Leah R. Cutter's Blog, page 36
June 30, 2012
Student mind
So–more deep thoughts brought about by a reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). Under a cut so as not to spoil anyone who hasn’t seen the latest episode yet.
This week they made the final cuts, going from 35 to 20, 10 women and 10 men.
I had assumed that Cyrus wouldn’t make it. He doesn’t know dance like the other dancers. He doesn’t have the training the others do. Plus, he was in the last group to be chosen, just one other guy and him. The other guy had done really well, too.
However, they let Cyrus in.
Why? The cynical side of me says because it’s “America’s favorite dancer” not “America’s best dancer,” and they assume he’ll have a huge following, which will bring more people to the show.
The not so cynical part of me says it’s because of what they told him just before they gave him the news that he’d be in the show.
“When people make it to a level when they’re considered a master, they don’t have the appetite of a student. [But] You have that.”
If Cyrus hadn’t been so willing to learn things completely foreign to him, approaching all of it with a student’s mind, he wouldn’t have made it. But he did.
I’m not a beginner, nowhere near a beginning writer. I know the proper phrase is “beginner’s mind.” But that’s never worked for me. Student mind says what I want.
I’m trying to get back to that student’s mind. I have it when I’m writing, when I’m deep in story, when every casual comment, or ad seen in a magazine, or overheard conversation, somehow feeds whatever I’m writing. I’m so open at those times.
I want to be that open more often, always learning, always willing to learn. I was messed up for a while: I didn’t think I knew it all, but I didn’t know how to learn. Now I have a much better idea of how to absorb things, how to improve my writing, and IMO, it’s already working.
Student mind. Let’s go learn more.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 28, 2012
Training Jack
At the writing workshop last week one of the things that really stuck with me was that my critical brain needed something to do. Just telling it to go away, not letting those critical voices into the room when I was writing, wasn’t enough. Kris suggested that the job we give that critical brain is learning.
There was much talk about that critical brain, who one of my classmates named Fido for reasons specific to him.
Me — I’ve decided to give it the very unimaginative name of Jack. He isn’t a random mutt. No, he’s a Jack Russell Terrier. This type of dog can be hyper. They’re really smart. And they’ll go crazy if they don’t have a job. The best way to keep a Jack Russell Terrier happy is to give them work.
One of the afternoons during the workshop I had had a killer migraine. I’d taken migraine medicine, which left me kind of spacey, and had laid down in a darkened room with my ice pack over my eyes. I couldn’t write, couldn’t really think. So I started talking with my critical brain, as one does.
I explained that I wanted it to learn, to pay attention to the stuff I was reading, not to critique it, but to learn from it.
I sensed a mulish, uncooperative silence coming from that part of my head, so I finally caught a clue and said, okay, that’s what I’d like for you to do. What would you like for me to do?
The answer was astonishingly loud in my head.
FEED ME.
(I’m aware that I don’t have actual voices in my head, or two brains, or what have you. I was also drugged out and half asleep during this. But I can still hear that voice.)
I haven’t been reading a lot of fiction for a while–partly because I couldn’t shut off that critical voice, and I had a lot of difficulty enjoying what I was reading. So I switched to reading a lot of non-fiction, history, blogs and other things.
Now I’ve started reading fiction again. And the arrangement has worked out well so far. Jack lets me read and enjoy, and he only stops me when something interesting happens, that he doesn’t really get–like the time the author used two colons in a single sentence.
An unexpected side effect of this arrangement showed up last night. I’ve still been recovering from the workshop — somewhere between sick and just exhausted — so I’ve been watching DVDs of TV shows.
I do not have good visual literacy. Never have. It’s all, “Oh, pretty!” and that’s about it.
But in one of the shows I was watching, one of the characters was always eating. 3 out of 5 scenes started with him eating.
When I noticed, “Oh, Oz is eating again,” Jack piped up with, “That’s a character tag.”
Before yesterday, I would have sworn that I’d never be able to do something even as simple as that in film.
Jack is absorbing story telling in all media.
Whole new levels of learning to be had, right here.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 25, 2012
New level of hard
As ya’ll may or may not know, there are a few reality TV shows that I adore, such as “Project Runway” and right now, “So You Think You Can Dance.” I watched the first season of both shows, and while I’ve watched every season of PR, I have missed a few seasons of SYTYCD. As I’m doing a lot of dancing right now (Swing, Lindy Hop) as well as writing a novel where the main character is a dancer, I’ve been watching this season of SYTYCD.
There’s one dancer, Cyrus who is absolutely amazing. He’s a self-trained dancer. I can’t really name his style. It’s some sort of robot glitch thing, a popper. I keep thinking while I watch him that people can’t move that way, this can’t be live, there must be some sort of special effects going on. But no, it’s just him. He can isolate every single muscle in his body. Seriously. He’s amazing.
For the first time, during Vegas week, Cyrus had to learn someone else’s choreography. As far as I know, he’s never had a dance lesson. He had to dance for his life after the Cha-Cha, and of course he did an amazing job on his solo.
Sometime after that, he told whoever was interviewing him, “There’s a whole new level of hard that I ain’t learned yet.”
And this is why I watch these shows, for that spirit and grit and determination. I always find it uplifting.
“A new level of hard” is one of my new mottos when it comes to writing. Not because it’s physically challenging. But because there is SO MUCH for me to learn, so much practice I need to do. There are levels and buildings and entire mountains ahead of me that I need to conquer. It will be hard work. But I feel inspired.
It might be a whole new level of hard that I ain’t learned yet, but I sure as hell ain’t stoppin now.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 24, 2012
Home
I’ve been gone for the last week, at an amazing writing workshop. I’m brain dead, exhausted, and struggling to stay awake until 10 PM (I’m afraid if I go to sleep before 10 I’ll wake up at 4.)
It was revelatory. Thank you again to Kris for being such an amazing teacher, and to my fellow classmates, who were such incredible writers.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 18, 2012
Clockwork Kingdom Generally Available!
Clockwork Kingdom is now available on Barnes & Noble as well as Smashwords!
When I first published this book on Amazon I thought I would experiment and put it out on Kindle Select, which meant only having it available on Amazon for 90 days. It also meant being able to offer it for free for five days during those 90 days.
As an experiment, I think it was mildly successful. I did make it to #11 in the category of contemporary fantasy, free Kindle book. I did sell more copies than I’d expected. I did have more than one person download the book via the Kindle Select program, so I made money that way as well.
Was it wildly successful? No. Though I had hundreds of free downloads, I didn’t then sell hundreds of copies. I didn’t have a sudden hit on my hands.
And yet–I’ve sold more novels this month than any other month before this. I don’t know if that’s halo effect, or if it’s because I have another novel out or what. I am pleased with this month’s sales, however. I really hope it continues.
For me, I’m going to continue to write, and work on improving my craft so I’m writing even better stories.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 8, 2012
That 77-7-7 meme
Via at least half my FL:
“Go to page 77 (or 7) of your current ms. Go to line 7. Copy down the next 7 lines – sentences or paragraphs – and post them as they’re written. No cheating.”
From The Raven and the Dancing Tiger:
“Ya’ll better get in line early for breakfast,” Jessie’s voice drawled over Petie’s shoulder. “I bet the food goes fast, tomorrow.”
Petie couldn’t help but jump.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Jessie said, gently placing his hand on Petie’s shoulder.
Petie looked up at Jessie. He suddenly wished Jessie were his brother, or some how related, so he could have a hug.
He settled for Jessie merely squeezing his shoulder.
Then Jessie jerked his head toward the door.
“Yard?” he asked.
——
Remember, Clockwork Kingdom will be free for one last day tomorrow, Saturday.
Decided to change the size on the paperback for Zydeco Queen, to try it at 5×8 instead of 6×9. We’ll see how it looks at the smaller size. Still, SO PRETTY.
I hope ya’ll are having as much fun as I am!
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
One Day Sale! Saturday, June 9th! Clockwork Kingdom!
Because that’s how I roll — this Saturday, June 9th, Clockwork Kingdom will be available for free at Amazon. For one day. The last day, actually, that it’ll be free.
Then I’ll remove it from the KDP program (the 90 days will be up on the 18th) and will put it up at Smashwords and B&N.
Did the KDP program help me? Yes, I think it did. Was it amazing and glorious and would I do it again? Hmmm. What I’d really like to do is to have a short story that I hadn’t already published, offer that via KDP with the first two chapters at the end of the story, then sell the novel. (Because I don’t believe in pulling a short from a place once it’s already published.) We’ll see if I can ever be that clever and do that much planning.
Currently, Zydeco Queen is selling better than Clockwork Kingdom. I figure it’s because of a few things:
1) I have Clockwork Kingdom marked as YA. I’ve heard that doesn’t sell as well, and that has been my experience.
2) Zydeco Queen has a much better blurb. I need to rewrite the blurb for Clockwork Kingdom.
3) I’m offering Golden Charms, a story set in the same world, for free.
There was that flawed study done recently that showed that half the indie publishers have only made about $500. I’ll make a bit more than that by the end of the year I think (I hope!) I’ve been at this since September/October of last year, 10 months. I’ve made about $300 to date. Honestly, I think that’s fantastic, considering how much “advertising” I do, how much of a “platform” I’ve built (read: 0 and none.)
It’s still one huge experiment for me.
I did get the first proof of Zydeco Queen today. PRETTY. Made changes to it, will be getting a second, possibly last, proof in a couple weeks, so the paperback will hopefully be available by July 1st.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 4, 2012
Bob and weave
I didn’t write on Sunday. I had been thinking it was because I was being lazy, and just didn’t get around to it. It wasn’t until tonight that I figured out that no, it was because what I thought was the next scene, actually wasn’t. There needs to be at least two, possibly three scenes between what just happened and that scene.
So I did finish about 1000 words tonight, on a scene I hadn’t originally planned on writing.
This novel is told with a back story and a front story. I had thought that I had figured out the three remaining arcs of the back story, how each would be completed in two chapters, kind of mini-arcs.
Normally, I don’t bob and weave. I write books in the order in which they’re read. I don’t write all of one character than another. I don’t write all of one story then the next. I write it exactly how the reader gets it. Front story to back story to front story, or character to character.
However, I decided to make an exception with this mini-arc, and write both chapters of this back story piece.
Yeah. I’ve completely blown by the word count for two chapters, and am well into a third chapter. And I have another 3-4 scenes I need to write before I finish this arc. It may well be four chapters long.
Once I finish writing it, I’ll type it up as fast as I can.
Then put it to the side while I write the short story that’s due for the short story workshop. Then attend the short story workshop. Then recover from the short story workshop. So once I finish these chapters, I’m putting the novel down for 3-4 weeks. Hopefully it won’t kill me, or the novel.
Any suggestions from people for how to keep the inspiration alive while I have to turn to other things? While I’m writing other things? I generally only work on one thing at a time.
I don’t want to do too much planning of this novel before I put it down, but at the same time, I don’t want to forget things either.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
June 2, 2012
Free Fiction! Golden Charms now available
See? I said I would post about this separately.
“Golden Charms” is a short story set in the same world as my new novel, “Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts.” I’ve put it up for free on Smashwords, and you can also read it here on my website for free.
Jolene learns she has a gift when she’s just a child: she can see people’s fates. They appear as a golden charm around the person’s neck. She doesn’t want her gift, though. She just wants a normal life—a job, a husband, and kids. After being married for three years, Jolene still can’t get pregnant. What must she sacrifice to make her dreams come true?
And yes, “Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts” is also available still.
Available on Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Those who have read the story, here’s a picture of the lady in the wall. See her head, close to the top? With her hair pulled off to the side as a bun? Kind of sitting down?
If you brought her good beads and whisky she’d tell your fortune.
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
May 31, 2012
Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts now available! Plus free fiction!
NEW NOVEL! Never before published!
———
When Francine is a little girl, she’ll do just about anything for her papa.
But as Francine grows older, she and Papa start fighting about everything–school, fiddling, and boys.
Then the others come calling, fairies from no tale Francine has ever read. They ask her to come fiddle at their court, promising magic and all the music she wants.
Francine gladly goes with them.
When war starts between the two Creole fairy courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie, Francine finds she’s fighting her papa again.
Can Francine and her papa lay aside their differences? Or will they keep fighting until beauty and kindness is drained out of all the worlds?
———
Available on Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Read the first two chapters of “Zydeco Queen and the Creole Fairy Courts”
Read “Golden Charms,” a short story set in the same universe, for free!
———–
I’ll probably do a second post tomorrow just promoting the free story.
I’m excited about this novel, having it available everywhere. The paperback should be available by July 1st.
So go! Read! Enjoy!
Crossposted from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so here or there.
