Leah R. Cutter's Blog, page 37

Stay on target

There are times when I can multi-task with aplomb, skipping from one writing task to the next with ease.

Then there are times when every time I try to switch contexts, I can hear the gears grinding in my head.

Trying to work on both “Zydeco Queen” and “The Raven and the Dancing Tiger” at the same time has been the second type of experience this past week or so.

Tonight, I sacrificed a night of writing for doing publishing things. I could have waited, been more patient, but I wanted to get ZQ finished so I could get back to really writing again.

So perhaps tomorrow there may be some kind of announcement about a new book generally available. . .

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

The walking reminder

I need to remind myself, from time to time, just how much walking is a part of my process.

There have been novels when I’ve gone for regular walks, because it was only during those walks that I could plot out the next scene/chapter/point what have you.

The ideas for this novel have been coming along pretty regularly, so much so that it’s only now that I need the reminder that, when the ideas start to slow down, I need to go for a walk.

Though I’d been poking at the novel all morning and for part of the afternoon on Monday, I still didn’t have a clue about what the next scene was. So I finally took myself for a walk.

By the time I hit the second block, I knew what the first scene was.

By the end of the walk, I knew what the rest of the backstory was, in very general terms. (This novel is told in the same style as Paper Mage, in that there’s a front story that’s happening in current time, as well as a backstory, that’s happening in the past, that’s the character’s time at Raven’s Hall.)

Today, after my walk, I figured out in general where the front story is going as well.

I know that other writers have this process, that creative thought comes with movement. I just wish I’d remembered it sooner, in this case, about a week ago, that this is a great tool to bring out when I’m puzzling things out.

Maybe next novel, eh?

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

Knowing what you’re doing

Seriously — when I know what I’m doing, what I’m about to write, I have the easiest time writing it. I just wrote the next chapter all in one go. It’s 3546 words. Took me 3 1/2 hours.

33149 / 70000

I typed the chapter straight into the computer because I’d spent so much time thinking about this chapter, about these scenes, that I knew exactly what I needed to write. That almost always helps. (My normal process is writing out by hand and then typing. Sometimes I don’t need to do that, like today. It also helped that this chapter was FUN, and so the writing of it was fun.)

Now, I’m going to get back to Zydeco Queen. And possibly finish that sooner than I’d originally anticipated.

Tomorrow I have the day off. I’m going to try to replicate today: spend the morning thinking and plotting and planning the next chapter, then write it all in one go in the afternoon. That would be a good thing, as I only have two more weeks left that I can work on this novel, before I have to put it aside for the short story workshop.

This morning I saw “The Avengers.” That was really, really fun. I enjoyed it. I only see about 2 movies per year, and I’m glad this was one of them.

But now — dinner, then back to work.

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

Moving along

I have a bunch of social things this weekend, but I’m still hoping to write at least one more chapter for the week, another 3000 words. I just finished typing up the latest chapter. I have almost 30,000 words in 10 chapters.

29553 / 70000

I need to think about the next chapter, where it’s going, what it’s doing. It may finally be time to start plotting some.

I got back the edits for ZQ. I want to do those Monday, and start pushing the book out, so it’ll be available the first week of June.

I have a short story to write for the workshop I’m taking in June. Great idea, great character, great voice already nagging at me about it.

And—I think that’s it. Time to go get changed and ready for a night out.

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

That mid-point

Though I’ve written about 1200 words on the next chapter, I feel like I’m making slow progress, dithering, unfocused, not sure where I’m going.

I looked at my word count and realized that if this novel is about 70,000 words long, I’m in the middle of the book. (I’m at about 28,000 words right now, the actual mid-point would be either the end of the next chapter, or mid-way through the one following, at 35,000. So the middle third of the book.)

For me, the middle of any piece is always the most difficult to write. It’s where I switch gears, not building and planting so much as reaping and tying together. The dominoes have been set up. It’s time for them to start falling.

Honestly — I can’t believe I’ve written this much. I’m rather astonished by that. Until I reached this point, I’ve felt as though this is one of the easiest novels I’ve ever written.

I keep wondering if I should do some plotting now. Except I know where I want to go. I know what the next scene of this chapter is, as well as the fourth scene, and the last line of the chapter. I know the start of the first scene of the next chapter, but I don’t know how it’ll be resolved. I know what the second scene of the next chapter must be, but again, not how it ends. I’m really feeling my way through this novel.

Despite feeling a bit lost, I still think this is one of the strongest pieces I’ve written to date, mainly because the secondary characters are all as strong and as well formed as the primary characters (so much of that has to do with the Character Voice and Setting workshop I just took.)

Anyway. That dreaded middle. The transition. Bleak just got bleaker. And after I finish slogging my way through it, if this novel is like any of my others, the end will be a toboggan ride down an icy slope, me barely hanging on, with only illusions that I’m directing the thing, as the ride gallops to a close with a grand spray of snow.

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

Clockwork Kingdom — still free!

I figured I’d post one more time about this. Clockwork Kingdom is still available as a free download this weekend.

It rose pretty quickly in the ranks again. It’s now holding at #23 for free, contemporary fantasy.

Last time it rose to #11.

Last time, some of the free downloads turned into sales. I saw increased sales with my other titles. We’ll see what happens this time.

It’s a rainy day here. I had planned on doing things outside today. I think, instead, I’m just going to read and write and putter inside. And keep relaxing and enjoying myself. Taking it easy. Continuing to reduce my stress levels.

I’m just about finished with the next chapter. I wrote two chapters this week for TRATDT. I’ve come to accept that I’m too busy to push hard and write three per week. So 6000 words per week is my new goal. I can live with that.

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

Balance

I haven’t been doing a good job of balancing things lately — there are so many things I want to do around the house, with my writing, with the day job, with the vacation rental. I’ve been pushing too hard. I ended up taking a day off this week just because I was stressed (and my body reacts to too much stress by making me feel as if I’m coming down with something. So I spent much of Thursday just sleeping.)

This weekend I plan to take it easier. I have four things I want to do on Saturday, and none of them should be too strenuous. A few things to do on Sunday as well.

But I’m also going to be spending time sitting, reading, and not working or pushing at anything.

And as just a reminder — Clockwork Kingdom will be on sale this weekend!

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

Clockwork Kingdom available for free this weekend

As part of the Kindle Select program, I’m setting Clockwork Kingdom to free this weekend.

Last time I set it to free, with no advertising at all, it hit #11 on the conventional fantasy, free, list. Generated some sales, some downloads.

This time, I figured I’d mention it a few times. See if that generates a few more downloads and sales.

I’ll offer it for free one last day, in mid-June, before I take it off the Kindle Select program, and offer it everywhere.

It’s also available as a paperback edition.

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

SENT

Sent the final draft of Zydeco Queen off to the editor.

::dances around the room to “What You Gonna Do?”::

(Whatcha gonna do–when the zydeco–turn it up on you?)

I like this novel. Of course, my worry is that people other than me won’t like it. We’ll just have to see. Trust that some readers, somewhere, will like it.

And in the meanwhile, write the next book.

I haven’t written at all on The Raven and the Dancing Tiger this week. I’m hoping to get at least a chapter done tomorrow. It’s okay that I haven’t, that I’ve stayed focused on just the one project and let life happen the rest of the time. The first scene for the next chapter won’t be hard–I know exactly what it needs to be. Not sure about the rest of it, but I trust my brain to figure it out.

And now a sneak preview — I found this amazing piece of art that I’m using for the cover of Zydeco Queen — The main character is a fiddler, BTW:

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

Not this or that

No word count on the novel I’m currently writing. But I’m halfway finished with Zydeco Queen, so I figure that’s progress.

It’s been beautiful recently in Seattle, so instead of real commentary, I bring you pictures! Plus the tree that inspired this post — I have a Golden Chain tree that must be some kind of graft, because half the tree has pink flowers, while the other half has yellow. Don’t believe me? Click and see!

See? Pink and yellow blossoms.

I just really liked this flower and how it landed among the rocks.

Lovely flowering bush out front.

Newly budding Japanese maple. I was trying to get the contrast of the very, very red tiny berries and red stems with the brilliant green leaves.

This weekend I replaced the old seats in the chairs on the back deck with new ones. I cut new seat bottoms out of wood, cut new foam, then cut the fabric and stapled them together into new seat bottoms.

 

I also sewed together a new cover for the grill. Similar pattern, different color than the chairs. Felt very Martha Stewart, quite frankly.

 

The full backyard/deck area, with the new whisky barrel with plants to the right.

 

I got a ladder and cut some of the lilacs from the backyard, to make a bouquet for my table. Now my whole house is incredibly fragrant and smells like lilacs!

 

The city is replacing a bunch of telephone poles in the neighborhood. Today was my turn. The team did a great job, very carefully digging the hole. They were very concerned when they hit water — but it wasn’t a pipe. Just a water table, perhaps? They kept smelling the dirt, making sure it wasn’t sewage.

 

I loved this package for their gloves.

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