Michell Plested's Blog, page 17

Six Tips to Writing Consistently and Productively

I have several “tricks” that allow me to write consistently and productively. They come from self-observing what hasn’t worked for me. Maybe some of these things will help you out too. Remove distractions – there are several things that pull me away from writing effectively. Television is a BIG one. I’ve tried many times to write while watching TV. In every case I’ve never managed any kind of quantity or quality of words. The same is true, to a much lesser extent, with music. In both cases (and with other more minor distractions), the best thing to do is get away from them. Turn off the television or your music. Give your mind the opportunity to only focus on the […]

Achievement Unlocked

Yesterday, I finished my first full-pass edits for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. That puts the book one step closer to its planned June release. Finishing a book in the first place is a big deal. Getting it ready for publication is too, especially when this is my second series to hit multiple books. By the end of this year, I will have four series that have at least two titles. I think that’s a hint to myself that I should finish my book series before I start new ones. It’s just, new ideas are SO much fun to explore, darn it!

The Best Laid Plans

I have lots of things I want to do. For example, I want to redesign this web page to make it more Young Adult friendly. I want to create a complete set of class materials for my books to make them more accessible to teachers. I want…well, let’s just stop there, shall we? I think you get the point. The problem is, I also want to write books while I give my family the time it deserves. I’m also involved in a few community organizations. This is where the 24-hours-in-a-day limit gets in the way. What I need to do is finish the three books I’m currently working on and then do the other stuff. A web page redesign might […]

When the Words Flow

Have you ever had an experience where the words almost seemed to write themselves? Perhaps you didn’t realize it at the time and only saw it much later when you reread your stuff. A good indication is when you read it and say to yourself, “Gee, I can actually write!” I had that happen last night. It was almost like I was either (a) possessed by a real writer, (b) channeling the spirit of a writer (who has passed), or (c) I’m actually a writer who can put good words down from time-to-time. If the answer was either (a) or (b), I’m thankful to have been the vessel that actually brought the words to life. If it was (c) then […]

You are all important to me

Writing is a solitary venture and I often lose sight of the fact that without you, my friends and fans, this life would be a hollow endeavour. Kind of a melancholy way to begin a post, wouldn’t you say? It’s not meant to be. Not at all. In fact, it is a statement of truth and a wake up call for me. I wish I were less self-absorbed and didn’t need these sorts of calls to realize just what I have. In the past week, I have lost two people. One a cousin and friend, the other an acquaintance and member of my writing community. The passings of both came as a shock to me. The kind of shock that […]

Reviews are Worth More than Sales

I came to the realization last week that at this point in my writing career I would much rather have reviews than sales. I know that sounds odd, but there’s a very good reason I say that. The more reviews a books has (specifically on Amazon) the more likely it is to be featured and actually show up in someone’s recommendations (who isn’t associated with the author). I always find it laugh-worthy when Amazon recommends my own books to me, especially when I realize I’m probably one of the few people getting that recommendation. I either laugh or I cry. I choose to laugh. I know I’ve made the offer before but I will make it again. If you are […]

Houston, We Have Revisions

Last week I received the revisions from my lovely editor for Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. Ordinarily, I’m am of mixed feelings about revisions. On the one hand, revisions let me make my story better; I’m able to add some of the nuances that I missed the first time. More detail and more emotion tend to find their way into the story. Plot holes are plugged Sometimes the book goes in a slightly different direction, which has the feeling of entering an alternate dimension (I’m trying to put it in the best possible light here). On the other hand, revisions mean I’m ripping apart my precious story. It is work that doesn’t always feel productive and…well, simply put, it […]

Scouts of the Apocalypse 2 – I have edits

At this very moment I am trying my very best not to pull up my editor’s document and get to work on revising Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War. If I succumb to the temptation, I won’t be much good for anything else for several days. This is an important book for me because it represents a few things. First, it is book two of the trilogy. That means I will soon be closer to the end than the beginning. That is really cool. Second, it represents a much bigger cast of characters, more going on and, really…the whole world is at stake. That makes the revisions even more important in that I have so much opportunity to enrich the […]

GalaxyBillies 2 Has Begun

I made some promises to my Wattpad readers earlier this year. That promise was to start writing and releasing GalaxyBillies 2 in Wattpad. I had hoped to have chapters available in the early Fall but that didn’t work out. Too many other things were demanding my time. I realize, I almost couldn’t come out with a Chapter later in the year than now, but I try to always keep my promises. To that end, the first chapter of GalaxyBillies 2 is now available on . I hope you will take a moment to follow the link and have a read (and perhaps vote and comment too).

Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War is out to Alpha Readers

I set a goal for myself to complete Scouts of the Apocalypse: Zombie War before Christmas. Then I hit a great writing pattern and it looked like it would be done a bit before that. I reset my goal to finish by December 18th. I managed to finish it December 16th. I had a fantastic final writing sprint, knocking over 3,000 words off on Scouts alone. I finished the day with over 5,000 words total (wrote a short story for a Winter Anthology too). It was a day full of win. Of course, the journey is far from over. My Alpha Readers now get a few weeks to pick the story apart and make suggestions for revision. I know there […]