Jay Swanson's Blog, page 2

NerdCon: Stories – The After – Lessons Learned

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

NerdCon: Stories did three things for me:

It solidified my conviction that cons are worth the time, effort, and money
It introduced me to a bunch of fantastic people from all walks
It left me certain that I need to offer more ways to support Into the Nanten and the rest of my writing

NerdCon Lesson 1 – Cons Are Worth It

Niggling at the back of my mind as I approached NerdCon, much the same as Sasquan, was doubt. Doubt that a con was worth the time, money, and sheer effort that went into exhibiting. Doubt that anyone would like what I had to offer. Doubt that anyone would even stop by my booth long enough to reject me in the first place.

Sasquan crushed those doubts, and NerdCon swept the corpses into the river.

The Work Involved in a Con

I can’t honestly say  how much time I put into NerdCon. Less than Sasquan, which consumed a full week or two of my life in prep alone, but it did require some hustle. I had to get one of the giant panels of my backdrop printed, mounted, and then bundled with the rest and shipped from Spokane to Minneapolis – all remotely.

I ordered so many books that I only had space left for two shirts, and I had to load and unload all of it into and out of the convention center by myself. Thankfully I had some last-minute help from a new con-buddy and writer, David Emery, who made getting the massive prints and Dark Horse portrait out of the convention center a lot easier. I got to the exhibition hall at 7:45am, and left about 12 hours later each day. I pitched all day, got no breaks, and had a general blast.

The Rewards

To put it simply, I sold out of Into the Nanten in the first three hours, Dark Horse half-way through the next day, and sold nearly half of the rest of my merch by the end of the convention. But that wasn’t the biggest reward by half.

The biggest take-away is that cons offer a ton of value for the investment – at least for me. I’m going to be picking up my game on that front in the coming months.

NerdCon Lesson 2 – People Are the Best Part
The Biggest Reward

New friends are always the biggest reward. While it was really cool to sell out of Into the Nanten in the first three hours (and somewhat awkward to turn people away for the next day and a half), what was most fun was meeting the variety of folks who stopped by my booth. Two big highlights worth noting: Joy and general fanteraction.

Joy dropped by early on Friday and, realizing I was all by myself, asked if I was going to get lunch. I must have looked especially pitiable when I said “No,” because she got lunch for me – not once, but twice! I might have starved without her. She was a pleasure and help to have hang out behind the table for a little while.

Fanteraction as a whole was amazing. I don’t think a single attendee knew of my existence going into NerdCon: Stories, but a whole bunch know I exist now. It was really, really fun to have people who found me on Friday come back Saturday and tell me how far along they were reading or listening to Into the Nanten. I even had a few who hung around for a while corralling passers by for me to maneuver them over to my table and hear me pitch the story. It was pleasantly shocking to see.

Danielle bought the last copy of Into the Nanten and was kind enough to leave it as a display model for the rest of the convention!

What’s really fun to watch is how people process the concept of Into the Nanten. Watching them go from “How is that even possible?” to that moment when a pleasure center somewhere in their brain kicks on and they get that little smile. Or they flat out blurt their surprise as they get it.

It’s not every day you get to have people walk by you and shout at the crowd in front of you “Totally worth it! Buy it now!” I was also told at numerous points Saturday afternoon that the leather-bound journal was the “legend of NerdCon.” I bowed in gratitude many times during my tenure behind the table.

NerdCon Lesson 3 – People Want to Support Storytellers

I tend to put up barriers between myself and my projects. I speak in terms of “we” and “Into the Nanten” a lot to substitute for myself. So when I say “We decided…” usually I mean that I decided. In the same way, when I talk about supporting something, it’s easier to talk about supporting “Into the Nanten.” But I realized this weekend that people understand what’s really going on, and they want a way to help the stories they love keep going. They already feel a part of a story they love – many want to express that by giving back.

I was asked “But how does it make money?” so frequently this weekend, and had so many people push back on the free-to-read nature of the project, that I’ve finally decided to go ahead with the idea of launching a Patreon. I still want to give you something in exchange, which is why if you support me via Patreon, at the very least, you’ll gain access to new content that fills in more of the story surrounding Marceles’ exile.

The main attractions are letters between the conspirators behind Marceles’ exile – they will be released in real-time as well. In other words, you get to read their secret correspondence as Marceles continues his struggle in the jungle. Inside knowledge that Marceles doesn’t have.

It’s not polished (no video yet), but it would be silly not to link to it, so be sure to head on over to Patreon to check it out.

NerdCon: Stories – In Summation

I’m really grateful for the opportunity to meet so many great people and to have made so many connections. Here are some practical points I took away:

In the future I will definitely ship books ahead of myself instead of packing them along in my suitcase.

I’ll also be sure to bring help, especially if Nimit or whoever else can’t make it.

I need to get a banner to hang high with the URL featured prominently.

I need to invest in a Husky case for hauling it all (one mysteriously appeared at my booth for a couple of days – it looked nice).

I certainly hope NerdCon is around to stay as a convention. Perhaps next time I’ll get out of the basement long enough to see a little bit of Minneapolis. Thanks to John and Hank Green and all the VidCon staff for putting it on, along with Carrie and the GES staffers who were so helpful! See you all next year!

And remember to check out the Patreon page!

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NerdCon: Stories – The Before

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

I vlogged Sasquan, and I might manage one about NerdCon, but life has thrown enough wrenches my way that vlogging has fallen off of the wagon for the time being. It feels like “wagon” should be spelled with two “g”s. Anyways, there’s a lot to come on the vlogging/blogging/podcasting front, but that’s for another time. NOW – NerdCon:

NerdCon: Stories

In case you aren’t aware, NerdCon: Stories is about to take place in Minneapolis – and I’ll be hanging out in the exhibition hall. There are around 5,000 people descending on this convention center with one collective goal: to celebrate storytelling. It seems like a good place to hang out, and I’m already having a good time of it.

I had to work this morning, then I drove to St Louis and flew into Minneapolis with enough time to pick up some giant art at my hotel and drag it down to the convention center. Thankfully the Marriott here was kind enough to hold onto that artwork for me over the last few days. I had a couple of hours of setup time before I found myself the last exhibitor remaining in the hall. Rather than overstay my welcome [too far] I packed up and will finish tomorrow.

I promise I’ll clean this up before the doors open tomorrow.

They warned me that the exhibition hall was secure, with only one available key, and to be sure I didn’t leave anything important behind. I specifically promised I’d keep my car keys on me, then in my haste packed what I didn’t want to leave behind and rushed out to keep from holding anyone up. I only had a few bags to carry with me and wrestled them down the street to the parking garage.

Then I realized I had lost my keys. I searched all over, lugged my stuff back to the convention center, and couldn’t find them anywhere. As of writing this, I’m still unsure as to their whereabouts. I’m pretty sure I left them in the exhibitor’s hall. The one room that no one has a key to save one person: the guy I promised I would not do exactly this. I’m writing this as I wait for that person to deliver the key back to the hall – after he made it back to his hotel for what I presume was the first time in 18 hours – I probably owe multiple people beers at this point.

So I’m starting NerdCon off in debt. Huzzah.

Looking Ahead to the Weekend

I can’t wait to see what happens this weekend. Unfortunately, Nimit couldn’t join me so I’m all by my lonesome. That means I won’t be able to see the daytime panels or events. Frowny face. That’s ok though; I’m really looking forward to meeting a bunch of nerdy story lovers and hanging out when I get the chance in the evenings.

To celebrate, starting tomorrow, you can save 20% off everything in my store with the code NERDCON – it’s good until Monday, so go nuts. One caveat: the inventory is with me at NerdCon, so if I oversell, you’ll have to wait a little bit. I’ll be in touch about that if it happens, but I wanted to give a heads up and pre-apologize for any additional wait time.

Anyone here at NerdCon will automatically save that 20% – they’ll also get first dibs on some new prints and postcards.

If you’re here in Minneapolis, I would love to meet you! Swing by the exhibition hall and come aaaaaallll the way to the back. You’ll see the Dark Horse art from the hall.

Now to get my keys and find some food.

EDIT: Found them.

ALSO! Shadows of the Highridge is available for preorder on Amazon. More about SOTH next week; I need to survive NerdCon first.

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What Makes Into the Nanten Unique

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

During our Google+ Hangout celebrating the launch of Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King, our guest moderator Tim asked me what made Into the Nanten unique. I misunderstood, and went on to talk about the technical aspects of telling a story in real time that made it unique among its peers. What he meant was what made the narrative unique – what about the characters was different?

Uniqueness – A Disclaimer

I ascribe to the idea that there’s nothing new under the sun. In one way or another, as South Park demonstrated so famously with the Simpsons, every idea in story has been carried out ad nausium. It’s one of the great mysteries of human nature that we’re as fascinated with new stories as we tend to be considering that none of them are actually new in the finest sense of the word.

That said, I do think every story has its components that make it stand out – even if each of them has been done before. Here are a few things that I think make Into the Nanten “unique.”

What Makes Into the Nanten Unique

From the outside, I would argue that anyone looking at Marceles would think him a confident, competent, badass individual. He really is one of the best swordsmen in the world at this time, if not the best, and had a reputation for it that preceded him everywhere he went at home. Even in the Nanten, to see Marceles enter a clearing would most likely cause everyone to take a step back (if not into hiding). He’s a killer, quick and cold as the steel he carries, and he’s insanely powerful behind all of the skill.

But the Marceles we see through the words of his journal is plagued with self-doubt, unstable emotions, and conflicting desires that keep him from seeing himself with confidence any longer. He used to think of himself as the best, and he hasn’t completely lost that, but he’s starting to turn his focus outwards.

Perhaps it’s the combination of these things that makes Marceles unique. He’s worthy of all the praise and pride that he’s used to, but in a place where no one knows who he is or what he’s capable of, he’s lost his sense of owning that reputation.

We get to watch as Marceles turns from nursing his own hurt and confusion over his exile to focusing more on the plight of those around him. It takes a long time, but changes that big often do (and he’s still quicker to it than most of us). We see him go from being cocksure to crippled by doubt, then on to forgetting about himself altogether over time.

A Contradiction Based in Perspective

If you were to write Marceles into a third person narrative, the lights would appear dim every time he took the stage. He burns brilliantly. Look at the friends he keeps, and the ones who gave up their own lives to help him in his exile. Dionus is a living legend – you’ll find out more about why this season, but he’s earned the title. Balthandar was the highest ranking bodyguard to his royal family, and he left them to follow Marceles into the Nanten.

Early on, from Marceles’ perspective, we see him compare his friends to himself and find them close but wanting. As time wears on, he starts to focus more on their exploits, their skills, their strengths over his. Soon he’s seeing the better side of everyone, even the chief of the KoraKora. The more he does this, the less sure he becomes that he’s as great as he thought he was.

It’s only through that experience that he begins to grow humble, to start to focus on the challenges others face as well as the strengths they bring to the table. It’s the beginning of compassion in Marceles – something that didn’t exist before. Certainly not something the Tetrarch beat into him.

The only reason we can see this is because we’re in his head, though his actions would start to lead us to the same conclusions in time. I like writing Marceles because he’s messy. He’s self-contradictory at points, immature in love despite his many lovers, and increasingly self-aware as the scales fall off his eyes day by day. It’s always two steps forward and one step back.

As we enter season two, the mess will get a little more directed, but I doubt it’ll get all that much cleaner.

What about you? What do you think makes Into the Nanten unique?

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Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King – Launched!

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King is the second season of Into the Nanten, the world’s first real time fantasy blog. And it’s live. Now. You can go read the first entry here: intothenanten.com/entry-196.

You’ll note that the podcast is available now, too, and you can get loaded up at the bottom of the entry.

Did you miss out on the Google Hangout we did tonight to celebrate? Did you win swag from the giveaway? Find out here:

We’re hoping to do this once a month – with more insight into the broader scope of storytelling involved, and with a diverse cast of guests. Keep an eye on this space and subscribe on YouTube to stay in the loop!

Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King – Live and ready to read!

What are you excited for? Any fears or theories as we get started?

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Into the Nanten: Giveaway

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

There’s just under a week left until the launch of Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King. To celebrate, we’re giving away a small pile of Nantese swag! Enter as many times as the Rafflecopter below will let you, then tune into the live Google+ Hangout next Wednesday at 9PM Eastern Time to see if you won!

EDIT: Our last giveaway had roughly 440 entries put in before all was said and done. If we break 500 this time, I’m going to add some more unique items.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free, you say? Why, do say more!

Here’s what we’re giving away:

One paperback copy of Into the Nanten.
One paperback copy of Dark Horse.
Three prints of the ITN Season One Panorama
Three prints of the ITN Season Two Poster

The Great Into the Nanten Giveaway should probably start here. This panorama was made specifically for Worldcon and was put on display there at a much larger resolution.

I actually sold out of Into the Nanten paperback copies, so I’ll be ordering new ones this week. They’re full-color and generally majestic.

The Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King poster has never been made available for purchase, and before it is: you can snag one for the dirt cheap price of $0.

And finally, to sweeten the deal, a paperback copy of Dark Horse. It’ll make your book shelf look a lot nicer, guaranteed or your money back (this is a one-time offer only, applicable to this single copy that you will receive for $0).

Why are you still reading this? Shouldn’t you be entering to win? But before you go! Don’t forget the Google+ Hangout next Wednesday. It’s gonna be a ton of fun, and you can hear your name horribly mispronounced live on YouTube when I tell you that you’ve won.

What could be more fun than that? Oh yeah, the Into the Nanten Giveaway. Go get some swag! Or, you know, watch this pretty video.

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The Hugos as a Microcosm

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

How the Hugos Demonstrated One of Our Greatest Shortcomings

The primary thing missing from public discourse in the United States is empathy. The effort required to stop and listen to one’s opponent, to truly understand them before entering into debate, seems a higher cost than most are willing to pay. Without compassion, there are no winners. Which means at this point, puppy or no, we’re all panning out to be losers.

Let me open by saying that on both personal and professional levels, I had a great time at Sasquan (the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention – Worldcon). It was basically in my home town, and in spite of the smoke the experience was relatively untarnished for me. My main goal was to meet other writers and make friends of all types while drawing a few new eyeballs to Into the Nanten; I left the convention having exceeded my expectations on all fronts.

The r/fantasy crew were central to the entire experience for me and we had a blast together. That said, as you probably know, it wasn’t all roses.

Puppies – The Controversy

-Feel free to skip this part if you’re aware of what’s going on.-

A quick summary, as many of my readers are probably unaware that there was any controversy (if not also unaware that Worldcon/the Hugos existed in the first place):

Basically a group of people (broken into two groups, the Sad and Rabid Puppies) claimed that the Hugos, as an award, were skewed towards what they called “Social Justice Warriors,” stating that the Hugos were only being handed out to books that fit a particularly “liberal” bent – basically they said you’re more likely to get an award for featuring a black transgender protagonist than for how good your writing actually is. They hijacked the nomination process and swept the ballot in many categories.

Things got nasty and in the end the community decided to refuse any awards in five of those categories. “No Award” had only been given to five individual categories over the course of the entire history of the convention up to that point. In one night, that number doubled. It was historic, and it left an impression to witness first hand.

I won’t get into the details, but there is a fantastic summary of it all on Nathaniel Givens’ blog. He comes across as fairly neutral, and I’d suggest giving it a read if you haven’t already.

-Stop Skipping Here-

Overall, I didn’t feel like the controversy with the Puppies (both Sad and Rabid) had much effect on the convention at large. They weren’t visibly present, and if they were around at all they didn’t speak up much. Things proceeded smoothly up to and through the Hugo ceremony on Saturday night. Depending on who you ask.

Compassion – An Endangered Species

As a new member of the Worldcon community, I left with mixed feelings to the response of each “No Award” announced. I knew one of the guys on the ballot for Best Fancast and I was rooting for him. It was when they called another name I was shocked, but then told that the reason was likely because he was on the Puppy slate. As things progressed, and I imagined I knew someone in each successive category, I didn’t like that people cheered what felt like their losses. They didn’t put themselves there – though many certainly deserved recognition for all of their hard work – and yet everyone in that auditorium applauded when it was announced that no one deserved an award that year for each category.

I realize that the cheering overall was in response to the statement effectively made by the community: You can’t hijack our awards. But to those nominees who found themselves swept up in a controversy that they had no part in creating or propagating, there was a different cheer heard: Get the f*ck out.

While I don’t know how everyone on the Puppy Slates got there, I do know that a lot of the nominees either had no idea it was happening, or were displeased to discover they were on it (two different nominations were withdrawn for this reason). Being nominated for a Hugo is a huge honor, something many people dream of, and to have it tainted by outside politics like this was heartbreaking for many.

They are all of them creators. While there are a select few who I’m sure behaved badly, you don’t want to burn the village to the ground in your zeal to kill a couple of witches. Even though their nominations were tainted by the Puppy coven, it’s no reason to grab your pitchfork. Most of the nominees had no real idea what was going on – all they were trying to do was make great stuff.

In many of the discussions and articles I’ve seen online, there is little discussion of who I would obviously describe as the victims of this situation: the nominees themselves. Even then, there’s less real discussion between the Puppies and the rest. A lot of nasty lies have been flung from both sides of the aisle, along with name calling and plenty of shouting to go around.

My Request – A Reboot

As the “gentlemen’s agreement” surrounding the voting system of the Hugos has been broken, I do think that reform is warranted. However, I think that as we enter into another year leading up to the next Worldcon, we should focus on resetting the discourse. There are some really harsh, dark things being said across and between all three parties locked in this controversy.

What seems quickly forgotten is that there is a real corner of the community inhabited by real people who have been negatively affected by all of this. I was not, but I know people who have been (and got invited to a party full of them after the Hugos award ceremony).

There is a group of people who feel that things have gone awry, and another that thinks things were great the way they were. Between them have been swept up a number of people who were and continue to be great fans and creators in the community.

Whether or not you agree with the Puppies or the non-Puppies, it’s important to take the time to fully understand each point of view before summarily dismissing either. This has been made all the more difficult by the variety of shots taken on both sides, but if we could just lay down our torches and try to resume civil discourse rather than trying to burn each other to death, I think it would be well worth it.

And let’s not forget that while the Puppies were proven a vocal minority, they came from a place of true frustration. How we understand the grievances of the minority, and how we deal with those grievances, says a lot about who we are.

America – A Larger Problem

This lack of ability to understand each other isn’t localized just within fandom. Our unwillingness to slow down and speak with those peers who disagree with us has become an American norm (I can’t speak for the rest of the world). What happened with the Hugos is merely a shadow of the specter of disunity that looms high above the country. Whatever your politics, whether you vote red, blue, or some strange amalgamation of purple, there’s a good chance that you simultaneously feel your side isn’t understood well enough – and still many never take the time to listen themselves.

This is ultimately my call: to listen.

Ask questions, understand the responses, then if you still disagree, do so after adjusting your position to reflect what the person in front of you actually believes. This is hard. I realize that. I don’t really want to do it myself, but nothing is going to change until we do – and the anger kindled within these exchanges will only continue to grow. Just because the Sad/Rabbid Puppies were shut down this year doesn’t mean they’re any less frustrated or hurt. Odds are good it means they are moreso.

And that should matter – it does matter – we should seek reconciliation, not to prove that we are right or that our opinions are superior.

Hugos – How it Could Have Been

My real experience with the Hugos began last Saturday, even if I voted months beforehand (and only on like two things because I was too late to vote on most). So I’d like to address what I saw. I do think it was important, considering how everything had escalated, to send a message that said “It is not OK to hijack the Hugos.” That is a fair statement to make, and the “No Award” handed down as a result was not unfair. It was in how they were handed down that mattered.

It’s important to realize that real people were sitting in that auditorium, their hearts in their throats, their hopes burgeoning that maybe, just maybe, they would win something that night. It’s hard enough not winning an award. It’s doubly so when people applaud the fact that no one won it.

Rather than applaud (of which I’m guilty on a few counts), it would have been more appropriate had I simply nodded quietly in approval. In the same moment, it would have been good to reach out and offer comfort to one of the nominees if they had been nearby. Just to say, “Hey, I realize this sucks, but there’s always next year.”

Hugos – Moving Forward

How should we handle all of this moving forward? That’s the question I’d like to raise. The controversy isn’t over, so how we carry ourselves into the next year will determine a lot. I’d like to take this moment to remind everyone involved that it doesn’t matter how the other side acts, you’re only responsible for how you do.

So how will you?

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Mad Science

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

Although if we’re being honest, I’m not sure how much science is really involved here.

I’ve entered into a long string of experiments, the results of which are a little jumbled, but all of which have been fun. Below are three things I’m trying out to engage readers and grow my audience. They say the key is perseverance, but I’d say choosing your lock is as important. We’re making some adjustments as we move forward, and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.

AUDIOBOOKS

Let’s start off with my most conservative offering – the control group, if you will: Audiobooks.

Audiobooks are a big part of the publishing landscape, so investing some time and money into this seems fairly safe. I’ve never done them before, though I did start reading for my first trilogy when I was living in Paris. That ended with a bout of self-consciousness and a relative distaste for my own writing. I’m laughing now, but it wasn’t funny then.

What makes this more experimental is that the audiobook we’re doing is for Into the Nanten, and each entry of season two, Fall of the Arbor King, will be released in real time as a podcast first. So not only is the written version free on the website, but the spoken one will be free as well.

The obvious hope is that people who love podcasts and audiobooks will discover Into the Nanten this way. This is a brand new offering, so we will have to see how it’s received over the coming months. You can try it out right now by clicking that orange play button below:

Into the Nanten on SoundCloud:

If Podcasts and SoundCloud aren’t your thing, you’ll be able to buy Into the Nanten through Audible (Amazon and iTunes) very soon – we just got approval on the production. I’ll link here and elsewhere as soon as it’s live.

VIDEOBOOKS

Videobooks are the newest and possibly most outrageous of my experiments.

As I’ve already said, Audiobooks are undeniably big. Even though I don’t listen to them myself, I can’t deny that I’ve been asked for them for years. What no one has asked me for, but what seems appropriate given the tides of the YouTubes, is what I’m calling videobooks (though if you look up “videobook” on Google you will get a totally different result than my intent).

Most of my favorite YouTubers have video game channels, and vlogging is huge (something I’m getting back into myself). Essentially from Millenials down, there are a lot of people who really enjoy watching other people do stuff. Combine that with the fact that most of us really enjoy being read to, and I figure why not read to you on video?

This one is a little more outrageous, but my hope is that I’ll look back one day and think, “Well obviously that was the way to go.” Better than the usual response I have to my past self of “What the *&$% was I thinking?”

Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for vlogs and more videobook chapters.

INTO THE NANTEN

And of course, the centerpiece to the insanity that is my mad science: Into the Nanten.

Into the Nanten is nothing if it isn’t one giant experiment. Write a story as episodic content, release it on a daily basis for free, and then pour my resources into illustrating it and now creating an audio version as well. The Kickstarter went a long way towards mitigating those costs, although when you have a perk that costs $450 just to create, you’re bound to fall a touch short.

Things were really starting to pick up towards the end. Traffic was rising, the Kickstarter brought in some new fans, and we were seeing momentum build more and more as we careened towards the end of season one, The Record of My Exile. Will that momentum pick back up? Will people even remember it exists after a summer hiatus?

The only consistent issue we’ve had with critics has been the format – some people don’t like the feel of a daily journal or travel log. That’s ok, though it’s not something I can help. There are things I can do, however, including the planned release of Shadows of the Highridge, a book that will give you some insight into Salisir’s life pre-exile. It’s told in a third person narrative, so fear not.

THE FUTURE

I have some plans to continue the growth of our readership, some wild hopes and a few sure things. But in the end there are no sure things in science, mad or no, there are only hypotheses we can refine until we’ve got a decent handle on what’s happening (until some jerk comes up with a new theory that shifts our entire paradigm).

I am really excited though. I’ll continue vlogging, videobooking, audiobooking, and most importantly: writing. I just hope you all will come along for the ride.

What are you hoping to see? Are there any avenues we aren’t pursuing that you think would be beneficial? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Header image provided by Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.

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30 and Single

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

A vlog wherein I think out loud about being single and turning 30 (at the same time). I also do my laundry, which is pretty exciting.

I would have played some of the retro arcade games if vlogging hadn’t taken up the entire time.

Need something to read?

I still think it’s a conflict of interest to sell used clothing at a laundromat. Also, I cut this bit but I did talk about how canaries in laundromats serve the same purpose as they do in mines. If the one you have behind the counter drops dead, you should probably get the heck out of that laundromat.

Are you single? Do you love it? Hate it? Meh? I go back and forth. I love being single some days, and then I get lonely and wish I wasn’t. Those moments tend to be pretty fleeting if I’m honest though. I do want someone to travel with, I can say that much. Memories aren’t real unless they’re shared – at least they’re more prone to getting lost, and I tend to doubt mine when there’s no one to verify them for me.

Of course I’d love to share my life with someone, but I also have a lot of freedom to enjoy in the now. I imagine I’ll find the right girl someday, but until then I’m gonna do my best to enjoy and appreciate being alone.

What about you? Any advice as I enter my 30’s, single as a hermit crab?

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It’s Time to Vlog Again

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

It’s time to make an official return to vlogging! In this one I talk to our Kickstarter Backers about what to expect next – including audiobooks, videobooks, conference appearances, and more! This was a dry run to work out some technical kinks and see how my setup would function – expect improvements in time.

So Much Going On!

Do you have any questions, hopes, or concerns about Into the Nanten: Fall of the Arbor King? Leave them in the comments below! I’d love to see if we’ve addressed them, and perhaps there’s still time to affect the final story.

So many cool things on the way. If you want to get ahead of the game, head on over to SoundCloud and subscribe to Into the Nanten there! We’ll be posting them all pretty much at once when they’re ready, then season two will come out with the blog entries – so theoretically if you subscribe to the podcast, you should get it in real time as well.

Let’s hope we can figure this all out!

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How to Crinkle and Generally Abuse Kickstarter Perks

Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson

I took the last week off for one main reason: I was feeling overwhelmed. So I did what any sane human being would and asked if I could just go home. I packed my bags, flew to the Great PNW, and hid away in coffee shops and bakeries – mostly to write.

I gave myself two primary tasks for the 10 days of blissful freedom I had before me:

Write a book
Fulfill a bunch of Kickstarter rewards

Daunting, but I think I might have actually managed it. I even got my motorcycle endorsement along the way. I realize a week may be a luxury not everyone can snag, but I think the principles below hold true nonetheless. Here’s how to write a book in a week and abuse a bunch of Kickstarter rewards as you go.

 

How to Write a Book in a Week
Rule 1: Take a Week Off

No one has time. It’s a maxim of the creative process: make time.

Not to start off like a hard-ass, but I won’t sugar coat this one. The only way to have time to write is to set that time aside and just do it. As Heinlein so gracefully pointed out: “The only difference between those who want to write and those who write is writing.”

(I’m pretty sure I didn’t make that quote up)

If you don’t have the luxury of taking a full week off, then carve time out of your regular schedule. Mark an hour on your calendar every morning as “Busy” and fill it with writing. Sacrifice the Saturday morning cartoons and pick up your pen instead. Make time.

Rule 2: Don’t Actually Try to Write the Whole Thing in a Week

Though it’s doable, I doubt it’s advisable. Especially if, like me, you’re coming off of a full 40hr work week with 26hrs of travel added on. Stir in some jetlag and your brain stew will come out steaming and savory.

Assuming you planned this week off with at least two weeks advance notice, you now have two weeks of prep time. Spend fifteen minutes at lunch outlining a chapter. Do a character sketch or interview while you’re in the shower (so many good ideas for dialogue happen under hot water). Put the time you have available to work. Every little bit counts.

I started prewriting for Vanig and the Worm on airplanes and wrote the first few chapters when I had a spare hour here or there. By the time I sat down to start my week-long blitz, I was at a point where I had momentum and knew my characters [pretty] well. It was all made easier by chipping away at it in advance.

Rule 3: Sit in the Damn Chair

This was the single-most difficult stretch of writing I think I’ve ever faced. Blame the jet lag, blame the Kickstarter anxiety and looming production schedule for Season 2 of ITN, blame whatever – I was itchy and squirmy all week. It was really, really hard to focus. Normally, if I have a few days to focus on writing full time, I can get up to 10,000 words a day and will peak somewhere above that. Last week? I was lucky to crank out 5,000 in a day.

Sometimes writing is a grind. So sit and grind away. I’m not saying to shut off all distraction – I’d go crazy – but don’t give into the distractions that pull you completely away.  Browse Facebook for a minute, watch Kung Fury to clear your head, but as soon as the urge to write returns you need to pull that document back up and start pounding away. Even if it’s only for a few hundred words.

Sit. Write. And when you think maaaaaybe I could just call it quits today: don’t.

That said, you still need to:

Rule 4: Set Limits

Put a limit on how long you’re going to write. Mine often came in the form of rides from friends or family (someone around here doesn’t own a car any more). Knowing that someone was coming to get me in an hour not only gave me an extra push to write, it gave me a sense of relief that I wasn’t going to have to do this for much longer. That made the writing itself easier.

Another option is to set a reasonable goal for your word count on the day. Don’t get hung up on it, but do your best to beat it every time.

Rule 5: If Necessary – Swap Locations

I move every few hours on a writing day – usually when I’m hungry. It’s the perfect excuse to fold up the laptop, find a new place to write, and eat somewhere in the middle. Give your brain a break, feed yourself, and find a fresh environment.

Throw Some Kickstarter Perks in to Keep it Stressful

This is actually filed under the “Don’t Do This” section of how to write a book in a week. If I could have done one thing differently, it would have been to cut the Kickstarter necessities from my week, but alas. Not to be.

How to give yourself hand cramps in a week – that’s what this blog post should be called

I spent 6.5 hours tearing up paper and crumpling it up and re-crumpling it once I’d flattened it out. I signed one hundred and… a… lot of prints. T-Shirts? Yep. All that to say, don’t clutter your week with other obligations.

I didn’t want to cut my social time down too far; I don’t get up to Spokane very often and it was graduation/move friends week. But if you can, I’d advise you cut people time to a minimum. And just don’t try to write a book in a week while you’re in the midst of fulfilling Kickstarter rewards. Especially if it involves a lot of crumpling.

How to Write a Book in a Week: In Summary

Whether you can take a day, a week, or [if the stars align and God wills it] an entire month to write one – all of this holds true for how to write a book in a week:

Make the time to write
Do as much prep work in advance as possible
Sit down and make yourself sit there until words happen
Set goals and limits in advance so you feel fine powering down
Switch up your environment as necessary to keep fresh
Cut as many stressors and obligations out as possible

Followup Question:

The working title for the book I finished this week is Vanig and the Worm. The current contender for the final title is Shadows of the Highridge Mountains.

Which appeals to you more straight off the bat? So far on Facebook it’s a pretty even split.

Post Script – Find Some Time to Have Fun

Your brain needs a break. I mentioned that I got my endorsement. For father’s day, my dad and I took an intermediate course in motorcycle safety and passed with perfect scores. Not to brag. Ok, to brag. Be sure to have some fun, clear your head, and don’t totally neglect the people you love along the way.

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