Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 132
May 11, 2014
Sunday Surprise
May is the month of hospitality – yes, you get another guest! He interviewed me on his blog at the end of April, and now here he is. Apologies if I picked random covers, but as you can see here’s another prolific author! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Duane L. Martin!
Where do you live and write from?
My name is Duane L. Martin and I live in and write from Boise, Idaho.
When did you start writing?
When I was a teenager really. I was always a voracious reader, so for me writing was just an extension of that. I never wrote my first completed novel however until October of 2013.
What genre(s) do you write?
My series is called Unseen Things, and it started out as a contemporary fantasy series, but with the release of the eighth book, Ghost Worlds, it’s turned into a fantasy / sci-fi hybrid.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
Yeah actually, there are quite a few things from my life that I’ve included in my books. For example, one of the characters in the first book takes his girlfriend to this abandoned house that’s surrounded by trees and hills, and when they arrive, there are tons of birds that fly up out of the trees in a great mass and fly together in swirling, synchronous patterns in the sky. I actually visited a house like that as a teenager with some friends, and I later came to find out that those birds are starlings. If you look them up on YouTube, you can find videos of them flying together in those swirling patterns. There’s a lot of me in the stories, and a whole lot of me in one of the main characters.
Do you have a specific writing routine?
I tend to start writing about midnight, write until about 4:30 – 6:30 in the morning, eat breakfast, get some sleep and then I’ll get up and write some more during the afternoon. My goal is always to finish one chapter a day, which is typically 5,500 words or more. Typically it takes me about three weeks (roughly) to write a completed novel and then I spend several days proofreading and editing it. One of them I actually wrote in two weeks, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much coffee and lost sleep went into achieving that.
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
Improviser definitely. I rarely plan out things in my books. I may have a general idea of certain events I want to take place, but I let the actual writing just flow out of me organically so the story has a flow to it and doesn’t feel contrived. I’ve actually had ideas for certain things I wanted to do that never made it into the books, but those ideas led me in a different direction that evolved naturally as I wrote.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest published book is Ghost Worlds, which is the 8th book in the Unseen Things series. I’m currently writing the 9th book in the series, Resurrection. All the books in the series are available through the following sites:
Smashwords (including their premium channel retail sites)
Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?
Indie, for several reasons. First, it’s insanely hard to get an agent, and even if you do get one they still have to find a publisher willing to take on your books. Then there’s the turnaround time with traditional publishing. It takes a long time to get from submission to printed books that are available in the stores. Then between the publisher and the agent, you’re losing a considerable amount of your potential commissions. It’s a trade off though, because they handle things for you that you otherwise end up having to handle yourself, like marketing, cover design, etc…. Personally, I’m too impatient to deal with the turnaround time. When I finish a story and get it proofed and edited, I want to get it out there and make it available right away, and self publishing e-books allows me to do that.
Any other projects in the pipeline?
Just the 9th book, Resurrection, which I already mentioned. Some authors actually write books in two or more series at once, and I’ve considered doing that, but then I decided against it. I know all of my characters intimately and they all have distinct, individual personalities. I think if I spread myself out between two or more series, I’d lose touch with my characters and the stories would suffer for it. For now I’ll just continue on with Unseen Things, and if that series should ever reach a point where I feel like it needs to end, I’ll write the final book and move on from there.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
Some people say they do it for the art or the need to create and express themselves. You know how it goes. Yeah, I love the feel of creating a whole world and multiple dimensions and populating them with all sorts of different characters. For me writing is a passion, but I’d be lying if I said the ultimate goal behind it all wasn’t to become successful and to make money at it, which is something I think everyone wants really, though some would probably be loathe to admit it. As for what I’m doing to achieve that…I’m writing as prolifically as I can so I can get my books out there for people to read and enjoy. However, the unfortunate flip side of that is that without getting into the whole marketing side of things, your books end up getting lost in a sea of books that are published every day by other indie authors. You have to get out there and get your stuff noticed if you want to have any hope at all of building a buzz and gaining a fan base. Unfortunately, I’m horrible at marketing and rather shy about putting myself out there. So for right now I’m simply writing and publishing. At some point I’ll have to do some heavy duty focusing on the marketing side of things though if I ever really want the series to take off. It’s all about finding that balance between the writing and the promotion. Unfortunately, at the moment I’m still way off balance. ;)
Where to find Duane L. Martin online
Website: http://www.duanelmartin.com
Twitter: Duaners
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=19691283
Smashwords
May 9, 2014
Random Friday
It was a drawing weekend – with some writing thrown in for good measure. So there you have Da Muses again.
See the WiP for this one on DeviantART…
And then I’ve read – one book down on the TBR pile, yay! In the Company of Angels is of course well written, but not really my cup of tea. Probably because I’m not really interested in that kind of recent history and religious persecutions or beliefs at large. The non-Mormon point of view (Eliza Gadd) makes it enjoyable even for non-Mormons. But since it’s always the white men’s POV, Native Americans might hate it (although there are also friendly tribes). Can someone recommend me an historical novel written from the point of view of the people who were invaded by the white virus and almost wiped out? Can I have the redskins POV, please?
This afternoon I’m off to Turin again, so tomorrow I can check the Book Fair. I’ll let you know next week if I found out anything interesting… and Sunday I’m going to Genova to check an exibition about the Templars. You never know, I might get back to that shelved historical novel after seeing that! ;)
Wishing you a wonderful weekend…
May 7, 2014
Writer Wednesday
Draft Zero of the third body switch is done. Beta-readers and cover artist will soon get it. I need to re-read it, but I want to wait until next week, so I can see it with a fresh eye. I had fun writing this one as much as I had with Ciaran&Harith. Probably because the first was “recycled” from a screenplay I wrote in my attempt to conquer Hollywood, it wasn’t as much fun to turn into prose.
Anyhow, now I’ll write the last tale of the Southern Kingdoms that I couldn’t pin at the end of April, due to distressing news at DayJob – I’m almost over them, especially since I’ll be on vacation next week. Not going anywhere, but not going to work either! Well, I’ll have to work on the publishing side of my real job, and that’s also a source of anxiety. So I’ll try to nail that short story before the vacation starts! :)
I’ll also use the time off DayJob to refocus on my goals, rekindling my dreams. In case you’re not aware of the difference, read Hugh Howey’s post. I have the same goal of the 5000 copies in my lifetime – I call it my 5000 true fans – and I need to find a way to spread the name and titles, so those 5000 people can find me in the ocean of books out there. Of course I also dream of becoming a successful author, but my goal is not to enter the Kindle Million Club, just to find those 5000 readers! :)
So I will start experimenting with bundles. There is already a couple of bundles on DriveThru (the Books of the Immortals or the Chronicles of the Varian Empire), but I will try to do a bundle on Amazon, leave it for up to six months – as suggested on David Gaughran’s blog – and see what happens. Or maybe I’ll try to get a title on story bundle – I’m going to pass on the latest offer, since I haven’t started on the other two bundles yet. My TBR pile never goes down – especially if I keep buying budles! :(
Then I need to write two more shorts for submissions… and that should take me to the end of May. In June I’ll be translating Male Lovers, hoping it will do well like the Italian version of Star Minds. The Amazon.it royalties paid my electricity bill a few days ago – little indie author’s happiness! :) I will spare you the unhappiness (it has to do with the new KDP sales dashboard – I’ve sent them my feedback), but know there is one there too. It’s not all easy and funny, no. But I’ll keep trudging forward. I know I’ll reach my goals. If the dreams come true as well… even better. If not, at least I’ll have to set up new goals! :)
One last link – I used to follow Jai Joshi’s blog religiously, until I ran out of time (and she started doing vlogs)! She was one of my first Indian blogging friends, along with Hema, but then life happened and I lost track of her. I’m still following her on Goodreads and that’s where I saw her latest announcement: now she’s putting on Kindle her Mahabharat short story series, so go check this latest post from her – yeah, free Kindle book! If I didn’t have such a long TBR list, I’d add it to the mix… hopefully, one day… sigh…
Have a great week!
May 4, 2014
Sunday Surprise
May is filled with guests. The first is GR Smashwords Authors group – author of the month. Ladies and gents, please welcome Elizabeth Los!
Where do you live and write from?
I was born in California, raised in California and now live… in California. Though I’ve been in one state most of my life, I have traveled to other states within the USA. Internationally, I’ve been to Mexico and Venezuela. I was in Venezuela for a month and loved it. What a wide range of sights in such short distance… the capital city bustling with traffic, smaller villages in stark contrast to the high income of the city, lush vegetation that gives the appearance of driving through a rainforest at times, lovely people, beautiful music, delicious food, great snorkeling…I could go on and on. I especially enjoyed the mountains where there was an obvious German influence on the local culture. It’s an amazing mixture of music, architecture and food.
When did you start writing?
I started writing short stories in Junior High. They were just for fun, but something that I felt inspired to do. It was in college where I really started writing full stories. They were actually just meant for fun, but my friend enjoyed them so much she thought I could do well as a writer. You know how that is. Family or friends tell you its great, but its a bias opinion. I’m still stretching my wings and seeing where this will take me. I like challenges and this is just one of many I’ve tasked myself with in my life.
What genre(s) do you write?
I’m still trying to figure that one out. Second on the Right is my first Fantasy novel. I’ve written a few short stories that are available for free: Under (aka Under Society) – science fiction/post-apocalyptic, iWitness – science fiction, Christmas with the Kalli – Christmas themed horror, Depths – co-authored horror. I’ve had fun writing all of them, which has been no help for finding which genre I’m best suited for. Do you think I have to pick just one or am I allowed to bounce around for a while? I hope I can, because I like the change.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
I grew up with a love for the classic movies, especially science fiction. My favorites are still The Day The Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, Them!, and Star Trek. I used to sit with my father on a weekly basis to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation. All of these movies have influenced and inspired me I find inspiration in nearly everything, from the people I meet, the places I visit, or even the music I hear. Yeah, I’m currently listening to my Film Score station on Pandora.
Do I have to admit if I put myself in my stories? :) I do, but not wholly. I place aspects/characteristics of myself into my characters. For example, James has a temper, one that he finds difficult to control depending on the situation. Yeah, that’s me. I’ll say no more. I’d rather not provide additional cannon fodder.
Do you have a specific writing routine?
Not really. If I’m bored at the doctor’s office, I’ll brainstorm, jotting down words or phrases to spark ideas. I was teased once by another author who couldn’t interpret my notes, but they made sense to me!
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
Outliner first, then improviser. I like to have a rough idea first, then outline it. Once I have an idea of how the story will turn out, I can relax and let my imagination take full control. As for my speed, that really depends on my inspiration. There are times that I can’t type fast enough, the ideas are milling about so quickly in my brain. It’s a good thing I can type over 80 wpm.
Tell us about your latest book
Second on the Right is a reimagining of the tale of Peter Pan. I was inspired by J.M. Barrie’s story, Peter Pan (aka Peter and Wendy). By the way, his birthday is May 9th, the day of my novel’s release. I loved Captain Hook, but I didn’t like how he cowered on deck when the pirates heard the tick of the crocodile. I hated Peter Pan. I especially hated the same character in Disney’s movie version. I often wondered why my friends cheered him on while I was hoping Hook would win. Does that make me an old soul, one that desires to grow up rather than stay youthful? Or does it indicate that I appreciate the more complicated, more intellectual characters? I’ll admit to the latter.
Here’s an abbreviated version of SotR’s blurb:
From an ancient promise, treachery and intrigue follow protagonists through our world and one lost to the waves. Bound by an invisible bond, they’re thrust into a fantastical world of pirates and demons. Will they unite through time, fulfilling the promise of ancestors, or will tempers ignite leading to failure?
Createspace (available on May 9th)
Amazon: Coming May 9th!
Here’s a fun Youtube audio excerpt that voice actor Ethan Sawyer put together for me.
Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?
I like control. I like having a say from the cover to the story. I realize there are advantages to traditional publishing, but there are also a lot of disadvantages.Two co-authors that I follow have on occasion mentioned how their editor or publisher didn’t like their title, their cover or parts of their story. I can see their frustration. Still, they are successful writers and their books have been on the New York Times Best Sellers list. There are pros and cons to both sides, but I’m happy being an Indie. It’s like being part of a secret club where we can do secret things secretly.
Any other projects in the pipeline?
I have a paranormal mystery I’m working on that I’m hoping to have ready in two years. I even played around with a cover and title idea for the story, though this will most likely change when it is released.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
I want to learn more in order to improve my writing. I love telling stories, but it’s frustrating for readers if there are typos, grammatical errors or if the sentences simply don’t flow. I want the reader to be able to sit back, or perhaps on the edge of their seat, and really submerge themselves into the story. I want to give them an escape from the stresses of the day, if only for a little while. That’s what I truly enjoy about reading and I’d love to pass that along in my writing. In order to achieve this goal, I’m reading and writing more.
I had the privilege of working with a beta reader on Fanfiction.net. I had commented that my favorite character was Sherlock Holmes, but that I’d never dare to write a story with him in it. I felt that he was way out of my league…too cerebral. I love reading the stories, but to write them? Nah. Well, he encouraged me to do just that. I had a story in mind, so I decided to take the challenge. I wrote the first chapter. I was proud of it. What a great story this will be! What response did I receive from my beta reader? He tore it down, picked it apart. He did everything a beta reader should do. He made me take it back, think on it and rewrite it again. There were times I felt beaten with each chapter I’d send, saddened that he didn’t enjoy it as much as I did. But you know what? I got through it and finished the story. And I have to admit that even though it’s fan fiction, I’m really proud of that writing! I won’t ever be able to publish it, but I do plan to post it on my website, for anyone who loves the BBC’s Sherlock. For the record, I began writing it after the first episode. Just saying in case anyone finds similar events or characters in my story that seem to be found in series 2 or 3.
Where to find Elizabeth:
May 2, 2014
Random Friday
Total randomness today. First, here’s what my sister-in-law is working on at the moment. You can see her at the end of the slideshow. Yes, I’m sure we could take greater care of our monuments, but I’m not too fond of roman ruins! ;) That’s just me, though…
I tried a sample of a book – I shall get back to it some day (when my TBR list goes down). But from the sample I can already recommend it: Managing Your Inner Artist / Writer: Strategies for Success. If you have writers’ block or other problems, go and check it. Again, the sample will be enough to tell you if it’s for you or not.
He should have been nominated for a Hugo, but well… maybe next year. It’s official, though: Maurizio Manzieri will be at Loncon. If you’re there, don’t forget to check him in the Artist Alley! :) The program is still in flux, so I don’t know if and when I’ll have panels… but I’ll most certainly stop there at some point! ;)
Also, if you write SFF and would like to be featured on Duane’s blog like me, here’s the GR thread… He wants more, so go ahead! :) And stay tuned for his interview… Also, I saw this a little too late to send in my pic, but since it’s still ongoing… for those of you who have Twitter, share it #weneeddiversebooks – I posted the link on my Facebook page yesterday…
If you’d like to support a bright, colorful italian graphic novel project, here’s the link to the crowdfunding request by Emanuele Tenderini and Linda Cavallini, authors of many titles previously published by names such as Sergio Bonelli, Delcourt, Ankama, Mondadori, Hachette, Les Humanoïdes associés, DeAgostini, Panini.
Lots of random randomness, I know. Sorry, but DayJob is killing me and I have the attention span of a chihuahua. Looking forward to my 2-weeks break from the 10th of May. Have a wonderful weekend!
April 30, 2014
Writer Wednesday
So, I spent another long weekend writing and tinkering with my drawings! As I wrote the next story, it occurred to me that I had never written about twin royalty. I mean, we all know The Prince and The Pauper thingy, but what if there were actually two royal twins? Would their father kill one (or try to get rid of one, like a nobleman did in The Enlightened Emperor – and he wasn’t even king, but he couldn’t afford to split his fief among two firstborns) or would they just reign together?
Since I haven’t explored the most northern of the southern kingdoms so far, I thought it was a very good idea to do it. The two stories I had in mind spawned a third that ties them up. So here’s the blurb for something that will come out in the summer:
Amrendra
Once upon a time there was a kingdom that mostly followed the southern traditions and culture but differed from the others for two main things: it was blessed with four seasons – instead of three, led by monsoon rains – and with twin royals, so there were always two interchangeable kings…
That’s 3 More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms that will come out before the full anthology sometimes in July. And of course I’ll have to tweak the cover I had in mind, but this time I won’t ask for advice. You’ll have to stay tuned and see what I end up doing! :)
The finished story is around 18K, and I wrote them in five days – first longhand and then typed. I’m waiting a couple of days for a new pass in case I need more adjustments, then I’ll send it out to betas. By today I hope to finish the last Tale and then start writing the third body switch, for which I already have an opening scene, but not much else.
Since I’m almost halfway through my five-years-plan, I decided to start a spreadsheet with the actual unit sales – and I mean only the books that have brought me a few $$, so I’m not counting all the free copies I gave away at the beginning in the hope of getting reviews. Half the reviewers never delivered, so I’m not bothering anymore. If someone wants to read and review one of my books, use the contact page and ask for a free copy.
So, my bestsellers (meaning they sold more than 10 copies) are:
Johnny&Marian, published May 2012, sold most of its 35 copies with the old cover and 90% on Amazon. Last sale of this title is from Feb.2014.
Books of the Immortals – Air, published April 2011, the first novel to come out, sold 20 copies on all platforms (and I’m not counting all the free copies I gave to reviewers). Last sale: Jan.2014 – so it keeps selling 3 years after its release.
And then the surprise sales of 2014 – the Italian version of Star Minds. SM2 sold a record of 17 copies since January, 90% on Amazon.it, but also on Kobo, in spite of being clearly marked as Book 2. It’s available also on Apple, but not on any other retailer (B&N doesn’t really sell Nooks in Italy, so I didn’t bother to send it there). And the trilogy sold 11 copies since February on the three mentioned platforms (Amazon.it, Kobo and Apple). Which doesn’t mean I’m going to spend the rest of the year translating into Italian all the SFF stories, since I want to write new stuff! :)
Overall, I keep earning more and more, but I do have 75 titles out. Some don’t sell at all, some sell one copy or two, still there’s enough growth to keep me going. Of course I won’t be able to quit DayJob yet – not even at the end of the five-years-plan, but maybe, if I extend it to ten years… I know I’m in for the long haul, so, why not? I’ll just keep writing the next book – if it’s short, I might try to submit it to magazines first, but then I’ll keep hitting that “publish” button! :)
If you’d like to learn more about the Italian publishing world, here’s another article on Masterpiece, the reality show for Italian writers (where you’ll never ever see me). I subscribe to the indie author manifesto that you can find on the Smashwords blog, so I’m not really interested in traditional publishing at this time. And in case you haven’t heard, we shall be orphans of the Thursday Business Rusch posts. I sure hope you have bookmarked Kris’s blog for future reference anyway.
Someone pointed be to Awesome Indies (well, it was a suggestion for someone who had found a lot of crap among indies), so I checked their submission link… I’ve downloaded a sample of the book they so highly recommend, but it doesn’t tell me anything new… Now I wonder if my editors qualify and I can submit them something… Or I’ll just get back to writing, since I’ve given up looking for reviews! ;) I mean, I already have the SROP rat of approval, what do I need the AIA seal for? :D
Finally, I’ve been interviewed again! Please find me on Duane’s blog – and stay tuned for his interview, coming in May on this very blog! :) And that’s all for today! Have a nice week!
April 27, 2014
Sunday Surprise
And this month too some writerly wisdom for you! Enjoy!
I tend to recommend to people: write what you love to read. Trying to write something that you don’t have a taste for or don’t understand is a waste of your time. The likelihood that you will succeed is terribly slim. Even if you do succeed, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder, wondering what else you could have done with your time that would be more fulfilling.
- David Farland
When I write, I create, markets be damned. When I’m at my writing computer, I don’t care if what I write will sell for millions. In fact, I don’t care if what I write sells at all.
I don’t always achieve that; if you people could see the image in my head that I’m trying to match, you’ll see that it trumps what’s on the page every time. When I write fiction, I am constantly struggling to improve my craft enough to get what’s in my head on the page, every single time.
Failure is an option. If the manuscript doesn’t work, I redraft—in other words, I throw out everything I did and try again. Yes, that means I write sometimes two or three times more material than the readers will see in print. And yes, that means I sometimes toss out more material than I publish.
I figure it’s the price I pay to tell the story I want to tell.
Writing for a market is a dangerous choice. If I write for myself, then there is one person in the world guaranteed to be pleased with it.
As always, when you run your business, you need to set your own attainable goals. “Attainable” means they are within your power. Anything that requires the “yes” or “no” from someone else isn’t a goal, it’s a dream.
Finishing my next book by the end of March and getting it live is a goal.
Selling my series to Hollywood is a dream.
I don’t worry about the industry because there is very little I can do about it. Here I will give out some free advice to “newbies”: Stop worrying so much about the business and spend that time WRITING. I know one thing—if I write a good enough book, readers will find it if it’s on digital or paper or stone tablets. If the book isn’t good enough, checking your Amazon rankings and tweeting how wonderful you are, isn’t going to help.
