Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, Real Life, revisions, sequels, series, writing on October 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I’m ready to really dive into the revisions on The Voice of Prophecy, now.
I’ve got all of the comments from my critique partners marked up in the manuscript. The beginning needs to be tightened–a lot. Maybe a little more action added in. The world building needs to be filtered in much better.
Meanwhile, I’ve made some really good progress on my new office space.
Not nearly done yet. But I predict much better productivity than in my previous cramped space.
Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, first drafts, Multiple Projects, Reading, Real Life, revisions, sequels, series, writing on September 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I now know exactly what happens in the next several chapters of BEYOND THE PROPHECY–and I’m still not making much progress. It’s not editor brain (at least, I don’t think it is). It’s my brain during a heat wave.
I don’t know how many of you have read Terry Pratchett. (If you haven’t, you should.) A subseries in his Disc World series deals with the Night Watch, which (after the advent of Carrot, anyway) includes not just humans, but dwarves, a werewolf, and a mountain troll. I don’t remember the troll’s name off the top of my head, but I do remember this little plot point.
The troll was big, strong, and intimidating to the bad guys. He was also dumber than dirt–until one night he got locked in an ice house. Then he was brilliant. So one of the dwarves built him a hat that would keep his head cool so that he could be smart all the time.
I need someone to invent that hat in this world. The kind of concentration it takes to write a first draft simply eludes me right now.
Maybe my efforts would be better directed to a little revision for the duration. They say this heat wave will end soon–but we all know how much we can trust weathermen. I’ve gotten the first critique back on THE IGNORED PROPHECY and it looks like I may have a lot of work to do on that. Sequels are hard. More on that in my next post.
Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, first drafts, Learning, marketing, Real Life, sequels, series, writing on September 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »
So, I’ve taken the step. THE SHAMAN’S CURSE is now exclusively on Amazon and enrolled in Kindle Select.
If you’re not a writer, what this means for you is that it’s now available for borrowing by Amazon Prime members and available free to members of Kindle Unlimited.
Normally, I like to make my books available in as many different places and as many different formats as possible. However, for whatever reason (and some of it baffles me), TSC has sold approximately 1000 times better on Amazon than everywhere else combined. (My normal distribution is more like 60% Amazon, 40% everywhere else.) So, if I was ever going to try Kindle Select, this seemed like the one to do it with.
Kindle Select offers several advantages:
It’s only been a few days, but I have to say that so far the experiment has been a success. Sales have held fairly steady (maybe just a tiny drop) and the addition of “borrows” either through KOLL or KU has really helped bump TSC back up the Amazon best-seller charts.
Meantime, I’ve been trying to survive work during a vicious heat wave which is only going to get worse. I’m a crossing guard by day (which leaves me plenty of time to write), so I stand out on a corner wearing a uniform that is not what I would choose for this weather (black polyester pants!), and walk almost constantly taking children and parents safely across a street that can get really crazy at times. There is no shade to speak of on my corner. A heat wave right at the beginning of the school year, before I get a chance to get re-accustomed to the routine, is rough going, but I still do really love the job–and the hours.
Also, I’m still working on my new writing space. This weekend, it’s been about turning a closet into a book case (more or less). Here’s yesterday’s progress:
Those lower shelves that are crammed full–those are all fantasy books. And that’s not all of them. Science fiction is up on the right and history books (yeah, I’m a history nerd) are on the left.
For those of you who are wondering, the second book in the DUAL MAGICS series, THE IGNORED PROPHECY is on schedule for release in December. And I’m progressing, slowly, on the third book, currently titled BEYOND THE PROPHECY.
I do want to share this terrific post by Sarah Negovetich on what to do to still be productive, even when the writing isn’t flowing.
Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, Goals, Learning, marketing, Real Life, sequels, series, writing on September 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I haven’t done much–well, any–advertizing up ’til now. My first-ever ad runs tomorrow on Fussy Librarian. It’ll be for THE SHAMAN’S CURSE.
So, we shall see. I hope it’ll give the sales a bump that lasts more than a day. They’re certainly not bad now, but they could be just a bit better. My goal is to try to keep sales of the first book in the series up as I prepare the second book, THE IGNORED PROPHECY, for publication in December.
That’s out to beta readers now for feedback on things like plot and pacing. Meanwhile, I’m trying to get the third book, possibly to be titled Beyond the Prophecy, started. Slow going at the beginning, but that’s fairly normal. Even though I know the characters thoroughly by this time, and have dozen or so paragraphs of an outline, I still have to find my way into this story. (That’s a pretty long outline for me. I’m a discovery writer at heart.)
Oh, and work starts again tomorrow.
Posted in writing, tagged conflict, Cover Art, critiques, e-publishing, fantasy, first drafts, Multiple Projects, Real Life, sequels, series, writing on August 27, 2014| 2 Comments »
Well, I think I’ve done about as much as I can with THE IGNORED PROPHECY until I get some reactions from beta readers. It’s down to 108,500 words, which isn’t bad. There may be a bit more I can cut, but not much.
So, it’s time to start turning my attention to a couple of other things:
I can find similar backgrounds with out much trouble. The trick is going to be coming up with a good central image.Meanwhile, of course, still working on my new writing space. I got the ceiling painted yesterday. Progress!
Posted in Uncategorized, writing, tagged e-publishing, fantasy, priorities, Real Life, revisions, sequels, series, writing on August 24, 2014| 2 Comments »
Whew! Despite a couple of busy weeks, I’m on schedule to get THE IGNORED PROPHECY (sequel to THE SHAMAN’S CURSE) ready for beta readers next month.
TIP is now down to 109,000 words. Just a little more cutting to do and a couple of scenes to revisit and it’ll be good to go.
Other than that:
Lots to do before this will be ready, of course. I’ll be working from the top down, more or less. So I need to paint the ceiling and replace the malfunctioning ceiling fan. (I have the paint and the fan.) Then I think I’m going to sponge a pearl glaze on the walls, to cover up some of the unevenness in the paint. Also, you can’t see it very well in the photo, but there’s some sponged acanthus leaves in the corners. I want to add some more of that, too. Then the old carpet (at least fifty years old) has got to go. And finally, I can start rearranging the furniture. Still have to figure out what I’m going to do with that china cabinet. Oh, and one of the closets is going to become a built-in book case.Better get back to work.
Posted in writing, tagged blog hop, e-publishing, inspiration, Learning, marketing, Multiple Projects, Real Life, revisions, series, writing on July 2, 2014| 20 Comments »
It’s Wednesday. Time for What’s Up Wednesday, a blog hop created by Jaime and Erin Funk to help writers connect.
What I’m Reading:
I just finished Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Loved it. I haven’t really settled on what’s going to be next.
What I’m Writing:
Still working on the rewrite of THE IGNORED PROPHECY. It’s the sequel to THE SHAMAN’S CURSE, which launches next Monday. Eep!
I’ve been a little hung up on a kissing scene. I had to remind myself that this one is light epic fantasy/sword and sorcery. This scene doesn’t need the same emphasis I’d give it in say a YA book.
I also just started the querying process on DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING, a YA fantasy romance.
What Inspires Me:
Right now, the deadline I’ve set for myself. I want to have THE IGNORED PROPHECY ready to publish in December.
What Else I’ve Been Up To:
Most of what I got done yesterday was wrangling the two dogs down to the vet for their annual exams. Poor Aliza (13 1/2 years old) had to have her ears washed out. Who knew wax build up was a problem for older dogs?
Aliza is the red-head. Micah’s the one using her for a pillow. He’s only 10 1/2.
Posted in writing, tagged blog hops, fantasy, inspiration, Reading, Real Life, sequels, writing on June 25, 2014| 21 Comments »
I’m going to try a blog hop, today. It’s called What’s Up Wednesday.
The four questions for this blog hop are:
WHAT I’M READING:
Hmm. I’m sort of between novels at the moment. I recently finished THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ, by L. Frank Baum. (That’s research.)
Right now I’m reading LET’S GET VISIBLE by David Gaughran, because this is stuff I really need to learn to do better.
I need to pull up one of those new novels on my kindle and start reading.
WHAT I’M WRITING:
I’m in the middle (almost) of the rewrite of THE IGNORED PROPHECY, which is the sequel to THE SHAMAN’S CURSE. I’m basically keeping the plot the same, but using the writing skills I’ve learned in the last six years or so.
WHAT INSPIRES ME NOW:
Well, doing a rewrite is mostly just a slog, a special kind of revision. I had the inspiration for the story six years ago when I wrote it (badly) the first time. Although I do love these characters and I’m excited and a little nervous to get through this one and on to the third book. The third book scared me back then, but I think I can write it now. It’s the book in the series (four books in all) in which everything falls apart.
I’m also starting to get excited again about my WEIRD OZ STORY. (Which is why I’ve been reading some of the Oz books.) I made an abortive start on this story about a year ago, but it wasn’t right. I had a pretty good idea what was wrong, but I needed time to figure out how to fix them. Reading some of Baum’s Oz stories beyond THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ has gotten me thinking about some new elements.
WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO:
Scattered, as usual.
Preparing for the launch of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE in a couple of weeks.
I really need to learn to this part so much better.
Finishing up the last little bits on DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING so I can start querying that one. I finished the synopsis yesterday. Now I just need to go back over the first couple of chapters.
And dealing with a lot of clean up and other business that got postponed when I got the chance to work steadily for the last six weeks (ending last Thursday.) I’ve still got several things to do before I can settle Mom’s Trust. First up, I need to prepare for an estate sale. It’s amazing how much stuff can be accumulated in 95 1/2 years, especially living in the same house for about 65 of those years. A lot of it is good stuff, but there’s just too much of it. Way past time to clear out some of it out.
Posted in writing, tagged e-publishing, guest post, marketing, Real Life, Time Management, writing on May 22, 2014| 2 Comments »
Today, I’m hosting Robert Flores IV as part of his blog tour for his latest book BROKEN TRUST.
Broken Trust marks my third novel in as many years. For me, that seems to be behind schedule. But many of my author friends tell me I am fast. Especially when they consider that I put out a magazine every two months in addition to working and having a family life.
I am not the best with time management, especially if I log into Facebook or Twitter. I was supposed to write this blog post first thing when I woke up. It is now almost 12:30 and I am just getting started. First I had to start the Laundry, then my sister called, then I had to do more laundry. Then the little one wanted his lunch, and then I had to eat. Next came the emails. And now, finally I am writing this post.
The truth is, if I wrote as much as I told myself I would write then I would find myself publishing two or three novels a year. But the fact remains that writing isn’t my only obligation each day. And, even if being an author was my full time job, there is so much more that goes into being an author than just writing.
You have to set up priorities for your time. And recently I took things a step further and started a schedule for myself. It got me thinking that maybe I should share with everyone how I set priorities and plan my days.
Priority number one is my family and my kids. They are still young, and while mostly independent they still need me for some things. So, weekends and weekdays after 3pm are very hard for me to get much done with writing or editing. When all three kids are home, I just can’t get much done. So I have marked that time off for them.
Of course, I have bills to pay and writing doesn’t pay those. So I do have to work. Right now, I don’t have a regular job. But I am working a summer job and when I am working, I can’t be writing. Though you can be assured that I spend a lot of time thinking about what I will write next while I am at work.
Next, I have to pencil in time for my second job of being a writer and editor. Right now that is limited to Monday-Friday until 3pm when I am not working. Eventually, when I have a laptop again, I will be able to expand this some.
But, I have to get more specific with this time. So often I find myself working on one task, then bouncing to another task. Then back to another one. And what eventually happens is that nothing gets done. So I am going one step further.
I have two main tasks to work on when I am not working or spending family time. The first is Plasma Frequency, my bi-monthly magazine of Speculative Fiction. Now, you might assume that doesn’t take much time. But you would be assuming wrong. It takes so much time that I often get overwhelmed with it all, even with my great team helping out. I have to read a lot of short stories, edit, format, write contracts, and handle payments for authors. Not to mention getting artists and business aspects together.
Then, I need to write. I have to blog, write my novels, and keep my website up to date. But, I also need to market my writing, keep in touch on social media with my fans, and format my books for publication.
So how do I manage this? I do it with weekly schedules for myself. I break down the week into hourly chunks and put myself on the clock for the “free time” I use for my writing and editing. I go through and put myself down for Plasma Frequency, or writing. And I get more specific. This day and time will be reading submissions, this block of time for a blog post, this block of time for lunch, and this block for social time.
Do I go over, get off schedule, or just plain throw the schedule out the window? Yes. But not as often as I thought I would when I started this experiment. And, I keep the schedule fluid. Meaning that if I blog when I should have been writing my novel, I’ll write the novel during the blog time. I have to adjust the schedule for my muse. But as long as I keep it fluid, it seems to be working out for me.
Maybe I can even get a second novel out before the end of the year, but don’t hold me to that.
Earth is no longer teeming with human life. After a major mass extinction event, the world is no longer able to function as it once had. Governments have collapsed and those that survived are left to figure out what is next for the human race.
Liam Fisher never wanted to be a leader. But after finding survivors, protecting them, and founding the city-state of Lagoon Hills; the people demanded he be their leader. Instead, Liam agreed to sit on a Council with four other leaders.
Together with Talya Brooks, the person who saved his life after the collapse, Liam runs the militia of Lagoon Hills. And though it was tough early on, the people of the city now live in relative comfort and safety.
But Liam is fighting his own personal demons: The loss of his wife and unborn son. Rachel, a past lover he never really got over, has suddenly arrived at the city gates. And the mounting stress of a neighboring city-state threatening war.
The people of Lagoon Hills are counting on Liam for their safety. Can he keep himself together and be the leader everyone wants him to be? Or will the people closest to him be the greatest threat of all?
Richard Flores IV is the author of the science fiction novels, Dissolution of Peace, Volition Agent, and Broken Trust. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Plasma Frequency, a bimonthly, semi-pro magazine of speculative fiction. He lives in Auburn, Washington with his wife and three children. When not writing, he works a day job where he daydreams about writing. His hobbies include reading, television, video games, blogging, and watching San Jose Sharks hockey. You can find out more about Richard, his writing, and his blog by visiting http://www.floresfactor.com.
Posted in writing, tagged fantasy, Multiple Projects, Real Life, revisions, Romance, writing, Young Adult on May 14, 2014| 2 Comments »
Blogging a little bit late today because life got crazy yesterday–and that’s aside from the current heat wave, here. It’s been in the 90’s all week.
Right now, I’m about to wrap up the revisions on MAGIC AND POWER (or whatever title I finally decide on). Strengthening a couple of characters, mostly. There’s one section I still need to trim, but I’m probably going to have to seek some help with that. Someone else will be able to see what’s expendable than I am at this point.
It’ll soon be time to start working on the query and a dreaded synopsis for this one.
Keep your head down. Don’t draw attention. Don’t make waves. Be invisible as much as possible. Above all, don’t make yourself a target. Those are the rules seventeen-year-old Ailsa has lived by for as long as she can remember. She’s used to that. It just goes with being the daughter of the disgraced ex-king and living next to his more-than-slightly paranoid replacement.
With very few friends and no prospects of marriage, Ailsa focuses her energy on her chance to study at the Institute of Magical Arts. Her great hope is that she’ll prove to have a kind of magic that will enable her to save her homeland from the new king’s restrictive policies toward mages. But nothing is ever that simple for Ailsa. A completely unexpected proposal–from Crown Prince Savyon, no less–threatens to derail all her plans.
Political intrigue, powerful magic, and a handsome study partner with a maddening taste for placing them both at the center of attention force Ailsa to rethink her view of the world. Perhaps the answer isn’t to shrink until she fits in somebody’s pre-arranged slot after all. Maybe she can make her own place–and change the world for the better in the process.
The only question remaining is which of the young men who claim to love her is willing to help her in that battle.
GREEN MAGIC is a 96,000-word young adult fantasy romance and potentially the first of a series.
Thank you for your time.
Except, of course, it’s nearer to 97,000 words and I still have some more to add.
After that, I want to make a final pass through THE SHAMAN’S CURSE, preparing that one for this summer sometime. Then complete a first pass through the rewrite of the sequel, THE IGNORED PROPHECY. (The DUAL MAGICS series.)
And then I have plenty more things in the pipeline after that. The rewrite of DREAMER’S ROSE. First drafts of the sequel to MAGIC AND POWER and the third book in the DUAL MAGICS series (probably to be titled TROUBLED COUNSELS). And there’s still that weird Oz story hanging out on the edges, waiting for me to figure it out.
Yeah, I expect I can keep busy.
Meredith Mansfield, Author 