P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 278

NaNoWriMo Update – Week2: Up and Down

NaNoWriMo got started last week and I gave a short update on my beginning as well as my thoughts on the upcoming month. I also wrote separate post on my Scrivener usage last week as I progress through NaNoWriMo. Check out my sidebar and you’ll see my current reported total.

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The week went mostly well with steady progress each day. I even discovered a few ideas along the way and wrote those in where I could. Keeping my cool each day was hard at times, especially when regular needs intruded on writing time. There were a few days when I was working until I went to bed.

But then Friday came. We got some bad news out of some car trouble that meant replacing it. Bad news but this also took up the whole day and I got nothing done. Saturday was also busy so I got only part of my daily total completed. Sunday I crashed after all the excitement so I got nothing done. Now I’m well behind the pace but I do have a plan to catch-up – just not all at once.

It gets hard to sift through the day and keep on focus towards the goal at the end of the month. When you get behind you start doubting your ability. There’s always the chance that you’ll get further behind if something else happens.

However, it’s important not to lose focus and motivation because of trouble on certain days. I’m trying to get back to writing and not over-think the difficulties. I haven’t been able to make up all my missing words from the weekend, however, I have a lot of material to keep me well motivated for several days so I think I’ll be churning out lots of words – stay tuned!

I think this is where blogging daily becomes a positive for me. Since I write so much I know that I can get plenty done. I’m used to plugging away to get out words daily so I just sit down to work. It keeps in lean writing shape. This kind of a challenge is a little more of a burden than normal days but it is beneficial to growing as a writer as well as producing a rough draft.

This can be a real grind but I’ll be glad to reach the end and look back and say I did it. I’ll keep writing each and moving toward the goal through all the difficulties.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on　Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, NaNoWriMo, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Smashwords, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Trading Knives, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: blogging, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, NaNoWriMo, P. H. Solomon, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Trading Knives, Twitter, What is Needed, writing

More Reviews from My Goodreads Shelf

Of Song and Singularity by Emory Skwara

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of Song and Singularity is a YA dystopian book of the near future where, main charcter, Wrenna Sunden must survive the sudden, confusing displacement of her community to a mysterious new location but the controlling AI, Sophia. It’s a shrewd examination of the concept of singularity, deftly woven together with mystery, love, technology and danger. Author, Emory Skwara, has written a story tightly plotted and well developed in Wrenna’s own words that should become a classic in years to come.

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Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia A. McKillip

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second book of Patricia McKillip’s Riddle-Master trilogy, The Heir of Sea and Fire follows Raederle’s quest to find her betrothed, the missing Prince of Hed, Morgan. It’s a tale of duty, courage and self-discovery for the princess of An. Along the way, she’ll encounter friends who want to know what happened to Morgan as well as enemies lurking in unlikely places. I’ve loved this continuation of The Riddle-Master of Hed for many years and re-read it every few years. It’s another well-crafted story from McKillip whose writing voice in this series proved poised throughout. Fantasy readers won’t be disappointed with this book.

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Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Though I marked this book as a three, my rating is more one of preference. While the story is, in general, a good one, following the adventures of the newly appointed Seeker, Richard Cypher. I found the use of bloody torture tiresome after a while and an element that descended too far into depravity (and I do understand what was needed to bring the story to its culmination). However, the characters were well developed and the story overall intriguing enough to complete. The tenor of the tale might not suit everyone and the extreme amount of blood that someone may shed and survive is likely over-played. Goodkind writes well but the underlying subject-matter doesn’t suit me that much.

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The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third edition of The Wheel of Time continues with Rand’s discovery of his destiny as The Dragon. He struggles with this realization and that of the growing difficulties in his world as the time approaches for the culmination of a great struggle. It another tour of Jordan’s expansive world-building and one that keeps the reader enthralled. The revelations continue with a page-turning adventure that fantasy readers new and old will enjoy.

View all my reviews

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on　Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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Filed under: Amazon, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Reviews, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Trading Knives, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Coverart, creativity, Emory Skwara, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Heir of Sea and Fire, Of Song and Singularity, P. H. Solomon, Patricia A. McKillip, Pinterest, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The Dragon Reborn, Trading Knives, What is Needed, Wizard's First Rule, writing

Where Did It All Start? The Root of the Fantasy Genre

Back in September, I wrote a post where I shared some of the roots of my fantasy writing. While I hope to share more regarding settings based on my past experiences when An Arrow Against the Wind comes out next Spring, I had a related thought for this month. The notion of my roots got me thinking about what the roots of the fantasy genre are.

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I’ve recently been listening an interesting lecture series that hit on just this topic. So what are the real roots of fantasy? Is it Tolkien or someone else? Actually the roots of the fantasy genre run deep in our culture – and really that of much of the world – into ancient times.

So what are the roots? Epics from the ancient world such as the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer. Why is that? Well, to understand it all you have to think about what these stories were and why they are different. There are very old stories throughout all of the ancient cultures but most just fall short in terms of what the original epics really where – cultural touchstones that informed the larger population about their values.

Epics are not just stories since those tend to cover something much smaller in scope. Instead, they are large settings, covering big themes. Starting to understand the fantasy genre more? The genre is rife with such large-scale stories with broad themes. Now don’t get me wrong, fantasy – even The Lord of the Rings – likely fall short of the true epic tag but they are a branches from the same root-system.

Just a thought on a Friday that may stimulate you to consider why fantasy can be so engrossing and entertaining. Next week, I’ll share more of why fantasy has this relationship.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on　Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

　

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Scrivener and the NaNoWriMo Marathon Writing Challenge

Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.

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This week marked the beginning of my first year of participation in NaNoWriMo. Take a look on my sidebar and you’ll see that I’m off to a rousing start with the third book of The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow. The week has been busy but I wanted to share some of my thoughts about my work as it relates to Scrivener.

First, Scrivener’s reputation as outstanding development software for writers has not failed me. With the preparation I put in I’ve been able to meet the necessary writing total each day for a very good start.

The Binder and Outliner have been great to work with as I’ve been writing. It really helps to have this information easily available so I can get started each day. Reviewing the material plus notes without looking through lots of different files has been very helpful. I don’t have to think much – I just write.

One tool that has stood out to me is the Auto-Complete List. With all my custom fantasy names, I’ve been able to type just a few letters, hit enter and move one. I don’t know how much this is cutting my time but I think it is some. Plus I’ll have less need to edit names when the time comes.

Scrivener makes for the equivalent of a great running shoe! Well, that’s all my thoughts for Scrivener and NaNoWriMo this week. If you’re using Scrivener for the writing challenge this month, what’s been most helpful to you?

As announced on 11/2, The Bow of Destiny book cover is a semi-finalist entry in the Authorsdb 2015 Cover Contest. To celebrate, I’ve extended the October sale until 11/7. If the cover makes it to the next round I’ll extend the sale again. But there’s no guarantee the sale will continue past Saturday so have a look today – it’s $2.99 (regular price is $4.99).

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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Just as a note: I now have a marketing affiliation with Scrivener. For support questions, pricing, licensing and other concerns please contact the vendor. As such a buy ad for Scrivener appears on the sidebar. I’ve started this program　since I like the product so much and want to offer readers the chance to obtain this software. I’m not required to write about Scrivener to be an affiliate; I just like it that much. You can also find my FTC statement on this site’s sidebar.

 

Filed under: 2015 Cover Contest, Amazon, Authorsdb, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, NaNoWriMo, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Coverart, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, NaNoWriMo, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Twitter, What is Needed, writing

The Story Behind the Spark in My Writing

Last year, my daughter was doing some alpha reading on The Bow of Destiny. She suggested adding a dog so Spark is what I came up with. In the book, Athson identifies this dog as a Mountain Hound but to you and me he’s a German Shepherd – or very much like one.

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Spark is a rather interesting addition to the book as well as a comparatively late one. You see, Spark is a dog but not just any dog. He’s a dog that only Athson sees while he’s not taking doses of his elven medicine, Soul-ease. You might wonder if Spark is real and so does Athson. However, Athson considers Spark as an old friend who watches out for him.

If you’ve read my bio you know we own two German Shepherds so you can guess on what I based this character. But there’s more to the characterization than just being like a common breed. Spark is actually based on both of my dogs, appearing more like our female, Chloe, while sometimes acting rather like our male, Sam.

While Chloe is all guard-dog, ready for action all the time, Sam is more of a friendly bloke with a nasty side when necessary. But the unique quality of Sam is his way of communicating with us – he wags his tail for “yes” and doesn’t for “no”. Don’t believe me? Here’s a sample of Sam (Spark)-talk which is through yes and no questions (and of course you have to catch Sam at a good time since he’s usually easily distracted like most dogs by things like food):

“Sam, is it cold outside?”

Sam wags his tail – and it is (or was when this happened).

“Sam, do you like the cold?”

Sam wag his tail because he really doesn’t like the hot Alabama summer but thrives in cold weather.

“Sam, do you want to sleep outside?”

Sam doesn’t wag his tail because, while he likes cold weather, he prefers to stay near his people like most GSDs do. This question is one that’s meant to ensure he’s really answering rather than just wagging his tail in distraction.

“Sam, do you like Chloe?”

No wag because Chloe can really pester him and bite him often since she’s rather feisty.

“Sam, did Chloe bite you today?”

Sam wags his tail. Funny thing about dogs is that, being like wolf puppies, the males often let females win. Sam is much larger but always lets Chloe win.

“Sam, do you want Chloe to sleep outside in the cold?”

Sam wags his tail. Yep that’s right, Sam wants Chloe to sleep outside.

We often can ascertain if Sam feels sick (he gets colitis) or achy (he’s getting a little older now and is starting to get stiff some). We even found out that Sam wants a pet cat though this is likely the fact that he actually misses the old cat, Becky, who was still alive when Sam came to live with us. The cat hated Sam but he loved her. But you get that idea – Sam talks in his own way. He’s rather intelligent that way and even plays tricks on Chloe to get her to do what he wants. Now don’t think that Chloe is dumb by any means. She recognizes aggression easily and can solve some puzzles that Sam just won’t bother with.

So guess who speaks Sam-talk? Spark! I have a number of instances where Spark reveals something to Athson about his surroundings that Athson just doesn’t get. But you, the reader, get to understand that Spark may just know more about what’s going on at times than Athson.

As announced on 11/2, the book cover is a semi-finalist entry in the Authorsdb 2015 Cover Contest and member voting ends tomorrow. To celebrate, I’ve extended the October sale until 11/7. If the cover makes it to the next round I’ll extend the sale again. But there’s no guarantee the sale will continue past Saturday so have a look today – it’s $2.99 (regular price is $4.99).

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on　Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.　

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Filed under: 2015 Cover Contest, Amazon, Authorsdb, Barnes & Noble, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Alpha Readers, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Coverart, Editing, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, Kobo, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Self-publishing, Smashwords, Social Media, Spark, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, What is Needed, writing

The Latest Goodreads Reviews Off My Shelf

Here are some of my latest reviews from my Goodreads shelf which includes some books that I’ve enjoyed over the years.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Douglas Adams brought introduced humor into science fiction with this first book in the series. It’s well-crafted, shrewdly hilarious look at the improbable journey of Arthur Dent and his well-prepared friend, Ford Prefect. After earth is destroyed by space by-pass, the main character ends up on a quest to regain his home planet with little more than the help of Ford’s guide to the galaxy. You’ll laugh and keep turning the pages and then want more – of which there is!

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Watership Down by Richard Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This wondrous tale follows the adventures of a group of rabbits seeking a safe place to live. Along the way, we find out about rabbits in the wild as well as their fictionalized mythology. I’ve enjoyed reading this book numerous times of the years, including to my daughter. Rabbits seem like they might not have adventures but their natural guile in evading humans and predators alike makes for a subtle tale of tense adventures. Richard Adams deftly wove fact and fiction into this story of Hazel, his friends and their encounters with a wide world of danger. Readers and their children will enjoy this story.

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The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this series years ago. I found the culture, science and plot very interesting. Card is a superb storyteller. This is a very good Sci-Fi series to read.

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Smiley’s People by John le Carré

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This last edition of John le Carre’s books about Smiley, rebounded from the muddled second title, The Honorable Schoolboy. It approaches the genius of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy with a pretty taut plot in which Smiley duels with his old nemesis from that first book. It’s a story of fortitude in the face of long odds. While not approaching quit the stature of Tinker, it is a rousing conclusion for Smiley and a solid read for anyone seeking highly informed, fictional writing of spy-craft. Very entertaining work, that I enjoyed staying up late to read.

View all my reviews

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on Amazon – Kindle and on extended sale for just $2.99 ($2 off the regular price). Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

Filed under: Amazon, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Reviews, Science Fiction, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Coverart, Douglas Adams, Facebook, Goodreads, John le Carre, Kobo, Marketing, Orson Scott Card, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Reviews, Richard Adams, Smashwords, Smiley's People, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Memory of Earth, Watership Down, What is Needed, writing

The Bow of Destiny Cover Announcement!

I have exciting news to share today! The Bow of Destiny cover is currently a semi-finalist choice in the Authorsdb 2015 Cover Contest. Voting closes on 11/5 (that’s Thursday). I think voting is for members of Authorsdb but if you scroll below the cover you may see a blue button to vote. Support the cover here! If not share it on one of several social media channels with @Authorsdb #Semifinalist added!

Can you judge a book by it’s cover? I think so! The Bow of Destiny is starting to receive good reviews and ratings. I’ve extended the sale to 11/7 for just $2.99 ($2 off the regular price). If you like fantasy, have a look!

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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Filed under: 2015 Cover Contest, Amazon, Author Platform, Authorsdb, Barnes & Noble, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Rave Review Book Club, Reviews, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Announcement, AuthorsDB, AuthorsDB 2015 Cover Contest, Barnes and Noble, Coverart, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, Kobo, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Semi-finalist, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, What is Needed, writing

My NaNoWriMo Start: Stay Calm

So I got started writing a novel for NaNoWriMo yesterday. The White Arrow is underway! It exciting to have the third book of The Bow of Hart Saga in progress . How did I do, well look over to my sidebar and you’ll see that I wrote almost 1,800 words on the first day!

But that was not without some challenges from the start. I got up later than I wanted and we had an unexpected visitor for much of the day in the form of a dog wandering our busy street. We got a call about a German Shepherd being loose in the area since we have 2 and someone though it might be ours. We thought it was someone else’s but it wasn’t. So we took the dog and set out finding the owners. It turns out this young dog is a serial escape artist and eventually got in touch with the owner through friends in the area who recognized the dog over social media and all ended well.

There were other needed activities that needed attention by that time since I was behind. Yet I finally made myself sit down and do the writing and I’m glad I did since I was starting to get anxious I was going to have a big donut for the day. I also had a headache by the time I started but I pushed through and got it done.

But I realized a few days ago there are two ways to look at this month of writing:

1. I can stress about each day of writing and probably be far less productive as a whole or

2. I can stay calm, take a deep breath and realize that there’s nothing to lose here.

Honestly, anything that I do for the month will be more than what I had to start November. Sure I’d like to meet the challenge and get in at least 50,000 words but making myself frantic in the process is no good at all. Instead, I want to avoid missing days and maximize my efforts. Unless I really feel that I need to press on past a daily goal – say I’m really feeling creative and have a lot to write in my mind – then I want to reach the goal and put it away for the day. It’s better to relax some than get burnt-out.

So rather than see the whole challenge as a looming mass of work, I want to view the month as a daily discipline. Producing content while balancing my day is more prudent than panicking to the extent I don’t even want to write. That’s not the purpose of the month. Instead, I’m working daily to produce a draft that didn’t exist previously. That’s a better goal regardless of the outcome.

And hey, I still got the work in today. I hope to continue with similar progress if not a bit more tomorrow. It’s a start and a good one. I’ll update next Monday and my word count will remain displayed here. I’ll also share some of my experiences working with Scrivener on this challenge.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now on extended sale for $2.99 (reg. price $4.99) at Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

　

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Filed under: Amazon, Author Platform, Blogging, Choices, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Mailing List, NaNoWriMo, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, blogging, Coverart, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, NaNoWriMo, P. H. Solomon, Rave Reviews Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Twitter, What is Needed, writing

NaNoWriMo Preparation & Scrivener Pt. 4: Execute the Plan

Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.

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As I wrote last week, I’m preparing for NaNoWriMo and suggested some features of Scrivener to think about using during next month’s writing scramble. I’ve also offered some tips to leverage Scrivener as you organize your outlining efforts. Last week I suggested 4 overlooked features that may save you writing time, improve your efficiency and help buoy your creativity. But what are my goals and how do I intend to approach my daily writing? Here are the basic points of my overall plan and daily work-flow:

I’ve set my goal to 50,000 words in NaNoWriMo and in my Project Target. I hope to exceed this goal but I’ll make it conservative during my first writing rodeo.
With my outline finished, I’ll use my writing layout daily, referring to my notes as necessary. However, I plan to go over my notes before starting each day and have an idea of that I’m doing. I’ll keep in mind that my outline and ideas a somewhat fluid.
While writing, I’ll go into full-screen mode with a background. This way I can just write as I turn on some music to keep me going.
When I’m not in full-screen, my Project Target will be on so I can see how I’m progressing – I like to watch this as a little encouragement as the line grows and changes color from red to green.
At the end of each completed writing session, I want to record any ideas that I’ll need for the next day so I’ll know where and how to start my writing.
I hope to record my daily progress in my NaNoWriMo but I’ll also keep a spreadsheet too.

Want to see how I’m doing? You are welcome to connect with me on NaNoWriMo but I’ve already displayed a widget of my progress on the sidebar. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to interact since my focus will be on the daily goal but I’ll do what I can. Even better, check out my abbreviated posts to see what’s really going on with me during the month.

Do you have a plan? How will meet your goals? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on　Amazon – Kindle. Additionally, I have FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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Just as a note: I now have a marketing affiliation with Scrivener. For support questions, pricing, licensing and other concerns please contact the vendor. As such a buy ad for Scrivener appears on the sidebar. I’ve started this program　since I like the product so much and want to offer readers the chance to obtain this software. I’m not required to write about Scrivener to be an affiliate; I just like it that much. You can also find my FTC statement on this site’s sidebar.

 

Filed under: Amazon, Author Platform, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Mailing List, NaNoWriMo, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing, Writing Groups Tagged: Amazon, An Arrow Against the Wind, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, NaNoWriMo, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The White Arrow, Tips, Twitter, What is Needed, Widget, writing

10 More Ways to Survive a Monstrous Halloween Encounter

Halloween can be a tough time of year. After all, you have to go out at night when all the monsters really get out. You could run into nearly anything at this time of year – and it gets dark early! Want to go for that evening run? You better be prepared for anything from the menacing neighborhood dog to – gulp – a werewolf. Here are some thoughts on how to survive an encounter with a werewolf and maybe even make a friend.

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1. Be prepared for this possible encounter in several ways. First, remember that a wolf wants to chase something so don’t run – and certainly don’t scream since both reactions will just get this monster’s prey instinct going.

2. The next way to be prepared is to go out with some dog treats. This is a great way to make friends with a menacing dog – right? Just think of a werewolf as merely a troublesome dog – just one that needs a bit of special handling.

3. Remember, a werewolf is a person too – just confused by the sudden change into a dog. Wouldn’t you be? So do what you should with a dog and calmly take charge of the situation. Toss some treats to the werewolf while using some reassuring words in a calm, firm voice all in an effort to gain its trust.

4. Really take control by getting some training done without hesitation. Think you can’t? Many dogs will learn to sit rather quickly and this is a person inside a wolf’s body so they should pick up commands rather quickly. To do sit, show the treat and then, while saying, “sit”, move the treat over the werewolf’s head. I know these are big but they slouch and much like a dog, they should sit when interested in the treat. Remember to give the treat palm up.

5. You really don’t want to get bit by a werewolf because, well, you don’t want to be one. To discourage mouthing and snapping like a dog teach this monster the “leave it” command. This means pulling back you hand and saying the words, “Leave it.” This should work since you’ve already gained a certain amount of trust.

Just an aside here, but you can try escaping anyway but you may need some help!

6. Need to get this big beast under further control? Teach it the “down” command. From a sitting position and a treat in your hand, say, “Down,” as you lower your hand between its forepaws. The werewolf will be so interested in the treat it will go down. Repeat a few times to re-enforce these commands (get the werewolf up by using the word and raising a treat over it’s head).

7. If you think this might become a monthly issue make sure to keep a big chew-bone handy for full moons.

8. Also, if you find that you werewolf wants to jump up on you – and many dogs do – simply turn away without saying a word so that it learns it will get no attention whatsoever from you. It will learn that the behavior isn’t acceptable.

9. If this is a recurring issue and you find that said werewolf is having a tough time with good behavior, try to talk about what’s really going on with a dog behaviorist. Seriously, these trainers can do a lot of dogs, why not werewolves?

10. Last thought, if the werewolf sleeps on your porch or in your garage take care how you treat the person in the morning. Leave them a change of clothes nearby so they can get dressed and offer them a good breakfast. After all, they’ve been a wolf all night and that can be a little disconcerting as well as embarrassing. Oh, and don’t offer them food like it’s a treat and certainly don’t use commands on them – that’s just awkward.

At this point, you’ve hopefully made a friend out of both wolf and human. After all, dogs are man’s best friend, why can’t werewolves be included too?

If your good with dogs, what’s your best tip for handling a werewolf? What do you think would be a favored treat by a werewolf? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll receive my a SPECIAL coupon for The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on Barnes & Noble, iBooks Amazon – Kindle & Smashwords. Additionally, September’s FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.

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