Ruth Nestvold's Blog, page 36

Sharing a bit from our collaboration process in memory of Jay Lake

I didn’t think I was going to post today for WIPpet Wednesday. I haven’t gotten any new writing done since Jay died, after all. Instead, I’ve been doing writing business stuff. That has to be done too, though, and when my creative brain is on strike, it’s a good time to do it. So in the last week, since Jay went into hospice, I did another complete editing pass of Island of Glass, got some of the formatting done for the ebook, and started working on the glossary. I also finished editing passe...

Goodbye, buddy: Jay Lake, June 6, 1964 – June 1, 2014

For some reason, I never quite believed that this moment would come, that I would be writing this farewell. Jay was such a big guy, with a big heart and a big laugh and energy to burn. I couldn’t believe that cancer would win out over all that, kept hoping against hope that Jay’s huge spirit would triumph. No such luck. Jay was crazy, extravagant, generous, a force of nature. When he entered a room, he took it over; it was his, he commanded it, and whether you liked him or not, you sure as h*...

Reintroducing Guinevere / Ginevra for #WIPpet Wednesday

It’s been a mostly good week writing wise for me, with an effortless 1,000 word day last Thursday. The last couple of days have been a bit slower, what with lots of garden work on the weekend, and then the news that my friend Jay Lake has been admitted to hospice. That’s been eating my brain a bit. :(

Anyway, back to writing. I mentioned a while back that I was doing some of the exercises in the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook right now to flesh out the middle of A Wasted Land and help wi...

NoiseTrade: Build Audience While Boosting Your Mailing List

Ruth Nestvold:

Interesting concept — I just might give it a try with a book or two.

Originally posted on David Gaughran:

What if I told you there was a cool new way to share your work with the world that could help you build audience, boost your mailing list, and make money at the same time?

Welcome to NoiseTrade.

The idea is simple. Authors can upload ebooks (and audiobooks) and NoiseTrade’s community of readers can download them for free – for as long as the author wants. There is a tip-jar, an...

A “troupe of players” for #WIPpet Wednesday, and a progress report

Since getting back from Spain, I continue to make steady progress on my fiction again. On the weekend, I finished a short story, and promptly turned around and got back into A Wasted Land. My word count since last Wednesday comes to 3700 words, a lot more than I’ve managed in new fiction in a long time! I think I will soon go back and revise some of my goals for the quarter. :)

BTW, this will be my 300th post on this blog! :D

On to the true business of the day — WIPpet Wednesday! For today’s...

Some hard truths about writer’s block

Chuck Wendig posted a great article on writer’s block today, “Writer’s block might be…” If you haven’t read it yet, I thoroughly recommend it — as long as you don’t mind his regular use of four-letter words, that is. :)

This problem that “writer’s block might be” particularly struck home with me:

Doubt In What You’re Writing

Problem: This thing you’re working on just ain’t working. It’s not writer’s block. It’s the material. Something wonky is hiding in the various gears and dongles of your wo...

10 of Literature’s Greatest Comeback Books

Ruth Nestvold:

This is a message I need right now — and I might not be the only one. :)

Originally posted on Flavorwire:

Though Tom Wolfe’s last novel, 2004′s

I Am Charlotte Simmons

, fell flat for many readers and reviewers — Michiko Kakutani

called it

“disappointingly empty” — some critics are heralding his new effort,

Back to Blood

, which hit bookstores this week, as his comeback book. Only time will tell, of course, but the idea got us thinking about a few other important books that have pul...

Returning to #WIPpet Wednesday — and A Wasted Land

I’ve missed a few posts, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. For those who didn’t see my report, I was at the most recent Villa Diodati workshop in southern Spain. It was the perfect thing to do after finishing the big translation to recharge my writing batteries. In the week since I flew back, I’ve returned to a wonderfully regular writing routine of at least 500 new words a day. Eventually I will probably want to aim for more, but right now, I just want to ease myself back into th...

Apple, Amazon and the uncertain future of the book startup

Ruth Nestvold:

Interesting overview of the present state of the traditional and ebook market.

Originally posted on Gigaom:

Over the past few years, I’ve encountered countless startups that claim they are going to disrupt or revolutionize book publishing.

I once thought we might see one of those take off. Today, I’m not so sure. Book-related startups face a particularly tough path forward. Here are a few reasons why.

When Amazon is the chief disruptor, the odds are stacked against you

Any company t...

Villa Diodati 12

Last week, I got back from the most recent Villa Diodati workshop, this time in southern Spain on the Costa del Sol.

It. Was. Amazing.

We were in a big, beautiful vacation home a 10 minutes walk from the ocean. The sun didn’t stop shining, except for one morning when it took a while for the haze to burn off. I added a day on the front and the back before the other workshop participants arrived and after they left, and I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing writing venue.

We talked.

We ate.

We drank...