Writing and Resting
This week I completed two major projects: my website: http://www.ksnikakis.com and Angel Caste Book 4 - Angel Bound.
The website is now active; the book is now launched.
I've been working on the website for a long time with my son (I'm not pretending I have a lot of tech skills), and have two previous versions floating around on the web before I sorted out I wrote Deep Fantasy and exactly what that meant.
Angel Bound marks my 7th, independently published book, and The Kira Chronicles trilogy is still out there, so that makes 10 published fiction books (I also have a nonfiction book). The editing, augmentation and relaunch of The Kira Chronicles trilogy as a series, is my first project for 2018. From September to Christmas 2017 is marked down to complete Angel Blessed, the final in the Angel Caste series. I presently do not have a single word written.
As part of the Angel Caste Book 4 - Angel Bound, I have a free download of my Deep Fantasy short story - The Gift. The download will shortly be offered in all of my ebooks.
There was a fair bit of work involved in putting this offer together: editing the story, editing and sorting the cover; setting up MailChimp; ensuring the links worked (again down to my wonderful tech support).
During the last couple of weeks I have also worked to get bookmarks designed and printed to take with me to WorldCon in Helsinki (where I am serving on three panels), and am still working on novel extracts for the postcards I'm taking. I've been managing my first ever giveaway on Goodreads as well. If you are interested in the chance to get a free pcopy of The Emerald Serpent, get in before July 31.
I have been working on Angel Bound for over three months, but the rest of these activities have ramped up in the last month or so, (along with a bit of voluntary and paid employment) and I've found myself getting increasingly tired. Part of the impetus to write for long hours has been the fly-out date for WorldCon, but it is also the understanding that if you independently publish, you need to be very serious about your work hours. Mine can be up to 10 hours a day.
It does raise the question about becoming stale, burned out, or ill. Resting as part of a writing life is about keeping well, but it is also about nurturing creativity. My intention was to take a break between Angel Bound and the last book, because there are a lot of publishing/marketing activities I need to do, but also to give the last book some time to brew. I'm now over 300,000 words into this series, so obviously have a broad idea of how it concludes, but of course you need the finer detail to ensure a powerful resolution.
The odd thing is though, that I'm finding it hard not to open a new file called Angel Blessed and type Chapter 1. I'm not sure whether this is because I've spent so long with these characters and their struggles, I feel disloyal in being away from them, or whether writers actually rest by writing. Time will tell.
The website is now active; the book is now launched.
I've been working on the website for a long time with my son (I'm not pretending I have a lot of tech skills), and have two previous versions floating around on the web before I sorted out I wrote Deep Fantasy and exactly what that meant.
Angel Bound marks my 7th, independently published book, and The Kira Chronicles trilogy is still out there, so that makes 10 published fiction books (I also have a nonfiction book). The editing, augmentation and relaunch of The Kira Chronicles trilogy as a series, is my first project for 2018. From September to Christmas 2017 is marked down to complete Angel Blessed, the final in the Angel Caste series. I presently do not have a single word written.
As part of the Angel Caste Book 4 - Angel Bound, I have a free download of my Deep Fantasy short story - The Gift. The download will shortly be offered in all of my ebooks.
There was a fair bit of work involved in putting this offer together: editing the story, editing and sorting the cover; setting up MailChimp; ensuring the links worked (again down to my wonderful tech support).
During the last couple of weeks I have also worked to get bookmarks designed and printed to take with me to WorldCon in Helsinki (where I am serving on three panels), and am still working on novel extracts for the postcards I'm taking. I've been managing my first ever giveaway on Goodreads as well. If you are interested in the chance to get a free pcopy of The Emerald Serpent, get in before July 31.
I have been working on Angel Bound for over three months, but the rest of these activities have ramped up in the last month or so, (along with a bit of voluntary and paid employment) and I've found myself getting increasingly tired. Part of the impetus to write for long hours has been the fly-out date for WorldCon, but it is also the understanding that if you independently publish, you need to be very serious about your work hours. Mine can be up to 10 hours a day.
It does raise the question about becoming stale, burned out, or ill. Resting as part of a writing life is about keeping well, but it is also about nurturing creativity. My intention was to take a break between Angel Bound and the last book, because there are a lot of publishing/marketing activities I need to do, but also to give the last book some time to brew. I'm now over 300,000 words into this series, so obviously have a broad idea of how it concludes, but of course you need the finer detail to ensure a powerful resolution.
The odd thing is though, that I'm finding it hard not to open a new file called Angel Blessed and type Chapter 1. I'm not sure whether this is because I've spent so long with these characters and their struggles, I feel disloyal in being away from them, or whether writers actually rest by writing. Time will tell.
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