Hart Johnson's Blog, page 27

Who's Your Best Friend?

No matter how many times I ask the dog this question, he never answers. I think he loves his daddy better and doesn't want to hurt my feelings.







Joel in his winter coat

What am I on about? Oh, right... It is Insecure Writer Support Groups 1st Wednesday!!!!

And you should visit LOTS of us. We are ALL insecure.





Now back to the question.



See... I'm not Joel's FAVORITE. And sometimes it can be hard to remember that doesn't mean he doesn't LOVE ME. He does.



As authors all of us crave love, but I think we can get lost in words like favorite... because if somebody ELSE is your favorite... I'm not. It is hard to keep focused on the idea that you can love LOTS of authors and it isn't cheating. We can let superstar success of our friends make us fear WE will never get there...







Or we can let it give us heart.





See, I don't actually believe people can only love one person (but accept I may be bendy that way). But I KNOW people can love LOTS of authors. And people who love ANY authors are more likely to love multiple authors. REJOICE in the success of your friends because it INCREASES the pool of those who may love YOU.



That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

No Free Will (Book 10 of A Shot in the Light) is UP!!!

Available here

To Book in June, or, Happy Birthday to ME!

It's my birthday month. Did you know? If you DID know, you might ALSO know no birthday should be celebrated for less than thirty days, so I am calling the whole month. It might not REALLY happen until the 23rd, but ALL MONTH we are having a bit of a party.



And by party, I mean I am FINALLY starting a BRAND NEW book that has been bugging me for a couple years now. The seeds of it, strangely enough, stem to a couple Veronica Mars episode. I don't get many ideas from TV shows, but every once in a while there is just a breeze of pollen from one that falls on some OTHER idea and makes it explode.



With Shot in the Light the the whole 'near apocalypse' obsession began with the book series Tomorrow When the War Began (to this day, 10 years later, my daughter's FAVORITE book series), but the TV show Jericho gave me a lot of good feed for how communities might cope when the world around them is falling apart. It gave me blocks to build from.







NOT the Castle episode: these are the Tritons. VM hit the theme twice.

So with Undoing ... do you remember the Skull and Bones secret society that supposedly the Bushes are a big part of? Those rumors planted this seed. But it got a big dose of fertilizer from the VM epidsode where Wallace is tapped to join Castle. Simultaneously, Veronica is taped getting a little naked with Piz, totally unknown to her, and the tape goes viral so she starts to dig... and finds out some very interesting things about Castle. The kinds of advantages members get. The things the society does to keep its members in check... And Undoing began to take shape.





The teaser for Mere Mortals , first book in the Undoing Trilogy (first draft, forgive me)



 Just days after he graduates high school, Sebastian Childs, grandson to Rockwell Childs, learns his grandfather has chosen him as heir to his publishing empire. His grandfather asks only one thing. He is dying and would like his heir to spend his last summer living with him so he can get to know him. Sebastian's father, passed over in the line of succession is furious, and even Sebastian feels the inheritance should be spread over more people, but if Sebastian refuses, his grandfather threatens to donate the entire thing.



While with his grandfather, Sebastian learns of the secret society that had given his grandfather and so many others their huge advantage over other people. His grandfather has come to believe there is too much power and too little accountability in the system and he charges Bas with gaining admittance and then undoing the society from the inside.





So I have conceived of this story as three books of three acts each. It is possible I will release these serially (that would be nine distinct parts), but unlike last time, I am going to have an entirely solid first draft of all three before I begin making such decisions.



This is planned more than most of my past books because it's been bugging me for so long. I have choreography for when various important characters make an entrance and what the big point of all nine acts is.



My plan is to write book 1 in June... then I have major editing to do on four different projects in July an August for a query fest, so maybe I will write book 2 in September and book 3 in November.



Other News



THAT said, other than special days (IWSG and my 5-year blogiversary, etc) I am only going to blog Mondays this month.



And if YOU want to write a book in June, BuNoWriMo would WELCOME you to join us! We've lost our widget, but we are still an awesome system of writerly social support.



And finally... my learned wisdom... that free day thing? GREAT for two days, but I think that is the limit of increasing returns. Next time I will do two days and save the other three for a different promo...

The Virtue of the Three-Day Work Week

So I'm starting this campaign. I'd appreciate your endorsement, and would not say no if you would donate to the Naked World Domination Quest, because honestly, you'll all be happier when I'm in charge... but baby steps...







How have I blogged 5 years and this is my first paradise?

So I've been taking Fridays off this month—I had so much vacation accumulated I was losing it and said NO WAY. This is NOT the way to go, so there you have it... and THIS week, I also had MONDAY off because of the holiday (Memorial day, to any of you not in the states)



Well for STARTERS on my 4-day weekend, I got almost 16,000 words written, so THAT was a bonus, and I felt good—enough sleep, enough down time.



And then on Tuesday, low and behold... I got WORK done at work! Wednesday, too. See, I think Americans are expected to work so many hours that you just can't POSSIBLY be productive all of them. But if we had less time we had to be there, we could be productive for all of them. So employers should like this TOO.



Rested productive employees, reduced stress-related diseases, well-rounded people because they have time for a life (or second career, whatever)...



Who's with me!?





In Other News.



I spend much of yesterday twitterpated. I can't tell you why or I'd have to kill you, but I am really hoping it is good news. It's NEARLY good news in ANY case.





In Other OTHER News



BuNoWriMo: 3 days away!!!!



Anybody want to volunteer to clean my desk? After my MONTHS AND MONTHS on one project, it looks a bit like a typhoon.







if you look at the word 'sale' too long, it looks wrong, dunnit? 

And FINALLY: Best Idea EVER!!!



You know, I am really BAD at this whole wonky timing of sales and promo thing. When I do it right, it is totally a FLUKE, but timing that Good PW Review to lead into FREE and SALE? Seriously... I've not only given away more than 500 of the first book (as of last night—more than 250 a day for the free days), I have also SOLD about a third of my TOTAL sales ever in 2 days. Is it going to make me rich? Not even a little bit. For what I've made this month I can buy a seriously less cheap than normal but not good bottle of wine... But people are READING MY BOOK!!!



If you get a good prestigious review and have the authority to have a sale about it, I strongly recommend it—sharing the celebration by giving people a change to share what you are celebrating? Seriously.

Free and Cheap!!!

You know, I'd been a little worried with my review that PW reviews were a little easier on readers this year, but then I spent some time on the ABNA threads and I see that isn't so. I got really lucky to get a match for a reviewer who likes my sort of books, but I also feel like I get to feel pretty good about pulling it off for him or her.







To CELEBRATE, for the next 5 days (today through Friday) A Flock of Ill Omens is FREE. This is the first in the serial and I think 12 chapters—the Amazon excerpt is only 2 chapters—so it is quite a bit more than was already available for free.



THEN



For the REAL PAHTAY... the whole book, A Shot in the Light, Parts I-IV , is only 99 cents. (normally it is $2.99). I am leaving it this price until Amazon cuts are posted June 13.



If you are confused about WHY I am celebrating, my review I'm so excited about is HERE .



I would LOVE LOVE LOVE some help spreading the word if peeps wouldn't mind giving a share or a mention.





In Other News



I had a KICKASS writing weekend. Friday-Sunday I wrote 15K and I should finish my LAST first draft for A Shot in the Light today. It will run about 20 pages longer than the others, but not enough longer to think I should split it into two books.



This is often how I am... The third quarter is hardest, but once I really get rolling into the ending, it flies. I know what I want to happen. I'm excited to make it happen. And I am a lunatic adrenaline rush until it's done.



Hopefully book 10 will be ready by NEXT Monday. Sooner if possible.





BuNoWriMo



And BuNoWriMo starts SUNDAY! Want to write book in June? Have your idea ready? I think it's time to get plotting!!!

A Shot in the Light: Publisher's Weekly Review

This review is for my Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Entry, which is books 1-4 for the serial, available HERE if anyone is interested.






ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer
This novel is a compelling look at how people survive when everything they know has changed. Chapters focus on a cast of alternating characters across the United States and their reactions to a massive flu outbreak that begins killing people all over the country. Journalists Sydney Knight, Tonya Simons, and Theo Jacobs, grad students Nathan Drake and Jules Ahler, nurse Sarah McGrath, mercenary Matt Jacobs, senator's daughter Dorene Radcliff, and CDC employee Pierre Van Wouten utilize their skill sets and knowledge as they try to investigate and survive the epidemic. As paths cross and groups form, a picture of what caused the epidemic begins to emerge. This novel engages readers from the first page and keeps them turning pages until the end. Characters' backgrounds and motivations are explored in depth, and relationships grow. The sense of dread grows along with the epidemic, and action scenes leave readers on the edge of their seats. The author's writing style is engaging and serves the plot well. This novel is a very strong look at the lengths to which people will go to survive.



The underlined bit is the thing I plan to use for my promo stuff... Definitely a nice perk!

Naked Thursday!!!

It has been WAY too long since we've had a Naked Thursday around here, but you know what? It is the LAST day I have to work before we ease on into the post-memorial day SUMMER feeling, so I think we just ought to be NAKED!





What do I MEAN by Naked?



You just thought I was taking my clothes off, didn't you? Well I AM, but that's just the START. See, NAKED is an ATTITUDE. It is shedding all those false fronts and just being YOU, no layers of deception, no purchased false fronts, no status symbols. Just YOU, out there loving the world and life. (or not—Naked can be vulnerable, too—scary and revealing the BAD)--Wherever you are, that's okay. Just embrace it. Own it. And put it out there.



Be NAKED.







The Benefits?



Well there is no itchy, course false front... No BINDING discomfort.

You know the people who love you, love YOU and not some false you they think you are.

No need for matching or sorting. No WORRY about accessorizing.



NAKED goes with EVERYTHING!





The RISKS?



Well when there is more of you exposed, there are more scrapes and bug bites.

Sometimes it can be awkward...





All in All I think you can SEE the way to go, but if you NEED to test it out... start with Thursdays...

Ebb and Flow

It's funny how things need to be aligned for the writing to flow. I am a person who doesn't actually believe in writer's block, but I DO believe a story can get stopped up... that sometimes you have to write something ELSE for a little while before you can get back to progress on that WiP.







One side of the mountain blew totally off

So IMAGES today are from Mt. St. Helen's... it blew 34 years ago yesterday, covering the little town I lived in (Moscow, Idaho) in ¾ inch of ash... school was canceled for the year... one of those once in a lifetime experiences... (which is probably good)





You know what helps the writing flo?



DAYS OFF!



I am SO IMPORTANT at my job that I can never take time off... erm... or rather, we are in our first real year as an office and I'm the only veteran besides my boss... it is possibly my own exaggerated sense of self importance, but it has just seemed for too long like I couldn't actually be GONE...



We had a bunch of hiring to do, then we had a grant, then I had a national meeting, and I had students with projects... (like I really COULDN'T be GONE)--but I also noticed I was losing vacation days... you can only accumulate so many, so this summer, as much as possible, I am taking three days weekends... now into the foreseeable future. And Friday was my first one.



Hubby worked part of it. Me home alone... and it was a GREAT writing day.







It left the forest below looking like this--those are TREES (not grass)

Know what DOESN'T help the writing?



A hangover.



I really am too old to be so stupid, but I got to drinking wine with my neighbor Friday night and Saturday I was really mostly worthless writing-wise. I got some other stuff done. Some shopping, some chores. But each time I'd think, “I should write” I would sit down and think... no, what I really want is to watch a episode of Deadwood... So don't do that.





Know what HELPS?



A good night SLEEP!



I do really good writing when I get up feeling refreshed. When I still feel tired, not so much.







Here it is 30 years later, recovering slowly

Know what DOESN'T HELP?



Needy people. Doesn't matter who they are, but mostly childings... childings who need rides. Childings who need jobs. Childings who need clean clothes. Childings who you are married to who are just generally needy. Childings with fur who need their dogfood made... Other childings with fur who need their litter boxes changed... But I love them, so I suppose that is just part of the deal.



I suppose if it flowed too fast, it would just bowl over everything in its wake.





Whatever the challenges, I managed to write almost 8000 words in my three days off and have reached the halfway point, if this book doesn't end up a bunch longer than the rest. The biggest deal is I really wound up about the first five chapters, all of which I'd started, but had [needs a scene that does this] at the end of all of them. I finally feel like I really AM half way, rather than having a whole bunch of started chapters, none of which had reached satisfactory conclusions. Hopefully a week from now I will be able to tell you the first draft is DONE.



So there. What helps and hurts your writing?

Seeking New Weather God

This man is an ASS HAT

So you know how here in Michigan was the worst winter EVER?



Well THIS week we had a real life, big deal 90 minutes in the basement Torado warning. Not ONE tornado, but THREE, and one of them touched down twice (so four touch downs, thankfully not where they did much damage) (and they got four inches of snow in Colorado and are having fires in California). I am declaring the CURRENT weather god incompetent and he needs REPLACING, preferable with one who is more mild tempered.







A little gender-bendy, too, which is good--impies balance.

Maybe Dionysus... He'd the god of wine and pleasure... Doesn't a weather god reminiscent of wine and pleasure seem like he'd be a really GOOD weather god... I LIKE wine. And I LIKE pleasure!





























Add caption

Or maybe Demeter... At least she limits the misery to six months of the year...



Any suggestions for who ought to get the job? Surely nobody can be worse than the current guy...

Envy and Hope

So last week on my Monday, Thursday blog schedule I blogged on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I will try to get better at this schedule thing...



The Green-Eyed Monster is Mopey, but not angry





I have some amazing friends... not mere acquaintances, but people I've been friends with for YEARS that are having some amazing things happening right now. I want to share that news with you... and I also want to talk a bit about the emotional repercussions of our friends finding not just publishing, but HUGE successes. Three of these are ABNA friends—people I met in the first year I was in the contest in 2010, but let me start with the 4th case, since she is part of this blogging community.





Sarah Ahiers and the Freaking Agents COMPETING FOR HER



This is oldish news. Sarah's blog on the matter is from late January, but it totally fits the theme here, so bear with me.



You hear of this happening. A book so awesome that you don't just get one nibble, but several large BITES. But it doesn't happen OFTEN. It's certainly never happened to ME... and it happened to Sarah... her book was SO AWESOME that agents were competing to work with her.



I wish here an AMAZING giant congratulations... even if I'm a bit envious.



[note to self: one who fails to query will not have this happen. It is RARE if you query. It is IMPOSSIBLE if you don't]







Janet Oakley and Awards and Agent Requests



Janet writes historical fiction which has a smaller readership than some other sorts. She had some trouble traditionally, so she's self-published two books, Tree Soldier and Timber Rose . The first has won several awards and the latter WILL, once it's been out more than a couple weeks, so clearly Janet is doing well. And then this week she has gotten a request for a full based on a Twitter Pitch contest (who even knew they HAD these?] for another book—one set in WWII.



So HUGE congratulations for Janet for past and future success.



[Note to self: if you aren't paying attention, the opportunities are going to pass you by.]







Patrick Frievald and his Bram Stoker Nomination



Patrick writes horror, which makes me jealous already. I would LOVE to be able to write horror, but I seem to lack the imagination. He's had some great successes in publishing but the BIGGIE is that he was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for 2013: Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel (for Special Dead ). I can't find who won, but I assume I would have heard if it was Patrick. STILL, you should SEE the names on this list—he is in AMAZING company... MADE IT kind of company.  CONGRATS Patrick!!!



AHA!  HERE are the winners!





And finally...





My Buddy Gae FREAKING Polisner got a Freaking NEW YORK TIMES Book Review!!!! (a really good one)



Gae's first book was quietly a raging success... and by raging success, I mean she sold movie rights and had teachers all over the country using it in their classrooms—a literary middle grade/YA straddler (14 year old MC). But the Summer of Letting Go seems to not want to make such a quiet appearance (yeah, we should ALL be so quiet as to sell movie rights)





So Hart... How do you FEEL about all this?

(yes, I talk to myself, doesn't everybody?)



A bit weepy with pride. Seriously, tears shed with joy and pride for my friends.

And jealous, a bit.

But mostly HOPEFUL... See, I knew ALL these guys before they MADE IT... that sort of means all of US might make it TOO, right?



So chins up, friends... WE WILL!