Leah R. Cutter's Blog, page 29

It Happens

I’ve been in a weird headspace for a while, now. I’ve taken steps to try to identify the problems and address them. The biggest problem is, though, that there are way, way, way too many items on my to do list. I filled an entire page and a half of my legal pad with items. Which is why my attention span is possibly 42 seconds, and my distraction setting is permanently on “Run away! Run away!”

All that being said, one of my lovely new distractions has been the game Ingress. I ended up walking more than 8 miles playing it on Sunday. I’ve done close to 5 miles today. I’ve been enjoying the story telling aspects of it — the background for the game and the players is being released piecemeal, and in a variety of different media: video, just audio, story boards, “memos”, “chats”, posters, pictures, etc.

For example:

http://www.nianticproject.com/?id=sc304a

This memo has a lot of numbers on it, that are probably codes for the game, once they get decrypted. If the image doesn’t have these (or even if it does) you should still inspect the code for more codes.

But now, it’s time to be a little less distracted. Am going to sit down and write.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

General updatedness

I guess it’s been a while since I updated. Oops.

The novel is going well, but I fear that it’s a lot longer than 60,000 words, particularly if I add in all the short stories I’ve been writing as background.

Here’s the current progress bar with an assumption of 85,000 words:

49729 / 85000

I like what I’m writing. I really do. I know the next few chapters — Ariel, Lukas & Greta, that other guy…And then I’m not sure. But I will figure it out. I trust my brain, trust the process. That’s the nice thing about this being the tenth novel I’ve written. Though the process is different for different novels, I’ve learned enough to trust that it’ll be okay.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Shadows’ Door

That’s the name of the short story I just finished. It’s about 5500 words, set in 1910, in Germany. I think it’s next “chapter” for “The Guardian Hound.”

Or rather, it’s part of the mythos of this novel. Does it go where I currently have it? At the beginning? Later? I’m not sure.

Here’s the word count for the novel:

30785 / 60000

I’m guessing that 60,000 is actually short. I felt, after I finished the first seven chapters, that I’d finished the first third of the novel, not that I was close to the first half. We’ll see how long the novel actually ends up being, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this one was closer to 90,000 than 60,000 words.

Next week, I’ll be writing another short story chapter. This one will be set somewhere in South America, close to Mexico, set in 1947. Tentative title, “Shadows’ Prophecy.” But that may be too direct. I don’t know. Might not know until I finish the story. But it’s all about the Vipers, who are the mystics, and their prophecies.

I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this novel. When I finished the short story, I’d figured it was around 3000 words long, because it had just flowed. The actual length surprised me.

I hope that readers of this novel will have as much joy as I’ve had writing it.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Looking for my Sam

I love the Lord of the Rings movies. They weren’t the books. I enjoyed them for the immersive movies that they were. Just before Christmas, while I was so sick, I re-watched all three movies (also to get me in the mood for The Hobbit.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about how, while I love being on my own and have certainly been successful at it, this is the year when I start getting help with all that I do.

Frodo wouldn’t have gotten very far without his Sam. And while Sam couldn’t carry the burden of the ring, he could carry Frodo (yes, that moment still makes me verklempt.)

However, I’m not looking for a single person, but more like a team of individuals. Looking for my Sams, maybe.

For example, I got a membership to a gym that’s four blocks from my house. It’s a smaller gym, and I’ve already met the owner. We have a deal going, where I’m going in at the same time, twice a week, and he should expect me. I’m making going to the gym a social commitment, and the owner has my permission to give me shit if I don’t show up.

I’m looking into getting help with some of the publishing. I’m looking at some level of marketing. I’m going to ask for help with the audio books. Etc.

I’m also, officially, on the market, as it were. I’ve kind of, sort of, been dating. But it hasn’t been a priority, so nothing’s really happened. This year, I’m taking an active interest in meeting and dating people. I’m trying to approach it as a series of adventures, instead of OMG dreading it. Plus, good story fodder, right?

And now, back to the writing.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Habits

I’ve gotten into the habit of writing. I’m going to have to start the day job again tomorrow, but really, all I want to do is to write the next chapter of “The Guardian Hound.”

Today I finished chapter six. This week, I only have to do one more chapter to reach my goal. However, since I’ve gotten into the habit of writing, I may do more than one more chapter.

Here’s the word count so far:

21851 / 60000

BY THE WAY: to those people who have subscribed to my newsletter, they’ve already seen the first half of the first scene of the new novel… If you’re interested in signing up, send me an email or go to my website and sign up. I promise to not spam you or sell your information. I will send out a newsletter quarterly, as well as when there’s a major announcement (like when a new novel is available.)

Back to the novel — I’m very, very pleased with the progress I’ve made. This novel is still strange, though. I’m writing things out of order, and I don’t usually do that. But at least I’m quickly identifying the gaps (if I’ve written too far) and going back to fix them.

However, if I didn’t have to go back to doing the day job, I think I could easily write a chapter a day, five days a week, taking the weekends off. I’d probably have time to write other things as well, like short stories, etc.

As efficient as I am, I still recognize that I could procrastinate less, do more. More time would mean more time for working out as well as reading.

But I’m taking tonight off (since I’ve finished my chapter for the day) and am just going to goof off for the rest of the night.

Tomorrow, and day job, will come soon enough.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

2013 Publishing, Wot I Did, Wot I’m Going To Do

I listed the totals of what I published over here. Under the cut is the expanded list of everything I published, with links.

One of the things I learned while putting together the list: I didn’t blog about at least three of the things I published this year. For example, I never posted about the trade paperback version of “The Caves of Buda” being available, as well as missed two short stories, and some other things.

In 2013, I will make more of an effort to blog about everything I publish once it become available.

My publishing goals for 2013 are a little messy (and long!) but basically as follows:

–Publish 2-3 new novels as both ebook and paperback (depending on when I finish them, available editor time, etc.)

–Publish 2-3 collections of short stories as both ebook and paperback (depending on what I write)

–Publish some short fiction (again, depending on what I write)

—-For example, when the Fiction River: Unnatural Worlds anthology comes out in April, I plan on publishing a couple of the short stories leading into “The Guardian Hound” as well as the novel soon afterward. How many of the related short stories is really going to depend on whether I write another one or two.

–Release three short stories as audio books

–Partner with someone to produce at least one novel as an audio book

–Improve my covers

–Improve my publishing website

–Improve my blurb writing

—-I’m taking classes this year to cover the last three

And yes, I plan on doing all of that while still writing like a fiend. I did it this year. I can do it next year as well.

I wish everyone a very safe, happy, and productive new year!

Here’s a complete list of what I published in 2012:

Published the trade paperback version of the collection “Tell Me Again”

Published the novel The Jaguar and the Wolf first, as an ebook, then as a trade paperback

Published the collection of short stories “Baker’s Dozen” first as an ebook, then as a trade paperback

Wrote and published the short story “High Stakes Hell”

Published the novel Clockwork Kingdom first as an ebook, then as a paperback

Published the ebook version of the short story, “Seven Year Itch”, which had originally been published in the anthology, Bewere The Night

Published the trade paperback version of the novel Paper Mage

Published the trade paperback version of the novel The Caves of Buda

Wrote and published the short story “The Key To Many Places”

Rewrote and published the novel Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts first as an ebook, then as a paperback

Wrote and published the short story, “The Oracle of Seattle”

Wrote and published the short story, “Old Friends”

Wrote and published the short story, “Piano Time Rag”

Published the collection “Shredded Veil Mysteries” first as an ebook, then as a paperback

Wrote and published the short story, “Of Heaven and Hell”

Wrote and published the novel, The Raven and the Dancing Tiger first as an ebook, then as a paperback

Wrote and published the short story, “Postcards From Hell” first as an ebook, then

as a paperback

Published the collection “Beyond the Garden” first as an ebook, then as a paperback

Wrote and published the short story “(in)substantial shadows”

Wrote and published the short story “Dragon’s Son”

Wrote and published the short story “The Tortoise and the Maiden”

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

2013 writing goals

I didn’t really write today. Maybe only 1500 words. I needed a break, after writing so hard and fast.

I’ll still finish this chapter up tomorrow, and maybe do one more before the end of the year.

I went back and looked at my stated writing/publishing goals for 2012. I did most of what I said I would do — finished Clockwork Kingdom and got that published, same with Zydeco Queen. I didn’t write Siren’s Call, though, I ended up writing a different novel altogether. And I wrote some short fiction.

This year, my writing goals are pretty similar, though more generic:

–Write three novels

–Write some short stories (I’m shooting for six, though it may be more.)

In terms of word count, I plan on getting to 200,000 words again. I think that’s a nice, round number that suits my writing life. I know people who wouldn’t be happy with hitting the same goal year after year, but I don’t think I need to push myself more than I already do. I am happy with the word count I achieved, and I would be pleased to hit it again.

Dean, in his post on keeping production going, has some great suggestions for setting writing goals. I agree with his suggestions in a broad sense, but my process is a little different.

One thing about my process–I do not have word count goals. Those are an abomination in terms of my writing process. I also don’t have daily goals, again, nothing will get me to stop writing faster than having a daily goal for a period of longer than a couple of weeks.

I set production goals. However, I set them based on each project, not for the year.

For The Guardian Hound, the novel I’m currently working on, once I get back to working the day job regularly, my goals will be:

–2-3 chapters per week

–1 chapter during the weeks I’m traveling

–0-1 chapters during the weeks I am taking a workshop in Lincoln City

Currently, I’m planning on writing the sequel to Clockwork Kingdom as the second novel I write this year. I wrote that in six weeks, as a challenge to myself. I may do the same thing again. If I decide that’s going to be my process, then my production goal will be to write 10,000 words a week, every week, for six weeks. If I chose a different process, I’ll have a different production goal.

I have no idea what the third novel will be. Until I figure that out I can’t state a production goal. I will have one, I always do.

The short stories will be written to their own goals, generally one per week, unless I need to produce something faster.

I will do another post later on my publication goals, because they’re very different this year than the writing goals.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Leveling up

Yesterday, I wrote a lot of words.

Really. A lot.

By the time I finished, I realized I had two chapters worth of material, not one. Approximately 4800 words.

Today, I typed up both chapters. They ended up being about 7000 words. (As part of my process, I always hand write everything first. But there were a couple of scenes missing from what I’d written yesterday, so I typed those up fresh and new this evening.)

I’m quite pleased with today’s work.

I’m also pleased with how my word count is adding up.

Tonight, I cracked 200K word total for the year. (200,057 words to be precise.)

I still plan on writing more this year. At least one more chapter, maybe two, so maybe another 7K words.

I’ve been enjoying this vacation, though it hasn’t been much of a vacation. It’s a break from the day job, but I’m probably working as hard, if not harder, than I usually do, with all the writing.

I can really see myself doing this fulltime.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Short story SOLD!

I sold my short story “Sisters” to the Fiction River: Unnatural Worlds anthology.

“Sisters” is a story set in T’ang dynasty China, about a little girl who wants to honor her sister.

Fiction River, as you may or may not know, started as a Kickstarter project.

Here’s a blurb about the project, and the first volume:

Fiction River is a newly launched anthology series with issues appearing every two months. Although the series is new, the overall series editors—Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch—are well known for their editing prowess.

Each issue will have a different theme or genre, and often will have a different editor. Essentially, this is a magazine in book form. The first issue premiers in April with Fiction River: Unnatural Worlds. Dean and Kris will edit this one themselves, and it is strictly invitation only. The issue will feature fantasy stories of 3,000 to 6,000 words, set either in our world or an imaginary fantasy world.

The sale was made a while ago, but I wanted to wait until the contracts were signed and monies received before I announced it. I’m really, really pleased and honored to be part of this project.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.

Vacation?

I have this week off from the day job, and that’s been oh-so-lovely. This morning, I slept until I woke up, around 10:30. Boy, was that nice.

But I’ve also been writing. I’ve finished the first two chapters of the new novel, about 7000 words (7525 words, actually.) These chapters are turning out to be a bit longer than 3000 words, and I think that’s okay.

I have the next two chapters completely planned out in my head, so I think they’ll go fast (one a day, maybe, for the next couple days.)

If I wanted to, I could probably write a chapter a day, everyday, until I go back to work on the day job. That would mean I’d have the first seven chapters, about the first third of the novel finished.

However, I also want to do some other things this vacation, and not just write the whole time. There’s a quilt I need to finish, some cooking I want to do, etc.

Tomorrow I’ll get up earlier. And maybe I’ll quilt as well as write.

Or maybe I’ll just write. It’s so lovely to let myself get so lost in the words. In that way, this has been a true vacation so far for me.

Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.