K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 80

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

Read A Sample Chapter Of Old Broken Road Now!

It’s September 1st, as promised the sample chapter of Old Broken Road is now available and you can read it for free at:

oldbrokenroad.com

Like what you read? Make sure to tell your friends on Twitter and Facebook and use the hashtag #OldBrokenRoad. Stick around as we get closer to the launch. There’s all sorts of excitement to come. There will be new swag and more giveaways, all building towards the release of the book!

Chaos awaits…

Filed under: Old Broken Road Tagged: ebooks, reading, Sample

Seattle Geekly Giveaway!

It’s PAXPrime weekend here in Seattle, and not all of us are able to go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win free books and swag! Throughout the weekend you win signed copies of The Stars Were Right from my friends Shannon & Matt over at Seattle Geekly. Simply follow them on Twitter and find out how you can win!

Make sure you subscribe to Seattle Geekly [iTunes - RSS - Stitcher]. It’s a great weekly nerd-centric podcast covering: gaming, cons, movies, television, books, comics, and more. Basically all things awesome.

Filed under: The Stars Were Right Tagged: Books, Giveaway, PAX, Podcast, Seattle, seattle geekly

Friday Link Pack 08/29/2014

The weekend approaches! 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:

Sample Old Broken Road Next Monday!

That’s right, on September 1st I will be releasing a sample chapter of Old Broken Road at oldbrokenroad.com. Really excited to get this out there. We’re getting really close! Those who sign up for my newsletter get notified first when Old Broken Road is released, so sign up today!

Writing:

What It Takes To Cook Some Of Literature’s Most Famous Meals

The Smithsonian looks at Dinah Fried’s new book Fictitious Dishes, which brings some of literature’s most famous meals to life. Everything from the chowder from Melville’s Moby Dick to the roasted eggs and potatoes from Burnett’s The Secret Garden. This is a food and literature lovers dream.

How Big Is Your Pond?

Dave Farland answers the question of every budding speculative fiction author, “should I write science fiction, or should I focus more on young adult novels? Which way should I go?” It’s good advice and something to consider. (Spoiler: above all, write what you love.)

Why Don’t Authors Compete?

Seth Godin explores the idea that writing isn’t a competition, and how the community works towards the betterment of all… although someone forgot to tell that to the authors in our next link.

Amazing Author Insults That Actually Raise Insults To An Art Form

An amusing collection of authors insulting other authors about their work. Someone should have sent them Seth Godin’s link. (Thanks to Kevin for submitting this one.)

Art:

80’s Sysadmin Warning Posters Look Like Dystopian Parodies

Strange and hilarious these System Admin posters from the 80s have that perfect mix of retro and strange dystopian Nineteen Eighty-Four future. (Thanks to Chris for sending this one in.)

1950s Hong Kong Captured In Street Photography By Fan Ho

Beautiful photography of everyday life in Hong Kong, China during the middle of last century. Haunting. (Thanks to Dwayne for this one. Fantastic find.)

Visual Inspiration by Gustavo Mendonca 

Going back into the archives for this one. Mendonca’s cityscapes for the now canceled Star Wars: 1313 creates a multilayered and gritty version on the Star Wars universe. Cool stuff.

Random:

33 “Facts” Everybody Knows That Are Actually Total Lies

You’ve heard a lot of these before, from alcohol killing brain cells (it doesn’t) to being able to see the Great Wall of China from space (you can’t) to vaccination causing autism (nope.) Nice collection. Worth checking out, or sending to that obnoxious family member that posts scare-articles on Facebook without actually vetting them.

Classic First Lines of Novels in Emojis: A Quiz

How many of these can you figure out. I got about half, which I think makes me pretty old, or kind of dumb.

Pop Sonnets

Take the pop songs of today, throw in a bit of the Bard, and what do you get? Pop Sonnets! (Thanks to Ben for this one. So great.)

The King And His Objects

“I think it is pretty clear that people who call for more objectivity are actually calling for subjectivity more closely aligned with their own viewpoints.” Fantastic article on “gamers” and the marketplace by writer, composer, and video game creator Matthew S. Burns. (Thanks to Chris for pointing this one out.)

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

Hypnos

A sculptor meets a mysterious man, and what comes of that meeting will change his life (and his work) forever.

Farewell Gif of the Week:

Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Competition, Food, Gamers, Hong Kong, Insults, Lies, Lovecraft, Novels, Old Broken Road, Sonnets

Visual Inspiration: Kuldar Leement

Crusaders (Detail) by Kuldar Leement

It’s been a while since I have posted a visual inspiration post, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been inspired! Those of you who follow me on Pinterest see me post things almost daily, but I know there a lot of you who just read my blog. So I am overdue.

My friend Ryan O’Nan—who is a marvelous illustrator in his own right (and available for hire!)—shared the work of Kuldar Leement. Ethereal landscapes, strange figures, and gorgeously rendered city scenes dominate his work. Each telling a story of their own. His use of space is what really stands out, in many pieces he creates a vastness that is somehow also very intimate. My favorites below:

Golden Witch Doctor by Kuldar Leement
Euphoria by Kuldar Leement
Brofist From God by Kuldar Leement
Never Quiet by Kuldar Leement

Amazing work, right? I could post so much more of his work, but you should really just check it out for yourself. See more of Kuldar’s illustrations at his site: http://www.kuldarleement.eu/ —  good stuff. I hope you found it as inspiring as I did.

Filed under: Art, Inspiration Tagged: book cover, Illustration, Kuldar Leement

Sample Old Broken Road Next Monday!

It’s finally happening. Next Monday, September 1st, I will be releasing a sample of Old Broken Road at oldbrokenroad.com! My editor and I have been hard at work all summer and I’m pretty dang excited with the progress we’ve made. I can’t wait to give everyone a little taste of Waldo Bell’s next adventure. If you enjoyed The Stars Were Right I think you’ll love this one.

In the meantime: check out Old Broken Road’s cover, scope some of The Stars Were Right fan art on Pinterest, grab an Old Broken Road background, and make sure to sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know when it’s released!

Filed under: Old Broken Road Tagged: Books, Free, Lovecraft, Prologue, reading, Sample

Friday Link Pack 08/22/2014

Friday time! 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!

Writing:

What’s Up With That: Why It’s So Hard To Catch Your Own Typos

Self-editing can be tough, but why is it so tough? Wired explores this conundrum. (Regardless of your choice in publishing, traditional or indie, I recommend you work with an editor. It’s important.)

How To Promote Yourself And Your Books Without Feeling Like A Soul-Selling, Sleaze-Sucking, Slime-Glob

If you’re in the business of writing then you’re in the business of promotion. Chuck Wendig offers some advice for how to promote yourself without feeling gross.

How To Spend The First 10 Minutes Of Your Day

Mise-en-place, a simple approach to getting yourself focused and ready to produce.

Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules For Writers

Great advice from one of the most prolific authors of the century. There’s so much good stuff here I have a hard time picking a favorite.

My SpoCon Debriefing

Last weekend I attended SpoCon in Spokane, WA. I had a great time. If you missed it check out this post to see photos and my highlights.

Free Shipping On The Stars Were Right through Sunday

To celebrate Lovecraft’s 124th birthday I’m offering free shipping anywhere in the US. I might not be able to beat Amazon on price, but I’ll throw in free swag!

Art:

Marilyn Myller

Incredible stop motion short featuring tiny carved foam dolls.

The Art Of Jeremy Chong

I stumbled across Jeremy Chong’s work this last week and a few pieces immediately evoked Lovat for me. Incredible concept work from fantasy to science fiction.

The Art Of Karla Ortiz

Another recent find. Karla Ortiz does great concept art as well, but what really stood out to me was her graphite pieces. (Pictured above.) Her work is stunning.

Clayton Kauzlaric’s Time-Warp Photos Of Seattle

Old lined up with the modern. Love these series. Apparently the old waterfront was significantly cooler than it is today.

Random:

Baltic Heraldry

Family crests from Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania in a 1902 calendar of colour woodblock prints. So much of our pop culture heraldic knowledge comes from countries like England, France, and Germany. It’s nice to see some other european countries highlighted.

Cultivating The Map

Danny Wills explored how survey instruments, cartographic tools, and architecture might work together at different scales to transform tracts of land in the geographic center of the United States. Very cool. Thanks to Todd for sharing this with me.

Humans Need Not Apply

An interesting video exploring the subject of the rise of robots in the labor force and how we’re moving towards a future built mainly by machines. It starts with the transportation and then slowly ripples through the rest of the world. Very much worth a watch.

The Evolution Of Mobile Gaming

A fun interactive article exploring of mobile gaming through the years.

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Haunter Of The Dark

A young man investigates an ancient church on Federal Hill and finds more than he bargains for. This was a big influence on Old Broken Road, and one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. The H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast has a fantastic reading of The Haunter Of The Dark available for free, I’d recommend it.

Farewell Gif of the Week:

You think this is cool? Check out the video.

Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: Baltic Heraldry, Clayton Kauzlaric, Jeremy Chong, Karla Ortiz, maps, Mobile Gaming, robots, Seattle, Self-Promotion, SpoCon, Stephen King, typos, Writing

Free Shipping Through Sunday!

Today marks the 124th birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. I figured since mattress stores and car lots have sales for every holiday under the sun I get to do something similar!

Today I am offering free shipping on any order from my store. (US only.) Just use the code Lovecraft124 when you checkout and your shipping will be free! This code will be valid through the end of the week so if you miss it today, fret not, the code will work through Sunday the 24th.

store.kmalexander.com

Filed under: The Stars Were Right Tagged: birthday, Books, free shipping, Lovecraft, sale