Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 46
August 27, 2017
Words in the Park 2017
At the end of September I will be at this year’s Words in the Park that takes place during Alberta Culture Days. I’ll have copies of Seed Me, Dream and Reality.
When and Where is Words in the Park?
Saturday, September 30th – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm in the
SPARK GALLERY, 2257 PREMIER WAY, #116 Sherwood Park, T8H 2M8
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CONSUME Damnation at Edmonton Comic Expo
I’ll have the novels Seed Me, Reality and Dream available along with merch and artwork. The latest work will be the second edition of Dream, which has seen a major overhaul from the original 2014 release. See you all there!
Where is the Edmonton Comic Expo?
Edmonton EXPO Centre
7515 118 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T5B 4X5
Friday, Sept. 22nd 3pm-8pm
Saturday, Sept. 23rd 10am-6pm
Sunday, Sept. 24th 10am-5pm
I’ll be at booth L04
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Mental Damnation: Dream Signing at Sherwood Park Chapters
I’ll be heading over to Sherwood Park Chapters for a signing of Mental Damnation: Dream. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Sunday, September 17th from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters – Sherwood Park
500, 2020 Sherwood Dr, Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3H9
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Dream: Part 2 of Mental Damnation at Southpoint Chapters
I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Southpoint for a signing of Mental Damnation: Dream September 16th. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Saturday, September 16th from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters Southpoint
3227 Calgary Trail NW
T6J 5X8
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Mental Damnation: Dream at Westside Chapters
I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Westside for a signing of Mental Damnation: Dream. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Friday, September 15th from 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Chapters – Westside
9952 170th Street, Edmonton, Alberta
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Interview with Scribbles, Quibbles, & Scrawlings
Check out the interview I had with Scribbles, Quibbles, & Scrawlings at When Words Collide 2017 this year. It was also accompanied with an interview of Reality: Part 1 of Mental Damnation.
We cover the following in the interview:
What was your inspiration for the type of creature / beast / being that is your main character, Krista?
Why make humans the bad guys?
What would you say is your favourite scene in Reality?
You designed the layout and art for the book. Why did you decide to go against print publishing traditions and not use justification or paragraph indentation?
When can we expect to see book 2?How did your writing process differ from the first book to the second?
What other projects are you working on currently?
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August 24, 2017
When is your book done?
That’s up to you. Seriously though, the question ” When is your book done? ” is a thought that many writers have. I know I think of it over and over again, especially while working on the Mental Damnation series. The question isn’t as direct as you might think, you have to ask yourself some questions before you make an ultimatum on when your novel is completed. Take a step back and think what your goal is for the story, this will help narrow down on what will determine when your book is done.
What are your book goals?
Some things to consider is why you are writing the story to begin with. Many of us, especially in the genre fiction realm are drawn to writing because of an inner desire to share stories. We won’t go down the philosophical route and will stay focused on practical notes of consideration:
Is this your first novel?
If you are working on your first book, some of the best advice that was ever given to me was about word count. Generally with a new author, you want your novel to be around 60,000-70,000 words whether you are going traditionally published or self-published. This is just a bit longer than a novella and shorter than some of the big name authors, it makes it easier for publishers, agents and readers alike to take a risk on you. So see about shortening your story to fit within this word length range.
Are you looking to be published?
Short story or novel, if you have a specific publisher or magazine in mind you will want to familiarize yourself with their standards of submission. Sometimes they are very specific about length, genre and formatting. This will dictate how many words you have to work with and constrain you to tell the story within that amount.
Is your book part of a series?
If yes, then you have to do some long term planning to decide when your novels and overarching storyline is done. Will each novel be in that sweet 60,000 word count range or are you going to be ambitious and make each installment 150,000 words? Also consider what the ending will be and work backwards form there. A series can be a whole blog post on its own, so we will save that for another time.
Strategies for knowing when your book is done
Let’s look into some tactics on knowing when to call it quits with your book. We can spend months if not years tweaking and adjusting our book that we can lose track of our goals. Below are some things to consider to steer you to a conclusion:
As we discussed before:
Let the publisher’s word length determine how many words you work with.
Start with an ending and work backwards.
Present several endings to your beta readers or critique group and obtain feedback. Stick with what they suggest.
Accept the fact you will never be happy with your book.
Learn to let it go.
Set some hard timelines on when your book will be done, for better or worse.
Ultimately it is up to you.
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, it is really up to you when your book is done. Decide on what your goals are for the book and get feedback from beta readers to see if you are on the right track. Setting a hard deadline for when you need the book done is another great way to force yourself to get a book done. Often we work well under constraints as creatives types and it forces us to work to the best of our abilities.
Any other advice?
What’d you think of these tips? Have more to add? Share it in the comments.
Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash
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August 15, 2017
Kelly Charron – Author of Horror, Psychological and Thriller Novels
This month’s guest is Kelly Charron. She is a horror writer whose work is also seen in psychological, thrillers and urban fantasy novels. She has an interest with all things murderous and gritty which is reflected in her writing.
Some of her work can be seen in her books Pretty Wicked and its sequel Wicked Fallout. Let’s welcome Kelly to discuss her writing.
Hi Kelly Charron, thanks for joining us. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you for having me. I’ve been writing for about 12 years now and am currently working on my fifth novel. I have a social work background and spent nearly four years working with at risk youth and young adults who were dealing with mental health, trauma, family and legal issues. I have since become an education assistant working with elementary school children. I live in the Vancouver area with my husband and spoiled cat. I love reading and writing thrillers, horror and urban fantasy for adults and teens.
Your novels Pretty Wicked and Wicked Fallout are murderous and gloomy, what steers you to writing darker fiction?
I don’t see them as gloomy at all actually. They are definitely dark but they are high energy rides. I also tend to use humor in my books. I’ve been told that my main character (and sometime serial killer, Ryann) is entertaining and sort of fun (possibly in the way Christian Bale’s character is in the film American Psycho, which was a comparison Pretty Wicked was given last year). I love exploring the darker side of life and delving into what makes some people disturbed. I actually really enjoyed writing Ryann. I obviously don’t agree with anything she does! In that sense, she is deplorable, but I like her humor and wit and the way she owns who she is. She was a fun character to write because she is so different to most characters out there. It’s like when you see a Hollywood actor discuss their favorite roles, they often say the villain roles were more fun and exciting to play than the standard hero. It’s no different for me as a writer. I wanted to write a different kind of book that hasn’t really been done before.
Have you always been writing thrillers and horrors, or are there other genres you have written in?
I have two YA urban fantasy novels, both suspense novels filled with witchcraft, the supernatural, and ghosts (other genre obsessions). I am currently working on a new thriller unrelated to the Pretty Wicked Series that I’m really excited about. I’d love to have a career where I can write in a few genres. It’s hard to pick one and never play outside that sandbox.
On your site, Wicked Fallout and Pretty Wicked are available and you mention two more series, Darkest Shadow and Wilde Magic that aren’t available, care to share more about these?
They are still works in progress. I have completed drafts (multiple versions actually) but Darkest Shadow is my first book and we know how those go for the most part. I’ve worked on it somewhat recently and would love to finesse it enough where it could leave the proverbial drawer. It’s still close to my heart and I love one of the characters, August, so much that I may have to rewrite it one more time to give her a bigger part. She’s the sidekick but somehow managed to become the best damn character in it.
Wilde Magic (working title) was written and turned out okay. But okay is not what I strive for. I knew something was missing but couldn’t figure out what. After some feedback from a few critique partners we figured out that some of the character dynamics and relationships were wrong. The two main characters had been written as friends. As soon as I made them enemies, it all came together. I have a new plot outline and have plans to work on it as soon as I have time. I can see it being a 4-6 book series. It’s sort of a mesh of two movies I love, The Skulls meets The Craft.
What is one genre you can’t ever see yourself writing?
This is easy. Hands down, Romance. I just can’t wrap my head around it. My writing friends always tease me because of my strong aversion to it and the resulting laughing fits some of them produce in me. I enjoy watching romantic comedies and love some romantic films (the Notebook is a favorite), but I can’t put my mind into the headspace needed to be able to write one. Saying that, I am trying to have romantic subplots in some of my work, but a full out romance will likely never happen.
What’s your biggest inspiration for writing?
Being around other writers. Seeing them passionate about what they’re working on always sparks excitement in me. It also never hurts when I get a tweet or email from a reader who has enjoyed a book. It makes me feel that writing (though I love doing it) is not wasted time because that person liked it enough to reach out and tell me. It means a lot. Great television and true crime stories also help. I’m inspired by captivating plot and story anywhere I see it.
Care to share what you are currently working on?
It’s in such an early stage that I can’t say too much. It centers around three women who have been friends since they were young. One of them is engaged and the three spend a night celebrating an intimate bachelorette party at a local pub. They split up, but two of them get a phone call the next morning from the fiancé saying that their friend never made it home. Her purse and keys are found on her front lawn, proof that she made it back, just never inside. It’s far more than a kidnapping story. I don’t want to give away the twists and turns (of which there are many) but there’s quite a bit of drama between the friends left behind. I’m exploring the idea of how well you really know the people in your life, including what they are actually capable of doing under the right, or wrong, circumstances.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share with us?
To write as much as possible and show trusted people your work because it’s the only way to improve. Having beta readers and critique partners is so valuable for growth as a writer. Being vulnerable and uncomfortable usually leads to the best results. We can’t always see our own story flaws because we are too close to it so getting an outside perspective is crucial to seeing how your work will actually be perceived by readers, and it might not align with your original intentions. Read a ton in and outside of your genre, go to conferences and workshops, and most of all, have fun.
Thanks for joining us Kelly! Kelly’s work can be found on her website and social media below:
Thanks for having me!
Website: http://kellycharron.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyMCharron
Facebook: https://goo.gl/UNkH3g
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/rf4NlM
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July 27, 2017
Eat, Sleep, Work, Stop?
Summer, a time where the weather is warm and the sun is shining. Often people spend this season going on traveling, camping, or out in the heat. This is the trend in Cananda where we only have a few months of nice weather then the rest is ice and snow. As mentioned in other Unprocessed Thoughts, from summer onwards, the workload ramps up until the end of the year. Projects and yearly budgets come to a close by the end of December. Time to hang on tight and go for the ride.
Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts.
After the launch of Reality with a book signings across Alberta and some of British Columbia and a blog tour, I have been rather quiet online with the blog and social media. There hasn’t been much to share. The silence has been for good reason, there is more writing in the works. If you picked up a copy of the new Reality, you might have noticed there has been a lot of changes from the original edition in 2012. Characters have been merged, locations changed and physical descriptions have been altered which makes it almost a complete retelling of the Mental Damnation series.
Mental Damnation retold.
With the drastic changes done in Reality, it makes the previous Dream and Fusion obsolete because there would be a lot of inconsistencies with the series. Because of this, there will be new editions of the second and third novel for the Mental Damnation series. If you haven’t seen, there is a new edition of Dream coming out this fall which has a ton of new content.
There is also a number of other writing projects I have in the works, but they are in the early drafts. One is a thriller and the other is a horror anthology. Once the early drafts are complete I will be sure to share more with you all.
Graphic design work is very busy and very engaging.
It is another working summer. Even through all the writing and When Words Collide in August, the majority of my time is spent doing contract work to pay the bills and fund the writing. This part of my life has seen a lot of great growth in the past couple months. A lot of new and exciting projects are coming down the pipeline that I am very much looking forward to.
As much as I am a writer, my trade is a graphic designer and web developer which has allowed me to grow my dream of writing. The industry of my trade holds a great interest to me and I enjoy what I do. Until I am able to make the transition into writing full time, I plan to continue to work in the graphic design and web industry. It changes on a monthly basis which is very exciting to be a part of.
Remembering to have fun.
All work and no play isn’t good for the mind. I’m making extra effort to book time off so I can clear my head and enjoy life for what it is. We’re only here once. At the end of July I am going to the industrial music festival Terminus which happens once a year in Calgary, Alberta. It has grown drastically over the years and they continue to bring in heavy weights in the genre. This year they have Cubanate, Assemblage 23 and , who I saw earlier this year.
It is a getaway that is much needed before August. Next month will be full of book signings leading up to the launch of Dream in September. Enjoy the rest of the sunny weather!
Beer Note: Wild Rose Brewery Wraspberry Ale
Wild Rose Brewery is based out of Calgary and they offer a range of very tasty beer. Their IPA and raspberry beer are ones I will drink when I remain unsure. Their Wraspberry Ale is not overly sweet and offers the raspberry taste while still tasting like an actual ale. This is very refreshing when it comes to fruity beers.
The lack of sweetness is why this is one of my go-to summer beers, I’d give this one a 4.5/5.
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July 24, 2017
Have you done your research for writing fiction?
Writing fiction is a lot of fun, you can make up anything your heart desires. Your imagination can go to the most obscure places and conjure new concepts for readers to enjoy. If you want to have nanobot monkeys, you can. If you want a wand that mutates people into the last object they think of, you can. As long as you can create a convincing argument or craft an engaging story, your reader is going to buy into what you are describing.
Of course, the genre you are writing in will dictate what type of elements you end up having in your novel. You might be writing a cross-genre story where there are aliens and steam-powered spaceships. That would be a scifi-steampunk crossover and would require some world building. It would also allow you to come up with some really wild technologies and creatures. So the question is…
Do you need to do your research for writing fiction?
Yes. Simple as that. What was mentioned above requires some imagination and a creative outlook on the world around you. Some may argue that if you research you are limiting your mind’s creative potential. That may be true but think of this: Anyone can come up with a new technology or a monster out of thin air – but will it be believable to your reader?
Benefits of doing your research:
You become more knowledgeable on the topic which in return will make it easier to write about. You will be able to describe it in a more engaging manner.
Doing research related to your concept will allow you to easily pull in relatable influences. This will make the idea easier for readers to buy into the new concept. Even if you want the idea to be really foreign, if it is way too far out there, readers will reject it. No matter how cool it is.
You will discover new things. When you research into a topic, you are going to discover new concepts that you may have never come across before.
Research sparks creativity. Further supporting the previous point, new concepts will birth new ideas.
When should you research topics?
Always. If you are creating a new creature you might have some base ideas of what it is: is it reptilian? Is it a mammal? Or is it a non-carbon based creature? These would all raise very different questions for you to research into.
If you are basing your story in a specific location or city, it would be wise to do some research on its history and culture. If you can, travel to that location. As the cliché goes: write based on experiences.
How do I research?
As the paragraph before said, travel can help. More often than not, you will have access to the internet and you can use this to your advantage. Search engines like Google are highly effective to find new research material, just be sure to cross reference any articles you read online. If you found an article online about something, it doesn’t mean that it is true.
You can also go to museums, libraries or city archives to do your research. Take a note pad or use a camera to take photos that you can make reference to in the future.
Summary
As mentioned before, always research and do it often. You will be able to write about the topic better and you will probably learn something new.
Agree or disagree? Share in the comments below!
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