K.S. Nikakis's Blog, page 9
November 19, 2013
Small Press Network Conference
This was on recently in Melbourne and had some great panel discussions. Of course featuring, as it does in most conferences, is the relative positioning of ebooks and pbooks, and of course how many people are reading, and whether ebooks are going to kill pbooks.
Most people seemed to believe that ebook sales would even out. Certainly I have many books on my bookshelf that are really dusty and that I won't read again. These would have been good as ebooks. Then again, I do truly want to own a book I have paid for. On the other hand, I have hard backs of The Lord of the Rings from the early 70's that I treasure.
Books as beautiful objects seem to be here to stay.
Most people seemed to believe that ebook sales would even out. Certainly I have many books on my bookshelf that are really dusty and that I won't read again. These would have been good as ebooks. Then again, I do truly want to own a book I have paid for. On the other hand, I have hard backs of The Lord of the Rings from the early 70's that I treasure.
Books as beautiful objects seem to be here to stay.
November 18, 2013
NaNoWriMo Half Way
I am still on track at day 18 with 30,786 words down and a bit under 20,000 to go to reach the 50,000 required.
Will the story be finished. I don't think so. It is taking on a life of its own and galloping off into the distance. It is still all pretty one dimensional but now and again a character says something good.
Is NaNoWriMo worth doing? I've never needed motivation to write but finding time is hard. It certainly makes you push on when sleeping seems preferable. And quite simply, story telling is worth doing.
The story I am writing has been in a queue in my head so it has been given a chance to become real. I am determined that the first draft driven along by NaNoWriMo will produce something good in the end. No, better than good; beautiful.
Will the story be finished. I don't think so. It is taking on a life of its own and galloping off into the distance. It is still all pretty one dimensional but now and again a character says something good.
Is NaNoWriMo worth doing? I've never needed motivation to write but finding time is hard. It certainly makes you push on when sleeping seems preferable. And quite simply, story telling is worth doing.
The story I am writing has been in a queue in my head so it has been given a chance to become real. I am determined that the first draft driven along by NaNoWriMo will produce something good in the end. No, better than good; beautiful.
November 10, 2013
Poetry + music + song
Went to Pure Poetry in Ballarat on Saturday which combined poetry readings with music and singing. It was an interesting experience. Music and poetry seem like a natural mix because that's what you have with songs: harmony and lyrics.
The singing of the poetry, which was opera-ish didn't grab me but that might be just a matter of taste. It might have been quite different with a another voice/approach.
Apparently sagas (like Beowulf) were chanted rather than spoken. Religious verses are often chanted or sung too. With things like poetry slams, and readings more generally, this sort of event provides another way to get poetry out there.
The singing of the poetry, which was opera-ish didn't grab me but that might be just a matter of taste. It might have been quite different with a another voice/approach.
Apparently sagas (like Beowulf) were chanted rather than spoken. Religious verses are often chanted or sung too. With things like poetry slams, and readings more generally, this sort of event provides another way to get poetry out there.
November 7, 2013
Writing in tandem
I am still on track with my NaNoWriMo book which has the working title of Imago, and I am still editing Book 1 of my Hunter Duology Heart Hunter, which I'm hoping to launch before Christmas.
I generally don't have two projects going at the same time as I worry about mixing up characters and 'voice' but in a moment of madness I agreed to NaNoWriMo and I feel obliged to keep going.
I normally edit as I go but it is simply not possible given my full time workload to do so. I just have to push on. I'm sure this is good for me (like eating vegetables) and I hope at the end, Imago will have the seeds of the great story I can then extract. It is an interesting experiment if nothing else.
I generally don't have two projects going at the same time as I worry about mixing up characters and 'voice' but in a moment of madness I agreed to NaNoWriMo and I feel obliged to keep going.
I normally edit as I go but it is simply not possible given my full time workload to do so. I just have to push on. I'm sure this is good for me (like eating vegetables) and I hope at the end, Imago will have the seeds of the great story I can then extract. It is an interesting experiment if nothing else.
November 4, 2013
Day 5 NaNoWriMo
Well, I have totally given up on planning. Having said that, I have had the story in my head for a long time, but without the detail I need to actually write it. While I am a pantser, I always have the names sorted before I start, and it is quite confronting to have to use names I haven't thorough tasted, mulled over and researched the meaning of.
I also lost a day's writing through going to a wedding. I think the trick is not to miss a day so the 1667 stays manageable. 1667 words a day doesn't seem much does it, but it actually has to make a story.
This is all harder than I thought it would be.
I also lost a day's writing through going to a wedding. I think the trick is not to miss a day so the 1667 stays manageable. 1667 words a day doesn't seem much does it, but it actually has to make a story.
This is all harder than I thought it would be.
November 1, 2013
Day 1 NaNoWriMo
Well, I did my words, and in a very pantserish way. I didn't manage to get much planning done and I have seen some really complex and thorough plans from other NaNo's on Facebook. I am sure this would be a lot easier with a plan, but that's not really what is worrying me.
I am telling a story rather than building it. I usually edit a lot as I go, so this one dimensional story line might be less apparent in my other works.
At least I have a bit of time now to work out what is coming next, so in theory this should all improve as I go on. In theory ...
I am telling a story rather than building it. I usually edit a lot as I go, so this one dimensional story line might be less apparent in my other works.
At least I have a bit of time now to work out what is coming next, so in theory this should all improve as I go on. In theory ...
October 30, 2013
NaNoWriMo draws nearer
Getting dangerously close and still haven't sorted my index cards. Lots of advice about Scrivener though. Given I'm trying to convert from a pantser to a planner, trying to wrangle technology might be a step too far.
Have just about settled on a name though
which has woken a few themes. More writers are joining our little group at NMIT so I am stocking up on TimTams.
Have just about settled on a name though
which has woken a few themes. More writers are joining our little group at NMIT so I am stocking up on TimTams.
October 28, 2013
Planning for NaNoWriMo
You are allowed to plan, so I have my index cards but I'm completely paralysed until I've sorted names. I'm not sure whether it's just fantasy writers who have to get the names exactly right, or whether our lives are complicated by not being able to name people James, Sarah, Liam etc.
Sometimes names just come; sometimes I have to search the ether. In the Angel Books, I knew the male protagonist was nick-named Mad At, but I kept thinking it was short for Aterides (like Dune [but spelled correctly!]). I knew that wasn't quite it then I finally found it was short for Ataghan, that means knife or dagger in Turkish. Absolutely perfect.
I am also using a male protagonist for the first time, though not by choice. He's always been the teller of the story and I am quite tempted to have the story in first person, told by him looking back at the events. Haven't attempted that before either. Stay tuned.
Sometimes names just come; sometimes I have to search the ether. In the Angel Books, I knew the male protagonist was nick-named Mad At, but I kept thinking it was short for Aterides (like Dune [but spelled correctly!]). I knew that wasn't quite it then I finally found it was short for Ataghan, that means knife or dagger in Turkish. Absolutely perfect.
I am also using a male protagonist for the first time, though not by choice. He's always been the teller of the story and I am quite tempted to have the story in first person, told by him looking back at the events. Haven't attempted that before either. Stay tuned.
October 26, 2013
NaNoWriMo
Yes I had heard of this and then my writing colleague at work enthused about how wonderful it would be if we (staff and students of NMIT's Bachelor of Writing and Publishing degree) got a group together and joined up.
I agreed it would be wonderful (while backing away) then in a wild moment, went online and joined up. I've had a stand alone fantasy in my head for some years that keeps getting leap-frogged by new projects, so I figured this might its moment to shine.
After GenreCon, I also wanted to have a go at being a planner, not a pantser, so its a good opportunity to try that too.
NaNoWriMo only needs 1660 words a day so it shouldn't be a problem, should it? Then by the start of December I will have draft one of my long languishing novel. I have bought index cards, despite having heard of Scrivener, I do like pens and cards, so feel ready to start planning. Will keep you posted on my progress.
I agreed it would be wonderful (while backing away) then in a wild moment, went online and joined up. I've had a stand alone fantasy in my head for some years that keeps getting leap-frogged by new projects, so I figured this might its moment to shine.
After GenreCon, I also wanted to have a go at being a planner, not a pantser, so its a good opportunity to try that too.
NaNoWriMo only needs 1660 words a day so it shouldn't be a problem, should it? Then by the start of December I will have draft one of my long languishing novel. I have bought index cards, despite having heard of Scrivener, I do like pens and cards, so feel ready to start planning. Will keep you posted on my progress.
October 15, 2013
Scott Baker at GenreCon
Scott has just come off working as a colorist on The Hobbit so we expected something wonderful from his presentation on book trailers and we weren't disappointed. After viewing those he'd made, we were all keen to see the film. Of course these are book trailers, not film trailers, but Scott pointed out that he hopes they generate interest from film producers.
Scott also noted that readers don't search for books via trailers, though he did say they were useful marketing tools. Entertainingly, he describe trawling gyms for muscly men for his project on gladiators. The end result certainly looked great but cost many thousands to make. For those of us less skilled and without as much cash, static book trailers can still prove effective.
Scott also noted that readers don't search for books via trailers, though he did say they were useful marketing tools. Entertainingly, he describe trawling gyms for muscly men for his project on gladiators. The end result certainly looked great but cost many thousands to make. For those of us less skilled and without as much cash, static book trailers can still prove effective.
