C.L. Donley's Blog, page 5

Breathe In, Breathe Out

That’s literally what I’m doing right now, because I am giving myself permission to start the third and final book in the Billionaire’s Club trilogy.

I’m coming across a lot of self published authors who say they have changed the name of their novels in subsequent months/years based on marketing/SEO metrics and other factors. I am still a stubborn so and so about my art and thus can’t imagine such a thing. But I suspect it will happen. I’m trying to to make sure my title is good enough now so that I won’t have to. But I fear that will only get myself super attached to the “right” title, so just go with my gut and keep it loosey goosey for now.

The third book has been planned, pretty much from the beginning, or at least by the end of the first book.  And when I say “planned,” I mean me saying to myself “Imma write three books.” As far as the actual content, the plot, the storyline…yeah that was all fuzzy. And the further I got into the second book, forcing myself to make future paths and decisions about these characters of mine, the thinner the air got. By the time I’d finished the second I thought, “yeah this third one is gonna have to be waaaay down the road.” Because I was burnt out on research, and I had challenged myself on the second book in such a way that that I couldn’t fathom doing the another Everest with the third, which is by far the most challenging, the most ambitious, and the unintentional surprise of all the three.

But slowly after I’d concluded the second book, gave myself the breathing room, and started thinking about my marketing strategy because at this point, I was seriously considering self-publishing, I realized that I needed the third book. I gotta give my currently immaterial fan base what they want, which is closure on this universe I’ve made. It’ll be challenging enough, I suspect, trying to balance the marketing/publicity/preparation that’s going to go into the first book with the time to write the third.  But the closer I get to this launch, the more butterflies I have in my gut about it, and while I’m glad to have the second book in my holster, the only thing better is a completed series. Plus, of all the stories I have brewing, this one has moved up in the ranks from distant third to first place.

But first, I needed to move. Literally like, move my crap, from one place to another.

I won’t get into it right now, but I have been a nomad for about nine months, and this marks my first permanent spot since July of last year. I didn’t even want to think about a blank page until my energy was right, and for it to be right, I had to get through this final move, which was going to be the most challenging.

Well the Lord looked out, because not only did He send me some help, it was over before I knew it, and I was soo so grateful. Am still grateful. And now I have this great space, space for my kids, and it’s just a special joy that comes from finding a place that you can call your own, not a hotel or an extended stay or some temporary thing you have to make work. And that was the energy I wanted to start this book in.

So here I am. My internet’s all hooked up (praise), I’m settled body and soul, I’ve been taking serious brainstorming notes all weekend, so all I had to do was open up the computer and write. And today– just today– I had the narrative breakthrough of all breakthroughs.

So the title is the conclusion. Breathe in. So thankful to be in this place in my life right now, you really have no idea. Breathe out. 

Lets, flippin, do this.

The Journey Begins Part 2

So, with each passing day I’m getting more and more literate in my journey to become a successful, self published author. I didn’t think I could take the leap, but now that I have I can’t believe I was contemplating anything different. Picture me, a non-conformist letting some conglomerate take control of my work, telling me where and what to be, using the wrong marketing strategy while I sit by and watch my success live and die by the supposed experts. Yeah…no.

The first time I got a response back from an editor like, “Well, it looks like you have something here,” or my other favorite, “you know what you’re doing,” I was like, “okay.” I’m gonna have to do this myself.

Because why would I waste yours and my time if I didn’t know I had something? Are people doing this on a regular basis, so much so that you have to comment, when someone appears to know what they’re doing??

I can’t sit around waiting for someone to take all the ownership of my work and also maybe catch the vision.

So here I friggin go. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy writing it. Which is to say, I hope you read to the end 

The Journey Begins

So, I’ve decided to change my hosting digs, so if you notice anything different then…I’m impressed b/c you’re not supposed to haha! Okay, anyway, back to the site!