are reading this, all I want for Christmas this year is some free time to be able to write. I'm not asking for much, maybe a couple of hours on the weekends. I'm midway through two sequels (Untouchable is the sequel to Unremarkable, and Joy of the Widows Tears is the sequel to Wrath of the Fury Blade) and if I don't get some free time it will take another 7 years to get these out there. Long lapses between releasing books may work for some writers (I'm not specifically calling George RR Martin out here, but....), but for a new author trying to build a fan base, I don't think I can do that.
So Santa, instead of new books that will just pull me away from the important job of writing, or movies that will just be a distraction, all I want for Christmas is a few hours in which to write.
And if you are interested, check out the giveaway for Wrath of the Fury Blade starting tomorrow.
All of that is hard enough if you have the luxury of being a full-time writer. But some of the best advice I ever heard for aspiring and new authors is, "don't quit your day job". So I have to do all the writing and all the marketing and promotion on top of working a full-time job. On top of that, I work a part-time job as a publisher, working to get other people's books published. (I'm senior partner and managing editor for Artemesia Publishing, so feel free to check us out.) (Yes, shameless self-promotion - it works for publishers as well as authors.)
So, Santa, if you are reading this, all I want for Christmas this year is some free time to be able to write. I'm not asking for much, maybe a couple of hours on the weekends. I'm midway through two sequels (Untouchable is the sequel to Unremarkable, and Joy of the Widows Tears is the sequel to Wrath of the Fury Blade) and if I don't get some free time it will take another 7 years to get these out there. Long lapses between releasing books may work for some writers (I'm not specifically calling George RR Martin out here, but....), but for a new author trying to build a fan base, I don't think I can do that.
So Santa, instead of new books that will just pull me away from the important job of writing, or movies that will just be a distraction, all I want for Christmas is a few hours in which to write.
And if you are interested, check out the giveaway for Wrath of the Fury Blade starting tomorrow.
Dynamic Writing Duo
We’ve all seen the memes and jokes on social media. Being an author is great except for…editing, re-writes, plot holes, characters who misbehave, marketing, dealing with writer’s block, and the list goes on and on. We laugh, maybe a little self-consciously, because deep down we know there is a little grain of truth in the humor. Being an author can often be (and is usually portrayed – at least in movies, television, etc.) a solitary profession. The popular image we are given is of the lone author sitting in front of (insert notebook, typewriter, computer here) and pouring out their soul into the written word. And for many authors this is true. But there is a small group who write collaboratively as co-authors. I know of several co-authors off the top of my head (A.E. Lowan, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Kathleen and W. Michael Gear, Angella Cormier and Pierre Arseneault). On Twitter I recently asked for people to name co-authors and people there were able to identify many others.
Being an author can be a hard, lonely struggle, but being a co-author is actually great, at least in our opinions. Coy and I enjoy being co-authors, even though we have a long-distance relationship. (He’s in Kansas City. I’m in Albuquerque.) As co-authors, we have a built-in support network, and we can keep each other motivated and can avoid some of the more common obstructions to writing – like writer’s block, plot holes, editing, and characters who don’t want to listen to us.
So, what is our process? How do we get from idea to a finished book? We have known each other, and been friends, since high school, and this really helps in our writing. We started out doing game design together, developing role-playing games, and card and board games. This allowed us to develop our skills while working together and made it so that when we started writing fiction, we knew what our strengths and weaknesses were. I tend to be the more creative one and I do the bulk of the initial draft for each story, while Coy is the one that keeps me on track and the continuity flowing. I’m not an editor (I’ve never met a comma that I either put in the wrong place or didn’t put where it belonged) while proofreading, dialogue, and story and character continuity are Coy’s strengths.
We start with an idea or a concept. The Saul Imbierowicz trilogy started from an idea we had while driving back from Chicago. What vampire tropes hadn’t been done to death? (Pun intended.) What if the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre had been done to take out a group of vampires? From that little nugget we’ve created a whole noir/pulp world of gangsters and vampires. During the idea phase – which we usually do when we are in the same place – we can bounce our ideas and thoughts off each other. We can come up with a cool idea, then reject it for something even cooler. We can block out the basic plot and story structure, identify characters, and get a feel for what the story will be about.
Then I take that little nugget and write the first draft, usually (but not always) alone. If I get stuck or hit a plot hole, I send a text to Coy and he can straighten me out and get me back on track. Once the first draft is finished, I send it to Coy. He does the polishing – fixing the plot holes, bad grammar and spelling, and making sure that the character’s voices remain true to who they are.
Once that is done, we then work together to edit the whole story. We get together via video chat or sometimes (gasp) even in person if we can time things right, and we then hack away, continuing to revise and polish. We often read aloud during this phase to help catch the little errors. Our strengths are very complimentary and when we work together it is like our powers merge and we become super-writers.
And it’s that simple. It may not be how other co-authors work, but it works for us. And so far I think it has worked out quite well.
Being an author can be a hard, lonely struggle, but being a co-author is actually great, at least in our opinions. Coy and I enjoy being co-authors, even though we have a long-distance relationship. (He’s in Kansas City. I’m in Albuquerque.) As co-authors, we have a built-in support network, and we can keep each other motivated and can avoid some of the more common obstructions to writing – like writer’s block, plot holes, editing, and characters who don’t want to listen to us.
So, what is our process? How do we get from idea to a finished book? We have known each other, and been friends, since high school, and this really helps in our writing. We started out doing game design together, developing role-playing games, and card and board games. This allowed us to develop our skills while working together and made it so that when we started writing fiction, we knew what our strengths and weaknesses were. I tend to be the more creative one and I do the bulk of the initial draft for each story, while Coy is the one that keeps me on track and the continuity flowing. I’m not an editor (I’ve never met a comma that I either put in the wrong place or didn’t put where it belonged) while proofreading, dialogue, and story and character continuity are Coy’s strengths.
We start with an idea or a concept. The Saul Imbierowicz trilogy started from an idea we had while driving back from Chicago. What vampire tropes hadn’t been done to death? (Pun intended.) What if the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre had been done to take out a group of vampires? From that little nugget we’ve created a whole noir/pulp world of gangsters and vampires. During the idea phase – which we usually do when we are in the same place – we can bounce our ideas and thoughts off each other. We can come up with a cool idea, then reject it for something even cooler. We can block out the basic plot and story structure, identify characters, and get a feel for what the story will be about.
Then I take that little nugget and write the first draft, usually (but not always) alone. If I get stuck or hit a plot hole, I send a text to Coy and he can straighten me out and get me back on track. Once the first draft is finished, I send it to Coy. He does the polishing – fixing the plot holes, bad grammar and spelling, and making sure that the character’s voices remain true to who they are.
Once that is done, we then work together to edit the whole story. We get together via video chat or sometimes (gasp) even in person if we can time things right, and we then hack away, continuing to revise and polish. We often read aloud during this phase to help catch the little errors. Our strengths are very complimentary and when we work together it is like our powers merge and we become super-writers.
And it’s that simple. It may not be how other co-authors work, but it works for us. And so far I think it has worked out quite well.
Juggling
Growing up I tried to learn how to juggle. I didn’t buy any books or take lessons, and there was no YouTube to turn to. (Yes – I’m that old!) I didn’t get very far (probably for obvious reasons). I used tennis balls and just sort of mimicked what I saw from watching jugglers on television or how I pictured in my head you should do it. I never could get the hang of the thing. I would start tossing balls and inevitably (and quite quickly) a ball would go too high or too far away from where it was supposed to go, and they’d all fall into a bouncing pile. The best that I could do was to toss a single ball in the air and catch it. It was at this point (after one or two attempts) that I would get frustrated then go and tramp through the woods around my house, play basketball, or build Legos. Given all of that, it’s more than a bit ironic how I must (metaphorically) juggle so many things these days. I have so many different balls in the air that at times it is hard to keep track of them all.
I work a full-time job. It’s not a bad job, and I (mostly) enjoy my work and my co-workers, but if given the chance to quit and work only on my passion, I would. Unfortunately, I don’t earn enough as a writer (yet) to quit my job, and I’m pragmatic enough to know that my job is what pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads, and food on the table. (My wife also works, so I’m not the sole breadwinner in the family. And no, she doesn’t earn enough to let me work full-time as a writer. Besides, my job is the main source of financing for the publishing company. Which gets us to…)
I’m a partner and the senior editor (plus accountant, marketer, web designer, social media specialist, book designer, etc.) for our publishing company – Artemesia Publishing. I oversee all our publishing projects (including the books that Coy and I have published) from start to finish. Artemesia Publishing has been around for 16 years now and we’ve published over 30 books from over 16 different authors. I love this job and would love to earn enough from publishing to do it full time, but for now, while sales continue to improve, we’re not quite there yet. But I still love doing it and happily work the weekends and nights to get books published.
I’m a writer, with three published, and one forthcoming, novels, co-written with my best friend, Coy. We are working on the draft of our fifth novel (the third book in the Saul Imbierowicz trilogy). And we have a lot of other projects too. I have several short stories that I write and try to sell, and Coy and I have so many ideas waiting to be worked on that I know we won’t be lacking for ideas for a while. I write when I can, in between publishing projects for Artemesia, and in the spare time I can find. (Usually while my son is at taekwondo practice.)
I’m a book reviewer, book promoter (in my own small way) and part time editor for other projects, usually involving indie authors. I review every book that I read, posting my reviews on Goodreads and at Library Thing. When I write reviews for books published by indie authors, I will also post the review here on the blog. I’ve started doing interviews as well to help promote indie authors. I have two interviews to date with more planned. I also volunteer my time as an editor for SciFi Lampoon magazine, working with a few other like-minded (i.e. a bit crazy) authors and editors to get funny sci-fi and fantasy stories out into the world.
On top of these things I’m also a husband and a father, taking the time to do things with my wife and son. Family activities, trips, and supporting them both in their own pursuits. (Which usually involves taking my son to taekwondo or scouts.)
For somebody who could never juggle a few tennis balls (and I still can’t) it amazes me how many things I have been able to metaphorically juggle in my life. And you know what – I’m pretty darn good at it. I’m energized and excited by the things that I do. I enjoy all the work and I don’t mind the long nights and weekends it takes to keep it all from crashing to the ground. I love the projects, the challenges, and the people I meet and work with – whether at my day job, as a publisher, as a writer, promoting other writers, or with my family.
Is there a lesson in all of this? Is there some great take-away that you, fair reader, can glean from this? Something that will allow you to improve your life, handle more work or challenges you are facing? Probably not. This wasn’t intended to be a self-help post, or a list of ways you can do more in your own world. I know people that take on a lot more than I do, or who have different priorities, and I know people who would be totally overwhelmed if they tried to do what I do. We are all individuals, and we each need to find out how many balls we can juggle. We all have the capability to juggle the things in our lives, even if it’s just tossing a single ball at a time.
I work a full-time job. It’s not a bad job, and I (mostly) enjoy my work and my co-workers, but if given the chance to quit and work only on my passion, I would. Unfortunately, I don’t earn enough as a writer (yet) to quit my job, and I’m pragmatic enough to know that my job is what pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads, and food on the table. (My wife also works, so I’m not the sole breadwinner in the family. And no, she doesn’t earn enough to let me work full-time as a writer. Besides, my job is the main source of financing for the publishing company. Which gets us to…)
I’m a partner and the senior editor (plus accountant, marketer, web designer, social media specialist, book designer, etc.) for our publishing company – Artemesia Publishing. I oversee all our publishing projects (including the books that Coy and I have published) from start to finish. Artemesia Publishing has been around for 16 years now and we’ve published over 30 books from over 16 different authors. I love this job and would love to earn enough from publishing to do it full time, but for now, while sales continue to improve, we’re not quite there yet. But I still love doing it and happily work the weekends and nights to get books published.
I’m a writer, with three published, and one forthcoming, novels, co-written with my best friend, Coy. We are working on the draft of our fifth novel (the third book in the Saul Imbierowicz trilogy). And we have a lot of other projects too. I have several short stories that I write and try to sell, and Coy and I have so many ideas waiting to be worked on that I know we won’t be lacking for ideas for a while. I write when I can, in between publishing projects for Artemesia, and in the spare time I can find. (Usually while my son is at taekwondo practice.)
I’m a book reviewer, book promoter (in my own small way) and part time editor for other projects, usually involving indie authors. I review every book that I read, posting my reviews on Goodreads and at Library Thing. When I write reviews for books published by indie authors, I will also post the review here on the blog. I’ve started doing interviews as well to help promote indie authors. I have two interviews to date with more planned. I also volunteer my time as an editor for SciFi Lampoon magazine, working with a few other like-minded (i.e. a bit crazy) authors and editors to get funny sci-fi and fantasy stories out into the world.
On top of these things I’m also a husband and a father, taking the time to do things with my wife and son. Family activities, trips, and supporting them both in their own pursuits. (Which usually involves taking my son to taekwondo or scouts.)
For somebody who could never juggle a few tennis balls (and I still can’t) it amazes me how many things I have been able to metaphorically juggle in my life. And you know what – I’m pretty darn good at it. I’m energized and excited by the things that I do. I enjoy all the work and I don’t mind the long nights and weekends it takes to keep it all from crashing to the ground. I love the projects, the challenges, and the people I meet and work with – whether at my day job, as a publisher, as a writer, promoting other writers, or with my family.
Is there a lesson in all of this? Is there some great take-away that you, fair reader, can glean from this? Something that will allow you to improve your life, handle more work or challenges you are facing? Probably not. This wasn’t intended to be a self-help post, or a list of ways you can do more in your own world. I know people that take on a lot more than I do, or who have different priorities, and I know people who would be totally overwhelmed if they tried to do what I do. We are all individuals, and we each need to find out how many balls we can juggle. We all have the capability to juggle the things in our lives, even if it’s just tossing a single ball at a time.
