M.J. Oelkers's Blog, page 9
September 13, 2023
On The Hunt
Been sending out query letters to agents. A few every day. I'm trying not to inundate the system all at once. I know if go for bulk over quality, I'll end up send out boilerplate letters. The best way I can imagine getting my foot in the door is to make the things at least a little bit personal.
I find crafting the message a challenge. I know I've mentioned it before, but I am dreadful at selling myself. The problem is that this is just that: selling myself and my work. Impostor syndrome creeps up and tells me not to try and oversell myself. Don't promise something I can't deliver. Nasty little voice that I can never seem to get rid of in full.
What makes the process even more challenging is the lack of feedback. These requests aren't the sort of thing I get responses to in a week. Or a month. Or a few months. Honestly, I probably won't mention the hunt again until something interesting happens. If someone shows interest or if I get particularly down about passes.
Toodles.
I find crafting the message a challenge. I know I've mentioned it before, but I am dreadful at selling myself. The problem is that this is just that: selling myself and my work. Impostor syndrome creeps up and tells me not to try and oversell myself. Don't promise something I can't deliver. Nasty little voice that I can never seem to get rid of in full.
What makes the process even more challenging is the lack of feedback. These requests aren't the sort of thing I get responses to in a week. Or a month. Or a few months. Honestly, I probably won't mention the hunt again until something interesting happens. If someone shows interest or if I get particularly down about passes.
Toodles.
September 7, 2023
It's Alive!
Finally finished reading back through Shikaree! That was whole lot more fun than I was expecting it be. Coming from the "my own worst critic" mindset, of course. I never expect to enjoy my own work because I know what's going to happen. Didn't get that feeling with Shikaree. Enjoyed my time.
Now that the reread and edits are done, it's time to get it sent out to some eyeballs. Agents and independent publishing houses. Not sure where I'll start, but I know some boards I can search through. Just need to avoid the temptation to blast the book out to everybody with an inbox. Send a handful of inquiries, get responses, repeat. Shikaree has a more engaging hook and protagonist than Spellseeker (not ashamed to admit that), so hopefully I'll get a bit more interest on this go around.
As for the fifth book, I'm on the last few pages of the final confrontation. It's turning out to be rather brutal. Not that I'm surprised. These fights always tend to get nastier when they make the transition from brain to paper. Just a short wrap-up chapter after that and the draft is done. Revisions to follow.
Toodles.
Now that the reread and edits are done, it's time to get it sent out to some eyeballs. Agents and independent publishing houses. Not sure where I'll start, but I know some boards I can search through. Just need to avoid the temptation to blast the book out to everybody with an inbox. Send a handful of inquiries, get responses, repeat. Shikaree has a more engaging hook and protagonist than Spellseeker (not ashamed to admit that), so hopefully I'll get a bit more interest on this go around.
As for the fifth book, I'm on the last few pages of the final confrontation. It's turning out to be rather brutal. Not that I'm surprised. These fights always tend to get nastier when they make the transition from brain to paper. Just a short wrap-up chapter after that and the draft is done. Revisions to follow.
Toodles.
August 31, 2023
Another Debacle
So my first mistake was saying that I'd have a productive weekend. I know better than to jinx myself like that, yet here we are. There was another fulfillment delay with my meds last week. Didn't sleep from Friday to Monday. Cannot say I was happy about the situation.
Productivity suffered. For the most part, the weekend was a bust. I came back swinging with a vengeance on Tuesday, but the days were already gone.
As far as specifics go, I've got a hundred pages of Shikaree left to read through before I can send it out to people. Hopefully, I'll have that done before my next post on here (fingers crossed).
Progress on the current book didn't come to a complete halt over the weekend, but it also wasn't up to my typical expectations of myself. I'm in the middle of what amounts to the last chapter. A quick epilogue to tie things up after that. Non-zero chance that I actually finish work on the two books at the same time. I'll cross my toes for that one.
Toodles.
Productivity suffered. For the most part, the weekend was a bust. I came back swinging with a vengeance on Tuesday, but the days were already gone.
As far as specifics go, I've got a hundred pages of Shikaree left to read through before I can send it out to people. Hopefully, I'll have that done before my next post on here (fingers crossed).
Progress on the current book didn't come to a complete halt over the weekend, but it also wasn't up to my typical expectations of myself. I'm in the middle of what amounts to the last chapter. A quick epilogue to tie things up after that. Non-zero chance that I actually finish work on the two books at the same time. I'll cross my toes for that one.
Toodles.
August 23, 2023
Almost There
I closed out another chapter in the fifth book yesterday. One last meaty chapter left, then a short sendoff to mark the passage of time. Bit of a habit I've picked up. Epilogue that doesn't actually say epilogue on the tin. Things feel an awful lot darker than I was expecting them to. The plan for book five was to be a bit cheerier, but my endings have proven to be more like battle plans. The initial plan rarely survives after contact with the page.
Today was quite productive. I tend to take a day away from writing after finishing a chapter. I read through a chapter of Shikaree while at the dealership, then cracked through a second when I got home. Doesn't quite make up for the doldrums I hit in the middle of the month, but I'm not one to turn my nose away from progress. A little diligence might get the clean-up completed by the end of August as I'd initially hoped.
Weekends are finally clearing for the first time in the last couple of months. Part of me thinks that will make for solid progress. At the same time, I know that Armored Core 6 comes out tomorrow. International Giant Robot Day must be observed.
Toodles.
Today was quite productive. I tend to take a day away from writing after finishing a chapter. I read through a chapter of Shikaree while at the dealership, then cracked through a second when I got home. Doesn't quite make up for the doldrums I hit in the middle of the month, but I'm not one to turn my nose away from progress. A little diligence might get the clean-up completed by the end of August as I'd initially hoped.
Weekends are finally clearing for the first time in the last couple of months. Part of me thinks that will make for solid progress. At the same time, I know that Armored Core 6 comes out tomorrow. International Giant Robot Day must be observed.
Toodles.
August 18, 2023
Farewells
This last week has been devoted to the loss of a character. Time spent crafting the last few moments of someone who had been around from the earliest chapters all the way to the last handful. No names or anything like that. Can't go posting things that are too spoiler-y.
Character death has proven to be the hardest thing for me to deal with when crafting a story. Not throwaway characters that barely get a name, but people with motivations (good or bad) that have been playing out throughout the whole of the story. Someone I've spent time getting to know over the course of several months. When they're gone, I notice the absence. There is a genuine sense of loss that makes me a bit weepy while I'm working through the moment. It's the strangest thing.
Not much else to say on the subject. Just a tendency I've noticed since fleshed-out characters started meeting their ends. When I think about what's to come in later stories, it makes me a touch concerned for my wee little heart. There are difficult times on the horizon. Regardless, I'm excited to get there.
Toodles.
Character death has proven to be the hardest thing for me to deal with when crafting a story. Not throwaway characters that barely get a name, but people with motivations (good or bad) that have been playing out throughout the whole of the story. Someone I've spent time getting to know over the course of several months. When they're gone, I notice the absence. There is a genuine sense of loss that makes me a bit weepy while I'm working through the moment. It's the strangest thing.
Not much else to say on the subject. Just a tendency I've noticed since fleshed-out characters started meeting their ends. When I think about what's to come in later stories, it makes me a touch concerned for my wee little heart. There are difficult times on the horizon. Regardless, I'm excited to get there.
Toodles.
August 10, 2023
The BG3 Flu
And here we are, yet again, late on a Thursday night. Whoops! No proper excuse this time. Baldur's Gate 3 released and I have been engrossed. Love me some rich characters and intriguing dilemmas. Can't get enough of the stuff.
That distraction has kept me off editing for Shikaree. With some of the initial excitement for BG3 having passed, I should be able to slide back into the editing habit.
No hiccups in writing the fifth book, which is good news. I actually had a delightful moment yesterday. I was about to dive into a pivotal action scene near the end of the story. Where the situation started and ended was set in stone. How I planned to get there was nebulous. As so often happens with these moments as they stew, however, the major beats finally aligned. Choreography exploded. All that's left is to give it the words it needs to live on paper. Such a satisfying feeling when revelations pop into place like that.
That's all for now. Toodles!
That distraction has kept me off editing for Shikaree. With some of the initial excitement for BG3 having passed, I should be able to slide back into the editing habit.
No hiccups in writing the fifth book, which is good news. I actually had a delightful moment yesterday. I was about to dive into a pivotal action scene near the end of the story. Where the situation started and ended was set in stone. How I planned to get there was nebulous. As so often happens with these moments as they stew, however, the major beats finally aligned. Choreography exploded. All that's left is to give it the words it needs to live on paper. Such a satisfying feeling when revelations pop into place like that.
That's all for now. Toodles!
August 2, 2023
Back on Track
Good news! I've got my head back on straight, and the normal cadence is returning to my work. I'm back to churning out pages for the current book every day. The minimum tends to be three, but sometimes I get a bug in my system and crank out something closer to ten. Not uncommon when I'm working on an action scene.
Revisions for Shikaree have also gotten back on track. I'm not getting through a chapter a day as I'd like, but one is being completed at least every other day. This post is actually a mid-chapter break. I'll be back in Shikaree after I'm done posting this. That will set me right on the last quarter of the book.
Not much to report outside my return to norm. The publicity team from my publisher has been vague about their discussions for other opportunities with Spellseeker. I'm under the impression that any further events will likely arise solely through my efforts (though I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong). Here's to hoping I can get another local event locked down.
Cheers.
Revisions for Shikaree have also gotten back on track. I'm not getting through a chapter a day as I'd like, but one is being completed at least every other day. This post is actually a mid-chapter break. I'll be back in Shikaree after I'm done posting this. That will set me right on the last quarter of the book.
Not much to report outside my return to norm. The publicity team from my publisher has been vague about their discussions for other opportunities with Spellseeker. I'm under the impression that any further events will likely arise solely through my efforts (though I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong). Here's to hoping I can get another local event locked down.
Cheers.
July 26, 2023
Slow Week
Starting on the best note of the last week, the signing event at Barnes & Noble went quite well. The staff were all pleasant and easy to work with. The other author who joined me, S.L. Rowland, was delightful to meet and converse with. Most of the books got sold, and those that didn't were signed to be placed on a shelf with fancy little stickers. All in all a wonderful experience. I'm hoping I can find more venues for similar opportunities in the near future.
Regarding working on my books, it's been a tough week. Delivery of my medications got derailed. That spelled a lack of meaningful sleep from Saturday night up until... well, today. I've finally gotten my hands on a bottle of the proper insomnia meds. Hopefully, that will see me back on track to have generally productive days again.
What that slowdown translates to is a handful of days where no work got done at all. On days when I managed to push myself, a few pages were written. No further editing work has been performed on Shikaree since Friday. It's been a strange few days. I've grown accustomed to having the drive to write and edit, so it's jarring when my routine gets so thoroughly wrecked like this.
I'd rather not dwell on the negatives. I have my meds refilled and I know what's to come in the current book. After a night of good rest, I should be back on my wagon and ready to crush some pages.
Toodles.
Regarding working on my books, it's been a tough week. Delivery of my medications got derailed. That spelled a lack of meaningful sleep from Saturday night up until... well, today. I've finally gotten my hands on a bottle of the proper insomnia meds. Hopefully, that will see me back on track to have generally productive days again.
What that slowdown translates to is a handful of days where no work got done at all. On days when I managed to push myself, a few pages were written. No further editing work has been performed on Shikaree since Friday. It's been a strange few days. I've grown accustomed to having the drive to write and edit, so it's jarring when my routine gets so thoroughly wrecked like this.
I'd rather not dwell on the negatives. I have my meds refilled and I know what's to come in the current book. After a night of good rest, I should be back on my wagon and ready to crush some pages.
Toodles.
July 19, 2023
Saturday Signing
Just a few days away from my first public event. The signing takes place at a local Barnes & Noble from 2-4 PM. I'll have a handful of books to sell and will sign any physical copy folks are kind enough to bring by. I'm happy to have this one on the calendar. Always excited to check another first off the monolithic list stuffed in my drawer.
Realistically, I don't expect to move much in the way of product. I'm a fresh face in the industry. No name, no track record, and only a handful of reviews to attest to the quality of the work. It's important to go into things like this with set expectations. Every book that leaves the store with an unfamiliar face is a colossal win.
The most daunting aspect of the event is the thought of placing myself in a sales role. I've done it before. Was god-awful at it, too. I struggle to place my own interests above those of others. Promising someone will enjoy what I've written makes me queasy. The best I can do is tell someone what the book is about and hope it sparks interest. I hope to learn how to be a better cheerleader for myself with time, but this first event will be a battle.
As far as other ventures are concerned, progress remains steady. Finished another chapter in the current story yesterday. Revised another Chapter of Shikaree today, which puts me a little over a third of the way through. Productivity on that point should increase once the signing event is no longer on my mind.
That's all!
Realistically, I don't expect to move much in the way of product. I'm a fresh face in the industry. No name, no track record, and only a handful of reviews to attest to the quality of the work. It's important to go into things like this with set expectations. Every book that leaves the store with an unfamiliar face is a colossal win.
The most daunting aspect of the event is the thought of placing myself in a sales role. I've done it before. Was god-awful at it, too. I struggle to place my own interests above those of others. Promising someone will enjoy what I've written makes me queasy. The best I can do is tell someone what the book is about and hope it sparks interest. I hope to learn how to be a better cheerleader for myself with time, but this first event will be a battle.
As far as other ventures are concerned, progress remains steady. Finished another chapter in the current story yesterday. Revised another Chapter of Shikaree today, which puts me a little over a third of the way through. Productivity on that point should increase once the signing event is no longer on my mind.
That's all!
July 12, 2023
Progress
It's weird how Wednesday almost became Thursday again. Late night post to make sure I hit that self-imposed deadline. Wouldn't do to miss two weeks in a row.
As for what to talk about, today was a good day for writing the current book. I got through some connective tissue that I've been struggling to visualize. It's the last spot in this story that I wasn't entirely sure how to tackle. That step feels like it's gotten me onto the home stretch, which is always a wonderful feeling.
The ending for this story feels mostly intact from how I initially envisioned it. That's a stark contrast from the previous book, which took a much darker turn than I expected in the final few steps. This story will largely have a brighter outlook. Sort of a palette cleanser from book four. Not without its share of bumps, of course.
As for what to talk about, today was a good day for writing the current book. I got through some connective tissue that I've been struggling to visualize. It's the last spot in this story that I wasn't entirely sure how to tackle. That step feels like it's gotten me onto the home stretch, which is always a wonderful feeling.
The ending for this story feels mostly intact from how I initially envisioned it. That's a stark contrast from the previous book, which took a much darker turn than I expected in the final few steps. This story will largely have a brighter outlook. Sort of a palette cleanser from book four. Not without its share of bumps, of course.
