Daley Downing's Blog, page 37

The Results of the Cover Design Contest!

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Good morning! As many of you are aware, I’m embarking on a formal re-launch of Masters and Beginners (prior to releasing Volume 2 later this year), through a new printer/distributor, and with a new cover. And many of you helped me spread the word about the contest I was hosting to determine how to go about the new cover part (thank you!). So now we’re past the decision-making process (which was not easy, I can tell you), and onto announcing the results!

After receiving some truly wonderful artwork, I had to figure out which submission best captured the tone I’m hoping to strike for particularly Volume 1, but also Volumes 1-4 in general. So, I know you’re all on tenderhooks — now I present to you the new cover reveal…

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(Cue the oohing and ahhing.) This new design is courtesy of “The” Kyle Robert Shultz, who writes the extremely funny and touching Beaumont and Beasley fantasy series. (It’s too early here for searching up links — sorry, folks — but you can find Kyle Shultz on Goodreads and Twitter and he has an author’s website that includes a blog.)

I’m hoping to have the re-release available to all my minions — I mean, to all interested readers in the near future. Watch this space for future announcements on that front!

In other, related news — I was so very impressed with other submissions I received (and I have a habit of thinking about several projects at once) that I’ve also chosen two other artists to create covers for the “supplemental” materials that will be accompanying the “canon” series.

Those submissions are shown here:

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Once again, thank you to everyone who is participating in this venture, and I am very grateful to have all this interest expressed! I’m so looking forward to seeing what lovely creations will later come to fruition!

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Just the Two of Us

So, recently, I posted a snippet on Facebook and Twitter about this fantastic episode I caught (while scouring the cable networks in one last-ditch attempt to discover some redeeming qualities in current TV broadcasts).

Stitchers is a program I’ve watched several times before, so I was familiar with all the characters and backstory, and even had a good idea of what was going on without needing to watch the “previously on…” part.

What drew me to it this particular day (about 2 weeks ago now) was that, in the summary, the words “autism” and “empath” were mentioned.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this show, the premise of Stitchers is that a secret organization founded by the American government uses advanced technology to solve homicides by “stitching” into the memories of the recently deceased individual.

Unfortunately, it has (in my view) become too formulaic, and most of the plots are now too predictable. Also, I don’t really care for the direction the showrunners are taking most of the character development. But, this is just my opinion, so, please don’t let that stop you from watching the show if you’re interested.

Episode 7 of Season 3, entitled “Just the Two of Us,” is a breath of fresh air in many ways. It cuts out the usual (tedious) plotline of find-clues, snarky-banter, confront-the-killer, and instead focuses on the details of the “stitch” itself. It turns out that the stitcher, Kirsten, is stuck in the memories of their current case, and she needs to work through it via the mental process of the victim. The reason this is especially challenging for her is because the victim was autistic, and of course how his brain works is not what most people are used to.

Whenever I become aware of autism “rep” happening in TV/movies, I develop a skeptical perspective until they’ve proven this rep to be accurate and encouraging. The writers and directors of “Just the Two of Us” have (rightfully) earned my respect.

They did a fantastic job of covering sensory perception disorder, trouble recognizing facial/social cues, obsessive behavior, and even the not-so-kind way NT folks may view someone like Tom (the murder victim) as a burden — but never once indicating that Tom was acting maliciously or could have prevented his autism.

This is also the first time I’ve seen a storyline that addressed something that most NTs have very little to no concept of — super-heightened empathy. It’s hard to explain, but basically it means the autist physically feels the depths of somebody else’s emotional responses. For example, if we’re around a family member who’s just lost a job, we feel weighted down by the physical aching and pain of the disappointment, confusion, anger or sadness they’re emotionally processing. It often upsets the autist, since we can’t explain why our heart suddenly pounds, our chest aches, we want to cry or scream, when the thing didn’t even happen to us.

I haven’t experienced a lot of this in recent years (a side effect of burnout, maybe?), but ages ago, it was so strong I simply could not attend church services that strongly moved people, funerals, films with tearjerker endings, etc. I have never come across this mentioned in textbooks or non-fiction memoirs on autism. So this inclusion was amazing to me.

The fact that Kirsten has to explore Tom’s POV so intimately (as if it were her own) is incredible. Not only does this definitely bridge the gap between unawareness and awareness, misunderstanding and understanding, it makes Kirsten so truly tolerant of another’s way of living and that it was totally normal for him. I just loved how the writers set up the script and screenplay, so that Kirsten and her love interest, Cameron, both vicariously saw things through Tom’s eyes in the stitch, which was a subtle and clever way of giving crime-clues to the audience, but also so tremendously beautiful in demonstrating the pros and cons of Tom’s ASD.

Not once in the entire 43 minutes did I feel that Tom was being overtly blamed for things he could not control and must have struggled with his entire life. Having been persecuted the majority of my existence for simply being “different,” I wanted to high-five the people who made this storyline come to the screen. (Okay, that’s a little understated. I wanted to write a letter of recommendation for their resumes and buy them coffee and make them a commemorative art piece for the episode.)

I pushed everyone I know on Facebook and Twitter to download this and watch it with an open mind. I’m doing the same now here. You don’t have to be a regular viewer of the show to benefit.

There were so many little things, hints, moments, and whole scenes, paragraphs of dialogue, all that I simply loved. But I’ll wrap up with this:

At one point in the stitch (when Kirsten and Cameron are unwittingly perceiving the situation via Tom’s ASD traits), Cameron relates to Kirsten a situation that was actually part of Tom’s life; at the end of the conversation, Cameron says, “Thank you for listening,” and Kirsten replies, “Thanks for talking to me.”

Later, in the final scene, after Kirsten has figured out who the killer is, she says to the passed-on Tom, “Thanks for talking to me.” I cannot EVEN with how much this made me cry. It is such the absolute truth for so many autists — not only do we want people to listen to us, we want to be able to share our thoughts and feelings, without fear of being judged or told to change.

Kirsten didn’t just listen to Tom, she accepted.

It’s how they were able to solve his murder, together. It’s how Tom helped Kirsten deal with some personal things she was really having trouble with.

She grasped the beauty of what it can mean to think differently.

 

To Review or Not to Review?

That is the question.

For a lot of book bloggers, it’s kind of an obvious thing: “I read the books, then I review the books, then I start all over again.” But — is it just me? — sometimes this routine can (as a blogger) begin to feel a little…stale.

After all, we aren’t being paid to post our reviews (most of us), so is there any set-in-stone rule that says we have to review every single thing we read?

While I tend to put at least small snippets about pretty much every selection I finish on Goodreads, I often don’t bother doing so on my blog. Partly because of the potential-dullness-creeping-in-to-steal-my-joy factor already mentioned; but also due to the simple fact that there are lots of topics I’d like to post on and discuss.

It isn’t merely as a result of not having as much free time to read new titles, or easy access to new titles (money and children issues, of course) — I could easily choose to review something I read ages ago. The fact of I want to be known as more than a reviewer certainly contributes.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being primarily a reviewer, either. There are many bloggers that this totally works for them, so more power to you, ladies and gentlemen. Some of you I truly look forward to reading your reviews and getting to know your thoughts on this classic or that impending release.

But I’ve always struggled to find my niche as a blogger, and I think it just boils down to: there is no way I can be so single-minded as to choose one subject and stay there.

There is just too much I want to cover while I’m in this space. Please, let’s talk about our favorite childhood novels, whether adolescents should be reading adult fiction, e-books versus physical, hardcover versus paperback, the benefits and downsides of ARCs, and if we pick books for our children based solely on the illustrations (hint: that’d be me).

And since I’m not only a reader but a writer as well, there are so many things I want to do on that front, too. Writing advice is so subjective — since what works for one person won’t at all for another — so let’s dive into the discussions on breaking tropes or genre expectations, various marketing concepts, what writing guidelines should really be, if you actually need an agent, and how long is too long a debut publication.

Plus, as a storyteller in general, I’m really interested in the mediums of film and theatre and how stories can be expressed not just in books, but through plays, dance, song lyrics, and music videos. Like I said, there are simply too many wonderful notions to explore in this space, to devote most of it to posting reviews.

So, I really am okay with the reviews being few and far between on this blog.

It’s My Birthday

It is. Please don’t ask how old I am. (I’m old.)

Happy Monday, everyone.

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My Reading/Writing/Blogging Wishlist

So, there are a few things getting me down these days, but in the interest of not being too terribly whingey lately, I’ll be going for a humorous twist (hopefully) in this post.

Among the complex little things in my life at the moment, I will soon be another year older. I do not like this, Sam, I do not like it here nor there, I do not like it anywhere. Time seems to be escaping from me in recent months, and this is a great kerfuffle of not-niceness. Grrr…

Anyway, one of the upsides of this situation is that people sometimes give you things, yes? So, since this little corner of the internet contains a lot of what I would like these days, here are some lovely little bits and bobs I might wish to have brought into my life via the annual-celebration-of-existence gifting.

Goodreads, could you please give us half-stars for ratings, and make my author dashboard easier to navigate? The half-stars thing is a big deal for a lot of us (I wonder if the higher-ups at Goodreads actually pay attention?). You know, for those books that aren’t quite 4 stars, definitely not only 2, and you want to accurately express your views. BUT.

As far as my author dashboard, I find some of the stats redundant or confusing. Could we get that altered a little, please? Like, instead of listing the reviews of my book twice, why not simply once? And why do you include my personal/reading profile stats in with my professional/writing numbers? *squints at screen and still cannot* Maybe I’m being a bit thick, but I honestly think to separate this stuff would make life less troubling.

Authors, can we please get more fantasy novels with accurate autism rep? Now, I’m aware that many authors are not well-informed on this subject, and some of them are not ever going to even be considering writing autistic characters. And this does not bother me in the slightest. What grates on me is that what little autism rep we do have seems to be terribly inconsistent — and in some ways, actually inaccurate and rather harmful to increasing public awareness and understanding. (After all, if people told you a rhinocerous was a unicorn, or vice versa, without offering any possible countering information, would you ever learn the truth unless you did some serious independent research?) Hence, if authors present an inaccurate portrayal of autism (or any other learning disorder/neurological condition), most people will, sadly, be none the wiser.

All right, didn’t I promise less moaning this post? Anyway, in my series, The Order of the Twelve Tribes, I have in fact two autistic characters — and they are both based on myself and my oldest son, and we are both on the spectrum. It’s the same as how I observed my cat, Toby, before trying to write scenes including Jules and Sammy (the talking cats). So, some more realistic depictions would be awesome, thanks, folks in the know.

WordPress, maybe you’d like to advertise my blog for free for the day? I’m aware that it’s summer, and lots of people are on vacation and not doing things like blog-hopping; but my stats are rather down, and I’m a tad sad about this. I’m also aware that it is most likely temporary. BUT. Imagine if on your birthday, WordPress spammed people with really gushing accolades about your blog, and then within 24 hours you’d have like a dozen new subscribers? Wouldn’t that be cool?

My family, you know I love you, but please allot me approximately 10 writing hours per week — every week. That means time when I am not interrupted — you need to be able to find your own snack/glasses/answer to your existential crisis. So that I can write in peace and quiet (and have half a chance of it coming out coherent the first time).

Stores in my area, wouldn’t you like my money? And I will give it to you if you sell more of the type of pens and notebooks I use.

Wow, still a lot of whiiine…

How about people find a way to have my presents delivered via cat? I actually have that in Volume 2. That sounds fun.

And I can get a bunch of cool works by indie authors I’ve been hearing so much about. That’s my most realistic goal for this year, anyway.

Ooh, and lots of people buy Volume 1. Yes, that would indeed make me happy. Of course, being closer to having my official re-launch going would be fantastic, too. Maybe there’s an editing fairy that can help me with the last-minute changes I found (and cast a charm that eases the crying)?

Gah! Enough mardiness! What would your wishlist be, moths?

The Pros and Cons of Being an Introvert Author

Writing is, in many ways, a solitary pursuit. At least, the actual sit down and write the thing part of the process. Then there comes the editing and the proofreading, cover design and illustrations if you have them, formatting and marketing and all of the other stuff that generally includes — gasp — other people.

Even if you’re an indie author, you need someone else on your team to help when the screaming becomes too much.

And then you — well, at least I do, and many other writers I know — would like actual living, breathing people to buy and read their book.

That could mean having to meet people. In person. Like, for real. Of course, you can market your work online, too — but sometimes that has its limits. And showing up in the flesh could really help encourage sales.

(Funny thing, but readers like to know their favorite authors are in fact humans, too. Or at least dragons.)

So, here are some tips from a natural introvert on how to survive this whole part of the “solitary pursuit” that quickly becomes a team effort.

Only reach out to beta-readers or editors who you trust. I don’t just mean trust them to be nice. Yes, tact is so important for us sensitive souls. But also, most authors in the pre-printing phase wouldn’t take kindly to spoilers of their impending publication floating around the internet. Same goes for cover design (unless you give the artist permission to share ahead of time).

Make sure to rehearse your release spiel. This is really helpful for being interviewed by bloggers and reviewers. It’s so easy for introverts to say on their social media, “I’m writing a book about faeries, talking cats, and a secret organization that saves the world on a regular basis,” but sometimes trying to make that come off your tongue on the phone or via Skype/YouTube video, etc. can feel quite daunting.

If you do arrange a book signing or release talk, practice, practice, practice. Having a speech planned is really important (even if you end up not using all of it on the day). If you think you could handle people asking questions, try to have readers submit a limited number of questions prior to the actual day of The Big Event. Oh, and don’t worry about packing people in like sardines — see your sanity over the possibility of money, and book a small venue, like a coffee shop or a local library.

Know what your limits are, and stick to them. Part of why I decided to go with self-publishing is the complete control over how often I release work, or how much I write about any one subject — or how frequently I in fact have to attend in-person events promoting my novels. I am very aware that if I try to do too much or interact with too many people in one week, it will not end well. Even if you’re traditionally published, there is absolutely no law stating that you have to let your agent over-schedule your life.

Don’t be afraid to put those limits in place. Remember, it does not mean you are a terrible person if you need to take a break, or even make it longer than what most people consider “normal.” After all, if you burn out, the chances of you getting back to writing quickly are quite slim. And if people really like your work and want to see more of it, well, then…they should give you that chance to re-fuel without complaining.

So, there you have it, for now. Any other thoughts to add, fellow indie authors and introverts?

Some Writing Tips I Take Issue With

This may seem a little like splitting hairs, but there is a big debate brewing among certain writing/reading communities about what sort of faith-based fiction is “the best” or the “most appropriate.” And considering that I subscribe to a particular beliefs system, and it does affect how and what I write and read, I do feel that this debate will affect me. And that deciding where I stand on some of the more concerning topics is probably a wise plan.

There have been a lot of thoughts regarding this subject floating around my head the last several weeks. One: I totally think that typical “Christian fiction” has become way too categorized, unappealing to non-churchgoers, and really just “preaching to the choir.”

Two: I definitely think that it’s time for more Christian authors (meaning religion and lifestyle, not profession) to be writing “outside the box.”

Three: It’s more than beyond time for churchgoers of all denominations to stop telling writers of non-traditional genres (in the faith-marketing area) that what they’re doing is “wrong.”

Could some members of the Christian speculative fiction community please back me up here? I’m reading a lot of similar musings on your blogs and social media pages. And it’s helped me to feel that I’m not alone, and that has made me feel good.

Here are some other “guidelines” I think we should be bending:

The idea that faith-based fiction can’t have anything truly horrible or horrifying or even minorly dastardly in it. Think all the sappy Hallmark movies rolled into one. All the time. Absolutely no hint of bad language or sin. Not only is it intensely unrealistic, it is extremely off-putting to non-religious folks. If you’re a writer with a specific code of conduct for your characters — even the sinners — then please stick to it. But it doesn’t need to be so strict that the worst thing that ever happens in your novel is the protagonist breaks a nail.

Readers will relate so much better to a narrator whose spouse has just been caught having an affair (and, no, you don’t have to provide all the sensual details to get the point across), or a secondary character who spent a few days in jail after getting a DUI. This is real life. And if you want readers to find hope in a story of redemption and mercy and personal growth, this type of plotline is a great place to start.

The idea that faith-based fiction can have all the terrible and terrifying things it wants as long as it promises the glory of salvation. Too far the other side of the coin. Personally, I don’t think showing all the various sorts of depravity the world has experienced/is experiencing, and indicating that the only way we’ll find true peace and happiness is after we die and go to Heaven, is going to win people to a spiritual cause. Nor do I feel it’s ethically or morally responsible, quite frankly.

Why can’t we have a balance, of some bad things happening, but there being enough good while we’re still alive on this planet, to help keep the characters going, and the readers, too? (Cue the famous-and-best-ever Samwise/Two Towers speech.)

The notion that “true Christians” don’t ruminate on the dark and less-than-holy things of the world. Sorry, folks, but we do live in a fallen world — and how the heck are we going to explain the difference between the dark and the light if we don’t ruminate at least a little bit?! Whatever happened to the novels about a kid who lived a “bad” life — sex, drugs, juvie — then regretted his/her mistakes, and wanted to find a better way of living? Then a minister or angel in disguise meets them on the road when their car breaks down, and a message of hope and forgiveness gets woven into the story without being too preachy?

We truly need to have morally good characters — they go to church, they don’t smoke, they always recycle — that have a crisis of faith due to unfortunate circumstances. Or heroes that we know will do the right thing, but maybe they’re sometimes tempted to lie, or act on their attraction to a pretty girl, or consider getting drunk — but then they have this important moment of weighing the pros and cons and making a decision not to behave a certain way. Fictional people who mess up and try to learn from it are very easy to empathize with.

The concept that “true Christians” don’t ruminate on things like aliens, mythical creatures, other dimensions… Blah, blah, blah. I really cannot even with how ridiculous this is. How much of the Bible itself is devoted to unseen realms, dreams, miracles, visitations from angels, on and on?

C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien really broke the mold in their lifetime, and we need to be proud of following in their footsteps. There is so much benefit to seeking out things you can’t see in the natural world, don’t necessarily understand right away, and may even defy conventional explanation. Trust me on this.

What do you think, my community? Anything to add to this slight diatribe?

The Conundrum

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to read. She mostly read whatever she could get her hands on — picture books, novels, biographies — as long as it came from a library or a school book fair, or as a gift.

Then one day, the girl realized she was technically all grown up, and capable of purchasing her own books. And she wanted to, because this sounded tremendously exciting and mature.

Except she didn’t know what to get. So she wandered the bookstore, and ended up buying newer editions of books she had read as a child, and copies of novels she had recently returned to the library.

This went on for a while. But eventually the young woman became a moth, and ran out of things to read.

(You tell me which one was more scary.)

So, the moth started scouring the new invention of the internet to find recommendations for new authors, genres, sub-genres, and even graphic novels (a frightening never-before-attempted venture) to try reading.

Some of what she found really filled her soul with joy.

But, unfortunately, a lot of it was an epic fail.

As time passed in this pattern, the moth began to realize that she was no longer a fan of traditional historical fiction, mysteries, or contemporary romances (a.k.a. “chick lit”).

This meant the moth began to panic, just a little.

Reading was so important to the moth, the idea of not having anything new and life-fulfilling in the form of books to add to her already vast array of fiction (and non-fiction) experiences created a slight problem.

The moth grew tired of fluttering endlessly around her local library, her wings weary of trying to carry 14 novels marked “new release” (11 of which would almost immediately be returned, after frustratedly skimming a few pages).

As she ruminated on this tragic turn of events, she began to hyperventalate, just a touch.

Fast forward to the current time. Today, the moth hopes to calm her frazzled nerves by indulging in modern sitcoms on DVD, for a nice change.

She will soon be gaining another year of existence on this Earth, and she doesn’t like that, either.

To celebrate this twistedly momentous occasion, she’s planning to find new authors and titles that will bring a substantial influx of plot-excitement and character-love back to her heart.

Except she has very little idea of where to start.

How to be a Helpful Beta-Reader

This is especially timely, since I just sent out a manuscript to beta-readers. But I also know this is a subject that’s becoming more and more discussed in the world of blogging. The more indie authors that decide to engage the beta stage as part of their writing process, the more demand there is for such people to emerge and be called on to participate.

So, just what is a beta-reader, what do they do, and how might you become one? Just be patient, I’m getting there. With some tips for authors as well.

Beta-readers are people who read a more or less finished manuscript and help the author determine if it needs more work or not. We’re not really focusing on things like obvious typos or lack of a comma or a character’s name misspelled. In this instance, we’re talking about the meat-and-bones of the story — does it make sense? the plot? the character motivations? the dialogue? are there scenes that seem disjointed, or maybe they were apparently cut short?

Basically — if this book was released tomorrow, in its current state, and you read it as a paying customer, what would you think? Would you recommend it to others? Or would you muse to yourself, “It feels like the author could’ve cut…fleshed out more…included less…written a whole 20 pages about that shapeshifting tomato alien.”

Here’s the reason it’s helpful to authors in the pre-publishing phase — Although the writer maintains the creative control to not follow betas’ suggestions, many (especially indie authors) will be grateful for the feedback, and often will change or adjust certain things in their manuscript if it appears to be a consistent issue for several people. This “little” note can mean the difference between a few sales, and big sales.

(Now, remember — we writers are not bound by a blood oath to use betas’ suggestions. So, if an author feels your particular train of thought just won’t fit into their story, please don’t molt into a kumquat of despair over in the corner.)

Anyway… If you’d like to become a beta-reader, contact indie authors you know on social media, or keep an eye out for notices of people looking for betas. Most of the self-published community I’m familiar with will contact bloggers/reviewers they already know (and trust*) to ask if they’re interested in previewing their latest project. So, probably stalking — er, befriending some authors you already follow on Goodreads or Wattpad, etc., would be a good way to go. Post some reviews of their work — and detailed reviews are the best, so that we know just what you liked about our novel/play/poetry. We may think of you first when we’re getting ready to share our mostly-finished project with others!

*Trust does become an issue when it comes to intellectual property that is not yet copyrighted. Personally, I’m a little paranoid of the idea of somebody stealing my work, so I wouldn’t put a totally-open notice on the internet and send my manuscript to random people. Also, since I ended my debut novel with a big plot twist and sort of a cliffhanger, I really want my sequel to be beta-read by folks that I can trust not to leak spoilers to the rest of the world. Just something for authors to keep in mind, too.*

So, back to what most of us are looking for: Giving detailed and thoughtful analysis of what you read. How many of us would scroll right past the 1-line “review” on Amazon that simply stated, “This is so good!!!”, and search for the review that began, “This book is full of delightful characters, clever sub-plots, and a beautiful setting I could really picture myself in,” when trying to decide if we wanted to buy that new release?

This is exactly what most authors (this includes me) are after. It’s tremendously important to get feedback like, “When Charlie decided to walk his grandmother’s dog, that felt like big personal growth to me, ” or, “Was Sarah supposed to get fired, or did she quit? I wasn’t sure by the way you set up that conversation.” These fine details really help give us, the writers (who have been dealing with our own story for so long we’re nearly cross-eyed and practically sick of it) a fresh, overall perspective.

What are we requesting from our betas? Not much — mostly the time commitment (in my case, I gave my volunteers about a month to finish reading and collect their views), the effort, and perhaps a lemon meringue pie. (Okay, not the pie. But, yeah, that would be fantastic.) Anyway, it’s quite vital — at least if you’re a beta for me — that you put forth your sincere thoughts; please don’t say it was great just because you’re so glad I (or whoever) picked you to participate. Personally, at the moment, I feel there are a lot of holes in my current document, so I won’t be offended at all if someone else picks up on them. However, this brings me to my next very important point:

Even if you don’t like something, you still need to be tactful. For example, stating, “In Scene X, I just thought the violence wasn’t necessary,” or, “I don’t think Character 4 and Character 6 becoming a couple works, for them or for the story,” is a tactful way of crushing an author’s soul to smithereens  of addressing what you see as possible problems for the book as a whole. Honestly, though, I’m sure we can all think of very nasty and not so nice ways of sharing the same sentiments, and imagine that we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that. We’re all grown-ups here, right? (This counts for teen beta-readers, too.) Let’s behave like it.

There is a difference between being a beta and an ARC. With ARCs, the novel is deemed finished, and published, and those who receive an advance copy are sharing their thoughts in a review that goes up on Goodreads or a blog, for the whole world to see, forever, amen. When you’re a beta, your literary analysis is shared only with the author (in some cases editors/agents as well), and your feedback may mean changes are made to the story before it hits the printing press.

So, see, beta-reading is a very important part of this whole process that is writing a book. I imagine as self-publishing continues to grow, so will the demand for betas! So if you’d like to give it a go, we’re happy to have you join us!

How to Survive Writing a Sequel

Tackling the endeavor of writing a full-blown novel is hard, anyway. Many people start the process and never finish. Others manage to create at least one and feel overjoyed. And some of us decide to be truly stupid  ambitious, and attempt to write a series.

That means — one day, you will have to start working on the immediate sequel to your first book.

Here is the biggest question of all — will you survive?

Just kidding! Of course you will! If you follow these handy guidelines…

Don’t try to do too much at once. When I first sat down to write out my draft for Volume 2, I was like, “I am going to get this done this week before all my inspiration fades away!” Although I didn’t say this out loud, I am convinced my children heard and conspired against me. Of course it wasn’t finished in a week. Try 3 months later.

But this is really okay. Because no work of art — literary, musical, choreography, or culinary — has ever come into being after 5 or 6 days. Don’t push yourself too hard. Having goals is good, but even better is to have reasonable goals. Example: Rather than “I will write 10,000 words today,” go with, “I’m aiming for finishing a 10-page chapter by this time tomorrow.” That way, if you only hit half that plan after 36 hours, you will not feel like an abject failure.

Take care of yourself. The last few days, I have honestly been tearing myself up emotionally over the current state of Volume 2, and it’s not cool. Part of the reason I’m so on edge is because while I was expending a great deal of energy on formatting and editing, I was not really paying attention to things like fresh water and vegetables and yoga. Okay, I don’t actually do yoga these days — but maybe I should. My carpal tunnel was acting up, and my neck and shoulders are stiff from maintaining a constant posture of, “But what if I changed this? Oh my gosh, this is crap! What was I thinking?! Huh? Does that even make sense?!”

So, fellow wordsmiths, don’t neglect the rest of life’s priorities — like nutrition, sleep, and giving your body a break. Yes, it’s so tempting to just power through on caffeine and cake — but that only truly works for about an afternoon.

Remember to focus on things that are not your WIP. Laugh hard when your kids do something ridiculous. Listen to music that is not on your writing playlist. Put in a feel-good or nostalgic movie. (As creators, we need to fuel our minds and souls with art, not just try to produce it consistently.)

Taking a break from social media may also become necessary. Not simply for the distraction factor; also because these days stumbling across intense and vitriolic debates is kind of the norm on certain platforms. When you’re hoping to develop something that brings warmth and joy to others (hey, I don’t know what kind of person you are, but that’s my aim in life), that sort of thing really throws off your whole mindset.

Make notes. Refer to them religiously. Use that information to your advantage. For the months of February, March and April, I was spelling Mr. Jepson J-e-h-p-s-e-n in my drafts. When I was looking for something else entirely in Volume 1 and came across my mistake, I think birds in Taiwan heard me scream.

Do not beat yourself up for not being able to remember absolute word-for-word exactly what the first novel includes. So you wrote it — you are also human (and yes, this is still true for bookdragons). You will forget things or make mistakes. I promise, it is not the end of the world.

No one is forcing you to be perfect. Except maybe you — in which case, you need to tell yourself to knock it off. Especially when it comes to first, second, even third drafts. Usually by the third draft, I’ve ironed out a lot of plot issues, typos (intead rather than instead), and silly things like using Shuli Wang’s real name when he’s in his kitty form, Sammy, and being addressed as such. But if someone else catches something later, there is in fact still time to fix it.

Recently, as I’m preparing for my re-issue of Volume 1, I noticed a few things I’d kind of like to change, but that aren’t 110% necessary to. One thing I think I’m actually going to use it to my advantage, in terms of creating a plot twist many readers probably won’t see coming. Mwahahahaha…

Let the rest of the world come in. Not even waiting until you’ve finished your project to do so. Fresh air is important. So is company (yes, the autistic moth says this sincerely). Sometimes take a day off to go run around the park with your family, or just to shop for that laundry hamper you’ve been putting off replacing.

(I can guarantee 47 new witty lines of dialogue will come to you while you’re out of the house.)

There are days when you simply will feel the drive to knuckle down and produce 5,000 words that day, or edit 20 pages, and emerge somewhere after 8 p.m. from your workspace, resembling a hobbit who’s just come out of Mirkwood Forest after being chased by spiders — and this is okay, too.

In short, everything in moderation, don’t hate on yourself, and don’t give up. You will make it through this. (And, then, yes, one day someone will read your sequel, and probably even like it.)