Robin Burks's Blog, page 7

How To Know When To Take A Break

I’ve been struggling with the Children of Magic story since I began writing it. I thought I’d tackle this book with a new technique. After reading a book about plotting, I decided to completely plot out nearly every detail of the book and follow a traditional hero’s story arc.

And I ran into problems quickly, but kept plowing through. But when I reached a part where what I wrote didn’t match up what I’d plotted, I came to a dead end. And I realized that perhaps this kind of incessant plotting is good for me. I ended up not leaving myself much wiggle room and wrote myself into a corner. The entire process grew frustrating and I finally had to decide to take a break from the story.

It’s still a story I want to tell, but I’m going to take some time off and focus on the sci-fi Book of Revelations that I’ve been writing on and off for the past few years. I think I’m finally ready to start editing that book and perhaps even have it available for sale by the end of the year (or early next year). Focusing on that gives me some time off from the previous book so that maybe I can return to it at some point and not hate it so much.

Some authors can plot everything out. I’ve learned that I cannot. I still will use outlines, but I’ll make sure they stay more fluid in case my characters decide to do something that’s not accounted for. Because sometimes they do that. And that’s not something authors can control.

The process served as a good lesson, though, in what works for me and what doesn’t.

Video Of Geekside News Appearance

As I mentioned on social media, I was a guest on Geekside News livestream over the weekend, which was a lot of fun: a huge thank you to those guys for having me on the show. We talked about many of my favorite things: movies, TV, video games, cosplay etc.

For those of you who missed it, here’s the full video. I hope I don’t look too dorky, and be on the look-out for a special appearance by one of my cats.

Motivation, Promotions and Appearances

I’ll admit that I’ve been having trouble making myself sit down and write every day recently. I’ve got a really cool book that I’m working on, but the actual writing just wasn’t happening. I usually do well when I’m writing with NaNoWriMo, though, because there’s accountability. So I decided to look around for a piece of software or app that would keep me motivated.

That’s when I found Writeometer. It’s a simple app that allows you to set goals (my current goal is to get through the second act of my current project) and tracks word counts and even has a treat system so that you can give yourself a little something when you reach a certain number or “guavas.” For the first time in months, I’ve written non-stop now for eight days and I’m still going strong. So for those of you who are writers and have the motivation problem, this could be a good solution for you, too.

Another thing I’ve been working on is promotion. I’ve been emailing bloggers for book review requests for Return of the Titans, and preparing for some upcoming appearances (I’ll get to that in a bit) by getting my promotional and marketing gear ready. I ordered a banner for future con guest appearances, as well as printed up some bookmarks.

And that leads me to my next thing: appearances. I’ve got a busy year! I was a guest for the second time this year at ConGT (and will be a guest again next year), and I will also be a guest at this year’s Jackson Comic, Toy & Anime Show on August 6-7 in Jackson, TN. Here’s the cool poster for that.

And yes, that’s the con where I won my first costume contest last year in my BioShock Infinite TARDIS dress.

Speaking of cosplay, I’ll also be attending several other conventions this year, including the upcoming Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL. I’ll be there all weekend, so please be sure to say hello. Other appearances this summer, so far, include: Anime Blues Con, Friendly Neighborhood Con and PopCon of Paducah. I’m sure more will get added to the list as I learn about them. And that doesn’t even include events this fall.

Here’s a preview of my Anime Blues Con cosplay. This is my first anime costume ever: Tsukimi from Princess Jellyfish. And yes, I actually did sew a stuffed jellyfish for cosplay.

It’s funny because at cons I’m a guest of, it has as much to do with me being a cosplayer and journalist than anything else. I’ve made a name for myself for those things, too, which I find kind of amusing.

And finally, speaking of journalism. Here are a few interesting things I wrote up over at Tech Times recently. Enjoy! And have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

The Best Ways To Honor Memorial Day In America’s National Parks

Why Elena Fisher Is The Unsung Hero Of ‘Uncharted’

Sherlock Holmes Day: 10 Facts You Might Not Know About The World’s Greatest Detective

The Convoluted History Of Getting ‘Preacher’ To The Screen

The Importance of Reviews

It looks like I’m getting better at keeping this blog updated, and I am trying. Today, I want to talk about something that I’m sure I’ve mentioned previously, probably a lot: the importance of reviews, particularly to authors like me, although I’m sure they’re also still important even to authors like Neil Gaiman.

First, for an author to use promotional services, such as Bookbub, reviews aren’t just important, but necessary. Services like that won’t even do business with books that don’t have a lot of reviews, so if a book can’t get any reviews (good or bad), then they can’t do more to promote their book.

Reviews, also, obviously, help other readers discover a book. A review can tell a reader more about a book than the book’s description. If several people write that they enjoy a book and give it a favorable rating, other readers are more likely to purchase that book and read it. See how that works?

Most importantly, though, are Amazon reviews. And I know people love to bad-mouth Amazon, but it’s still one of the most important retail outlets for books. And a book needs at least 25 reviews on Amazon to get on those “Also bought” and “you might like” lists. Those also help get books out to more readers. After around 50 reviews, Amazon starts adding the book to its Spotlight and even includes it in its newsletter. And that is a huge boost for an author.

But if books don’t get reviews, none of the above happens, and the author continues to struggle in trying to get the word out there. So if you’ve read a book that you enjoy, or even one that you didn’t, please leave a review. And although blog reviews and GoodReads reviews are definitely appreciated, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, even if you absolutely hate that company. Because it has nothing to do with Amazon, but it has everything to do with supporting those authors who write things you like.

Neil Gaiman’s Rules of Writing

Anyone who’s approached me and asked me about writing usually results in me saying that the most important rule in writing is the simplest: 1. Write. That’s taken from Neil Gaiman’s rules of writing, which I have on a poster and hung above my main writing nook in my house. This is probably the best thing I could possibly share with anyone hoping to ever write anything. There is no better advice that I, personally, could give you, so here are those rules.

Write
Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
Laugh at your own jokes.
The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it ­honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.

Seems easy, right? The first rule is also not just the most important, but also often the hardest. But the thing is if you can get past that, you’re golden.

Speaking of writing, here are a few things I put together this week over at Tech Times:

The Best Time Travel TV Shows To Stream On Netflix, Hulu And Amazon
‘Supergirl’ Season 1 Report Card: Breaking Down Kara’s Rookie Year
’12 Monkeys’ Cast And Showrunner Promise More Time Travel And Intrigue In Season 2
‘Stories: The Path Of Destinies’ Review: All Choices Matter, But There Is Some Repetition

Would you like to see an online store here on the site?

First, I would like to thank everyone who attended the Writers’ Panel at ConGT a few weeks ago: we had a lot of fun hosting the panel and I hope that you all got something out of it. I also want to thank everyone who came up to the tables after to meet us and buy books.

One of the things some people asked me about is if I they could buy signed physical books later (since it was at the end of the con and many people were broke). I’ve thought about it, so I’m going to ask you all now: would you be interested in buying books online here on my website? Those books would be signed and I would ship them out myself.

Yes, the physical books are available on Amazon, but they’re not signed. And the only way to get signed books to readers is to do it myself through this website: I have the resources to set up an online store, but there are some caveats: considering on demand, I could run out of my current supply of books, and although CreateSpace is great, they are slow in shipping new ones. So it could take 6-8 weeks for orders. There’s also shipping to deal with. The books on their own are $10, but shipping would make them more like $15.

So here’s a question? Would you be interested in buying signed books directly from me? Just leave a comment or let me know on Facebook , Twitter or Google+. If there’s enough interest, I’ll get an online store up as soon as possible.

In other news, I’ve had a busy week at Tech Times, writing up a few interviews, press events and features. Here’s a highlight:

Interview: Axanar Team Responds To CBS Star Trek Lawsuit
Charlie Cox and Elden Henson Talk Daredevil At Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con
Mike Colter Reveals Details About Luke Cage At Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Yes, I did attend Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con this year. It was a lot more crowded than, I think, I’ve ever seen it, but I still managed to have some fun. Some of my photos from that con (including my cosplays during that weekend) are here.

Heading to ConGT

‘Tis the season for conventions, and I’ve got one coming up where I’m a guest: ConGT. If you’ll recall, I was also a guest last year, but this year, I am bringing books with me to sell and sign! Each book is $10 and I’ll happily sign them for free.

I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone at the con, as well as spending some time with fellow Doctor Who fans. Here’s hoping this is the start of a great con season (which, as a cosplayer, started for me in January).

ConGT begins this Friday on March 25 and lasts through March 27 at the Riverview Inn in Clarksville, TN. It’s not too late to buy tickets, which are also available at the door.

Hope to see you all there!

Alex Grosjean Moves To Crossroad Press

Today, I get to make an announcement: Crossroad Press will handle the e-book and audiobook publishing for all three of the Alex Grosjean Adventures books: Zeus, Inc.; The Curse of Hekate and Return of the Titans. Not only that, but Crossroad will also be the home for my future works, including the first book in my Children of Magic series, The Dream Maker.

I’m really excited about working with Crossroad and hope that this new partnership means that even more of you will have access to my books, which are still available on Amazon, as well as on a variety of other sites.

Return of the Titans Available Now

In case you missed all the announcements I’ve made on Twitter, the third book in The Alex Grosjean series, Return of the Titans, is now available on Amazon in either Kindle or paperback form. I hope you all enjoy it and I look forward to reading your reviews.

You can purchase the book here.

Looking for a few good reviewers

Do you have a blog? Do you like to review books? Would you like to get an advance copy of Return of the Titans for review? If you answered yes to all of the above, you’re in luck! I’m looking for a few good bloggers and reviewers that would be willing to read a digital copy of Return of the Titans (which releases on January 11) and write up a review for it.

And if for some reason, you haven’t read any of the previous books in the Alex Grosjean Adventures series, it’s okay! Because I’ll provide copies of the other two books, too.

Please note that I’m only looking for serious inquiries, but if you’re interested, please let me know in the comments or by hitting me up on Facebook or Twitter. Or hit that “Contact” link above and send me an email.