Jacqueline Patricks's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

I'm working on a prequel to my short story 'His Last Gift' - a novella about how Daniel and Katherine started their affair.

My new, professional cover for 'Dreams of the Queen' should be ready in a week or two, so get ready for a new cover reveal!

'Queen's' sequel 'Nightmares of the Queen' is coming along nicely. I'm a few chapters in so far as the story fleshes itself out.

I'm also considering a prequel, short story for Captain Lewis.

Fairytale Apocalypse is humming along very well. The back story is falling into place and Kagan's world is really building up well. The Verge is an amazing place in my mind. I'm happy to get to spend more time there. I've decided to add more political details to the Verge and its fae Inlands, which will become more important later on.

Lots of writing craziness, makes me wish I had more time and less sleep deprivation headaches.

I finally got my first 1 star rating. Woke up to it this morning. Finally! It's been a year since I became an Indie author, and I've been wondering when--When!?--would my first 1 star arrive. Who would it be??? God, what a relief. I can stop wondering. Or caring. I mean, who gives a shit, right? But the seal has been broken, and well... meh. I got to met Jacqueline Carey while being on an author panel with her in May. My book has gotten its first review making it eligible for Awesome Indies--just need two more. I've hit the top 100 in two sub genres three times this summer without being in Kindle Select, without giving my work away for free to thousands, without the help of Bookbub... mainly just me hitting the bricks every week, making new friends and constantly striving to improve my writing.

So... that's it.

That's the big deal.

My first 1 star rating.

Anybody want some cake?

I think most people know that writers can be a little batty sometimes. It's cliche, but it's more often true than not. Why? Maybe because writing is so accessible as an art form that anyone can do it, so it attracts everyone. Who out there hasn't written at least one poem or paragraph about their angst?

The problem is when writing is made available for public consumption but the writer, for whatever reason, hasn't prepared for the public reaction. Deep down inside we all want to be loved and we want everything we do to be loved. You know it's true. I know that's what I want. But I also know that's unrealistic because there's things in the world that I don't love. Some things I downright hate.

So how can I expect everyone to love everything I do? I can't. No one should.

And then you have the internet -- the perfect boiling pot of anonymity, insecurity, and borderline insanity. Where people go to say things they'd never dream of saying to someone's face. Where they seek out assurance from strangers as if people who don't know them have more important opinions than the ones who do.

And if it's an opinion about their work then it's not personal, should never be made personal by anyone, and should be disregarded because the internet can be a strange and dangerous place.

It's similar to when a person yells obscenities while driving. This same person would likely never say these things to that other person if they were face to face, but if that other person cuts them off in traffic?--then fair game.

My point? Be careful out there because people can be strange but they're also wonderful. You never know who you're going to meet either on the internet or in real life.

But I can promise you that I'll never stalk anyone to their home or flip out on the internet.

I go crazy in the privacy of my home like all well-behaved writers should. :o)

Read the first paragraphs of my books and the books of other writers on Kyra Dune's The Shadow Portal...

http://theshadowportal.blogspot.com/2...