K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 79

Well, well, well. What do we have here?

Saturday comes to a close, and the weekend is half over. Still, it feels like a full weekend already. This morning Kari-Lise and I attended an antique event/sale in Enumclaw, Washington, which was a first for us. Neither of us have ever been out there but we both agreed it was beautiful. It’s nestled along the western edge of the Cascades. With the low clouds, the thin creeping fog, and changing trees, it really felt like fall. Fall is the best.

As far as projects go: today, I got some design work done for the upcoming launch. Continued finalizing edits on Old Broken Road (getting so, so close.) And, I finished the last bits of swag. Oh! Something new has cropped up on Goodreads. You should check it out here. Add it to your to-read list!

I’m not slowing down. Work will continue in earnest tomorrow. (Though I’ll pause for a bit as Greenbay plays the Bears. Go Greenbay!) Hope the rest of the weekend is great for everyone else.

Filed under: old broken road, writing Tagged: antiques, cascades, enumclaw, football, goodreads, greenbay, kari-lise alexander, packers, Washington

A Squid, a Pebble, or a Policeman

Stealing this from Hugh Howey. I got some serious laughs from it. I figured it deserved to be my 300th post. (I should add, that none of my editors have been like this at all.)

Filed under: Videos Tagged: editing, Funny, That Mitchell and Webb Look, writing

New Swag Packs Are Available

Did you know I am happy to send you swag for free? Well I am! As of last night I am now offering new swag packs with goodies based on The Stars Were Right and my upcoming sequel Old Broken Road. This is the stuff I give away at my booth at cons, things like: bookmarks, stickers, and buttons. Each swag pack comes with:

TWO 1″ buttons
THREE bookmarks
A set of FOUR stickers

I’ll send all this to you for free. All you have to do is send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

K. M. Alexander c/o FreeSwag

P.O. Box 28805

Seattle, WA 98118

For now, let’s keep this U.S. only, unless you’re willing to pay for international postage both ways, I have no problem dropping it in the mail. I just know it can be expensive.

I check my P.O. Box once a week, so it won’t be long before I get your goodies in the post. You can find out more on my Free Stuff page, and check out the free downloadable Old Broken Road backgrounds as well. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Filed under: old broken road, the stars were right Tagged: Bookmarks, Buttons, free stuff, Stickers, Swag

Friday Link Pack 09/19/2014

Friday has arrived! That means it’s time to share a few interesting links I’ve found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!

Writing:

It’s OK To Admit That H.P. Lovecraft Was Racist

Can we appreciate a writer’s work while disdaining their offensive beliefs?  Laura Miller examines. (Thanks to Josh for this one.)

5 Things You Should Know About Working With Beta Readers

It’s always good to get insight as you work on your manuscript. Corina Koch MacLeod and Carla Douglas offer some simple advice on working with beta readers.

The New Kindle Voyage e-Reader Is Shockingly Good

I love my Kindle. Love. It. It’s revolutionized the way I read. However, after reading this review on the latest offering from Amazon… it might be time for an upgrade.

Your Paper Brain And Your Kindle Brain Aren’t The Same Thing

Study’s show our brains approach reading on digital devices differently from reading physical books. Are we losing something because of our bi-literate brains?

Writer’s Toolkit: Old Maps Online

My post from Wednesday highlights a handy resource for your research.

Art:

Sergey Kolesov

Digging this work. Amazing colors, incredible lights, and a loose fresh style. (Thanks to Bryan for sharing it with me.)

Byronic Series By Boris Pelcer

I am a sucker for limited palettes, so when I saw this work by Boris Pelcer it wasn’t hard for me to fall in love.

Random:

Amazing Map Shows Every Tree In The United States

This tree density map shows the location of forests throughout America. See the larger version here.

Famous Paintings Of Jacob Wrestling With The Angel, Ranked By How Much Their Actions Resemble Slow-Dancing

I love the internet. (Thanks to Gus for sharing this.)

5 Little-Known Pirate Stories

It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day today. In celebration Neatorama has compiled a list of interesting and a bit strange pirate facts.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Mound

A strange mound in Oklahoma hides a gateway to a subterranean civilization. Fun fact: this is the story from which the title Red Litten World was taken.

Gif of the Week:

Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: beta readers, Boris Pelcer, e-reader, h.p. lovecraft, pirates, racism, Sergey Kolesov, slow-dancing, trees, writing

Writer’s Toolkit: Old Maps Online

If you’re a writer the odds are high that you’ve poked around through your share of maps. It could be a map you’ve created, a pile of maps you’ve collected for research, or just some maps you have gathered for inspiration. If you’re like me you can never have enough resources for that sort of content. You owe it to yourself to check out today’s toolkit link:

Old Maps Online

I simply love this site. It gives you the ability to explore a myriad of high resolution maps simply by navigating to an area and zooming in. Looking for victorian maps of London? Need a street map of a 1950s town? No problem. With some quick navigation you’ll find it easy to get the sort of information you’re looking for. It even lets you narrow your search down to specific date ranges and updates automatically showing what maps are available from their collection of links. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how extensive and deep their database seems to go. Old Maps Online is not only incredibly handy, it’s very powerful, and an easy way to get the information you need. Worth checking out.

Have a resource in your toolkit you’re willing to share? Leave a comment below or send me an email and I’ll feature it in the next Writer’s Toolkit.

Filed under: Toolkit Tagged: maps, old maps, research, Resources, writing

I Will Be A Writer

“As things stand now, I am going to be a writer. I’m not sure that I’m going to be a good one or even a self-supporting one, but until the dark thumb of fate presses me to the dust and says ‘you are nothing’, I will be a writer.”

— Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo

Filed under: Quotes Tagged: Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson, Writing

Friday Link Pack 09/12/2014

You made it. It’s Friday! That means it’s time to share a few interesting links I’ve found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!

Writing:

Millennials Are Out-Reading Older Generations

Writers rejoice, rumors of our audiences demise has been greatly exaggerated.

NaNoWriMo Cometh – Four Early Tips To Enhance Your Novel Writing

Participating in National Novel Writing Month this year? Here’s four things you should be working on now to make sure your NaNoWriMo is a success.

Independent Bookstores Are Alive And Well In America

That’s right, don’t listen to the hype. Not only are Indie bookstores doing well, in the last five years their numbers have risen. (By double digits!)

Are Authors Running Out Of Book Titles?

The Guardian looks into the recent occurrence of several popular authors recycling book titles used by others. I mentioned the blog Spending The Stephen King Money in a June Link Pack. I recommend checking it out.

Publishing Advice I’d Give My Younger Self

Indie author J. A. Konrath offers up advice he’d give to himself. There’s a lot of good straightforward advice here. Worth a read no matter how established or successful you are.

Art:

Emily Blincoe’s Arrangements

Objects arranged by color and photographed. Beautiful.

Typewriter Artist

This human interest piece from 2004 looks at Paul Smith, an artist with cerebral palsy who uses a typewriter to create art. (Thanks to Kari-Lise for sharing this.)

Random:

Look Down If You Dare: The World’s Scariest Stairs

If you’re scared of heights, you might want to skip this slideshow showing a number of dizzying climbs from around the world. (Thanks to Brittany for one.)

The Yeti

An online exhibit exploring the validity and legends surrounding the mythical yeti, the alpine cousin of the Pacific Northwest sasquatch. Are you a believer? (Thanks to Sky for submitting this.)

Space Station Earth, A Map Skin

I have mentioned MapBox before, but their latest map skin is incredible. Space! Check out my hometown here.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Doom That Came to Sarnath

An ancient people conquer the mighty city of Ib defeating its strange inhabitants and bringing about a defeat of their own.

Gif of the Week:


Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: advice, bookstores, Emily Blincoe, H.P. Lovecraft, Indie, millennials, NaNoWriMo, Paul Smith, space station, Stairs, Titles, Yeti

NaNoWriMo Cometh – Four Early Tips To Enhance Your Novel Writing

So, we’re well into the second weekend of September. Which means NaNoWriMo draws near. I know it still feels early, but if you’re planning to participate now is the perfect time to start thinking about your project! Below you’ll find a list of four things I do before I dive into my writing. Addressing these early can help you spend more time on prose and racking up those daily word counts.

1. Start outlining.

If you’re the type of writer who doesn’t work from an outline—George R. R. Martin calls you gardeners—then you can ignore this step. However, for the rest of us, now is the perfect time to get an outline complete. They don’t have to be long, nor are they some hard-and-fast document you need to follow to the letter. Instead, it’s a good way to get yourself thinking about the project as a whole and get your thoughts down on paper. It’ll give you a feel of your plot, your characters, and make the other three steps easier. Personally, I found outlining critical in finishing manuscripts. Consider reading my post on my own planning, I go into details on how I outline, how I use my outline when I write, and I even share an excerpt from the outline for The Stars Were Right.

2. You should be researching.

In my early attempts at writing this is often one of the biggest slowdowns. I will be working along and come to a part in my story where I need to spend a little time learning. This would lead from article to article, from book to book, and I’d end up spending more time distracted by the research instead of writing.

To avert this I have begun noting things I should research in advance within my outline. That way I have a nice list of subjects before I go into the library or start looking for books on Amazon. If you’re someone who doesn’t outline, consider the themes/genre/style of what you want to write. I bet you could come up with a list of topics to research in no time.

It’s never too early to start researching and I know you’ll find it exceptionally helpful for tackling a challenge like NaNoWriMo. Removing that extra distraction of having to look something up can mean a world of difference on those tough days.

3. Get to know your characters.

Now is the perfect time for you to start getting to know your characters. There’s a million and one ways to do this. Some folks have worksheets, others have systems, some writers create D&D characters and use those as a base. There’s no right or wrong way. Just find a way that you’re comfortable with and allow yourself to explore those characters.

Think of this preparation as sketching. You really just exploring an idea. Nothing you come up with will be permanent. I often find that I want to write a character a certain way, but when I start telling their story they take me in a completely different direction. That’s okay (and part of what makes writing fun!) What’s important is being comfortable with your characters so when you’re telling their story you can do it to the best of your abilities.

4. Work out those ancillaries ahead of time.

Finally, think about anything else you need to include, especially those things that might get in the way with your writing. Often, especially for genre writers, these are things like maps, lists of slang-terms, glossaries, location lists/descriptions.

I cannot tell you how many times I had distracted myself from writing to go draw a map or design a logo for a faction or write a timeline of history. I once spent half a day coming up with the ranking system for a military that I never once used in my story. (I wrote a post about that as well.)

When you’re trying to hit 40k words in a month you need to keep focused on your words. 1400 words a day isn’t insurmountable but it can be overwhelming. Any extra distractions you can remove will help you focus on hitting those numbers.

* * *

I love NaNoWriMo. I am a big supporter of its mission, and it’s what got me interested in writing in the first place. It’s a great experience for any writer, aspiring or otherwise, but it can also be a little daunting. I think you’ll find—as with most things in life—some early preparation will make the whole experience better. Good luck!

Filed under: Writing Tagged: ancillaries, Characters, glossary, maps, NaNoWriMo, Outlines, preperation, research

Friday Link Pack 09/05/2014

First Friday of September! That means it’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!

Old Broken Road:

The sample chapter of Old Broken Road is now available to read for free! Simply hit up: oldbrokenroad.com. Enjoy! Expect a release date announcement any day now. You heard it here first.

Writing:

Book Publishing, Not Fact-Checking

Here’s something that will probably not come as a surprise: most non-fiction books are not fact checked. Well, maybe it should come as a surprise, but are we really surprised by stuff like this anymore?

Let’s Talk About Margins

Many publishers ignore the layout of books but layout is important. In my opinion it is as important as a good editor and a good cover. In this article, Craig Mod explains why you need to pay attention to the margins. (Thanks to Gus for sharing this.)

Generative eBook Covers

A lot of early books didn’t have covers. Not in the way we think of them today. New York Public Library has embarked on creating generative eBook covers. Obviously, these won’t replace a custom cover, but the result are pretty cool.

The Future Library

What if you could contribute a book to a library that won’t be available for one hundred years? You’d never know what people thought. You’d be writing for writings sake. Well, it’s happening, and Margaret Atwood is the first contributor.

The Creative Process

Self-doubt is something every author struggles with, but pushing past it is what separates the successes from the failures.

Art:

500 Years Of Female Portraits In Western Art

Found this video showing the progression of the female portrait very fascinating. Really appreciate the work that went into this. It’s interesting to see history presented this way.

2014 Burning Man Photoset

Stunning imagery from this year’s Burning Man snapped by photographer John K. Goodman. (It’s Burning Man, so I’ll assume you know these probably aren’t totally safe-for-work.)

Art Is A Way

Do yourself a favor and check out these beautiful paper-cut sculptures from artist Elsa Mora. Really fun, detailed work.

Random:

This Is The Most Detailed Map Yet Of Our Place In The Universe

So the Milky Way is our galaxy. But did you know we’re apart of a supercluster of galaxies? Meet Laniakea, our local supercluster containing more than one-hundred thousand galaxies.

Seven-Foot Wide House For Sale In London

Looking to move to London? Need a small place to call your own? How about a narrow place? How about a REALLY narrow place?

Mystery Of How Rocks Move Across Death Valley Lake Bed Solved

Remember those strange rocks that move across the desert? Well, science has discovered how that crazy phenomenon happens!

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Hound

A pair of grave robbers choose the wrong grave. Fun fact: this is the first mention of Arab Abdul Alhazred and the Necronomicon.

Gif of the Week:




Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: art, burning man, Death Valley, design, fact-checking, H.P. Lovecraft, London, margins, Publishing, universe, Writing

The Creative Process

I stumbled across this comic from Tom Founder over at Happy Jar. It struck close to home, and got me thinking:

It’s a common occurrence. Often we creatives feel like we’re the only one who goes through this sort of thing. That while our peers see only success, we see only struggle. We forget that in modern society we curate our lives. It’s:

Friend: “How are you doing today?”

Us: “Oh, I’m fine.” *fake smile* “Look at these pictures of my weekend!”

and not:

Friend: “How are you doing today?”

Us: “ACK! Someone gave me a one-star review. I got a rejection letter, and I’m so nervous about this latest manuscript. I think it’s all wrong. I think people will hate my characters. I hate my characters! Their names are all wrong. Maybe I should change them. Ugh. I’m not sure about the plot either. It’s trite, it’s probably like my last book. I bet it’ll get a one-star review as well! I worry that I’m not speaking from the heart. I should change it. I don’t think people will get it, you know? Don’t even get me started on my prose! I’m stuck, I’m scared, and I don’t know what I’m going to do! It’s wrong! IT’S ALL WRONG! AHHHHH!” *Bangs head against the wall like a crazy person.*

Like anyone else, we judge ourselves by our peers. And like the rest of the world, most creatives only share our success and rarely our failure. As a result we’ve become scared of failure. That fear breeds common reactions: self-doubt, depression, and even the self-loathing as shown in panel three. Often, because of those common reactions, creatives just give up.

We should do the exact opposite. Let’s go back and read that again: common reactions? Yes. Common. It happens to everyone! You’re not alone. I’m right there with you. We all deal with this! But these aren’t insurmountable hurdles. These struggles are only permanent if we let them abide.

The only way to really fail is to stop.

The important thing when confronting these barricades is to press past them. We get so close to our work all we see are the mistakes, the errors, and the things we want to change. We no longer see the good, but it’s there. That’s why it’s important to move past these biases, ignore the demons of self-doubt, and get the work out there. Let the world decide. Push yourself and move on to your next project. As I said earlier, so many of us hit that third panel and just… stop. Which is the wrong reaction. You see, the only way to really fail is to stop.

So yeah, as I said, Happy Jar got me thinking. You can see more great (and thought-provoking) comics at HappyJar.com. It’s updated every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe to the RSS feed here, or follow HappyJar on Twitter. It’s great stuff and I highly recommend following along.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: Comic, Creative Process, depression, Fear, happy jar, Self-Doubt