R.K. MacPherson's Blog, page 8

Ground Truth

I looked over the proof copies ofStormcaller. I saw things I liked. I saw things I didn’t like. I saw a lot of things that looked different in print than they do on the screen. In the military, the disparity between perception and reality is called ground truth.

Some of the problems are intangible and subjective. I picked the 6×9″ format…just because. I have books in that size (and others) and it didn’t seem like a bad idea. I liked the idea of Isaura’s big blue eye staring at me, but when I h...

NaNoWriMo Begins!

National Novel Writing Month began at midnight last night. I, like thousands of other writers around the world, stayed awake to crank out some words to jump start our projects. I know some people new to NaNoWriMo, so I thought I would offer my “helpful” guide to writing a novel.

How to Write a Novel

1. Have vague idea about something. Preferably about your protagonist or antagonist, but if all you can think about is a sex/chase/action scene on the beach/airplane/International Space Station, tha...

The Proofs Are In The Pudding

Actually, that’s not true…and how pissed would I be if it was?

So there I was, cruising along at nearly six hours of sleep (a record this week), when my mind said “Use the Force.” When I ignored that and tried to keep sleeping, my mind said, “Okay. Check your email, dumbass.” So, I held my iPad to the correct focal length for someone not quite as immortal as he once was and, sure enough, my component files forStormcaller passed review.

So, Createspace asked me to doublecheck them myself (as opp...

Preparing for Publication

Stormcaller is all but finished. My good friend Bridget graciously offered to share some final thoughts on the draft (Yay!) while I layout the files for the paperback version.

As always, I strive to learn new things with each book.Antigone’s Fall didn’t get a paperback release, but it did get out on Barnes & Noble.Stormcaller will get a paperback, but won’t get B&N because I find epub troubleshooting annoyingly problematic.

Also, the last time I hooked a Nook up to my laptop, the e-reader fried...

Work in Progress Challenge

J. Elizabeth Hillhit me with the WIP Challenge. As I definitely need to force my sick (ill, not twisted) brain back in writer mode, I thought this presented a good opportunity.

1. What is the title of your Work In Progress?

Stormcaller.

2. Where did the idea for the WIP come from?

My mother teaches at a community college and told me about a number of homeless students in her classes. These are young men and women who could afford rentor tuition, but not both, yet they chose tuition. That kind of...

Why reviews matter - J.S Wayne

Reblogged from Literary+:

Today we have a guest post from J.S Wayne who is here to talk to us about reviews and why they matter.

Why Reviews MatterBy J.S. Wayne

A lot of writers tend to be very polarized on the subject of reviews, reviewing, and reviewers. The views seem to fall in a continuum of “I love reviewers because they help me get my work out in the public eye” or “I hate reviewers because they never have anything nice to say.” Regardless of your personal thoughts about critics and revi...

Stormcaller’s Mockups

So, having drooled over the cover image for the past few days, I thought about how to use it. I’m a “less is more” kind of guy and this image feels like that’s the most effective approach here. While I’m not married to the title font, I do like it. It’s clean, shows up well at itty-bitty sizes, and doesn’t crowd the image. That said, I would appreciate feedback on these.

Specifically, I’d like to know what color combinations work best for you; whether you actively loathe any particular aspects...

Cover Art Conundrums

I love pictures, digital images, and so forth. I don’t like being in them, but I do like looking at them. Or manipulating them. I’ve been on the hunt for a good cover image for Stormcaller for quite some time. It’s an interesting problem. My own digital graphics skills are somewhere above a newborn and below a three year-old, so the less work necessary, the better. Of course, the biggest obstacles always prove to be my preconceptions about what the cover should look like.

So I have opinions. S...

A Brief Interview

Literary+ interviewed me about writing andAntigone’s Fall. As I’m never too tired to talk about a book, I fired up some responses–and tried not to sound too boring. Hope you enjoy it, and be certain to check out other authors onLiterary+.It’s a great place to find indie writers!

http://www.literaryplus.com/writer-spotlights/

Rudderless

This post is largely me venting. No sage, or crappy, advice, no suggestions, etc. Just need to vent.

I try to keep a sense of perspective about things. My “bad” things don’t compare to the bad things endured by all too many. Even unemployed, I’m still wealthier than many around the world. I still have a floating roof over my head.

I’m fortunate. I get that.

What throws me into a spin is finding ways out of my current predicamant. Jobs are scarce for everyone, not just writers. My technical skill...