Aleksandr Voinov's Blog: Letters from the Front, page 35
January 12, 2011
Piracy costs you books
Here's an excellent post on the real costs of piracy by Shiloh Walker. Very good, sobering reading. Lilith Saintcrow also talks about money here. And tells people not to steal her books. And responds to some idjits who attack her for asking people not to steal her books.
Me, I've long decided that I can work and write. I'm not sure I'd write more if I wasn't working - possible, but hard to prove - but I sure want to get paid for all the hard work. And if I did make enough money to retire, I might. But I've made the decision to be a dilettante, and quite possibly forever, to only write what I am desperate, hungry, craving to write. And get books out immediately (or after 6-8 months maximum) rather than spend years and years going the traditional publishing way (which I've done and found too hard and too slow for a no-name like me, plus, in the niche, there's no real point to it, at least not at the moment).
Talking about getting paid - I'm in my second week and still enjoying it. I figure I've found an excellent place to stay. Also, because I can edit my own stuff in the lull between assignments (I forgot how it feels to not multitask and rush all the time). The last three days, that amounted to around 60 pages getting edited. At that rate, I'll finish the edits of FOAT much sooner than expected. There's still some heavy lifting to be done, but I'm reasonably sure I can do that lifting by Monday.
So far, the main thing that bugs me about being a working writer is that I have to go to bed in a way that preserves my strength and mental togetherness (to bed at midnight, latest) for the day job rather than when I run out of ideas (which is two or three hours later). It's a small price to pay, but definitely cuts the writing short even when I hit the flow.
Me, I've long decided that I can work and write. I'm not sure I'd write more if I wasn't working - possible, but hard to prove - but I sure want to get paid for all the hard work. And if I did make enough money to retire, I might. But I've made the decision to be a dilettante, and quite possibly forever, to only write what I am desperate, hungry, craving to write. And get books out immediately (or after 6-8 months maximum) rather than spend years and years going the traditional publishing way (which I've done and found too hard and too slow for a no-name like me, plus, in the niche, there's no real point to it, at least not at the moment).
Talking about getting paid - I'm in my second week and still enjoying it. I figure I've found an excellent place to stay. Also, because I can edit my own stuff in the lull between assignments (I forgot how it feels to not multitask and rush all the time). The last three days, that amounted to around 60 pages getting edited. At that rate, I'll finish the edits of FOAT much sooner than expected. There's still some heavy lifting to be done, but I'm reasonably sure I can do that lifting by Monday.
So far, the main thing that bugs me about being a working writer is that I have to go to bed in a way that preserves my strength and mental togetherness (to bed at midnight, latest) for the day job rather than when I run out of ideas (which is two or three hours later). It's a small price to pay, but definitely cuts the writing short even when I hit the flow.
January 8, 2011
Am Working and liking it
It's the weekend after the first week at the new job. I do enjoy working in a bank as opposed to a business media publisher - the coffee's free and much better quality, for one, and I've never had such a shiny office. I can also go home when I'm finished - there's quite a bit more flexibility there. And I enjoy being the primary breadwinner - at least until my partner has signed up with *his* investment bank, then we should be bringing home the same kinda money.
Talking about money, there's a good article on e-piracy at dailyfinance. Since all my titles get stolen somewhere on the internet (lovely when you wake up first thing in the morning and see somebody so very eager to share your book with a few ten thousand of her closest friends - that sets you up nicely for a productive writing day /sarcasm), it's topical reading. And means, incidentally, that I'll be working a day job for the rest of my life. I simply cannot rely on making enough money to retire and write full-time.
I'm currently editing "Father of All Things" and am pushing the total edits to around 40% of the total book right now (that's chapter 13 and counting, of 27).
I'm also having a reviewing crisis of faith. I get so much negative backlash about reviewing (and I use the full range of 1 to 5 stars) that I am rethinking how I review and for what ends. I'm thinking I'll use a reviewing pseudonym from now on. I don't want to spend half my writing time in fights with other authors or publishers. It's that simple. I'm a writer, first and foremost. I'll publish positive reviews (3-5 stars) under this name, and 1-2 star reviews under a different name - if I feel the urge to review.
I'll make 2011 the Year of the Novel. I have a crapload of novels in the drawer, and I want to kick them all out into the world. Deal with old stuff. Baggage removal. Time to draw a line under a certain period in my life - and the best way to do that is to throw out the books I wrote during that time.
Right, back to editing chapter 13.
Talking about money, there's a good article on e-piracy at dailyfinance. Since all my titles get stolen somewhere on the internet (lovely when you wake up first thing in the morning and see somebody so very eager to share your book with a few ten thousand of her closest friends - that sets you up nicely for a productive writing day /sarcasm), it's topical reading. And means, incidentally, that I'll be working a day job for the rest of my life. I simply cannot rely on making enough money to retire and write full-time.
I'm currently editing "Father of All Things" and am pushing the total edits to around 40% of the total book right now (that's chapter 13 and counting, of 27).
I'm also having a reviewing crisis of faith. I get so much negative backlash about reviewing (and I use the full range of 1 to 5 stars) that I am rethinking how I review and for what ends. I'm thinking I'll use a reviewing pseudonym from now on. I don't want to spend half my writing time in fights with other authors or publishers. It's that simple. I'm a writer, first and foremost. I'll publish positive reviews (3-5 stars) under this name, and 1-2 star reviews under a different name - if I feel the urge to review.
I'll make 2011 the Year of the Novel. I have a crapload of novels in the drawer, and I want to kick them all out into the world. Deal with old stuff. Baggage removal. Time to draw a line under a certain period in my life - and the best way to do that is to throw out the books I wrote during that time.
Right, back to editing chapter 13.
January 3, 2011
Last Day before First Day
I just uploaded chapter 30 of "Special Forces" to my website.
Then, looking over the pile of stuff I have to do, two stand out because they are urgent and on deadlines (there is such a thing as "urgent and not on a deadline").
One is to re-write and polish the synopsis of "Break and Enter", so we can submit the story soon.
The other is to do the developmental edits of "Father of All Things", which need to be done by 24 January. That's just three weeks, and the changes are pretty substantial (or at least they feel like that at the moment).
So I just printed out the letter from our editor and am now cleaning up the desk to make space for all the little notes and "to do" list. I assume this might take a couple days. Thankfully, I can do this kind of editing on my e-reader, so I don't think I'll actually print out the manuscript. Then again, I might. Paper is still different for editing purposes, especially sweeping edits that affect whole chapters.
Good I have two reams of paper in reserve, too.
And if I manage to get 500 words in on Iron Cross or Lying with Scorpions, even better.
Then, looking over the pile of stuff I have to do, two stand out because they are urgent and on deadlines (there is such a thing as "urgent and not on a deadline").
One is to re-write and polish the synopsis of "Break and Enter", so we can submit the story soon.
The other is to do the developmental edits of "Father of All Things", which need to be done by 24 January. That's just three weeks, and the changes are pretty substantial (or at least they feel like that at the moment).
So I just printed out the letter from our editor and am now cleaning up the desk to make space for all the little notes and "to do" list. I assume this might take a couple days. Thankfully, I can do this kind of editing on my e-reader, so I don't think I'll actually print out the manuscript. Then again, I might. Paper is still different for editing purposes, especially sweeping edits that affect whole chapters.
Good I have two reams of paper in reserve, too.
And if I manage to get 500 words in on Iron Cross or Lying with Scorpions, even better.
More editing was done
I started the day going through Rachel's edits of the second half of "Break and Enter" and we sent it to a couple of our betas. Some feedback has already come back, and it was extremely helpful.
Today I wrote the long-outstanding feature I promised my boss. That's 2k of writing and a whole day of work. (Yes, I did a good job procrastinating, too.)
Fiction wasn't written today, because then Alison got back to me and had chapter 30 of "Special Forces" edited, so I went through that, then cut and tweaked a little more. To give an update, we have 200k of the 600k of "Mercenaries" edited. I believe that's 400k of the total one million words. So, after more than a year of editing, we're not even halfway through. While I dream of editing one chapter every two weeks (with around 40 left, that's 80 weeks or just over 1.5 years), that's a hope more than anything. It's just so freaking enormous, and I fit the editing in when I'm not writing.
Well. It's a project. at least I know we're improving the text enormously and I don't have to be ashamed anymore of the slap-dash editing job of the first version.
The day after tomorrow, I'll start my new job. I'll spend tomorrow brushing up on some editor skills that they quite likely expect from me. All the paperwork should be in order, though. I'm curious how it'll all pan out.
Tomorrow, I'll write some more "Lying with Scorpions", maybe even some "Iron Cross" and then I was going to post a letter to the States. And that's my long break over.
Oh, and lastly, I found this very lovely review of "Test of Faith". Thanks, Lee!
Today I wrote the long-outstanding feature I promised my boss. That's 2k of writing and a whole day of work. (Yes, I did a good job procrastinating, too.)
Fiction wasn't written today, because then Alison got back to me and had chapter 30 of "Special Forces" edited, so I went through that, then cut and tweaked a little more. To give an update, we have 200k of the 600k of "Mercenaries" edited. I believe that's 400k of the total one million words. So, after more than a year of editing, we're not even halfway through. While I dream of editing one chapter every two weeks (with around 40 left, that's 80 weeks or just over 1.5 years), that's a hope more than anything. It's just so freaking enormous, and I fit the editing in when I'm not writing.
Well. It's a project. at least I know we're improving the text enormously and I don't have to be ashamed anymore of the slap-dash editing job of the first version.
The day after tomorrow, I'll start my new job. I'll spend tomorrow brushing up on some editor skills that they quite likely expect from me. All the paperwork should be in order, though. I'm curious how it'll all pan out.
Tomorrow, I'll write some more "Lying with Scorpions", maybe even some "Iron Cross" and then I was going to post a letter to the States. And that's my long break over.
Oh, and lastly, I found this very lovely review of "Test of Faith". Thanks, Lee!
January 1, 2011
I've tried to take it in good humour
I'm not much a Christian. I tried, honest. I tried the whole "turn the other cheek" gig. Ended up badly depressed and then embraced what I call "moral behaviour". There are some things I cannot abide (blame it on me being an INFJ - and I'm more the "crusader" type than the cute fluffy "healer" type).
One of them is to get laughed at.
We all know traditional book sellers are in the shits. Borders, laden with debt (They are also owned by private equity, which makes them even more vulnerable and cash-strapped than other book chains... different post for another day) has suspended payments to some publishers, according to Publishers Weekly NOT the response of a healthy business.
Then I made the acquaintance (if you can call it that in the days of social media) of the Romance buyer of that same book publisher on Twitter.
She was looking for bloggers for that same book chain's Romance blog (in other words, an unpaid gig for romance authors to fill their social media site with free-for-the-publisher content - and they seem so desperate that some of what I've read there is shockingly bad. I'd link that nonsense, but I don't want to give them more traffic). And as bubbly and fun the romance community is overall, she informed me that they do "mainstream only".
Which begs two questions. How are gay/queer people NOT mainstream? (And NO amount of smileys and bubbly personality can soften that question). Queers are everywhere. I've even encountered the head of the GLBTQ group of a CONSERVATIVE LAW FIRM in London. The lawyer put it on his CV that their press lady sent me. There's a financial services lawyer, and he's introduced as "X.... chairman of Y's GLTBQ group".
Law firms can do it. Borders can't?
I've spent some pleasant times (and hundreds of pounds) in Borders stores in the UK. I sheltered there in the Chicago weather on my last day in the States. Now I'm being told - smiling, polite - that what I write, what thousands of people care very passionately about, is not "mainstream" enough for their blog.
Well, seems Borders hasn't learnt the lesson of the "long tail" yet. I'll look forward for it to go down in flames, and ideally screaming loudly all the way down.
So that was the last bag of books I bought from there. I'll be buying my books online from The Book Depository from now on (hint: free worldwide delivery). And buy my "want now" books from Foyles in London. I have never been laughed at either by TBD or Foyles.
If I was holding any Borders shares, I'd sell now.
One of them is to get laughed at.
We all know traditional book sellers are in the shits. Borders, laden with debt (They are also owned by private equity, which makes them even more vulnerable and cash-strapped than other book chains... different post for another day) has suspended payments to some publishers, according to Publishers Weekly NOT the response of a healthy business.
Then I made the acquaintance (if you can call it that in the days of social media) of the Romance buyer of that same book publisher on Twitter.
She was looking for bloggers for that same book chain's Romance blog (in other words, an unpaid gig for romance authors to fill their social media site with free-for-the-publisher content - and they seem so desperate that some of what I've read there is shockingly bad. I'd link that nonsense, but I don't want to give them more traffic). And as bubbly and fun the romance community is overall, she informed me that they do "mainstream only".
Which begs two questions. How are gay/queer people NOT mainstream? (And NO amount of smileys and bubbly personality can soften that question). Queers are everywhere. I've even encountered the head of the GLBTQ group of a CONSERVATIVE LAW FIRM in London. The lawyer put it on his CV that their press lady sent me. There's a financial services lawyer, and he's introduced as "X.... chairman of Y's GLTBQ group".
Law firms can do it. Borders can't?
I've spent some pleasant times (and hundreds of pounds) in Borders stores in the UK. I sheltered there in the Chicago weather on my last day in the States. Now I'm being told - smiling, polite - that what I write, what thousands of people care very passionately about, is not "mainstream" enough for their blog.
Well, seems Borders hasn't learnt the lesson of the "long tail" yet. I'll look forward for it to go down in flames, and ideally screaming loudly all the way down.
So that was the last bag of books I bought from there. I'll be buying my books online from The Book Depository from now on (hint: free worldwide delivery). And buy my "want now" books from Foyles in London. I have never been laughed at either by TBD or Foyles.
If I was holding any Borders shares, I'd sell now.
December 31, 2010
They are playing my song
Seems "Break and Enter" is famous before it's even submitted to publishers. First Rachel blogged about it. Then Amora blogged about it. (Check her out. She's hilarious.)
I then blogged over at Slash and Burn (another year round-up. I think I start to sound like I'm gloating, but my year WAS awesome and it makes a nice change to all the misery out there. Really. Here's one blogger/writer who is happy. Come share the joy.)
Then I said something careless on Facebook the other day about not wanting to compete with Josh Lanyon for somebody's reading attention (because he's awesome, writing is no competition, and I'd most likely lose that, anyway :) ) - which apparently sold my book to that reader (see, a little fun and snark goes a long way... but then I never see how many sales I'm losing because people might think I'm an ass).
Anyway, Lee Brazil blogged about reading First Blood. And yeah, I'm way more interested in the "dark side", the human soul in extremis and the hour before it goes dark. All the Prussian blues and indigos open the soul and bring back all those memories and the sheer frailty of it all. I used to walk a lot in the dark (not metaphorically - I used to have a dog, a chow), and those were the hours in the day when I did all the thinking and pondering and plotting and discussing stuff with myself. I should really go back to that habit.
I blogged over at Savvy Authors about the fact that I believe that writers are not each other's competition. That essay is "premium content", so if you're not a member of Savvy Authors, I'm afraid you can't read it. I might gather them all into an ebook at a later date and publish my musings on writing - and what I see happening in "the industry".
Lastly, enough about me. (Yes, really.)
Here's a great link about SF/Fantasy writing. Great free resource that covers pretty much all angles. Another writer "paying it forward".
An interesting essay by David Brin on writing. I thought the big noble cause was history. Then I thought it's really writing. But Brin has a point. Human sweat art. We can't help it.
And here's a great post on writer's block. I'm keeping that for reference for when I've run into the next brick wall.
And that's it.
I then blogged over at Slash and Burn (another year round-up. I think I start to sound like I'm gloating, but my year WAS awesome and it makes a nice change to all the misery out there. Really. Here's one blogger/writer who is happy. Come share the joy.)
Then I said something careless on Facebook the other day about not wanting to compete with Josh Lanyon for somebody's reading attention (because he's awesome, writing is no competition, and I'd most likely lose that, anyway :) ) - which apparently sold my book to that reader (see, a little fun and snark goes a long way... but then I never see how many sales I'm losing because people might think I'm an ass).
Anyway, Lee Brazil blogged about reading First Blood. And yeah, I'm way more interested in the "dark side", the human soul in extremis and the hour before it goes dark. All the Prussian blues and indigos open the soul and bring back all those memories and the sheer frailty of it all. I used to walk a lot in the dark (not metaphorically - I used to have a dog, a chow), and those were the hours in the day when I did all the thinking and pondering and plotting and discussing stuff with myself. I should really go back to that habit.
I blogged over at Savvy Authors about the fact that I believe that writers are not each other's competition. That essay is "premium content", so if you're not a member of Savvy Authors, I'm afraid you can't read it. I might gather them all into an ebook at a later date and publish my musings on writing - and what I see happening in "the industry".
Lastly, enough about me. (Yes, really.)
Here's a great link about SF/Fantasy writing. Great free resource that covers pretty much all angles. Another writer "paying it forward".
An interesting essay by David Brin on writing. I thought the big noble cause was history. Then I thought it's really writing. But Brin has a point. Human sweat art. We can't help it.
And here's a great post on writer's block. I'm keeping that for reference for when I've run into the next brick wall.
And that's it.
December 30, 2010
Review round-up
Couple links came in today.
"Transit" made it to the top 2010 list of a guest reviewer at Jesse Wave's blog.
I can sleep easy now. A fellow medieval historian (and we're an elitist bunch when it comes to historical romance), "highly recommends" "The Lion of Kent".
"Illustrated Men", with the story "Don't Ask Don't Tell" gets a five star plus Desert Island Keeper review from Jesse Wave. (No comment. NO comment).
The story "Break and Enter" with Rachel Haimowitz is being edited right now. Rachel blogged about it and has a teaser. If I go missing, check out her basement, or at the very least, bring me a computer and a bunch of ebooks and my reference library. Thanks!
And all that in one day. Whew.
Now off to write some Iron Cross.
"Transit" made it to the top 2010 list of a guest reviewer at Jesse Wave's blog.
I can sleep easy now. A fellow medieval historian (and we're an elitist bunch when it comes to historical romance), "highly recommends" "The Lion of Kent".
"Illustrated Men", with the story "Don't Ask Don't Tell" gets a five star plus Desert Island Keeper review from Jesse Wave. (No comment. NO comment).
The story "Break and Enter" with Rachel Haimowitz is being edited right now. Rachel blogged about it and has a teaser. If I go missing, check out her basement, or at the very least, bring me a computer and a bunch of ebooks and my reference library. Thanks!
And all that in one day. Whew.
Now off to write some Iron Cross.
December 29, 2010
On towards 2011
Journalists keep themselves busy before Christmas by writing reviews and previews. I did one for my mag before I left.
Personal reviews and previews are harder to do. Ideally, I'd dig through 12 months worth of blog posts and filter out the things that were important.
In 2010
- I changed jobs twice and very nearly doubled my salary (if we count writing income, I did double it and then some)
- I moved into Casa Voinov
- I traveled to Turkey, Chicago, Warsaw and Moscow (and liked Chicago best)
- I got a crapload of stuff published. This fits with what I planned for the year. Put myself on the map. Last year this time all I had was "Deliverance". Everything else you see here came out in 2010.
- I did some great and fun writing with my amazing co-writers: Raev Gray, Kate Cotoner, Barbara Sheridan, Rhianon Etzweiler and, toward the end of the year, Rachel Haimowitz. Chapeau, guys. Even more awesome that some debuted that way. Makes me feel like an enabler.
- I had a hand in getting people together. Introduce authors to authors, betas to betas, authors to publishers. Regardless of my own little ego, helping others meet friends and colleagues is something I really enjoy (I did mention I had a hand in a couple marriages, right?).
- I met awesome readers/supporters, almost too numerous to mention (and here I am, worried I'm forgetting somebody). Marcie, Audra, Kate, Jon, Jason, all the people over at Goodreads (65 of them!), on Facebook, Twitter and Livejournal.
- I learnt a really important lesson somewhen this year. Which is to not expect the worst from people. I've relaxed a lot in a social context. That's a big deal. I'm enjoying people more than I ever have. And they enjoy me a great deal more. There's a lesson in that.
- I edited chapters 14-30 of "Special Forces". At that pace, I might need another year or two to finish. But I won't let Special Forces kill any more of my books. It's killed too many of them already.
- I've written my little black heart out, both professionally and personally. I've written enormous technical features I wouldn't have understood myself just six months ago. I learnt a crapload about financial products, but more importantly, about financial markets. I've learnt it's just a game. Magic beans in the sky.
- I think I've stood by my friends and my friends stood by me. Massive deal.
- I'm primed and ready for 2011 and ready to greet it with a "hell, yeah."
2011:
- The aim is to pay off the mortgage faster while interest rates are low. Get some more double glazing in. Have a plan for the garden (which is a mess). Buy the last shelf, and look at prices to re-do the bathroom and kitchen.
- Return to the gym. Hire a pro to kick my ass there.
- Grok the new job and learn what I can while there. That job's not the end-point, not by a long shot, but I need to prove myself all over again.
- Develop an investment strategy. I want to beat my pension fund's performance. I might look into day trading, too. I know a forex trader who made a crapload of money betting dollar versus euro. I might even start a blog on personal finance. There's just so much bullshit out there. (And yes, I actually find finance fascinating).
- Write books: Iron Cross, Lying with Scorpions, Lion of Kent: 2 + 3 (at the very least. There are smaller projects that fit in somewhere around there, but I'm not counting the shorts and novellas in this list).
- Very likely write a German historical.
- Meet more people, beta-read my friends' books, review, read.
And that's really it. In 2010, I did kick ass and took names, and I have every intention to keep it up in 2011. While having fun.
Personal reviews and previews are harder to do. Ideally, I'd dig through 12 months worth of blog posts and filter out the things that were important.
In 2010
- I changed jobs twice and very nearly doubled my salary (if we count writing income, I did double it and then some)
- I moved into Casa Voinov
- I traveled to Turkey, Chicago, Warsaw and Moscow (and liked Chicago best)
- I got a crapload of stuff published. This fits with what I planned for the year. Put myself on the map. Last year this time all I had was "Deliverance". Everything else you see here came out in 2010.
- I did some great and fun writing with my amazing co-writers: Raev Gray, Kate Cotoner, Barbara Sheridan, Rhianon Etzweiler and, toward the end of the year, Rachel Haimowitz. Chapeau, guys. Even more awesome that some debuted that way. Makes me feel like an enabler.
- I had a hand in getting people together. Introduce authors to authors, betas to betas, authors to publishers. Regardless of my own little ego, helping others meet friends and colleagues is something I really enjoy (I did mention I had a hand in a couple marriages, right?).
- I met awesome readers/supporters, almost too numerous to mention (and here I am, worried I'm forgetting somebody). Marcie, Audra, Kate, Jon, Jason, all the people over at Goodreads (65 of them!), on Facebook, Twitter and Livejournal.
- I learnt a really important lesson somewhen this year. Which is to not expect the worst from people. I've relaxed a lot in a social context. That's a big deal. I'm enjoying people more than I ever have. And they enjoy me a great deal more. There's a lesson in that.
- I edited chapters 14-30 of "Special Forces". At that pace, I might need another year or two to finish. But I won't let Special Forces kill any more of my books. It's killed too many of them already.
- I've written my little black heart out, both professionally and personally. I've written enormous technical features I wouldn't have understood myself just six months ago. I learnt a crapload about financial products, but more importantly, about financial markets. I've learnt it's just a game. Magic beans in the sky.
- I think I've stood by my friends and my friends stood by me. Massive deal.
- I'm primed and ready for 2011 and ready to greet it with a "hell, yeah."
2011:
- The aim is to pay off the mortgage faster while interest rates are low. Get some more double glazing in. Have a plan for the garden (which is a mess). Buy the last shelf, and look at prices to re-do the bathroom and kitchen.
- Return to the gym. Hire a pro to kick my ass there.
- Grok the new job and learn what I can while there. That job's not the end-point, not by a long shot, but I need to prove myself all over again.
- Develop an investment strategy. I want to beat my pension fund's performance. I might look into day trading, too. I know a forex trader who made a crapload of money betting dollar versus euro. I might even start a blog on personal finance. There's just so much bullshit out there. (And yes, I actually find finance fascinating).
- Write books: Iron Cross, Lying with Scorpions, Lion of Kent: 2 + 3 (at the very least. There are smaller projects that fit in somewhere around there, but I'm not counting the shorts and novellas in this list).
- Very likely write a German historical.
- Meet more people, beta-read my friends' books, review, read.
And that's really it. In 2010, I did kick ass and took names, and I have every intention to keep it up in 2011. While having fun.
December 28, 2010
Am writing
I'm writing. Busy. Meeting friends. More busy. More writing.
(so, life's good.)
(so, life's good.)
December 26, 2010
Christmas at Casa Voinov
We did the gift exchange just after midnight, or during the first minutes of the 25th. This is an age old compromise I worked out with my partner. For Germans, Christmas is on the evening of the 24th. For Brits, it's on the 25th. Since there's no way I'll wait a day longer than I have to, and it doesn't feel "right" for my partner to be out of synch with the rest of the country, we'rte going for "just after midnight". So, psychologically, it's "still 24th", and legally, technically, it's the 25th.
This year, I got some geeky t-shirts (Gears of War related, and one is made from bamboo - didn't know such existed - very pleasant to wear), some assorted knick-knacks (a belt? Are my trousers sagging so much?), and very nice headphones from Skullcandy. That is, of course, so I don't have to crank up the volume so much and so that my partner doesn't hear my music from three rooms away (or in bed). And it makes a world of a difference.
We went to a friend's place to eat turkey and the whole British traditional Christmas dinner, played some board and card games, then trundled home, bellies full of alcoholic ginger beer and turkey and chocolate. I finished reading Rachel Haimowitz' "Anchored" and sent out the ebooks that people won over at Jesse Wave's big giveaway.
Spent some time chatting with writer friends, exchanged e-book gifts with them, too. I have a brand-new Bryl Tyne and a new Abigail Roux to sink my teeth into. After I'm finished with Rachel Haimowitz, my current "new author on the block". Here's a lady that can write - she even manages to pull off characters that I normally wouldn't get into, like in "Anchored", due out from Noble Romance soon.
When I'm trying a new author, I tend to read something shorter first before I commit to a novel (I guess part of me needs to justify the time expenditure, whereas a short story or a novella already tells me if somebody can write or not). So, I started "Counterpoint", which is a rocking good read (I'm one third done now and will write a review once I'm done).
"Scorpion 2" aka "Lying with Scorpions" is 4k at this point, and I'm planning to write some of that today. Plus some "Iron Cross", while the Muse has me.
And that's perfect holidays - writing, few distractions, and good books, all topped off with presents and food.
This year, I got some geeky t-shirts (Gears of War related, and one is made from bamboo - didn't know such existed - very pleasant to wear), some assorted knick-knacks (a belt? Are my trousers sagging so much?), and very nice headphones from Skullcandy. That is, of course, so I don't have to crank up the volume so much and so that my partner doesn't hear my music from three rooms away (or in bed). And it makes a world of a difference.
We went to a friend's place to eat turkey and the whole British traditional Christmas dinner, played some board and card games, then trundled home, bellies full of alcoholic ginger beer and turkey and chocolate. I finished reading Rachel Haimowitz' "Anchored" and sent out the ebooks that people won over at Jesse Wave's big giveaway.
Spent some time chatting with writer friends, exchanged e-book gifts with them, too. I have a brand-new Bryl Tyne and a new Abigail Roux to sink my teeth into. After I'm finished with Rachel Haimowitz, my current "new author on the block". Here's a lady that can write - she even manages to pull off characters that I normally wouldn't get into, like in "Anchored", due out from Noble Romance soon.
When I'm trying a new author, I tend to read something shorter first before I commit to a novel (I guess part of me needs to justify the time expenditure, whereas a short story or a novella already tells me if somebody can write or not). So, I started "Counterpoint", which is a rocking good read (I'm one third done now and will write a review once I'm done).
"Scorpion 2" aka "Lying with Scorpions" is 4k at this point, and I'm planning to write some of that today. Plus some "Iron Cross", while the Muse has me.
And that's perfect holidays - writing, few distractions, and good books, all topped off with presents and food.
Letters from the Front
Aleksandr Voinov's blog on reading and writing.
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