Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 26

Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim’s New Scifi Comic Series

For March we welcome back Bruce Olav Solheim who has previously been on the blog discussing his latest work – a comic series. He has a PhD in history and has served six years in the US Army as a jail guard and a helicopter pilot. He has published nine books and written ten plays. He has also been named as a featured speaker at the Contact in the Desert 2020.

Hi Bruce Olav Solheim, thanks for joining us once again. For those that are not familiar, can you introduce yourself.

Hello fellow travelers! As I am nearing retirement from 28
years in academe, I am ready for the new adventure that lies ahead. Actually,
it is not really new, I have had paranormal experiences my whole life so it is
an old adventure that is now seeing the light of day.

Last time you mentioned you have a comic book in the works. This being the
Snarc series, can you share what it is about?

Snarc is half human, half alien, and all heart. He is sent
by his hosts to Earth to prepare us for colonization. Along with the cosmic
staff sidekick, each adventure on Earth convinces Snarc that we are worth
saving and he ultimately defies his mission orders. Snarc combines science
fiction, history, social awareness, human interest, humor, and more.

How did the premises for Snarc first come to you?

Snarc came to me in a dream in 1981 while I was still in the
US Army in West Germany. His first appearance was in a cartoon strip that I
wrote and drew for the Montana Tech Technocrat newspaper while I was studying
engineering. After I dropped out of engineering school and we moved away from
Butte, the idea sat idle for 37 years.

What differences have you found between novel writing and comic writing?

I have written only one novel, for middle grade readers, and
my other eight books have been non-fiction. I find sequential art to be a more
natural form of expression for me. To quote the late Harvey Pekar, “You can do
anything with words and pictures.”

Does working with an illustrator change the creative process?

I think it enhances the experience. Gary Dumm is not only an
illustrator, he is a collaborator and helps me express the characters and the
story often in a way I did not see. I compare it to theatre where every one
contributes.

What first got you into writing?

I needed to express myself because I had a terrible
stuttering problems. My parents saw something in me and got me a typewriter
before I was ten years old.

Do you have any future projects in the works?

Snarc #2 and more paranormal books I am sure.

What’s one thing you would recommend for new writers to do, and not do?

Be bold, be honest, take chances, be active, readers
appreciate that. We are not meant to be oysters, as Theodore Roosevelt’s father
told him.

Let’s thank Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim for joining us again to the blog!

You can find Dr. Solheim’s work on his website, amazon, and
the various links below:

bruceolavsolheim.comAmazonTwitterGoodreadsFacebook (Timeless Trilogy)Facebook (Snarc Comic book)

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5 Methods of Self-Editing Your Novel

Talk to any author and they will each have different advice on self-editing your novel self-editing your novel. The reason for this is there is no right way to edit. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to writing. Because of this, every first manuscript looks different and varying versions of the draft are needed. In this blog post, we are going to look at five methods of self-editing your novel.

In a previous post, we covered 6 Guidelines to Self Editing Your Novel. Here we will look at some additional methods of speeding up your editing process, finding new ways to edit, and increasing the quality of your novel.

An editor is irreplaceable. The point of self-editing is to
make your editor’s job easier. There are small adjustments that you can make
that will save you money and save your editor time. Self-editing your work also
helps you become a better writer because you get to reflect upon what you have
worked on.

Why you Should be Self-Editing your Novel

Whether you know it or not, as writers, we have fallbacks
that we go to when working on our manuscripts. You might return to a particular
phrase when describing a character, or a certain passage when transitioning
scenes, as examples. The stylistic ruts can ultimately encumber our manuscript
and prevent it from reaching its full potential. Then, of course, there are the
technical revisions you can make, such as syntax, grammar, and
sentence/paragraph structure.

1.Cycling

Cycling is a method I have heard from the author Dean Wesley Smith in his non-fiction book Writing into the Dark: How to Write a Novel without an Outline. I cannot say enough good things about this advice from the seasoned writer. Dean Wesley Smith talks about producing one clean manuscript through a process called cycling.

The book explains how other long-time writers also use this
method and have various names for it. Dean Wesley Smith calls it cycling, and
he goes quite in-depth on how to do it in his book. We won’t get into the
details with it on this blog post since it is his method. In simple terms, it is
the process of writing for a short period and then going back and reading
through the book again and revising it until you have caught up to where you
left off. Then you repeat the process.

2. Linear Revisions

This method of editing is probably the most familiar to
everyone. Once we have completed our first manuscript, many things need fixing.
We take a look at our revision notes (you keep revision notes, right?) And see
what needs to be revised after we finished the manuscript. Below are a few methods
of linear revisions

Edit Everything

A careful, tedious process where you focus on correcting
everything that you can. Revisions include the beat, dialogue, character
development, plot, and technical edits. Revising this way can take quite a
while as you are refining the entire manuscript chapter by chapter. In the end,
you have a pretty solid second revision of your manuscript.

Focus on Segments

Another method of linear editing is to focus each revision
on an individual segment. For the first revision of the manuscript, you might
want to ensure that the story is readable. For the second revision, you might
focus on story flow, or dialogue, or character development, and so on. Concentrating
on segments of the manuscript throughout the whole story helps you narrow your
mind’s focus on the task at hand.

For example, if you are focusing only on dialogue in one
revision, you can ensure that you have 100% of your efforts on making it the
most believable dialogue you can. After that, you can ensure that the story
follows the logical flow that will capture the reader’s engagement. You will
not get overwhelmed by the number of revisions through this process.

3. Find and Replace

The find and replace method works fantastic with removing
redundancies and cleaning up your stylistic approach to descriptions. While
working on the first manuscript, or even revising for the first time, keep a list
of words that you commonly use, or phrases that you fall back to.

For example, if you overuse the word “really “or
the phrase “it was difficult…” you can find every instance of the
word/phrase throughout the whole manuscript and find new ways of describing it.
While you are replacing the word/phrase, you may even notice new stylistic
methods that you overuse and can then cleanup.

By removing redundancies, you ensure that the manuscript has
an engaging flow beat by beat that doesn’t get boring to read. If it is
repetitive, readers might start to skim over sections or even worse, put the
book down.

4. Technical Assistance

If you’re looking to speed up your method of editing, consider
looking at software to help with the technical aspects of the English-language.
We tend to look at our manuscript so many times that we will overlook simple
grammar and syntax errors. Your editor can fix them, but you can make their
lives easier by correcting them before the manuscript enters their hands.

There are plenty of online apps and software that will assist you in correcting your syntax and grammar. Grammarly is a popular option, and so is the Hemingway app. There are more out there, some are free, and some are pay to use, so feel free to do your research to find one that best suits you.

5. Text-To-Speech

You can hear your manuscript read to you as well. If you’re
using Microsoft Word, they have the text-to-speech option where the software
will read the manuscript word for word. Now, this is a computer reading it to
you, so it will not sound very engaging. However, having the manuscript read to
you gives you the opportunity of understanding your manuscript from a new angle.
As mentioned previously, it is easy for us to overlook portions of our
manuscript because we review it multiple times, and our brain begins to
overlook sections.

Text-to-speech allows you to catch errors because you can hear
another voice speak the words that you wrote. You may think that what you wrote
makes sense as you read it in your head until you hear it spoken aloud.

Editing your work is a big task. Writing the first draft is
always the most exciting and the easiest. Discipline and repetition are needed
to ensure your manuscript is polished and ready to be read by someone else. The
five methods self-editing your novel above can help speed up your process to
ensure your work is the best that you can make it.

Do you have any methods of self-editing your novel?

Feel free to share in the comments.

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Fire, Pain, & Ruin Synopsis Reveal

I am pleased to share with you the synopsis of my upcoming novel, Fire, Pain, & Ruin a Rutherford Manor Novel. The book is set to be released this spring at the Calgary Comic Expo and an official launch. More details to come!

Synopsis

Rutherford Manor has entered a new era. Spalding Savidge and
his wife Penny Savidge raise their twin daughters, Lisa and Louise, in hopes of
a normal life. All while the Fleshers further their dark interest through
secretive new contracts involving the government, ultimately funding Spalding’s
wishful dreams of a simple life for his family. The past fails to stay behind
as Spalding is haunted by a ghost long since forgotten. This leads him to lustful
temptations, disregarding everything he stands for and challenging his morals
to the core.

Lisa and Louise try to make sense of the abnormalities of
their home – Uncle Nox’s secret laboratory, Uncle Billy’s large body-shaped bags,
their mother’s headaches, and their father’s late work nights. They struggle
with adulthood traumas, trying to find their own feet against their violent heritage.
Lisa struggles with the hardships of first love. Louise faces a tipping point due
to the involvement of a new family in the town of Rowley, the Connors. Mr.
Connors is the first to treat Louise with a kindship that she is unfamiliar
with from men.

The twins discover otherworldly secrets from the midwives of
Rowley. The Savidge girls join them in their ritualistic practices, unaware of the
lurking evil that they are about to unleash. Nothing could prepare the midwives
or the Savidge twins of the horrors that waited beyond the worldly. Some doors should
be kept shut. The Savidge twins learn that despite their growing differences,
they must come together for their family, or they risk losing each other
forever.

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Polishing Manuscripts

We are still early in 2020, and already it is shaping up to be an exciting year. I am polishing manuscripts that have been in the works since 2018 and 2019. The past couple of years have allowed me to write a lot and study a lot. In a way, it’s like being a student again, just on-off time. As cliché, as it is, being a lifelong student, is the only way to be. You will stay forever curious.

The amount of writing I’ve done in the past couple of years is exciting. Now that I am polishing manuscripts, they are coming to life little by little. Of course, new ideas are always being conceptualized, and most of them will never see the light of day. A death-valley of ideas is the natural process of creating. We cannot execute every idea that comes to mind, and sometimes that is for the better. Some ideas sound good at the beginning, and then a year later, they start to sound ridiculous. Be happy if an idea dies, for it wasn’t good enough from the beginning.

Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

This Unprocessed Thoughts is primarily an update on what I have been working on. If you have been following social media, you might have noticed a lot of announcements have happened regarding Fire, Pain, & Ruin, and Mental Damnation IV. These two stories have been consuming most of my time, along with the usual contract work. In between editing and revising two books, and fulfilling contract work, I also need to plan for the upcoming conventions. Let’s not forget about learning new ways to promote books online. So even in downtime, there isn’t any.

Reality Check

The early months of the year are for outlining the rest of the year. The behind-the-scenes work isn’t fun, that’s why it is behind-the-scenes. Planning conventions, hypothesizing where I’ll be in six months, and polishing manuscripts takes up a lot of time and thinking. More often than not, the task is tedious. How can one know where they will be in six months?

Freelancing for five and a half years has proven to be a stable
income throughout the year due to a lot of hard work. A contractor’s life is
not stable from month-to-month. Projects tend to bleed over into new upcoming
projects, due to deadline changes and scope adjustments. The bleed-over results
in large amounts of work as some projects end and others are starting. If
projects get delayed, so does the billing, and that ultimately means less cash
flow.

You find yourself in a bizarre state of limbo: being stuck with
plenty of work, and nothing to invoice. I’ve been here plenty of times and despise
it every time it happens. The projects should wrap up, theoretically. Sometimes
it can go on for several months at a time, though. Thankfully, the two
manuscripts in the works do have deadlines, and they are both relatively in my
control. Client work, not so much. So, as the client work becomes difficult to juggle,
I continue polishing manuscripts.

Big Dreamer – Keep Polishing Manuscripts

I do quite enjoy freelance graphic design and web
development. There are so many perks with the freedom it offers. Freelancing
also has its downs, as with any job. At the end of the day, you are still
working. Ultimately, I would like to write full-time, and I keep learning to
find a way to achieve that. I have made plenty of mistakes along the way with
the writing career that hasn’t done me any favours. There are many guides and helpful
groups that help pave the path on how to become successful as an indie author.
I, for one, should investigate these are the more.

However, I owe it to everyone to wrap up the Mental Damnation
series. Plus, the second Rutherford Manor novel is also a real treat that I
cannot wait to get to you all. After that, I do want to visit the harvesters/scrappers
universe and release a series based on the advice of successful authors. Hell,
the universe doesn’t even have a proper name yet. I’ll take my time on that
storyline so that I can sink my teeth in. Thankfully, I have a couple of
additional manuscripts that I can release. Some of you may know what these two
are. They need some polishing. Thus the theme of 2020.

Beer note: Phillips Bat As

I will admit, my tastes have moved away from IPAs. Every once in awhile, I like to go back and see if that is still the case. If anything, I’ve discovered that my tastes have grown further away from them. The beer was on sale. I’m a sucker for good labelling – it’s the inner designer in me. This one says it is an ultra-light season IPA. It is pretty easy to sip on and do something that could have more than one of them. Perhaps next month I’ll swing back to lagers.

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GoIndieNow Genres S1E6, Horror

I was a part of the GoIndieNow’s Genres series in Season 1 Episode 6 where we discuss Horror.

This is Episode 6 in which we look at the great genre of Horror. We have a great mix of authors and filmmakers joining us. Please check out everything they are doing after watching the show, there are some great books and movies if you are a horror fan to engulf from these awesome Indie Artists.

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Transmit

Humanity’s only hope of survival is to head for the stars
and escape the harvesters’ grasp. Their latest ship is to colonize an
earth-like planet in a new solar system. Despite their excessive research on
space travel, the unknown proves far more dangerous than anticipated.

Transmit is February’s flash fiction that brings readers into the expanding Harvesters / Scrappers sci-fi horror universe. Enjoy the story in written word, audio, artwork and soundscape.

Transmit









Log: 1 – 06 – 0

Alan McLeod of the EX – 7006. I couldn’t believe it when we
first found out that we were able to reverse engineer the ships. I was a young
buck then, still learning the ins-and-outs of mechanical work. The higher-ups let
me have a hand in deconstructing the crafts. Lucky me. The thrill of being able
to head for the stars was something humanity hoped to happen for decades. A
colonization mission could finally let us escape the grasp of those
organ-picking gene-freaks. Of course, we’re no fools and we knew about the
dangers of trying to leave Earth. Harvesters orbit the planet continually,
waiting for us to stand out on the surface. Where else are they going to look?

I wanted to be on the first ship to leave the planet. The
higher-ups needed me back at base. So, the years went by. EX – 7006 worked just
fine. Like myself, the whole crew are seasoned dealing with harvesters. Space
travel took us a while to get our heads around. Sometimes I wonder if humankind
is even meant for the stars. Then I remember we’re human. We defy nature. We’ve
managed to surpass every environmental challenge and space would be no
different.

We’re the seventh expedition to leave the planet. Most of
the previous missions involved returning home, allowing us to understand space
travel further. We needed to get a sense of how our bodies handle space travel
and synthetic gravity. This mission is different – a one-way ticket to a new
world.

There used to be more crafts in the fleet. Unfortunately,
with every launch, we attract the harvesters. The gene-freaks have gunned a lot
of our ships down, killing good men and women. Their deaths have not been in
vain, for their sacrifices have brought us here. EX – 7006 is leaving the solar
system.

This log will be transmitted directly back to earth. It will
serve as a record for what we may discover as we pass into the unknown, despite
the growing time delay that these transmissions will take. I’m sure Captain
Ross would prefer if I didn’t send these, but what is he going to do? He needs
me and we’re limited on our resources.

On a personal note, let me tell you, leaving the earth
behind is unlike anything else you would ever see. It progressively gets
smaller and smaller. Eventually, you lose interest. There was a subtle green
hue that came from the kitchen window, like ink in water. I didn’t look
directly out the window. I didn’t think there’d be such a hue out here. Maybe
it’s the tint of the glass. Regardless, it was nice to get one last look at
everything before we entered hibernation in the stasis pods. The ship is en
route, autopilot is a go.

Log: 1 – 06 – 1

Alan McLeod of the EX – 7006. We have woken from our stasis
pods. It appears to be on time for what we experimented back on earth. The
nausea is something else. We couldn’t train for it. Adapting to the simulated
gravity can play strange effects on your psyche. The light-headedness does go
away, and we can now see to our duties. We’ve all work together to adapt to
this new state of being. Captain Ross ensured that all procedures were followed,
and everyone was cleaned up and ready to initiate their tasks.

Some of us handled the awakening a little easier than
others. Poor Annie started to vomit intensely a few hours later. We were in the
kitchen. She was looking at the stars through the green-tinted window. She
didn’t blink, nor move, looking a little too long. I asked her if she was okay.
Her skin was pasty. All of ours were, but her’s more so. That’s when she
vomited, projecting it all over the glass. The doctor had to take her to the med
bay. I’m sure she’ll recover soon.

Even with my mechanical background, I oversee counting the
food rations. It’s a bland and simple task and is welcoming. Maintaining the
ship’s thrusters can be a tedious job. Plus, we should track what we have for
supplies. Chances are we won’t be going back to sleep. There’s only so much power
on the ship and we need to savour it as we enter this new solar system. The
pilot and crew are already scanning through the digital maps to see where the
planets are in orbit around the red dwarf sun. They’re ensuring we’re staying
on course.

A lot of smart minds back home have theorized the possible
risks of travelling in space. There was plenty of talk about the psychological struggles
that can occur when you’re floating around a metal tin-can through a giant
vacuum. We’re resilient. Hopeful, one could say, that we will find a new planet
that we can inhabit. Most of us do not talk about the actual mission since it
has been quite clear for decades why were leaving earth. We have bigger
questions such as what else we might find. I admire everyone on the ship. The
crew are strong people that are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of
humanity. We will escape the harvesters’ grasp.

Captain Ross has been keeping a formal log of what has been
occurring since we managed to launch from the tiny blue dot. For me, this log
is the more about the realism of our trip. Let me tell you, sharing a toilet
amongst each other crew members can be a bit tedious at times. The same goes
for hygiene-powder. It works, but I can’t help but wonder if we run out, if we
don’t land on a planet. Or how Annie is recovering. That was a lot of vomit. All
worries. Maybe that’s the psychological struggles of space travel. I’m sure the
other crew members share the same thoughts, this is no point in talking about
it. We must work together.

Log: 1 – 06 – 2

Alan McLeod of the EX – 7006. I believe about a week is gone
by since we have woken up in the stasis pods. The crew is getting a bit anxious
to know when we are going to land. Captain Ross has assured us that everything
is going according to the projected schedule. I was never a pilot, nor an
astronomer, and couldn’t give any professional insight. One thing did know
though, if something is on a scheduled route, there isn’t much control that we
can have. I don’t know. Perhaps I’m overthinking it.

Annie hasn’t gotten better. The doctor ensures that it’s
just a bit of space sickness. Something like getting seasick apparently. Seems
odd. Not my department, though, I just ensure this hunk of gene-freak metal
keeps humming smoothly. I clued in that the windows aren’t green-hued. It was
coming from outside in the one kitchen window. I talked to Zoe, the astronomer,
she says she’s unfamiliar with the phenomenon. Then again, she proudly has a
bit of disorientation from being in a new solar system and seeing space from a
new angle.

I haven’t looked at the window, but everyone says it is
surreal. The green light has no focal point. It simply glows all around. I
couldn’t tell you why I haven’t looked, I just didn’t. We try not to spread
rumours around, seeing something abnormal like this glowing green space raises
suspicion. Zoe said she is going to do some research and let us know what she
discovers. Captain Ross ordered that we don’t over-talk the spectacle and hypothesize
that it’s something that it’s not.

We can’t help it, we’re only human. Hell, I remember as a
kid all the rumours that were floating around about harvesters. Space demons are
what they were called. Of course, that is all bogus. They are just a prime example
of where trans-humanism gets you. As a kid, your imagination runs wild and I
don’t think that it ever left us. We just suppress it and accept reality as it
is. What if all of reality is taken away? We’re not on earth anymore, we are
soaring at immense speeds through the vacuum of space. Reality that we once
knew is no more. Thinking this way really sparks your imagination again, for
better or worse.

Log: 1 – 06 –3

This is Alan McLeod of the EX – 7006. Zoe vomited, just like
Annie. I saw her in the engine room, she begged me not to tell anyone. I wasn’t
sure why I agreed, but I said okay. She’s cute. I’m human. Oddly enough, that
same day was when Captain Ross brought everyone into the meeting hall to discuss
urgent matters.

The doctor was with him, explaining that if any of us feel
noxious, to report him immediately. A virus may have been on board during the
ship’s launch and has mutated. That’s the running theory. I don’t know, that’s
the doc’s job. Captain Ross told the crew members to be completely transparent
and share anything abnormal that they may witness amongst crew members. It doesn’t
sit well with me even though I know it is for the best of humanity. So, I asked
if the Captain and doc where Annie was. They said she is in the med bay. I
found that odd and asked if they were hiding anything. Boy, let me tell you,
that did not go over well.

After that speech, the whole crew was on edge. Zoe found me
in one of the storage units where I was counting supplies. She looked sick. Her
skin was moist as if she were sweating. She said there was something wrong with
her. I told her that we needed to tell the doctor, it was for the safety of the
whole crew. She said she understood and knew what happened to Annie.

Before I had a chance to ask, Tom and Lydia, Captain Ross’s top
ranked, came into the storage unit and seized Zoe. She shouted, “it’s in the
damn hue!” As the two began to drag her away. She vomited again, blood spewed
onto the floor. I stood back, watching in disbelief. Zoe’s skeletal frame began
to turn to mush. Convulsing. She leaked red goo from her orifices. Her skeletal
frame dissipated. She was only held together by her skin. Tom and Lydia let her
go and she felt the floor like a folding slab of meat. Seeing a human being
without the skeleton is difficult to describe, and I don’t think I want to. I
wonder if that is in Captain Ross’s official log.

Log: 1 – 06 – 4

Alan McLeod, EX – 7006. Despite Captain Ross’s best efforts
to keep command, the crew continues to talk about what happened to Zoe. I don’t
bother. What’s the point? All it does is start rumours. Holding onto the past
doesn’t help either. Some of the crew members mentioned that the green space hasn’t
left. No matter how far we travel, it seems to stay there, right by the kitchen
window. I stopped going there and just started grabbing food from the storage
unit. I’m usually not one of superstition… this hue had me creeped out.

We passed several planets in the solar system. There had to
be over a dozen. Zachary was telling me that we were headed for a large Earth-like
planet. He’s the environmental expert. He worked closely with Zoe in
deciphering where exactly we were going before our ship left earth. Apparently,
the planet is suitable for us humans. Now, Zachary works on his own.

Shortly after Zoe’s demise, the crew demanded answers from Captain
Ross and the doctor. The Captain summoned everyone to the meeting room and finally
came clean. He told us that Annie had died shortly after she vomited and her
symptoms matched Zoe’s. This caused an uproar. Most of the crew members felt
betrayed by Captain Ross and the doctor. They were not honest with everyone. I
don’t blame the crew. Keeping secrets was no way for us to survive space travel.

Captain Ross ordered that the crew continue to operate as
normal. I spoke up, asking what Zoe meant that it is in the damn hue. Another
crew member asked about the kitchen. The doctor said stay clear from it until
the window is shielded. Just then, Zachary began to vomit. Everyone backed
away, watching in horror as the man regurgitated his innards, like meat-paste through
a tube.

Several other crew members began projecting blood. Gore was everywhere.
I manage to avoid most of it, except for the splatters on my overalls. The
doctor, too, began to vomit. Captain Ross, myself, and Lydia are the only ones
who are unaffected. Maybe they didn’t look at the green hue either. We could only
watch helplessly as our comrades fell before us. It didn’t take long for them
all to stop vomiting, collapsing on the floor, like sacks of meat.

Lydia entered a full-on panic attack, asking what they were
going to do. Captain Ross ordered her to remain calm as we attempted to come up
with a plan. There were no more secrets now. We all had to work together now.

Captain Ross mentioned that the doctor first thought the
illness had something to do with the stasis pods. That wasn’t accurate. Later,
after the doc began to feel some symptoms himself, he contacted the Captain and
told him to shut all the windows immediately. The sickness came from the green
hue. It all happened so fast, and he was unable to act in time. I regret saying
it, but Captain Ross is not suitable for command. The argument got pretty heated
and a couple of fists were involved too. Lydia calmed down, I got my
frustrations out, and Captain Ross is finally transparent with us.

Log: 1 – 06 – 5

This is Alan McLeod of the EX – 7006. I’m not sure how soon
these logs will take to transmit to earth. Hopefully, sooner than later. Everyone
back home must know what happened. Humanity can build new crafts and send more
people beyond our solar systems, away from the harvesters. They need to know
some of the dangers that lurk out in the unknown. We’ve shielded all the
windows from the green light and can only presume that it is still there.
Whatever it is followed us from our solar system and into this new one.
Maybe we flew straight threw it while in the stasis pods and it attached to the
ship like a net. Whatever it is.

Our course still aims for the large earth-like planet. We’re overworked with only three of us managing a ship the size of the EX – 7006. We will make it to this new world. We will inhabit it and continue the colonization plan. This is what we were trained for – scout out the new planet and bring more colonization ships. I will send a log once we have reached the atmosphere. All three of us can only hope that the green hue doesn’t follow the landing pods and does not affect us when we land. We don’t know until we try. We’re daring the unknown, as humans do.

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Kristina Rienzi, New Adult Author

For February we welcome Jersey Shore author Kristina Rienzi
who is a certified professional coach and a former president of the Sisters in
Crime-Central Jersey. Her stories focus on embracing the unknown with fierce
women risking their lives to become who they were meant to be. Kristina
Rienzi’s books range from paranormal, to science fiction, to domestic
thrillers. She also has three fur-beasts who she spoils dearly.

She has a wonderful FAQ for some common author questions she receives. Let’s welcome Kristina Rienzi to the blog!

Hi Kristina Rienzi, thanks for joining us. Mind giving a brief intro about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me! I’m thrilled (pun intended)
to be here! Your intro for me was perfect, but I’ll also add that I’m a
brand-new mom of a 6-month-old girl, Sofia, who has turned my life upside
down…in all the right ways!

To add to my bio above, I have an advanced degree in
psychology so I’m very interested in how the human mind works, specifically
when it comes to the dark side of life. Naturally, I’m interested in
true-crime, and writing twisted thrillers is right up my alley! I’m also a
beach girl—I live only a few miles away and I can’t image a life without
water nearby. It centers me. Finally, I’m all about inspiration: finding it,
sharing it, sparking it. When you follow me on social media, get ready to be
inspired!

I am an animal lover, tell us about your three fur-beasts.

Happy to! My first fur-beast was Lola, a black/white Shih Tzu
who stole my heart from her first woof at 6 weeks old. Sadly, we lost her only
a few days after bringing Sofia home from the hospital last year. I was blessed
to have a full, loving 13 years with the dog I dubbed, my soul dog because she just got me. I know animal lovers reading
this will understand. She was my one special pup, and there will never be
another like Lola. I’m lucky she had the chance to meet Sofia and pass the baby-torch,
for which I’m forever grateful.

Next up, is our Kona. She’s an almost 13-year-old golden
Pekingese who we rescued at 3 years old. She was dropped off at a kill shelter
at 2, and then abused by a foster family; she lives with a wire in her jaw as a
result. I can’t even imagine what she’s been through emotionally, but she loves
and trusts without bounds and is truly an angel-fur-baby on Earth.

Finally, we have our wild, 8 year-old Shih-Tzu/Yorki mix,
Lucy. She’s a firecracker and keeps us on our toes! She decided Sofia is her
baby and protects her like no other.

A house is not a home without dogs, in my opinion, and I’m so
grateful Sofia gets to grow up with them in her life, like I did.

Okay, back to writing. You’ve got a range of work with the upcoming Unleash
The Wicked. Can you tell us about this new novel?

Yes! I write what intrigues and inspires me, so while all of
my stories have a thriller thread, they’re mixed genres based on my mood while
writing. Unleash the Wicked is a
paranormal thriller that has been a long time in the making, with stops and
starts for other projects that took precedence. While it’s a super slow go with
a baby, it’s coming along. Like my other stories, Unleash the Wicked is set at the Jersey Shore. It follows Mitzi
Everson, a former NYC socialite who is forced home to the mysterious beach town
of Tidal Falls. While facing her tragic past, Mitzi’s unwittingly activates a
deadly centuries old curse intent on destroying Tidal Falls, and everyone in
it, forever.

What was your first published work and how did your writing career start?

Frost
Books, as the result of a Twitter pitch, published my debut novel, Choosing Evil, in 2014. Yes, online pitches actually work! So many
authors I know have found their agents and publishers that way.

Choosing Evil follows Serafina Murano, a human girl in a
paranormal world, who must confront dark, deadly secrets, gut wrenching
betrayal, and elusive questions about her identity, ultimately being forced to choose
the unthinkable. I’m naturally drawn to the paranormal, and darkness of
humanity, so of course my first novel was all about the question: What does
evil mean to you? There are evil people in the world. They could be your
neighbors. Friends. Family. You never really know what darkness lurks inside of
a person.

In line with the control
freak I am, I obtained my rights back to Choosing Evil and its sequel, Breaking
Evil, and then indie-published both of them in 2018. I’ve indie-published all
my books since, under my publishing company, Indigo Hawk Group. Until I find
the agent and publisher perfect for my stories, if ever, I’ll keep
indie-publishing.

Do you go into writing a story with a genre in mind, or does the story
decide?

The story decides. I come up with a story idea and it
dictates the genre. I love the pace and flow of a thriller, but whether it’s
paranormal, sci-fi, or domestic (or otherwise), is entirely up to the
characters and plot.

In a similar fashion, do you plan for a novel, novella, short story or does
word count not concern you?

I always plan for a short story, since writing a short is
tricky and needs to be done with word count in mind. Actually, I love writing
short stories most. However, I focus on writing novellas and novels, as that’s
what readers in my genre tend towards, from what I’ve seen. When it comes to a
novel or novella, I often go in thinking it will be a novella—I write short
naturally, and I love the idea of a complete story that’s not too time
consuming to read and doesn’t take the reader away from life for too long.
However, stories like Among Us, which started out as a novella in my mind,
became a novel along the way. And that was right for the story. Ultimately, I
do what serves the story most and I don’t try to bend the length to fit my
agenda. At the start, I may have an idea in mind of length, or word count, but
I let the story lead and see where it takes me. That’s the fun part!

You’re also a Writer Coach, what type of help do you offer writers?

Since I coach the writer, the person, it’s really about
whatever they want to work on. I help move them from functional to optimal performance
by shifting their mindset and energy to get them where they want to be. Writers
get clarity on what they truly want (in writing and life), identify and
overcome obstacles in their way (internal and external), focus on a reasonable,
yet challenging goal plan, and hold themselves accountable for their own
progress. Of course, I’m there to cheer them on all the way through!

It can be summed up in my 5-step W.R.I.T.E process below.

1. W.ish

I’ll help you clarify what you really want in
writing and life. We’ll turn your writerly wishes into tangible and achievable
goals. 



2. R.egimen 

We’ll formulate a systematic action plan, that’s
both reasonable and challenging. I’ll hold you accountable to take the steps
needed to achieve your goals. 



3. I.nspiration

I’ll cheer you on along the way, providing
inspiration and motivation to help you gain the courage and confidence to
realize your writerly dreams.  



4. T.riumph

I’ll help you address any inner or outer
obstacles—whether personally, professionally, or creatively—so you can triumph
over what’s holding you back from reaching your goals. 



5. E.volve

We’ll collaborate on all areas of your writing
and life, addressing ever-changing circumstances so you can evolve into your
best writerly self.

I also have a Facebook Group: W.R.I.T.E Life: Coaching for your writing life. Join us!

Let’s thank Kristina Rienzi for joining us again to the blog!

You can find her new novel on her website, amazon, and the
various links below:

WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramAmazonGoodreads



Kristina Rienzi’s Bio

Kristina Rienzi is a Jersey Shore-based new adult thriller author, certified professional coach, and the former president of Sisters in Crime-Central Jersey. An INFJ who dreams beyond big, Kristina encourages others (and herself) to embrace the unknown through her stories. When she’s not writing or drinking wine, Kristina is spoiling her baby girl (and two fur-babies), dissecting true crime stories, singing (and dancing) to Yacht Rock Radio or rooting for the WVU Mountaineers. She believes in all things paranormal, a closet full of designer bags, weekly manicures, the Law of Attraction, aliens, angels, and the value of a graduate degree in psychology. Her debut audiobook, AMONG US was featured on Audible’s ACX University and an Audible Editors Select Pick.  

Visit her online at https://KristinaRienzi.com.

The post Kristina Rienzi, New Adult Author appeared first on Konn Lavery.

2020 DeadbyCon in Edmonton

First convention of 2020, I will be at Edmonton’s horror convention, Dead by Con.



When and Where?

March 14/15
Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre
4235 Gateway Boulevard NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6J 6S7, Canada
Edmonton
Alberta

Guests and the Event

Learn about all the guests and the event itself at the DEADbyCON website: deadbycon.ca  

Grab Tickets Today!

The post 2020 DeadbyCon in Edmonton appeared first on Konn Lavery.

A Year with Dictation for Writing

From the beginning of 2019 and up to 2020, I have been using dictation for writing fiction. It is known as speech to text software. The year has not been an easy learning process. Dictation for writing is a steep learning curve. It is also worth it. In this blog post, we are going to look at some of the benefits of speech to text dictation software and I will share some of my personal experience while using it. There are some general do’s and don’ts and a lot of different types of software. If you’re interested in dictation for writing, hopefully, this will get you started.

Types of Dictation Software for Writers

There are plenty of types of software available. Most of our
smartphones have speech to text capabilities already. The level of quality in
the software varies drastically. Same with your gear (we’ll get to that). Now,
I can only speak about the software that I have used in the past. There plenty
more out there. In the end, it depends on your price range.

Microsoft Word Dictate

Believe it or not, Microsoft Word has dictation built into it. Windows introduced a speech to text capability in one of their newer OS releases. Naturally, this translated into Microsoft Word. It isn’t perfect. If you are already working with Microsoft 365, it is ready to explore.

Smartphone Native Speech to Text

If you’re in a pinch, using your smartphone is a good method
to throw your ideas out there. I find it is not nearly as accurate as some of
the desktop-based software. Plus, a lot of the time, you’re using the
microphone built into your phone unless you get something specific for your smartphone.

Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Most likely, wherever you go online, you will hear authors talk about Dragon dictation. It is one of the most powerful speech to text software out there. They have been around since the 90s and have been perfecting the software for a long time. They have a range of prices for their different software. Each one has more features, the higher the price. Dragon Professional Individual has additional features that are quite helpful, like converting .WAV files into text. That means you can record on your phone and have dragon convert it to text (better than the smartphone’s native).

What Type of Dictation Software is the Best?

It really depends on your budget. If you’re just starting
out and unsure if this is the direction you want to go, use a free one. Don’t
waste money if you are on a budget and do not know if it is a method that will work
for you. Keep in mind, I spent a year learning how to use speech to text
software for fiction. It is an uphill battle, and I am glad that I was able to
make the transition.

Dictation for Fiction

The writing process varies greatly for each author. I’ve
talked to pansters, plotters, cyclers, and a fusion of them all. There is no
right way to write a book. Chances are your style is going to change over time
too. You may discover new tools, new techniques, or new software that will
change the way you approach a book. The type of novel you are writing can
affect how you approach it as well. I know if I am writing a fallacy with
plenty of world-building, it varies from a thriller.

The interesting thing about talking is that it is always faster
than typing something. It just isn’t humanly possible to type more words than what
you can say. That was the big eye-opener for me when it came to word count and
grinding through the first draft. Plus, I had enough people talk about it
online, and at writing conventions. There had to be something to it.

Now, I’d say my words per hour count has increased at least
50%. Typing, on average, I could do 2,000 words and now I’m at 3,000. Of
course, you have good days and bad days. Sometimes I write less than 3,000, and
sometimes I write closer to 4,000 — nothing to beat yourself up over.

The Challenges of Dictation for Writing

Okay, you’re interested in dictation for writing. Great. It
will force you to get out of your headspace and think differently about your stories.
It is so easy – and enjoyable – to get into that writing trance as you’re typing
away, developing the scene or exploring new dialogue. Dictation is a little bit
different and is a lot of fun.

Speaking Instead of Typing

At first, when you are speaking out loud, you feel goofy. It
is awkward, you stumble along, and the software doesn’t pick up what you are
saying correctly. This can be frustrating. The nice thing about Dragon
NaturallySpeaking specifically is the software learns your speaking patterns,
accent, room acoustics, and fictional words. You can even upload previously
written work, so it understands your writing style as well. I’m not sure about
the others, but if you fix your acoustics, you can come close.

Learning to speak takes time. Syntax is also a tricky thing.
We are programmed to use a keyboard to grab the syntax glyphs that we need.
Speech to text has you say them. To do this, you need to use proper pauses in
your sentences to help the software know when you’re done talking and when you
want a syntax.

If you are going to start speech to text, started on a small
story. Something that you can quickly throw away if it is horrible. Chances are
it will be littered with typos as the software misinterprets what you are
saying. That’s okay. That is how you learn to speak your story in an idea-throwing
manner. The more you do it, you’ll discover a new form of the familiar writing
trance.

Get a Good Microphone

Dictation software works with audio. If you have a bad
microphone, your audio is going to sound terrible, and it will be difficult for
the software to try and transcribe what you are saying into text. If you have a
good microphone, it makes the job much easier. There are plenty of USB-based
microphones that you can plug into your computer. Check out Best Buy for
something. The Yeti Microphones have been well received. I use a condenser
microphone since I also record music. It works nicely as any higher-end USB-based
microphone would.

Acoustics

Noise is a big one. It is incredibly finicky too because we
are not sound engineers. To simplify what I mean, use your microphone in a
quiet room where there are no other distractions. You want to avoid TVs, music,
pets, and other people that you live with.

Sometimes this is difficult to do. Perhaps you don’t have a
separate room. See if you can do your speech to text at a time where there’s no
one else around. You could get up a little earlier and use speech to text, or
go to bed a little later. The less outside noises that are in the room, the
clearer your speech will be. It is the same as the microphone. You want to be
as crisp and clear as possible for the software to convert.

Practicing Dictation

Learning something new is difficult. It is so easy for us to
get stuck in our methods of living and working that we turn off our ability to
process new concepts. We are so quick to shut them down that we end up doing ourselves
a disservice. Believe me, there are times while I was learning dictation that I
would get so frustrated, I would go back to typing. I was faster at it. My
words per hour more consistent, there are fewer errors, and my writing voice came
across better.

However, I didn’t quit. It took me about a good solid four
months of learning to become efficient at. Afterwards, I was able to find a new
flow while writing stories. Then I wrote the drafts for two manuscripts over
the spring and fall. Speech to text became quite helpful while writing weekly blog
posts and, in the end, you end up saving time that you can spend elsewhere.

Enjoy the Writing Process

Dictation ends up being entertaining. At times, you get so
involved with the story that you act out some of the characters’ dialogue. I’ve
raised my voice, spoken deeper, sighed, and so on. Plus, your dialogue comes
across as much more natural because you are speaking.

Your ability to speak as a narrator also improves. The way
you describe scenes and conflict evolves. You begin to act as if you’re giving
a live book reading. It looks ridiculous, but who cares? Typing away never
looked cool anyways. That’s not the point of writing.

Summary About Dictation for Writing

There are plenty of YouTube videos and blog posts and even
books about dictation. Some of them dig deep into particular software, and others
are theoretical. Take a look on Google. This blog post could also be a whole
are longer, but I’m not writing a book. This post’s purpose is to scrape the surface
and share with you some of my experiences with speech to text. It also can
provide some things to consider if you’re looking at going this route.

If you have experience with dictation or have questions,
feel free to share in the comments.

The post A Year with Dictation for Writing appeared first on Konn Lavery.

What Publishing Route

The first month of the year is now almost over! I’ve only
been working for about three weeks since I got back from vacation. I’ll admit,
I haven’t done as much writing as I thought I would have. That is okay because
I’m also going to take it slower and a lot of the writing process is done away
from typing words. At least that’s what I like to tell myself. Maybe I am just
making up excuses. On top of that, thoughts are floating around about what do I
publish next, and what publishing route do I take?

Welcome to Another Unprocessed Thoughts

You can go a bit crazy trying to articulate and plan where
you are going to go in the next year, five years, hell even 10 years. I tend to
overthink it, especially when it comes to what publishing route to take. The
funny thing that is when life throws something at you that you don’t expect,
and that planning doesn’t matter anyways.

Regarding publishing though, there are so many ways to distribute
in today’s literary industry, and it is changing as we speak. Technology has
thrown the distribution game upside down. As exciting as it is, it can leave
you a bit frazzled.

It was timely for me to be on the Edmowrimo panel “So Now What?” With Natasha Deen and Susie Moloney earlier this week. We chatted about what to do with your manuscript and the different roads you can take. My fellow two panellist had inside that I found useful for myself. You can learn from every moment of life, even if you are the one also giving advice. You just have to listen.

Ultimately, it’s up to you on how you want your story to be
shared. There is no wrong in holding your manuscript back and looking for a
publisher or agent. It can be a long game, but lots of opportunity. Self
publishing is incredibly rewarding as well. It just requires a ton of work
because you are the publisher.

I’ve talked about my three manuscripts near the end of 2019,
yet they still haven’t left my mind.

Some Writing

Getting into the swing of things again has been a bit
difficult. I was enjoying doing nothing on vacation, and it gave me a lot to
think about. One would be the concept of working too much and not putting time
in the right parts of life. This goes back to what I have preached before: work
smart, not hard. It is more difficult to do than say. You can easily find
yourself trapped in the mindset of “I have to get this done” and you just start
powering through the work. It is only upon reflection that you realise that you’re
not powering through the work, but just working a lot.

So, I’ve been finding ways to make my life easier. As we had
talked about on the panel, we are still people and we can work all the time to
crank out the next book. You will ultimately neglect something else in your
life. That’s why I haven’t gone with guns blazing in writing this month. I have
done some, as seen in this months short story, Panpsychism, and
a few social media updates about the next Rutherford Manor novel: Fire, Pain,
& Ruin. I’ve even cracked open into Mental Damnation IV to see what the
hell that book was about again.

Taking Life Slow

The nice thing about slowing down is it gives you more time
to think clearly about what really matters. Spending time with loved ones is
important as we’ve all heard million times, but it is true. Also, taking life
slower can help you understand what publishing route to go. If you want to go
research online to see the different ways people are distributing the stories,
you would be amazed.

Part of the fun for my writing career is taking a few risks
here and there. I’ve done it with just about every release to date. I think
they paid off. Some have been more successful than others but have served as
learning lessons. Another cliché: life is a journey. I’m full of them today.

Various Forms of Distribution

I have been exploring a new platform on writing, Wattpad. It has been around
for awhile, and I tried it a couple years ago. I didn’t give it the proper
investment needed to be grown. Like all social platforms, you have to interact
with people within the constrictions of that interface. There are a lot of
ongoing short stories and series on Wattpad. The site is a refreshing approach
to social media which is often all too littered with posts, hashtags, and picture-perfect
Instagram shots.

I’ve also realised I have been blogging since 2015, and
there’s a lot of quality content on this blog. The newsletter is also about
that old. I’ve had time this month to reflect upon the blog and newsletter. If
you’ve noticed on social media, I been reposting some of the older blog posts
that have value in case anyone has missed them. For the newsletter, I’ve
expanded some of the features that it can have such as offering Mental Damnation
Reality for free. The fourth book is around the corner, I can’t wait to get out
to you all. Offering book one for free is a thanks to all of the support.

Beer Note: Sandy Beach American Pale Ale

Sandy Beach American Pale Ale is proudly made in Edmonton, Alberta. It has a 4.5% alcohol level and overall is a light IPA to have. Now, I would have been all over this a few years ago when my tastes were more in favour of the hoppy side of beer. Upon drinking this, I realize that as the years go by, tastes evolve, and I am no special exception. Sandy Beach has made a satisfying beer. If you enjoy IPA’s, this is for you. With the bizarre mutation of my taste, I would just have one of these. So in a way, Sandy Beach’s IPA has had the power to make me realise that I am a changed man.

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