Stacy Xavier's Blog, page 2

Remnants Now Available for Nominations via Amazon - Kindle Scout

I was accepted into the Amazon Kindle Scout Program! This is really exciting, as it means I could get selected for a publishing contract with Amazon! And that means promotional opportunities and things I otherwise couldn’t get as easily as a fledgling author. It’s also a pretty good fit for me and the kind of writing I do now, while still working hard on my law career.
For the Scout program, they want to know you have a marketable book, so they ask you to collect votes before they decide to award you with the publishing contract. Since it’s through Amazon, you don’t have to sign up for anything extra outside your usual Amazon account, and voting is FREE. Also, if you vote and I get published, you get a FREE copy of the eBook when it’s published! So, I’m asking folks if they wouldn’t mind voting for my book on the Scout page:
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3CPM1M387R4LG
Also, if you might consider copying & pasting the link to share on Facebook/Twitter/Your Blog/Your dog (… OK not really, though dog shirts are cool…), I’d be eternally grateful. This is a really good opportunity, so I appreciate your support.
IN ADDITION, if I do get selected for the publication opportunity, I receive a small advance. Some of it, I will be using to build up my author platform (a better website, for starters), but my intention is to take HALF of the net proceeds (i.e. after taxes) and donate to organizations I care about. I appreciate all the support I get to make my dreams come true, so I want to support others in their dreams and causes, too. So, after taxes, it’ll add up to about $200 per organization; and the places I’m giving to are:
ALIVE Rescue at http://www.aliverescue.org/ (animal rescue in Chicago specializing in assisting dogs with canine influenza, which can often be a death sentence for dogs in shelters) National Novel Writing Month at http://nanowrimo.org/ (I’ve been working with them since 2007 to motivate and inspire new writers, and without them, I never would have written a book to begin with)Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment at http://www.lockedintovacancy.com/(an audio variety show in the style of old time radio, a number of my dearest friends are part of this company and I want to see them succeed)
I also wanted to mention another few folks who made this possible. The original idea for a dystopian take on Robin Hood came from the photo shoot designed and photographed via Steven Bourelle, whose incredible work can be found at http://www.bourellephoto.com/ - as well as Grayson Coleman-Selby, a talented Renaissance faire performer and worker who you can see LOTS MORE OF at https://www.facebook.com/therenmen/?r... 
Thank you again for your support!

-Stacy

The Continuing Adventures

So, a few of you may have checked out Remnants. This is my dystopian take on the Robin Hood tale, as inspired by this fabulous photo shoot right here from a few years ago, designed by my friend Grayson and shot by the talented Steven Bourelle of Bourelle Photography fame.

I've been doing NaNoWriMo for years, but Remnants was the first time I'd felt really inspired in a long time. I'm extremely thankful for the push it gave my imagination. With the flexibility the Wattpad platform provides, I may continue working on it for a while, fine-tuning it and coming up with fun iterations and edits.

The thing about writing for myself is, I get that freedom, and I'm enjoying it. So, I figured, for now, why not continue with the story? While I stuck with many traditional Robin Hood themes in the initial book, I want to expand on this world and keep going. So, today, I posted the first part of Remnants II, which I'm tentatively calling Broken Remnants.


These are just working titles for now, and perhaps as the story unfolds I will get a bit more creative. I want to focus on making it a trilogy, as I think that's a good format for a comprehensive tale. I'm not sure I'd do more than that in this world - I don't see it spinning endlessly into a series, though I guess since it's up to me, I can keep going for as long as it's fun.

I hope you enjoyed the first installment enough to keep going along with me. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented, whether publicly or privately. In this, I work for encouragement and love right now, and every little bit helps.

The cover is just a placeholder at this point as well, as I'm torn between different ideas for what to do. But, I wanted to have something in there, as even simple images can spark the imagination!

(Insert witty blog ending here). (No, seriously, I hate trying to end blog posts, I'm so bad at it. I get torn between something casual and non-committal, or something inspirational and overly-cheesy). (Should I be funny? I don't even know. Ugh.). (How do you even punctuate with parentheses?).

Hi Friends.

So, I'm a terrible blogger, as evidenced by not posting in... um. A few. Years.

It's just not my platform. But, I'd like to try again, so.

I'm still participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and am one of the co-MLs for the ChiWriMo region, which I love doing.

I'm also part of the Bristol Renaissance Faire, which isn't writing related but is related to creativity and inspiration.

Related to that, I'm editing one of my NaNoWriMo novels from a couple years ago, which was inspired by a photo shoot done by some of my favorite Bristolians.

I've edited in fits and starts; the first part of the novel is probably in its forth iteration, while the second part is less polished, having only been glossed over a couple times. The ending is the biggest struggle for me, as I've gone back and forth on what I'd like to do with it a few times. But, eventually, the ending has to end.

I'm working on it semi-live-action via Wattpad, and you can find the book, which I've tentatively titled Remnants , right there. I hope you'll check it out and provide some input and feedback! (gently, please, but still honestly)

OK, that's all I have for now. DO YOU SEE WHY I HATE BLOGGING? HOW DO YOU EVEN END A BLOG POST. OH EM GEE GUYS. OK no really have a good day.

What if...

Not too too long ago, a lot of articles were going viral about being an introvert versus being an extrovert. We learned how to treat an introvert correctly and not to judge introverts for being... introverted.

I've tended to call myself introverted for a long time now, but recently I've started to wonder. I've been working at the Bristol Renaissance Fair for the whole summer season now, and while I come away tired each weekend - working 2 twelve hour days in a row in the summer heat, wearing a stifling costume and being on your feet all day is an endurance trial - I also come away inspired and energized in a way I haven't felt in a long time.
This is even though I spend the entire weekend interacting with people - meeting up with my fair friends in the evenings, improvising and interacting with patrons all day, I really do not get much time alone.
I then come home to my rather isolated job - either working quietly on legal issues or freelance writing - and immediately feel sad, drained, and exhausted.
Given that we've seemed to reach an agreement that introversion versus extroversion refers to how we gain our energy - either feeling drained by being among others, or feeling increasingly energized the more we are around people - it would appear that I might actually be an extrovert.
Arriving at this conclusion is kind of throwing me for a loop, as I've been a self-proclaimed introvert for so long. But maybe I did not realize that I'm actually an extrovert because I've just been afraid of people for most of my life. Is it possible to be an extrovert with social anxiety?
The story of why I'm afraid of people is long, boring, and probably is the same reason anybody's afraid of people - a combination of oversensitivity, having some stunted social development for whatever reason, being kind of awkward and weird, and some overarching insecurity, and you can quickly start to see yourself as an introvert, even if what you really want is to be around people. You convince yourself you don't, though, because it's too scary.
So, my thought is, what if I'm really just an extrovert who never learned how to properly extrovert? What if I'm just... a really socially awkward extrovert? Somehow, when I thought of this earlier, I identified with it and suddenly felt a lot more comfortable in my own skin. 
Do you identify yourself as introverted or extroverted, or maybe "something else"? Are we all too focused on this idea of introversion vs. extroversion, or is it a useful characterization to achieve a better understanding of ourselves and each other?

Promo - Now until July 1st

Hi friends!

Anyone who has known me for about 5 minutes knows I'm a huge proponent of National Novel Writing Month. Well, they need a bit of help - their Young Writer's Program (YWP) website is getting a bit old and in need of some sprucing up. This is used by thousands of teachers and students each year to cultivate a love of the written word in the classroom while also fulfilling essential national learning standards throughout the US.

They are currently trying to raise $50,000 to overhaul the site. If you can make a direct donation, please go here and do so.

If you need just a little more convincing or want a little something more to sweeten the deal, I'm currently making a pledge: for every copy of my book, On Her Own Two Wheels, purchased between now and July 1st, I will donate the royalties directly to NaNoWriMo immediately upon receipt, including both Kindle and paperback versions.

If you know me in person and want a paperback copy, I'm also selling my limited number of promotional paperback copies for the discounted price of $5 each, of which the entire $5 will be donated to NaNoWriMo.

Support the stories of tomorrow and, however you do it, consider funding their wonderful programs so that teachers and students can continue to enjoy them in the classroom in the years to come!

Love,
Stacy

Writing Resources, Communities, and Stuff I Love

In order to motivate myself to get going again, I've decided to compile a list of writing resources I love. I hope you find it useful!

1) NaNoWriMo.  Whenever someone asks me about writing, this is, without fail, the first thing I tell them about. NaNoWriMo runs every November. You write 50,000 words in one month in order to win bragging rights and the knowledge that You Can Do It. My first novel, On Her Own Two Wheels, came from my first ever NaNoWriMo. Now, this fabulous program also includes:

A) Camp NaNoWriMo. Every April and July, you can set a word goal of your choice and work on a project type of your choice (novel, script, epic poem, short story, nonfiction, WHATEVER) with you and your cabin mates cheering each other on.

B) No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (Amazon Affiliate link). I have read this book several times over and find new tidbits to highlight every time. It is inspirational and awesome.

2) The International 3 Day Novel Contest. As if writing 50,000 words in 30 days wasn't challenging enough, this insane contest calls for you to crank out a rough draft over America's Labor Day Weekend. Recommended goal: 25,000 words of original fiction. There is an entry fee and prizes for winners.

3) 642 Things to Write Journal (Amazon Affiliate link). Whenever I get stuck, I use these writing prompts to get un-stuck, generate new ideas, and feel writerly again.

4) This article about Amanda Hocking. Because it makes me feel like dreams are real.

A) Speaking of which, Amanda Hocking's blog. Because, again, it makes me feel like dreams are real.

5) Scrivener [Download] (Amazon Affiliate link). Writing tools can make all the difference in putting you in a writerly mood. I love Scrivener, just opening it makes me feel more writerly.

6) This free class from OpenLearn. It's just the basics, but skimming it can make you feel more like writing again and can stir up some long-dormant creative juices.

7) This article about marketing and building a fan base. This isn't like the field of dreams: just because you built a book doesn't mean people are gonna read it. You need to get readers, and this talks about how and the real math behind it all.

What are some of your favorite resources for writing? Or, if you're a reader, what do you like to read?

Guest Post for NaNoWriMo!

Hi friends!

Well, I don't know about you, but I am busy gearing up for NaNoWriMo this year. As Chicago's only municipal liaison, I have my hands full! I did do a guest post for NaNoWriMo Prep, though, so hop on over and take a look!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? What will you be doing - pantsing or planning?

Love,
Stacy

What I'm learning

2013 is already 2/3 over. Can you believe that? This year has been a huge one for me in terms of transitions. I left a job that, in the short year that I was there, almost turned me into something completely unrecognizable. I started a business - well, two, actually. We moved from our little condo into a little house with our new little dog. I've formed closer bonds with new people, and learned quite a few new skills. And we've had quite a few ups and downs - career and job struggles, the frustrations of moving, planning a family in our future, and learning new ways of coping with stress. In short, it's been a real year for growth. Here are a few things I've learned:

1) Trying to please everybody is a wasted effort. I've always shied away from confrontation, because I just generally want to be liked. I've always been a bit of an introvert, too, figuring that people won't talk about me as much if I don't give them material to work with. But the fact is, people are going to talk, and they'll always find something to criticize. It's been an unexpected blow to me to find that, despite all my efforts to be Ms. Perfect, not everyone thinks I'm great! And that people tell other people that I'm not great! And they don't say everything about me to my own face! I'm not sure if it was my giant ego or just being wrapped up in my own little world, but this shocked me, and made me realize that I may as well do and say what I want after all rather than trying to be some convoluted contortion of what other people think is OK.

2) Just ask. The worst thing that can happen is that someone will say no. If they act grumpy while they do it, it's their problem, not yours.

3) It's not as bad as you think it is. You lose a client. Someone gets pissed off at you. You'll find another client. There are a bunch of people who are not pissed off at you. Get over it, move on.

4) It is possible to function on less sleep than you think. No, seriously. Some of my best work in the last 4 months has been done on 2 hours or less. That said, you also need to catch up on sleep once the busy time has passed.

5) You don't have to be busy all the time. This was so hard to figure out when I first left my job in March. I had days where I was spinning my wheels, and it sent me into a big panic. I kept wondering what I was doing wrong. The answer: nothing. I just wasn't used to having down time or having nothing to worry about, so my body was automatically sending those "panic" signals through because that's just what it was used to doing. I can't even imagine what it would've been like if I stayed at that job for more than a year, and how hard it would've been to come down off of that cliff.

6) Your work will expand to fill the time you have. This lesson is really hard for me. Give me two assignments that are completely identical in terms of scope and skill. Put a deadline on the first one and give me unlimited time to complete the second one. The first one will get done in a snap. The second one? I will work on it until I'm dead, and I'll do nothing else productive while it's pending. I will look at it, write a sentence, go check Facebook, make a burrito, come back and write another sentence, check Facebook again, play with Scout, rinse, and repeat. Then I'll complain the whole time about how long this stupid assignment took me to finish!

7) There are people who will never take ownership in anything. These are the people you work with who leave their assignments unfinished for you to pick up after. These are the people who do not hold themselves accountable and do not care that their sloppiness screws you over. These are people who shove their work off on you while they get to go home each day at 5:30 while you stay until 8 and 9pm. They think it's okay that they forget to do things, because it comes down on your head instead of theirs, and that's fine with them. They will never do more than what you ask them to do, they will never take responsibility for organizing a project, and they will often do less than what you ask them to do. At some point, you have to stop putting up with them. These people are not grown-ups, they are over-grown kids, and it's not up to you to pick up after them. It's OK to let them fail and to let them take the blame for failing.

Anyone else have any lessons from 2013 to share in the comments?

I require discomfort

I am surrounded by coziness.

My law office has a comfy desk and office chair; it is very official looking, with degrees on the wall, and it is clean and filled with inspirational items; really, it's very feng shui, if I do say so myself, mainly because my mom picked out most of the decorations. I wouldn't be able to decorate a blank piece of paper if I were given one colored marker and a stencil.

Our reception area is also very comfortable; we have a leather-ish sofa and leather-ish chairs, a coffee table, and again, my landlord-type-person is quite the stylish decorator, so it's the perfect space to set up a well-organized mind to work.

My home also has a very nice desk; it is smaller, but it is made of old-looking wood that gives off an air of competence and "you should work here." It has lots of nooks and crannies for organizing things and a lamp on it for my poor tired eyes.

We even have a fantastically comfortable leather sofa in my house. I have slept on this sofa on many occasions, usually unintentionally. It beckons with cushiony goodness for weary bones.

Of all of these options, which one do you think I select for getting the most work done?

If you picked "Option F, None of the Above," you'd be correct.

No, my workspace of choice is sitting on a bar stool at my kitchen counter.

It's very uncomfortable. While it's a cushiony bar stool, it is nonetheless a bar stool, and after 8 to 10 hours of work, my lower back is usually screaming at me to stop. There is also absolutely no room on this counter. It's usually crammed with discarded junk mail, half-finished household projects, and dirty dishes. It also gives me a prime view of my kitchen, which, despite our best efforts, is typically a great big mess.

However, starting with law school and moving up to the present day, I have yet to find a place where I can accomplish more on any given day than perched atop this precarious stoop, hunched over my laptop, juggling paper and various electronic devices. I credit this barstool with my graduation with honors from law school, my first novel, and now, my successful law practice and freelance writing business.

Go figure.

This is of moderate concern, however, as the house we are moving into in a few weeks doesn't really have space for a countertop and an uncomfortable bar stool. I'm therefore fielding suggestions on uncomfortable places I can continue this practice. The only real requirements are discomfort, an electrical outlet, and a WiFi connection. All other amenities are, clearly, optional.

Free for Kindle for the rest of the day today!

Just a heads-up, in addition to being able to get a free sample of the first 3 chapters on Wattpad, today On Her Own Two Wheels is free for Kindle on Amazon! Check it out and let me know what you think!

Find it on Amazon here