Ethan Nahté's Blog, page 2
March 11, 2019
The Hermit's Return
Hello Readers,
Sorry it has been so long since I've blogged. The past three months have been a trying time with health and weather, including the fact I missed a show for the very first time. It's both fortunate and unfortunate that I didn't make it to ConDFW.
I'll start with the unfortunate reason: Last year, Charlaine Harris was the Guest of Honor. She had to cancel last minute for gall bladder surgery (been there, done that, got the scars and indigestion to prove it). She returned to ConDFW this year and I missed it, which really sucks (she writes about vampires...get it?) Not to mention all my other author, artist, and friends I missed seeing. I wasn't sure if I was coming down with the flu or if it was just my lupus acting up. I didn't get the flu, so it must've been a lupus flare causing all sorts of issues that wouldn't have made it easy to drive that far, much less sit at a table or participate on panels with any guarantee my body was going to cooperate.
Additionally, I discovered it was the last ConDFW. I have been attending ConDFW for several years and enjoyed the friendliness of the people who ran it and volunteered for the convention. I'm sure I'll see most of them at FenCon, but I hate to see ConDFW go away.
The fortunate reason (for me, but not the people I am about to mention) I didn't go is that I normally stay at my sister's house and visit them a little. My brother-in-law and nephew ended up with the flu. I discovered that some of the people attending ConDFW also had the flu. So, it's a good thing I missed it.
I do plan on attending MidSouthCon this coming weekend (March 15-17). I have a few panels and Pro Row signings. Plus, I'll be sharing a dealer's table with author/illustrator Dr. Mel. White. We'll have our books and other stuff for sale.
I'm sure that Alban Lake Publishing (ALP) and Pro Se Press (PSP) will be in attendance. There are a few books published by ALP & PSP I am in that I won't have available at my table, but I'll be happy to sign copies if you swing by. I'm not certain if some of the other publishers I have stories with ( i.e. Yard Dog Press & Seventh Star Press) will be attending.
A side note, since my last blog, I have had two stories come out with ALP. "Son of Caddaja" appears in Disturbed Digest: December 2018 and "Space Marbles" appears in Anatomy of Hate. I have more stories sold and waiting to be published, so stay tuned for the 411.
The NahteWords site is being a royal pain. This is a recurring issue. I may be switching servers due to the constant problems with the site being unavailable or filled with code and ASCII garbage! (Yes, I'm ticked off.) There is an older version of the site you can access, but if you have an order or question, it's easier to contact me at Nahteboy@livenloud.net
Beyond battling the website gremlins, the rest of my recluse winter was spent writing, revising and submitting stories and poetry. I also have a MG short story that I have ready to go with the exception of the cover art, which is currently being worked on. Imagine a ten-year-old version of the The Hardy Boys investigating spectres, cryptos, and UFOs. The stories will eventually be combined into a full-length novel, but for those who want a quick, short read that they can do on their lunch break, I plan on releasing several stories over the next year or so in The Weird Tales Investigators series.
Work still continues on the novel (working title) The Savage Cat Unleashed: Book Two of The Savage Cat Adventures. The first novella The Savage Caged has done all right in sales and reads. Creator and artist David Martinez was telling me how cool and strange it is to hear people quoting lines from the novella and they can't wait for the next book. A couple of the fans have even gotten tattoos of the character. That's some dedication.
A couple of other novel projects and a non-fiction book is in the works, along with another screenplay. It may seem like I have too many irons in the fire, but I work on what strikes me at the moment because the muse is there.
I'll be giving another class at Books & Stuf in Mena, Arkansas @ 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22. The class is a hybrid of a writing and a critique class. It's free and open to anyone.
In addition, Books & Stuf owner Jennifer Schubbe and I have been collaborating on an idea for a writing competition. I'll not say anything more about it at the moment, but we hope to announce the news soon. Potential sponsors to promote writing and literacy are welcome to contact me.
One of the bookstores where my books are sold, Chapters On Main in Van Buren, Arkansas made the Top 51 book stores to visit across the U.S.A. & the #1 Local Bookstore in Arkansas That's a cool honor for them.
Don't forget Dog Ear Books in Russellville, Arkansas. If you didn't catch my message on Facebook back around the new year, Dog Ear Books has new hours/days of operation.
I might as well mention once again that Wings of Mercury is also available at The Museum of Automobiles since it's getting that time of the year that people go camping and vacationing up on Petit Jean Mountain.
I also spent a portion of the winter submitting some of my photography to Shutterstock and to Halsell images. I created a T-shirt line on Virtual Style, I have a Zazzle page (featuring more of my photography), and I started a Patreon page. As you can see, I have been extremely busy.
Well, that should be an abundance of information to stuff in your pipe for a few days until I get back on here with a follow-up to MidSouthCon.
Sorry it has been so long since I've blogged. The past three months have been a trying time with health and weather, including the fact I missed a show for the very first time. It's both fortunate and unfortunate that I didn't make it to ConDFW.
I'll start with the unfortunate reason: Last year, Charlaine Harris was the Guest of Honor. She had to cancel last minute for gall bladder surgery (been there, done that, got the scars and indigestion to prove it). She returned to ConDFW this year and I missed it, which really sucks (she writes about vampires...get it?) Not to mention all my other author, artist, and friends I missed seeing. I wasn't sure if I was coming down with the flu or if it was just my lupus acting up. I didn't get the flu, so it must've been a lupus flare causing all sorts of issues that wouldn't have made it easy to drive that far, much less sit at a table or participate on panels with any guarantee my body was going to cooperate.
Additionally, I discovered it was the last ConDFW. I have been attending ConDFW for several years and enjoyed the friendliness of the people who ran it and volunteered for the convention. I'm sure I'll see most of them at FenCon, but I hate to see ConDFW go away.
The fortunate reason (for me, but not the people I am about to mention) I didn't go is that I normally stay at my sister's house and visit them a little. My brother-in-law and nephew ended up with the flu. I discovered that some of the people attending ConDFW also had the flu. So, it's a good thing I missed it.
I do plan on attending MidSouthCon this coming weekend (March 15-17). I have a few panels and Pro Row signings. Plus, I'll be sharing a dealer's table with author/illustrator Dr. Mel. White. We'll have our books and other stuff for sale.
I'm sure that Alban Lake Publishing (ALP) and Pro Se Press (PSP) will be in attendance. There are a few books published by ALP & PSP I am in that I won't have available at my table, but I'll be happy to sign copies if you swing by. I'm not certain if some of the other publishers I have stories with ( i.e. Yard Dog Press & Seventh Star Press) will be attending.
A side note, since my last blog, I have had two stories come out with ALP. "Son of Caddaja" appears in Disturbed Digest: December 2018 and "Space Marbles" appears in Anatomy of Hate. I have more stories sold and waiting to be published, so stay tuned for the 411.
The NahteWords site is being a royal pain. This is a recurring issue. I may be switching servers due to the constant problems with the site being unavailable or filled with code and ASCII garbage! (Yes, I'm ticked off.) There is an older version of the site you can access, but if you have an order or question, it's easier to contact me at Nahteboy@livenloud.net
Beyond battling the website gremlins, the rest of my recluse winter was spent writing, revising and submitting stories and poetry. I also have a MG short story that I have ready to go with the exception of the cover art, which is currently being worked on. Imagine a ten-year-old version of the The Hardy Boys investigating spectres, cryptos, and UFOs. The stories will eventually be combined into a full-length novel, but for those who want a quick, short read that they can do on their lunch break, I plan on releasing several stories over the next year or so in The Weird Tales Investigators series.
Work still continues on the novel (working title) The Savage Cat Unleashed: Book Two of The Savage Cat Adventures. The first novella The Savage Caged has done all right in sales and reads. Creator and artist David Martinez was telling me how cool and strange it is to hear people quoting lines from the novella and they can't wait for the next book. A couple of the fans have even gotten tattoos of the character. That's some dedication.
A couple of other novel projects and a non-fiction book is in the works, along with another screenplay. It may seem like I have too many irons in the fire, but I work on what strikes me at the moment because the muse is there.
I'll be giving another class at Books & Stuf in Mena, Arkansas @ 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22. The class is a hybrid of a writing and a critique class. It's free and open to anyone.
In addition, Books & Stuf owner Jennifer Schubbe and I have been collaborating on an idea for a writing competition. I'll not say anything more about it at the moment, but we hope to announce the news soon. Potential sponsors to promote writing and literacy are welcome to contact me.
One of the bookstores where my books are sold, Chapters On Main in Van Buren, Arkansas made the Top 51 book stores to visit across the U.S.A. & the #1 Local Bookstore in Arkansas That's a cool honor for them.
Don't forget Dog Ear Books in Russellville, Arkansas. If you didn't catch my message on Facebook back around the new year, Dog Ear Books has new hours/days of operation.
I might as well mention once again that Wings of Mercury is also available at The Museum of Automobiles since it's getting that time of the year that people go camping and vacationing up on Petit Jean Mountain.
I also spent a portion of the winter submitting some of my photography to Shutterstock and to Halsell images. I created a T-shirt line on Virtual Style, I have a Zazzle page (featuring more of my photography), and I started a Patreon page. As you can see, I have been extremely busy.
Well, that should be an abundance of information to stuff in your pipe for a few days until I get back on here with a follow-up to MidSouthCon.
December 3, 2018
Writing in Longhand & Pausing on Editing
It's no big secret that here in the United States, reading and writing cursive is classified as threatened and on the verge of becoming endangered, if not totally extinct. There are moments when I am signing a book for someone, especially if they appear to be younger than 30, I try to remember and ask if they can read cursive, which is typically the form I use to inscribe a book. I've made the mistake of quickly signing and, as I handed the book back to the reader, realizing they may not read cursive and I slapped down my John Hancock in cursive without a second thought. Doh!
But, is writing, as a writer, better for your creativity and storytelling? Technology certainly makes things more convenient, but does it make the writing better? worse? equivalent?
Many studies have been done with colleges and scientists testing the theory of paper vs. computer. The results vary, but it seems that when subjects/students type (normally verbatim) what is being lectured about, it's almost a mechanical process and they seem to retain little of the information. On the other hand (rim shot), taking notes by hand is something that the student/subject puts in their own words because they can't write as quickly as someone speaks. They tend to make their own notes to the side and write the subject matter in a shorthand that makes sense to them. They also tend to have better retention skills when they handwrite. Then, when the test results come back to see how the students/subjects did on a test regarding the given information, the ones writing by hand tend to have better test results than the ones who input information on a keyboard.
According to an article, a 2010 study found that putting ink to paper stimulates a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System, or the RAS and that this area of the brain, which is associated with learning, “lit up” much more when subjects were asked to write words like “spaceship” by hand versus just studying the word closely. (SOURCE)
Other studies have found that writing uses both sides of the brain, whereas typing doesn't. A screen is rigid as is a keyboard. Many writers like the feel (and smell) of paper. Writers are creative types, so writing outside the lines, or having no lines at all and writing freely across the page, is liberating.
I still write some of my material in longhand, especially if it's a stormy night and I don't want to risk my computer getting hit by lightning (or the power has gone out and I just have to get the idea down on paper so it'll quit driving me crazy). Also, if I am on a road trip and I'm not driving, which is rare, I will take a notebook and a couple of pens with me if it's someone's driving I feel I can trust to some degree and we're driving through areas that have little to no appealing scenery—such as through the panhandle of Texas. Of course, it's a bit of a pain to transcribe it to a computer later on, but it beats trying to hold a computer in my lap, sitting in very limited positions to operate said computer, and hoping that the battery doesn't die. With a notebook, I can move around freely, write outside the margins, scratch through notes and add new ideas, and with a couple of pens, I rarely have to worry about running out of ink. If I bring my small flip light that can be attached to a book or notebook, I can see well enough when it gets dark without turning on the overhead dome light and blinding the driver or disturbing the other passengers that might want to sleep.
A lot of well-known authors and screenwriters still write using longhand:
J.K. Rowling writers her early drafts using longhand & doesn't do her first edit until it's typed into computer.
George Lucas writes his screenplays, typically using a yellow legal pad, then hands pages to an assistant to type up later on in the proper format.
Quentin Tarantino has stated he fills up a single notebook (no more than one) and makes notes all over the page.
Joyce Carol Oates would put in eight hours each day writing by hand.
Neil Gaiman does his screenplays on a computer, but he still writes the first and second drafts of novels in longhand. He has mentioned that he will often utilize two pens with different colored ink so he can tell visually how much writing he did each day.
Like his father Stephen King, author Joe Hill writes with pen and paper quite frequently.
James Patterson not only uses paper, but he reportedly chooses a pencil as his writing utensil.
Amy Tan has said she writes her early drafts in longhand.
The recently departed Tom Wolfe wrote his last fiction novel Back to the Blood (2012) by hand. He said he got tired of trying to find parts for his typewriter and the difficulty of having to re-ink the ribbons.
George Clooney claims to be technically inept when it comes to computers and such. He writes in longhand then passes the pages off to his partner to input into the computer.
Jhumpa Lahiri writes in longhand and keeps a notebook by the bed in case she needs to get up in the middle of the night and jot down some thoughts. When she types the handwritten work up on the computer, she uses one without Internet.
Why without the Internet? For Lahiri, I'm not certain, but for many, it's because we are too easily distracted. Any little noise to alert you to a text, e-mail, event, etc. takes you away from your writing. It's too tempting to jump online to see what you might have missed or to watch a funny cat video. I turn off all the alert sounds on my computer anyway from the day I first set it up because I can't stand listening to the sounds. I'd rather hear music that inspires what I'm writing or simply listen to nature.
Other writers who use technology beyond pen and paper, but still steer clear of distractions aforementioned include:
George R. R. Martin types his lengthy novels up on an old word processor using programs such as Wordstar 4.0. Believe me, anyone who has ever used the program know there are no frills to it. Think of the modern WordPad or Notepad applications on modern computers and no access to the Internet, dictionaries, or social media.
Danielle Steele uses a 1946 Olympia manual typewriter and writes her books during a 20-hour writing shift.
P.J. O'Rourke uses a Selectric typewriter for his novels.
My buddy Lou Antonelli, who comes from a newspaper and journalism background (he and his wife Patricia now own The Clarksville Times newspaper in Clarksville, TX), uses a typewriter. Many times at sci-fi and literary conventions, the easiest way to find Lou is to listen for the distinctive clacking of typewriter keys echoing across the room. He has something like 12+ short stories published since 2003 in some very major science fiction and fantasy publications.
There are many others, but this should provide a good idea of the big names using low tech.
As a matter of fact, when I do use my computer to write early drafts, I turn off the editing notifications and auto-correct capabilities. Why? Because, as a writer, I want to get my ideas, stream of consciousness, or train of thought down without interruptions. A red line for a misspelled word, sentence fragment (which I purposely wrote the dialogue that way but the computer wants to correct) or whatever other grammar rules may have been broken as I typed as fast as I could, messes with a writer's head. The eyes keep being drawn to the red line. The mind keeps thinking, what does that sentence need? What's wrong? Is it misspelled? How about a better word; let's open the Thesaurus.
Don't get me wrong, I write a lot of historical fiction and I utilize the Internet, as well as really, physical books, for research. I answer my e-mails daily (most of the times) and I get on Facebook to promote a product or event about once a month. My point, the Internet is handy, but learn how to stay focused and not let every little thing distract you.
The Red Line has effectively slammed the brakes on the writer's train of thought, possibly causing the writer to forget what he/she was going to write next (derailed?). Even worse, giving them an excuse to go search online for whatever the Red Line distraction has now allowed. Look, Amy and David went to eat and are ruining their diet. There's the picture of their overpriced dinner. I need a snack. There's my needy cat and the laser pen to distract the kitty.
Get the story written first. Worry about the edits and revisions later. If you write with a pen and have the budget, there are new devices out there such as the Lernstift Smart Pen from Germany that corrects your spelling as you write in longhand.
I have discussed editing. I mentioned before that after I do my initial spellcheck using the computer's tools, I prefer printing out my work and editing with pen and paper. For some reason, it works better for me. I'm also someone who prefers a real book versus reading a story or book online, so perhaps that has something to do with it.
But, is writing, as a writer, better for your creativity and storytelling? Technology certainly makes things more convenient, but does it make the writing better? worse? equivalent?
Many studies have been done with colleges and scientists testing the theory of paper vs. computer. The results vary, but it seems that when subjects/students type (normally verbatim) what is being lectured about, it's almost a mechanical process and they seem to retain little of the information. On the other hand (rim shot), taking notes by hand is something that the student/subject puts in their own words because they can't write as quickly as someone speaks. They tend to make their own notes to the side and write the subject matter in a shorthand that makes sense to them. They also tend to have better retention skills when they handwrite. Then, when the test results come back to see how the students/subjects did on a test regarding the given information, the ones writing by hand tend to have better test results than the ones who input information on a keyboard.
According to an article, a 2010 study found that putting ink to paper stimulates a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System, or the RAS and that this area of the brain, which is associated with learning, “lit up” much more when subjects were asked to write words like “spaceship” by hand versus just studying the word closely. (SOURCE)
Other studies have found that writing uses both sides of the brain, whereas typing doesn't. A screen is rigid as is a keyboard. Many writers like the feel (and smell) of paper. Writers are creative types, so writing outside the lines, or having no lines at all and writing freely across the page, is liberating.
I still write some of my material in longhand, especially if it's a stormy night and I don't want to risk my computer getting hit by lightning (or the power has gone out and I just have to get the idea down on paper so it'll quit driving me crazy). Also, if I am on a road trip and I'm not driving, which is rare, I will take a notebook and a couple of pens with me if it's someone's driving I feel I can trust to some degree and we're driving through areas that have little to no appealing scenery—such as through the panhandle of Texas. Of course, it's a bit of a pain to transcribe it to a computer later on, but it beats trying to hold a computer in my lap, sitting in very limited positions to operate said computer, and hoping that the battery doesn't die. With a notebook, I can move around freely, write outside the margins, scratch through notes and add new ideas, and with a couple of pens, I rarely have to worry about running out of ink. If I bring my small flip light that can be attached to a book or notebook, I can see well enough when it gets dark without turning on the overhead dome light and blinding the driver or disturbing the other passengers that might want to sleep.
A lot of well-known authors and screenwriters still write using longhand:
J.K. Rowling writers her early drafts using longhand & doesn't do her first edit until it's typed into computer.
George Lucas writes his screenplays, typically using a yellow legal pad, then hands pages to an assistant to type up later on in the proper format.
Quentin Tarantino has stated he fills up a single notebook (no more than one) and makes notes all over the page.
Joyce Carol Oates would put in eight hours each day writing by hand.
Neil Gaiman does his screenplays on a computer, but he still writes the first and second drafts of novels in longhand. He has mentioned that he will often utilize two pens with different colored ink so he can tell visually how much writing he did each day.
Like his father Stephen King, author Joe Hill writes with pen and paper quite frequently.
James Patterson not only uses paper, but he reportedly chooses a pencil as his writing utensil.
Amy Tan has said she writes her early drafts in longhand.
The recently departed Tom Wolfe wrote his last fiction novel Back to the Blood (2012) by hand. He said he got tired of trying to find parts for his typewriter and the difficulty of having to re-ink the ribbons.
George Clooney claims to be technically inept when it comes to computers and such. He writes in longhand then passes the pages off to his partner to input into the computer.
Jhumpa Lahiri writes in longhand and keeps a notebook by the bed in case she needs to get up in the middle of the night and jot down some thoughts. When she types the handwritten work up on the computer, she uses one without Internet.
Why without the Internet? For Lahiri, I'm not certain, but for many, it's because we are too easily distracted. Any little noise to alert you to a text, e-mail, event, etc. takes you away from your writing. It's too tempting to jump online to see what you might have missed or to watch a funny cat video. I turn off all the alert sounds on my computer anyway from the day I first set it up because I can't stand listening to the sounds. I'd rather hear music that inspires what I'm writing or simply listen to nature.
Other writers who use technology beyond pen and paper, but still steer clear of distractions aforementioned include:
George R. R. Martin types his lengthy novels up on an old word processor using programs such as Wordstar 4.0. Believe me, anyone who has ever used the program know there are no frills to it. Think of the modern WordPad or Notepad applications on modern computers and no access to the Internet, dictionaries, or social media.
Danielle Steele uses a 1946 Olympia manual typewriter and writes her books during a 20-hour writing shift.
P.J. O'Rourke uses a Selectric typewriter for his novels.
My buddy Lou Antonelli, who comes from a newspaper and journalism background (he and his wife Patricia now own The Clarksville Times newspaper in Clarksville, TX), uses a typewriter. Many times at sci-fi and literary conventions, the easiest way to find Lou is to listen for the distinctive clacking of typewriter keys echoing across the room. He has something like 12+ short stories published since 2003 in some very major science fiction and fantasy publications.
There are many others, but this should provide a good idea of the big names using low tech.
As a matter of fact, when I do use my computer to write early drafts, I turn off the editing notifications and auto-correct capabilities. Why? Because, as a writer, I want to get my ideas, stream of consciousness, or train of thought down without interruptions. A red line for a misspelled word, sentence fragment (which I purposely wrote the dialogue that way but the computer wants to correct) or whatever other grammar rules may have been broken as I typed as fast as I could, messes with a writer's head. The eyes keep being drawn to the red line. The mind keeps thinking, what does that sentence need? What's wrong? Is it misspelled? How about a better word; let's open the Thesaurus.
Don't get me wrong, I write a lot of historical fiction and I utilize the Internet, as well as really, physical books, for research. I answer my e-mails daily (most of the times) and I get on Facebook to promote a product or event about once a month. My point, the Internet is handy, but learn how to stay focused and not let every little thing distract you.
The Red Line has effectively slammed the brakes on the writer's train of thought, possibly causing the writer to forget what he/she was going to write next (derailed?). Even worse, giving them an excuse to go search online for whatever the Red Line distraction has now allowed. Look, Amy and David went to eat and are ruining their diet. There's the picture of their overpriced dinner. I need a snack. There's my needy cat and the laser pen to distract the kitty.
Get the story written first. Worry about the edits and revisions later. If you write with a pen and have the budget, there are new devices out there such as the Lernstift Smart Pen from Germany that corrects your spelling as you write in longhand.
I have discussed editing. I mentioned before that after I do my initial spellcheck using the computer's tools, I prefer printing out my work and editing with pen and paper. For some reason, it works better for me. I'm also someone who prefers a real book versus reading a story or book online, so perhaps that has something to do with it.
October 22, 2018
Book Signing & Archon Follow-up
Back from St. Louis and the fun of driving through the rain all the way. Archon went well, sold some merchandise, made some new friends, saw old friends, panels went very well, and had a great time. Can't wait for next year.
I found out last evening that Tommy B. Smith has a conflict and won't be able to appear at the book signing in Van Buren at Chapters on Main with me this coming weekend. So, it'll just be me--but hey, isn't that more than enough?
I'll have a few copies of The Pulptress: Vol. 2 available, plus The Savage Caged. For those needing some Halloween horror, I'll have Of Monsters & Madmen and The Undead Ate My Head in addition to the new novella Wings of Mercury. Come down, say hi, enjoy the coffee bar and the thousands of books the store sells.
Wings of Mercury is also now available at Books & Stuf in Mena. The.y are currently having a 15% off sale on all Horror books. They'll be having a huge sale coming up in November, so keep an eye on their site for details.
Besides the new anthologies coming out I mentioned in my previous blog, I'm simply busy trying to get more writing done. The problem with having more stories to write than I have time for is there is no such thing as a break...which is better than having nothing to write about at all.
Happy Halloween!
I found out last evening that Tommy B. Smith has a conflict and won't be able to appear at the book signing in Van Buren at Chapters on Main with me this coming weekend. So, it'll just be me--but hey, isn't that more than enough?
I'll have a few copies of The Pulptress: Vol. 2 available, plus The Savage Caged. For those needing some Halloween horror, I'll have Of Monsters & Madmen and The Undead Ate My Head in addition to the new novella Wings of Mercury. Come down, say hi, enjoy the coffee bar and the thousands of books the store sells.
Wings of Mercury is also now available at Books & Stuf in Mena. The.y are currently having a 15% off sale on all Horror books. They'll be having a huge sale coming up in November, so keep an eye on their site for details.
Besides the new anthologies coming out I mentioned in my previous blog, I'm simply busy trying to get more writing done. The problem with having more stories to write than I have time for is there is no such thing as a break...which is better than having nothing to write about at all.
Happy Halloween!
October 10, 2018
Emerging Writers Available
I know I said in my last post you probably wouldn't hear from me until after Archon this coming weekend in the St. Louis area. (For info on my schedule see last post and click the hyperlink.) But a lot has been happening, so one more update.
First of all, the Nahtewords.com site is back up and running. Some malfunction occurred on the web host end, but it seems to be fine now.
Z Publishing House seems to be on a mission to alert the world to a lot of emerging writers, releasing several books for various states and even in Canada, featuring fiction and poetry. I am in one of the newest books of the series entitled Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction . The book is now available for pre-order, so just click the link above. I believe it is supposed to be around 200 pages filled with flash/short fiction. I have a dramatic literary fiction piece in this anthology. It's a bit different than the speculative fiction most of my readers are accustomed to, but I think the story will grab the reader's attention.
My second order of Wings of Mercury is being shipped as I type this blog. The first shipment has sold quickly, leaving me just a handful to take to Archon. I wasn't anticipating having this many sales right off the bat, but that's a good thing to a degree. I"m sure some people want the book just for the cool cover art by Hugo Award recipient Brad W. Foster, but that's cool, too!
First of all, the Nahtewords.com site is back up and running. Some malfunction occurred on the web host end, but it seems to be fine now.
Z Publishing House seems to be on a mission to alert the world to a lot of emerging writers, releasing several books for various states and even in Canada, featuring fiction and poetry. I am in one of the newest books of the series entitled Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction . The book is now available for pre-order, so just click the link above. I believe it is supposed to be around 200 pages filled with flash/short fiction. I have a dramatic literary fiction piece in this anthology. It's a bit different than the speculative fiction most of my readers are accustomed to, but I think the story will grab the reader's attention.
My second order of Wings of Mercury is being shipped as I type this blog. The first shipment has sold quickly, leaving me just a handful to take to Archon. I wasn't anticipating having this many sales right off the bat, but that's a good thing to a degree. I"m sure some people want the book just for the cool cover art by Hugo Award recipient Brad W. Foster, but that's cool, too!
October 8, 2018
Archon 42 Schedule
Just a quick note that my schedule for Archon42 is available to view. I may have a reading if a slot becomes available, but otherwise, WYSISYG. I'll also be signing at my vendor table , so come look me up.
I received my advance copy of City in the Ice and it's been pretty good, so far.
Wings of Mercury is now available at The Museum of Autos by Petit Jean State Park. They're allowing me to give their gift shop test drive to see how well the book sells, which is pretty cool of them. I hadn't been on the mountain in nine years, so I stopped along the way to get photos of Cedar Falls (95' drop), mountain vistas and deer. There are all sorts of things to do on Petit Jean. I'll attempt to get my pics uploaded to Facebook later this week. You can Like my author page at Facebook.com/EthanNahteCreative
That's it for now. I'll report back later after Archon is done and I've had time to recuperate. C-Ya
I received my advance copy of City in the Ice and it's been pretty good, so far.
Wings of Mercury is now available at The Museum of Autos by Petit Jean State Park. They're allowing me to give their gift shop test drive to see how well the book sells, which is pretty cool of them. I hadn't been on the mountain in nine years, so I stopped along the way to get photos of Cedar Falls (95' drop), mountain vistas and deer. There are all sorts of things to do on Petit Jean. I'll attempt to get my pics uploaded to Facebook later this week. You can Like my author page at Facebook.com/EthanNahteCreative
That's it for now. I'll report back later after Archon is done and I've had time to recuperate. C-Ya
October 3, 2018
NahteWords Temporarily Down
Not too much new since the last post, but the primary purpose for posting again is to notify people that my site is having issues.
For a couple of weeks, the NahteWords site has been "temporarily down" according to the info that pops up on my computer screen. I am in the process of working with Wordpress to figure out what is wrong. Of course, this happens as I am pushing the new novella Wings of Mercury. I do have physical copies in hand, finally, and have already had to place an order for more copies.
All of my work is available through Amazon and a select few titles are available from a few other sources (e.g. iBooks, Smashwords, Kindle/Createspace). If you would prefer a signed copy, for the time being just shoot me an e-mail at Nahteboy@livenloud.net until I get the site operational once more. I'll be able to give you the price for the book(s) and s/h.
In other news, I received an invite from a publisher who I have a few stories published with in various anthologies. The invite is for an anthology that will include a forward from a horror author I thoroughly enjoy reading. I'll wait until I'm certain the book is coming out and my work is accepted, but I enjoyed receiving the invite to participate.
Archon 42 is coming up fast (Oct. 12-14). I don't have my final programming schedule as of yet, but I will be in attendance and I will have a table close to the doors for the main hall.
After Archon, look for me at Chapters On Main for a book signing the last Saturday of October, just in time for Halloween. I invited my buddy, horror author Tommy. B. Smith to appear with me at the signing. He has a new book out entitled Mourner's Cradle.
For a couple of weeks, the NahteWords site has been "temporarily down" according to the info that pops up on my computer screen. I am in the process of working with Wordpress to figure out what is wrong. Of course, this happens as I am pushing the new novella Wings of Mercury. I do have physical copies in hand, finally, and have already had to place an order for more copies.
All of my work is available through Amazon and a select few titles are available from a few other sources (e.g. iBooks, Smashwords, Kindle/Createspace). If you would prefer a signed copy, for the time being just shoot me an e-mail at Nahteboy@livenloud.net until I get the site operational once more. I'll be able to give you the price for the book(s) and s/h.
In other news, I received an invite from a publisher who I have a few stories published with in various anthologies. The invite is for an anthology that will include a forward from a horror author I thoroughly enjoy reading. I'll wait until I'm certain the book is coming out and my work is accepted, but I enjoyed receiving the invite to participate.
Archon 42 is coming up fast (Oct. 12-14). I don't have my final programming schedule as of yet, but I will be in attendance and I will have a table close to the doors for the main hall.
After Archon, look for me at Chapters On Main for a book signing the last Saturday of October, just in time for Halloween. I invited my buddy, horror author Tommy. B. Smith to appear with me at the signing. He has a new book out entitled Mourner's Cradle.
September 25, 2018
FenCon XV Post-show Follow-up
After driving through torrential storms (to and from the show), making our way through the hotel parking lot with water above our knees in places, and attending panels where everyone's phones were sounding alarms for flash floods, and getting very little sleep before returning to work, I am back to the Ouachita Mountains. All that being said, FenCon XV was pretty successful despite the bad weather. The table I shared with authors Mel. White and John DeLaughter stayed somewhat busy and we all sold a good number of books. Of course, the sales could always be better, but we had a lot of interest in our current works and in upcoming projects.
It was also good to see some authors and fans I haven't seen in a while, not to mention doing some panels with authors such as Hugo Award winner Martha Wells, C. Dean Andersson, Lou Antonelli, Seth Sorkowsky, Gloria Oliver, and the Yard Dog Press gang.
Copies of my YA sci-fi novella Wings of Mercury did not make it to me in time for the show, and I am still awaiting delivery of my copies, not only for my upcoming appearance at Archon and my book signing on Halloween weekend at Chapters On Main, but for the pre-orders. I sold out of my my ARCs at FenCon with the exception of holding onto one copy for a sample. My reading from the new book also went over well with the audience, keeping them interested, laughing, and willing to place an order for the novella. Otherwise, the book is available on Amazon and Kindle at the moment. It should be available for iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords by mid-October.
It took me nearly 24 hours to check my e-mails after getting home close to 1:00 a.m. from FenCon. I had nearly 800 new e-mails since I had last checked Thursday afternoon before leaving for the event. The most satisfying e-mail was from a publisher accepting my short story "Within My Arms." It's always good to hear I have another story accepted. I'll be adding it to my Soon-To-Be-Released works found on my bibliography page.
Back to work on promoting the new novella and writing the new Savage Cat book. Later, gators!
ADDENDUM
No sooner than I posted this blog than I received an e-mail relating to the upcoming Sisterhood of the Blade from Battlefield Press. Imagine that the Three Musketeers were women and worked in the queen's service. They hope to have the book out in November. One of the authors is none other than Ed Greenwood, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons! I'm excited to be a part of this anthology.
Since I'm speaking about November, Alban Lake is releasing City in the Ice on November 1. The horror anthology contains a Lovecraft-related story of mine. I also think that one of my other stories coming out in one of Alban Lake's magazines is coming out in December, but not 100% certain of that.
Speaking of Alban Lake Publishing, on their new website they have a fundraiser and a Grand Giveaway to benefit animals. Check it out.
It was also good to see some authors and fans I haven't seen in a while, not to mention doing some panels with authors such as Hugo Award winner Martha Wells, C. Dean Andersson, Lou Antonelli, Seth Sorkowsky, Gloria Oliver, and the Yard Dog Press gang.
Copies of my YA sci-fi novella Wings of Mercury did not make it to me in time for the show, and I am still awaiting delivery of my copies, not only for my upcoming appearance at Archon and my book signing on Halloween weekend at Chapters On Main, but for the pre-orders. I sold out of my my ARCs at FenCon with the exception of holding onto one copy for a sample. My reading from the new book also went over well with the audience, keeping them interested, laughing, and willing to place an order for the novella. Otherwise, the book is available on Amazon and Kindle at the moment. It should be available for iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords by mid-October.
It took me nearly 24 hours to check my e-mails after getting home close to 1:00 a.m. from FenCon. I had nearly 800 new e-mails since I had last checked Thursday afternoon before leaving for the event. The most satisfying e-mail was from a publisher accepting my short story "Within My Arms." It's always good to hear I have another story accepted. I'll be adding it to my Soon-To-Be-Released works found on my bibliography page.
Back to work on promoting the new novella and writing the new Savage Cat book. Later, gators!
ADDENDUM
No sooner than I posted this blog than I received an e-mail relating to the upcoming Sisterhood of the Blade from Battlefield Press. Imagine that the Three Musketeers were women and worked in the queen's service. They hope to have the book out in November. One of the authors is none other than Ed Greenwood, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons! I'm excited to be a part of this anthology.
Since I'm speaking about November, Alban Lake is releasing City in the Ice on November 1. The horror anthology contains a Lovecraft-related story of mine. I also think that one of my other stories coming out in one of Alban Lake's magazines is coming out in December, but not 100% certain of that.
Speaking of Alban Lake Publishing, on their new website they have a fundraiser and a Grand Giveaway to benefit animals. Check it out.
September 20, 2018
FenCon Update
Just a quick update before I hit the road in a few hours and make my way to FenCon XV. The program schedule for the entire event is available online. I am providing My Schedule. It includes a panel about Frankenstein (200th anniversary) and its influence. I was hoping to get on a panel regarding the book & author.
I'll also be reading from Wings of Mercury , although I will probably only be able to offer the novella as a pre-order this weekend (unless I get really lucky and the books happen to be delivered today--fingers crossed but not holding my breath). If you can't make the show and want a copy, it is available at the link above. Just click the title. I should have plenty of copies for Archon in a couple of weeks.
Of course, there's the Yard Dog Roadshow I haven't had time to really communicate with Selina and the group, so I have no idea what the Roadshow may entail. Odds are, it'll be unusual and uncensored.
Each year, for the past six or seven years, I have been a part of the Kid's Writing Workshop along with artist Michael Braun. My partner-in-crime, Mel. White, will also be a part of the class once again.
Another panel will be focusing on the founders of what is known as speculative fiction--Shelley, Verne, Wells, etc. I love the old writers, so this should be a blast.
Then there's the panel on Writing Fight Scenes. Anyone who is familiar with my work knows there is bound to a fight scene (and a death or twenty) in the majority of my work. Probably a deeply ingrained element created by my passion for Robert E. Howard's work.
Beyond that, I've written another 3,000-4,000 words for The Savage Cat Unleashed and have been very busy seeking traditional and online markets to promote Wings of Mercury. Do you review? If so, let me know and we'll talk about the possibility of receiving a review copy.
I'll also be reading from Wings of Mercury , although I will probably only be able to offer the novella as a pre-order this weekend (unless I get really lucky and the books happen to be delivered today--fingers crossed but not holding my breath). If you can't make the show and want a copy, it is available at the link above. Just click the title. I should have plenty of copies for Archon in a couple of weeks.
Of course, there's the Yard Dog Roadshow I haven't had time to really communicate with Selina and the group, so I have no idea what the Roadshow may entail. Odds are, it'll be unusual and uncensored.
Each year, for the past six or seven years, I have been a part of the Kid's Writing Workshop along with artist Michael Braun. My partner-in-crime, Mel. White, will also be a part of the class once again.
Another panel will be focusing on the founders of what is known as speculative fiction--Shelley, Verne, Wells, etc. I love the old writers, so this should be a blast.
Then there's the panel on Writing Fight Scenes. Anyone who is familiar with my work knows there is bound to a fight scene (and a death or twenty) in the majority of my work. Probably a deeply ingrained element created by my passion for Robert E. Howard's work.
Beyond that, I've written another 3,000-4,000 words for The Savage Cat Unleashed and have been very busy seeking traditional and online markets to promote Wings of Mercury. Do you review? If so, let me know and we'll talk about the possibility of receiving a review copy.
September 6, 2018
Editors--When? Type?
Let's talk about when you need and editor and what type of editor you need. First, I want to provide a little insight as how I personally write, edit, and revise. My style doesn't work for everyone. All writer's have their own style, but for new writers, my example should help you to discover what's right for you. I'll follow it up with the "when & type" of editors. (For the record, I'm only briefly scanning over this blog and not taking much time to edit, so there will probably be mistakes. Sue me.)
What follows is partially for short story writers and definitely for novel writers. Even though a short story needs revisions and editing, followed by utilizing a proofreading editor or copy edited (see descriptions at end of article), a short story may not need substantive editing.
At conventions, book signings and via e-mail, I frequently get asked by new writers about finding an editor for their short story or novel. Many other authors get asked the same question. Many new writers have only performed a round of spellcheck and minor revisions, then think it's ready for an agent or publisher. This is a waste of the writer's money and the editor's time if sending work at this early stage. There's a lot more work that needs to be done before sending the manuscript to an editor or agent.
Many times, authors get asked to proofread or copy edit someone's work. It is rare that an author will edit a new writer's work unless that author also edits for a living, or for secondary income, such as author P.N. Elrod. She's an amazing editor, but she's tough and won't cut you any slack.
The reason most authors don't edit someone's work is because an author's time is generally taken up just working on his or her own story/novel. Most of us aren't trying to be rude or snobbish. It takes a lot of time to write, revise, edit, revise some more, edit again, revise some more, etc. to have a manuscript as polished as possible for submission. Then, when it is accepted, something always seems to come back for editing or approving edits another editor has made or suggested. Believe me, no one is perfect. I see mistakes in publications from major authors with a major publishing house. We're human.
BUT! Computers and programs aren't perfect either. I generally will use my spellcheck on MS Word when I have finished a story just to do a cursory edit. It doesn't get everything correct. There are times that a homonym or homophone slips past. There are times I may have typed "an" while meaning to type "and". Spellcheck sees the word as correctly spelled, but it overlooks the fact I used the incorrect word. Plus, I write a lot of stories with fantastic names and locations, so spellcheck generally thinks I have a million misspelled words. After that, I generally go through and make revisions.
BTW, I suggest turning off the automatic spellcheck and corrections as you sit before the monitor. Those little squiggly red lines popping up as you write your story tend to be a distraction to most writers and ruin creative flow. Do your editing after you have finished the story or a chapter--not as you write. If a writer takes time to stop and go back and correct every little mistake that is red-lined, he/she is breaking concentration and interrupting train of thought. Just write and teach yourself control and, for some, overcome OCD by not editing while writing. It's not an easy thing to do.
After I am satisfied with those edits and revisions, I import the story into Grammarly. Not a bad program but, once again, it has problems recognizing certain things, especially with my bizarre names and locations. My main gripe is there are several times that the program believes I am using the wrong word in a sentence and I am definitely using the correct word exactly how I want to use it. Yet, for the most part, it will find a few things that MS Word spellcheck didn't find, thus (hopefully) improving my writing.
Although I like Grammarly, another annoying issue is that if a file is saved and exported back to MS Word, it screws up the paragraph formatting. I find it easier to just copy and paste the corrected file back into Word and save the file with an updated name (i.e. Example_rev1.docx)
For me, after I have been staring at the glow of a computer screen, I prefer to print my work out to do the major edits with a pen in hand. I usually put on some instrumental music to relieve stress--generally a soundtrack or performance that is related to the genre I am writing such as Basil Poledouris' excellent Conan soundtrack when I write a story full of action or fighting. Some writers prefer doing it all on the computer, which is fine. Whatever works best for you.
When you think you're close to your final edit before submitting your work, I suggest Reading Aloud. Why? Because the eyes and brain tend to overlook simple mistakes after having pored through the manuscript 20 times or more. Reading aloud will normally allow a writer to catch oversights. There are times I read something aloud and think to myself I must've been smoking banana peels.
A lot of top writers and editors suggest to step away from the story for a day, week, or more so when the writer reads the work once again, he/she has a fresh perspective.
Some even edit their work by reading the story backward. By this I mean that each sentence, from the last to the first, is read in order.
If you can find good and willing beta readers, do so. I don't mean someone who will approve of whatever you wrote because you're their child, spouse, significant other, etc. (unless they are willing to be brutally honest with you.). Find beta readers who will give constructive criticism and in a timely manner. Hopefully, they will catch more than just incorrect punctuation or misspelled words. They will notify you of pacing issues, continuity problems, confusing characters/sentences/plot and anything else that you might have thought was freaking awesome and the reader isn't thrilled about.
Then it's time to revise and edit some more. After that's accomplished, then the author can consider sending the work off to a professional editor. First of all, find an editor that works with the genre you are submitting. Editor A might be a great Romance and Literary Fiction, but Editor B specializes in Speculative Fiction. Editor A is probably not going to be the best choice for your Horror story. It's wise to choose an editor that enjoys the genre/style of writing being submitted.
Remember, these suggestions are for writing fiction and non-fiction, not for copywriters or technical writers. Though there are some similarities, editing has to be approached a bit differently for advertising or technical manuals.
Proofreading: The quickest and lightest form of editing is proofreading, where the editor corrects minor mistakes such as word usage, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, style, etc.
Copy Editing: This isn't the same as a copywriter, which is a writer that creates advertising. Copy editing is basically a more in-depth and detailed version of proofreading.
Substantive/Developmental Editing: This is the most intense version of editing, looking at the story as a whole for style, grammar, structure and so forth. It generally resorts to removing entire sentences or paragraphs, moving portions of the story around and rewrites.
It might be difficult for an author to let go of their baby and cut entire sections or rearrange the story, but that's why an editor was hired. Unless you have a very good argument for keeping the story the way it is, give the editor's suggestions a shot. Save it as version Example_2.com or something similar and keep the original, just in case. Odds are, once the revisions are made, the author will read over it again and discover that the editor has helped improve the story and the baby needed room to grow and develop.
The manuscript should now be ready to submit.
There have been many times when I reviewed books that authors relied only on their spellcheck and their own eyes that have glossed over portions of their manuscript. They have the book published and it's filled with errors and typos. The pacing suffers and the characters are one or two-dimensional. Cliches abound and the dialogue is garbage. No matter if you have an English degree or are a natural-born storyteller, have someone who is qualified to go over your work. You might be surprised at some simple little mistake that changes the entire story. It could make the difference on whether your story sells or not.
Word of advice, if you are self-publishing, look over your work once your file has been converted by POD publishers (i.e. CreateSpace, LuLu, Kindle. etc.) Although the programs do a good job, for the most part, there are times that your copy goes beyond the boundary and words will be cut off, or the print is much smaller on the page than you anticipated, sentences & paragraphs that looked fine in your program now have widows and orphans or other issues that make your publication look amateurish.
Shameless self-promotion time. Wings of Mercury is at the printers. It's a mere $6.00 (not including s/h). The website will be able to take pre-orders/orders soon. It should be available for purchase for my October appearances. See my calendar at the bottom of my Goodreads page or the bottom of my author page on Amazon.
Also available for pre-order, Alban Lake Publishing's City in the Ice . The Lovecraftian themed anthology includes one of my stories and is due out November 1, 2018.
What follows is partially for short story writers and definitely for novel writers. Even though a short story needs revisions and editing, followed by utilizing a proofreading editor or copy edited (see descriptions at end of article), a short story may not need substantive editing.
At conventions, book signings and via e-mail, I frequently get asked by new writers about finding an editor for their short story or novel. Many other authors get asked the same question. Many new writers have only performed a round of spellcheck and minor revisions, then think it's ready for an agent or publisher. This is a waste of the writer's money and the editor's time if sending work at this early stage. There's a lot more work that needs to be done before sending the manuscript to an editor or agent.
Many times, authors get asked to proofread or copy edit someone's work. It is rare that an author will edit a new writer's work unless that author also edits for a living, or for secondary income, such as author P.N. Elrod. She's an amazing editor, but she's tough and won't cut you any slack.
The reason most authors don't edit someone's work is because an author's time is generally taken up just working on his or her own story/novel. Most of us aren't trying to be rude or snobbish. It takes a lot of time to write, revise, edit, revise some more, edit again, revise some more, etc. to have a manuscript as polished as possible for submission. Then, when it is accepted, something always seems to come back for editing or approving edits another editor has made or suggested. Believe me, no one is perfect. I see mistakes in publications from major authors with a major publishing house. We're human.
BUT! Computers and programs aren't perfect either. I generally will use my spellcheck on MS Word when I have finished a story just to do a cursory edit. It doesn't get everything correct. There are times that a homonym or homophone slips past. There are times I may have typed "an" while meaning to type "and". Spellcheck sees the word as correctly spelled, but it overlooks the fact I used the incorrect word. Plus, I write a lot of stories with fantastic names and locations, so spellcheck generally thinks I have a million misspelled words. After that, I generally go through and make revisions.
BTW, I suggest turning off the automatic spellcheck and corrections as you sit before the monitor. Those little squiggly red lines popping up as you write your story tend to be a distraction to most writers and ruin creative flow. Do your editing after you have finished the story or a chapter--not as you write. If a writer takes time to stop and go back and correct every little mistake that is red-lined, he/she is breaking concentration and interrupting train of thought. Just write and teach yourself control and, for some, overcome OCD by not editing while writing. It's not an easy thing to do.
After I am satisfied with those edits and revisions, I import the story into Grammarly. Not a bad program but, once again, it has problems recognizing certain things, especially with my bizarre names and locations. My main gripe is there are several times that the program believes I am using the wrong word in a sentence and I am definitely using the correct word exactly how I want to use it. Yet, for the most part, it will find a few things that MS Word spellcheck didn't find, thus (hopefully) improving my writing.
Although I like Grammarly, another annoying issue is that if a file is saved and exported back to MS Word, it screws up the paragraph formatting. I find it easier to just copy and paste the corrected file back into Word and save the file with an updated name (i.e. Example_rev1.docx)
For me, after I have been staring at the glow of a computer screen, I prefer to print my work out to do the major edits with a pen in hand. I usually put on some instrumental music to relieve stress--generally a soundtrack or performance that is related to the genre I am writing such as Basil Poledouris' excellent Conan soundtrack when I write a story full of action or fighting. Some writers prefer doing it all on the computer, which is fine. Whatever works best for you.
When you think you're close to your final edit before submitting your work, I suggest Reading Aloud. Why? Because the eyes and brain tend to overlook simple mistakes after having pored through the manuscript 20 times or more. Reading aloud will normally allow a writer to catch oversights. There are times I read something aloud and think to myself I must've been smoking banana peels.
A lot of top writers and editors suggest to step away from the story for a day, week, or more so when the writer reads the work once again, he/she has a fresh perspective.
Some even edit their work by reading the story backward. By this I mean that each sentence, from the last to the first, is read in order.
If you can find good and willing beta readers, do so. I don't mean someone who will approve of whatever you wrote because you're their child, spouse, significant other, etc. (unless they are willing to be brutally honest with you.). Find beta readers who will give constructive criticism and in a timely manner. Hopefully, they will catch more than just incorrect punctuation or misspelled words. They will notify you of pacing issues, continuity problems, confusing characters/sentences/plot and anything else that you might have thought was freaking awesome and the reader isn't thrilled about.
Then it's time to revise and edit some more. After that's accomplished, then the author can consider sending the work off to a professional editor. First of all, find an editor that works with the genre you are submitting. Editor A might be a great Romance and Literary Fiction, but Editor B specializes in Speculative Fiction. Editor A is probably not going to be the best choice for your Horror story. It's wise to choose an editor that enjoys the genre/style of writing being submitted.
Remember, these suggestions are for writing fiction and non-fiction, not for copywriters or technical writers. Though there are some similarities, editing has to be approached a bit differently for advertising or technical manuals.
Proofreading: The quickest and lightest form of editing is proofreading, where the editor corrects minor mistakes such as word usage, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, style, etc.
Copy Editing: This isn't the same as a copywriter, which is a writer that creates advertising. Copy editing is basically a more in-depth and detailed version of proofreading.
Substantive/Developmental Editing: This is the most intense version of editing, looking at the story as a whole for style, grammar, structure and so forth. It generally resorts to removing entire sentences or paragraphs, moving portions of the story around and rewrites.
It might be difficult for an author to let go of their baby and cut entire sections or rearrange the story, but that's why an editor was hired. Unless you have a very good argument for keeping the story the way it is, give the editor's suggestions a shot. Save it as version Example_2.com or something similar and keep the original, just in case. Odds are, once the revisions are made, the author will read over it again and discover that the editor has helped improve the story and the baby needed room to grow and develop.
The manuscript should now be ready to submit.
There have been many times when I reviewed books that authors relied only on their spellcheck and their own eyes that have glossed over portions of their manuscript. They have the book published and it's filled with errors and typos. The pacing suffers and the characters are one or two-dimensional. Cliches abound and the dialogue is garbage. No matter if you have an English degree or are a natural-born storyteller, have someone who is qualified to go over your work. You might be surprised at some simple little mistake that changes the entire story. It could make the difference on whether your story sells or not.
Word of advice, if you are self-publishing, look over your work once your file has been converted by POD publishers (i.e. CreateSpace, LuLu, Kindle. etc.) Although the programs do a good job, for the most part, there are times that your copy goes beyond the boundary and words will be cut off, or the print is much smaller on the page than you anticipated, sentences & paragraphs that looked fine in your program now have widows and orphans or other issues that make your publication look amateurish.
Shameless self-promotion time. Wings of Mercury is at the printers. It's a mere $6.00 (not including s/h). The website will be able to take pre-orders/orders soon. It should be available for purchase for my October appearances. See my calendar at the bottom of my Goodreads page or the bottom of my author page on Amazon.
Also available for pre-order, Alban Lake Publishing's City in the Ice . The Lovecraftian themed anthology includes one of my stories and is due out November 1, 2018.
August 21, 2018
Wings of Mercury Counting Down to Take Off
First of all, it's Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Week 2018. Check out the links on Goodreads. There are a lot of great books on the lists, but I found something among the posts that was a bit disturbing. Someone asked why there were no Indie author books listed (which I consider equivocal to mid-list writers with small and micro presses). One response was something like, "Because GR members don't read Indie books. Did you think of that before posting?". Despite the reply seeming a bit snide, I am sure there are some that read more than just the books by the big houses, but it's a shame. Granted, there are a high percentage of Indie and self-published books I have reviewed that suffered from many issues, including having no one edit the book beyond the author and their spellcheck, continuity issues, pacing and flow, etc. There are still a lot of hidden gems out there. It just might take a little digging and a little faith in taking a chance on an author who isn't on the shelf next to Stephen King or Michael Crichton.
August has been very wet and a bit cooler than usual in my part of the country. Some folks would think that would mean more time for me to write. Unfortunately, that's not been the case, at least not as much as I would like. I've spent time making minor changes and edits to a number of stories accepted by various publishers for books due out this year or early next year. The next title one of my stories will appear in is City in the Ice from Alban Lake Publishing. The book is due to release October 1, 2018. [Correction: November 1, 2018] The Lovecraft-inspired book will have several authors. My story includes several nasty eldritch beings, earthquakes and volcanoes. It's like living in the real world.
I also have another poem coming out in an anthology from Lycan Valley Press scheduled for some time this autumn, but a release date has not been announced to my knowledge.
Around the same time will be the release of my novella Wings of Mercury, a romping, action-packed YA story of the inhabitants of a distant moon in a galaxy, far, far away discovering the culture of long-dead earth. They embrace the era of the 1950's and '60s--everything from the birth of rock 'n' roll to the cool cars and rollerskates, but there's always someone wanting to make waves and cause trouble. More details to come in the next couple of weeks after the book layout is finalized, including pre-sale information. I'll be signing copies at Chapters on Main October 27, 2018. I'm also working on a possible Book Release Party, but we'll see what happens with that.
Have I mentioned before how much I hate laying out books? Time consuming and just a pain that irritates me because I could be spending that time writing. It could be finished in time for FenCon.
In the meantime, while I put together the book, you can put together a digital puzzle of the Wings of Mercury book cover created by artist Brad W. Foster ( Shadowhawk ). The puzzle only takes a couple of minutes and the art is definitely out of this world!
RE: the next Savage Cat book, I've written close to 30,000 words over the past three weeks. Not as much as I would've liked to have written, but at least it's something.
That's about it for now. Back to the daily grind.
August has been very wet and a bit cooler than usual in my part of the country. Some folks would think that would mean more time for me to write. Unfortunately, that's not been the case, at least not as much as I would like. I've spent time making minor changes and edits to a number of stories accepted by various publishers for books due out this year or early next year. The next title one of my stories will appear in is City in the Ice from Alban Lake Publishing. The book is due to release October 1, 2018. [Correction: November 1, 2018] The Lovecraft-inspired book will have several authors. My story includes several nasty eldritch beings, earthquakes and volcanoes. It's like living in the real world.
I also have another poem coming out in an anthology from Lycan Valley Press scheduled for some time this autumn, but a release date has not been announced to my knowledge.
Around the same time will be the release of my novella Wings of Mercury, a romping, action-packed YA story of the inhabitants of a distant moon in a galaxy, far, far away discovering the culture of long-dead earth. They embrace the era of the 1950's and '60s--everything from the birth of rock 'n' roll to the cool cars and rollerskates, but there's always someone wanting to make waves and cause trouble. More details to come in the next couple of weeks after the book layout is finalized, including pre-sale information. I'll be signing copies at Chapters on Main October 27, 2018. I'm also working on a possible Book Release Party, but we'll see what happens with that.
Have I mentioned before how much I hate laying out books? Time consuming and just a pain that irritates me because I could be spending that time writing. It could be finished in time for FenCon.
In the meantime, while I put together the book, you can put together a digital puzzle of the Wings of Mercury book cover created by artist Brad W. Foster ( Shadowhawk ). The puzzle only takes a couple of minutes and the art is definitely out of this world!
RE: the next Savage Cat book, I've written close to 30,000 words over the past three weeks. Not as much as I would've liked to have written, but at least it's something.
That's about it for now. Back to the daily grind.
