Sandra R. Andersson's Blog, page 5

Oh, no, school is out and the sun is shining, what on earth are we going to do all day?

I'm juggling several different book projects at the moment, as I wrote last week, and it might be a bad thing to not be able to focus, but as long as I'm making progress on something I'm happy. I've written and edited a lot over the last week, and I'm hoping to soon have another book on my virtual bookshelf. 
I've also spent some of my valuable time on Zazzle, making loot to go with my Artworld series. It's not a big range of products yet, but I had the best time trying to come up with mo...

The answer my friend, is blowing in the whatever-that-is

This creativity stuff, being a writer and perhaps doing other things as well, making covers or designing ads or even making booktrailers, is not something that comes easy for me. In fact, it comes very, very hard. 
I've never seen myself as a creative person, I was the muggle child in a family of magically creative people. My parents and siblings wrote and painted and made music and put on plays -- and I went to law school. 
And here I am now, way too old to be starting anything...

Ok, so what you're saying is that I'm an author now?!

It has been one week since I launched my first children's book, and I'm beginning to get used to the idea of being a children's book author "for real!". What I've come to realize is that a professional author is someone who never has time to do any writing, because of all the other things that they need to do. For one thing, I have to learn all about print-on-demand, in order to get Konrad into as many different formats as possible. I've also tried to make a booktrailer, but first I have...

But if this is Tuesday - then this must be my blog?!?

Ok, so the blog/domain-move is complete, or as complete as it is going to get. The Wordpress goblins ate some of my photos but this will have to do. The weird spacing is fixed, mostly, and it's not about the old posts anyway. It is about all the posts that I've not yet written.
What on earth are they supposed to be about?
Well, I could blog about the fact that I've got my Konrad-book back from the proofreader. And now that the manuscript is finished and proofed, I'm not allowed to start tinkeri...

Time to go back to bed

I spent the weekend at Astrid Lindgren's childhood home Näs in Vimmerby with a bunch of other children's book authors. There were lectures, an Open Mic night (yes, I foolishly got up on stage, panicked, lost my voice but managed to find it again, carried on and ended my reading with a cliffhanger that had the audience gasping! No, not really, but I think they kinda liked it ...), a couple of critique sessions, and hours and hours of discussions of our wip:s and our processes and our struggles...

Moving day

"moving" (CC BY 2.0) by  grongar 
There comes a day when you just need to face the truth. That things aren't getting any better. That you're not happy and haven't been for a while.
It's tough to admit it. After all, you've been through so much together. So many memories. All the time and effort invested in something that you were sure was going to last forever, or at least for a very long time.
But you know when it's over. I think we both have known for some time.
So it i...

*pounding head against keyboard*

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Oh, if the readers only knew how little time authors actually spend writing ...

This week I've been trying to get into the Mac universe to use a formatting software they have in there, hidden away in their slick, overdesigned, overpriced bubble of superiority. (Can you tell that I am frustrated? Yes? Is it that obvious?)

Now I'm about ready to give up and just hand out my manuscripts to random passers-by, scribbled on scrap paper or recycled envelopes or whatever I can lay my hands on....

Waiting ...

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Oh, waiting is not something I'm very good at but of course I understand that beta readers have lives outside of my books and these things take time and all good things come to those who wait and I don't want anyone to rush through their reading experience ...
But, oh my precious restless little soul, how I would like to know if they hate my book or not.
I'm also second guessing whether or not I should publish my children's books under my own name. I write books for grown-ups unde...

Tickled pink!

The responses from beta readers are slowly trickling in, and so far so good. I'm not going to count any chickens until they've all hatched, but when a native English speaker started her feedback with "Your prose is lovely ..." I may have reacted in a not completely professional and serious manner.


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As I said, no chickens counted yet, but I am so relieved that no one (so far, fingers crossed) has commented on any Swenglish or weirdness when it comes to language.  It is madness, of...

Big and small - short and tall - books for all

My Konrad has traveled out into the world to find beta readers and I am left behind, working and trying to get on with things and not worrying too much about him. This is the time to not look at the text, at all, because it tends to decompose in front of ones eyes when one stare at it too long. I really hope that the betas like it because it feels as if Konrad is ready to leave the nest soon. I want to go on and write other stories.
Sure, more books about Konrad and the Artworld are in the pip...