Jenn Reese's Blog, page 18
June 3, 2011
New E-Story: Lady Blade
My short story "Lady Blade" is now available for Kindle and Nook (coming as soon as it finishes processing). "Lady Blade" first appeared in the anthology Japanese Dreams, published in 2009 by Lethe Press.
Kindle – Nook
This story is important to me because it's the only one I've written that draws directly from my experience playing Dungeons & Dragons. Yes, it's a D&D story.
Back in college, I created a campaign world and based one of the countries on ancient Japan. I made up a new class riffing on fantasy samurai culture: the Tan-Tali Swordsinger. And then, because that's the way these things go, I made up a bunch of magic items to tie it all together — their names, their histories, their powers, all that good stuff.
My favorites by far were the ones at the center of this story.
May 31, 2011
Ebook Cover Design: Tiger Bright Studios
I've discovered an intense love for designing book covers. Ebook covers, to be precise. And some of my awesome friends have convinced me to start offering these services to other people. So today I'm introducing:
(I might continue to tweak the logo a bit, but that's it for now. In one variation. This week.)
The website includes a portfolio of covers for short stories by Tobias S. Buckell, Christoper East, Sarah Prineas, Tim Pratt, and Greg van Eekhout. (And two of mine, too.) Not all of those stories have been released yet, but they will be soon.
As always, feedback — on the covers, the website, or the content — is welcome.
May 27, 2011
Stuff I Love: Umami Burger
I miss blogging, and in an effort to return to more regular posts, I'm starting a new thing: "Stuff I Love" posts. How does this differ from most of my other posts? Um… it doesn't. But this is my excuse to talk about the many tiny things I discover, uncover, or enjoy in my everyday life. First up:
Yes, that's right. Despite the fact that I don't eat meat, my first entry is about a burger place.
I first heard about Umami Burger from a friend, and was dubious. Burgers have never been my thing. Then last weekend, with friends visiting from out of town, we had a chance to hit the Umami Burger in Santa Monica and took a chance.
The place was hard to find, since it has no signage. Actually, the entire block is branded as part of Fred Segal. The only thing that tipped us off was the long line of people outside waiting for the place to open, and these apparently iconic burger lips:
If you aren't familiar with the concept of umami, it's considered the fifth taste. (Follow that link for more info.) All I can say is that I ate the best veggie burger I have ever had in my life. It was so moist and wonderful, that I'm still thinking about it. I consider most veggie burgers a duty, not a pleasure, but this, my friends… this was veggie burger perfection.
Earth Burger: mushroom and edamame patty, white soy aioli, truffled ricotta cheese, cipollini onions, butter lettuce, slow-roasted tomato.
*insert drooling here*
The restaurant is basically a house of worship where burgers are gods. They are brought out alone, perfectly centered on long white plates. No condiments, no fries, no extras of any sort. All burgers are the same size. You can order fries (and wonderful "smashed potatoes"), but they come separately. Nothing must distract from the glory of the all-mighty burger.
Check out some pictures, if you dare!
And that wraps up the first edition of "Stuff I Love." In future installments, we shall delve into such diverse topics as moisturizer, owl-like measuring cups, fonts, and even books, movies, and tv shows. Stay tuned!
May 4, 2011
Cuddlin' Cats
May 3, 2011
Copyedits are done!
I survived the Weekend O' Copyedits! I am both older and wiser.
Specifically, I have learned that:
- I don't know when to use further or farther
- I use a lot of unnecessary commas
- I use the verbs leaped, knelt, and dove way too often
- I put far too many things in quotes
But mostly, I am grateful for the fact that three people (three!!) went over my manuscript, sentence by sentence, and made it better. Some people slam "traditional publishing,"* but I am thrilled to be a part of it. Multiple rounds of edits, copyedits, proofs — these things require a lot of work from a lot of people, and will be invisible in the final product if we've done our jobs well. I'm on a team now, a team of people who love books. It's my favorite team ever.
* See? I probably didn't need those quotes.
April 30, 2011
Weekend O' Copyedits
This weekend, I'll be enjoying a whole new part of the publishing process: copyedits.
Back in 2006, after I sold JADE TIGER, I paid a friend out of my advance to copyedit the manuscript. She caught a lot of great stuff, and I've never regretted having a cleaner manuscript go to press.
But wow, is this different.
My copyedits for ABOVE WORLD arrived earlier this week, and it was hours before I could even make myself open the package. I wasn't afraid… well, not exactly. Maybe it was apprehension swirling around with excitement, mixed with my terrible head cold. (That's a powerful combination — believe me!) And then there's this thought: this is the last time I'll get to make changes on the manuscript, except for small fixes.
Yikes!
So here I am, preparing to dive in and see all the different ways that three other people have tried to make my book better for readers. I'm sure I'll be embarrassed about some of the mistakes they've caught. Hopefully I'll learn a little about my foibles as a writer, just in time to rewrite book 2. Mostly, I'm just hoping I can answer all their questions.
If you've got advice for dealing with copyedits, bring it.
Fun fact: Other than an early copy of ABOVE WORLD that I received from a critiquer in 2008, this is the first time I've even seen the entire book printed out.
April 27, 2011
Novels Take a Village
The time has come: I need to write an Acknowledgements page for Above World.
A lot of people think novel writing is a solitary activity, but it's not for me. I lean on my friends and peers, and I lean heavily. They support me, inspire me, and kick me in the pants when I need it.
I don't think anyone but me realizes how much help I got with this book. I think it'll be fun — and perhaps illustrative to folks trying to do this novel writing thing alone — if everyone who helped me with Above World comments on this post and mentions how they helped. (And hey, I'm much less likely to forget anyone this way, too!)
So if you read a draft, suggested a character name, gave me a critique, or helped in some other way, step right up and claim your place in Above World's village!*
* That metaphor is so not working.
April 15, 2011
In the Space Between Heavens
I'm about to head off to a peer-run novel workshop called Blue Heaven. I went back in 2008, when I brought the incredibly clumsy first draft of ABOVE WORLD. Three years later, and I'm bringing the (hopefully less clumsy) first draft of ABOVE WORLD, Book 2.
Things have changed a lot in the last three years. After I attended BH in 2008, I didn't write for 8 months. I remember being completely consumed by my dayjob at the animation studio. That was my life, and writing was something I squeezed into the interstices. It was over a year before I finally revised the book and started querying agents.
Now, writing is my focus. I work at a part-time job and have a regular freelance gig to pay my bills. These jobs aren't careers; they have no future. But they leave me with enough energy — and the right kind of energy — to pursue my real passion. After over a decade of writing, I finally consider myself a writer, first and foremost.
In 2008, Blue Heaven gave me the deadline I needed to finish my book. But more important, it introduced me to some amazing writers and incredible people. It reminded me how hard-working my peers are, and how much I want this life for myself.
I wonder what this year's BH will do.
April 1, 2011
LA is a Thousand Cities
I read a great interview with Josh Radnor while sitting in the doctor's office the other day. I wasn't so much interested in Radnor (star of How I Met Your Mother), as I was in what he had to say about Los Angeles. Turns out, he loves it for a lot of the same reasons I do.
"It's this blank canvas, and it reflects you back at you."
I've always felt that L.A. is not one city, but thousands of them. You can find anything you want here — any kind of people, any kind of life. You just have to find the right city, the one made for you.
No one is a freak here, because we are all freaks.
The article ends with a great take on what I've always called LA's "background noise of hope":
They say a place is infused with the character of whoever settled the land. Utah is always going to have a Mormon feel to it. Wisconsin is always going to be Protestant and liberal and cheese-y. And California is gold rush territory. People came out here looking to find that opportunity. It's a great place for dreamers.
People here don't dream about a promotion or a new car, they dream about incredible fame and profound love and saving the world.
Of course, that's just the Los Angeles I live in.
March 30, 2011
End-of-the-Novel Chaos
I'm trying to finish the first draft of my novel (Above World Book 2) by April 6th. This means that the following normal, everyday tasks are going undone:
- Maintaining email correspondence
- Washing dishes
- Returning phone calls
- Meeting friends
- Vacuuming, dusting, or cleaning of any sort
- Maintaining basic hygiene (most days)
- Paying bills
- Playing World of Warcraft
- Cleaning litter boxes
- Posting blog entries
- Remembering birthdays
- Engaging in rational thought
In addition, these side-effects are also noticeable:
- Forgetting to eat
- Eating non-stop
- Forgetting to shower before leaving the house
- Drinking excessive amounts of coffee
- Insomnia
- CHOCOLATE! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL, I NEED CHOCOLATE!
- Cats drape themselves on me as if I am furniture
- Bouts of crying
- Bouts of euphoria
- Bouts of anger
- Bouts of gratitude when boyfriend takes care of everything
- Bouts of frustration when boyfriend refuses to finish my novel for me
So that's where I am, and that's where I'll be for the next week or so. Please keep your arms and legs away from the cage.
