Cate Morgan's Blog, page 18

Author’s Log: Series News, Cover Art Update, & #ROW80 (Oh My)

In lieu of yet another round of block text regarding the whackadoodle way my writer brain works, this week I actually have honest-to-goodness News. This News also poses as insight into the publishing process, which I think most readers and aspriring authors want in an authorial-type blog anyway. So here am I, giving you nuggets of Insight into what makes a book an actual Book, for real and true.

It begins with an email from Editor Awesome, who, as we have previously established, is verily awesome. First, the News.

The Lovely and Intrepid Kanaxa is currently working on the cover art for Brighid’s Mark. YAY!

Kanaxa, besides being a tremendous artist who I admire muchly, was the cover artist behind Brighid’s Cross (Keepers of the Flame #1), as well as the print anthology End of Days where Keepers #1 appeared. So the fact that she’s still my first and ever cover artist thrills me to little bits and pieces. She is especially talented with, but is certainly not limited to, gritty cover art of hero shots. Needless to say, I’m excited to see what she’s up to for Keepers #2.

(BTW, if you’re interested, for a limited time she’s accepting freelance projects, so be sure to check out her gallery.)

Which brings me to the Insight with a capital Sight. Kanaxa emailed Editor Awesome because she was concerned about reader confusion. Brighid’s Cross is listed at Samhain as “End of Days #1 for a series name, because it’s the first novella in the anthology. The series title is even in the cover art for Brighid’s Cross, as you can see.

Naturally, Editor Awesome is also concerned. Do we go with ”Keepers of the Flame”, as I originally intended, or do we keep “End of Days”? While my writerly heart wubs “Keepers of the Flame,” it wubs its readers even more, so…

We keep End of Days. So even though this is going to be Book 4 in this series, it’s only the second book of the Keepers of the Flame chronicles. Therefore (ahem):

KEEPERS OF THE FLAME is now hereby re-christianed, minus the champagne because I drank it all in the making of this decision (from the bottle with a crazy straw), END OF DAYS. HUZZAH!

As an interesting aside, Kanaxa is not only using the forms I previously completed for Publisher Amazing, which includes my version of the jacket copy (aka the query/cover letter blurb of approximately 250 words), but she’s using my 2-3 page synopsis as well. This is why it’s so danged important to master the art of querying and synopsizing–this stuff gets used beyond the initial query you write if you accept an agent and/or publishing contract.

Thus we have publishing, and insight, and cover art (soon). And there was much dancing about the streets, but only by me, until it’s painfully awkward. Quick, everyone–DO THE ELAINE!

 PRODUCTION SCHEDULE & ROW80:

1. Brighid’s Mark (In Production): Series name change and cover art in process. We have progress! (See, what’d I tell ya–six months out from Unleashing.)

2. Minstrel’s Daughter (Drafting): I’m very carefully tip-toeing my way through a chain of events and ramifications for the next four chapters so I can sure to average 1,000 words/session. The pacing and domino effect have to be spot on to the beginning of Act III so absolutely everything is in place for the Big Boom. Once I have my scene list the last four chapters of Act II should move pretty quickly. Also: Got two critiques in to the Online Writing Workshop, and two more in the pipeline. *Quest Completed*

Also, it turns out I am dork of the species dorkus maximus. While I do indeedy have four chapters to Act III, I do not have four chapters until Plot Point 2. Completely miscalculated there, for which I apologize. (Please don’t take my geek cred.) So it seems I have some time until the fight for my hero’s hometown.

3. Sooper Sekrit Projeckt #1 (R&D): I’m filling my story notebook at a rapid rate, coming up will all sorts of material I can use for my first draft. I’m also referring muchly to a certain Projeckt That Came Before so I don’t impugn continuity, and am sure to answer any questions asked in said PTCB that went unanswered due to word count limitations, etc. I’ve got a fairly clear picture of what the story’s going to be, but I need to have my ducks all in a neat little row. *UPDATE* I’m all set to begin drafting this week! Squee!

Also, still scratching my head as to how to handle cover art, but I think I have a simple, effective idea that just might work.

4. End of Days #5 (In BETA): No news yet–still with the Stunt Monkey. Will be touching base at some point soon, cuz I’m all impatient like that.

Your turn–how’s your October going so far?

Author’s Log: The Snowball Effect (& #ROW80)

I’m a bad, bad Writer Monkey. Also, I just may be an Evil Sooper Genius. The tailspin I’m about to send three characters–and really an entire town into–is going to be EPIC. Bwa-ha-ha-haaaaaaa!

This has been a week spent largely in The Lab. This basically means two white boards, notebooks, notecards, outlines, and planning self-imposed deadlines. I’ve found that my Production Schedule is best served by careful planning beforehand. Goals + Planning = Success! I call this my system of Preventative Maintenance. Because the less Big Revisions I have to do later means more time spent writing and not burning out. This also gives me a very clear idea of not only what I need to accomplish, but how to accomplish it.

This means lists. Lots and lots of lists.

I have approximately the same amount of words to write for two projects this month. The best way to accomplish this is scene lists. I need to know not just the purpose for each scene, but its multipurpose. Then I can write the scene, knock it out of the park, and move on to the next. In order to get the multi-purpose I have to brainstorm from the main purpose, or event, from the scene. The multi-purpose tracks cause-and-effect. This leads to the Snowball Effect of Evil.

Say the purpose (cause) of the scene I’m writing is to reveal the Big Bad. Who is most effected in my cast of characters, and how are they effected? I put the cause in a big bubble in the middle of my whiteboard in black and use colors to track my characters’ reactions. For instance, Big Bad has had a detrimental effect on several characters in the past, including my hero. Based on character, what are they thinking/feeling, and how does this come across in their reactions? What can each offer that constitutes and solution and raising of stakes?

This is really just a form of mindmapping. But if I can see the connections, actions, and reactions, I have myself what constitutes an outline without really outlining. An outline or synopsis looks so…concrete. And it’s difficult to get the creative mind to conform to the rigid structure of blocks of text in the pre-writing stage (at least MY creative mind, at any rate).

I have A Plan. Now I just need to see it through.

ROW80 Goals & Production Schedule:

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): No action yet. I know it’s creeping up, however, so I need to get as much done as possible until then. Publishing is a slow business y’all–even in the electronic market!

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (Drafting): Only four chapters left until Act III-YAY! That means I only have four chapters until Plot Point 2, and a failed rebellion to orchestrate amidst a hotbed of civil unrest. GOAL: I want Act II finished by the end of October, so I can draft ACT III during NANO. This will leave me revisions for December. Also, I’m going to start running test chapters through the workshop process at the Online Writing Workshop for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror.

SOOPER SEKRIT PROJECKT #1 (Drafting): I’m shooting for 10K words on this Bad Boy, which (I’m hoping) will leave me time to revise, polish, create cover art, and release into the wild. I’ve checked everything out with Publisher Awesome’s legal team, so I’m covered there.

KEEPERS #3 (In BETA): Still in the Stunt Monkey’s court, no word yet. I’m always a little nervous when I get something back from the Stunt Monkey, but I know I can always count on her to be honest. We have the same tastes in, well, pretty much everything, so I know she Gets It, if you know what I mean.

I’m looking forward to clearing out my Production Schedule for the rest of the year, to having Big Dang Projeckt finished at last and having a couple more books out in the wild, not to mention starting a new self-pub venture for the benefit of my readers. How about you guys–how’d your week go? Got any Big Dang Plans for the rest of the year?

Game of Trust (#IWSG)

Nothing, not even writing, makes a monkey more scaredy-cat vulnerable than going On Stage. At least with writing, one can remain more or less anonymous, identities easily changed with a name, from the relative safety of one’s own writing nook. On Stage, though—you’re out there. Really out there, swaying in the proverbial breeze while being tortured to melty death by the stage lights quite literally referred to as “The Tormentors”. (They’re like Dahleks, but hotter and less shrieky. Also the Doctor as played by David Tennant does not rescue you from them in the nick of time. You just melt. Ew.)

There is NO escape from a live audience. NONE.

This is why it’s so important for the cast to build a rapport of trust. Live performers (as opposed to dead ones, I suppose) may not like each other very much, depending on the dynamics of the group, but you still have to tap into one another’s energy and learn to trust someone’s gonna have your back the way they gotta trust you’re gonna have theirs.

Mistakes happen—just like those hilarious blooper reels on your DVD Extra Features.  Bloopers in TV and movies get edited out, but not on stage. But mistakes can be recovered with the help of the right training and a fellow performer quick on the uptake. After all, it’s best for the performance on a whole—and everyone involved—if that trust exists.

Writing is largely a solitary endeavor—unless you’re collaborating with another writer, of course—so the entire production is on the shoulders of said writer until they’re contracted to be published or agented.  But it’s still just as important to have a circle of fellow performers you trust to offer honest feedback, feed your energy, and pick you up when you fall down.

Critique Partners, for me, are my fellow cast mates and workshop buddies. They’re  fellow performers of varying skill levels and strengths I trade critiques with. They tell me if my voice is sharp or flat, if the direction I’m going isn’t clear or so over the top their hair is blowing back in the wind like that Maxwell commercial guy. In return, I offer critiques of their work.

Critiques exchanged between writers encompasses overall opinions of what works or doesn’t work, if there are plot holes or inconsistent characterization, whether dialogue  is natural and a setting presents clear picture without sensory overload. Me, I like a full range of opinions so I can pick up consistent patterns among all the subjectivity, so I go the full Workshop option rather than work with the same critique partners every time. I’m a fan of the Online Writers Workshop For Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror and Critique Circle.

BETA readers do what critique partners and workshops do, only they tend to not be fellow “performers” but what equates to a “preview audience”.  A lot of stage performances offer passionate theatre goers a chance to a see a nearly-there but not fully polished performance or sampling of a show with just the actors, not any sets or orchestra or costumes to get feedback from a show’s target audience.

This is what BETA readers do. When I know I’m close to final draft, but I’m too close to it for objectivity, I call these guys in to find the “bugs”. My readers, who I know personally from other avenues of my life, LOVE to read. I give them a word doc and a list of concerns—plus, they know my biggest offenses, because they know me. Often the list of concerns comes from my editorial letters from a previous project, because I don’t want Editor Awesome to feel like she’s repeating herself. Which brings me to:

Editors. My editor, who, as you may have noticed, is verily awesome, and she is my director. She’s seen a full range of productions through every teething trouble known to man, a tried and true veteran of the boards. She sees EVERYTHING: costumes, lights, setting, dialogue, cast drama, sound, marketing—it is her job to polish the chaotic whole into something that gleams and sparkles and holds up when competing against Wicked.

I love my editor. She sees what I don’t see, anticipates what I don’t. She is a Jedi Master to my wimpy but dripping with potential (and stage sweat) Padawan. And she makes sure as hell we sell tickets. She doesn’t curb my voice; she refines it, nudges me in the right direction, suggests performance choices when I’m stuck, or smoothes anything awry. She knows me. As an author, as a story teller—as a performer. She’s been there, done that, AND paid the light bill.

I trust her, because when I’m uncertain about my own judgment, her experience paves the way. Sometimes a simple arm movement, or stillness versus a burst of energy across the stage, can change everything. But it takes an experienced, outside observer who can take the entire production into consideration to point it out.

Critique partners have the courage to tell you something you may not want to hear, but you need to know anyway, BETA readers have all the heart behind expressing their emotional response to your story, and Editors have all the brains to adjust the course as needed.

How about you guys? Who’s in your trusted circle of companions in your writing journey to Oz?

Author Watch: October 2013 (Quickie)

 Just a quick Production Schedule Update, since I’ve got a longer post coming for the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group post tomorrow:

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): Touched base with Editor Awesome earlier this week, when she got back from conference. It seems all is well in Production Land–at least, she didnt’ scream at me in horror that I’ve missed deadlines while her back was turned. But I feel deadlines looming almost any moment, since we’re reaching the six month mark, so I must get crackity-cracking on my drafting.

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (Drafting): The goal this month is to complete ACT II, Part 2 (Post Midpoint). This should be fun, since when I left off I revealed my Big Bad AND his True Identity in one fell swoop. This means I’ve got not one, but three characters heading for severe tailspin trauma. Poor Protagonist–and he was just beginning to relax a bit, too.

KEEPERS #3 (In BETA): Still under the beady eye of the Stunt Monkey–I did let Editor Awesome know a nearly-there draft was in BETA, and I hoped to submit to her soon. No banshee shrieks of protest, so I think we’re good thus far. Looking forward to getting this one tagged and bagged once and for all, considering the trouble it gave me.

SOOPER SEKRIT PROJECKT #1 (In Development): Ah, the great adventure. I’m still in the planning stages this week, and hope to start drafting over the weekend, probably on Sunday. I have Big Plans, of course, but this is an entirely new endeavor for me so I have no idea how it’s going to play out. I’d like to have this bad boy polished and ready to go on October 31st.

 In Other News & Upates:

At the end of this month the Tech Monkey and I get to celebrate our 11th Wedding Anniversary–YAY! This means we’re going be leaving the Ninja Katz to their own devices for a couple of days while we skive off to Universal Orlando for some Harry Potter, Emeril, Hard Rock, and Blue Man Group. We didn’t get to celebrate much for our 10-year, what with one thing and another, so we’re going to doubly make up for it this year by staying at a hoity-toity hotel. Also, we’ll be driving, so that means putting the top down on Zoomy and catching some velocity–whee!!

Also, in the New Year I’m looking at possibly adding a new feature to this blog on a monthly or bi-monthly basis with the help of the Tech Monkey. Tech Monkey was a chef and restauranteur-monkey in his misspent youth, and his domain, when not in the Man Cave exploring this whole Evolution thing, happens to be the kitchen. So, yes–Shiny New Feature will involve food! Food, and books–what could be better?

What? Add wine? Okay, I think we might be able to work something out… *conspires*

Author’s Log: So Sooper, It’s Sekrit

 This is me, splayed on the floor once again in what I like to refer to as Dead Author’s Sprawl. You know the one–the chalk outline of a body before the body is removed. As if the velocity of the world’s spinning mass has plastered me flat against the nearest surface in a classic spread-eagle.

As suspected, I came roaring out of the Midpoint of Big Dang Projeckt at Warp Factor 9, so I took a bit of a break from drafting this week, especially since October is going to be fierce with the busyness. Also, this last week and a half or so this little health issue I have reared its ugly, very painful, hyrda heads. It’s nothing serious, but the severe discomfort involved means I’m often kept up half the night. There also isn’t a lot I can do about it, other than manage my diet (which I’ve been doing), try a combination of natural and over the counter remedies (which I’ve also been doing–carrot juice is flippin’ DISGUSTING, btw), and hope like hell the attacks stop soon.

So there’s that.

The good news is that autumn in Florida entails epic rain fall of near-biblical proportions–meaning perfect writing weather for me. So, YAY. (Hey, I’m Irish and used to live in Seattle, and Florida rain is amateur hour–until the flooding starts. There was once an honest-to-goodness whirlpool in my parking lot one day. It looked like someone had, indeed, released the Kraken.)

So I figured if I’m going to be up half the night surrounded by thunderstorms and wracked with pain anyway, I may as well use the time to get some work done. Of late my eye has been wandering like a creepy wandering eye toward Sooper Sekrit Projeckt #1. And it’s eyeing me back, all defiant-like.

CHALLENGE. ACCEPTED.

Fortunately I still have all my notes from the Projeckt That Came Before, so I don’t have to go through character development again or (I hope) much research. This week I actually came up with what might be a decent scene outline of plot points.

I ended up making some updates to my production schedule. My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to plan and then finish ACT II of Big Dang Projeckt in Oct, so that in November I can utilize NANOWRIMO to finish Act III. This will give me time (I hope) to get Sooper Sekrit Projeckt out to my readers. In order to make room for this I bumped Blood and Steam #1 to 2014, wherein a fresh annual plan will be implemented. This will also give me December to run revisions on Big Dang Projeckt, and room to start pulling critiques on Acts I and II–which means giving critiques in return in anticipation.

So here am I, up all hours like HP Lovecraft and just as strange, with the rain pouring outside my proverbial garrett. If only I didn’t have Evil Day Jobbe to contend with.

Production Schedule Updates:

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): Dropped a note to Editor Awesome that Keepers #3 will hopefully be winging her way sooner than later, so I’m hoping for an update back regarding the second installment. Yes, even in the wild, mad world of e-publishing, the process is darned slow, y’all. So much goes into making a book a real, live, awesome thing it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from multiple individuals, it seems writing it is the EASY part. Need to go through her book review site list at some point and see if I can make a blog tour happen. (And don’t be shy, oh readers mine–if you have a blog and want to be a part of a book tour in April of next year, email me at cstcross [at] gmail [dot] com. I want to start building my list ASAP.)

SOOPER SEKRIT PROJECKT #1 (R&D): Plotty plotness ensues! I’m in the mapping/brainstorming/development phase, which means at least two whiteboards, a copy of the Projeckt That Came Before, and copius notes as the Ninja Katz chase flyaway post-its around my office. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start drafting in October. Also, I’ll need to figure out how to make cover art, something I’m quite looking foward to.

KEEPERS #3 (In BETA): Keepers #3 is in a nearly-there status, and undergoing inspection under the Stunt Monkey’s beady eye. Once she gives it the white glove test, I’ll give it a final polish and shoot it Editor Awesome’s way with a whimper. This week I completed a cover letter/jacket copy blurb and 2-3 page synopsis as per Publisher Amazing’s submission guidelines.

What are you guys up to this week?

Author’s Log: This Is Writing

 Um, so I haven’t gotten to drive my new/old car yet. The Tech Monkey likes it. Really really likes it. And while it’s nice to be get dropped off and picked up at Evil Day Jobbe every day, I’d kinda like to get behind the wheel of this bad boy. (Yes, I’m a girl. Yes, I like to drive fast cars. Moreover, I can handle fast cars. You can thank my dad for that.) I’m really curious to see how a geniune European sports car handles, as opposed to a sports coupe model (my last car) or a “muscle car” (the car before that, which was disguised as a Mustang but was made of plastic rather than steel). Plus, yanno, convertible.

**UPDATE** Got drive the new/old car today. Can I just say: Wheeeeeeeeee!!! The breaks are waaaaaay sensitive–every gentle nudge is a potential for whiplash. It turns tight, and has quite the pickup. Also, despite the close proximity of the interior, it’s got a long reach for the pedal, meaning my knees are pretty much mashed against the console. Can’t wait to put the top down!

On the writing front, there has been mucho progress. Enough for it to become clear that Big Dang Projeckt is going to be longer than the original 90K I had slated. This last part of the week I’ve been literally clocking in close to a chapter a day. I’ve marked multiple scenes off my list, redeemed my hero a bit, assassinated a minor annoyance in a key move and thus upped the stakes as a consequence, and twisted the complications up a notch for my hero’s brother, which is going to make my hero’s life just that little bit more unpleasant. After all, he can’t be redeemed without a price, right? *rubs hands together evilly* Also, I furthered my romantic plot arc between hero, titualar character, and his childhood sweetheart nicely. It’s not a romantic triangle (so overdone these days, especially if it’s not done well), just a complication in regards to my hero’s internal conflict. After all, he’s a good guy at heart–he just has awful, awful luck sometimes.

Poor bastard. Who’s responsible for this travesty? Oh, wait–that would be me. *grins*

Keepers #3 is FINALLY starting to gel. The way I see it now is my rough draft (and third, and fourth, to be honest) were just blue prints at this point. Taking everything apart into its component bits and reassembling it with an eye to simple, elegant craftmanship is helping quite a lot. I’m seeing where it went skewed, and I’m fixing it. A final polish next week, and off to the Stunt Monkey (BETA reader extraordinaire) it goes. A final tinkering after that, and off to Editor Awesome it goes. Better late than never, I say. *whew*

Also beginning next week I get to turn my authorly eye toward Sooper Sekrit Projeckt #1. Hint: It has to do with Keepers of the Flame. I wish I could tell you more (really, seriously bursting at the seams here), but I want it to be a SURPRISE. Suffice to say I’m meaning it as a big, fat THANK YOU to all my readers and fellow writer monkeys. I’m really excited about this project.

Lots to do, lots to do.

Production Schedule

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): Still quiet, with seven months to go. I have a feeling that somewhere within the six-month mark I’m going to be hearing something, but I’m going to check in with Editor Awesome next week anyway. Dying to see cover art, second only to the book release itself, probably. But I must be patient, and occupy myself with other scribblings. *mmph*

THE MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (Drafting): Crashed through the 50K barrier like the Kool-Aid Man through a brick wall. Woo-hoo! Midpoint, here we come! Feeling slightly wild-eyed and drooly, as I usually do when the writing flies right out of my brain and directly onto the page. I feel like that scene in Princess Bride: “I’ve got my wedding to plan, my wife to murder, and Gilder to blame for it. I’m swamped.” Well, I’ve got civil unrest to incite, refugees to blame for it, and a Big Bad to reveal. I’m swamped. But loving every moment–this is my favorite part of drafting, honestly. I’ve reached the point where I can’t be doing anything else but writing full-bore for a certain milestone and I’m running on pure adrenaline. This. THIS is writing.

KEEPERS #3 (Revisions): When I come down off the high of drafting Big Dang Projeckt, it’s nice to switch gears and start working with my hands. Which is what I’m actually doing with Keepers #3. Pulling it all apart like a broken clock, seeing what’s working and what isn’t, putting it all back together again in the right order so things actually work smoothly. What a concept. Besides, there’s something methodical and logical about using highlighters and flags and hard copy that’s really working for revisions on this piece.  I feel like I’m building something with my hands–like art. Or a beautiful, yet functional table. First there’s the well-balanced construction, then there’s the sanding and varnishing, followed by a copious amount of polishing. Suddenly the most difficult revisions of my career thus far is becoming almost therapeutic. Who knew? It just goes to show you need to find the right way for you when it comes to these things.

So having a happy, happy week. How are you guys doing?

Author’s Log: Ooh! Shiny! (& #ROW80)

 Some of you may or may not have remembered my mentioning the Tech Monkey getting rear ended in stopped traffic a couple of weeks ago, right after Comic Con. The other guy took complete responsibility for not paying attention with his insurance company, and things are getting resolved right quickly as these things go. As a result, the Tech Monkey brought home a new mamber of the family on Sunday, a bouncing baby convertible we are referring to as “Zoomy”.

Actually, it’s really an adoption of an older model, but it only had one owner prior to us, so for a 15-year-old car it’s in as mint a condition as can be.  Apparently, said owner only drove it to and from church in nice weather and rubbed it with a cotton diaper the rest of the time, like that Ferrari in Ferris Bueller. It’s my first convertible, and the nicest car I’ve ever owned, so YAY! This also means I’m terrified of driving the thing in Florida. Maybe I’ll only drive it to and from work on nice days, and rub it with a cotton diaper the rest of the time.

So we have been spending time dealing with all the ensuent rigamarole that goes with dealing with post-accident paperwork and new-old car Awesome.

All this means I haven’t been able to take my weekly trips to the grocery store to get those little things I need to cope. Namely, caffeine (I can’t drink the coffee at work, as it triggers stomach-related issues, and anyway can be easily mistaken for something siphoned from the La Brea Tar Pits). So I have been sagging and dragging these last couple of weeks.

Somewhere in the middle of all the Timey-Wimey and Wibbly-Wobbly, I managed to “cast” my Assassin for Big Dang Projeckt. Shelley Conn is utterly perfect for the “role”–in physical beauty, in mannerisms and speech patterns. This gives me a whole new angle on this character, and means now I’ll have no trouble figuring out what she’d do or say. I can simply see it, like some sort of strange, limited Jedi power. And she is even more fun to write than I anticipated. I love delightfully evil characters!

I also got to write another scene I’d been looking forward to. It’s a very sweet scene between my hero and his Minstrel, up in a peach tree in his mother’s garden, talking about how difficult it is to live up to their respective fathers’ examples. Meanwhile, there’s a couple of dozen children running amok below, on a scavenger hunt of sorts. All this includes a touch of worldbuilding in regards to festivals and myths–a myth that’s going to come into play later. Plus, we get a hint behind the mystery of one of my hero’s Helper character.  I’m officially referring to this chapter as the Chapter of Foreshadow. It’s going to be one of those that resonate later in the story as Events Unfold. If I do it right, it’ll give my readers chills. CHILLS I SAY BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAA!!!

Ahem.

In other news, I’ve also finished typing Waking Muse #1 into the computer, completely rewrote the epilogue, and came up with a final rough draft count just shy of 18K. Now it goes away again for awhile to marinate until it’s time for revisions.

On to the foreshadowing, Status Updatery:

 Production Schedule (& ROW80):

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): All’s Quiet on the Production Front. At this point, it means I have a reprieve of sorts, as I struggle with revisions on Keepers #3. I did, however, receive a list of review sites from Editor Awesome where Samhain sends ARCs, which I may or may not be able to parlay into a Blog Tour. I’ll go through the list at a later date to see how feasible this may be. That being said, if any of y’all are interested in an ARC to review, or want me to drop by your blog for a guest slot, feel free to drop me a line.

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (Drafting): I broke the 40K mark! W00T!! This means I get to treat myself with a finger or two of my favorite whiskey and take stock of my progress. I am way further away than 5,000 words to my Midpoint, which either means that (a) this is going to be a longer book, with a distinct possibility of it clocking in at 100k, or (b) It’ll clock in much larger than the current 90K I have slated, but will shrink once more in revisions. I like to write a tight story, so I hope the latter proves to be true, but only time will tell. At this rate, my rough draft will take me into October, so I’ve got a new goal of Oct 31 to finish it. I’ve also outlined the scenes I need to write for the next three chapters. I’ve got two chapters left to Midpoint, at the end of which I’ll probably be at 50K words. After that, it’s only two chapters to Pinch Point 2, and then two more to the end of Act II and the 75% mark. If I push myself, I can easily finish Act II by the end of September.

KEEPERS #3 (In Revision): This is the weekend I have allotted for going all Beautiful Mind on this #^&*! draft. Meaning, I take physically take it apart, paragraph by paragraph, and reconstruct it, page by page. If this sounds exteme, you don’t know the half of it. But more and more lately, I’m reminded how my the craft of writing with where the story comes through it all its shining glory. I’ve had some time away from it, now it’s time to play Twister With Words. CHALLENGE. ACCEPTED. *dons construction hat*

Fortunately, I found myself helped along, once again, by the Bearded One Chuck Wendig, with this verily awesome tip list on Revising That Sumbitch: 25 Steps To Edit The Unmerciful Suck Out Of Your Story.

This is an absolute must-read before and during revisions. Seriously, it lit an unholy fire under my Writer-Monkey’s butt, and I now I wield the scissors, tape, and Red Pen Of Death like a fiend. Go forth, fellow monkeys, and read. And only then revise.

Also, this week I blogged over at the Samhain Publishing site (aka Publisher Amazing)  about how music instills pretty much every moment of my waking (and sometimes dreaming) life: The Music I Breathe.

Author Watch: Ooh! Shiny! (& #ROW80)

 Some of you may or may not have remembered my mentioning the Tech Monkey getting rear ended in stopped traffic a couple of weeks ago, right after Comic Con. The other guy took complete responsibility for not paying attention with his insurance company, and things are getting resolved right quickly as these things go. As a result, the Tech Monkey brought home a new mamber of the family on Sunday, a bouncing baby convertible we are referring to as “Zoomy”.

Actually, it’s really an adoption of an older model, but it only had one owner prior to us, so for a 15-year-old car it’s in as mint a condition as can be.  Apparently, said owner only drove it to and from church in nice weather and rubbed it with a cotton diaper the rest of the time, like that Ferrari in Ferris Bueller. It’s my first convertible, and the nicest car I’ve ever owned, so YAY! This also means I’m terrified of driving the thing in Florida. Maybe I’ll only drive it to and from work on nice days, and rub it with a cotton diaper the rest of the time.

So we have been spending time dealing with all the ensuent rigamarole that goes with dealing with post-accident paperwork and new-old car Awesome.

All this means I haven’t been able to take my weekly trips to the grocery store to get those little things I need to cope. Namely, caffeine (I can’t drink the coffee at work, as it triggers stomach-related issues, and anyway can be easily mistaken for something siphoned from the La Brea Tar Pits). So I have been sagging and dragging these last couple of weeks.

Somewhere in the middle of all the Timey-Wimey and Wibbly-Wobbly, I managed to “cast” my Assassin for Big Dang Projeckt. Shelley Conn is utterly perfect for the “role”–in physical beauty, in mannerisms and speech patterns. This gives me a whole new angle on this character, and means now I’ll have no trouble figuring out what she’d do or say. I can simply see it, like some sort of strange, limited Jedi power. And she is even more fun to write than I anticipated. I love delightfully evil characters!

I also got to write another scene I’d been looking forward to. It’s a very sweet scene between my hero and his Minstrel, up in a peach tree in his mother’s garden, talking about how difficult it is to live up to their respective fathers’ examples. Meanwhile, there’s a couple of dozen children running amok below, on a scavenger hunt of sorts. All this includes a touch of worldbuilding in regards to festivals and myths–a myth that’s going to come into play later. Plus, we get a hint behind the mystery of one of my hero’s Helper character.  I’m officially referring to this chapter as the Chapter of Foreshadow. It’s going to be one of those that resonate later in the story as Events Unfold. If I do it right, it’ll give my readers chills. CHILLS I SAY BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAA!!!

Ahem.

In other news, I’ve also finished typing Waking Muse #1 into the computer, completely rewrote the epilogue, and came up with a final rough draft count just shy of 18K. Now it goes away again for awhile to marinate until it’s time for revisions.

On to the foreshadowing, Status Updatery:

 Production Schedule (& ROW80):

BRIGHID’S MARK (In Production): All’s Quiet on the Production Front. At this point, it means I have a reprieve of sorts, as I struggle with revisions on Keepers #3. I did, however, receive a list of review sites from Editor Awesome where Samhain sends ARCs, which I may or may not be able to parlay into a Blog Tour. I’ll go through the list at a later date to see how feasible this may be. That being said, if any of y’all are interested in an ARC to review, or want me to drop by your blog for a guest slot, feel free to drop me a line.

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (Drafting): I broke the 40K mark! W00T!! This means I get to treat myself with a finger or two of my favorite whiskey and take stock of my progress. I am way further away than 5,000 words to my Midpoint, which either means that (a) this is going to be a longer book, with a distinct possibility of it clocking in at 100k, or (b) It’ll clock in much larger than the current 90K I have slated, but will shrink once more in revisions. I like to write a tight story, so I hope the latter proves to be true, but only time will tell. At this rate, my rough draft will take me into October, so I’ve got a new goal of Oct 31 to finish it. I’ve also outlined the scenes I need to write for the next three chapters. I’ve got two chapters left to Midpoint, at the end of which I’ll probably be at 50K words. After that, it’s only two chapters to Pinch Point 2, and then two more to the end of Act II and the 75% mark. If I push myself, I can easily finish Act II by the end of September.

KEEPERS #3 (In Revision): This is the weekend I have allotted for going all Beautiful Mind on this #^&*! draft. Meaning, I take physically take it apart, paragraph by paragraph, and reconstruct it, page by page. If this sounds exteme, you don’t know the half of it. But more and more lately, I’m reminded how my the craft of writing with where the story comes through it all its shining glory. I’ve had some time away from it, now it’s time to play Twister With Words. CHALLENGE. ACCEPTED. *dons construction hat*

Fortunately, I found myself helped along, once again, by the Bearded One Chuck Wendig, with this verily awesome tip list on Revising That Sumbitch: 25 Steps To Edit The Unmerciful Suck Out Of Your Story.

This is an absolute must-read before and during revisions. Seriously, it lit an unholy fire under my Writer-Monkey’s butt, and I now I wield the scissors, tape, and Red Pen Of Death like a fiend. Go forth, fellow monkeys, and read. And only then revise.

Also, this week I blogged over at the Samhain Publishing site (aka Publisher Amazing)  about how music instills pretty much every moment of my waking (and sometimes dreaming) life: The Music I Breathe.

Gotta Love It–Part II (#IWSG)

 So, awhile back I posted an IWSG posted entitled “Gotta Love It”, talking about how it’s in the best interest as authors, much like actors and stage performers, to learn to love the audition (or query process). If you’re interested, Part I can be found here.

I’d like to expound on that a bit today. Because, unlike stage performers, auditioning only forms one part of the entire process. Authors are responsible for the entire production, as it were.

It’s easy to love the art of writing (those some days may be easier than others!). I find it all too easy a lot of the time to get caught up in the flood tide of words, especially when they’re flowing like music and my pen moves so quickly along the paper I can hardly understand what I wrote afterwards. But it’s deep, it’s hot, it’s a flippin’ tattoo to the creative process. When the words sing, there’s nothing like it. I live for those fugue-like acid trips into my own creative hive mind. Sometimes I even surprise myself.

But that’s the art of writing. The art, with enough practice and discipline, and the right mindset, is easy. Easy and exhilarating as following an empty road in a convertible Mustang with ALL THE POWER. Whee!

The craft is something different, though it can be just as exhilarating in its own way. The craft comes when you finish a draft, and you set it aside a spell to let the engines cool. Crafting requires fresh perspective, and objectivity. It’s a lot like sculpting in marble–you have to see the inner image and the story tells clearly in this big, heavy block of a draft. And then you have to chip away at it, until only that image and story remain. It won’t take a day. It probably won’t even take a week. It certainly won’t take only one pass of the chisel. No, you go over it again, and again. Chip, chip, chip…

Eventually you get a definite form. The image becomes more clear, more concise, with every pass. Eventually your chips become shavings, and you ask your fellow artists “What do you think?” Then come the polishing cloths, in different textures. One for content, another for scene work, yet another for sentence structure and word usage.

You have to love the craft as much as the art of it. Drafting is easy. Revisions, rewrites, testing it in critique circles and with beta testers, polishing until your marble image is smooth as glass and just as clear. It takes time and patience, and a clear vision. It takes walking around the thing, over and over, examining the piece from all angles and in different lights. That’s craftmanship. Craftmanship is what sets apart the professional from the merely aspiring. It’s what sets apart the truly great from the merely good.

 

 

 

Author Watch: September 2013 (& #ROW80)

In Which The Future Is Upon Us

Well, August was a whirlwind of activity, and no mistake! I finished three revision passes on Keepers #3. I made headway on Big Dang Projeckt, though I did not finish ACT II as I anticipated. I completed my rough draft of Waking Muse #1, and though it didn’t reach as many overall as I anticipated, I still have a respectable novella in Ye Olde Scribblings Trunk, where it will percolate until it’s time for revisions. I’m still working on getting my handwritten wordage into the computer. I also attended Tampa Bay Comic Con, where I attended Hugh Howey’s panel on self-publishing.

After Comic Con, Life Happened. The Tech Monkey was sitting in traffic, totally stopped, when he got rear-ended. Not just tapped, but full-on HULK SMASH! Fortunately the guy admitted full fault to his insurance company, so the good news is they’re taking care of most of everything. The bad news is, the car that was hit was our primary vehicle, and we have no idea what’s going to happen with that. It’s not worth much, Blue Book-wise, even though we’ve sunk money into it over the last few years. The rims alone are worth more than the car, not to mention the new shocks. We have a secondary vehicle, but it’s an antique and therefore not an every day car because it’s a pain in the boot to drive.

The rental company gave us a Prius, which is very strange. It’s like traveling in a shuttle craft. It’s very spacious, and futuristic, with a full computerized console, like a computer. Seriously, you start it up by pushing a “Power” button, just like on your computer at home. You don’t start it up, you boot it up. The shifter is a joy stick. You level up in miles and it has a health bar. Any Klingons come along and we’re toast, as it we apparently didn’t get the model with the cloaking device feature. After Tampa Bay Comic Con, where vendors swiped our card on their phones and tablets and we had to sign off with our fingers (no sytlus? really?), we began to wonder when we’d been in the Tardis and why we didn’t remember. And if the Doctor was David Tennant and I missed it…well, Klingons will have nothing on my fury.

So, all in all, it’s been a bit of a Time Warp lately. Or Wibbly-wobbly and timey-wimey, if you prefer. 

Production Schedule (& ROW80):

BRIGHID’S MARK(in production):  Keepers #2 is still, er, keeping. I’m enjoying the respite before I have to drop EVERYTHING and to into Super Revision Mode. I know from experience that I won’t be able to do anything but rewrite and revise once that happens. So I have to get as much drafting done as possible until then.

 

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER(drafting): 41% complete–woohoo! I should finish Pinch Point 1 this coming week, if my pacing holds up. It also means I’m a little bloated on word count at this point (Pinch Point 1 should hit at the 37.5% mark), but that’ll get trimmed in revisions. I’ve hit upon referring to Big Bad as The Butcher of Ingenkell, who my heroes are beginning to put the clues together on. But the real and true, Big Reveal won’t come along until Midpoint. Also their small town is now awash in refugees, providing concealment for my Assassinette (Assassinina?).

 

KEEPERS #3(in BETA):  I still feel like this one is a huge, hairy mess akin to a Wookie pileup, that I drafted it too fast to keep it clean. Honestly, I feel like I pushed too hard and ended up choking. I know it can be so much better, but at the moment it feels stilted and like I’m trying too hard. And readers will be the first to notice dishonest writing. I need to dial down my protagonist’s obsession with her guardian’s approval and make the romantic conflict more believable. I have a three day weekend this weekend, so I’m going to get my drafting done early and then hit the books on this one. Hard.

How about you guys? Ever tried so hard on something you ended up choking?