Alexandra Shostak's Blog, page 3
October 24, 2012
How many trees can I kill?
Yesterday, I got to this page in my printed draft:
My draft went from looking like this...
...to looking like this.
Still reading through chapters for Really Stupid Errors before sending to a CP. But the scissors and tape get a vacation. For now.

My draft went from looking like this...

...to looking like this.

Still reading through chapters for Really Stupid Errors before sending to a CP. But the scissors and tape get a vacation. For now.
Published on October 24, 2012 05:01
October 17, 2012
The Making of Taking Back Forever
I did a post like this once before. It was fun, so I'm doing it again.
As with the GRASPING AT ETERNITY cover, Karen took the photograph that is on the cover of TAKING BACK FOREVER. That's one of the cool things about self-publishing: you have complete control over your cover.
So, we actually did TWO photoshoots, and the first one was a disaster. The original concept for the cover involved just boots--no legs or anything--but we quickly realized that it didn't work, and that the boots looked mo...
As with the GRASPING AT ETERNITY cover, Karen took the photograph that is on the cover of TAKING BACK FOREVER. That's one of the cool things about self-publishing: you have complete control over your cover.
So, we actually did TWO photoshoots, and the first one was a disaster. The original concept for the cover involved just boots--no legs or anything--but we quickly realized that it didn't work, and that the boots looked mo...
Published on October 17, 2012 21:01
TAKING BACK FOREVER - Cover Reveal!
Guess what?
The cover for Karen Hooper's TAKING BACK FOREVER is here!
I'm the designer, as usual, but THIS TIME I am the model as well!
Check it:
To celebrate, we're having a giveaway! Two signed copies of GRASPING AT ETERNITY, the first book in The Kindrily series!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And come back tomorrow because I'll give you all the dirty details about making this cover, including the reason we had to do two photoshoots!
XOXO
The cover for Karen Hooper's TAKING BACK FOREVER is here!
I'm the designer, as usual, but THIS TIME I am the model as well!
Check it:

To celebrate, we're having a giveaway! Two signed copies of GRASPING AT ETERNITY, the first book in The Kindrily series!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And come back tomorrow because I'll give you all the dirty details about making this cover, including the reason we had to do two photoshoots!
XOXO
Published on October 17, 2012 04:00
October 15, 2012
Coming soon...
Published on October 15, 2012 07:48
September 24, 2012
Taking Critiques As Yourself
This is a weird post for me to write. I've tried several times and failed because I sounded like a speshul snowflake. So if you start reading and think I'm being a speshul snowflake, I'm not--really, I'm not. I have a point, I swear, and it's not to be a speshul snowflake.
So, taking critiques well. Easy to say, hard to do. I don't know if anyone can do it truly objectively, but I know we all try our best because we want to improve as writers and we want our craft to be the best it can be. I d...
So, taking critiques well. Easy to say, hard to do. I don't know if anyone can do it truly objectively, but I know we all try our best because we want to improve as writers and we want our craft to be the best it can be. I d...
Published on September 24, 2012 05:00
September 3, 2012
The hardest thing about writing...
For me, the hardest thing about writing is NOT writing. You know, the necessary breaks we take between drafts, or chapters, or difficult revisions.
And they are necessary. We'd go insane if we didn't take them, and get overwhelmed with our own stories. Space is necessary.
But, at the same time, breaks drive me insane, because I feel like I'm not DOING anything productive. Even when I am. I read, I critique, I work on my query and/or my synopsis, I compile my list of agents I want to query,...
And they are necessary. We'd go insane if we didn't take them, and get overwhelmed with our own stories. Space is necessary.
But, at the same time, breaks drive me insane, because I feel like I'm not DOING anything productive. Even when I am. I read, I critique, I work on my query and/or my synopsis, I compile my list of agents I want to query,...
Published on September 03, 2012 05:00
August 21, 2012
When weird writing habits come in handy
I've mentioned before on the blog that I like to do my revisions by hand. And I've shown you what it ends up looking like and how much paper (and ink) I waste:
But it also came in handy another way.
We've all learned the lesson to back up our work. I just learned it again this past weekend, when my hard drive crashed. There is a good chance that I won't be able to recover ANY of my data. I back up MOST things--but I can be lazy about it, and in this instance, I'd been lazy. I hadn't backed up f...

But it also came in handy another way.
We've all learned the lesson to back up our work. I just learned it again this past weekend, when my hard drive crashed. There is a good chance that I won't be able to recover ANY of my data. I back up MOST things--but I can be lazy about it, and in this instance, I'd been lazy. I hadn't backed up f...
Published on August 21, 2012 05:00
August 20, 2012
Using your query to help with manuscript revisions
There is a lot of advice on the internet saying to write your query letter well before your novel is ready. It can help you focus the novel, and it gives you time to get your best query letter together, so you don't rush it the day before you want to start querying.
All good advice. All advice that I've followed.
But if you're like me, sometimes you run into a problem. You work on your query, finally send it to CPs and get it somewhere you're happy with...and then you change a HUGE plot point i...
All good advice. All advice that I've followed.
But if you're like me, sometimes you run into a problem. You work on your query, finally send it to CPs and get it somewhere you're happy with...and then you change a HUGE plot point i...
Published on August 20, 2012 05:00
August 6, 2012
PRINTS AVAILABLE
I have turned some of my favorite designs into prints, and put them up for sale via deviantART. You can get photo prints, fine art prints, and wrapped canvases. They have a LOT of choices!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT






CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT






Published on August 06, 2012 12:16
July 25, 2012
Anne Riley's SHADOWS OF THE HIDDEN
Coming out in December from Compass Press:
SHADOWS OF THE HIDDEN by Anne Riley
Natalie Watson doesn't believe her parents are dead, even though they disappeared five years ago. Discovering the truth about their fate is one of the only things that gets her out of bed in the morning. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt's boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents' whereabouts is just one of several challenges she must face. When she's not fending off attacks f...
SHADOWS OF THE HIDDEN by Anne Riley
Natalie Watson doesn't believe her parents are dead, even though they disappeared five years ago. Discovering the truth about their fate is one of the only things that gets her out of bed in the morning. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt's boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents' whereabouts is just one of several challenges she must face. When she's not fending off attacks f...
Published on July 25, 2012 05:00
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