Richard Raley's Blog, page 26
February 21, 2018
Post? Plague Notes
1. Back at it!
2. Obviously The Plague knocked my schedule back a bit (not that I'm very good at keeping them lately!) so everything I talked about last time, add a week or two.
3. Assault on Dread Fortress Paine is getting closer and closer to being done. The final edit is winding down, have the last couple scenes left to finish. Then after that I have like 2k-4k of original writing to wrap up, cuz I'm weird and do stuff out of order for some reason. I do it for almost every book actually. Another good one I always seem to manage is writing the last chapter before writing the second to last chapter. Using FM6 as an example I wrote all the Eureka stuff, then the Post Eureka stuff, and only THEN wrote the Geo Realm chapter.
4. After said final edit is over, I'll do my Kindle edit. Unless I make some HUGE mistake everything will be locked down before hand and it's mostly typo hunting, playing with paragraphs and with the FM books actually the first time I get to read them with both the timelines and figuring out where each one should flip back and forth. After THAT we have the beta read and then release.
5. So...March!
6. Curse the Plague! Without it, new Richard Raley writing would be in your hands by now!
7. Richard Raley writing and not a King Henry book because there's actually no King Henry in this one...outside of T-Bone's imagination at least...
8. Then we're on to the next one, cuz it never ends! The Glassbreaker Goes Home. Stolen from The Thin Man Goes Home. Which is a movie series everyone should watch.
9. Speaking of movies...I have Thor Ragnarok, Justice League, Coco, and Blade Runner 2049 all sitting unwatched, so I should get to that. Also Altered Carbon. Which is a book all of you should read. In my top 50 for sure.
10. Confession Time: I've never seen the first Blade Runner! Can you believe that?!?!? Also haven't seen Shawshank Redemption...or the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I know...
11. Here's hoping the next post is a release date!
2. Obviously The Plague knocked my schedule back a bit (not that I'm very good at keeping them lately!) so everything I talked about last time, add a week or two.
3. Assault on Dread Fortress Paine is getting closer and closer to being done. The final edit is winding down, have the last couple scenes left to finish. Then after that I have like 2k-4k of original writing to wrap up, cuz I'm weird and do stuff out of order for some reason. I do it for almost every book actually. Another good one I always seem to manage is writing the last chapter before writing the second to last chapter. Using FM6 as an example I wrote all the Eureka stuff, then the Post Eureka stuff, and only THEN wrote the Geo Realm chapter.
4. After said final edit is over, I'll do my Kindle edit. Unless I make some HUGE mistake everything will be locked down before hand and it's mostly typo hunting, playing with paragraphs and with the FM books actually the first time I get to read them with both the timelines and figuring out where each one should flip back and forth. After THAT we have the beta read and then release.
5. So...March!
6. Curse the Plague! Without it, new Richard Raley writing would be in your hands by now!
7. Richard Raley writing and not a King Henry book because there's actually no King Henry in this one...outside of T-Bone's imagination at least...
8. Then we're on to the next one, cuz it never ends! The Glassbreaker Goes Home. Stolen from The Thin Man Goes Home. Which is a movie series everyone should watch.
9. Speaking of movies...I have Thor Ragnarok, Justice League, Coco, and Blade Runner 2049 all sitting unwatched, so I should get to that. Also Altered Carbon. Which is a book all of you should read. In my top 50 for sure.
10. Confession Time: I've never seen the first Blade Runner! Can you believe that?!?!? Also haven't seen Shawshank Redemption...or the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I know...
11. Here's hoping the next post is a release date!
February 6, 2018
Plague Notes
1. Pre-Plague Asthma Weirdness.
2. Nope, It's the Plague! Begone allergy pills, hello Nitequil!
3. Sneeze, cough, hack, sneeze, cough, hack.
4. Plague, Yes, But Not as Plague-ish as Advertised...
5. Feeling Better.
6. One Good Day of Editing.
7. Super Bowl! Great Game.
8. Wait...it can't be!
9. Plague 2: The Sequel. Just Enough Plague to Be Annoying Edition.
10. Nope, it's a Tide Ad.
2. Nope, It's the Plague! Begone allergy pills, hello Nitequil!
3. Sneeze, cough, hack, sneeze, cough, hack.
4. Plague, Yes, But Not as Plague-ish as Advertised...
5. Feeling Better.
6. One Good Day of Editing.
7. Super Bowl! Great Game.
8. Wait...it can't be!
9. Plague 2: The Sequel. Just Enough Plague to Be Annoying Edition.
10. Nope, it's a Tide Ad.
January 21, 2018
Quick Notes New Year Edition
1. I'm not writing as many quick note posts lately because my tablet's battery is on life support and my writer laptop isn't connected to the internet. Most obvious truth ever: the internet is very bad for productivity. So a few years ago I bought the tablet to help segment my devices. Tablet = net, laptop = writing, PS4 = gaming. It worked great. But it's been a year since my last novel and I don't have spare cash for a new tablet atm, so you'll just have to deal with less blathering from me, okay? ;) And no, you can't easily buy a new battery for a tablet, have tried twice and the knockoffs are off the charts.
2. Currently working on what I hope is my final edit for Dread Fortress. About 1/3 done with it. So far, so good. Might change some of the order of the scenes around yet, not sure. Beginning is kind of slow as is. (Not that I've ever been one to have fast beginnings!) It's another case of me trying to write a novella and instead ending up writing a small novel. Should end up about 200 pages long. Maybe a little shorter. The action scene to character moment ratio is turned way up for one of my works. That was kind of the idea with these two 'novellas', Dread Fortress = action, Goes Home = character. Also, Dread Fortress is kind of the epilogue for FM6 directly, while Goes Home is an epilogue for the entire first half of the series.
3. FM5.5 was arguably skipable...if you know, you didn't want a really enjoyable slice-of-life diversion for three of our characters, but there's a couple events that happen in Dread Fortress that you probably really want to learn about...
4. Still at the halfway mark with Goes Home. Still really enjoy all the ins and outs of it. HOPING to finish it quickly and have it out 2-3 months after Dread Fortress, but I've been about as much of Fate's bitch as King Henry lately, so we'll see.
5. FM7...will start on it as soon as both of those are done. Although it's not like I haven't been thinking about the scenes this whole last year, over and over and over. The writing part of authorship is a shockingly small amount of the time you spend working on a novel.
6. So...Dread Fortress = Late Feb/Early March. Goes Home = May/June/July. Gush = what's Gush? FM7 = TBD.
7. I finally started reading Lois McMaster Bujold's Vor Saga, loving it so far, about halfway through it I think. Been reading tons because of it. One of those series where I'm not sure why I never bothered with it, since I enjoy her Five Gods work so much.
8. As a personal rule if I don't have something good to say about another artist/writer/creator then I take the high ground and just shut my mouth so...I won't be giving my opinion on The Last Jedi. :)
9. Football today! Winter Olympics...World Cup...two Raley novels, maybe three? Let's hope for a good year!
2. Currently working on what I hope is my final edit for Dread Fortress. About 1/3 done with it. So far, so good. Might change some of the order of the scenes around yet, not sure. Beginning is kind of slow as is. (Not that I've ever been one to have fast beginnings!) It's another case of me trying to write a novella and instead ending up writing a small novel. Should end up about 200 pages long. Maybe a little shorter. The action scene to character moment ratio is turned way up for one of my works. That was kind of the idea with these two 'novellas', Dread Fortress = action, Goes Home = character. Also, Dread Fortress is kind of the epilogue for FM6 directly, while Goes Home is an epilogue for the entire first half of the series.
3. FM5.5 was arguably skipable...if you know, you didn't want a really enjoyable slice-of-life diversion for three of our characters, but there's a couple events that happen in Dread Fortress that you probably really want to learn about...
4. Still at the halfway mark with Goes Home. Still really enjoy all the ins and outs of it. HOPING to finish it quickly and have it out 2-3 months after Dread Fortress, but I've been about as much of Fate's bitch as King Henry lately, so we'll see.
5. FM7...will start on it as soon as both of those are done. Although it's not like I haven't been thinking about the scenes this whole last year, over and over and over. The writing part of authorship is a shockingly small amount of the time you spend working on a novel.
6. So...Dread Fortress = Late Feb/Early March. Goes Home = May/June/July. Gush = what's Gush? FM7 = TBD.
7. I finally started reading Lois McMaster Bujold's Vor Saga, loving it so far, about halfway through it I think. Been reading tons because of it. One of those series where I'm not sure why I never bothered with it, since I enjoy her Five Gods work so much.
8. As a personal rule if I don't have something good to say about another artist/writer/creator then I take the high ground and just shut my mouth so...I won't be giving my opinion on The Last Jedi. :)
9. Football today! Winter Olympics...World Cup...two Raley novels, maybe three? Let's hope for a good year!
December 1, 2017
Still Alive #2
Just not much new to report to you fans. I'm writing just barely enough each month where I don't consider it bad, but no where near enough to call it good. Which is an improvement over the total bomb in September, so there's that!
Almost done with the first novella, halfway done with the second. Although novellas are technically 40k words long tops, so Assault on Dread Fortress Paine has upgraded to mini novel I suppose. I have the very last scene plus the epic fight of the story left to go. Quite a few fight scenes in this one, more than my average for sure. Very close to a finished first draft. Probably take a couple passes after that, then a copy edit readthrough. So, very much getting there. SOON.
AoDFP I'm happy with, but The Glassbreaker Goes Home is just...really, really happy with it. I'm sure some will whine about it being filler, but character wise it's so fucking good! KH, Old Man Price, Val, Vega, Vicky, Mama Welf, JoJo, tons of others. Lot of character interactions, lot of great stuff. Probably be in that 50k mini novel range too by the time it's done.
Gush...continues to be the step child I don't have the will to focus on. The twin family medical issues in my life keep on sucking and the horrible odds are they'll end in 2018, but only in misery. Sucks. A lot. Last year I just ignored it all, pushed it all into FM6, this year I think I've given myself way too much time to dwell on it, especially with that 4 month vacation. The mini novels I can just trudge my way through, but for a whole new world I need 100% and I'm not even close to that. So, Gush lingers...
Yup, still fighting to get the mojo back. Part way there but more to go, always more to go. At the very least, FM7 looms. Wrote the first thousand words of it, for the last school story. The War to End All Wars if I went so far to name the school stories ;) Will definitely be diving head first into it come early next year, soon as these mini novels are finished. It's going to be another big one :)
Almost done with the first novella, halfway done with the second. Although novellas are technically 40k words long tops, so Assault on Dread Fortress Paine has upgraded to mini novel I suppose. I have the very last scene plus the epic fight of the story left to go. Quite a few fight scenes in this one, more than my average for sure. Very close to a finished first draft. Probably take a couple passes after that, then a copy edit readthrough. So, very much getting there. SOON.
AoDFP I'm happy with, but The Glassbreaker Goes Home is just...really, really happy with it. I'm sure some will whine about it being filler, but character wise it's so fucking good! KH, Old Man Price, Val, Vega, Vicky, Mama Welf, JoJo, tons of others. Lot of character interactions, lot of great stuff. Probably be in that 50k mini novel range too by the time it's done.
Gush...continues to be the step child I don't have the will to focus on. The twin family medical issues in my life keep on sucking and the horrible odds are they'll end in 2018, but only in misery. Sucks. A lot. Last year I just ignored it all, pushed it all into FM6, this year I think I've given myself way too much time to dwell on it, especially with that 4 month vacation. The mini novels I can just trudge my way through, but for a whole new world I need 100% and I'm not even close to that. So, Gush lingers...
Yup, still fighting to get the mojo back. Part way there but more to go, always more to go. At the very least, FM7 looms. Wrote the first thousand words of it, for the last school story. The War to End All Wars if I went so far to name the school stories ;) Will definitely be diving head first into it come early next year, soon as these mini novels are finished. It's going to be another big one :)
October 16, 2017
October 2017 Quick Notes
1. Had a completely horrible September with no new material written. Back at it now, did a rewrite for Assault on Dread Fortress Paine adding some more characters to the ESLED strike team and I'm now progressing towards the finish.
2. Unless a miracle happens this is by far my worse year for writing output in a long while. Maybe since I started the whole Indie thing. Last year was my best so it all evens out I suppose!
3. It's not writer's block, which is a term I hate, since I've never felt blocked. If anything writer's anxiety or writer's fear would be the correct term. A terrifying fear of a work not being as well received as the last one leading to procrastination.
4. Only in this case, not block or whatever. It's just the family health issues I've mentioned before and specifically for last month some major birthday blues. Plus, ya know, getting the print on demands out and all that distracting me.
5. It's cooled down in Fresno, so there's that! I mean the rest of the state is on fire...
6. Also my wrist is feeling much better...so I can write without it hurting now.
7. New South Park RPG tomorrow, yay!
8. New Stranger Things in two weeks, double yay!
9. Anyway, looking to just ignore the world and write for the next couple months, so...don't tear the blog down while I'm in the mad scientist laboratory please!
2. Unless a miracle happens this is by far my worse year for writing output in a long while. Maybe since I started the whole Indie thing. Last year was my best so it all evens out I suppose!
3. It's not writer's block, which is a term I hate, since I've never felt blocked. If anything writer's anxiety or writer's fear would be the correct term. A terrifying fear of a work not being as well received as the last one leading to procrastination.
4. Only in this case, not block or whatever. It's just the family health issues I've mentioned before and specifically for last month some major birthday blues. Plus, ya know, getting the print on demands out and all that distracting me.
5. It's cooled down in Fresno, so there's that! I mean the rest of the state is on fire...
6. Also my wrist is feeling much better...so I can write without it hurting now.
7. New South Park RPG tomorrow, yay!
8. New Stranger Things in two weeks, double yay!
9. Anyway, looking to just ignore the world and write for the next couple months, so...don't tear the blog down while I'm in the mad scientist laboratory please!
September 24, 2017
King Henry Box Set
Coverage:
Linkage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WDQ8QG/
Obviously I don't think you fans that check out this blog and are up to date with the series as the target audience with this one (although if you do purchase it, thank you very much for the continued support!), but here's a snazzy new 3 in 1 "box set" for the first fourth of our grand experiment. It's part of KDP Select just like everything else, so if any Kindle Unlimited fans want a reread opportunity that only takes up one of your slots, here you go (does KU still use the 10 slots? Maybe I'm out of date).
The one thing I will ask of you, even beg you, is to please consider taking 10 to 15 minutes to go and write an honest review telling people what you love about this series. As always I believe your passion and support is the life blood of this endeavor and the most effective advertising tool that any author could ask for. So please, let them know why they should give The King Henry Tapes a try!
Linkage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WDQ8QG/
Obviously I don't think you fans that check out this blog and are up to date with the series as the target audience with this one (although if you do purchase it, thank you very much for the continued support!), but here's a snazzy new 3 in 1 "box set" for the first fourth of our grand experiment. It's part of KDP Select just like everything else, so if any Kindle Unlimited fans want a reread opportunity that only takes up one of your slots, here you go (does KU still use the 10 slots? Maybe I'm out of date).
The one thing I will ask of you, even beg you, is to please consider taking 10 to 15 minutes to go and write an honest review telling people what you love about this series. As always I believe your passion and support is the life blood of this endeavor and the most effective advertising tool that any author could ask for. So please, let them know why they should give The King Henry Tapes a try!
September 21, 2017
Print On-Demand Promise Finally Accomplished!
After far too much worry and effort, the print-on-demand versions for the first six novels of The King Henry Tapes have been proofed, found worthy, and published. They've just gone up on Amazon and have yet to merge with the kindle versions, so links to each are below. You can also find them on the Createspace store if you're familiar with using it.
They look pretty awesome if I do say so myself, but then what father doesn't think his one-eyed, three-nostriled baby is the most beautiful of them all?
Regardless of possible lisps or uncontrollable drooling, all of those who begged for this day and made promises that I just had to make print-on-demand versions because you wanted to buy a bunch of copies to give out to your non-ebook reading friends and family are going to keep your word, right? Right?
Prices are $11.99 for books 1 and 2, $13.99 for books 3 and 4, $17.99 for book 5, and a $19.99 price tag for book 6. Which is why when the big five publishers talk about how paper books and ebooks really don't cost that much different to make and that's why all big author ebooks are over 15 dollars nowadays, you should tell them to go fuck themselves. Yes, I know, economies of scale versus print-on-demand, but still...bullshit! Paper costs money! Though to be fair, if you buy the print-on-demand version of FM6 you will also be able to use it as a bludgeoning weapon should the undead ever rise up to conquer mankind.
Print on Demand FM1
Print on Demand FM2
Print on Demand FM3
Print on Demand FM4
Print on Demand FM5
Print on Demand FM6
They look pretty awesome if I do say so myself, but then what father doesn't think his one-eyed, three-nostriled baby is the most beautiful of them all?
Regardless of possible lisps or uncontrollable drooling, all of those who begged for this day and made promises that I just had to make print-on-demand versions because you wanted to buy a bunch of copies to give out to your non-ebook reading friends and family are going to keep your word, right? Right?
Prices are $11.99 for books 1 and 2, $13.99 for books 3 and 4, $17.99 for book 5, and a $19.99 price tag for book 6. Which is why when the big five publishers talk about how paper books and ebooks really don't cost that much different to make and that's why all big author ebooks are over 15 dollars nowadays, you should tell them to go fuck themselves. Yes, I know, economies of scale versus print-on-demand, but still...bullshit! Paper costs money! Though to be fair, if you buy the print-on-demand version of FM6 you will also be able to use it as a bludgeoning weapon should the undead ever rise up to conquer mankind.
Print on Demand FM1
Print on Demand FM2
Print on Demand FM3
Print on Demand FM4
Print on Demand FM5
Print on Demand FM6
August 25, 2017
Quick Notes August #2
1. This week I wrote a 8k scene between Vicky and Moira Welf, because why not? Lot that had to be said on any number of topics between those two. Probably cut it down in editing, but we'll see. Really loving THE GLASSBREAKER GOES HOME, its so very character indulgent.
2. Cracked a tooth :( Or, at least a filling...anyway, dentist next week, boo!
3. I took my first try at Football Manager 2017 yesterday...I don't think I've been this intimated by a video game since Crusader Kings 2 years and years ago. Which did not end well. But was one of my favorite video game experiences ever. I started with William the Conqueror, thought I was doing an okay-ish job, took over Wales and all that and then William died...which led to a four way succession war between three of his sons and his brother. I was disposed by my brother, who was captured and killed by my uncle...making me King In Name Only...without any soldiers to call in my name as my youngest brother and uncle battled it out, all while the Duke of York rose up in rebellion...let's just say, it could've gone better.
4. Hoping to finish the first draft of ASSAULT ON DREAD FORTRESS PAINE next month, we'll see.
5. The Defenders turned out as okay TV. All these Marvel Netflix shows just feel very cheap, which I guess they are. Oh well, better than Iron Fist!
6. Stuff still happening behind the scenes. Covers coming in. Slowly going through the Createspace process. The preview copy of Fanged Lady should show up for me next week, then assuming I didn't fuck it up I'll be moving on to FM2 and FM3. Still not sure on release dates for all the print-on-demand stuff, but they are very much happening now.
7. Fuck Jade Druid....
8. The kids are returning to school, yay!
9. Football is back!
10. Summer is almost over! Still 107 on Monday, cuz Fresno...
2. Cracked a tooth :( Or, at least a filling...anyway, dentist next week, boo!
3. I took my first try at Football Manager 2017 yesterday...I don't think I've been this intimated by a video game since Crusader Kings 2 years and years ago. Which did not end well. But was one of my favorite video game experiences ever. I started with William the Conqueror, thought I was doing an okay-ish job, took over Wales and all that and then William died...which led to a four way succession war between three of his sons and his brother. I was disposed by my brother, who was captured and killed by my uncle...making me King In Name Only...without any soldiers to call in my name as my youngest brother and uncle battled it out, all while the Duke of York rose up in rebellion...let's just say, it could've gone better.
4. Hoping to finish the first draft of ASSAULT ON DREAD FORTRESS PAINE next month, we'll see.
5. The Defenders turned out as okay TV. All these Marvel Netflix shows just feel very cheap, which I guess they are. Oh well, better than Iron Fist!
6. Stuff still happening behind the scenes. Covers coming in. Slowly going through the Createspace process. The preview copy of Fanged Lady should show up for me next week, then assuming I didn't fuck it up I'll be moving on to FM2 and FM3. Still not sure on release dates for all the print-on-demand stuff, but they are very much happening now.
7. Fuck Jade Druid....
8. The kids are returning to school, yay!
9. Football is back!
10. Summer is almost over! Still 107 on Monday, cuz Fresno...
August 15, 2017
"The Fanged Lady" and "The Cat Killing Coyotes" New Cover Reveal
Guessing you probably skipped this text to look at the pretties, but I just wanted to spend a moment thanking Deranged Doctor Design for the awesome work they've done and are still doing with the last 4 covers (also plan to continue to use them for future novels!) I asked for covers that said Urban Fantasy to the extreme and they've delivered. These aren't new pieces of artwork, but instead are manipulated stock photos through the use of graphic software and when you consider what they were able to accomplish with that limitation, able to find a model wearing clothes King Henry might wear (with added brown coat!) and able to find another model that just might be King Henry-esqe when it comes to his face...not to mention backgrounds, color blends, all those pieces of rock and glass flying about...
Also, I love how for the San Francisco background with the first novel the thought was: How about the Transamerica Pyramid?
But when it came down to Fresno in the second: Well, I guess we'll use a dilapidated warehouse?
Oh Fresno, they so get you!
THE FOUL MOUTH AND THE FANGED LADY
THE FOUL MOUTH AND THE CAT KILLING COYOTES
Both are working their way through Amazon's warp-pipes as we speak. FM3 is also in the final stages and it shouldn't be much longer before it shows up. Of course I purchased both ebook and paperback designs so this means I have no more reason to delay print-on demand versions and should get them out in the next couple months...no reason other than me being a lazy bastard for anything that's not writing at least!
So, what you think?
Also, I love how for the San Francisco background with the first novel the thought was: How about the Transamerica Pyramid?
But when it came down to Fresno in the second: Well, I guess we'll use a dilapidated warehouse?
Oh Fresno, they so get you!
THE FOUL MOUTH AND THE FANGED LADY
THE FOUL MOUTH AND THE CAT KILLING COYOTES
Both are working their way through Amazon's warp-pipes as we speak. FM3 is also in the final stages and it shouldn't be much longer before it shows up. Of course I purchased both ebook and paperback designs so this means I have no more reason to delay print-on demand versions and should get them out in the next couple months...no reason other than me being a lazy bastard for anything that's not writing at least!
So, what you think?
August 2, 2017
Quick Notes August
1. So I got the cover proposal (kind of like a first draft) for the new FM1 cover yesterday and it's completely Urban Fantastic. Not sure when I'll get the final version to show you fans, but it shouldn't be much longer. Then we get to do it five more times in a row! So excited!
2. Writing the Vicky Welf POV makes me so upbeat...
3. Which makes me think back to what writing a scene with Obadiah Paine in it used to do to my mood...oh well, I guess thanks to King Henry I never have to write a POV from him, do I?
4. I finally managed to find a Nintendo Switch...I only use it for Mario Kart at the moment and promise you fans I won't dare start playing Zelda Breath of the Wild until after all the releases this year. Cuz I have a feeling that'll be a few weeks of complete addiction if I do. Which would be bad, right?
5. Dota 2 International 2017 starts today. The prize pool this year is over 23 million dollars and competition looks fierce. I'll be watching Twitch with one eye and writing with the other the next couple weeks.
6. So HOT!!!
7. First sentence tease for Assault on Dread Fortress Paine...
Within one second of liftoff, Tyson Bonnie knew--without any doubt at all--that he did not like helicopters.
2. Writing the Vicky Welf POV makes me so upbeat...
3. Which makes me think back to what writing a scene with Obadiah Paine in it used to do to my mood...oh well, I guess thanks to King Henry I never have to write a POV from him, do I?
4. I finally managed to find a Nintendo Switch...I only use it for Mario Kart at the moment and promise you fans I won't dare start playing Zelda Breath of the Wild until after all the releases this year. Cuz I have a feeling that'll be a few weeks of complete addiction if I do. Which would be bad, right?
5. Dota 2 International 2017 starts today. The prize pool this year is over 23 million dollars and competition looks fierce. I'll be watching Twitch with one eye and writing with the other the next couple weeks.
6. So HOT!!!
7. First sentence tease for Assault on Dread Fortress Paine...
Within one second of liftoff, Tyson Bonnie knew--without any doubt at all--that he did not like helicopters.
