Shawnee Small's Blog, page 4

Watcher Back in the Chart

Happy NaNoWriMo 2016 to me! On the day that I start my piece for NaNoWriMo, Watcher goes back into the Amazon chart. Again.

#2 in Paranormal Suspense. #144 Overall in Free Kindle books.

Unbelievable. You guys are so awesome.

Editing hell begins

So, I’m back from New England. I’d like to say I’m relaxed and ready to embark on the gruesome journey that is about to come my way, but honestly, I’m not. I’ve got a million and one things going on and some are book-related and some are not.

The book ones look like this:

Betrayer edits
New website design
Betrayer edits
Shining Ones logo
More Betrayer edits

On top of that, I’ve come down with the lurgy and so I’m grumpy as all get out. Having to use your brain when you’re blowing your nose every thirty seconds is challenging to say the least. Right now, I’d give anything to curl up on the sofa with my kindle app and a cup of tea, and read for the next few days. But I can’t. I’m already behind on edits so like the good author soldier I am, I’m marching on.

BUT.

I need a ranty moment.

REMOVING CHARACTERS SUCK.

I’ve been bogged down doing a hack and slash to the front end of Betrayer so I decided to take a break from that Herculean effort to do something I thought would be simple – take out a new character who didn’t show up in many scenes.

I guess I can say it now because he’s toast. Chad Rosen. He was supposed to be the cook for Joe’s new restaurant and a love interest for Haylee Jane. 5’11”, tan, athletic build with curly blond hair and a pair of mocha eyes that reflected his All-American boy personality. A kiteboarder by day. A chef by night. He was a good guy. And good for Haylee.

Now he’s gone. And he’s the second time I’ve tried to give Haylee a love interest. Matt S. got cut from Protector. He was the new waiter at Paddy’s before Katie entered the storyline as a bigger character. That’s strike two.

Will I ever learn? Probably not. I want Haylee Jane to be happy. I love that girl so much that I want her to have her moment. But she’s not the main character and there’s only so many subplots you can juggle at once.

Anyhow, I’m ripping Chad out left, right, and center. It’s surprisingly easy and I can see why my developmental editor told me to drop the unnecessary characters. He isn’t embedded into the main story arc so should be simple, right?

Um, no. There is a scene between Haylee and Poesy where his presence in Joe’s restaurant triggers a piece of dialogue that is crucial to the progression of their friendship. Without his presence, the scene makes no sense. Taking him out means that that dialogue has to happen naturally in another way. And that my friends, is difficult. Because for me, I outline the essential plot pivots way in advance. That’s partly to make sure pacing is better, but also, so they don’t get forgotten.

The thing they don’t teach you in writing class is it’s hard to slot that crap in after the fact. It never quite looks right like a chipped tea cup. Sure, you can superglue the chip back, but the edges don’t exactly meet up. It’s always a little rough, a little less refined. Crucial plot points work best when the work organically grows to incorporate it.

So that’s where I’m at. Trying to figure out how to extricate Chad without having to re-write giant hunks of this book to make up for his absence. Ironic, right? It’s not pleasant, and I don’t want to let you guys down. I want to get this book out this year.

I changed my mind, I’d rather have wine right now then tea. See? That’s the stress talking.

Anyhow being here isn’t helping my time issue, but at least I feel a bit better now. Back to the grind.

xo shawnee

 

 

News and Stuff

Just a couple of updates to share . . .

Betrayer is off to its first editor. It’s like sending your child away on a three week camp, and wondering if he is being totally awesome or a right ol’ bastard to the camp counselors. Fingers crossed he’s behaving himself. It’ll make the next camp, ie. the copy editor, a much more pleasant experience for everyone.

I haz Shining Ones logo and new swag. Well, technically, the logo isn’t finalized yet, but I did finish off my basic design today. It kinda looks like this. Now for Tony to do his magic.

I’m going to have a piece in an anthology coming out Spring 2017. I’ve started to plot it today. It involves girls and amusements parks and vampires and may or may not have a Stranger Things vibe. Note sure yet. Trying to work it out in my head. Felix and Rose. Should be pretty hot and intense since it’s going to be steamy paranormal romance. My dad is probably already cringing.

And one last thing: Thank you to everyone who came out for The Shining Ones party. It was super crazy and we had a blast. Can’t wait until we have the big blowout for Betrayer. I’m dying to see what people think of the new book!

xo shawnee

Shining Ones Online Party – TONIGHT

Tonight. Starting at 5:00PM EST. The Shining Ones Party

I’ll be hosting my first *ever* online Facebook party celebrating The Shining Ones series.

Be there or be square.

xo

shawnee

Betrayer – 1st draft down

 

Today was the day. I finished the first draft of Betrayer. All 90,391 words of it. Trust me, it won’t stay at the number for long once Bev and Amanda get a hold of it, but it feels good. Really good. I was sweating it out on this one, tremendously worried that it would be as brutal as it’d been writing Protector, but oddly enough, it was way quicker and less painful, which came as a surprise. A good surprise.

So I’ve been asking myself the essential question, “What was different this time around?”

Honestly, writing each book in this series has been a distinct and diverse experience. Not once in writing all three books have I come away thinking, “Huh. That was just like last time.” Some of that is because the content is different as the plot moves forward, some is because my style is evolving as the series progresses, hell, it could be that I’m often influenced by whatever I happen to be doing during that time period. It’s hard to say one way or another, and in all likelihood, it’s an amalgamation of all of that and more.

But there are some distinctions that I’d like to outline here:

1) Watcher was like getting on a roller coaster that you’ve never ridden before, and enjoying the hell out of the crank of the chain as you crest the hill and then screaming your head off when you go over the edge.

2) Having said said, Watcher, even having been re-written twice, could be re-written again, but at some point, you have to say enough is enough.

3) Writing your first book means that the only pressure is self-inflicted. It’s never like that again, especially if people like your books. There is ALWAYS someone waiting for the next one.

4) Protector was a right ol’ bastard because I was 60% of the way through the first draft when I submitted Watcher to my now permanent editing team and then realized quite quickly that a big re-write of Watcher was in order. That meant Protector was dead, a complete redo – it just about kicked my ass, and had a profound effect on my psychological state. I came very close to chucking the towel in. It was total hell. Terry, my CP, and Amanda, my copy editor, were the only two forces that kept me going. I’m still grateful for their encouragement in keeping to the path. P.S. – never again.

5) Betrayer was a book that I was looking forward to writing since inception. It’s likely to be the darkest of the four books, and I’m not kidding when I say there are going to be some pissed readers. I’m no George RR Martin, but sometimes, bad things happen, and as an author, you let them. When you get close to the end of a series, the doors shut, the bridges get burnt. It’s scary, and with this book, there are no second takes. Once it releases, there’s no going back. So. If you are one of the readers who wants to send me hate mail – I get it. And it’s okay. Some days, I wanna hate me, too.

6) Destroyer scares me the most. It’s the end of a series that has come to mean so much to me. While the pragmatic, exhausted part of me can’t wait to finish the ride that I started with Watcher, I love Poesy, Adam, Birdie, Haylee, the whole gang at Paddy’s so much that saying good bye to them is hard and emotional. There will be a lingering uneasiness for me as to whether or not I made the right decision. If I gave them the endings they all deserved. But after Destroyer, it will be time to open myself up to a new set of characters who are screaming for my attention. I look forward to meeting them and I hope when the time comes, you’ll look forward to meeting them, too.

Anyhow, a couple of days off before the real work begins. Editing.

Tired but happy,

 

xo shawnee

Watcher Hits Amazon Bestseller List

You know how I said I was going underground to finish Betrayer? Well, that was mostly true, but I couldn’t resist coming up for air for this one.

Watcher has made the Amazon Bestseller List for Kindle in several categories including:

#5 in Paranormal Angel Romance
#19 in Urban Fantasy
#395 in Kindle Books overall

 

Thanks so much, you guys!

xo

shawnee

Going Underground

I’m back from Authors After Dark (AAD). It was brilliant and awesome and chaotic and exhausting and every other spectacular word I can come up with rolled into one. It’s probably safe to say that the convention went out with a bang, and that while most people are sorry to see it end (AAD 2016 was the last one), everyone can agree that they had the time of the life.

Including me.

But now reality has come screeching back into the picture, and I’m at Chez Small eyeing up 6 loads of laundry and many boxes to unpack while wondering what now?

The answer is simple: I’m going underground. Again.

Yep. Afraid so. The summer went by way too quickly, and my deadlines went out the window. I’ve got so much catching up to do that it’s not even funny. October is only six weeks away, people. SIX WEEKS. My mind boggles.

There is no help for it, but to barricade myself in my house. Anything short of that means my brain is likely to wander . . . “Look, Squirrel!”

Yes, just like that.

But the good news is that I’m back on Betrayer with a vengeance. The words are easier because I’ve had a week around other authors. Their enthusiasm, support, and amazing productivity is exactly what I needed to scare myself back onto the road of the righteous writer. I’m on it. It’s happening. Woo hoo.

So if you don’t see me around as often here or on FB or Twitter, you’ll know why. But fret not, Betrayer is still on course to be out by the end of year.

Stay tuned.

xo, shawnee

 

 

AAD Bound

It’s been a busy summer here in Watcherland. Two months have flown by in a blink of an eye, and if you asked me to write an essay on “What I did on my summer vacation” you’d probably be slightly bemused. That’s okay, I am, too.

But right now, I’m in Authors After Dark (AAD) countdown mode.

I’m currently trapped under a pile of costumes that makes me look like a cosplayer while trying to figure out how to pack a rainbow wig in a box. I’m not kidding.

So I’ll still be MIA for the next week or so as I go meet readers and do crazy, wacky things down in Savannah, Georgia. If you’re thinking about going, you can still get tickets here.

If you just want to stop by and say hello, the book signing is open to the public on Saturday, August 6th from 2-4PM in the Marriott on River street which is located here.

And for those who are already attendees, you can find me in all these fun places during the show (when I’m not passed out from utter exhaustion).

See you on the other side.

xo, shawnee

Cover Reveal Day

I’ve been AWOL prepping for AAD which is just over a month away. Don’t ask about the writing; instead, feast your eyes on this. Some days I have to pinch myself.

Coming soon.

Promise.

 

Rogue Outlines and WordPress Themes

I would’ve loved for this post to be pretty and poetic, but frankly, I’m cranky, tired, and have poisoned myself with eating one too many doughnuts . . . for like 5 days. By the time I get back to the gym, I’m gonna look like Jabba the Hutt, but for right now, I want to focus on two things that are both infuriating and enlightening at the same time, hence, the euphoria and hysteria in equal doses.

Outlines that Go Rogue

Yes, the hint is in the title. This week I have hit the mother of all pains in the life of a plotter – my outline has decided to go the way of the dodo and is kaput. How does this happen? How can several months of labor and sweat just disappear you may ask?

Four letters and for once it doesn’t begin with “F” although frankly, you want to punch her in her face: your M-U-S-E

Yes, even us plotters from time to time are inspired, and find ourselves going off piste. The danger in this action is that you forget what sort of damage that can do to your carefully layed-out plan until it’s too late.

For instance, in this particular example I have allowed a new character to run away with her dialogue, and therefore, introduce a concept that wasn’t supposed to be her idea at all, and was scheduled to happen organically later on in the story. Problem is now that it’s written in, it makes sense, but all that follows has to be adjusted for this change in events. By the way, “adjusted” is just writer’s denial for STARTING OVER. With the outline mind you, not the book. So today I spent my day not writing, but sweating over a broken outline trying to figure out how to splice it all back together, but also, having to re-think character motivation as some actions had obviously changed.

Yes, it’s sucks. Yes, it’s a pain in the ass when you are working in the urban fantasy realm where you are dealing with not only plots and subplots, but multiple worlds, physics, mythology, and a whole ton of rules that you have to keep up with because they aren’t real. It’s a lot to juggle. You really don’t want to start messing around with it once you get the train moving on the track.

Oh, did I mention that I hate outlining?

Having said all of this, I do think most of the time, some of your best work can come from letting things just happen in your writing, even if it means having to re-think the rest of the book. Although I swore and carried on, and have literally eaten everything there is to eat in the house, I think the outline is better for the changes, and it forced me to look at some of the weaker chapters and come up with better ways to move the story line along.

Fingers crossed, back to writing tomorrow. So much catching up to do.

And my second thing . . .

WordPress is gonna kill me 

I never like to do things the easy way. Ever. And in never doing things the easy way, I create a ton of work for myself and invariably for the husband, too, since he’s my technical back up. And Joostie. Joostie also serves as my web guy most of the time, but having him in a European time zone does make things somewhat difficult.

Anyhow, the gist is this: through sagely advice given to me by an independent consultant, I’ve decided to update my wordpress theme to something that is less of an agony aunt column and more akin to a professional author site. It will be the first time I’ve done a theme update ever. (Yes, I’m still using like twenty-ten or something like that)

Problem is, as anyone who’s got a pre-existing site especially one with custom CSS in it knows, it’s not as easy to convert your old site over, as every template company claims. In fact, it’s a royal pig and will have you pulling out your hair because no two templates are ever set up the same, and what works in one always seems to throw a wobbly in the other.

While Divi by Elegant Themes looks amazeballs, and I love the plug and play action, actually getting my rather simple blog transferred over without having items sprout up where they shouldn’t go isn’t working out very well. Of course, the simplest thing would be to activate the theme and be damned and then frig around with it until you can figure out why it’s adding say “categories” to you main tool bar. But being 200 miles from home with no techie love to back me up, it’s a daunting task that I will need to save for another day and likely a distant weekend.

It’s times like this that I wish I’d stayed a web developer so I knew what the hell I was doing.