R.R. Campbell's Blog, page 6

On Writing One’s Anxieties

Everyone’s imagination runs wild from time to time.

Anticipation swells within us, the possibilities playing themselves out in our minds. We predict, preempt, and plan, eager to head off impending disaster.

You can imagine, then, a Sunday evening drive, the sun long set, the interstate slick with snow. The nausea simmers in your stomach as a vehicle barrels down the interstate behind you, weaving in and out of traffic in your rearview mirror.

They’re coming. He’s coming. At his hands, the road is yours to lose—and with it, your life.

So you grip the wheel. You hold steady. You ensure you’re far from his path, or as far from it as you can be considering traffic now merges on both sides; the center lane is yours to maintain. It’s somehow the safest and least safe place on the road.

The car finally passes, and, though relief should have you in its warm embrace, you grip the wheel harder still, fretting a fate that never was.

These are the events of a Sunday in early November, and my fretting did not, would not relent. There was never any true threat from that encroaching vehicle, no, but the dread that came with its approach would not subside until I cast my anxieties onto the page.

And so I wrote.

This wasn’t the first time in recent weeks when I channeled personal distress—or, in some cases, triumph—for my work, but it did mark the first occasion on which I did so in a generally fictional space.

Whether in fiction or non, however, I’m finding writing my anxieties finally delivers the warm embrace of relief I anticipated—but never felt—in the moments following the passing of that vehicle. In this relief, I’m finding it easier now, too, to share how the experience has shaped me and to share the fruits of the process.

The true life events described above form the cornerstone of my forthcoming flash fiction piece, “State Line,” the story of a widower confronting a recent loss and interstate stereotypes, which I’ll be posting to Wattpad this Friday. I’m proud of this new short—not only because it’s the first I’ve written in years—but because it comes from a place of honesty.

And I know I can’t be alone in having experienced this.

So tell me in the comments: how do personal triumph and tragedy—real or imagined—inform your work? Does writing your woes, your anxieties, your aspirations affect your relationship to your creative process, to whether you share a particular piece?

While you collect your thoughts to post below, know I’ll return tomorrow right here with an exploration of the dynamics that underlie the interstate stereotypes at the heart of “State Line.”

Until then, however, write on. Write well. Be your best you.

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r.r. campbell

This Friday: A New Short Story

I’ve been away from short fiction ever since “What It Is to Smell of Man” was published in 2017.

That changes this Friday.

The last two years have been marked by change, personally, professionally, and on the page. Where my fiction is concerned, my focus has been exclusively on novel-length media, apparent in the publication of Accounting for It All, Imminent Dawn, and Mourning Dove.

In recent weeks, however, there’s been a shift. I’ve returned to writing in short bursts with different emphases and centering that which I write on more personal matters.

Through daily reflections posted over the course of this week, we’ll explore this shift and the themes that underwrite my forthcoming short, “State Line,” the story of a widower confronting a recent loss and interstate stereotypes.

So stay tuned, and ready yourselves not only for “State Line,” but for my debut on Wattpad, where this flash fiction piece will be published on Friday.

Write on. Write well. Be your best you.

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Next Week: R.R. Campbell Live on 103.5 FM

On Monday, November 18th at 10 a.m. central time, I’ll be interviewed on 103.5 FM – The Sun, which broadcasts from south-central Wisconsin.

Over the course of the interview, I’ll discuss the EMPATHY sci-fi saga, my other works in progress, and what it means to be a creative in the 21st century.

If you’re unable to tune in on your FM dial, you’ll be able to livestream the interview at this address.

Want to start reading the book reviewers are hailing as “an incisive techno-thriller that gets more tense with every page?” You can find Imminent Dawn and Mourning Dove at the links below.

Imminent Dawn

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press | Kobo | Smashwords| Goodreads | Author Website

Mourning Dove

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads | Author Website

It’s time to start being honest.

It wasn’t working. None of it was.

Maybe it was the changing of the seasons. Maybe it was the general Creative’s Malaise that comes with feeling as though we’re always pushing a boulder uphill.

Maybe it was nothing.

Whatever it was, though, an unyielding sense of oppression had imposed itself on me, lurking long enough that it forced me to question if the only way forward was to examine the very meaning of the word.

So I threw it all out—my project timelines, my year-end goals, my baser assumptions about the writing process itself.

Then, free of all expectation—but still wracked with the sensation that I must write—I wrote, and what filled the page were the beginnings of the most personal tale I’ve told to date.

For a few weeks now over on Twitter, I’ve been teasing this project in ambiguous terms, but it’s time, I think, to be more open about what lies at the heart of this new journey.

Every creative will confront unique obstacles in their artistic, personal, and professional lives, but many of these hurdles are, when it comes right down to it, of a similar essence.

Every one of us will face disappointment. Every one of us will experience grief. Every one of us will bask in the warming light of glee.

And, through it all, our relationship to our creative endeavors will shift, change, and grow.

So, for the first time, I’ve elected to open up about my own experiences confronting disappointment, grief, and glee as part of an exploration of how each of these played pivotal roles in my journey to becoming an author.

This venture isn’t only about me, though. It’s about you. Us.

As I wrote in the first chapter of this new manuscript, our creative destinies aren’t reached, they’re lived, and I’m determined to not just live that destiny, but to embrace it and the vulnerabilities that come with holding it near.

I’ll have more to say on this project in the months ahead, but know I’ll be thinking of you as I write. I’ll be thinking of our conversations at conferences, of our exchanges at book signings, of our emails and podcast interviews and guest blogs.

I’ll be thinking of you because, again, this isn’t my story. It’s ours.

More to come.

This post first appeared in my November email newsletter. Subscribe here to become among the first to receive similar updates on this and other endeavors.

You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or check out my writing courses and editing services.

Did you enjoy this post?

Buy me a coffee to say thanks!

 

Now Available: Editing and Writescast Academy Gift Cards!

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Based on feedback from the community and in keeping with my goal of making my writing coach services as accessible as possible, I’m proud to now offer gift cards through my online shop!

What are these gift cards? What are they for?

These gift cards allow writers’ family members and friends to make it even more affordable for the writers in their lives to take advantage of my editing services or my courses through Writescast Academy!

Who can buy these gift cards?

Gift cards can be purchased by anyone at any time.

Where can I buy them?

These gift cards are available exclusively through my online shop here at rrcampbellwrites.com.

Is there a minimum amount that needs to be put on a gift card?

With card values ranging from $5 to $500, flexibility is at your fingertips!

How are they redeemed?

After completing a gift card purchase through my online shop, the gift card will be sent as an attachment by email to the address provided at check-out.

When printing the gift card, be sure to write the confirmation number of the transaction (found in the email that includes the gift card) and the value of the gift card.

When will these gift cards become available for purchase?

These gift cards are available now! Head to my online shop today to get the writer in your life a gift that will keep on giving—that of a quality writerly education through my editing and coaching services.

What if I have other questions?

You can always contact me by email with questions about this or any of my other offerings.

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All Signed Copies Now 15%+ Off!

Folks, the time has come for a year-end sale.

From now through December 31st, signed copies of all of my novels are 15%+ off, and I’ve lowered the free shipping threshold for shipments within the U.S. as well! If you’ve been after signed copies of any of my novels—or if the readers in your life might want one for a holiday gift—now’s the best time to make a purchase!

Don’t miss out. These deals are only available here on rrcampbellwrites.com while supplies last.

Click here to head to the R.R. Campbell Writes Shop and start saving.

R.R. Campbell on Write Through the Roof!

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“There’s no Twitter, no email. The coffee is here. The time has come.”

I’m thrilled to share my appearance on Madeleine D’Este’s Write Through the Roof podcast.

Write Through the Roof is a podcast that asks writers to share the one thing that took their writing to the next level. With the release of my interview, there are now seventy episodes of the show, which is also distributed in France on Art District Radio as part of its English-language programming.

Though the premise for the show is to encourage writers to share the one thing that most improved their writing, Madeleine and I discussed so much more than that over the course of our half hour conversation, including the interplay between the art and science of language, as well as how an emphasis on generating empathy in our work can lead to longstanding reader-character connections.

To listen in, you can check out this link or subscribe to Write Through the Roof on any of the platforms below.

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

iHeart Radio

Thanks so much to Madeleine for having me on her podcast. If you’d like to listen to my interview of her for my own podcast network, you can find that episode here.

Now Offering Ten Page Editing Samples!

As writers, it can be difficult to know which editor will be the best fit for our work, let alone whether any given editor will be worth what they charge.

That’s why I’ve decided to make it even easier to decide whether I’m the right editor for you.

I’m now offering free ten-page critiques to writers who might be interested in hiring me as an editor.

How does it work, you ask?

It’s simple, really. You contact me through my website’s editing contact page. Then we discuss by email what you’re looking for in an editor, and I provide a sample edit on your manuscript’s first ten pages accordingly.

If you think we’re a good fit after checking out the sample edits, we can talk about possible next steps! I’m thrilled to offer this new service, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

To learn more about my editing services, please visit this page.

Thanks for your interest in my work as a writing coach. Write on and write well.

That’s a Wrap! Thank you, UW.

Thursday, October 3rd marked the final day of teaching for my first course through the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Continuing Studies in Writing. The course I was teaching was “Write Your Novel Now – Plotting Your Way to Success,” a series of classes based on material I created from my own experiences in preparing to write a novel.

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Over the course of four weeks, those enrolled worked as a team to outline their individual novels from the ground up. After spending the first week developing their concepts, they shifted into structuring their plots and scenes. We also emphasized the importance of our protagonists by focusing on their wants, needs, fears, and how far they were willing to go to achieve that which they desire most.

Every student in the class had a wonderful concept, and I’m confident they left the course with a map to the story they seek. I want to thank them again (publicly now) for their participation and their engagement with the course material.

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Beyond their excellent contributions to the course, I was additionally grateful to have this opportunity for personal reasons; as a University of Wisconsin alumnus myself, returning to campus to teach meant a great deal to me. There’s nothing quite like finding oneself amid the throng of foot traffic crossing Library Mall and Langdon to take in the Red Gym (“Bowser’s Castle”) and Memorial Union on the way to the Pyle Center.

 

If you’re in the Madison area and were unable to enroll in this course, rest assured it will be offered again in other formats outside of the UW or through it in 2020. Stay tuned to my newsletter for updates on future iterations of this and other courses.

Thanks again to my students, to the UW, and to the writing community at large for making this possible.

Write on and write well!

Subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or check out my writing courses and editing services to stay in touch.

EMPATHY 3 Announcement: Release Date, Title, and More!

I’m pleased to formally announce the release date and title for book three in the EMPATHY series.

Book three, Event Horizon, will be published with NineStar Press on March 2nd, 2020.

The excitement is very real. I’m actively working on the manuscript’s final deep-structure changes, and being back in the world of EMPATHY has me more invigorated than ever to introduce you to the saga’s next thrilling installment.

What can you expect?

Reader beware: spoilers follow for Imminent Dawn and Mourning Dove.

Event Horizon will focus heavily on Ty and his trials in the Merry Hacksters’ lair, the Vermont TeddyCo basement. We’ll also see plenty of Chandra and Kyra as they continue to confront the decisions they’ve made on how to best handle EMPATHY and their relationships with each other (and with themselves) going forward.

We’ll also get perspective chapters for a longtime character whose “head” we haven’t yet hopped into (wink, wink). Beyond that, characters we haven’t seen or heard from (or might not have expected to see or hear from any longer) in some time  will (re-)emerge as key players in the broader world’s struggles.

But who are these characters and what role will they play? You’ll have to wait until March 2020 to find out.

“Hey, wait a minute…”

What about the Halman siblings? What about Ren and Gary? What about the election and the New Québec Liberation Front? All of that hasn’t disappeared, has it?

It has not, no. In fact, those characters and plots will return in perspective chapters in book four of the EMPATHY series, tentatively titled Rubicon. The events of Rubicon will be concurrent to those of Event Horizon, similar to how the events of George R.R. Martin’s A Dance With Dragons and A Feast for Crows are portrayed.

Why choose to do this?

In an ideal world, I’d present every chapter chronologically with every perspective character in the same, single volume. As my original vision for Event Horizon took shape, however, it became apparent that the quantity of content would not allow it all to be physically contained in a single book.

Yes, Event Horizon will be a long one, the longest book in the series so far.

When will book four be released?

I do have an early draft of Rubicon complete for the majority of that installment’s perspective characters, but there is much work left to do. At this time, we do not have a tentative publication date for book four available, though my goal is to aim for a 2021 release. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news.

“Okay, I’m excited. How can I get my hands on an early copy of Event Horizon?”

As always, ARCs will be made available on NetGalley. I can also provide a limited number of ARCs to other interested readers. If you would like an advance copy of Event Horizon to review on Goodreads, Amazon, your blog, or other social media, please let me know here.

It is my goal to work with NineStar Press to have ARCs available in January 2020.

“This series sounds awesome, but I haven’t read the first two installments. How can I get started?”

Hurray and thank you!

You can get started with book one, Imminent Dawn, and book two, Mourning Dove, at the links below.

Imminent Dawn

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press | Kobo | Smashwords| Goodreads | Author Website

Mourning Dove

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads | Author Website