Joseph Hunt's Blog, page 8
July 18, 2012
Writing on Wednesday: Animals Can Drink Here (18/07)
Hi guys! Today is another Photoshop created picture that goes with my post... and today is My Writing on Wednesday! WOO! I'm going to get in the habit of sharing my writing twice a week with you guys, once on a Wednesday and another on a Friday! Let's hope I can stick to that! HA!
The piece of flash fiction that I am about to post was used in my TTC Virtual Blog tour post over at Laci Paige's blog! Warning: it's a horror.
Here's the flash fiction, and below that I'll post the picture which I used. ENJOY!
Animals Can Drink Here
He
didn’t even wait for self-control to kick in as he shoved his head into the water
and started to lap it up, then whipping his head out and gasping for a breath.
It had been a while; you could say that, since he’d had a drink of fresh water,
but to his tongue, the water wasn’t at all fresh, it was stagnant.
“Come, Christy!” He waved over at his
friend behind him. “I found—water,” he said between slurps.
“John. No!”
“It’s fine, it’s clean.”
Christy glanced up at the sign above
John, it read, ‘WARNING: Water unfit for
human consumption’, she gasped and glanced back down at John, he’d opened
up an empty bottle and started to fill it with the water.
“John, stop drinking the water. It’s not
been treated yet!”
John didn’t stop, he didn’t even turn
around to acknowledge that he’d heard her. He just licked his lips and then
started to drink the water from the bottle.
Christy brought a hand up to her face
and touched her lips. They were hard and dry; she desperately needed water, and
either way she was going to die, through dehydration, or what looks like
poisonous water. “John,” she said, her voice strained and whiney.
“What!”
“The water hasn’t been treated,” she
said, pushing a hand up against her stomach as it started to rumble. “And we
need to get fresh water, and something to eat.”
John turned around, the whites of his
eyes were now red and as he wiped at them, tears poured down his cheeks. “I’m
fine, just drink some water, it will make you feel all better,” he said,
gritting his teeth and almost punching himself in his stomach at the pang of
pain shooting upward through to his chest.
“Oh, god. No! You can’t do this to me,
everyone else has gone, you can’t leave me as well,” she said, kneeling beside
him and looking into his eyes.
“I’m not, I’m sorry Christy. I’m not
going to die,” he said, the pupils in his eyes broke, and leaked open, turning
his eyes black.
He gripped Christy by the neck, and with
a pop, he snapped her neck. Her head flopped into his hands and then her whole
body fell limp over him. He tore at her skin, peeling pack until he was at the
meat, and then he started to pull at the muscle, scoffing on her remains, just
like he had with the rest of the group.
What did you think?
Did you enjoy it?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 17, 2012
Self-Publishing: Pricing Your eBook!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how much to price my eBook(s) at and I've actually noticed that more and more people have been posting this question in groups that I belong to, and they're asking for opinions on whether $xx.xx amount is the right amount.
Well, let me put this straight, there is no right amount. There isn't a guide saying that x amount of words means that you should sell your eBook at x amount of dollars/pounds/euros etc. it doesn't work like that, and because there are no overheads like production costs, it means you can price your eBook at whatever you like.
In a previous post I do go over pricing a little bit at the end, and that might shed some light on how you might want to price. (Taken from my post: Short Stories: Selling Them.) --- "I am no good at pricing. So I don't really know what to say you should price your short stories at. For me I'd price them at £0.79 / $0.99 but for others they price them at $2.99, which I respect as it has cover art, a lot of editing and time has gone into those 5,000 words, and also formatting. So I respect it. The downside to the higher end of pricing a 5,000 word short story is that there won't be many people buying, say 5 people a month (maybe). And the upside to being priced at the lower end is that people might think your work isn't good and so you've priced it so low, but more people would buy it. There's also the profit: you only get 35% for a $0.99 eBook ($0.35), and 70% for a $2.99 eBook ($2.09).
#1 so if you sell an eBook at $0.99 and you're making $0.35, and you sell around 5 a month, you're only making $1.75 a month, so $21 a year per eBook.
#2 now, if you sell an eBook at $2.99 and you're making $2.09, and you sell around 5 a month, you're making $10.45 a month, so $125.4 a year per eBook.
That's a huge difference, but when you publish you can always play around with pricing."
A little disclaimer here, I think that with proper marketing and promotion, you'd be making more than five sales per month, so call this 'bare minimum'. I am not sure what's realistic for a self-published author to get in sales, but like I say, it's probably all down to marketing and promoting, and if you don't do enough of either then don't expect many, if any sales.
Your First eBook
I'm currently at this stage in my self-publishing career/life, whatever you want to call it, and it's making me slightly stressed out and nerve-racked, and anyone who says otherwise is probably just saying that to sound confident. I suppose there is a lot to be confident about; formatting, editing, cover art, and most importantly the content... but they're also going to be under scrutiny and that's why it's making me nervous.
I know that it shouldn't matter if you're publishing your first or twenty-first eBook, but I'm on the fence about how to price it. A part of me is saying, "Joe, price it lower, get more people reading your writing and then build up a readership of people who are willing to pay more for your other work." And then the other side is like, "yes, it's about building a readership, but at the same time, you've worked so god damn hard on this, don't undersell yourself, Joe! And this is what you're choosing as a job, you do need to make money from this... but remember that it's not all about the money. Okay?" I'm not sure, in fact, the only thing I am sure of is that I'm going to use more colours because I've got more voices that want to talk.
"Joseph Thomas James Eastwood! Listen to me, don't listen to them! Now that I have your attention, I'll tell you what I was thinking... I was thinking that you should stop pussy footing around with this blog post. Oh, and my thoughts on pricing, well, you don't have to pick a price and stick with it, you can always price it high and then do those 'FOR ONE DAY ONLY' things and price your eBook cheaper or for free." << that's the demanding voice, and also the reasoning one.
Side note: Part of the reason for creating this blog was to meet new people, to meet other writers, readers, bloggers, whoever, just people who might be interested in my life story (currently a work-in-progress) and I'm going to be honest and up front with you guys... whereas some people like to keep their identity a secret, and don't like to share. Well, I'm a huge sharer... when it comes to the invisible audience that is!
I created a chart on excel to work out the 35% and 70% profit from each sale... I feel a little bit nervous sharing this chart because I fear that you're going to be thinking "oh, he's only writing to make money" and it would kill me to have you guys think that about me when all I want to do is write for a living and if making money will allow me to do that, then I'm going to try and make money. Anyway, I'll show you guys, this is for research, and if you're like me and love to research, then you'll love this!
*35% sorry! lol
I created this chart with 3 currencies as I'm from the UK and at the end everything needs to be turned into pounds and it's good to know I'm pricing the eBook at similar prices across all of Amazon's Kindle stores. Yes, it might look a little bit excessive, although I've been told that I should have gone all the way up to $8.99 etc. (I felt that would have been excessive).
I think the excel chart is pretty easy to read. Right? White is price. Light blue is profit. Purple is euro in pound, and black is dollar in pound. I'm going to focus on dollars and America as that is probably the biggest eBook market, and America is a very big place. Those highlighted in red are the price points that I'd like to try out.
The line starting £0.75 is what I want to try for my short 5,000 word short stories.
Would you pay that? Is it too cheap? I hope that pricing it so low will make people think it's not going to be a good read.
The line starting £1.99 is what I might also try for the 5,000 word short stories, or perhaps longer/novellas of around 25,000-ish words. But this is all still maybes and I've not thought everything through.
The lines £2.99, £3.49, and £3.99 are all for the novels, and they're for playing around with as I feel that they're definitely worth that, especially with all of the hard work that it's taken and cups of coffee I've had to drink into the early hours of the morning saying to myself. "Finish the next line/ the next scene/ oh, go on, you can do another chapter before bed!" I think it's a form of abuse to be quite honest! HA!
Oh, I should say something about that last line on the chart, that's going to be for compilations, like super compilations of all the short stories that I've written, with extras in those. (That's still an ideas stage thing.)
Now that I've put some ideas in your head, I'm going to put some questions to you, and it would mean the world to me if you could answer them. Thank you!
What's the maximum price you'd pay for an eBook?
Do you read free eBooks or just store them?
Would you go out on a limb for an author's books that you'd never read before?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 16, 2012
Guest Post: Catrina Taylor (16/07)
This week's question on the TTC Virtual Blog Tour was: Title/Characters – How they came to be and what influenced your choices – what is your process? And this week I have Catrina Taylor as a guest on my blog! Let's give her a warm welcome!
(Also, I'm so close to 300 followers on this blog now! YAY!)
Character Creation without a Plan I’m supposed to discuss character creation. That’s a challenge for me. Not because I don’t have characters in my books. Every book has characters and every character changes in each book. Simple enough from one perspective, but in reality, discussing character creation is difficult from my perspective. The simple reason is that for me, characters are very much alive. My characters are a creation of my imagination, but they live, breath, fight, win, and die there.
For me, the creation process is like having a conversation with a friend who tells me about their life. Yes, as the author I hone it, polish it and make it come alive for the reader, but first, my characters are alive for me. They talk to me and develop along with the words placed on the paper. I create as the story unfolds. I don’t know what will come of it, or who I will meet until I begin so, character creation just flows as part of the project. With limited conscious references, and less conscious development, the characters evolve as the world unfolds around them.
Perhaps for me, creating a character is like taking a walk with a friend to learn everything they can share about themselves. It isn’t a science, a plan or an organization, it just is. I suppose you can call it a ‘pantsers plan to character creation’ as I write by the seat of my pants.
About My Guest
Catrina Taylor is a mother, science fiction author and avid reader. She enjoys character driven fiction, both in creation and for leisure. Her first book, Birth of an Empire: The Beginning was released in November 2011. She has since released two short stories as prequels to the Birth of an Empire Series, with many more slated for release this year along side book two, Consequences.
You can get in touch with Catrina on twitter as TheLadyWrites or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/xarrok and you can learn more about the universe at http://xarrok.com
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
(Also, I'm so close to 300 followers on this blog now! YAY!)
Character Creation without a Plan I’m supposed to discuss character creation. That’s a challenge for me. Not because I don’t have characters in my books. Every book has characters and every character changes in each book. Simple enough from one perspective, but in reality, discussing character creation is difficult from my perspective. The simple reason is that for me, characters are very much alive. My characters are a creation of my imagination, but they live, breath, fight, win, and die there.
For me, the creation process is like having a conversation with a friend who tells me about their life. Yes, as the author I hone it, polish it and make it come alive for the reader, but first, my characters are alive for me. They talk to me and develop along with the words placed on the paper. I create as the story unfolds. I don’t know what will come of it, or who I will meet until I begin so, character creation just flows as part of the project. With limited conscious references, and less conscious development, the characters evolve as the world unfolds around them.
Perhaps for me, creating a character is like taking a walk with a friend to learn everything they can share about themselves. It isn’t a science, a plan or an organization, it just is. I suppose you can call it a ‘pantsers plan to character creation’ as I write by the seat of my pants.
About My Guest
Catrina Taylor is a mother, science fiction author and avid reader. She enjoys character driven fiction, both in creation and for leisure. Her first book, Birth of an Empire: The Beginning was released in November 2011. She has since released two short stories as prequels to the Birth of an Empire Series, with many more slated for release this year along side book two, Consequences.
You can get in touch with Catrina on twitter as TheLadyWrites or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/xarrok and you can learn more about the universe at http://xarrok.com
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 15, 2012
Short Stories: Selling Them!
I was influenced to write this post by both Tasha Turner and Dean Wesley Smith's post. Tasha directed me to the post, and then we discussed it; we talked about how I would go about publishing my short stories and also the momentum that they would give me when I go to publish a novel or longer piece of work.
SIDE NOTE: every Sunday will be "Writing Short Stories on Sunday" and I'll be posting tips on how to write short stories, and why short stories help when coming to writing a 70k word novel etc. I have a whole bunch of stuff to post, so that will be both mine and your Sundays taken for a couple of weeks... maybe more! And if you like these posts please share them, and leave a comment... but for now, let's get on with the post!
Okay, so I'll start by saying that money is important to a writer and if a writer says that they aren't doing it for money then they're lying, because how can they do something that they love and want to do for the rest of their lives if they don't have any money to support themselves on? They can't... unless they're rich, in which case, you can write and write without having to worry about bills etc. but those of us who do actually have realistic lives full of bills and too little money, then I guess that this post is for you.
There are different routes that you can go down when publishing short stories, you can send them to magazines that have a so much per word and they hold the copyright for a year, or however long they state in the agreement. (That means you're not allowed to publish the short story again until that time period has elapsed.) Publishing through magazines will also get you a wider audience as your writing will be shown the magazine's audience, and some of them may become yours.
However, I don't know much about publishing via magazines so I'm going to talk about just self-publishing. Okay.
The post by Dean Wesley Smith listed 3 "Requirements Needed For a Writer To Make a Living Writing Only Short Fiction" and I'll just briefly go over those, they were, a work ethic, writing across many genres, and a love for short fiction. So I'm going to say "tick, tick, tick" to those, and I'll explain below why.
Work Ethic: You need to have a set time or set hours to write in the week. How often do you get to write? 15 minutes a day? 30 minutes? An hour?
Let's say that you can write 250 words in a 15 minute writing sprint, well, that's good! It's a nice firm target also. And if you do 2 of those a day, you have 500 words a day. Now, 500 words a day x 365 days = 182,500 words a year! (On his post, Dean used 250 words a day, but I think that's the lower end of the spectrum, and that we can spend an extra 15 minutes a day to get another 250 words in).
This post is already at 500 words, and I can hit around 1,000 words in an average post, and although it doesn't really class as writing, it still shows that taking care of a blog takes dedication and that's the foundation of keeping up your 500 words a day of your writing.
So by the above figures you should be completing a 5,000 word short story every 10 days... that means writing around 36 short stories a year!
Also, I believe that writing 500 words a day is bare minimum, and that people should be aiming for around 1,500 to 2,000 words a day... and I know that there are a lot of excuses like work and not having enough time, but writing is a passion and something that you need to make time for.
Different Genres: In Dean's article he says "don’t let genre thinking limit your writing" and I agree. In fact I wrote a series of posts on how to write in different genres because each genres teaches a writer how to use a different skill etc. (Fantasy, Horror, Drama, Romance, Erotica) Dean also says "The main genres that short fiction sells well in are science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, erotica, western, mainstream, thriller, and all the subgenres of those genres." That's a lot of genres, and a lot of short stories that could be swimming around in your head just waiting to be written, and eagerly awaited to be read!
Some genres may require an pseudonym, and as you might already know, I have 2 pseudonyms and my real name, Joseph Eastwood: fantasy/dark supernatural etc., then there's Thomas Jay: gay romance, then there's J. T. James: horror. So I have a few of the genres that are listed above, I also write erotica, but I don't have a pseudonym for that yet. I would like to try and write a short story in each of those genres, especially a mystery, I bet that would be fun!
Love Fiction: just like Stephen King said "if you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." Amen. And if you don't love reading, then I'd suggest that you don't even attempt to start writing. On Dean's post he says "use short fiction at times to help your other work and learn how to write it well." yes! And that ties in perfectly with my publishing model.
My publishing model? Well, I've been talking with a friend, Tasha, and she suggested that I sold my short stories in singular form first, and then in their collections. I hadn't thought about releasing those short stories separately, but when it was suggested to me I was like "that makes perfect sense" and it does, people will be able to get a taste for my writing, and if they enjoy it, they might buy my novel... which will be released in between 5 short stories (those 5 make their own collection). It should also give me some momentum as I publish---this is all theory, I'm yet to publish.
Pricing
I am no good at pricing. So I don't really know what to say you should price your short stories at. For me I'd price them at £0.79 / $0.99 but for others they price them at $2.99, which I respect as it has cover art, a lot of editing and time has gone into those 5,000 words, and also formatting. So I respect it. The downside to the higher end of pricing a 5,000 word short story is that there won't be many people buying, say 5 people a month (maybe). And the upside to being priced at the lower end is that people might think your work isn't good and so you've priced it so low, but more people would buy it. There's also the profit: you only get 30% for a $0.99 eBook ($0.35), and 70% for a $2.99 eBook ($2.09).
#1 so if you sell an eBook at $0.99 and you're making $0.35, and you sell around 5 a month, you're only making $1.75 a month, so $21 a year per eBook.
#2 now, if you sell an eBook at $2.99 and you're making $2.09, and you sell around 5 a month, you're making $10.45 a month, so $125.4 a year per eBook.
That's a huge difference, but when you publish you can always play around with pricing.
If it's priced higher than people are more likely going to leave a review as it's $2.99 so it will have been worth their time, whereas a book/short story that had only cost $0.99 the reader might not read it, or have it as high on their to-read list.
What do you think?
-more likely to buy expensive or buy cheap?
Short stories are also a way to get your name out there, and people are more likely to buy a $2.99 eBook of only 5,000 words if they know your name and are wanting to read your work, where a $0.99 eBook might get your name out there faster because your eBook is cheap (and you're a good writer).
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 13, 2012
Journey into ePublishing: Where to Publish?!
As I will be venturing into the wide world that is for the most part saturated with self-published writing... I will also be putting myself among them as I start my journey. I know it isn't going to be easy, in fact it's probably going to be really hard... but I know that with will power and determination, I could possibly find a way to make it work.
In this segment of my "Journey into ePublishing" I'm going to be talking about where YOU can publish if you choose to self-publish your writing, and maybe you guys can help me by giving me your opinions on each of the places that I'll be listing below.
This post can also be seen as a follow up post to one I did nearly a year ago "Self-Publishing: Your Options" but believe me, I've learnt so much since then, and I've matured so much.
eBooks
Here are 3 ePublishers that I would recommend publishing your eBooks through as each of them have access to a different market and a different set of people with different eReaders. I'll go through each and say what I think about them, although I haven't used them all I've had a look at what they're offering in terms of royalties, and how easy it is to upload the files.
Kindle Direct
This place is a must for anyone who plans on trying to make a success of self-publishing their work. And no, you do not need a Kindle to publish to Kindle direct, although having one is nice, or just the app on your phone, and they even do they app for laptops as well... so, anyone can buy a Kindle book, they're not just reserved for Kindle users.
Amazon Marketplace is available to those in US, Canada, UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. (So far.) When I wrote about this in the past they didn't have France, Spain, or Italy... and it looks like they're going to continue to expand. Almost forgot to mention the 70% royalties on things $2 and over or if it's below then it's around 30% royalties.
Okay, now, onto formatting for Amazon, it's hard, but at the same time there is also a lot of easy to read, and no jargon, step-by-step information available and also a quick Google search on how to format won't hurt, and it is definitely worth it.
Amazon have recently started the "KDP Select" << explained. But I'll also say a little about it here: KDP Select is a 90-day program where you put your book into the KDP Select scheme exclusively, meaning that you're not allowed to distribute your eBook anywhere else other than Amazon. There is also a lending library which is available for Amazon Prime members and a monthly pot of money, and at the end of that month the money is distributed according to how many books were available during that month and also how many times your book was downloaded. I'd suggest reading the link above, it might shed more light on it.
(Kindle Direct -- Sign In)
Smashwords
I've used Smashwords in the past when I published my poetry anthology, Illumination and Of the Blood, and then I unpublished them to revise them (and I guess that just never happened). But I do know that this is the easiest formatting that I've ever had to do (and they have their own FREE formatting guide, so don't sweat it), and with great formatting gives you access to the Premium Catalog.
The Premium Catalog? YUP! This allows your eBooks to hit several high distribution channels: Barnes & Noble (although a direct route is discussed below the heading "Barnes & Noble"), Kobo, Sony, Apple, Diesel, and Scrollmotion.
With Smashwords, just like all self-publishing places you get to set the price, the minimum being $0.99 and you get around 58% for each book sold at that price on Smashwords, they do say that if sales come in from distribution sales the percentage may be lower. If you go to the link below it should be direct to the "Publish" section of Smashwords, and if you scroll down a bit there's a "Pricing" section, just have a play around with that, see what you'll get for each eBook sold at certain prices etc.
(Smashwords -- Upload)
Barnes & Noble
I have yet to use this, but I know a lot of self-published authors who have used this and I'm guessing that it's been great. However, as one of Smashwords distributions is Barnes & Noble, I'm not sure whether going this route is worth all of the hassle and by hassle I mean, financial stuff which is obviously there to complicate stuff... but it's only complicated for me because I'm from the UK. They also have their own Formatting Guides and software so that you can look at what your Nook, eBook etc. is going to look like, and it does seem fairly easy to use! So try it out, maybe?
(Pub It! -- Barnes & Noble)
PoD (Publish-on-Demand)
As well as publishing eBooks I do also want to get my work in a HARD form as well. There are a lot of options that people can choose with this and I just want to go through with you guys all the different things that I've been looking at and going through to see which is the best choice for me.
Before that, I think I'll go through something which you guys should know, PoD is very different to vanity publishing, vanity publishing involves you buying 500 - 1,000 of your own book and then selling them all on your own. Where PoD will only publish your book when someone orders a copy, and they'll sell copies of your book on their site etc.
CreateSpace
I've been playing around with CreateSpace since last year as it's owned by Amazon and would be a perfect match to have both an eBook and a paperback available on Amazon. I've had fun reading their guides and formatting to their trade paperback standards etc.
With CreateSpace I've found that you're not pressured into buying anything, except a PRO pack, which looks like it's totally worth the one off fee, especially if you're going to be using that PoD quite often. So the PRO pack offers to decrease fees when you're ordering your own book, and also your royalties go up... so it's a win-win! I've heard really good reviews from it, and the service that they offer is quick and good.
(CreateSpace)
Blurb
I've not yet used this, but I know that in future I do want to use this, even though with the CreateSpace I'm going to have a great marketplace to use, but with Blurb I feel that I'll have more control and I'll also be able to get everything as I like it. Among that is that the price won't be extortionately high for me ordering as I'm in the UK and Blurb has a UK site (in fact, they have a whole bunch of international sites, including you guys over in the US).
They have an easy to use selection of "Book-making tools" from simple: "make your book in minutes" to the professionals who have full creative control over how their book looks. Also, including a handy add-in for Microsoft word which gives you a handy layout to work from. It all looks very good and very promising so far! In my opinion, definitely worth checking out, even if you're just publishing your book in paperback or hardback just for you!
Side note: they do also offer the creation of eBooks.
(Blurb)
Lightning Source
I'm not really sure if Lightning Source work with authors on their own, but I don't see why not. It says that it works with publishers, but it's a PoD service and all clients are welcome I would presume. I know of a few self-published authors who have taken Lightning Source and gone down their distribution route.
Lightning Source quotes these as distribution partners:
US: Ingram, Amazon.com, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, NACSCORP, Espresso Book Machine
UK: Adlibris.com, Amazon.co.uk, Bertrams, Blackwell, Book Depository, Coutts, Gardners, Mallory International, Paperback Shop, Eden Interactive Ltd., Aphrohead, I.B.S - STL U.K
It asks for $12 a year for each title that you have with them, so that's $1 a month, which isn't bad if they've got all of the above distributors. They offer a very wide selection of book sizes, including hardbacks with dust jackets (mmm, I want one of my books to be in hardback with a dust jacket. LOL).
There is a little disclaimer: "Please note that Lightning Source does not provide design, file work, editorial, promotional or marketing services. These are solely the responsibility of the publisher." -- that means you need to design your cover, format your book and edit it... or if your publisher is using LS then that will be their job. It looks good.
(Lightning Source)
Lulu
I've also had a go at playing around with this. Every page you turn to (more or less) is trying to sell you something, they have a lot of packages, and they all look great, but you don't have to be fooled into buying them because you could probably piece the cover art and get an editor yourself (probably costs less). The plus for me, is they charge and pay in any currency there, including £. And formatting seems very easy as they offer a similar thing to Blurb, where they give you the layout and how the cover of your book will look wrapped around.
They also have an online store. Check it out, see what you think! There are a lot of things to play with, I could have hours of fun just seeing the potential it had.
(Book Publishing -- Lulu)
I hope you liked this post, and I hope that it was informative... if it wasn't, then I'm afraid that I've done something very wrong.
Have you used any of the above?
What are your thoughts?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 11, 2012
Lumen: A History in Book Covers!
As Lumen is nearing its release, I thought I'd share with you, all the different looks I've gone for with Lumen. And when I'm looking back at these pictures I'm thinking to myself... did I really think that looked good! In fact, I think this post should be called "A History of Joe playing with Photoshop" well, either title is accurate!
1st Draft
At the time of creating this... I'm going to say around June 2011, I was so excited and so happy that I'd created it. But now I think back and I'm like, whoa... who let me on Photoshop! LOL! But I'm glad that I got to play around with it because if I didn't then I'd never have the design that I have now, and I probably wouldn't have been spurred on to write and edit the rest of the novel.
So this is the first ever cover that I created on Photoshop. Aren't you just proud of me... I mean, proud that I didn't stick with this and actually played around until I made something that I would be happy about when it did come to publishing.
Let's all thank some deity somewhere from stopping me making a huge mistake! Although I really did like what I was going for with the symbol on the front *cough* that symbol is very important in the *cough* novel. Hehe.
What do you think?
2nd Draft
Well, this one is a little better than the first, but I haven't done much to change it. I just used a lot of bevel and embossing. I tried to make the symbol in this copy mimic blood... and as you can see, it didn't go down very well. I was trying and trying for hours, asking people and looking at tutorials... I think I know how to do it now, but then again, this cover was made over a year ago.
Well, yeah, this one was also made in June 2011... so over a year ago, this is where Lumen stood, and thank goodness it fell flat on its face and made way for more covers!
I do like the blood splatter lines, and it looks more like a person dancing than a scar... in fact, I could probably create this now with all that I know. I had the image of a flesh coloured book, and then the symbol being etched into skin, perhaps scabbing over. (No, Joe... stop thinking of what you could do, you've got the final cover, so stop being silly!)
What do you think of this one then?
3rd Draft
This one was created in August, so nearly a year! And I really liked this one, I thought that this one would be the actually front cover, with a few minor changes... like the title, WHAT WAS I THINKING? The embossing on that alongside the background image just does not go well together.
I was trying to go for a blood-like DNA thing with the image on the background. Not sure if it worked, did it? Ah, well, I've got my final image now, and by the looks of things I learnt from this mistake, and in fact, with each front cover I've got better at using Photoshop. YAY!
So far, all the cover designs have been pretty same-ish, the whole white background, black title and name, and then a red image. I really wanted to incorporate blood into the design that I was too busy thinking of how to do it... instead of thinking outside the box! (More about that in the next image!)
What about this one?
I didn't design this cover until January 2012! The time when I got my new laptop, and I guess that's all I needed to get the right design. Although now that I look at this I know it's too wide at the side (I usually use H - 8 inches and W - 5.5 inches, but the width on this had a whole extra inch.)
Oh, so the cover art for this bad boy took my hours! I realised that I was thinking inside the box too much with all of those other covers that I needed to think outside of it, and I needed to think about the series as a whole! From outside the box I brought together some very peculiar symbols! 10 POINTS if you know what they are. (Don't ask about the points, they may, or may not exist.)
Also, if you didn't notice I changed the series name from "Luminary Blood" to "Blood Luminary" either one would go, and both have a similar meaning... but I liked the way that I could say "It's a Blood Luminary novel" hehe. So this was the cover art for 7 months!
What do you think?
FINAL DRAFT!
Looking at this now I know that there are a few things I want to hop back onto Photoshop and change. Like the title, I want it to be BIGGER, and perhaps the "A Blood Luminary Novel" but bigger and probably bolder. I'll probably do that later on.
The symbols are brighter in this image, and in the white they've changed form and are etched into it like stone, maybe a marble of some sort. Hmm. I'm not sure.
I know what you're going to be asking "Joe, why did you change the cover art?" and I can't really say why because I don't really know, I just know that I was playing around with the cover art for the other 3 novels in the series, and I realised that Lumen could be better, and I could maybe get a shared design going. So yeah, each cover has this look, but each cover will have a different colour scheme and title.
So, your final thoughts! What do you think of this?
10 DAYS!!
Let the fun begin! Don't forget to get your copy of Lumen... you won't be disappointed! And if you are, then stop putting unrealistically high expectations on me ;) ha! Also, do not forget to Add Lumen on Goodreads! because I'm sure that there will be some fun stuff to happen in the future when Lumen is published! And... "LIKE" my page: Joseph's Writing because that's where I'm most active, and I don't want you missing out on any chance to win some goodies!
Are you excited? Happy?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
1st Draft
At the time of creating this... I'm going to say around June 2011, I was so excited and so happy that I'd created it. But now I think back and I'm like, whoa... who let me on Photoshop! LOL! But I'm glad that I got to play around with it because if I didn't then I'd never have the design that I have now, and I probably wouldn't have been spurred on to write and edit the rest of the novel.
So this is the first ever cover that I created on Photoshop. Aren't you just proud of me... I mean, proud that I didn't stick with this and actually played around until I made something that I would be happy about when it did come to publishing.
Let's all thank some deity somewhere from stopping me making a huge mistake! Although I really did like what I was going for with the symbol on the front *cough* that symbol is very important in the *cough* novel. Hehe.
What do you think?
2nd Draft
Well, this one is a little better than the first, but I haven't done much to change it. I just used a lot of bevel and embossing. I tried to make the symbol in this copy mimic blood... and as you can see, it didn't go down very well. I was trying and trying for hours, asking people and looking at tutorials... I think I know how to do it now, but then again, this cover was made over a year ago.
Well, yeah, this one was also made in June 2011... so over a year ago, this is where Lumen stood, and thank goodness it fell flat on its face and made way for more covers!
I do like the blood splatter lines, and it looks more like a person dancing than a scar... in fact, I could probably create this now with all that I know. I had the image of a flesh coloured book, and then the symbol being etched into skin, perhaps scabbing over. (No, Joe... stop thinking of what you could do, you've got the final cover, so stop being silly!)
What do you think of this one then?
3rd Draft
This one was created in August, so nearly a year! And I really liked this one, I thought that this one would be the actually front cover, with a few minor changes... like the title, WHAT WAS I THINKING? The embossing on that alongside the background image just does not go well together.
I was trying to go for a blood-like DNA thing with the image on the background. Not sure if it worked, did it? Ah, well, I've got my final image now, and by the looks of things I learnt from this mistake, and in fact, with each front cover I've got better at using Photoshop. YAY!
So far, all the cover designs have been pretty same-ish, the whole white background, black title and name, and then a red image. I really wanted to incorporate blood into the design that I was too busy thinking of how to do it... instead of thinking outside the box! (More about that in the next image!)
What about this one?
I didn't design this cover until January 2012! The time when I got my new laptop, and I guess that's all I needed to get the right design. Although now that I look at this I know it's too wide at the side (I usually use H - 8 inches and W - 5.5 inches, but the width on this had a whole extra inch.)
Oh, so the cover art for this bad boy took my hours! I realised that I was thinking inside the box too much with all of those other covers that I needed to think outside of it, and I needed to think about the series as a whole! From outside the box I brought together some very peculiar symbols! 10 POINTS if you know what they are. (Don't ask about the points, they may, or may not exist.)
Also, if you didn't notice I changed the series name from "Luminary Blood" to "Blood Luminary" either one would go, and both have a similar meaning... but I liked the way that I could say "It's a Blood Luminary novel" hehe. So this was the cover art for 7 months!
What do you think?
FINAL DRAFT!
Looking at this now I know that there are a few things I want to hop back onto Photoshop and change. Like the title, I want it to be BIGGER, and perhaps the "A Blood Luminary Novel" but bigger and probably bolder. I'll probably do that later on.
The symbols are brighter in this image, and in the white they've changed form and are etched into it like stone, maybe a marble of some sort. Hmm. I'm not sure.
I know what you're going to be asking "Joe, why did you change the cover art?" and I can't really say why because I don't really know, I just know that I was playing around with the cover art for the other 3 novels in the series, and I realised that Lumen could be better, and I could maybe get a shared design going. So yeah, each cover has this look, but each cover will have a different colour scheme and title.
So, your final thoughts! What do you think of this?
10 DAYS!!
Let the fun begin! Don't forget to get your copy of Lumen... you won't be disappointed! And if you are, then stop putting unrealistically high expectations on me ;) ha! Also, do not forget to Add Lumen on Goodreads! because I'm sure that there will be some fun stuff to happen in the future when Lumen is published! And... "LIKE" my page: Joseph's Writing because that's where I'm most active, and I don't want you missing out on any chance to win some goodies!
Are you excited? Happy?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 9, 2012
Guest Post: Doug Simpson (9/7)
The question for this week on the TTC Virtual Blog Tour! What kicked off the idea for your current book? This weeks guest on my blog is Doug Simpson.
See the Elephant Fly by the Window?
Most of us spend a lot of time looking out windows. Probably much more time than we realize. Car windows, bus windows, train windows, house windows, office or wherever windows, they are still windows. And how much do we really see when we watch out windows? When your eyes are looking out the window, is your mind often wandering elsewhere? I will bet you a dollar to a donut that many of us see a thousand birds a day out the windows, but how many of them do we remember. The same probably goes for people walking along streets or somewhere else. But, if you saw an elephant fly by the window, you WOULD remember it!
Okay, so what is the difference? Our conscious minds do not process to memory the common-place and mundane occurrences that our eyes observe everyday because we are so used to observing them. But, flying elephants and naked joggers we remember, and have even been known to take a second look at.
You may be already twigging to the idea that this story is not really about flying elephants, but memorable and significant moments or actions in our lives. Approximately forty years ago, my wife handed me a book and said, “Read this.” The book was There Is a River, written by Thomas Sugrue. Never heard of him, was my first reaction I suspect, and I probably responded with my standard, “Whatever. When I get around to it.” Definitely not a memorable moment. Sure! That’s how little I knew at the time, and There Is a River turned out to be my flying elephant.
There Is a River is the first of over thirty biographies written about the legendary American mystic from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Edgar Cayce. For those readers who are not familiar with Edgar Cayce, I will give you a very brief history. Edgar Cayce was born in rural Kentucky on March 18, 1877, and passed on in Virginia Beach, Virginia on January 3, 1945. He gave over 15,000 psychic readings in a coma-like trance state and there are copies of over 14,000 of these readings at his Association for Research and Enlightenment, or A.R.E. for short, in Virginia Beach.
Approximately 10,000 of these readings were medical readings where in his deep-trance state he diagnosed medical problems and prescribed remedies, including prescriptions which had not yet been invented. Many of these patients who received medical readings had been classified as hopeless by their medical practitioners and had come to Edgar Cayce as a last resort. Over 300 books have been written about Edgar Cayce and his readings, including at least 30 biographies, as mentioned earlier. For more information on Edgar Cayce you should visit the A.R.E. website at www.edgarcayce.org. If you would like to read the article that made Edgar Cayce a national celebrity in 1910, go to the New York Times website at: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-.... You can also read this article on an Edgar Cayce website at: http://www.cayce.com/nytimes.htm.
After medical readings, the next largest group of Edgar Cayce readings was reincarnation or past-life readings. What exactly is a reincarnation reading? An individual, a parent or legal guardian of a child, or a caretaker of an incapacitated adult could request a past-life reading for the purpose of obtaining information about the past lives of the individual, information which might be beneficial in planning the future of this individual. Most of us have experienced dozens of previous incarnations. The Heavenly Source of Edgar Cayce's information would reveal relevant information for not all but only those past-life experiences which had a karmic connection to the current incarnation. Some readings, especially those for children, contained comments that further information could be revealed in the future when or if the individual were better prepared to understand or deal with the withheld information.
The Edgar Cayce archives contain approximately 2500 past-life readings for some 2000 individuals, and it was these reincarnation readings that changed the course of my life. Almost thirty years later, after I had been given the golden handshake and a decent monthly pension check for life, I had too much free time on my hands and decided it was the opportune time to settle in and do some serious research on the Edgar Cayce reincarnation readings. Bingo! Another flying elephant sailed past my window!
I was hooked! Swallowed the line and sinker too, and didn’t even taste it. Many of you have not likely given much thought to previous or future lifetimes, as this one we are currently travelling through, often as if we were on a treadmill, can keep us busy enough. But, because I had the time and inclination to do some serious research on reincarnation and survival of our souls after the death of our bodies, I have no doubts whatsoever about this.
The last time the flying elephant coasted past my window, I grabbed its tail and held on for dear life. I commenced to write Edgar Cayce and/or reincarnation related article in 2009 and was thrilled when the first one was published in January of 2010. Since that memorable day, my articles have been published in seven different countries, and my first novel, Soul Awakening, was published in October of 2011 in the United States.
Now that I have a firm grasp on the tail of my flying elephant, I will never let it go. I sincerely hope that someday you can catch your flying elephant too.
© Doug Simpson 2012.
Doug Simpson is a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. His first novel, a spiritual mystery titled Soul Awakening, was published in the United States in October of 2011, by Book Locker. Check it out at http://booklocker.com/books/5754.html. It is available in print and eBook format through most book stores around the world. His magazine and website articles have been published in 2010 to 2012 in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His articles can be accessed through his website at http://dousimp.mnsi.net.
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
See the Elephant Fly by the Window?
Most of us spend a lot of time looking out windows. Probably much more time than we realize. Car windows, bus windows, train windows, house windows, office or wherever windows, they are still windows. And how much do we really see when we watch out windows? When your eyes are looking out the window, is your mind often wandering elsewhere? I will bet you a dollar to a donut that many of us see a thousand birds a day out the windows, but how many of them do we remember. The same probably goes for people walking along streets or somewhere else. But, if you saw an elephant fly by the window, you WOULD remember it!
Okay, so what is the difference? Our conscious minds do not process to memory the common-place and mundane occurrences that our eyes observe everyday because we are so used to observing them. But, flying elephants and naked joggers we remember, and have even been known to take a second look at.
You may be already twigging to the idea that this story is not really about flying elephants, but memorable and significant moments or actions in our lives. Approximately forty years ago, my wife handed me a book and said, “Read this.” The book was There Is a River, written by Thomas Sugrue. Never heard of him, was my first reaction I suspect, and I probably responded with my standard, “Whatever. When I get around to it.” Definitely not a memorable moment. Sure! That’s how little I knew at the time, and There Is a River turned out to be my flying elephant.
There Is a River is the first of over thirty biographies written about the legendary American mystic from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Edgar Cayce. For those readers who are not familiar with Edgar Cayce, I will give you a very brief history. Edgar Cayce was born in rural Kentucky on March 18, 1877, and passed on in Virginia Beach, Virginia on January 3, 1945. He gave over 15,000 psychic readings in a coma-like trance state and there are copies of over 14,000 of these readings at his Association for Research and Enlightenment, or A.R.E. for short, in Virginia Beach.
Approximately 10,000 of these readings were medical readings where in his deep-trance state he diagnosed medical problems and prescribed remedies, including prescriptions which had not yet been invented. Many of these patients who received medical readings had been classified as hopeless by their medical practitioners and had come to Edgar Cayce as a last resort. Over 300 books have been written about Edgar Cayce and his readings, including at least 30 biographies, as mentioned earlier. For more information on Edgar Cayce you should visit the A.R.E. website at www.edgarcayce.org. If you would like to read the article that made Edgar Cayce a national celebrity in 1910, go to the New York Times website at: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-.... You can also read this article on an Edgar Cayce website at: http://www.cayce.com/nytimes.htm.
After medical readings, the next largest group of Edgar Cayce readings was reincarnation or past-life readings. What exactly is a reincarnation reading? An individual, a parent or legal guardian of a child, or a caretaker of an incapacitated adult could request a past-life reading for the purpose of obtaining information about the past lives of the individual, information which might be beneficial in planning the future of this individual. Most of us have experienced dozens of previous incarnations. The Heavenly Source of Edgar Cayce's information would reveal relevant information for not all but only those past-life experiences which had a karmic connection to the current incarnation. Some readings, especially those for children, contained comments that further information could be revealed in the future when or if the individual were better prepared to understand or deal with the withheld information.
The Edgar Cayce archives contain approximately 2500 past-life readings for some 2000 individuals, and it was these reincarnation readings that changed the course of my life. Almost thirty years later, after I had been given the golden handshake and a decent monthly pension check for life, I had too much free time on my hands and decided it was the opportune time to settle in and do some serious research on the Edgar Cayce reincarnation readings. Bingo! Another flying elephant sailed past my window!
I was hooked! Swallowed the line and sinker too, and didn’t even taste it. Many of you have not likely given much thought to previous or future lifetimes, as this one we are currently travelling through, often as if we were on a treadmill, can keep us busy enough. But, because I had the time and inclination to do some serious research on reincarnation and survival of our souls after the death of our bodies, I have no doubts whatsoever about this.
The last time the flying elephant coasted past my window, I grabbed its tail and held on for dear life. I commenced to write Edgar Cayce and/or reincarnation related article in 2009 and was thrilled when the first one was published in January of 2010. Since that memorable day, my articles have been published in seven different countries, and my first novel, Soul Awakening, was published in October of 2011 in the United States.
Now that I have a firm grasp on the tail of my flying elephant, I will never let it go. I sincerely hope that someday you can catch your flying elephant too.
© Doug Simpson 2012.
Doug Simpson is a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. His first novel, a spiritual mystery titled Soul Awakening, was published in the United States in October of 2011, by Book Locker. Check it out at http://booklocker.com/books/5754.html. It is available in print and eBook format through most book stores around the world. His magazine and website articles have been published in 2010 to 2012 in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His articles can be accessed through his website at http://dousimp.mnsi.net.-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 7, 2012
Writing Challenge! Can You Do It? (07/07)
As a way to keep ourselves creative and to constantly challenge ourselves I've decided that I'm going to start giving you guys obstacles... or obstructions, things that make you think... and challenges that are just fun to do!
I was inspired to start this after my friend, Jennifer, told me that I should have tried to do a flash fiction piece without using the word "the".
So I have 2 challenges to put to you guys this week!
Challenge #1
I shall be using the one
Jennifer gave me as the first challenge! You're not allowed to use "the" in your piece of fiction. In fact, it an be a poem or anything really, she didn't say anything about the form, so this challenge is pretty straight forward. Don't use "the"... if you do... then you fail. Sorry. Although you will be awarded with a badge for participation. (Just don't ask me for it... because I'll probably need to create one first LOL).
Challenge #2
The second challenge was given to me by T. R. Stoddard, and she said, write a short piece of fiction in second person. This one is simple and straightforward (I think they'll probably get harder as the weeks go on). I've heard that this type of narrative is used in those Choose Your Own Adventure type novels, and interactive fiction. It sounds fun! So, just use a lot of "you".
My Turn!
This is the part of the blog where I post both of the pieces that I did for the challenges.
Challenge 1 - It's a special word,
Only three letters long,
And sometimes we forget,
That writing can be strong,
Just remove a word,
Here or there,
But this three letter word...
No, I think we need that.
(If anyone can write a fiction piece without "the" the props to you, but I properly struggled.)
Challenge 2 - You stop and stare at yourself in the mirror. You're not even thinking about the blood on your hands or the hole in your heard where she used to be. No, you're just looking, glaring into your light blue eyes as they stare back. Blank. It's a weird look. No remorse. No sadness. You turn around and wipe your nose with your hand, it's followed by the smell of the thick warm blood lathered on your skin.
"You shouldn't have done that," you say, staring at her body in the corner of the room, the knife still poking out of her chest.
The floorboards creak as you walk over to her, and then you bend down and stroke her pretty face with the back of your hand. "So very pretty," you mumble, pushing her head up so you can stare in her wide doll-like eyes.
What did you think?
If you want to suggest a challenge for next week, then post your idea in the comments! So these can be anything from writing a certain type of poem. Or writing a piece of 55 word fiction. Maybe even writing in a certain genre. Be as precise as possible with your ideas!
And yes, I think I should create a participants badge! Don't you?
Also, post your links below if you do the above challenges! You know want to be a good writer, right?
Any ideas for future challenges?
How did you find them?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
July 6, 2012
Flash Fiction Friday! "Only Skin Deep" (06/07)
Hi guys! I haven't written flash fiction for the blog in a very long time... at least a couple of months! But today I've been feeling super inspired, and Ellora Bennett was the one who reminded me about Fridays and writing flash fiction... so I was letting it all get up in my business!
Below are the two pictures which I've been inspired by to write this flash fiction piece! If they inspire you as well, then why don't you write a flash fiction piece, it doesn't have to be anything spectacular, just 10 minutes of writing.
So, this actually took me 30 - 45 minutes on and off writing this... but I enjoyed doing it, and I like it!
SilverRosess - Discover (DeviantArt)
Provided by Ellora Bennett (unsure of origin)
Only Skin Deep
Rhea
sat on the icy ground, looking out onto the snowy plane. She had a thin chiffon
and silk white drape wrapped around her body. Her lips had turned blue, and if
she was cold, she didn’t show it.
“It’s my fault, all of it,” she
said, combing her fingers through the ends of her damp white hair. “And of
course you can’t reply; you’re only a wolf.”
The grey wolf finished lapping water
up by the stream and nuzzled his head under her arm. She smiled down at him,
and then glanced over to the stream where two small wolf cubs stared at their
reflections.
“It’s not mine,” she said, pushing a
hand up into the air and letting the flakes touch her palms and as they turned
to water they dribbled around her wrist and down her arm. “I can touch it. I
can’t feel it!” she slammed both of her hands down into the snow and tore it up
out of the earth.
The wolf shot up and started
growling. Rhea turned and the wolf was ready to pounce with its teeth bared and
its gaze fixed on something in the distance.
She turned and a faint pink glow fluttered
around in the distance, getting brighter by the moment. A butterfly with a huge
wingspan with what looked like a face painted on its back. Rhea’s mouth was
left agape as she stared in awe at how the butterfly made its way toward her.
Slowly she pushed her hand out and it just as slowly perched on her finger.
The wolf stayed in its pounced stance,
while its growl became deeper.
“Oh, shush. It’s only a butterfly.
Never touched one of these before,” she said, mesmerised by the pink phosphorescence.
“How beautiful.”
The wolf snapped its jaw and broke
out into a howl. Seconds later and a wild catcall broke, sending the butterfly
shooting out of Rhea’s hands. “Oscar,” she said, and smacked the wolf on its
nose.
The call came again, and this time
something came out from the dark and pounced on top of Rhea, knocking her back
into the snow. The next thing she saw was a snow leopard gazing into her eyes.
“Cas?” she said, “it’s you, isn’t
it?”
The snow leopard bowed its head and
jumped off Rhea. The wolf had calmed down and strolled over to the cubs, making
sure neither could see what was going on.
She sat up and looked into the deep
blue of the snow leopards eyes. “We have cubs, but only two have survived,” she
said, clenching her jaw as a set of tears found their way down her cheeks.
Cas walked closer and licked Rhea’s
cheek. His warm tongue prickled against her skin, but it made her giggle and
then cry harder.
“Cas,” she said, shaking her head. “They’re
going to die.”
He shook his head, glancing from the
two cubs biting at each other and rolling around in the snow, and then back to
Rhea as she wiped at her tears.
She slowly nodded. “Please, for
their sake,” she said, holding her wrists out. “Take me for them. If they have
me, I’ll always be a part of their life. And yours.”
He let out a huge ear-clamping
screech, and then turned quick and scratched the side of her face. She fell to
the ground, and guarded her face, sobbing. Cal took another swing, his claws at
the ready as he nicked at her jugular.
As
soon as all the life was drained from her body, and her blood had started to
turn the snow white, the snow leopard shed all of its fur as the wind picked up
and whipped out clumps, revealing a soft new coat of grey and black. He was a
wolf, just like Rhea had been.
What did you think?
I might start doing more Friday flash! It was really fun!
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
Below are the two pictures which I've been inspired by to write this flash fiction piece! If they inspire you as well, then why don't you write a flash fiction piece, it doesn't have to be anything spectacular, just 10 minutes of writing.
So, this actually took me 30 - 45 minutes on and off writing this... but I enjoyed doing it, and I like it!
SilverRosess - Discover (DeviantArt)
Provided by Ellora Bennett (unsure of origin)
Only Skin Deep
Rhea
sat on the icy ground, looking out onto the snowy plane. She had a thin chiffon
and silk white drape wrapped around her body. Her lips had turned blue, and if
she was cold, she didn’t show it.
“It’s my fault, all of it,” she
said, combing her fingers through the ends of her damp white hair. “And of
course you can’t reply; you’re only a wolf.”
The grey wolf finished lapping water
up by the stream and nuzzled his head under her arm. She smiled down at him,
and then glanced over to the stream where two small wolf cubs stared at their
reflections.
“It’s not mine,” she said, pushing a
hand up into the air and letting the flakes touch her palms and as they turned
to water they dribbled around her wrist and down her arm. “I can touch it. I
can’t feel it!” she slammed both of her hands down into the snow and tore it up
out of the earth.
The wolf shot up and started
growling. Rhea turned and the wolf was ready to pounce with its teeth bared and
its gaze fixed on something in the distance.
She turned and a faint pink glow fluttered
around in the distance, getting brighter by the moment. A butterfly with a huge
wingspan with what looked like a face painted on its back. Rhea’s mouth was
left agape as she stared in awe at how the butterfly made its way toward her.
Slowly she pushed her hand out and it just as slowly perched on her finger.
The wolf stayed in its pounced stance,
while its growl became deeper.
“Oh, shush. It’s only a butterfly.
Never touched one of these before,” she said, mesmerised by the pink phosphorescence.
“How beautiful.”
The wolf snapped its jaw and broke
out into a howl. Seconds later and a wild catcall broke, sending the butterfly
shooting out of Rhea’s hands. “Oscar,” she said, and smacked the wolf on its
nose.
The call came again, and this time
something came out from the dark and pounced on top of Rhea, knocking her back
into the snow. The next thing she saw was a snow leopard gazing into her eyes.
“Cas?” she said, “it’s you, isn’t
it?”
The snow leopard bowed its head and
jumped off Rhea. The wolf had calmed down and strolled over to the cubs, making
sure neither could see what was going on.
She sat up and looked into the deep
blue of the snow leopards eyes. “We have cubs, but only two have survived,” she
said, clenching her jaw as a set of tears found their way down her cheeks.
Cas walked closer and licked Rhea’s
cheek. His warm tongue prickled against her skin, but it made her giggle and
then cry harder.
“Cas,” she said, shaking her head. “They’re
going to die.”
He shook his head, glancing from the
two cubs biting at each other and rolling around in the snow, and then back to
Rhea as she wiped at her tears.
She slowly nodded. “Please, for
their sake,” she said, holding her wrists out. “Take me for them. If they have
me, I’ll always be a part of their life. And yours.”
He let out a huge ear-clamping
screech, and then turned quick and scratched the side of her face. She fell to
the ground, and guarded her face, sobbing. Cal took another swing, his claws at
the ready as he nicked at her jugular.
As
soon as all the life was drained from her body, and her blood had started to
turn the snow white, the snow leopard shed all of its fur as the wind picked up
and whipped out clumps, revealing a soft new coat of grey and black. He was a
wolf, just like Rhea had been.
What did you think?
I might start doing more Friday flash! It was really fun!
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
Reasons to Smile, and be Happy!
I created my bucket list... well, 20 Things Before I Turn 20! And the last thing on that list is Just Be Happy! So to be able to tick that off my list I need to be happy for the next 11 months! -.- can I do this?
Any excuse to add this cute panda! (Although I think it's fake, it still give me the biggest grin whenever I see it!) So, I could kick this thing off with one reason to be happy is that THIS PANDA IS JUST SO CUTE!
I don't really like to mention my deep rooted issues, so I'll just say that I used to suffer from really bad depression, and as a way to get around that I kind of tricked myself into being happy. (Maybe not the best of plans as that's just the same as bottling it up... so I recommend that people get stuff of their chests. However, you don't have to listen to that, because I still bottle stuff up... I'm just less emotionally unhinged.)
Okay! So are you ready to get your smile on? And are you ready to be happy!
Well, I can't make any promises that I'm going to make you smile, or make you happy... but I will try my god damn hardest just to make one person smile today, and one person tomorrow, and so on.
Reason Number 1
Smiling makes you happy... it sends signals to your brain and then that's like "oh, yay! They're happy today!" and then your brain releases all kinds of feel good endorphins! And it just makes you happy! So smiling leads to happiness! Try this one with me.
Step 1. Scroll up and look at the panda.
Step 2. Smile.
Step 3. There is no step 3... you smiled, and therefore you're rewarded with some feel good stuff in your brain!
Reason Number 2
Smile, because even if you don't want to admit to it... you're more attractive when you smile! And your confidence sky rockets! So smile, and let the endorphins tickle that spot in your brain that makes you think you can conquer the world. People smile because it's when they're looking their best. Say "cheese!"
Reason Number 3
Smiling, like yawning, is super infectious! If you smile, I'll smile! And then it's just a whole SMILE ORGY... an orgy of smiles! And everyone is super happy, and infected with this thing... these endorphins powering through and saying! "I'm a happy brain because you're smiling, and I like it when you smile!"
Reason Number 4
Because you know what's better than smiling!? (Or maybe you don't.) It's laughter! And as the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine (to all things that are emotional... I feel that needed to be added on, not sure laughter can cure everything.) so smile, and you might even start laughing... maybe then you'll end up crying and crying helps too.
Reason Number 5
Well, you're alive. What else do you need to be happy about? You don't need love to be happy. You don't need much... just a positive outlook on life, and starting with the fact that you were born and that you're still alive is a reason to be happy and just smile all the time... and to know that you are loved, but not everyone is vocal of such emotion.
Disclaimer: Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Too much kindness can leave you vulnerable. Too much love can leave you heartbroken. And too much smiling... well, that must mean you need a hug.
Did I make you smile?
Are you going to continue to smile?
-Joseph
Comment. Follow. Share.
