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Posts Tagged ‘e-publishing’

Thinking Outside the Box

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on April 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The way to get through–or around–a block is usually to think outside the box. Re-imagine whatever it is you’re trying to do.

I’ve had to do that once or twice with my writing. FIRE AND EARTH ended up so different from the original story (which didn’t work on so many levels) that I don’t think anyone but me would recognize it.

To a lesser extent, I’m doing something similar with MAGE STORM. Re-imagining it as a much bigger story with more wide-ranging stakes. I haven’t gotten very far with that, yet. That’s okay. I expect it to take multiple iterations. Right now, I’m mostly adding back some of the things I’d cut from earlier versions.

And I’ve also had to do something like that a couple of times with my cover art. Series can be particularly difficult, because I need to come up with a concept or image that not only works for that book, but also can be extended into something that will tie all the books of the series together. Oh, and not look too much like the covers of my other series, too.

And, as I mentioned in my last post, I was really having trouble with the cover for MAGE STORM. I think I’ve solved that issue. I need to stare at it a little longer. And seek some more opinions. Maybe I’ll be able to share the cover with you by my next post.

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Next

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2016| 1 Comment »

The plan was that I’d work on the first draft of BECOME

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during this month while the first draft of WAR OF MAGIC rests.

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And I will be doing some of that. But the plan was also that BECOME would be the next thing I publish after completing the DUAL MAGICS series. And that might not be true.

And the reason is that there are some complexities regarding the ASCENSION series that starts with BECOME that make me want to have at least a first draft of the whole series–or at the very least the first two books–before I start publishing it.

  1. The first part of BECOME, as currently written, is somewhat episodic, because it covers certain pivotal events from the childhood of the main character–both the development of his goals and the development of a relationship with his half-brother, which will be very important to the overall story. I’m writing that in chronological order, but ultimately that may not be the best way to tell the story. It might not be the best way to capture reader interest or keep the story moving. The overall story would make it easy to shift some of those episodes to flashbacks. But I won’t know how I want to handle that until I’ve gotten to that part of the story (likely in the second book, CONVERGE).
  2. The overall series has three main characters, in a way. The overarching story belongs to the main character of BECOME, but his two supporters are more than just sidekicks. And they’re both younger than the main character, so they won’t even show up until the second book. And they’ll have stories of their own that intertwine with his, but are not part of his story.
  3. And here’s the kicker. I really can’t come up with any way to end the first book that isn’t . . . well, not a cliffhanger, but definitely not a satisfying ending, either. The kind of ending that would make me as a reader spit tacks if the second book wasn’t already available. And I hate that as a reader. And therefore I try very hard to avoid it as a writer. If that’s in fact where this story has to end–and I’m very much afraid it is–then I want to have the second book ready for pre-order before I ever publish the first.

And all of that means that I’ll be working on a third story–a rewrite of MAGE STORM–during this month. Too, not instead of BECOME. But that will inevitably slow BECOME down.

And it’s why I spent way too much time yesterday trying to come up with a cover image for MAGE STORM. (One that, hopefully, does not include lightning this time. It’s dramatic and all, but I think I may be overdoing that particular image.)

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Done!

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on March 30, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Celebration time! The first draft of WAR OF MAGIC is finally complete!

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Now to get a little work in on BECOME, so that one story can drive the other out of my head and I can come back to the first round of revisions with fresher eyes.

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The End is in Sight

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on March 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Only two and a half chapters to go to “The End” of WAR OF MAGIC.

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Actually, one and a half chapters and an epilogue.

Then, of course, it’s on to the rest of the cycle:

  • Let the first draft rest. (Which will give me a chance to work on BECOME.)
  • Probably two or three rounds of revisions to whip it into shape. First drafts are allowed to be bad. Final drafts aren’t.
  • Then to my critique partners to find out what I missed (because I know the story) or didn’t make clear. Or what just doesn’t work.
  • Then final revisions and a polishing edit.
  • And then formatting.

So, yeah. The end of the first draft is in sight. Still cause for celebration.

Happy Easter

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Boxed Sets

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’ve always planned to put out a boxed set of the DUAL MAGICS series some time after I publish WAR OF MAGIC.

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A few days ago, I had another thought. I could put out a boxed set of the first three books for a limited time as a lead up to the release of the fourth and final book, WAR OF MAGIC. And, tempting as it is to jump on this, the best time to do that is when I can include a buy link (or pre-order link) at the end of the set. So, this can’t happen until I’m withing three months of publishing WAR OF MAGIC (because that’s how long Amazon currently allows pre-orders to run).

And, as you know if you’ve been reading this blog, I’m still working on the first draft of WAR OF MAGIC. I expect I’ll finish that within the next two weeks, but that’s not even close to being within three months of publication. One of those months is just to let the first draft cool, so I can look at it with fresher eyes. Then I have to do a couple of rounds of revisions before it goes out to critique partners (who usually need about a month to read and critique a full novel). Then another round of revisions and a polishing edit. So, yeah, longer than three months.

Nevertheless, I’ve started to work on cover art for the boxed set.

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This will, of course, eventually be replaced by the full boxed set.

And then, someday, I plan on putting out a boxed set of the first books in different series. Of course, that has to wait until I have another series or two under my belt.

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Battle Chapters

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on March 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Whole books have been written on writing battle and fight scenes. They can be really tricky to write.

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And this battle at the climax of WAR OF MAGIC is probably going to need three chapters–mostly short chapters–but still. Some of that is because I want to show the battle from more than one perspective.

I’ve written the first of those three chapters–at least in first draft. Moving forward.

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Running Outline

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on March 16, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, I updated my running outline for WAR OF MAGIC.

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I’ve been doing this, more or less, for much of the first draft–outlining just the next handful of chapters. As a discovery writer, that works much better for me than trying to outline the whole novel.

This time, that took me right to the end of the story. Seven more chapters. Of course, that may change a little, but not by too much.

The end is in sight. At least, the end of the first draft.

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Battle Ahead and Killing Characters

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on March 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’m currently writing the chapter (or possibly two) that will lead up to the climactic battle of WAR OF MAGIC–and the whole DUAL MAGICS series.

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There’s a reason why the cover for this book has fire as a background image, where the earlier books had lightning or smoke backgrounds–all in blue and red to symbolize the two kinds of magic.

I’ve got one character who may be dead already in the first attack. He’s never been a POV character and the other characters don’t know, so I’ve got a little time to decide if I’m going to save him or not. (Probably not.) I already killed off another character awhile back. Not my favorite thing to write, even off-stage.

Nevertheless, a few more are going to have to die or be seriously injured. I can believably get them through a few skirmishes mostly unharmed. But not this battle.

Makes me a little sad. I’ve spent quite a lot of time with these characters by now. I’d like to send them all off to live happily ever after, but that just won’t work for this story.

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Goal

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on March 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’ve said this a couple of times before, but I’m going to go out on a limb one more time and say that my goal is to finish the first draft of WAR OF MAGIC by the end of the month.

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Now, I’d better get back to work on it.

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Description

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on March 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

My last post was about part of the world I’m creating from BECOME.

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This area of the story’s world will be very important, so it needs description.

My first drafts tend to be pretty spare on description, generally. But this is one of those places that requires a full description. I have to make this part of the world real to the reader. I don’t think I’ve done that yet. I’ve got the bones, maybe, but not the flesh. I’ll need to engage more of the five senses–the ones that are harder for me, like smell and touch. (I’m really not sure how a forest tastes, so I think I may have to leave that one out.) So I know I’m going to have to revisit this in the revisions.

And I have to describe it not just as I saw it (twenty years ago), but as my character would experience it. Some things that I recall might not be important to him. And some things I barely noticed might well draw his attention. So that’s going to take some thought and digging a little–or a lot–deeper.

Meanwhile, it’s time to build to the climax in WAR OF MAGIC.

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