Asrai Devin's Blog, page 9

Promo vs writing the next book

Okay,  so I sent off my book for final edits. And I’m considering promotions. I read Kait Nolan’s download tome on launch and promo.

I always feel like an asshole when I do promo. Disingenuous.

I thought about knocking on blog doors and asking for guest posts. I don’t do guest posts. I don’t solict others for guest posts. I promote blog posts I enjoyed on Twitter and in my infrequent of late Saturday mashups. It doesn’t feel like the right fit for me.

My current plans is to do a goodreads giveaway, do giveaways to people  in exchange for reviews or coupons for other books. I might also do a good reads q&a. We’ll see.

I’m trying to see if I can figure out a promotion angle that is different. You know how you hear about people who do something crazy novel and catches tons of attention. I have no ideas yet, but since I can’t figure out the damned title for this novel, I have some time yet.

I just read The $100 Start-Up by Chris Guillebeau, which is about starting a business on the cheap and just going for it. Not letting all those things you see as obstacles hold you back. I’d love to start a business, but I don’t feel like I have anything right now to sell, but then again, that little voice says to me that my little self-publishing venture is my business venture.

Anyway, I made six pages of notes and I think there are some things in there that I can transfer to a book release and self-publishing venture in general. Though I felt it was more geared toward the non-fiction crowd where ebooks sell for $20-50 or more.

What have you seen in the way of good promotions? what about bad promotions? What do you do to promote?

Also anyone have tips on titles? Fuck, I hate titles.

Tagged: Asrai Devin, book giveaways, book promotion, Chris Guillebeau, Goodreads, Online Communities, promotion, Social Networking, Twitter, Venture capital

What’s the hold up: eye colour? srsly?

I was writing along, dropping in bits of backstory while I worked them out. Then realizing i was dropping too much story because I was figuring it out. And then I got stuck.

What did I get stuck on? What crisis to throw at my characters? Where was this scene leading to? Why were my characters taking over MY novel?

No, nothing so interesting. I am stuck on eye colour for my hero.

Really. blue vs brown vs green vs. grey (sometimes). You can do any colour you want if you are writing fantasy, but usually it’s one of the three.

And usually my characters tell me what colour their eyes are

I’ve been playing too many video games because all I want to do si model my characters after certain players. My husband took over my Mass Effect 2 disc, and he’s playing the standard Shepard, short, dark hair and blue eyes. Since I’ve been staring at that mug a lot, it’s become appealing to me and I want to make all my characters the same.

Yeah, HELLO. Still the whole blue eyes, dark hair is very intriguing. I have a “friend” (loose term, I haven’t really spoken to her in several months since we both moved) who has a daughter with dark hair and blue eyes. She’s so beautiful.

I googled “How to choose character eye colour,” and this was the only decent answer I got.

How do you choose your character’s physical characteristics? What colour should i make my heroes eyes?

Or am I just overthinking this and using it as an excuse not to write?

Tagged: Asrai Devin, character characteristics, character planning, Eye color, Fiction, Games, Online Writing, Roleplaying

Taking suggestions: editing this #*@!$^*& novel

So I hired me a fancy editor. And after some anxious days of checking my email every 3 minutes after spending 3 minutes cursing several different attempts at new WIP, the edits came back.

Things I’ve learned so far:

1) I have no idea how to use a comma. I’m sure the poor editor was cursing me by the end of it. I also was missing a lot of periods at the end of sentences. Like they just disappeared, weird. Anyway after the commas and periods suggestions were all accepted I moved onto details:

2) I knew this before, but I’m often stingy on details. Partly because I want to be as concise as possible. Partly because I tend to focus on plot, I don’t spend a lot of time describing the weather and the house and the world at large. And partly because I think everyone lives in my head. I know the character’s motivations, I know the thoughts they dare not express, I know everything. But the readers don’t live in my head.

3) It’s hard to admit someone else is right. I  know all her comments are just suggestions, I can ignore them if I want, because in this book, I am Goddess!

Deep down inside, I know the suggestions are good ones. It took a few days to come to terms with her editing suggestions being right does not mean I was wrong (or that I was a crappy writer). I was shaking when I opened my file.  I was annoyed as I read over the suggestions. So I started with the commas, because I trust the editor to know where commas should go. Those were easy. I skipped over tough parts of the novel to make sure I didn’t read any notes left, for fear she would tell me she hated my darlings (only one darling had to go, actually it sort of stayed).

What number was I …right 4) british/Canadian vs American spelling. To date I’ve stuck with Canadian/UK because damn it I’m Canadian. But there was  a discussion on an email list a few weeks ago and the advice was if your primary market is American you should use American spelling because a lot of Americans think the UK version is a typo. color vs colour. It hurts me to type color. But I have to make the change now.

5) I don’t suck as much as I worried. That made me feel better. I’ve done the easy comments now. Onto the hard stuff of adding details, it is difficult to remember where I was going in certain places with this novel, I wrote it nearly a year go and I’ve written a bunch since then, one full novel, two short stories that will probably be tossed and numerous false starts, which I will blog about another day.

Tagged: Asrai Devin, Comma, Editing, Grammar, Punctuation, WIP

Who’s your hero?

I’ve fallen in love. With a character.

I have to confess, and if you’ve been around here before  you’ll know, I am obsessed with the Dragon Age storyworld. Both Origins and Two (which they should have given a name, not just a number). The world building,, characters and plot choices just touch me.

And given the amount of Fan Fiction for Dragon Age on fanfiction.net, I’m not the only one. But anyway, I found this story, well collection, involving the main character from DA:2, and Seneschal Bran in a angsty, drama filled romance, which some pretty hot scenes. Nearly forgot to add the link to the first part of the story. I haven`t indulged in adding any Fan Fic to the site. Yet.

Anyway, I was pondering this morning why I love Bran in this story so much and why some heroes touch us more than others.

He loves his heroine in spite of, and sometimes because of her flaws. They also drive him crazy and he sometimes argues with her about things, so it’s not all flowers and roses. But, he loves her no matter what, and that’s the kind of thing we’d all like.

Not only does he love her flaws, he encourages her to accept herself for who she is.  He knows her better than she knows herself. But he’s not going to tell her, he’s going to slowly work on her and bring her to the light, and he’s willing to be very patient about it.

And once he’s done convincing her she’s awesome, he seduces her. With really hot sex, a little domination and occasional S&M.

He`s not all good either though. He does use some underhanded tactics to get her to follow his will. And he does on occasion use excessive force to get the truth from her.

These are the types of characters I want to create. The type that readers wind up obsessed with. The type of characters other writers wish they had written.

Which characters have you fallen in love with?

Related articles

Fan Fiction Addiction (limebirduk.wordpress.com)
Fashion Post: Dragon Age Date Night (hautegamer.com)



Tagged: Asrai Devin, Dragon Age, Fanfiction, Fiction, Hawke, Online Writing, Protagonist, Romance, Seneschal Bran

Video game + Gilbert and Sullvian

Since I had to do SOMETHING other than obsesses over Alistair, Teagen, Anders, Bran, Isabella, Zev, and the rest of the Dragon Age cast, I bought Mass Effect 2. If you plan to play ME 3, there is a spoiler warning if you click through to youtube.

This will not be the last of of my Mass Effect post. Since I”m not that far into the game.

But anyway, I listened to this several times when I stumbled across it during my first Mass Effect Playthrough. Mordin is a scientist with odd sense of right and wrong, and an even odder manner of speaking.

But come on,  Gilbert and Sullivan‘s I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General where you least expect it.

Tagged: Asrai Devin, Bioware, Dragon Age, Gilbert, Gilbert and Sullivan, Major-General's Song, Mass Effect, Mordin, Sullivan

Keep calm, stay in straight lines

My books have been up for sale for a while now. At the beginning I was checking my sales every two minutes. refresh, refresh, refresh. Like a monkey on caffeine with access to one button.

Now I check once in a while. Checking obsessively doesn’t make me sell more books. They are selling, slowly. People e-mail about them, which excites me “when’s the next one coming out?” That makes me happy. Five, seven, fifteen books sold today? Eh, big deal.  Selling books is a long term thing for me, I’m slowly building numbers. Connections get me excited. You liked my book? I want to be your best friend and stalk you. Okay I’ll try not to, but I can get stalkerish with people who say nice things about me or who write well.

Anyway, I don’t get excited about slow days in sales, sale dips. I am always slightly amused by people who do. You can’t control it, why obsess? Write your next book, it is the best marketing there is.

Pirating is another thing I don’t obsess about. I am watching a discussion about DRM ri.ght now. I have far too many other things to worry about in my life than if someone pirates my book, go ahead pirate my book. Pirating happens because someone lacks respect or lacks money.  For the former, it’s not a lost sale, they probably wouldn’t have paid anyway.  For the latter,  they might pass me onto a friend, leave a review or buy my books someday in the future.

I had the brief thought, “If they had only asked me I would have sent them a free copy.” I never believe people when they say that.

Back to the DRM discussion. I feel the author’s panic coming through the words. I’m always drawn to this type of drama. Like it’s feeding me. Worry about not enough, worry that the universe won’t provide. if she just trusted, if she just knew.

I was impatient last week. I wanted to have my books selling thousands of copies per month, I wanted to have my little real estate empire started, I wanted to hurry time. And I worried that we’d never get there, that the universe wouldn’t provide.

I’m calmer now realizing that we’ll get there. Eventually. That the universe will provide. That there is enough. And that worry doesn’t not prevent that which we worry about. In fact, what you focus on, you get more of.

So everyone Keep calm, stay on course and trust in the universe. Abundance is your right and it is coming. If you let it. Waiting is the hardest part of manifesting. But everything takes time to birth, it takes time to go from seed to fruit, from idea to novel, from the beginning of your journey to where you want to be.

Why in the world can’t I type because properly when I’m typing faster than 30 wpm? Why why why? becuase always like that. Spell check is my friend.

Tagged: abundance, Asrai Devin, Book, Digital rights management, dreams, E-book, goals, Happiness, joy, manifest, manifesting, Publishing, Shopping, spiritual support, universe

Go big or go home

And when you dream, dream big

As big as the ocean blue

‘Cause when you dream it might come true

When you dream, dream big

– Ryan Shupe `Dream Big`

A lot of people are afraid to dream BIG. It is kinda scary.

But would you rather get a part of your dream or would you rather wonder if you might have made it?

I once heard Michael Neil say on his radio show that people who go for what they want get more than those who strive for what they think they can get.

The Creative Penn posted a quote from Julia Cameron:

A great deal of the time we dismiss our longings on the grounds that they aren’t reasonable – and often they aren’t. Where did we get the idea that life was intended to be reasonable? … We have very little evidence that sensible and frugal are actually qualities cherished by the Great Creator … Most of us have a dream that we could set sail if only we dared … Rather than act on these dreams, we often shoo them from our consciousness, saying ‘I need to be sensible. I would never be able to manage that.’ But perhaps we can manage more than we think.”

I had an oh yeah moment from reading that post.

When I was in high school I wanted to marry Bryan White. He didn`t marry until after I got together with my husband. Coincidence? I think not. Sorry Bryan White, I couldn`t get to Nashville to find you.

My current dreams: pay our bills from my writing, well this has been a dream of mine since forever. I want to pay our bills so my husband can go back to school. I`m working on it.

Travel. Well few people don`t want to travel.

Have rental properties or flip houses. I love construction. I love making and painting and tearing stuff out.

Visit the Bioware offices. I am not that far from Edmonton … just saying. I`ll twitter then and see if they can make it happen. If they want to offer me a job … well who’s to say …

Be a money coach. I love to tell people what to do and I love dealing with budgets and money.

My new dream is have a do it yourself show that i`d like to see on DIY network, where it`s real DIY. And then get famous and have them produce me. That`s my new one, which I tweeted about awhile back.

I kind of have ADD so I jump around from topic to topic, when I get bored. The only thing that really sticks is writing. But you never know what I`ll be up to tomorrow.

Oh and last one. Pay my children`s college education wholly. I think college debt is a huge problem for many many people. So I want to pay for them to do what they want to do, whenever they figure that out. I`m not a fan of going to college right out of high school, it may not be what is best. Nor do they have to go to college, if they want a trade or something else I don’t even know about I will support their dreams.

What are your big dreams?

Bonus video of the song I quoted at the start.

Tagged: Asrai Devin, big dreams, Bioware, Bryan White, Creative Penn, Dream, dream big, dreams, goal setting, High school, Julia Cameron

Interspiration #06022012: Tipsy edition

Hopefully this all works out, I`m having a couple coolers while I try to get this all worked up. haha.

The language of parents. http://bit.ly/MJRobQ

May in Norway http://bit.ly/MJS68V

Modern romance. http://bit.ly/MJStAp via @_SamanthaWaren

Music of our youth http://bit.ly/MJU0Gu

Your obligation is to create opportunities for others.http://bit.ly/MJWrsC

#amwriting really cuts into my blog reading and twitter link posting time. But since I don't have a career without writing, it wins. sorry—
Asrai Devin (@asrai) May 25, 2012

My kid said what? http://bit.ly/KmYRdR

To swear or not to swear on-line. http://bit.ly/KmZLXI I swear, for emphasis or to remeber I am more than a mommy.

Genreality tackles romantic stucture http://bit.ly/KfV3fn

Finding time to write when you have no time. http://bit.ly/JrvdpO

@SSchroeder_ shares her Friday Favorites. Lots of good linkshttp://bit.ly/MAFeiM

Guilty(?) pleasures: Little Big Planet http://wp.me/p5HGG-MU

Can GMOs help fight world hunger? Not really. http://bit.ly/KfWI4L

creativity as a form of magic http://bit.ly/KfWOcu

creativity as a form of magic http://bit.ly/KfWOcu

 

Oh cool. Queen Victioria’s journals. http://bit.ly/Jzq5wl I did a report on her in grade 10.

 

On strong female characters. RT @JessicaMerizan: Dear@ruckawriter - I am now your biggest fan :) http://bit.ly/MEqVw7

 

A very interesting article about Pinterest. Is the Pinterest problem a problem? Or an opportunity? http://bit.ly/K4Ctsm #myWana

 

LMAO someone found my blog by searching "50 shades of gray canning". I didn't know Christian or Ana were into food preservation.—
Asrai Devin (@asrai) May 27, 2012

 

I have a table I need to paint, but this is a little much work for me.http://bit.ly/K4D1yj Going to look for more inspiration. #DIYreno

 

I can do it all http://wp.me/p5HGG-Oe

 

Half an ass does you no good. via @EmmaBurcarthttp://bit.ly/MWjOgb

 

3 ways to avoid letting time get away from you. I’m so bad for this.http://bit.ly/MWky51

 

When you don’t feel like being awesome, Barney is awesome for you. Don’t let that happen. http://bit.ly/Lvr4k6 You should be awesome.

 

Write with an open heart. http://bit.ly/MWba1k Beautiful piece.

 

Credit card fast, call to action. http://bit.ly/MWsTFJ Stop lenders from using credit scores against us.

 

When you hit the writing wall. http://bit.ly/MWtHKO

 

Six enemies of greatness and happiness. http://onforb.es/wCOMh6 Ohh good list.

 

Never give up on your dream. Or laugh at the dreams of others. via@KristyKJames http://bit.ly/K8pOoP

 

 

Create hundreds of ideas at will. http://bit.ly/K8qpH0

 

Upcycled wall art. http://bit.ly/K8qDOs I have some empty walls …

 

Do we need standards in ebook formats? http://bit.ly/K8qMBv

 

Empowerment begins with a single realization. http://bit.ly/JSxjd4

 

Time is the key. Motivation and discipline are the tools.http://bit.ly/JL5IBd great post from @barrycrowther

 

Confess your writing sins http://bit.ly/JL8Mx7 I of course am perfect, so nothing to confess. :)

 

Need to end an discussion? Get the super mega period.http://bit.ly/JLaler It’s over.

 

on @MelindaVan s to don’t list. http://bit.ly/JLaEpx Good list.

 

Story tracker for changes, editing and consistency.http://bit.ly/KExKuF

 

How to get a yes from people you adore. http://bit.ly/LHt5ty

 

These are neat. RT @GuyKawasaki: Popular songs made into minimalist pictogram posters http://is.gd/iN4S18

 

Treat your personal heroes like peers. http://bit.ly/KW91yQ

 

Do you want only ignorant clients? RT @gordonwarnock: If an agent asks for information, don’t question what we do to earn our percentage.

 

My favorite piece of advice from this week on Twitter, which I won`t attribute and who never replied to my question

Protip: If an agent asks for information, don’t argue or question what we do to earn our percentage. It won’t convince us to sign you.

I asked if he preferred clients who were ignorant about what they were paying him for? Got that people, DO NOT ASK your agent what they will do to earn their pay. They prefer you to remain ignorant about their goings ons, because of course they are the experts and you should not worry your pretty head about it. I have no idea why there is such a backlash against agents …  okay moving on …

 

Shame or good for her Kate wears the same dress twice in 11 days?http://bit.ly/KZOb36

 

is perfectionism ruining your career? http://bit.ly/LGvZLE

 

What makes a best friend? http://bit.ly/LJkBC0

 

 

The difference between light and hard is that you can sleep with a light on. -Anonymous #erotic #sexy #quotes—
Kitty Fine (@kittysfine) June 01, 2012

 

Dog walk mediation http://bit.ly/LJkYg5 via @PrudenceMacLeod

 

Til death do us part? what’s your view on divorce? why so prevalent?http://bit.ly/Kf5ykV via @KristyKJames

 

Sex sells should young adults buy into it? http://bit.ly/Kf5OAf via@Diana_Murdock

 

@becky_porter_uk I am jealous. I want lightning fingers. Enjoy it. #amwriting #fanfic—
Asrai Devin (@asrai) May 30, 2012

 

Conversations with the Muse #Wana1011 http://wp.me/p5HGG-OA

 

Laxidasical blogging. http://bit.ly/LhE1v8 Welcome back@RchelFunkHeller

 

Huh Vin Diesal has a motorhome the size of my house.http://bit.ly/KvkM3I we live in 1200 sqf.

 

Felt scrap rug. Okay that looks like a lot of work. http://bit.ly/LhEzBp

 

No one gives you power. http://bit.ly/LhF0vt

 

What holds you down can lift you up. http://bit.ly/LhFbGU

 

How to write your truth even in public. http://bit.ly/LJt7h1

 

Neat idea DIY summer camps. http://bit.ly/LJtJTZ

 

Too much candy gonna rot your soul http://wp.me/p5HGG-Nn

 

A few tips for avoiding writer’s block. http://bit.ly/MdAWkX

 

10 great things about babies. http://bit.ly/MdBg32

 

When people thank me for sharing their blog or a RT, I want to reply "Thanks for writing awesome content." It's easy to share the godo stuff—
Asrai Devin (@asrai) June 01, 2012

 

Alright I’m falling over a little and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. So have a really great weekend. This may the bacardi talking, but I am not happy with the way the interspriation looks in preview. I may have to spring for a wordpress.org thingie.

Tagged: Asrai Devin, blog links, blog love, Google, link mashup, links, Norway, Pinterest, Retweet, twiter, Twitter

Too much candy gonna rot your soul

I wish I could somehow video my two children in the back of the car dancing to this song.It’s on the game Just Dance 3, which we got for Easter.

I of course would never do dance moves while we are sitting in the truck at a light. Nor while my husband is driving.

It’s funny when the people next to you start laughing and your husband starts wondering WHY he let you come with him.

Here’s the Wii version.

The question remains: what about the lollipop has magical anti-heart break properties?

Tagged: Asrai Devin, Easter, Easter Bunny, guilty pleasures, Just Dance 3, Lollipop, Mika

Conversations with the Muse

So we (the muses and I) came up with this wonderful idea. This wonderful world where people with kind of ESP started a war to take over the world, or the government (it’s not really Earth based) at least. But they lost, at great cost to everyone else. The government is now focused on controlling them and everyone else in the world is kind of left to their own devices.

I have no idea how to write an adventure type novel. I write romance, my brain is stuck there. The Plot Bunnies (muses) complain they can’t see the conflict or the character arc, or anything, because I am so focused on the romance.

I am stuck with this wonderful idea and no place to go with it.  I have this one and another mystery in my idea bank. Stories I’d love to write but have no idea how to plot.

What I need to do is read a few non-romance, action, adventures, fantasy type books. Not only read them, but study them. I’d prefer the books have romances in them, since romance will always be a subplot for me. I can’t not have a romance. So I’m soliciting suggestions. What adventure books have you enjoyed? Preferably a stand alone or not more than a trilogy. I don’t want to read a ten-book series. I loved Louise Bujod’s “Sharing Knife” series, but I didn’t get what she wrote about half the time.

For now, somehow this new book plotted itself, and I’m a pantser, so I have no idea what is going on. I’m blaming Holly Lisle. I full expect at least the last third to change as I go along, already the Plot Bunnies are pushing new ideas toward me “how about we do this?” yes yes, we’ll work it all in my dears.

My lovely beautiful editor, who didn’t tell me my story sucks, is/are, there are two I think, working on my second to last hockey novel. I think, could be the last. If it goes well, I may may may revise the other three with a professional edit. We’ll see. We shall see indeed.

I’m feeling very lovey and at peace with the world. I’m going to go enjoy that feeling. Have a great weekend. See tomorrow with the fun, and Saturday with my link mash up. I got lazy last week. I tweet new links all afternoon, you can follow me on twitter http://www.twitter.com/asrai

Tagged: Arts, Asrai Devin, creativity, Editing, Fiction, Holly Lisle, ideas, Literature, Online Writing, Romance, Saturday, Short story, writing