Holly Lisle's Blog, page 53

April 18, 2019

Trying to figure out Ko-Fi Rewards — please VOTE and Suggest

I’m over on Ko-Fi now (instead of Patreon), and I’m trying to figure out what would be cool to offer my supporters.


I’m shooting for “best rewards imaginable — that I can do within the limited time I have to create them.”


So I’m asking for you to vote on what’s already come in, and SUGGEST other ideas.


Here’s the poll:



Results

And the help I need is your vote on the two possibilities you like the most, PLUS additional ideas if you aren’t thrilled with anything that’s come in so far…


So if you’re a supporter (or might like to be) please make yourself heard.

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Published on April 18, 2019 07:29

April 17, 2019

The Wishbone Conspiracy: Down to the wire on Plot One…

Today was fun. I got 2024 words, two complete scenes, and am now rolling out the end game for the part of the story that I haven’t been hiding. 


I’ve hinted a couple times at the part I have been hiding — it’s cheating if you don’t.


But by the end of this week, I should have the obvious story neatly wrapped up — and be getting into the complicated, scary, “conspiracy” part of the story at full speed, and with my usual wicked glee.


I’m so excited about Cady — and where she and her team are heading next.

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Published on April 17, 2019 08:26

April 12, 2019

The Wishbone Conspiracy: The twist that took me by surprise

Had a hard time getting going today, but something Becky mentioned in one of our recent podcasts (with derision and loathing) turned out to be a step that helped…


Her comment? A reminder that at one time I’d written to an eternally looped version of Classical Gas played by Mason Williams. That was back in the days when I was on publisher deadlines, we were eternally broke, and I was writing ten to twelve hours at a stint.


Today I was having a hard time hitting flow, so I dug Classical Gas out of mothballs, put it back on in Infinite Loop mode…


And just like that, the words flew.


My Muse knows that Classical Gas means, “You’re going to sit here until you get the damned words—“ and it has gotten much better about getting the damned words.


And I don’t have to do ten thousand a day, which makes the right-brain Muse much happier. So.


Got 2177, which puts me at 50,420 words total…


Which means that I only have 19,580 words left to finish the novel.


I could run longer on the book, of course. I often do.


But the story is coming together the way I want it to, it’s hitting the things I need to hit in the places where I need to hit them, and the totally unexpected twist that landed at the end of today’s words won’t add length to the story. Depth, definitely. And a bit of unexpected extra conflict.


Was a good, good writing Friday.

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Published on April 12, 2019 09:54

April 11, 2019

The Wishbone Conspiracy: Cady comes up with a terrible idea — 2101 words

Today went well, and when I say that, I say it with a positively evil laugh.


The little secret I’ve hinted at in the Settled Space series emails is now open knowledge to Cady and her team. Well, the fact that Cady has a problem is now open knowledge. 


The person behind the problem remains well hidden.


So Cady and her folks are faced with the OTHER problem, the immediate one, where the guy who’s massacring tons of folks — and getting away with it — is going to keep getting away with in unless they figure out a way to stop him.


And Cady has come up with a dreadful idea that is the only idea that might work for solving the mass murderer problem. 


I’ll note, however, that it is a very, very bad idea.


So I’ve just realized it’s about time to bring Herog back into the picture.


Today…?


GOOD story day. 

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Published on April 11, 2019 09:26

April 10, 2019

And I’m back to fiction, and Wishbone… Kind of…

Got 1883 words of the 2000 I’d planned for the day. Had, however, a brutal time getting anything done at all.


Have been fasting since Sunday, (just water and coffee and a bit of salt), and today my focus was just gone. So I broke my fast with some pecans and cheese.


Tomorrow will be a better writing day.


Did love what I got on The Wishbone Conspiracy, though.


The scene is coming together beautifully, and with a hint of external, hidden evil that’s creeping into a discussion about a monster Cady and her team just shut down.


And I did get one solid idea about the main character down in my Ohio Series notebook. The Ohio Series is just a conceptual working title, by the way, and NOT what the series will come out under.


Setting up now to start on Lesson 32 of How to Write a Novel.


So outta here until tomorrow.

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Published on April 10, 2019 10:50

April 9, 2019

Why I chose Ko-Fi to replace Patreon

Today is the last day of my How to Write a Novel launch, so I’m pulling this post from an email that just went out. I apologize for duplicating, but this needs to go to all my folks, and this is….


Efficient. Today, I need that.


Quick catch-up if you missed it.


I left Patreon.


When I left, I had no plan. I only knew that I could NOT stay on Patreon.


Within minutes of that first email going out, though, folks from my email list were sending me recommendations, and I checked out every single one of them.


Thank you very, very much.


One of them fit me — what I’m doing, the way I prefer to work.


Which is as follows:



I pay for the service. Me. JUST me.
The money folks pay to support me comes to me. Just me.

Here’s why that matters: 


When the person receiving the benefits of the service is also the person paying for the service, the service provider is on the hook to be honest, ethical, and competent, or lose the customer. This is the way Ko-Fi works.  I am Ko-Fi’s customer, it is my Service Provider. The relationship is very simple.


When the person receiving the benefits of the service is the bait that draws in people who pay for the service, and all the company has to do to keep money coming in is hold on to its bait, the people lured in to help the bait are not customers. They are sheep to be sheared by the company, which keeps its bait dependent on its services (such as they are) and maintains the bait’s captive audience, misusing them in any way it chooses for as long as the bait needs the funding… until someone spots the flaw. This is Patreon’s model, and I was Patreon’s bait.


A good number of folks supporting me on Patreon were only there because I was there, and they did NOT like the fees Patreon charged them to support me. I didn’t like them either, but that was the only way I knew. Now I have something better.


If you’re here as my reader and you would like to fund me, you can do that here: https://ko-fi.com/hollylisle


So what else is good about Ko-Fi besides the fact that it will not charge the folks who support you?

The free account is really free. I started with the free account, but there were already folks asking for ways to create a monthly subscription. You have to have the paid account for that, so I upgraded almost immediately.

The paid account creates a direct connection between you as the creator and Ko-Fi. You pay them, and they make not a single dime off your patrons — so their board of directors, if they ever decide to have one, CANNOT look at the folks supporting your work as sheep to be fleeced (Patreon’s business model). The Gold benefits are much nicer than anything Patreon offered.


Gold allows me to offer a base support level (in my case, the suggested one-time payment of $3) but ALSO lets folks decide if they want to make that monthly, if they want to pay with a credit card instead of Paypal, and they can increase the amount to whatever they want (in multiples of your baseline cup of coffee) using the little plus and minus buttons. Every single person who comes in to fund you gets to exactly personalize their level of support. Which is just freaking awesome.You can create rewards. I’m still struggling trying to figure out what those might be. I don’t want to go with raw first draft fiction this time. So… Ideas? If you’ve got one, just reply to this email and let me know.



If you go Gold, you get a “magic link.” (An affiliate link, but someone over there likes the word ‘magic.’)

My Ko-Fi “Magic Link” – If you are a content creator and you “go gold” using this link, you’ll save 10% permanently. This is an AFFILIATE link, which means Ko-Fi will pay me $3 for each person who signs up using that link. I offer the link because if you decide Ko-Fi is a good fit for you as a creator, the 10% discount will help you, and the three bucks will help me.


But I know there are folks opposed to affiliate links, so if you want to sign up without using the link above, just go to my plain link: https://ko-fi.com/hollylisle


You can create a free account from there, and see what I’ve done with my page so far.  I’m still figuring out my rewards — there aren’t any yet, but there will be.



Other things that moved me in favor of Ko-Fi:

TERMS OF SERVICE: https://ko-fi.com/home/tandcs

PRIVACY POLICY: https://ko-fi.com/home/privacy

This is not a condemnation of any of the services recommended to me that I did not choose. This is only me letting you know the direction I did choose, and why Ko-Fi stood out as something that fits my needs and my preferences.


To all of the folks who leapt in with “take a look at this,” THANK YOU. You are amazing, and wonderful, and I’m deeply grateful.


Holly


P.S. I’m hoping someone will have a great idea for a simple, inexpensive, not-massively-time-consuming idea I could offer as a reward for folks funding me.  If you have such an idea, please reply below..fca_eoi_form{ margin: auto; } .fca_eoi_form p { width: auto; } #fca_eoi_form_251384 input{ max-width: 9999px; }#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper {display: none !important;}#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_form_input_element::-webkit-input-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#919b83;}#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_form_input_element::-moz-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#919b83;}#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_form_input_element:-ms-input-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#919b83;}#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_form_input_element:-moz-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#919b83;}#fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_layout_9.fca_eoi_layout_postbox div.fca_eoi_layout_submit_button_wrapper:hover, #fca_eoi_form_251384 .fca_eoi_layout_9.fca_eoi_layout_postbox div.fca_eoi_layout_submit_button_wrapper input:hover {background-color:#a67035 !important;}
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I will not share, sell, or trade your personal information. I respect your privacy, and value your trust. - Holly Lisle

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Published on April 09, 2019 09:12

April 4, 2019

Why I shut down my Patreon fundraiser

I’d intended to send a Questions & Answers email to my How to Write a Novel launch list, but that’s going to have to wait.Instead, I did THIS.


Closed my “Move out of Florida while writing fiction” fundraiser.

Here’s why — it’s this clause in the Patreon Legal Agreement


https://www.patreon.com/legal


By posting content to Patreon you grant us a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide license to use, reproduce, distribute, perform, publicly display or prepare derivative works of your content.


Understand that I read that clause and all the rest of them before signing up.


BUT… I’m not a lawyer, and I understood that clause to mean that Patreon was claiming the right to use my Patreon-created content (in other words, my POSTS) to promote the site.


I DID NOT think that they were claiming the right to use and abuse the content I was giving my patrons. In this case, three monthly chapters of the raw first draft of one of my current novels in progress, Dead Man’s Party.


A friend emailed me with a link to this post, however:


https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-patreon/


Turns out, I was wrong. Patreon is claiming rights to my novel.


So I’m out. I sent the first copy of this email to my patrons using a private Patreon post, and then I shut down my Patreon fundraiser, and am now trying to figure out how to actually close my account.


I’m not letting this kill my dream of moving us out of Florida…

…(hopefully before the next hurricane, if not the start of the hurricane season).


How you can help, if you want to —

IF YOU’RE HERE AS A WRITER:

I have created original classes ranging from under ten dollars to way over a hundred. If one of the classes I offer could help you, then you buying it would help me.


MY COMPREHENSIVE CAREER-LEVEL CLASSES (in recommended order)

*** How to Write a Novel *** 


http://hollyswritingclasses.com/class/how-to-write-a-novel.html


(IN LAUNCH: On sale ONLY through Tuesday APRIL 8 — Final Discount Launch)


How to Revise Your Novel: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/how-to-revise-your-novel.html


How to Write a Series: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/how-to-write-a-series.html


How to Think Sideways: Career Survival School for Writers: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/how-to-think-sideways.html


WRITING CRAFT SERIES (Each class is under $10)

Create a Character Clinic: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/characterclinic.html


Create A Plot Clinic: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/plotclinic.html


How to Write Page-Turning Scenes: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/pageturningscenes.html


WORLDBUILDING SERIES (Each class is under $10)

Create A Language Clinic: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/languageclinic.html


Create a Culture Clinic: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/cultureclinic.html


Create a World Clinic: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/worldclinic.html


WORKSHOPS & MID-SIZED CLASSES (PRICES VARY)

How to Write Short Stories: 


http://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/how-to-write-short-stories-class.html


How to Write Villains: 


http://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/how-to-write-villains.html


How to Write Dialogue with Subtext: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/dialogue-subtext.html


Title Cover Copy Marketing Basics: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/titlecovercopy.html


How to Find Your Writing Discipline: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/writingdiscipline.html


How to Find Your Writing Voice: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/writing-voice.html


How to Motivate Yourself: 


http://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/motivate-yourself.html


Beat Writer’s Block: 


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/beatwritersblock.html


FREE, INCLUDED WITH (also Free) SITE MEMBERSHIP


How to Write Flash Fiction That Doesn’t Suck


https://hollyswritingclasses.com/go/free-flash-fiction-class.html


===================


IF YOU’RE HERE AS A READER:


You can help out by buying some of my indie-published fiction.


SHORT STUFF, CURRENTLY AMAZON ONLY:

Light Through Fog: 


https://www.amazon.com/Light-Through-Holly-Lisle-Singles-ebook/dp/B0096F4HY0/


Rewind: 


https://www.amazon.com/Rewind-Holly-Lisle-Singles-Book-ebook/dp/B00AY1OHAE/


Strange Arrivals: 


https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Arrivals-Twisty-Fantasy-Tales-ebook/dp/B00EOWMYRW/


FANTASY – ARHEL TRILOGY

Fire in the Mist: 


https://books2read.com/FireInTheMist


Bones of the Past:


https://books2read.com/BonesOfThePast


Mind of the Magic:


https://books2read.com/MindOfTheMagic


DARK SCIENCE FICTION-ISH

SETTLED SPACE


Both of the Cadence Drake novels Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood and Warpaint, are off sale while I come up with new titles and new cover art for them, and new key words, descriptions, and other marketing that allows me to correctly put them in front of the audience that likes a few vampires and a bit of horror with its spaceships.


The Longview Chronicles (complete Series) is in the same universe — still dark, but without the vampires:


https://books2read.com/longview-chronicles


Or you can get the individual stories:


Born from Fire: 


https://books2read.com/born-from-fire


Suzee Delight: 


https://books2read.com/the-selling-of-suzee-delight


Philosopher Gambit: 


https://books2read.com/the-philosopher-gambit


Gunslinger Moon: 


https://books2read.com/gunslinger-moon


Vipers’ Nest: 


https://books2read.com/vipers-nest


The Owner’s Tale: 


https://books2read.com/the-owners-tale


STANDALONE URBAN FANTASY

Minerva Wakes: 


https://books2read.com/minerva-wakes


PARANORMAL SUSPENSE

Author Page: 


https://books2read.com/ap/xbzgyx/Kate-Aeon


Midnight Rain: 


https://books2read.com/midnight-rain


Last Girl Dancing:


https://books2read.com/last-girl-dancing


I See You: 


https://books2read.com/i-see-you


I have much more fiction that’s commercially published, or which is out of print and has reverted to me, but which I have not yet republished.


I’m not linking to ANY of that fiction, because your purchase of used books or books where publishers haven’t paid royalties in years will not help me.


So there we are.

I want to thank all my patrons again, and I am so sorry that I had to do this, but there is no way I can permit this:


Excerpted from Patreon Legal Terms

You keep full ownership of all content that you post on Patreon, but to operate we need licenses from you.


By posting content to Patreon you grant us a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide license to use, reproduce, distribute, perform, publicly display or prepare derivative works of your content. 


No. Just NO.

Holly

P.S. I have had one of my Patreon patrons already ask me how she could continue to support me on a monthly basis.


Here’s the answer I gave her:


“I’ll look into what’s available. Right now, I’m crushed to discover the rights Patreon actually claimed, and worried about getting involved with any other site. So I’m in limbo. You’ll find my blog at HollyLisle.com. I’ll be keeping my folks there up to date on how I deal with this. It sucks.


Hugs, and thank you for asking.”


Why is EVERYBODY on my blog, my mailing list, and in my forums getting this?

Because if you know me, you’re probably either a reader or a writer. If you’re a writer, you may be considering using Patreon, and you need to know. If you’re a reader considering funding someone on Patreon, THEY need to know.


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I will not share, sell, or trade your personal information. I respect your privacy, and value your trust. - Holly Lisle

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Published on April 04, 2019 09:10

April 3, 2019

Insider stuff from my How to Write a Novel students

Monday I asked my existing students the following question:


What is the best thing about my How to Write a Novel class?

I explained that I would be using their words along with their names or forum IDs to tell people not yet in class what mattered most about it to them.


I asked only on the private How to Write a Novel forum so that these would only be comments from verified, active students… and my folks started answering immediately. Better yet, answers are still coming in as I write this.


Here are some of them.  I have not cut or excerpted these — I’m letting the folks taking the class now talk to you themselves.


I’ll post some more of these on Monday.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


HD Peterson says:

The best thing about Holly’s How to Write a Novel class is that for the first time ever I actually feel like I have a chance of finishing something… and making that something good.


Most writing books I’ve read, or other instruction I’ve received, offer nebulous advice on story structure and vague descriptions of techniques to develop it. Holly gives a clear step-by-step breakdown of how she does it, complete with exercises designed to get you working with both halves of your brain — the creative and the logical — without stifling either one.


Best of all, the story you develop retains spontaneity and the potential for happy accident and surprise without the danger of uncontrolled free-fall into an inescapable abyss. It’s evident Holly knows her stuff. Even better, she knows how to teach it.


This is the best money I’ve ever spent on a writing resource, bar none.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Diane Berry says:

The best thing about Holly’s How to Write a Novel class is that, after many half-finished novels, I’m finally learning how to complete one.


Holly has shown me how to establish a regular writing routine, and, among other things, has given me the tools to create interesting characters, immersive conflicts, surprising plot twists, and story arcs that sustain the middle of the novel — the place where I’ve always gotten stuck.


For the first time ever, I’ve reached the middle of my novel with so many ideas for what happens next, I can’t write fast enough to get them down.


How to Write a Novel has been a very, very good use of my time and money.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Tom Vetter says:

The best thing about Holly’s courses — besides the fact that they teach all the specific skills needed to become a professional writer — is that she gives you an entire toolbox of techniques to coax your muse into providing you worthy stories, and to keep that slippery storyteller whispering words all the way to a wonderful conclusion.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Linda Niehoff says:

To be able to see an author write a book alongside me and demonstrate the lessons I am learning has been priceless.


Seeing Holly’s process at work as she hits snags, writes towards new ideas, and fixes problems as they arise in first draft has changed the way I work.


How to Write a Novel class is giving me a system and structure to get out of my own way and get words on the page.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Patty Masserman says:

The worksheets in the class are the best part because Holly gets you asking questions that lead to surprisingly useful answers.


I’ve tried plotting and pantsing, but she has introduced me to a way of writing that gives me enough of a scaffolding to build my story that leaves enough room to discover delightful characters and occurrences along the way. So many times, I’ve stopped and said, “Oh. Okay. Let’s see where this goes.”


She’s an absolutely delightful guide.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


 How To Write A Novel Registration closes in:


Don’t miss the best possible price on this class!


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


 


Angie Mroczka says:

The best thing about this class is that while I know I don’t have time to write a book right now, I know that the course is sitting there waiting for me to make the time.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


 


Yvette Roserie says:

The best thing about this class is that Holly doesn’t just give you a list of steps to follows but she break down the process and give real life examples while teaching the method.


Then you get to watch as she writes her book implementing the methods taught in the class.*  The way she teaches it gives you the opportunity to reverse engineer something you think worked in a book you like and apply the method to your own writing.


Also you have the opportunity to go thru this process with other students who are from varying backgrounds.


This class and experience is awesome.


========


*  [HOLLY interjecting here] You can literally watch me write.

I’m capturing on video each word of the first draft of the novel I’m creating specifically for this class. The videos are at the bottom of each corresponding weekly lesson. They start with Lesson 5, when we’ve finisheh building our ideas, and we start our books.


You’ll see every good thing I get. And you’ll see every mistake. I make some really interesting mistakes in first draft.


Not everyone finds the videos useful (and watching is not required). But for some folks, they’ve been a game changer.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Donna Beasley says:

I had spent about 6 months writing my novel when I realized it was never gonna work. The idea was great but my execution sucked and I needed to start over.


Luckily I discovered Holly’s Novel Writing Class that same week. The best thing about this class is its really great for a first time novel writer like me. It really help me think through the concept, character development, descriptions, and her approach to research was freeing.


I am on chapter 21, over halfway through the first draft of my middle-grade adventure novel.


And every time I sit down to write I can’t wait to find out what happens next. It’s that exciting.


▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫


Chris Bridges says:

This class is the blueprint you have always wanted, but couldn’t find on how to write your novel. As long as you do the work you WILL have a novel at the end of the class. The forums and Holly help to make sure everyone understands and can move though the writing process.


Holly also gives you a massive amount of tools to work with.


Holly’s classes are the best thing I have bought for moving my writing forward.


If any of these look interesting to you, you can find out everything else about the class here:
HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL

 


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I will not share, sell, or trade your personal information. I respect your privacy, and value your trust. - Holly Lisle
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Published on April 03, 2019 09:14

March 29, 2019

The Wishbone Conspiracy: A Fine Friday

Spiffy, spiffy day today, though kind of horrifying, too. I followed Cady’s situation to its logical conclusion, and she’s literally up to her neck in one of those moments I would have previously identifyed as “bad,” but which some of my readers have told me counts as horror.


Well, folks who have read and liked Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood and Warpaint and are still will me for  The Wishbone Conspiracy (working title) are made of stern stuff, and will get through this.


And having read through Ilona Andrews, I can state categorically that my “going dark” is not any grimmer than what she writes. (I know “she’s” a husband/wife team, but the name is female and following a singular proper noun with a plural pronoun bugs the fuck out of me.)


On that working title…

Matt just finished re-reading Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood for the sole purpose of brainstorming titles, and came up with a better title that fits the series. And did it by using Badger’s poem at the end of the book.


My eyes still filled with unshed tears,

I face the path where darkness crept

Before me, taking everything

I once held dear and stripping from

Me joy’s frail wings.


Death stalks after.

Stillness follows

All of Life’s unceasing chatter;

If I win still I shall lose.

Life’s failures are but little deaths

That slink before.


Where once I flew now I must walk

And stumble over stones and roots;

Taste dust and ashes on my tongue

And bleed as failure’s weight

Drives me to ground.


Wait. Knowing that I too must die

And fall at last beyond the reach

Of light and love and laughter I

Become unburdened: I become

Life’s renegade.


I who have nothing left to lose

Must now have everything to gain

And driven down must now burst free,

And take from Life what Life won’t give:

I own my soul.


Life’s a miser; death’s a thief that

Steals Life’s bread when darkness falls.

I’ll shame the thief; I will not weep

But, head high, stand and fight and bleed.

I will not call death friend; I will

Not ask for softness; I will not

Embrace the empty, silent night —

And when I lose, as I must lose —


With neck unbowed and back unbent,

I’ll run the path where darkness creeps

And scream and shout and pound the walls

And death will cringe to hear me come —

And Life, well-lived,

Will weep.


The story behind that poem is here.


Using the same poem, I came up with a better title for Warpaint, and a better title for Wishbone as well.


Going to keep them secret for now.


I need to get some cold, hard split-testing numbers to see which are more marketable, because no matter what I happen to like, the title that encourages people to buy the book is the title that gets to go on the cover. And when I get the split tests set up, I don’t want any hint of which title I might prefer floating around influencing people and messing up the voting.


Anyway… Got 2009 words, ended the chapter on an awesome cliffhanger, and am looking forward to getting back to this story next Wednesday.


Meanwhile, however, now I have to get work done on the How to Write a Novel launch.


It’s getting close and I still have a lot of work to do.

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Published on March 29, 2019 09:48

March 28, 2019

The Wishbone Conspiracy: I love it when a plan comes together

Because I have the last Early-Bird Launch for How to Write a Novel going live on Monday, April 1st, and because I had to do a bunch of work on that first thing in the morning so I could send out emails, I got a late start on fiction today.


But the whole bullet-journal, check-things-off, stay-focused process works. Works well, even.


As soon as I got the emails out, I moved on to the next thing on my list — today’s 2000 words on The Wishbone Conspiracy.


I finished the scene I was so excited about yesterday and loved the way it came together, moved on to the next scene, kept surprising myself by taking the story at different angles than the ones I’d expected, and finished up with 2043 words.


In spite of a tough start, today was a great writing day.


And I get to come in and do more tomorrow. And with a wink and a nod toward my post’s title’s reference to The A-Team, I really do love the way this book is coming together.


 

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Published on March 28, 2019 10:13