The pathology of my creative process (+ giveaway)
I got a little bit of good news yesterday, but I'm still waiting on the all-clear to share that, so please be patient with me and know that I didn't mean to tease people. Much. ;)
And...for those in the UK who've been asking for the ebook novellas in your territory, I have good news! Mira Ink says that "Never To Sleep" will be available June 1, and that "Reaper" will follow at some point. Right now, "My Soul To Lose" is only available as a World Book Day exclusive, but once that's over, Mira Ink will be publishing that story too. So...your wait will soon be over!
In writing news, I've recently come to accept something I've kind of vaguely known for quite a while: my books have personalities of their own. I don't mean the characters or the story itself. I'm always really hesitant to personify the aspects of novel-writing because I feel like that understates how much hard work actually goes into writing a book. I don't believe in muses, and my characters don't "talk" to me (though of course, I do understand what other writers mean when they say that). Sometimes it feels like they talk through me, but I am always in complete control of my own stories. Or, at least, if I'm not in control, neither are the characters. ;)
But the composition process itself has grown a little...finicky lately. For lack of a better way to describe it. My most recent few books each seem to want to be written in their own time and space. If memory serves, Blood Bound was a nighttime book. I could write bits of it during the day, but the creative floodgates never really opened before the sun went down. Before I Wake was a daylight-in-the-office book, disciplined and dependable, once I got going.
Shadow Bound was an unpredictible beast, flowing at odd times and stalling just as often, regardless of time a day or computer type. But that one would ONLY be revised and edited in bed, on my laptop, with the door closed and the rest of the world firmly locked out. I had no luck concentrating on those revisions at all in my office. For four days, I hardly left my bed and rarely turned on more than my bedside lamp.
Oath Bound is an office-book. It seems to require my ergonomic keyboard and large desktop monitor. I have no idea why. But the side project I'm working on (only on weekends, and when I've already met my Oath Bound goal) is a laptop book, regardless of the time of day or night. It wants to be written in short bursts on my MacBook Air, on the smaller, tighter keyboard and screen, then agonized over in my spare moments for days on end, until I can get back to it. The large screen and clunky ergo keyboard seem to terrify that book like the outside world to an agoraphobic.
I've decided this whole thing is very strange. I've also decided it is not to be questioned. Whatever makes the words flow is what must be done.
Okay, enough about the pathology of my creative process. Let's give away a book.
To enter this week's International Edition Giveaway, leave me a comment in the Wordpress version of this post answering the following question: How likely are you to read a short story or novella that is available in electronic format only (keeping in mind that they can be read on computers, not just portable devices). Does that likelihood change for full-length novels?
The list of available prize books is here, but please don’t leave your entry in that post. That is a static page, which will be updated as books are chosen or donated to libraries.
The rules:
One entry per personThis contest is open to international entriesThis contest is void where prohibitedIf you’re under 18 yrs of age, you must have a parent’s permission to enter and to provide your shipping information if you winPlease allow 2-4 weeks for shippingYou must come back to this blog on Friday to see if you’ve won and claim your prizePrizes not claimed within two weeks will be awarded to a redrawn winner’s namePlease DO NOT leave your email address in your entry. I don’t need it (if you win, you email me to claim your prize) and I’m sure you don’t need the spam that inevitably comes with posting your email address online.
Also, I had fun looking at some concepts for the WITH ALL MY SOUL cover yesterday, and I can't wait to see what HQTeen does with them!
-----
And...for those in the UK who've been asking for the ebook novellas in your territory, I have good news! Mira Ink says that "Never To Sleep" will be available June 1, and that "Reaper" will follow at some point. Right now, "My Soul To Lose" is only available as a World Book Day exclusive, but once that's over, Mira Ink will be publishing that story too. So...your wait will soon be over!
-----
In writing news, I've recently come to accept something I've kind of vaguely known for quite a while: my books have personalities of their own. I don't mean the characters or the story itself. I'm always really hesitant to personify the aspects of novel-writing because I feel like that understates how much hard work actually goes into writing a book. I don't believe in muses, and my characters don't "talk" to me (though of course, I do understand what other writers mean when they say that). Sometimes it feels like they talk through me, but I am always in complete control of my own stories. Or, at least, if I'm not in control, neither are the characters. ;)
But the composition process itself has grown a little...finicky lately. For lack of a better way to describe it. My most recent few books each seem to want to be written in their own time and space. If memory serves, Blood Bound was a nighttime book. I could write bits of it during the day, but the creative floodgates never really opened before the sun went down. Before I Wake was a daylight-in-the-office book, disciplined and dependable, once I got going.
Shadow Bound was an unpredictible beast, flowing at odd times and stalling just as often, regardless of time a day or computer type. But that one would ONLY be revised and edited in bed, on my laptop, with the door closed and the rest of the world firmly locked out. I had no luck concentrating on those revisions at all in my office. For four days, I hardly left my bed and rarely turned on more than my bedside lamp.
Oath Bound is an office-book. It seems to require my ergonomic keyboard and large desktop monitor. I have no idea why. But the side project I'm working on (only on weekends, and when I've already met my Oath Bound goal) is a laptop book, regardless of the time of day or night. It wants to be written in short bursts on my MacBook Air, on the smaller, tighter keyboard and screen, then agonized over in my spare moments for days on end, until I can get back to it. The large screen and clunky ergo keyboard seem to terrify that book like the outside world to an agoraphobic.
I've decided this whole thing is very strange. I've also decided it is not to be questioned. Whatever makes the words flow is what must be done.
Okay, enough about the pathology of my creative process. Let's give away a book.
To enter this week's International Edition Giveaway, leave me a comment in the Wordpress version of this post answering the following question: How likely are you to read a short story or novella that is available in electronic format only (keeping in mind that they can be read on computers, not just portable devices). Does that likelihood change for full-length novels?
The list of available prize books is here, but please don’t leave your entry in that post. That is a static page, which will be updated as books are chosen or donated to libraries.
The rules:
One entry per personThis contest is open to international entriesThis contest is void where prohibitedIf you’re under 18 yrs of age, you must have a parent’s permission to enter and to provide your shipping information if you winPlease allow 2-4 weeks for shippingYou must come back to this blog on Friday to see if you’ve won and claim your prizePrizes not claimed within two weeks will be awarded to a redrawn winner’s namePlease DO NOT leave your email address in your entry. I don’t need it (if you win, you email me to claim your prize) and I’m sure you don’t need the spam that inevitably comes with posting your email address online.
Okay…go!
No comments have been added yet.
