Kate Larking's Blog: Anxiety Ink, page 45

Writing and Publishing Schedules

One of the most helpful things, yet the most terrifying things, to do when writing is the plan. I’m not talking about character profiles and outlining scenes. I’m talking about what comes after.

Beyond when things will be completed in draft, I’ve been looking at when things will be published. Being indie, this means that writing and publishing schedules also have to include things like:

ISBN acquisition
Cover design
Back cover design
Front matter writing
Back matter writing
Ebook formatting
Designing and ordering promotional material
Website design
Bank accounts and expenses logging
Preview/sneak peak writing
Mailing list design and updates
Uploading time/delays
Pricing decisions
Launch events

The first book in a project is always the hardest. Considerations need to be made for the series, not just the item, and the infrastructure to move forward needs to be set. From then on, each title needs to be planned for with ample time to deliver on all the pre-publication needs (cover, editing, marketing, uploading).

Not only that one series though. This planning was all for the comic. But I want to do more fiction as well.

And to finish that fiction, I have to budget a lot of time to write it as well as edit.

Which pretty much leads me to: NaNoWriMo.

Source: Nownovel.com

It seems to be NaNo week on the blog and I think I’m going in for this one again. I have still never finished a November NaNoWriMo–The closest I got was 45K some years ago. The year before last I hit 35K. I am going to try again, but this time a collaboration of multiple projects: nonfiction, fiction, and comic script. Once I have a draft, it will get added to the schedule with edits and production timelines, hopefully out in time for WWC 2016. I want to finish the draft of SP2M3 well before the January 5, 2016 goal Elisa and I set for each other. Then I want to do more.

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NaNoWriMo: 2015 Edition

I’ve been ambivalent about NaNoWriMo for years now. Since we started Anxiety Ink, I have been vocal about not participating.

Well, time to eat my words.

For anyone unfamiliar with National Novel Writing Month, the goal: a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It’s a fantastic project to get people writing – being creative – and a wonderful exercise in writing to a deadline and tackling a big project.

I’ve participated before. It was a great learning experience, but the focus on word count meant a rough draft that was extra rough. It took me several more drafts to realize it was fundamentally broken.

Seems to be a theme with me.

But this year, I’ve joined again. Officially. I’m doing it.

The why has to do with the sheer amount of stories chasing through my head and how problematic my procrastination habits have become. A month of writing intensive feels like exactly what I need.

You could say I’m doing a modified NaNo challenge. Handwriting means I’ll only have approximate words counts, anyway. And I’m not waiting until November to start a project. My word counts won’t include anything prior to November, at least.

Given the demands of my work schedule and the various obligations I already know about in November, I’ve arrived at daily and weekly amounts of butt-in-chair writing time that are both a stretch and physically possible for me. Making a daily goal dependent on time rather than word count means I won’t sacrifice quality for quantity.

If I manage to hit 50,000 words while I’m at it, I won’t complain.

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Making Details Wrong on Purpose

I work at a bank at my current day job, and a lot of our time is devoted to risk management and employee safety. I can tell you that much of what you learn in any movie, TV show, or book that involves bank robbery procedure is no longer true. However, I am relieved that writers still use the information audiences expect.

               via IMBD.com

I am a firm believer in truth, being knowledgeable, sharing knowledge, intellectual freedom, and free speech. I would never want incorrect information spread and/or used for dubious means. But in this regard, the fact that fictional details are wrong keeps a lot of women safer.

This is analogous with early CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. If you’re a fan of the hit show, which ended for good on September 27, 2015 *sad face*, you already know the level of forensic information it doles out. As the show carried more seasons and spin-offs, the technology became increasingly outlandish for the public sector in which it was set, but that’s not my point.

Going back to its roots, season one of CSI was revelatory, and so devoted to the science. And it told a much larger audience –not just devotees of non-fiction forensic shows– about the DNA-annihilating properties of bleach. What was a cool factoid for me was a game changer for cops and criminals.

Bleach…Not my thing by Bunny Jager via Flickr

With my moral makeup, I would never want to be responsible for endangering anyone’s life or making their job more dangerous. Nor would I want to make the lives of those who stop criminals any more difficult. Yes, I’m sure if someone really wanted to know they could research all the new procedures banks have implemented. I would only ask, if they’re a writer of any kind, that they stay true to the popular fiction and not help out those with bad intentions. This is such a moment where I would be happy to be wrong on purpose.

I feel like this is yet another ethics question as well as another one of those writer responsibilities we have to think about. I don’t think perpetuating this kind of farce is harming anyone. I think it’s doing a lot of good. I know it’s not a black and white issue as a whole, and I’m tempted to play devil’s advocate with myself, but I’m going to stop here.

What do you think?

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There is no one right way to write a story

So, this post has been a long time in the making. I have been reaching and reaching for something that has been out of my reach for a long time. Why am I stuck? Why can’t I write, carefree, to get that first draft done?

The answer started forming when I saw this article: Six Authors Look Back on their First Novels.

Honestly, just the title of that article got my gears turning. You are not only allowed to look back on novels with displeasure, also with a bit of nostalgic pride, but you can look back and see things you’d want to change.

Sometimes, when I read stories, I see different endings. I don’t necessarily agree with how the story unfolds–perhaps a different combination might be stronger, carry the character further, test them better. It’s not even my work and I see different ways the story could go. Different ways I might have preferred. Different ways that would change the tone of the story.

That thought reminded me of James Patterson. Okay, let’s face it, James Patterson produces more books between his solo work and his co-writing than anyone else. At work, I see his middle grade list, his young adult list, his various thriller lists… But one story comes to mind.

When I first read Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (Book 1 in the Maximum Ride series), I reviewed it for my freelance gig. Curious, I sought out what else he had with Maximum Ride. What came up int hat search was that Max was riffed from a book where she had previously appeared: When the Wind Blows. I read it. It was a totally different story, different audiences, even slightly different essence of Max’s character. But I couldn’t help but be intrigued by how a very prolific writer had loved to write a story so much that he had successfully published multiple versions.

It’s allowed. You can tell the best story you can at the time you tell it. Does that mean the story will not come back to haunt you and want to be revamped? Nope. But it means you’re allowed to.

Don’t drown in the possibilities of what you are writing. Don’t get stuck wondering which path is the “best” path because readers will often see others. You just have to write one. Let that one story possibility live. You can always pull it down and redo it. You can always rewrite it to get the pacing better. There is no one best way to write a story. There is only your way, your choice at the time you are writing it. And yes, it might change.

So just write it.

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Inspiration: Dislikes

Have you ever encountered something you dislike or found offensive, or that pissed you off to a point that it became your inspiration?

I didn’t like the general lack of non-Western European folklore in fantasy (at least, the lack I’d begun to notice in American bookstores) so I wrote an urban fantasy novel that draws from Japanese folklore. This was several years ago and the market has improved a little since then, but I want to see more.

Note: I wrote the novel because it was something I wanted to read and because I had some familiarity with Japanese folklore (and I reveled in the excuse to learn more). Are there people more qualified to write that type of story? Undoubtedly, yes, and I hope to read them.

I despised working retail around Christmas, so the concept for a dark short story was born.

The Sleeping Beauty fairytale? Can’t stand it. She has no agency – the story is full of things that happen to her, but no decisions or actions of her own. In some versions, it’s not the prince’s kiss that wakes her, but the pain of giving birth. So I have a novel where she makes her own choices. The prince might be a catalyst, but it’s her story; he’s just along for the ride.

Recently, I saw a play and the writing was just . . . not good. It centered with the time loop trope, which is a difficult one to work with and even harder to do well. I’ve never had an interest in working with the trope, but this was done so poorly that now I have to tackle the challenge.

And so a play is born.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Stories can hide in the most unexpected places.

Have you ever found inspiration in a negative reaction?

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2015 Goals: Third Check-In

I have finally come to terms with the fact that adulthood and working mean that time flies by exponentially. In my school years I recall great swaths of minutes lasting hours. Now I feel like I’ve just grown used to writing 2015 and 2016 is around the corner. I have come to terms with this phenomenon, but I do not accept it! Still, it’s October, which means we’re 75% into the year and it’s time for a mass goal check-in -the last of which is mine.

Between July and now I have not been as on top of my goals as I would like. I’ve reworked commitments to myself in regards to some of them, but haven’t quite spurred myself into acting on those commitments. Bad me. I will spare you the excuses and get right down to it.

Here are the goals that are still going strong:

For every 4 “new” books I read I want to pick up an “old” book off my TBR shelf.
At MINIMUM I want to double the amount of books I read in 2014.
Continue going strong with Anxiety Ink –we have yet to have our annual meeting which is completely my fault. I was sick. But I have so many plans!
Take time to go outside and breathe a few times a day –I haven’t put these specific actions into practice, but I have been taking more mental health time and I’m seeing the benefits.
Walk/bike/exercise more for better energy and health –I’m up to ~23 km/week if we’re only talking distance. And I ran my first 5k on Sunday!!! That’s a big deal for me.
Be accountable: put everything on the calendar, make time, and budget accordingly.
Don’t take on more than I can handle but push my limits comfortably.
Be POSITIVE.
Shop my literary stories around –I finally submitted one!
Keep the personal website going.
Be greener –I’ve gone backwards and forwards with this one but I’m still trying.
Be more driven at work –I wrote here about a revelation I had and I’m truly working on this goal.

These are the ones that I have let slide. Like, badly slide:

Write. As often as possible. Fill in all the pages of my word tracker.
Edit and submit my story for the latest anthology I’ve been invited to participate in –I haven’t exactly been the only factor causing this one to slide, but neither have I been proactive.
Shop “Brew Disaster” around until it’s picked up.
Make dinner twice a week.
Show more presence at ARWA: get to more meetings and continue working on the newsletter.
Read two Shakespeare plays –this is a time management issue for me. But I know which two I want to read?

These are the ones my (slightly neglected) commitments are focusing on:

Get my current WIP done by the end of the year and continue work on others! Kate and I have set a deadline for ourselves. We will see this happen!
Write. As often as possible. Fill in all the pages of my word tracker –Yes, I put this one twice. For obvious reasons.

The one that is most on my radar right now and tied to the two above:

Participate in NaNoWriM0 2015 –I’m putting a lot of eggs in this basket. Not only am I doing intense prep work to clear November so that I can focus on NaNo, I intend to get the bulk of my WIP written during this time, and use the momentum to spur me into getting into the habit of writing whenever I can. No pressure.

NaNo is currently the biggest goal on my list right now. I’m anxious and excited for November because I really need to see if I can write as much as I want while still working. I need the impetus and drive NaNo will (hopefully) give me.

Until December!

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Writing Goals 2015 – 3/4 through the year!

How are we only three quarters through the year? This year seems to be taking forever. But when it comes to looking back on writing goals, it’s going to quickly it’s hard to keep up.

Writing Goal—Non-fiction: Write, edit, and publish my planned Street Teams edition of Novel Marketing for August 2015. The outline and research were done in 2014 so the bulk of the formation of the book have been completed. The rest is just execution.

Update: This may yet happen either during the end of this year or the beginning of next. I’ve decided to concentrate my writing efforts on fiction.


Writing Goal—Fiction: Create, write, edit, and publish at least one edition of my space serial. I’m going to just bite the bullet and make my fiction happen. I’m excited and terrified.

Update: I’m getting there but it isn’t a serial. It will be novella-novel length issues.


Writing Goal—Development: Take a writing course. I have one planned for the first part of the year.

Update: Done! But perhaps it didn’t help as much as anticipated.


Writing Goal—Conferences: Attend two writing conferences. I have already picked up When Words Collide in Calgary and Sirens in Denver, CO. If there is an opportunity to attend a third, I will. With conferences, I will work to present at least once at each conference.

Update: WWC completed. Presenting went well. I was hoping next year to take some time off presenting…but if I have work to promote, I’ll be speaking. In the meantime, Sirens is coming up TOMORROW! :o!!! Presenting there once as well.


Writing Goal—Blogging: Continue to establish my new partnership, ArtIsMyBusiness.com (I post Mondays! Marketing Mondays!), as well as maintaining Anxiety Ink (every Wednesday).

Update: Keeping up with Anxiety Ink. AIMB has changed direction.

Side quests completed: 10K hike, maintaining purple hair, passed probation at work.

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Goals Update, The Third

It’s funny to look back and see how many of my goals for the year have been accomplished already. Accomplished in the first half, even, so this past quarter was quiet on the goal-reaching front. Most of what I haven’t done is in the works to happen over the next month.

Things that at this point seem unlikely to happen by the end of the year: my goal of being craft-y with gifts, my reading goal, and my submission count goal.

I wanted to make more gifts than I buy. And I have made several, but I’ve still bought more than I made. We’ll see what balance I strike with Christmas.

I am behind on my reading. Still ahead of last year at this time, which is on track to beating last year’s number (and so in line with that particular goal), yet still unsatisfactory.

And submissions . . . I have a whole line of flimsy excuses. They all boil down to the fact that I have chosen to allocate my energies elsewhere. Writing isn’t where my doubts and my inner critic come out, but in the submission process.

These last few months, while not reaching much of any of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year, has seen a huge shift for me. With theatre.

The day of my second goals updates for the year, I received a phone call that moved me from a non-speaking ensemble role in Dracula to one of the leads. And I didn’t suck. Shortly after, I was invited to join the theatre troupe behind the each show I’ve been involved with over the last year as an official member.

Then the 24 Hour New Play Festival happened. Now I’ve got a play in my head to write. (Along with the ridiculous number of novels that insist on being written RIGHT NOW.) Though if you’d like to see the performance, it’s here. Just keep in mind: it was a rough draft.

Only three more months to go! How are your goals for the year coming?

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The Poetry Rule

I am not a poet. Not by a long shot. I’ve written poetry, I’ve read poetry, and I’ve studied poetry. It’s not my thing. You’ll never see my poetry published or shared because that would be horribly embarrassing and no one would publish it. Seriously. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it or learn from it.

I love what many people would consider “flowery prose.” Description, beautiful word choice, imagery, long sentences. Basically, slow and lovely reading. The type you usually get from people who write poetry. However, these kinds of sentences don’t work in many genres and there are a lot of readers who lack the patience for them.

Dark urban fantasy, which is the genre I’m tackling now, has no space for flowery prose. I can squeeze one or two in here and there, but more than that and I start to lose my audience. That doesn’t mean that I can’t apply the tenets of good poetry to my writing.

The main tenet I want to talk about today is The Poetry Rule, something I was recently reminded about at the Faith Hunter workshop I attended. The Poetry Rule applies to concepts of word choice; it’s a simple rule that goes as such: every word must do something and every word must count.

Yes, every word in your 40k, or 80k, or 100k manuscript. Every. Word.

Before you cringe or cry, I’m not saying you have to put every noun, verb, and article under the microscope. You’re not going to act like a poet and spend an entire day deliberating over one word in a ten line poem. No books would ever get finished. You are going to have to read each sentence and think about what it’s doing. Your genre, your scene, your narrator, your characters, and your motivations are going to dictate a lot about your sentences, so really, what you’re honing is your ability to be cognisant.

As writers, we all know stories don’t write themselves. That’s a flight of fancy we tell ourselves in desperate hours. Writers deliberately structure and tell. We’re conscious of all the choices we make, even when we follow our guts.

Plus, lazy writing is boring writing. Mixing up descriptors and sentence structure keeps readers engaged. And I think we’ve all experienced that moment of satisfaction when we describe something just right.

I want to emphasise here that The Poetry Rule applies to editing. Do not stifle your creative process by worrying about word choice during your first draft. You’ll frustrate the heck out of yourself.

Happy writing! And editing.

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Writing Workshops and Goal Alignment

One of the hard lessons I’ve learned this year involves writing workshop. More specifically, what happens when the writing workshops and your goals don’t match up.

I took a workshop in spring. I was trying to fall in love with drafting again, forge forward and leave my language-specific insecurity behind so that I could see a draft completed. Edits are where language specificity comes into play. The workshop I took in spring focused on the intricacies of language, especially short form and literary, with highly polished excerpts to be critiqued on.

And while I did learn a lot at the spring writing workshop, the focus was all wrong for what I was trying to do.

I had thought going in that a writing workshop would be good for me. It focused on writing. How wrong could I go with that premise?

Pretty far, actually.

The writing workshop heavily impacted my output speed, my self-consciousness for first drafts, my vision for future sections of m plot, and turned me to fixate on sentence construction during crafting. All of these things worked together and stifled me. I thought a writing workshop would help my writing and while I did try to take as many lessons from it that I could, I wasn’t at the right stage or in the right class for my type of writing.

I was stifled for a long time. I felt the class helped a lot of people who had taken it with me. I couldn’t help but think what was wrong with me that I did not glean the amount of benefit they had from the class?

I had to take time to relax, to let the anxiety leftover from the class wash away. I had other things to focus on, fortunately: a new job, lots of life things wrapping up, and lots of new life chapters beginning. Going to When Worlds Collide in August helped get me back on my feet and I was able to relax into writing again. Talking to my friends who have self published and continue to move forward helped me. Realizing through my job that so so so many books are published through so many publishers, big and small gave me perspective.

I don’t think I need writing workshops outside of my writing organizations anymore. Beside, my writing organizations are more about being social with likeminded people than totally learning new concepts and micro-critiquing my work. If a writing workshop comes up that is a perfect fit? I’ll go for it. But, until then? No. What about you?

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